Australia sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

The best way to start exploration of Australia is to visit Sydney – the most beautiful and matchless city of the country. You will find old quarters, modern business districts and shopping streets there. Tourists, who wish to see historical buildings, churches and monuments, should start with King Cross district. Narrow streets and beautiful squares of King Cross are home to art centers, museums and souvenir outlets. Elizabeth Street is a popular destination for shopping, and Homebush quarter, which is located nearby, is the location of Olympic sports facilities. The most popular cultural places of interest in Sydney include Sydney Museum of History and Anthropology, National Marine Museum, Memorial Art Gallery, the Museum of Applied Arts and Science, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Nicolson Antique Museum and Modern Art Museum.

There are also several parks and reserves in the city, the most popular of which are Hyde Park and Park of Wild Animals of Australia. In Sydney, tourists can attend a very unusual excursion – a visit to the opal manufacture. Here visitors will see how the rock is processed, learn more interesting information about these precious stones and, of course, purchase the jewelry.

Perth is another Australian city that is worth attention. It is mostly famous for its numerous mines that quarry gold, diamonds and nickel. Perth is a wonderful place with typical Australian landscapes – high rocks, unusual trees and numerous exotic plants. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Darwin is a city that hides many interesting places and surprises. The main attraction here is Kakadu National Park, where visitors can see rare animals, birds and enjoy variety of local flora. There are a few more parks in Darwin suburbs, the most popular of which are Katherine Caves and Leechfield.

Without a doubt, Big Barrier Reef is the main symbol of the country and one of most famous places in the world. The reef is stretched along the east coast of the country. Big Barrier Reef is the biggest in the world and is added to the list of UNO World Heritage sites. The length of the reef is 50 kilometers. Every year this unique place attracts many divers, who deeply admire the beauty of the reef. Divers are also recommended to visit Magnetic Island, where they will find spectacular wild nature.

History and Entertainment

Before the colonial period, the Australian territory was populated by aborigines. The first settlements were formed here more then 60 000 years ago. Some of the most interesting archeological districts are located near Lake Mungo. In some states of Australia, researchers found the remains of the old cave paintings. The colonial period in Australia began in 1606 when the continent was first visited by the European travelers. The first man who visited it was Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon. He called the land he had discovered New Holland. In a few years, Australia was visited by Spanish colonizers. The first British colonies were formed here in the late 18th century.

The indigenous population had been decreasing significantly for 150 years of the active colonization. One of the main causes of aborigines’ death was infectious diseases brought by Europeans. The most outstanding event in the history of Australia was the beginning of the Gold Rush in the middle of the 19th century. In 1901, a so-called colony federation known as the Commonwealth of Australia was established. Australia officially gained independence from Great Britain not so long ago, in 1986.

The main value of the continent is its unique nature. In Australia, there are several unique national parks. Here, you can see rare endemic animals that are not found anywhere in the world. Kangaroos, platypuses, emus and rare species of koalas dwell only here. The most famous national park is Kakadu. There are still settlements of Australian aborigines on its territory.

Australia attracts a lot of people with upscale beach resorts. Local beaches are the most suitable for surfing in the world. The most luxurious resort area is the Golden Coast that has its source near Brisbane. There is an elite resort of Main Beach with upscale hotels and restaurants. The resort of Broadbeach is very popular with thrifty travelers.

One of the main nature Australian attractions is the Great Barrier Reef. Divers come here from all parts of the world to admire it. This unique natural object is under UNESCO protection, so it is permitted to dive only in some places.