Australia Ports« Back to Port Information
Adelaide↑ Back to top
Adelaide is a quiet, conservative town but embracing South Australia’s liberal traditions. It is a city of old wealth, with a free and laid-back lifestyle. Home to more than one million inhabitants, it has a large European population, with Italians making up the largest non-Anglo cultural group.
Brisbane↑ Back to top
Nestled between the Gold Coast to the south and the Sunshine Coast to the north, laid-back Brisbane makes the most of its magnificent beaches, offering an ideal blend of Aussie ease and urban energy. Wander in the lush Botanical Gardens, shop in the Queen Street Mall, or enjoy the countless cafes and restaurants along the banks of the Brisbane River.
Broome↑ Back to top
Tiny Broome sits in the windswept “Far Corner” of Western Australia, on the scenic arid shores of the Indian Ocean. It became famous early in the century for its pearls and mother of pearl, both among Australia’s finest. Pearls are still important here, but tourist attractions are currently its greatest wealth. These include the dramatic pearl fishermen’s cemetery and superb 10-mile-long Cable Beach.
Burnie↑ Back to top
This city is the gateway to scenic Tasmania and Australia’s fifth-largest port, boasting a deep, natural harbor. Within its interior lie the rain forest and Cradle Mountain National Park, a World Heritage Site. The gentle rolling hills that grace this area include rich farmlands and pastures that produce some of the finest Merino wool in the world. Northern Tasmania is also rich in picturesque villages and historic houses, some dating from the Georgian colonial era.
Cairns↑ Back to top
One of Australia’s hottest vacation destinations, Cairns serves as a gateway to three of Australia’s great natural wonders: the Great Barrier Reef, where a spectrum of colorful marine life thrives; 16 miles of superb beaches north of the city that form the famed Marlin Coast; and the immense Daintree National Park in North Queensland.
Cid Harbor↑ Back to top
Cid Harbor is an access point for the Great Barrier Reef, the most massive structure on earth created by living organisms. Formed over 10,000 years by tiny, limestone-secreting coral polyps, the Great Barrier Reef is actually a vast coral complex composed of more than 2,000 individual reefs and 71 coral islands.
Darwin↑ Back to top
Named after evolutionist Charles Darwin, this tropical city on the north end of Australia serves as a gateway to the Australian Outback and its aboriginal community, the world’s oldest culture. From here, you can visit Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Site renowned not only for its Australian wildlife but Aboriginal rock art. Darwin itself is a former frontier town with a rough-and-tumble past. Its growth was achieved back in 1871 with the discovery of gold at Pine Creek. A number of historic buildings from that era remain.
Fremantle (Perth)↑ Back to top
The port of Fremantle is a quaint colonial town of terraced houses and a bay that was a haven for America’s Cup yachts. The city is also the gateway to Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Situated some 15 miles upriver from Fremantle on the banks of the Swan River, Perth is a growing, bustling city where soaring high rises coexist with sandstone buildings from the colonial era. The population in and around Perth makes up some eight percent of Western Australia’s population. And it’s here that life moves at a slower pace, from the wonders of the bush to the wineries of the Swan Valley.
Great Barrier Reef (see also Cairns, Cid Harbour, Cooktown and Townsville)↑ Back to top
The Great Barrier Reef is 1,250 miles long and covers 80,000 square miles – the largest structure on earth built by living organisms. Ever since Captain Cook ran aground on the reef back in 1770, people have been enjoying its incredible beauty. Over 600 pristine islands stud the reef, each with its brilliant corals and spectacular sea creatures.
Hobart, Tasmania↑ Back to top
Australia’s second-oldest city is notable for its Georgian buildings, picturesque harbor, and fine galleries and gardens. Nearby are the ghostly ruins of Port Arthur, the infamous penal colony, and its Isle of the Dead cemetery. You can also visit one of the perfectly preserved colonial villages nearby.
Melbourne↑ Back to top
Australia’s “Garden City” rejoices in its greenery, from the Fitzroy Gardens to the magnificent Royal Botanical Gardens. Hiding behind the skyscrapers along the Yarra River are the graceful 19th-century mansions of the city’s Gold Rush years. Since Australia is an ethnic melting pot, hosting immigrants from throughout the world, it is not surprising that local cuisine offers 60 different international genres. However, it is the city’s English personality, enhanced by its many gardens that will stay with you long after you leave.
Sydney↑ Back to top
Sydney possesses one of the most beautiful and famous harbors in the world. The harbor goes on seemingly forever, with residential areas perched on bluffs overlooking the various waterways. The city is Australia’s oldest settlement, its largest and most thriving city and a cultural melting pot. It curves around idyllic Port Jackson, where sandstone cliffs and bright islands complement the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. It is fun to explore cobbled colonial streets of the historic Rocks quarter.
Townsville↑ Back to top
Townsville is the heart of North Queensland, a focal point attracting many people to its beautiful climate and relaxed lifestyle. This is also a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, a magnificent undersea wonderland composed of more than 2,000 individual reefs and 71 coral islands.
Whitsunday Islands↑ Back to top
The 74 islands that comprise the Whitsunday archipelago are scattered on both sides of the Whitsunday Passage, rising out of the sea as the tips of underwater mountains. Many feature a hilly terrain and fringes of coral reefs around them. All but five of the Whitsundays are predominantly or totally national park territory. A few of the islands are inhabited or developed as tourist resorts.Some content provided courtesy of CLIA (Cruise Line International Association)