Swimming is a very Australian activity. It's fun, it cools you down on a hot summer's day, you don't necessarily have to swim competitively, just muck around in the pool duck diving and seeing how long you can hold your breath under water. Swimming uses every major muscle group in your body, and you can develop very strong lungs if you swim regularly. It is also a good way to excercise if you want to ward off asthma. It's also extremely refreshing.

Football is a very popular sport in Australia. It has a massive following all over - we have soccer, Aussie Rules, Rugby Union, and Rugby League. Combined, they form the largest leisure activity in Australia in terms of games, entertainment, and money spent. If you play football, you can run around in the mud, tackle other people, and hopefully win a game or two. There are teams everywhere, all over Australia, in all levels of competition.

Cricket is the big summer sport in Australia. Most young Australians have spent many hours running around the backyard, setting up wickets, jumping over the fence to retreive lost balls and shouting 'six!' at the top of their lungs. Anyone can play, and the rules are really easy to learn. You get to wear an all white outfit, stand around on a big field sweating in the sun, and go inside and have a drink every now and then.

Bushwalking is only just being recognised as a proper sport. Because it is relaxing and non-competitive, it's a great pastime for people who are trying to get healthy but who don't want to push themselves too hard. You can think about all sorts of things while you walk through beautiful surroundings, breathe in the fresh air, and relax. You get to wear big boots, carry a pack, and maybe see some native Australian animals.

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All of the information in the following pages is supplied by the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation.