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Australia's main attraction is its
beautiful landscapes, and unique flora and fauna.
Australia is the sixth largest country
in the world. It's about the same size as the 48
mainland states of the USA and 50 per cent larger
than Europe.
The landscape is extremely diverse
from dense rainforest, harsh deserts, white sandy
beaches, rugged coast lines to the snow covered southern
ranges.
The country is divided into 8 states
and territories:
In the major cities, you can expect
to experience a vast array of retail shops, fashion,
restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Australia is a large island continent situated between the Pacific and Indian
Oceans.
Australia measures some 4000km (2500mi)
east to west and 3200km (2000mi) north to south.
Much of the interior of the country is flat, barren
and sparsely populated. The bulk of the population
lives on the eastern coasts.
The Great Dividing Range runs north-south
down the eastern seaboard, separating the coastal
plains from the drier inland areas. The Great Barrier
Reef lies 50-300km (30-185mi) offshore and extends
2000km (1240mi) from Torres Strait to Gladstone.
Australia has more than 7,000 beaches.
Australia is well known for its distinctive
plants such as the gum tree or eucalypt, of which
there are about 700 species. Other common well know
plants include the wattle, banksia, waratahs, bottlebrushes,
paperbarks and tea trees. Vast tracks of wildflowers
can be seen in different parts of the country in
different seasons. In all Australia has about 25,000
different plant species.
The unique wild life include the kangaroo,
koala, platypus, echidna, possum, wombat, tasmanian
devil, bilby, and the dingo. The bird life includes
emus, cassowaries, brightly coloured parrots and
cockatoos, kookaburras, lyrebirds, numerous water
birds, and other species.
Australia is also well known for its
deadly spiders and snakes such as the redback and
funnel-web spiders and venomous taipan, brown, tiger,
red-bellied black snakes as well as both salt and
freshwater crocodiles.
Some of the well know natural wonders
include:
The Blue Mountains - New South
Wales:
Located on the western edge of Sydney The Blue Mountains National Park is Australia's
most recent World Heritage area. It contains dramatic canyons, steep valleys,
waterfalls and eucalypt. Recently the Wollemi National Park was added to this
world heritage listing to preserve prehistoric Wollemi Pine. Read
more.
The 12 Apostles - Victoria:
Located along the famous Great Ocean Road in Victoria, the 12 Apostles stand
against a backdrop of a sheer cliff face and the wild southern ocean. The 12
apostles were formed by erosion from the ocean over thousands of years. Only
eight of the original 12 Apostles remain.
The Great Barrier Reef - Queensland:
This is Australia's most famous natural wonder. It's total combined area is
equal to the size of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and it contains more
than 1,000 islands. The beauty of the corals and the fish life has to be
seen to be believed. You can access many coral sites by air and boat. Scuba
diving and snorkeling adventures are available through many charter companies.
Uluru - Northern Territory
Located in the centre of Australia, Uluru, also know as Ayers Rock is the world's
biggest monolith. It's 3.6 kilometres long, 2 kilometres wide and has a 9.4
kilometre circumference. Uluru should be experienced at different times of
the day to appreciate the amazing changes of colour, especially at sunrise
and sunset.
Daintree Rainforest - Queensland:
Commonly described as where the rainforest meets the reef. The daintree rainforest
is a World Heritage listed area. The Daintree River winds through mangroves
and a picturesque dense forest that is the home of unique birds, mammals, pythons
and crocodiles.
Bungle Bungles - Western Australia
The Bungle Bungle Range, is located in Purnululu National Park. It is one of
the most fascinating geological landmarks in Western Australia. Orange and
black stripes of silica and algae across the beehive shaped mounds. Within
these formations is a hidden world of gorges and rock pools.
Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area - Tasmania:
This is one of the largest conservation areas in Australia, covering 1.38 million
hectares. Encompassing temperate rainforests and alpine vegetation it provides
habitat for plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, including many
rare and endangered species.
Kakadu National Park - Northern Territory:
Located in Australia's tropical "Top End" it is one of the homes
of the crocodile along with many water birds. The park contains rivers with
roaring waterfalls and towering sandstone escarpments.
Due to the size of Australia the climate
can vary drastically from one part to another.
The seasons are:
Summer starting in December and finishing in February.
Autumn starting in March and finishing in May.
Winter starting in June and finishing in August
Spring starting in September and finishing in November
The northern section of Australia experiences
a wet season making some parts impassible due to
local flooding.
Central Australia and Western Australia
can experience scorching daytime temperatures and
freezing temperatures at night in the desert.
It's rare for temperatures to drop
below zero on the mainland except in the mountains.
Air travel is easiest way to access Australia, with
most visitors taking a long haul flight to get here.
The main international airports are
Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, followed by Perth,
Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin and Cairns. There are numerous
connections to Asia, Europe and the USA.
For more information about Australia
visit the Tourism Australia web site www.australia.com
If you would like to display your business here,
click here to contact us.
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