Australia [antikvár]

Australia is a country of remarkable diversity. It ranges across more than 30° of latitude from the tropics of north Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia through to the temperate rainforests of southern Tasmania. The great appeal of Australia, with the exception of cool, moist Tasmania which defies every generalisation about the country, is the vastness of the landscape, the extent of the desert areas (it has the second-largest dry desert area in the world after the Sahara), the incredibly blue skies and its richly multicultural society. Austraha enjoys long periods of sunny, dry weather and consequently is essentially an outdoor society characterised by informality, egalitarianism, friendliness and a genuine dislike of protocol and pretentiousness. The strengths of modern Australia lie in the acceptance that this is a country where life is easy, where the narrow social stratification that is so much a part of European society has been abandoned. Look at Australia on the weekend and you will find sport ovals full and beaches crowded. Watch the main arteries out of any major city on a Friday afternoon and you will find them choked with cars full of bushwalkers, people travelling to their holiday homes, surfers, fishermen and people fleeing the cities. However, it should always be remembered that, although Australians still love the idea of the rural 'bronzed Aussie', less than 15% of the population actually live in rural areas, or 'the bush' as it is called. Top Attractions *** Great Barrier Reef: one of the wonders of the world with magnificent coral formations and exotic marine life. *** Uluru and Katatjuta: spectacular rock remnants surrounded by desert. Best seen at dawn and dusk. *** Sydney: the beautiful harbour setting, the Bridge and the world-famous Opera House are some of the city's premier attractions. •** Great Ocean Road: dramatic and impressive coastal scenery against a backdrop of rural peacefulness. Opposite: Signs warn travellers to watch out for camels, wombats and kangaroos as they travel through the Australian 'outback'.