Australia’s chief draw is its natural beauty. The landscape varies from sunny beaches to tropical rainforests to the rugged outback of the Northern Territory. Its cities combine a European gusto for art and fine dining with a blithe love of sport and nightlife. Visitors expecting to see an opera in Sydney one evening and go gold prospecting the next day should study the topography. It is its sheer enormity that gives Australia — and its diverse population –a distinct personality.

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