[AP photo by Russell McPhedran] Australia is an awesome destination. A veteran traveler guides you through the highlights, from the famous to the quirky. Story Ready, willing and quite able Sydney hosts a citadel of shiny new athletic venues for the 2000 Olympics, and the cosmopolitan city is well-prepared to welcome the crowds. Down Under and over the top Australia's "Top End" region is a tropical oasis of wild experiences. Chugging into the Northern Territory The vast interior of Australia, huge and stark, lends itself to train travel; a trip from Adelaide to Alice Springs on the Great Southern Railway is filled with surprises. An Outback outlook with a twist Perth, the world's most isolated continental capital city, combines a sweeping blend of international flavor and frontier action. Olympic sports and sightseeing Travel offers to and through Australia are proliferating, as potential visitors consider the continent in advance of the Summer Olympic Games, which begin in late September. Here is a selection of travel opportunities; prices cited are in U.S. dollars: