Posted on Jun 11, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Australia is the only country that is also a continent. It is often referred to as being “down under”, because it lies completely within the Southern Hemisphere.
Australia is a dry, thinly populated country. Most people live in the southeast coastal region. Australia is famous for bright sunshine, vast open spaces, enormous numbers of sheep and cattle, and unusual wildlife, including kangaroos, wombats, and platypuses.
The climate is sunny and warm, therefore most people like to be outdoors. Outdoor sports are extremely popular: golf, tennis, skin diving, surfing are great here, just to name a few. Team sports are very popular, such as cricket, rugby and soccer.
English is the official language, with many terms being quite British: such as a lift or elevator, and a tavern is called a pub.
Australia is divided into three main land regions: The Eastern Highlands, the Central Lowlands, and the Western Plateau. Ayers Rock, in central Australia, is a popular tourist attraction. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef and also quite popular. It is actually a chain of more than 2,500 reefs, including many small islands. The warm waters and the beauty of the coral reef, attract swimmers and skin divers. There are a number of nice resorts in this area. Deserts cover about one third of Australia, and rivers are a main resource, as they provide water for irrigation and drinking. Interestingly though, these rivers are dry for a part of the year, and then they fill during the rainy season. The outback is the interior, and the countryside is called the bush.
Most of the country lies south of the tropics and has warm summers and mild or cool winters. Most of the moisture falls as rain, but in the Alps and interior of Tasmania are the only areas it might snow. The snow in winter in the Alps attracts skiers, Mount Kosciusko being very popular.
Forests grow only in very moist places, and the trees and shrubs are very beautiful and different from those in North America. Australia sells great quantities of wheat to China, Japan, and other Asian countries. Beef cattle and sheep are raised throughout the country, except in the deserts. Fishing and mining are thriving industries. Sugar cane, pineapples, bananas, and wheat, barley, potatoes are major farm products.
There is much to see and do here: museums, symphony concerts, modern high-rise buildings, and of course the wonderful countryside!
Getting around Australia
Cheap domestic flights have become a possibility in Australia now due to the increase of competition entering the domestic airlines market. Australian domestic airlines include the oldest carrier Qantas (which also do international flights) and budget airlines Virgin Blue, Jetstar, and Tiger Airways.
Railroads and shipyards carry most intercity freight. Automobiles are the chief form of transportation in Australia. Paved highways link the state capitals and the largest inland cities. Unpaved roads are largely found in the outback.
Posted on Jun 11, 2008 under Northern Territory |
Rising from the flat, red expanse of the landscape, Ayers Rock / Uluru and nearby Mt. Olga / Kata Tjuta appear to be the visible parts of some great submerged creature. They are the major draw card for visitors to Central Australia.
Ayers Rock, aka Uluru, is situated in Kata Tjuta National Park (Uluru) and rising 348 metres with a circumference of 8 kilometres, is considered by many to be one of the great natural wonders of the world. Visitors from around Australia and the world simply stand in awe and marvel at its very existence. The more courageous attempt a climb to its summit, no easy task when the ascent is 1.6 kilometres and particularly steep in parts. It might be noted that the local Aboriginal people prefer visitors to enjoy Ayers Rock / Uluru in other ways. There are many sacred and significant sites associated with Uluru, so a walking tour around its base with a guide is rewarding.
Depending on the time of day, position of the sun and atmospheric conditions, Uluru’s vast bulk metamorphoses through various shades, from glowing reds and soft oranges to delicate lilacs. It is an unmatched spectacular light show. The white sails of the adjacent Ayers Rock Resort herald its existence, with colour and form designed to blend in as much as possible with the environment. Hugging the contours of the land, the Resort offers a variety of accommodation from camping to luxury hotels.
A mere 30km away, as the ‘crow fly’s’ (50km by road), Kata Tjuta seems overshadowed by Uluru. The tallest peak, Mt. Olga, is in fact, more than 200 metres taller than Uluru. The distinctive domes and striated, weathered surfaces of Kata Tjuta match Uluru in colour and are an excellent subject for photographers. Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park with its famous landmarks is a special place and not to be missed.
Posted on Jun 11, 2008 under Adelaide |
The Barossa Valley is Australia’s best-known wine-growing district. It stretches as a shallow depression 29 km long by 8 km wide, just west of the Mount Lofty and Barossa Valley Ranges. A large wine area, it extends into the hills around the charming town of Angaston.
The valley was originally settled by German Lutherans who planted orchards, olive groves and vineyards and built charming towns and wineries very much in their native European style. The German cultural heritage is still evident in the shop-front names, German wursts, lovely fresh breads and the German influenced food in restaurants and wineries.
The wineries range from amongst the biggest in Australia (Penfold/Kaiser Stuhl/Jacob’s Creek) to the very tiny (Gnadenfrei), and the wines cover the whole range but are generally of a high quality.
To explore this area, particularly during the Vintage Festival every odd-numbered year, is to discover a region and lifestyle unique in Australia. Many wine lovers come from interstate and internationally to see what the fuss is all about with the Barossa Valley wines.
Posted on Jun 11, 2008 under Far North Queensland |
The Low Isles in the Great Barrier Reef is a three and three quarter acre coral cay surrounded by 55 acres of reef. A coral cay is formed when coral breaks the surface of the ocean, then over time dirt and debris accumulate forming a small sandy island. Coral cays are the best types of reef island locations because the reef typically surrounds the island and offers excellent snorkelling onshore.
Note that many islands described as “on the reef” are in fact “continental islands” formed by an uprising in the ocean bottom. While these islands may be in the general area of the Great Barrier Reef, it may actually be many miles from the island to the nearest coral areas.
In the case of Low Isles, good coral viewing can be enjoyed close on-shore making snorkelling a very enjoyable experience. On the island itself there is a lighthouse and some bush.
The Low Isles are located not far from beautiful Port Douglas. Getting to the Low Isles from Port Douglas is a very pleasant one hour sail on a luxury sailing catamaran.
Things to do around the Low Isles
Snorkelling
Just about everyone chooses to spend some time snorkelling in the crystal clear waters around Low Isles. The coral is only a short distance under the surface and you get beautiful clear views of the kaleidoscopically colored and extraordinarily varied coral, complete with fish swimming gently through the coral from time to time.
If you’ve never snorkelled before, then we there are skilled instructors who will carefully coach you in how to put on the fins, mask and snorkel (all of which are supplied at no extra charge) and then make sure you’re entirely comfortable and confident with snorkelling. There is just about no-one who is too old (or too young) to enjoy time in the warm water snorkelling around as they wish.
For those with greater experience and confidence, there are guided snorkelling tours where one of the Marine Biologists leads a small group around various coral concentrations, explaining the origin and different types of coral that you’ll see.
Glass Bottom Boat Viewing
This is a “must do” part of your day - indeed many people take two or more trips on the coral viewing boats. Take a tour around several of the different types of coral concentrations at Low Isles, with the captain providing an informative commentary, explaining all about the sights that you’ll be seeing.
As well as coral of all shapes, sizes, and colors, there are also many different types of fish swimming around, and some fascinating giant clams on the bottom.
Guided Beach Walks
Every afternoon, one of the Marine Biologist staff leads interested people on a guided tour around the Low Isles. They will show you all manner of interesting examples of the varied marine life that live at the water’s edge and explain some more about how coral cays are formed.