Sydney Harbour Bridge
Opened in 1932 and affectionately known as
the 'coathanger,' the bridge is 1,149 meters long, weighs 52,800
tons, has six million rivets and needed 272,000 liters of paint
for its initial coat. Paint maintenance is a continual process.
It takes 10 years and 30,000 liters of paint before they start
all over again!
Sydney Opera House
A short walk from the Harbour Bridge, the
Opera House is one of the world's premier performing arts
centers. Taking almost 15 years to build, it was officially
opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973.
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The Blue Mountains
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Dramatic canyons, sheer valleys,
thundering waterfalls and gum forests all make up
Australia's most recent World Heritage area - the Blue
Mountains National Park. Also part of this latest listing is
nearby Wollemi National Park - the home of the prehistoric
Wollemi Pine.
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The 12 Apostles
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Located along the spectacular Great
Ocean Road in Victoria, the 12 Apostles stand as sentinels
against a dramatic backdrop of sheer cliff face and wild
ocean. Formed over thousands of years by the action of the
sea, only eight of the original 12 Apostles remain.
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The Great Barrier Reef
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Australia's most famous natural
wonder, the Great Barrier Reef, will stun you with its
magnificence. It's as big as the total combined area of the
United Kingdom and Ireland, and contains more than 1,000
islands, from sandy cays to rainforest isles. The beauty of
the waters and the prolific life it supports enraptures
visitors. You can reach coral sites by air and water taxi
and scuba dive or snorkel for intimate reef views. Or choose
comfortable accommodation on some secluded reef islands.
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Fraser Island
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Stretching 120 kilometers long and 10
kilometers wide, World Heritage listed Fraser Island offers
vast white beaches, beautiful headlands and rainforests, and
the best camping ever. You can mingle with kangaroos,
wallabies and other unique animals, or stay in style at a
resort!
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Daintree Rainforest
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Reef and rainforest touch in this
region of World Heritage protected beauty. The Daintree
River winds gently through tangled woodland through jungle
homes of unique birds, pythons and crocodiles, north to Cape
Tribulation, a spectacular national park.
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Uluru
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Located in the centre of Australia,
Uluru (Ayers Rock) is the world's biggest monolith. It's 3.6
kilometers long, 2 kilometers wide and has a 9.4 kilometer
circumference. Made of arkosic sandstone, Uluru changes
color in different lights, particularly at sunrise and
sunset.
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Kangaroo Island
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Limited development has ensured an
abundance of wildlife on this island located close to the
tip of South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula. Here, sea
lions, penguins, dolphins, koalas and of course, kangaroos,
live in a protected natural environment. Pure air and clean
water provide one of the last unspoiled wonders of the
world.
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Tasmanian Wilderness
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The Tasmanian Wilderness World
Heritage area is one of the largest conservation reserves in
Australia, covering 1.38 million hectares. This stronghold
of temperate rainforest and alpine vegetation provides
pristine habitats for plants and animals found nowhere else
in the world, including many rare and endangered species.
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Kakadu National Park
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In Australia's tropical Top End, the
delicate pink beauty of the waterlily and the prehistoric
brute strength of the crocodile merge in stunning Kakadu
National Park. Rivers with roaring waterfalls and a
landscape of towering sandstone escarpments cradle some of
Kakadu's treasures waiting to be explored.
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Bungle Bungles
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The Bungle Bungle Range, in Purnululu
National Park, is one of the most fascinating geological
landmarks in Western Australia. Orange and black stripes of
silica and algae across the beehive-like mounds are clearly
visible as you approach from the air. Closer up, a hidden
world of gorges and pools is revealed, with fan palms
clinging precariously to walls and crevices in the rocks.
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