All these sports are played at both the local and the national level. Horseracing is extremely popular in Australia. Work at offices and factories is stopped for a few minutes on the first Tuesday afternoon of every November while the race is run. Australia's climate has created a nation of people who love outdoor activities. Many Australians play golf and tennis.
Water sports are very popular, including swimming, surfing, scuba diving, fishing, and sailing.
Australian's are very proud of their 1983 America's Cup win. The Australia II beat the American yacht Liberty to become the first boat in 132 years to take the cup from the United States. Australian's also take their love of sport very seriously. The Australian Institute of Sport was established in 1981 to train talented athletes in their sports and Australia has competed in every modern Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Life's a beach in Australia With more than four-fifths of Australians living within 50 km of the sea, it is not surprising that the beach plays an important role in Australian life.