The fun-loving and adventurous Aussie culture has made Australia an attractive place for family vacations. The land of kangaroos and koalas is full of beaches, rainforests and large cities. Known to be far from almost every other place in the world, where is Australia located?
While Australia is also considered a continent consisting of other nations such as New Zealand, Fiji, Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, The Marshall Islands and Nauru, we will concentrate on the country throughout the discussion in this article.
Where is Australia Situated?
Australia is located in Oceania. A country of its own accord, this name often refers to the entire continent located in the Southern Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere. The world’s smallest continent, Australia sits between the Indian Ocean to its west and the Pacific Ocean to its east.
Mainland Australia is spread between the geographical coordinates of 9 degrees and 44 degrees South (in terms of latitude) and 112 degrees and 154 degrees East (in terms of longitude). This country is separated from New Zealand by the Tasman Sea.
Of the 6 states that make Australia, Tasmania is an island. The entire country stretches out across 7,692,024 square kilometers or 2,969,907 square miles, making it the 6th largest nation in the world by area.
Australia has 3 main time zones and several others, especially during summers when some states follow DST (Daylight Saving Time). The Australian Western Standard is 8 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+8), while the Australian Central Standard is 9.5 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+9.5) and the Australian Eastern Standard is 10 hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+10). In summers, Australia has at least 5 different time zones, which are UTC+8, UTC+9.5, UTC+10, UTC+10.5 and UTC+11.
Australia Map from India
Australia is 7,989 kilometers or 4,964 miles away from India and is located to its east. Since both the countries are separated by several bodies of water in the Indian Ocean, it is not possible to travel by road.
The sea route from India to Australia is 7,031 nautical miles long and a cruise will typically take more than a month. Flights are the most preferred mode of transportation between the two countries as they are quick, cheap and convenient.
How to Reach Australia from India
While there are no operational cruises from India to Australia at the moment, Silversea offers one from Australia to India. Aboard their luxury cruise liner Silver Whisper, you will be able to travel from Sydney to Mumbai over 35 days.
Tickets begin at EUR 10,400 per person for the Vista Suite and the journey lets you dock at 17 ports along the way. Spanning 8 countries, this voyage from Sydney will give you the chance to explore Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Thursday Island, Darwin, Benoa in Bali, Semarang in Java, Singapore, Port Klang in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi in Malaysia, Phuket in Thailand, Yangon in Myanmar and Colombo in Sri Lanka, before reaching the Indian city of Cochin.
You will further explore Mormugao in Goa and Mumbai. The cruise liner offers butler service and in-suite beverages such as wines, champagne and other spirits. You can also take advantage of the casino, beauty salon, fitness center, pool deck, observation lounge, cigar and cognac lounge, library, spa, bar and card room. Live entertainment is available as well at the show lounge.
When flying from India to Australia, non-stop flights are only available from New Delhi to Melbourne and Sydney, operated by Qantas – the national carrier of Australia and Air India – the flag bearer of India. There are no direct flights to Canberra – the capital of Australia though. The shortest flight is between New Delhi and Melbourne at 12 hours and 10 minutes.
One-way economy-class flights begin at INR 26,000 per head. There are 15 international airports in Australia – Canberra Airport, Newcastle Airport, Sydney Airport, Darwin International Airport, Brisbane Airport, Cairns Airport, Gold Coast Airport, Townsville Airport, Adelaide Airport, Hobart International Airport, Avalon Airport in Geelong, Melbourne Airport, Broome International Airport, Perth Airport and Port Hedland International Airport.
Other airlines with layovers that are available as part of Australia vacation packages from India are SriLankan – the national carrier of Sri Lanka, SpiceJet, THAI – the national airline of Thailand, Jetstar, Malaysia Airlines – the flag carrier of Malaysia, Go First, Oman Air – the national airline of Oman, Malindo Air (Batik Air Malaysia), Singapore Airlines – the flag bearer of Singapore, VietJet Air, JAL (Japan Airlines) – the national carrier of Japan, Scoot, Cathay Pacific – the flag carrier of Hong Kong, Vistara, Vietnam Airlines – the national airline of Vietnam, IndiGo, Etihad – the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Emirates, Qatar Airways – the national airline of Qatar, flydubai, Philippine Airlines – the flag bearer of the Philippines and Virgin Australia.
The Best Time to Visit Australia from India
If you are looking for pleasant weather to plan your activities to do in Australia, autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November) are the best seasons to visit. Since this country is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons occur at opposite times when compared to the Northern Hemisphere.
October to January is the hottest time of the year and this summer season should be avoided if you are not fond of sunburns. January to March is the rainiest. The wintry months of April to September are great but also see a lot of tourist rush.
Is Australia Good for Honeymoon?
Australia is famous for its surfing culture and beach cafés. If you are a couple looking to get some holiday tan, this is an ideal country for a honeymoon. Australia tour packages can delight you with experiences such as swimming with fur seals or whale sharks in the Pacific. You can even camp and barbecue in the woods.
Australian vineyards, wildlife, adventurous outback and cosmopolitan cities are enticing to almost every type of traveler. Whether it is photographing graffiti in quirky neighbourhoods of Melbourne or snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, you will realize your travel dream only once you book your tickets!