Australia is an extraordinary place. It is an island continent made up of different states and territories and is almost the same size as mainland USA but with just over 23 million people. It has unique wildlife, an aboriginal culture going back 50,000 years, a diverse population with people from all over the world and some of the most amazing scenery on the planet. From the wet tropics of Northern Australia , the desert country in its centre, the coastal fringes with beautiful beaches and coral reefs, and south to temperate climates, remote islands and snowy mountains – it is as diverse a country as you can imagine.