Australia Travel

The countdown to winter is on. It may be getting on to summer in the United States and other countries in the northern hemisphere but here in Australia it's nearly the end of autumn and winter is just around the corner.

Mostly people think of winter as ski time, but there always are other things to do as well as other attractions to visit no matter what the season.

• Winter in Australia
• Ski Time
• Sydney in the Winter
• Canberra in the Winter

Undefeated bay mare Black Caviar chalked up her 21st straight win in the 1200m Goodwood at Adelaide's Morphettville Racecourse this afternoon, May 12, local time.

This was her last race in Australia before leaving for London to compete in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

• Black Caviar: 21 Wins out of 21 Races

In bracing autumn weather, with winter just weeks away, Melbourne remains a warm favorite for travelers to Australia. Dress for the weather and you're fine. Get around in the city and discover many of Melbourne's surprising attractions, from Federation Square to Southbank to the developing Docklands.

If the warmth of indoor museums is more your thing, you'll much variety in Merlbourne's museums and galleries, some of them with quick walking access from the heart of the city.

And yes, there's the City Circle Tram and City Tourist Shuttle to ferry you around for free.

• Melbourne: Getting Around in the City
• Melbourne Museum and Galleries

Photo: A Melbourne Museum display fascinates a young visitor © Tourism Victoria

Sydney is going Vivid with the opening of this year's Vivid Sydney Festival on May 25. Vivid Sydney continues until June 11.

Vivid Sydney, one of Australia's premier festivals and events is a celebration of light, music and ideas that includes large-scale light installations and projections through to music performances, ideas, creative summits.

Outdoors, visitors and Sydneysiders alike should enjoy the festive colors and and images projected on the walls of Sydney's iconic buildings, from Sydney Opera House to other Sydney city structures.

There are as well a variety of indoor festival events.

Vivid Sydney events take place at various venues which include Macquarie St, Sydney Opera House, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and The Rocks.

Visit the Vivid Sydney website for information on festival events.

• Australian Events and Festivals

Photo: Brian Eno artwork projected onto the Opera House for Vivid Sydney Festival 2009 © Hamilton Lund / Tourism New South Wales

Undefeated in 20 of 20 metropolitan horse racing events, supersprinter Black Caviar is racing on May 12 at Adelaide's Morphettville Racecourse.

This is her last race in Australia before heading to London to run in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 23 in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year.

At Morphettville, she will start in the 1200m Goodwood. At Royal Ascot she will tackle the 1207m (8 furlongs) Diamond Jubilee Stakes, the feature race of the day where bookmakers have installed Black Caviar as the short-priced favorite.

• Black Caviar: Australia's Winningest Horse Racing Champion

Photo: Black Caviar winning this year's Lightning Stakes at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse © Getty Images

Maytime in Australia heralds the coming of the southern winter. It is, too, a time of celebrations and festivals as you look at what happens in Australia month by month.

May is mid-year and the last month of the Australian autumn. And winter is knocking at the door.

It's that time of the year when the leaves of deciduous trees turn to gold and start to fall, and the mountains grow slowly white with snow.

• Australia Month by Month
• Australian Events and Festivals
• Quirky Queensland Events and Festivals

Photo: Captain Cook 1770 Festival, by Greig Boreham, courtesy Captain Cook 1770 Festival

It's Australia's best known city (although Melbourne may want to dispute that) and large numbers of visitors to Australia do land in Sydney first. They may spend their visit only in the city or head off to other Australian destinations.

But Sydney is usually a top choice and here are at least 10 reasons why.

Photo: Sydney Opera House © Tourism New South Wales

• Western Australia: Australia's Largest State
• Where to Dance with the Dolphins
• Rottnest Island: Holiday and Quokka Haven
• Rottnest Island: Underwater Attractions
• Broome: It's One Pearl of a Town
• Perth: Where the Living Is Easy
• Indigenous Experiences in Perth
• Fremantle: Heritage and History
• Where to Swim with the Sharks
• The Bungle Bungles

It's Australia's second largest state and one of two Australian states named after an English queen.

It's Queensland, of course, second largest state after Western Australia. Queensland and Victoria are the two states named in honor of Queen Victoria (1819-1901).

So, since it's one of Australia's largest states, where does one go in Queensland? The quick answer is the Great Barrier Reef, a most popular Australian destination.

And then there's the Gold Coast just south of the capital, Brisbane.

But cast your eye on the landscape and there are Queensland destinations aplenty.

See where to go. See what to see.

• What to See, Where to Go in Queensland
• Islands in the Sun
• Getting to the Great Barrier Reef
• Queensland's State Flower

Photo: Swim and snorkel on Great Keppel Island © Tourism Queensland

Yes, you can travel all around Australia — and end your journey where you began — on the circumferential route that is Highway 1. Of course, you'd need a fair bit of time to complete the circle but you can choose to do just a section or two.

Between Sydney and Melbourne, for instance, Highway 1 takes in the coastal towns on the Pacific shore and it's the more scenic route between these capital cities. The shorter route is, of course, the inland Hume Highway.

It's all a matter of choice. I've taken both routes and when I have the time to simply dawdle along I've opted for the Princes Highway which is the section of Highway 1 all the way throrugh southern Victoria and into South Australia.

• All Around Australia on Highway 1