Australia celebrated its 224th birthday today and across the country people took to the streets, to the beaches and to the parks for parties, barbecues and fireworks displays in one of the most eagerly anticipated days of the year.

Here are some of the best things that went on all over Australia today.

Brisbane

Although citizenship ceremonies to welcome new Australians took place across the country, the biggest citizenship ceremony in the country took place in Brisbaine when 3,850 people from 114 countries pledged themselves to Australia at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Across town, a slightly less civilised but infinitely more fun affair got underway with the first annual Bellyflop Competition at the Moorooka Bowls Club took place.

Perth

An unexpected rain storm attempted to dampen the spirits in Perth but didn't succeed as locals took to the streets to watch a magical fireworks display which combined with sheet lightning to create a dramatic display unlike anywhere else.

Melbourne

Fireworks displays are part and parcel of the proceedings on Australia Day at the Australian Open but this year the flashing lights and loud bangs in the sky could do nothing to deter spectators' attentions from the firework display going down on the court as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer went to head to head once again in one of sport's greatest ever rivalries.

Nadal had to produce his best tennis to beat the Swiss Maestro and come from a set down as he battled to win 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. He goes through to await either current world number one and reigning champion Novak Djokovic or Britain's Andy Murray.

Over in the women's draw, the show was no less spectacular as tennis's number one star Maria Sharapova fought past a resilient Petra Kvitova in three sets to reach the final while Belarussian Victoria Azarenka reached her first Grand Slam final after winning a nail biting contest against reigning champion Kim Clijsters.

Sydney

In Sydney Australians gathered at Sydney Harbour, the country's most iconic tourist location, citizens gathered to watch the Australia Day Ferry Race while the Australian Army's 7th Field Regiment provided the soundtrack with a 21 gun-salute at Farm Cove

While the weather may not have been the blazing sunshine many would normally expect in the height of summer, thousands of people still gathered on Bondi Beach to barbecue, drink beers and maybe even take part in the Australian Day thong challenge which isn't nearly as rude as it suggests, especially for a beach famed the world over for its beautiful people and skimpy swimwear.

Instead, hundreds upon of hundreds of people took to the water on giant inflatable thongs (the sandal) in an attempt to break the previous year's record of over 2,000 people.

Adelaide

Over in Adelaide, they also took part in the thong challenge, although with only 500 people they remained sadly some way behind their Sydney rivals.

The reason for their failure however, might simply have been that most people were watching the cricket, too busy engrossed in the nation's favourite sport to venture down the beach with a blow up shoe.

It was worth it too as Australia continued to flatten India in the fourth and final Test match of the series with the tourists not managing to get anywhere near Australia's massive 604-7.

- Dominic Ladden-Powell is Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

While you may be too late to enjoy the incredible fireworks on show in Sydney Harbour, if you're in Australia in January don't worry because as the temperature begins to climb in the Australian summer, so too does the amount of things to do.

The average January temperature in Sydney is a balmy 26 degrees C but with the climate able to scale heights as high as a whopping 45 degrees C, make sure to keep cool if you plan to enjoy the delights of the Sydney Festival 2012.

The Sydney Festival is an almost month long celebration of the arts and culture which involves theatres, music, dancing and art exhibitions.

Particular highlights of the festival include famed DJ Norman Jay who will be parking his double decker bus in Hyde Park on 7th January to kick off a marathon eight hour dance session while on the 13th of January, Clairy Brown and the Bangin' Rackettes will be tearing up the stage to bring a raucous end to the first Friday of the festival.

Aside from music there are more than 20 individual theatrical performances spread over the duration of the festival and if your Sydney Festival experience is aimed toward the end of the month, stick around for the 26th when the whole city comes together to throw a giant party to celebrate the national holiday Australia Day.

Aside from the festival, one of sport's most popular events gets underway in Melbourne in the third week of January with the Australian Open. While the men's game continues to get ever more competitive with Novak Djokovic attempting to solidify his position at the pinnacle of the game and Andy Murray tries to keep up, the women's game remains as unpredictable as ever, although with Sam Stosur becoming Australia's first female Grand Slam champion in decades with her win at last year's US Open, Australian tennis fans have something to look forward since the decline of Lleyton Hewitt.

What would spending the summer in one of the world's hottest and most beautiful locations be if you didn't spend at least most of your waking hours on the beach? While you may not be quite energetic enough to take part, the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman & Ironwoman Series which takes place in Queensland and New South Wales, just the chance to see 36 of Australia's toughest and strongest lifeguards take to the waves might be just the thing to make you relax, even if the athletes don't as they battle the tide and the heat with swims, runs and paddles.

 - Dominic Ladden-Powell is Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2013

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.