Motorcycle trip

Australia

Australia's Geography

Located in Oceania in the southern hemisphere, Australia is an immense island surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It's about 32 times the size of the United Kingdom, spanning 1,988 miles from north to south and 2,485 miles from east to west. During a motorcycle tour in Australia, you will really get a feel for the omnipresent desert, which makes up almost 80% of the country. The central region, Red Centre, is a red sand desert called the Outback, which stretches across a large plateau. This dry, arid land is home to Australia's most famous rock formations: Uluru and Kata Tjuta, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The coastal areas, spared from the aridity, are the most populated areas, especially the southeastern coast where the larger cities can be found. The Great Dividing Range crosses the eastern part of the country from north to south. Between Canberra and Melbourne, Mount Kosciuszko stands proud at 2,228 m altitude and is the country's highest peak. The famous Great Barrier Reef, whose underwater fauna attracts tourists from the world over, is found along the Queensland coast. This tropical climate region is home to large national parks and numerous unspoilt spaces. Despite the extreme weather conditions, you will be surprised to see how well some tree species, such as eucalyptus or acacia, adapt.

Australia's history and culture

During a motorcycle tour in Australia, you'll discover a fascinating history of a land full of promise. The first inhabitants of this vast country, the Aborigines, arrived by sea as far back as 50,000 years ago. In 1770, captain James Cook was the first European to discover Australia and founded a colony, initially set up as prison territory. Thousands of prisoners were sent there to build up this new land, especially to Port Jackson prison, which later developed into Sydney Harbour. Then, in around 1850, the gold rush attracted Europeans, especially to the south of the country. During this period, the Aborigines were forced into reserves. Incredibly, they were not officially recognised as Australian citizens until 1967! The Australian government recently issued a formal apology to Indigenous Australians for their mistreatment. Australia became one nation in 1901, forming the Commonwealth of Australia, and later became completely independent from the United Kingdom in 1986. European and subsequent Asian immigration continued throughout the 20th century. For the past few decades, Australia has concentrated its efforts on its mixed cultural identity and economic development.