Explore Australia

Culture and Nature

Understand Australian wildlife, seasons, history and living cultures.

From Adelaide, Victor Harbor and Encounter Bay are the closest places to look for whales, about an hour’s drive away.

Visitors and new residents see native birds in suburban parks, gardens and along the coast, but sightings vary by region.

Watch koalas from a path or boardwalk without approaching or disturbing them.

Start with laksa at a Saturday market, then try Top End seafood and tropical fruit.

The Gulumoerrgin seasonal calendar records Larrakia knowledge of seasonal change around Darwin, Cox Peninsula and Gunn Point.

Kakadu plum is the yellow-green, egg-shaped fruit of Terminalia ferdinandiana, a small tree native to northern Australia.

Kakadu’s wetlands are reliable places to look for waterbirds and crocodiles.

Whale-shark sightings at Ningaloo Marine Park are most reliable from March to July.

At an Australian beach, swim between the red-and-yellow flags at a patrolled beach, follow local signs and stay out of the water if it is closed.

At an Australian café, order by drink name and say whether you’re having it there or taking it away.

Try a bakery meat pie, a flat white from a local café and a classic lamington.

Australia has no single public holiday calendar.