World Update 21: Australia

Available today, World Update 21: Australia sets a new standard in realism for pilots in the Microsoft Flight Simulator world!

Australia is home to some of the world’s most spectacular sights and destinations, including stunning coastlines, vast deserts, beautiful mountains, and architectural marvels. Renowned attractions include the Sydney Opera House, one of the most distinctive structures in the world; the Twelve Apostles, iconic sea stacks on the Southern Ocean coastline; vast sweeps of interior desert; and lush stands of rainforest. World Update 21 delivers Australia to Microsoft Flight Simulator aviators like never before and includes a collection of missions for pilots to explore some of the finest sights that this wonderful country offers.

The Microsoft Flight Simulator team partnered with Bing Maps, Vexcel, Gaya and Asobo to create World Update 21, the first update to Australia in the Microsoft Flight Simulator world since we released World Update 7 in January of 2021. An immense update that sets new standards in lifelike realism and visual fidelity, the release includes 40 areas of interest (AOIs) recreated using updated photogrammetry and TIN (triangulated irregular network) surface texturing. Coverage of AOIs spans all six Australian states and its two main self-governing territories. Areas of interest throughout Australia’s regions covered in this update include:

New South Wales

• Albury: Located on the Bank of the Murray River, a popular tourist metropolitan area.

• Blue Mountains: Known for sandstone cliffs, deep gorges, and iconic geologic formations.

• Central Coast: Region of several national parks, beaches, and several picturesque towns.

• Chatswood: Bustling commercial suburb in Sydney’s Lower North Shore.

• Coffs Harbour: Locally called Coffs, this city is where lush mountains meet beautiful beaches of the Mid North Coast.

• Minto: A modern suburb of southwestern Sydney.

• Newcastle-Maitland: Located adjacent to one another north of Sydney, Newcastle is known for its beaches and Maitland is a gateway to renowned Hunter Valley vineyards.

• Springwood: Nestled in the Blue Mountains, a historic town that serves as a gateway to several regional natural areas.

• AddedSydneyThe capital of New South Wales and Australia’s most populous city, it is widely heralded as one of the world’s most sophisticated metropolitan areas.

• Wagga Wagga: Australia’s most populous inland city, known for its beautiful botanic gardens and rich Aboriginal history.

• Wollongong: Internationally famous for its dramatic coastal setting and surfing beaches.

Queensland

• Brisbane: The capital of Queensland, a modern, outdoor-oriented city hosting the 2032 Olympics.

• Bundaberg: Located on the southern Queensland coast, it is one of the major gateways to the Great Barrier Reef and an important sugar cane hub.

• Cairns: Located in coastal North Queensland, it is also one of the key entry points to the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics rainforest.

• Gold Coast: Coastal region known for surfside skyscrapers and expansive beaches.

• Hervey Bay: Located on the southern Queensland coast, one of Australia’s premier whale watching destinations.

• Kippa-Ring: A renowned commercial suburb in the city of Moreton Bay on the Redcliffe Peninsula along Queensland’s southern coast.

• Mackay: Called the “sugar capital” of Australia, it is a beautiful port city on Queensland’s central coast and serves the sugar cane processing and mining industries.

• Sunshine Coast: One of Australia’s premier travel destinations due to its white-sand beaches, surfing, and the Australia Zoo.

• Toowoomba: Australia’s second most populous inland city, known as the “Garden City” due to its more than 150 parks.

• Townsville: Located on the northeastern coast of Queensland adjacent to the central portion of the Great Barrier Reef; a major industrial hub.

South Australia

• Adelaide: The coastal capital of South Australia, a planned city surrounded by lush parks.