Geography:  World's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and south-eastern coasts; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along the west coast in the summer.

Climate: Australia is in the southern hemisphere and the seasons are opposite to those in Europe and North America. There are two climatic zones: the tropical zone (in the north above the Tropic of Capricorn) and the temperate zone. The tropical zone (consisting of 40 per cent of Australia) has two seasons, summer (’wet’) and winter (’dry’) while the temperate zone has all four seasons.

November-March: (spring-summer): Warm or hot everywhere, tropical in the north, and warm to hot with mild nights in the south. April-September: (autumn-winter): Northern and central Australia have clear warm days, cool nights; the south has cool days with occasional rain but still plenty of sun. Snow is totally confined to mountainous regions of the southeast.

Recommended clothing: Lightweights during summer months with warmer clothes needed during the cooler winter period throughout most of the southern States. Lightweight cottons and linens all year in the central/northern States with warm clothes only for cooler winter evenings and early mornings. Sunglasses, sunhats and sunblock lotion are recommended year round in the north and during the summer months in the south.

Public Holidays:
Jan 1          New Year’s Day.
Jan 26        Australia Day.
Apr 9-12     Easter.
Apr 26        ANZAC Day.
Dec 25-26  Christmas.

Note: Nationwide holidays only. If these dates fall on a Saturday or Sunday, a day may be given in lieu. There are numerous individual State holidays.

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