Located between the Pacific and Indian Oceans in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
The country also stages many top-class sports events throughout the year, many of which have become cultural icons in their own right.
With that in mind, we have scoured the annual sporting schedule in Australia to come up with six events every fan should visit at least once in their life.
Tennis – Australian Open.
The Australian Open is the first tennis Grand Slam of the season and attracts the world’s top players to the men’s and women’s tournaments.
An estimated 700,000 tennis fans attend the Australian Open each year, highlighting the popularity of an event that always kicks off the New Year in style.
The primary court for the tournament is the Rod Laver Arena, which currently boasts a seating capacity of almost 15,000.
The atmosphere generated when big matches occur is electric, rivalling many of the other Grand Slam tournaments staged elsewhere in the world.
Formula 1 – Australian Grand Prix.
First staged on Phillip Island during the 1920s, the Australian Grand Prix is the longest-running annual motor event in the country.
More than 20 different venues were subsequently used to host the race before the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne became its permanent home in 1996.
The circuit uses sections of the roads that circle Albert Park Lake, making it one of the most unique tests of a driver’s skill during the Formula 1 season.
With several beautiful Melbourne beaches not too far away, a trip to the Australian Grand Prix can be so much more than just the race itself.
Australian Rules Football League – Grand Final.
Not many sporting events are afforded the privilege of having a public holiday awarded on the day before it is staged, but the Australian Rules Football League Grand Final is no ordinary occasion.
It bears some similarities to horse racing’s Melbourne Cup in terms of the activity it generates in the betting industry, with millions of people across the nation wagering on the outcome.
The game reportedly attracts an estimated 35 million global television audience, demonstrating that the sport has greater worldwide appeal than many people think.
Traditionally staged on the afternoon of the last Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Aussie Rules Grand Final is a genuinely unmissable sporting event.
National Rugby League – Grand Final.
The National Rugby League (NRL) Grand Final is another blockbuster sporting occasion in Australia and also has a public holiday attached to it.
The game precedes the Labour Day public holiday on the first Monday in October, which creates a party atmosphere in towns and cities around the country.
It has been contested at Stadium Australia in Sydney since 1999 and always attracts a massive in-person and worldwide television audience.
The speed and physicality of NRL players need to be seen to be believed. As sporting events go, the NRL Grand Final is one of the best in the business.
Horse Racing – Melbourne Cup
Described as ‘the race that stops the nation’, the Melbourne Cup has the same status in Australia as the Grand National in the United Kingdom.
It is one of the biggest betting events of the year in Australia, generating a ton of traffic on online sportsbooks from the moment the odds are first published.
Approved wagering provider MidasBet is one of the most popular platforms with punters, with their competitive Melbourne Cup odds and speedy payouts making the site an enticing proposition.
The MidasBet withdrawal time is one of the fastest in the industry, meaning bettors who are lucky enough to place a successful bet do not have to wait too long to receive their winnings.
Supercars – Bathurst 1000.
If you were asked to name famous motorsports races, events such as the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans would most likely be among your answers.
Australia’s equivalent is the Bathurst 1000 – a one-thousand-kilometre endurance race for touring cars that attract enormous crowds to Mount Panorama each year.
The power and noise generated by the vehicles create an exhilarating atmosphere, while the closeness of the racing makes for a thrilling spectacle.
Commonly known as ‘The Great Race’ amongst avid motorsports fans, this lofty tag is thoroughly deserved.
