Australia is big and very diverse. Unless you are one of the lucky few people with money and time to spare, it will not be possible to see everything the continent has to offer in one trip. But don't worry, whatever you get to see will be more than worth you while. Here is my list of the top five places to see in Australia.

THE GOLD COAST
This is the place to see if you like sun and sea. You will find stretches of golden beaches, a deep blue sea and lovely weather. There is lots of entertainment for tourists. You and your children will not be bored. You can visit Movie world, Dreamworld, Sea world, Wet and Wild and White Water World. Different kinds of watersports cater to the whole family. There are also bus tours and day trips to the hinterland.

SYDNEY
This is a sophisticated cosmopolitan city for those city types who like shopping and a nightlife. Australia is a country of immigrants and they have all brought their cooking styles from the home countries. Italian, Lebanese and Vietnamese are just a few of the kinds of restaurants that you will find here.

You can pay a visit to the Opera House and marvel at the architecture. It is in my opinion one of the most beautiful buildings. Tourists can also visit the Harbor Bridge, Hyde Park and the Chinese Garden of Friendship. There are a lot of museums and art galleries. The Rocks is a must if you are interested in the history of Sydney when it was a penal colony.

ULURU
Uluru was formerly known as Ayers Rock and it is a sacred site for the first inhabitants of Australia, the Aborigine. You can climb this huge rock, but it is more respectful towards to locals if you choose to walk around it.
Uluru is 1141 feet high, 22 miles long and 1.2 miles wide. On your walk around Uluru, Aborigine guides will tell you more about their culture and the environment.
It is recommended that you stay overnight so that you can see the light of sunrise and sunset plays against the rock. It is mystical and mysterious. No wonder it is a holy site for the Aborigines.

When you stay overnight or spend any other time in the desert, I'd like to advise you to look at the stars. The best way to look at them is in a less populated environment. Visitors from the North are not always aware that there are different stars in the Southern skies. See if you can spot the Southern Cross.

GREAT BARRIER REEF
This is the largest coral reef barrier in the world. There are 1 500 species of fish and 400 kinds of coral. Tourists can snorkel or take a ride in a glass bottom boat to experience the wonderful sea life. For the more adventurous there are diving, helicopter rides and sea bottom walks.

TASMANIA
Tasmania is a tiny island of the coast of southern Australia. You can reach it by ferry from Melbourne or hop on a plane. Forty percent of Tasmania is protected national parks. Many of the parks have caves that can be explored. You will find dense rain forests, wild rivers and beautiful views. A lot of artists live there and the art scene is very active.

This is my list of the top five places to visit in Australia. I hope it made you feel like packing your bags and booking a trip. See you Down Under, mate!

Learn more about this author, Marina Shemesh.
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