Australia is a place where you can come face-to-face with the vastness of nature and the resourcefulness of a young country that has built some of the most recognizable monuments known to man.
Here, courtesy of Tourism Australia (www.australia.com), is an abbreviated list of the big country’s wonders:
Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge
Opened in 1932 and known as the “coathanger,” the Sydney Harbour Bridge is 3,770 feet long, has 6 million rivets and required nearly 72,000 gallons of paint for its initial coat. Paint maintenance is a continual process. It takes 10 years and 7,900 gallons of paint the span before the process starts all over again.
A short walk from the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney 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.
The Great Barrier Reef
Australia's most famous natural wonder, the Great Barrier Reef is as big as the total combined area of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and contains more than 1,000 islands. You can reach coral sites by air and water taxi, and scuba dive or snorkel for intimate reef views. Or, stay in a guest house or hotel on some of the secluded reef islands.
Uluru (Ayer’s Rock)
Located in the center of Australia, Uluru (Ayers Rock) is the world's biggest monolith, at 2.2 miles long, five miles in circumference and 1,135 feet high. Made of arkosic sandstone, Uluru changes colors during the day, especially at sunrise and sunset.
Kangaroo Island
Limited development has ensured an abundance of wildlife on this island located close to the tip of southern Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula. Here, sea lions, penguins, dolphins, koalas, and, of course, kangaroos, live in a protected natural environment.
Tasmanian Wilderness
The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area is one of the largest conservation reserves in Australia, covering 5,328 square miles. This stronghold of temperate rainforest and alpine vegetation provides habitats for plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, including many rare and endangered species.
