Australia

Map

Season
Main cricket season runs October to March

Weather
Warm in the east during the summer months, and most of the time in Perth and further north

Foreign Office Information
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Visas are required for all travel to Australia. However, British nationals can obtain Electronic Travel Authorities (ETAs) from their local travel agent, which will allow travel for up to three months as a visitor

Pros
Warm weather during the northern winter, lots of grounds and teams to choose from, exciting off-field adventures, tough on-field battles, good for singles, groups and families

Cons
Distance from the northern hemisphere and between the east and west coasts

Contacts
Tourism Australia website
Australia - Lonely Planet guide

British High Commission
Commonwealth Avenue
Yarralumla
Canberra
Website

Australian High Commission
Strand
London WC2B 4LA
Website

General
The home of the world Test and one-day champions, Australia is a continent as varied as the Test venues. An ideal destination for short or long stays, visitors can enjoy the Great Barrier Reef or Ayres Rock one day and fly to the Boxing Day Test the next. Australia is big - about 30 times the size of the United Kingdom - but accessible with a competitive domestic airline industry and a range of car-hire options for the places in between. Teams can start their tour in Cairns and head south with stop-offs in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, or feel the Fremantle Doctor in Perth before breezing across to the east coast. Cricket is the national summer sport of the 20 million Australians, but expect them to share it with barbecues and the beach.

Grounds
Quality ranges from high-standard club, grade and school turf ovals to the bottom end of council parks with synthetic pitches. Don't expect to get a start on the first-class grounds unless you went to school with the groundsman, although there are occasional exceptions. Hard, flat surfaces provide value for runs and the bounce assists the fast bowlers.

Opposition
Clubs and schools offer various standards, or there's the opportunity for fixtures against representative sides. Saturday is the main competition day so Sunday and midweek matches are preferred.

Entertainment
Clubs, bars, restaurants, shows, shopping arcades, computer-game arcades and cinemas cater for all tastes. Each Test venue is in a state capital so museums, galleries and park strolls provide plenty to do whenever a rest day is needed. Side trips to Margaret River or the Barossa, Yarra and Hunter valleys offer wine tasting, hot-foot to Bondi Beach or Surfers Paradise for some surfing lessons, climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge or take a tour searching for the local wildlife and natural delights. The choices are endless.

Conclusion
A great place to tour with your club or school. Clean, comfortable and plenty of add-on choices for families and groups. And then there's the cricket. Don't forget your sunscreen.