Hunter Valley is the oldest wine producing region in Australia. The region is a very popular place to visit for weekend getaways, weddings and, of course, for its wineries. I can't tell you exactly how many wineries there are in Hunter Valley, but I can assure you there are a lot -- from small family run winery to big exporting brands. There are also excellent restaurants and accommodation around the region, but it can be quite full during high seasons and need to be booked way in advance. And for the families, there are also a great variety of activities to do: the kids will love visiting the chocolate/sweets factories, or you may like to admire the beautiful flowers and garden...

Uluru, or the Ayers Rock, in the Northern Territory is listed as a World heritage site. It is a big natural icon of Australia and a sacred place to the aboriginal people in the area. Located in the middle of a dessert, Uluru is a huge sandstone rock with a broad base – 8 kilometres round and 318 meters high. The beautiful view has attracted thousands of tourists to travel all the way to Alice Spring for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For details about travelling to Uluru you can visit the Northern Territory’s official tourist website: http://en.travelnt.com/explore/uluru-kata-tjuta.aspx/

There are all kinds of credit cards in the market and they all offer different things. You may be after an attractive reward programme, or, may prefer something simple with no annual fee. I used this website http://www.infochoice.com.au/ They compare different kinds of (Australian) bank products from credit cards to home loans. Quite handy and saves you the trouble of looking around.

Who doesn't know about the Melbourne Cup? It's the most famous Tuesday in Australia, the day when we all stop whatever we are doing and watch/listen to the race. Racing aside, the party atmosphere is just overwhelming - champagne, canapés, glamorous hats and racetrack fashions. Those who live/work in Melbourne's metropolitan area are the lucky ones to enjoy the Melbourne Cup Day as a public holiday, but even those at work will try to have some fun. Most companies will organise their own "best hat" competition or sweep - you will be randomly matched with a drawn horse and prize money will go to the first three places plus a 'consolation prize' for the horse that runs last. You can even...

You have to know the term “Aussie Salute” if you are in Australia- it refers to the waving off of flies from your face. This happens everyday especially during the hot summer days and can be really annoying. Check out this page to see how flies have deeply affected the Aussie culture: http://www.convictcreations.com/animals/flies.htm/

The Jacaranda Tree can be seen in many places in Australia. You'll see it everywhere in spring and summer and they can't be missed because of their stunning blue-mauve flowers. Grafton in the Clarence County, NSW has so many of them that they have a festival for it. The Jacaranda Festival is held on the last Saturday in October each year. There is a queen crowning ceremony to mark the start of the major festival week, and the final weekend features a spectacular street parade.