Wonders of Australia

About Australia

Australia is one of the largest countries of the world. The Commonwealth of Australia (the official name of the country) is located in the southern hemisphere. The country is bordered by the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea, the Coral Sea and Arafura Sea. Its territory is a great island which is almost a whole continent itself. Australia’s territory is 7 741 220 square kilometers. The capital of the country is Canberra and the largest and most populated city is Sidney. Australia is composed by 6 states and two major mainland territories, being the states: New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and the Tasmania Island. The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are the major mainland territories.Australia’s territory is almost as large as territory of United States; nevertheless the population of Australia is only 21 370 000 people, therefore Australia has one of the lowest rates of population density of the world, with only 2.6 inhabitants per square kilometer. The name of the country derives from the Latin word “Australis”, which means “Southern” and was used by several Europeans navigators that explored the South Pacific, to refer to this region; nevertheless the name was popularized by the navigator Matthew Flinders in his book “A Voyage to Terra Australis”, Flinders was the first person to circumnavigate Australia. The British Crown recognized officially this name in 1824.Because of the great size of the country, the weather in Australia is very varied with micro climates that range from tropical to sub alpine. However, most parts of the country are hot and dry; almost two thirds of the continental Australia, in the centre and west receives less than 500 mm (20 inches) of rain per year. Besides, around one third of the country is covered by deserts with an average rainfall rate of only 250 mm (10 inches) per year. The coldest climate is in the Tasmania Island in the south of Australia; whereas the hottest zone of Australia is the tropical northern coast, this region of the country has only two seasons wet (from October to march) and dry (from April to September).Average temperatures in northern, western and central Australia usually fluctuates between 26ºC (80 ºF) and 29ºC (85º F), but they can reach some times 38ºC (100 ºF). The southern coast of Australia has a climate quite different to the rest of the country in this region there are four seasons well differentiated and the hottest temperature occurred in summer, mainly in January and February and the coldest months are June and July with temperatures that can decrease until 2º C (35 ºF) in some zones of the Australian Alps.The human history in Australia began around 40 000 years ago, when the first ancestors of the aborigines arrived to Australia, probably from South East Asia. This people developed a oral culture non very complex; but very interesting, which based in spiritual values and a great reverence for the natural environment. For several centuries native Australian people lived without foreign intervention, but since XVII century the mainland of Australia were visited by Europeans explorers such as the Dutch navigator Willem Janzoon who arrived to the coast of Cape York Peninsula in 1606. Many Europeans visited the coasts of Australia known then as New Holland during almost two centuries. Nevertheless, the most famous explorer of Australia was the Captain James Cook who aboard Endeavour led a scientific voyage through the South Pacific, reaching the east coast of Australia and claims it for the British Crown; then Australia became a British colony.At the beginning, Australia was used by British as a penal colony, therefore most of the first Europeans inhabitants of Australia were convicts that arrived for first time to the Sidney Harbor on January 26, 1788; this day is now celebrated as the Australian National Day. The penal population was growing until 1868 when British ended the transportation of convicts to Australia. Around 160 000 men and women were brought to Australia during this time. However, the convicts were not the only European inhabitants of Australia. Many free immigrants arrived to the country attracted by the great opportunities generated by the wool industry and the gold rush.Unfortunately like in the rest of the world the European colonization caused the declination of the native population, which was 350 000 people, before European migration and it was only 93 000 at the beginning of the XX century. The new infections brought by Europeans migrants and the genocide done during almost 150 years were the most important causes of the dramatic aborigine population decline. The gold rush in the second half of the XIX century caused several conflicts with the British rules. Step by step the six individual colonies were gaining government responsibilities and politic independence, whereas British Empire lost its influence in Australia. Finally in 1901 the federation of colonies decided created the Commonwealth of Australia; nevertheless Australia was still a Dominion of the British Empire.The first decade of the new nation was a time of progress. The Australian agricultural and manufacturing capacities were developed and the main government institutions and social services were established. Australia actively participated in the two World Wars, many Australian people died fighting in both wars. The impact of the war in Australia was very important, marking an instability period with social and economic divisions; this period occurred between the first and the second World War. But, the post-war marked the beginning of a prosperity period in Australia. The country received the migration of a great number of refugees of the war. This massive immigration of workforce allowed the growing of the Australian economy. During this period were constructed most major nation-building projects such as hydroelectric, bridges, motorways, etc.Since 1960s the Australian society has been changed so much, because of the post-war immigration, Australia became a multi ethnic multi cultural country. Therefore, many laws in the country were created to protect the minorities. Australia is now one of the most developed nations of the World with an excellent education system and a prosperous diverse economy, which exported 218 billion dollars in 2007. It is also a great natural paradise; Australia concentrates a unique variety of flora and fauna that includes some of the most representative symbols of the country like kangaroos, koalas or the marvelous corals reefs , which are protected in the national parks, World Heritages listings and wildlife sanctuaries. Because of all these reasons Australia receives every year around 5.6 million visitors; therefore, tourism is on of the main sources of incomes of the country.Australia is a nice country with an amazing natural environment, a rich multicultural culture and spectacular cities such as Sidney, Melbourne, Canberra or Brisbane, each one full of architectural wonders like the Opera House of Sidney, which is considered a wonder of the modern world. Australia is an irresistible nation that combines wonderful natural landscapes, urban sophistication and nice people.

Bungle Bungle 

Also known as “Bungle Bungle”, the Purnululu National Park is an amazing conservation area that covers around 239 723 hectares. It is located in the north east of the Western Australia state, in the region known as Kimberley; being Kununurra, the nearest major town. The name Purnululu means “sandstone” and the park contains the deeply dissected Bungle Bungle hill range composed of Devonian-age quartz sandstone eroded over a period of 20 millions years into a series of beehive-shaped towers or cones. The steeply sloping surfaces of these cones are distinctly marked by regular horizontal bands of dark-grey cyanobacterial crust (single-celled photosynthetic organisms). These cone towers have become the most emblematic icons of the park.The Bungle Bungle range of the Purnululu National Park is without doubt one of the most fascinating geological landmarks of Australia. The domes of orange and black sandstone of the Park, rise 300 meters above the grass-covered plain. The Purnululu National Park contains the finest examples of cone karst in sandstone in the world, which owe their existence to a unique combination of geological, erosional, biological and climatic phenomena.The Bungle Bungle Ranges of the Purnululu National Park also display to an extraordinaire degree evidence of geomorphic processes of dissolution, erosion and weathering in the evolution of landforms. The dramatically sculptured structures are unrivalled in their scale, beauty, extent and variety of shapes anywhere in the world; besides, the intricate maze of towers is accentuated by sinuous, narrow, sheer-sided gorges lined with majestic Livistona fan palms. These and the soaring cliffs up to 250 m high are cut by seasonal rainfalls and pools, producing the major tourist attractions in the park, with evocative names, such as Echidna Chasm, and Frog Hole, Piccaninny and Cathedral Gorges. In addition to the fabulous mounds, the park has also many lagoons, rock pools, waterfalls and a fascinating wildlife.Because of its great beauty, the Purnululu National Park is considered by many people one of the natural wonders of Australia and the world; being considered a place as important as the Ulurur-Kata National park and some visitors of the region, describe this amazing place as the Australian equivalent of the famous Grand Canyon in the United States. The Purnululu national Park is also a popular destination amongst hikers and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts, who find in the park the ideal scenery to practice their adventure sports, nevertheless, because of the fragile nature of the rock towers; climbing in the park is forbidden . Another great way to know the park is by plane or helicopter, there are available flights over the Bungle Bungle from Kununurra during all the year.There are also several camping facilities in the park at Walardi or Kurrajong Camp. Because of the weather, the Purnululu National Park is opened to the tourists between April and November and it accessible only using four-wheel drive vehicles; which depart from Kununurra and travel around 200 Kilometers to south until the Park, through the Spring Creek Track. This trip lasts about 3 hours.

Fraser Island

Fraser Island is considered the largest sand island of the world. This paradisiacal island is located at eastern Australia around 300 Kilometers north Brisbane (approximately 3 hours and half by car). It is about 124 Kilometers long and between 7 and 25 Kilometers wide; its area is 163000 hectares (402610 acres). Fraser Island is a unique luxurious combination of the Australian rich natural heritage.This natural paradise has a maritime subtropical climate, with rainfalls (approximately 1800 mm per year) mainly from December to May. In summer the temperature usually reach 30ºC (86ºF); nevertheless in winter the temperatures fluctuate between 14ºC (57ºF) and 21ºC (70ºF), being July, the coldest period of the year.The largest beach of Fraser Island runs 75 miles (120.6 Kilometers) along the east coast of the island and is one of the most wonderful beaches of the world. This marvelous place encompasses an amazing variety of landscapes, long surf beaches, nice cliffs, dense rainforests, beautiful freshwater lakes perched high up in its dunes, great basalt headlands and salt pans with eerie mangrove forests. Fraser Island has also many amazing landmarks such as the Maheno Wreck, the wonderful Champagna Pools, the zone of Ely Creek or the Indian Head (a nice place where it can see sharks in the surf).The beaches and forests of Fraser Island are the habitat of a great variety of wildlife, including 230 species of birds (the largest and most varied bird community of Australia) such as sea eagles, osprey, kites, peregrine falcons gulls, cockatoos, terns, honeyeaters or the endangered grand parrots . Besides, the island is also home of the main population of dingoes (an Australian feral dog) of the world. Unfortunately the number of dingoes is decreasing in the island because of the threat of humans, who have killed many dingoes the last years, because they believe that these animals can be dangerous for the people. There are also other mammals such as possums, swamp wallabies, sugar gliders, flying foxes, echidnas and obviously kangaroos.In addition to, the Island owns over 100 dune lakes, which are some of the cleanest freshwater lakes of the world. Probably, the most famous of these lakes is the McKenzie lake, a perched lake located at top of a sand and vegetable matter. This nice place occupies 150 hectares and has a wonderful beach composed by nearly pure silica sand. It is along with Eli Creek (the largest creek on the eastern coast of the island) the two major symbols of the wonderful Fraser Island.

Kakadu

This National Park is located in the northern fringe of the Australian Northern Territory. It is one of the largest parks of the world and the largest of Australia; since, it covers an area of around 1 980 400 hectares (4 894 000 acres). This territory is almost so large as Switzerland or Israel. The landscapes of Kakadu are diverse and set the scene to experience an adventure travel, the native culture and activities in the nature.Kakadu is an ecologically and biologically diverse wonderland, with different and beautiful unique habitats. The six main landforms that compose the Kakadu national Park are the Arnhem Land Plateau and escarpment complex (also known as stone country), the outliers, the southern hills and basins, the lowlands, the floodplains and the tidal flats. The park is composed by a great variety of landscapes and habitats, which vary from the high stone plateau to forest woodland and from the monsoon rainforest to opened savanna plains dotted with mangroves-fringed estuaries. The Park is inhabited by over 77 species of mammals (kangaroos, dingoes, possums, bats, dusky rats, etc), a great variety of reptiles that include 132 different species (like the famous and dangerous Australian Saltwater crocodile or the water pythons), 280 bird species (pelicans, ducks, egrets, herons, spoonbills, sea eagles, etc.), 314 fish species and abundant vegetal life which is composed by around 1600 plant species. Unfortunately several of these species are threatened or endangered.The name of the Park comes from the “Gagudju”, a native language. This park has the highest concentration of areas with aboriginal rock art of the world, being the best examples of this fact at Ubirr, Nourlangie Rock Nanguluwur. The paintings done in this rocks represent several activities such as hunting, religious ceremonies, sorcery, magic, stories about diverse themes, etc. Besides, because of the particular climate of the zone with seasons of varied extremes; the native inhabitants of Kakadu divided the year. into six different seasons: Gunumeleng (October, November, December; humid and hot), Gudjewg (January, February; thunderstorms and heavy rain), Banggereng (March; storms), Yegge (April, May; mist), Wurrgeng(June, July, the coldest and dry time) and Gurrung (August, September; windless and hot).Some of the most popular zones of Kakadu are the beautiful waterfalls such as Gunlom, Maguk, Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls. Besides, some of the best places to see wildlife in the park are Cooinda, Mamukala Wetlands, Anbangbang or Yellow Water Billabong. Fishing is also an important activity amongst Kakadu’s visitors, mainly in Yellow Water and at south and east Alligator River. The Kakadu Park is connected to the city of Darwin through the Arnhem Highway and is linked to Pine Creek and Katherine by the Kakadu Highway. Besides, the town of Jabiru offers several accommodations options to the Kakadu’s visitors.

Kangaroo Island

The third largest island of Australia (4500 square kilometers) is also one of the last unspoiled island wildernesses of the planet. It is a microcosm of varied and beautiful landscapes and environments that hosts a great number of unique animal and vegetal species; therefore, almost a third of the island is part of National Parks. This wonderful natural paradise is located to 113 Kilometers south west Adelaide in the South Australia Federal Territory and is a fascinating mix of nice forests, stunning beaches, farmlands, beautiful desert dunes and colorful small townships.The southern coast of Kangaroo Island is very rocky; being, probably the greatest attraction of this zone, the Kelly Hill Caves Conservation Park, a beautiful set of limestone caves, which is located near Hanson Bay, a nice place where you frequently can see penguins. On the other hand, the northern coast of Kangaroo Island has some of the most amazing cliffs of the Australian coastline; since, they commonly reach up to 270 meters and offer an incomparable background to the dives.Amongst the animals that live in Kangaroo Island; highlight platypus, echidnas, emus, koalas, hairy nosed wombats, mallee fowl, ringtail possums, seals and the unique leafy-sea dragon. A great part of these animals live in the Flinders Chase National Park, which is located to 90 minutes by car from Kingscote at the other side of the island.There are several towns in the island; since, its population is approximately 4259 people, being the most important cities: Kingscote, American River, Baudin Beach, Nepean Bay and Penneshaw; these towns are near the Pelican Lagoon Bird Sanctuary. Where, it can see pelicans while they feed at afternoons. Besides, Kangaroo Island has also many wonderful and uncrowded beaches. It highlights Western River Cove, Stokes Bay and Snelling Beach.Another important attraction in Kangaroo Island is the Seal Bay Conservation Park, a large sandy beach and dune area, which is inhabited by a great number of sea lions. Besides, Kangaroo Island is an excellent place to practice a huge variety of sports such as climbing, rafting, fishing swimming, sailing, snorkeling amongst others. It can reach Kangaroo Island by ferry from Cape Jervis, arriving to Penneshaw; this trip lasts around 50 minutes. The ferries are very comfortable and have many facilities to the tourists; besides, there is a bus service from Adelaide to the ferry terminal.

Mungo National Park

The Mungo National Park is a remote and beautiful place of dramatic contrasts in the far southwestern part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is 980 Kilometers west Sydney (around 12 hours by car) in the region known as Balranald Shire. The Mungo National Park covers around 27 850 hectares of a World Heritage area known as Willandra Lakes, which is a chain of dried-out lakes that were once strung between Willandra Creek and the main channel of the Lachlan River, in Outback New South Wales. Since, this area has been continuously inhabited by human during 40000 years; this park contains the oldest archeological remains found in Australia.The Willandra Lakes Region includes seventeen dry lakes, being the Lake Mungo (which is the second largest of the dry lakes) the most important feature of the National Park. The Mungo National Park is famous by the remains of the Mungo Man, which are the oldest human remains discovered in Australia. Besides, in the park, were also discovered the remains of the Mungo Lady, who was the oldest known human that was ritually cremated.Both Mungo Man and Mungo Lady were buried on the shore of the Lake Mungo, therefore, this region is considered the cradle of the Australian people and is part of the World Heritage sites list. Mungo is the site of the dried up bed of Lake Mungo, its basin is very flat and you could easily see where the old shore was. This lake dried up with the end of the last ice age. Around the lake, it can see many skeletal remains of humans and animals as well as an assortment of fossilized human footprints. These prints give a glimpse at how these early Australians may have lived their lives, hunting and exploring in the lake's swampy marshes.However, perhaps, the most important attraction of the Mungo National Park are the formations known as “Walls of China” and “Lunettes” which are huge sand dunes (around 33 kilometers long) created by the unceasing westerly wind that continually exposes amazing ancient remains. These dunes of mud and sand are located in the northeastern part of the park and were once shores of the lakes and are continually eroding by wind and water. This zone is a fragile crinkled landscape with fluted outcrops and shifting sand, which changes its color from a daytime khaki to the vibrant yellows, oranges, and deep wine reds of sunset. Besides, the park has a mega fauna that includes wombats as big as cow and goannas (Australian monitor lizards) that are 7 meters length, as well as geckos, emus and a great variety of bird life, like the “white fronted chat” (an endemic Australian bird).The Mungo National Park is located to150 kilometers from Balranald and 110 Kilometers from Mildura, which is nearest important town to the park. The unsealed roads that connect to this town with the park can become instantly impassable after rain. Mildura is around 400 Kilometers from Adelaide and 558 Kilometers from Melbourne. There are several roads that connect to Mildura with the main cities of the state, as well as a small airport in Mildura that receives local flights. The best time to visit this wonderful place is in spring and autumn, when the temperatures are milder and there are not great rainfalls. Just outside the Park is Mungo Lodge, where it can find meals, refreshments, a restaurant a motel and cottage accommodation. The park offers also several facilities for campers.

The Pinnacles Desert

The Pinnacles Desert is one of the most beautiful and impressive landscapes of Australia. It is located in the heart of the Nambung National Park, in the Federal territory of Western Australia, 250 Kilometers north from Perth. The main attractions of this amazing place are the thousands of huge limestone pillars that rise from the desert’s yellow sands, creating an awesome view that looks as a landscape of science fiction movies. These pillars vary in shapes, textures, sizes and colours. The raw material that composes the limestone of these rock formations, came from seashells from an earlier epoch rich in marine life.Some of the pinnacles of the park reach up to 3.5 meters (11.48 feet) tall. Their shapes are jagged and sharp; whereas others resemble tombstones. The best season to visit the Pinnacles Desert is in spring, between August and October, when the climate is mild and the wildflowers become in bloom. Besides, because of the marvelous play of light and the awesome colors, the best view of the pinnacles can be gotten in the early morning or late afternoon.To reach the Nambung National Park and the Pinnacles Desert, you just need to make a short and comfortable trip from Perth (the capital of Western Australia); therefore it is a popular destination in Western Australia. The name of the park, “Nambung”, comes from an aboriginal word that means crooked or winding river, probably in reference to the river that cross the park and give its name to it . This zone has also a very attractive wildlife, which is composed mainly by nocturnal animals; however, like most parts of Australia, the region has also an important population of kangaroos, possums, brush, wallabies, snakes, lizards and emus, which can be seen mainly in the evening or early morning.Besides, near the Pinnacles zone is Hangover Bay, which is definitely one of the most fascinating beaches of the country; it is a white-sand beach from which dolphins can be spotted. The nearest town to the Pinnacles is Cervantes, which is 245 Kilometers (3 hours by car) north of Perth via the Brand Highway. Currently, there is only one access road into the Pinnacles Desert, which is 27 kilometers long. The park opens from 9am to 5pm.

Shark Bay

Shark Bay is a marvelous place located in the most western point of Australia (Gascoyne), in the federal territory of Western Australia, 800 kilometers north of Perth, being Denham the nearest major town. Shark Bay is currently composed by two bays, several peninsulas and islands, the Shark Bay county and the Shark Bay Marine Park. Shark Bay has a coastline, which extends around 1500 kilometers and covers an area of 10 000 square kilometers; nevertheless, this region is inhabited only by around 1000 inhabitants. These people earn their livelihood mainly from the tourism, fishing, pastoralism and conservation management.Shark Bay has a great ecological importance, because of the great number of animal and vegetal species that live here. Besides, this bay is at a location that gathers the three most important climatic regions of the world. Shark Bay is the home of more than 10000 dugongos (sea cows), an impressive community of dolphins; amongst them the nose bottle dolphins, which use a sponge to protect their beaks when they look for food in the sea ground, being the unique known marine mammal specie that uses tools. Besides, Shark Bay hosts also 26 endangered Australian mammal species, as well as 230 bird species and 150 reptile species. In addition to, it is also an important zone of reproduction for hundreds of fishes, cnidarios and crustacean, including of course the sharks and rays that give its name to the bay.Shark Bay has also the largest and most varied area of sea grass of the world; since, it covers about 4000 square kilometers; it highlights the Wooramel Seagrass Bank of 1030 square kilometers. On the other hand, the bay hosts a unique community of microbes (located in Hamelin Pool) that are building stromatolites (colonies of algae which create hard dome-shaped deposits and are amongst the oldest forms of life on earth), which are around 3000 years old.One of the most important attractions of Shark Bay is Sea World. It is considered the largest man-made lagoon system of the world for sharks. This amazing place exhibits the sea animals that inhabit the zone, using an innovative way, which reflects amongst other themes, the difficult relationship between the sharks and the man along the history. This place is also an important research center to understand the mysteries and destroy the misconceptions about the most feared predator of the Ocean as well as other many species that live in the sea.Another famous attraction of Shark Bay is Monkey Mia, a beautiful beach, where people can make contact with wild dolphins like nowhere else in the world. Shark Bay includes several reserves, sanctuaries and protection zones, such as Shark Bay Marine Park, the Françcois Peron National Park, the Hamelin Pool Sea Natural Reserve, the Zuytdorp Natural Reserve, as well as many protected islands.

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is without doubt the most representative man-made monument of Australia and the most recognizable symbol of Sydney. It is a true masterpiece of the modern architecture. This amazing building is famous in the entire world and is treasured by the Australian people. The building was designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon and is considered the most symbolic structure of the XX century architecture.Its unique design is composed by a series of large precast concrete shells, each taken from a hemisphere of the same radius. These giant shells are the roofs of the structure that hosts two main performance halls and a restaurant. The entire building was designed to look like a boat sails billowing in the wind. Stabilizing this unorthodox and complex structure required great innovations in construction techniques. A characteristic of the Sydney Opera House is the ingenious use of platforms, which are a typical feature of Utzon’s designs.The two main halls of the Opera House run from north to south and have their long axes, slightly inclined from each other. The auditoria faces to south and the stages are between the audience and the city. The Opera House is a real freestanding sculpture of spherical roofs sheathed in white ceramic tiles. The interiors are composed by pink granite and plywood.Besides, the Concert hall has the best acoustics of any building of its type in the world and with its 2679 seats, is the home of the Sydney Symphony. On the other hand, the Opera Theatre with 1507 seats is a beautiful proscenium that hosts opera and ballet perfomances. But, this building is much more than an opera house; the Sydney opera House is a performing arts complex; since, in addition to the two main halls, it is composed by many playhouses and studios (like the Drama Theatre, the Utzon room or the Forecourt), as well as several bars and restaurants.Currently the Opera House is home of some of the most prestigious cultural performances of Australia and the world such as The Australian Ballet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Bell Shakespeare Company, the Ensemble Theatre, Musica Viva Australia, the Sydney Dance Company, the Opera of Australia, the Sydney Symphony and the Sydney Theatre Company. It is the busiest performing arts centre in the world, hosting around 3000 events per year with an audience of about 2 million people. The Sydney Opera House opens 24 hours, every day; closing only on Christmas and Good Friday. It can reach the Opera House by bus, ferry or using the city rail.

Tasmania 

Tasmania is an Island at southeastern of continental Australia, whose area is approximately 68 000 square kilometers and whose climate is quite warm almost the entire year. Tasmania is also an administrative state of Australia, with a population of about 480 000 people. This island is separated from the continental Australia by the Bass Strait. The entire Tasmania Island is considered a wonder by the Australian people, because of its great and unique natural richness; therefore, Tasmania is also called the “Natural State”, the “Island of Inspiration”, the “Holiday Isle” or the “Island of Rejuvenation”.Almost a third of the Tasmanian territory is occupied by World Heritages Sites and National Parks. Tasmania is one of the major tourist attractions of the country. Tasmania owns a wonderfully diverse vegetation, which includes some of the most representative Australian species, such as grazed grassland, evergreen eucalypt, the Huon pine, the Tasmanian Waratah, the Flying Duck Orchid and the Tasmanian Blue Gum (the state floral symbol). Besides, large areas of the island are covered by cool temperate rainforests and moorlands. Tasmania has some of the oldest trees of the world. There are several tall Huon Pines that are more than 2000 years old. Some of these trees reach 90 meters high (300 feet).Tasmania has been also home of a great number of unique animal species, such as the Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger), a peculiar marsupial with look of wild dog that was the largest carnivorous marsupial, which was extinct in 1936. However, the most representative specie of the Tasmanian fauna is definitely the world famous Tasmanian devil, a carnivorous marsupial, which can be found only in this island. The famous Tasmanian devil, made famous by the cartoons, is a small animal that looks as a small muscular dog with black fur and white patches. Unlike the cartoons, the Tasmanian devil is not a great predator. It is mainly a scavenger with a vicious temperament and a loud disturbing growl. Unfortunately, like several other native species, the construction of roads and the presence of vehicles are damaging the habitat of this unique animal, whose population is decreasing dramatically because of the human pressure and a widespread facial tumor disease that is killing most Tasmanian devils.Tasmania is also inhabited by many species of birds and frogs. Amongst birds, it highlights species such as, the Tasmanian Thornbill, the Forty-spotted Pardalote, the Dusky Robin, the Black Currawong, the Tasmanian native-hen or the Green Rosella. Whereas, amongst the frogs, it highlights the Tasmanian Tree frog, the Tasmanian Froglet, the Growling Grass Frogs and the Moss Froglet.Tasmania is a beautiful island that allures the visitors with its rugged shorelines, beautiful mountains, sparkling highland lakes, spectacular scarps, mild rain forest, exuberant beaches, gurgling rivers, beautiful coves and unique biodiversity. Some of the most important landmarks of Tasmania are: the Mount Wellington, the Hobart Foreshore, the Cradle Mountain, the central Tasmanian Highlands, the Bay of Fires, the Dove Lake, the Bruny Island, the Honeymoon Bay and the Freycinet National Park. Tasmania is also a great destination to practice many recreation activities such as bushwalking, boating, fishing, cycling, surfing and white-water rafting.

Uluru

Also known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is an amazing sandstone rock formation that dominates the desert plains at the south zone of the Australian Northern Territory (a federal territory) in the centre of the country to 335 Kilometers (208 miles) from the city of Alice Springs, in the Kata Tjuta National Park. This marvelous rock is considered a sacred place for the Aboriginal people and is one of the most representative landmarks of Australia; since, it is the largest monolith of the world.Uluru is an isolated remnant of the erosion of an ancient mountain range, a geological formation known as inselberg (an isolated hill, knob, ridge, outcrop, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain). This wonderful monolith is 348 meters (1142 feet) high and around 9.4 kilometers (5.83 miles) length. Uluru is composed mainly of coarse-grained arkose, a kind of sandstone with abundance of feldspar (50%) and some other conglomerates, such as quartz and other rock fragments (basalt, chlorite, epidote, amongst others) .The monolith was named thus by the Pitantjatjra natives; nevertheless, this name doesn’t have a real meaning in their language. However, Uluru holds deep significance to the aboriginal people as evidenced the numerous Aboriginal paintings and sacred rocks that can find at the giant bases of the monolith.There are several routes to explore Uluru, the most attractive is the route that runs along the 9.4 kilometers of the base, but, this route is very long.; nevertheless, there are other shorter routes, such as the Mala Walk (2 Km) or the Mutitjulu Wlak (1 Km); both routes are very charming and show great part of the beauty and cultural richness of this fascinating place. Another popular option amongst the tourists to explore Uluru is climbing. Nevertheless, this amazing way is only recommended for people with good physical condition. Besides, climbing in Uluru is only recommendable before 9 a.m.; since, after this time, the high temperatures (over 36ºC) make it almost impossible this activity. The walk lasts around 3 hours and offers several marvelous views of the surrounding landscapes, including the Olgas.Another great attraction of Uluru is the wildlife around it. Around 150 bird species, 46 native mammal species, many reptiles and a great variety of plants inhabit the Uluru National Park. On the other hand, the beautiful and dramatically changes of color that experiences the rock at sunset explains why Uluru is an ancient sacred place that attracts thousands of tourists every year. Uluru is simply a magical place and a real wonder of Australia.

Wave Rock

The Wave Rock is without doubt one of the most awesome and beautiful rock formations of the world. This real nature wonder is located 3 Kilometers east the town of Hyden in Western Australia and around 350 Kilometers south east Perth, in the region known as Australia’s Golden Outback. The Wave Rock is 15 meters high and almost 100 metres long. The face of the Wave Rock appears ready to crash onto a pre-historic surf, which was frozen in the time.The rock is composed by grey and red granite strips. According to geologists, the particular shape of the rock was formed by subsurface chemical weathering followed by removal of the soft weathered granite by fluvial erosion; this weathering occurred below ground level before it was exposed. The colours of the rock were produced by the rain chemical deposits (carbonates and iron hydroxide) down the face, forming vertical stripes of greys reds and yellows. It is an interesting and nice spectacle to see how the rock changes its colors along the day, producing awesome views.Nevertheless, the Wave Rock is not the only impressive formation of the zone. The Wave Rock Reserve has also many other nice formations such as King Rocks, The Humps, The Hippos’s Yawn and the Mulka’s cave (a bat’s cave). All these places are amazing natural wonders and have a great importance to the aborigine culture; since, they are associated to ancestral stories that native people have conserved during many generations; therefore, the Wave Rock is also the site of beautiful Indigenous rock art.