About Australia

Australia comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and many smaller islands. Covering a total area of 2.97 million square miles, mainland Australia is the world’s largest island. In distance, the continent stretches about 2290 miles from north to south and 2500 miles from east to west, making it the sixth-largest nation after Russia, Canada, China, the United States and Brazil. Australia is divided into six states and two territories. Canberra is the national capital and the centre of government and is located approximately 180 miles south of Sydney in the Australian Capital Territory. New South Wales is Australia’s oldest and most populated state, Victoria is the smallest of the mainland states in size but the second most populated, Queensland is Australia’s second-largest state in size, South Australia is a state in the southern central part of the country which covers some of the most arid parts of the continent, Western Australia is Australia’s largest state by area and Tasmania is separated from mainland Australia by Bass Strait and is the smallest state in Australia. Australia currently has a population of almost 23 million people.

About Tiwi Islands

The Tiwi Islands, consisting of Melville and Bathurst Island, fall within Australia’s Northern Territory, roughly eighty kilometres north of Darwin. Occupying the islands for over seven thousand years, Aboriginals now make up ninety percent of the population on the ‘islands of smiles’. The lack of tourist facilities and foreign visitors has helped the coastline retain its immaculate beauty, comprising secluded beaches, waterfalls, rock pools and lush rainforest. Despite living predominantly traditional lifestyles, the locals love Aussie Rules football, with huge amounts of fans coming from mainland Australia for the grand-final in March. Creating beautiful arts and crafts is another popular pastime, the most common are burial poles and carvings of mythological figures, all of which can be viewed in the Patakijiyali Museum in Wurrumiyanga. Darwin is the primary gateway to the Tiwi Islands, with a few ferries making the short journey each week, docking in Wurrumiyanga on the southeast tip of Bathurst Island.