Australia has never really needed any ploys to lure travelers to this vast country. The natural beauty of the rain forests in the north, deserts in the dry interior and mountains in the south, all surrounded by some of the greatest beaches in the world, are more than enough reasons to take a trip Down Under.
But throw in the third-biggest sporting event in the world behind the Olympics and the soccer World Cup, and since Oct. 10 the country has transformed itself into one huge party that will last until the final on Nov. 22.
The International Rugby Board's decision to hold the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia seems like a heaven-sent idea -- but things could have been very different. The original idea was for Australia and New Zealand to co-host the tournament, but politics killed off that plan and the Kiwis' loss was their neighbor's gain.