When you visit Adelaide and South Australia for the second WSGC you will be going to one of the most dynamic countries in the world.

Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world and divided into 6 states and several territories. The 6 states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. The two major territories are the Northern Territory (NT) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Australia is regarded as a country of contrasts – an extremely picturesque and beautiful country with a diverse range of natural sights. The landscape varies from endless sun drenched horizons to thick tropical rainforest to glorious chilly southern beaches. Scattered along the coasts, its cities blend a European enthusiasm for art and food with a laid-back love of sport and the outdoors.

Visitors expecting to see an opera in Sydney one night and meet Crocodile Dundee the next will have to re-think their grasp of geography in this huge country. It is this sheer vastness that gives Australia - and its diverse population - much of its character.
The largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid, but the south-east and south-west corners have temperate climate and moderately fertile soil. The northern part has tropical climate, which is part tropical rainforest, part grassland and part desert.

Anyone visiting Australia should see the Great Barrier Reef. It is the world’s largest coral reef and extends for over 1,200 kms! It lies a short distance from the north-east coast.
Another spectacular place to visit is Uluru. It is the second largest monolith in the world and is located in central Australia. Another must see is the Great Artesian Basin, which is the world’s largest and deepest fresh water basin. Along with its beauty, it also serves as an important source of water in the parched outback.

Visit the following websites for full details about Australia and each state:

http://www.australia.com/
http://www.tourism.australia.com/
http://www.csu.edu.au/australia/tourism.html
http://www.wherethebloodyhellareyou.com/
http://www.about-australia.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/pacific/australia