  Based on color-selected IRAS point sources, we have started to conduct a
survey of 47 high-mass star-forming regions in the southern hemisphere in 870um
dust continuum and molecular line emission in several frequency ranges between
290 GHz and 806 GHz. This paper describes the pilot study of the three sources
IRAS12326-6245, IRAS16060-5146, and IRAS16065-5158. To characterize the
physical and chemical properties of southern massive star-forming regions, the
three high-luminosity southern hemisphere hot cores were observed with APEX in
five frequency setups aimed at groups of lines from the following molecules:
CH3OH, H2CO, and CH3CN. Using the LTE approximation, temperatures, source
sizes, and column densities were determined through modeling of synthetic
spectra with the XCLASS program. Dust continuum observations were done with the
Large APEX BOlometer CAmera (LABOCA) at 870um and the 3mm continuum was imaged
with the ATCA. Based on the detection of high-excitation CH3CN lines and lines
from complex organic species, the three sources are classified as line rich,
hot core type sources. For all three, the modeling indicates that the line
emission emerges from a combination of an extended, cooler envelope, and a hot
compact component. All three sources show an overabundance of oxygen-bearing
species compared to nitrogen-bearing species. Based on the results obtained in
the three sources, which served as templates for the survey, the most promising
(and feasible) frequency setups for the remaining 44 sources were decided upon.
