Australia is a continent that is usually called “the land down under” because of its geographic position on the planet. This country is one of the smallest continents but is considered to be in second place when it comes to country size.
Australia is one of the top exporters of items such as diamonds, wool, alumina, lead and sheep and with this their economy is increasing steadily. Their climate may vary widely across the continent and depending on the season, from tropical to temperate.
This is also a pace filled with natural wonders that some are even recognized already throughout the world such as the magnificent Great Barrier Reef, and the unique kangaroos that are abundant in Australia. Here are some of the natural wonders that are located in Australia.
The wonders below represent some of our favorite wonders. You can make your voice heard by voting on the Seven Wonders of Australia here.
Great Barrier Reef
The beauty of this very vast reed system can be seen outside the planet, which makes it the only natural wonder that can be visible from that distance. This is found northeast of Australia and covers an area of more than 300,000 square kilometers. The Great Barrier Reef is composed of almost 3000 separate reefs and about 900 islands that makeup 2,600 kilometers of the total area.
The composition of these reefs is millions or billions of tiny organisms named coral polyps, which serves also as home to small fishes. This is the reason why they made the Great Barrier Reef one of the seven natural wonders of the world – for its majestic scenery and the biodiversity that it possesses. Tourists can enjoy scuba diving in specific spots to take a look at the wonderful life under the surface of the waters of Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef National Park is a protected area by the government of Australia and is the most popular tourist attraction for the country.
Mount Augustus
This enormous rock is located in the center of the West Australian outback that is home to aborigines’ art and culture, and the wildlife. Commonly termed as Burringurrah by the locals, Mount Augustus has a height that reaches 860 meters above the plains that surround this area and is actually double the size of Uluru, making it the biggest rock on the planet. This rock is a place for the aborigines that date back thousands of years ago, with evidence of their living such as weird writings on the rocks and mysterious caves. Mount Augustus also has natural springs that are important to the people living near the area such as the Wadjari people.
Jewel Cave
This is the most popular cave in Western Australia in terms of tourist visits. Covered in the wide Karri forest of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge, the Jewel Cave is situated below sea level in which it has a depth of 42 meters with a length of almost 2 kilometers.
Although this cave is only accessible to tourists for about 40% of the area, the majestic scene is already enough to give the visitors a breathtaking experience, with stalactites and stalagmites forming and its natural light produced.
People who have experienced venturing on the Jewel cave say that it is like walking underwater but with no water around. This cave also holds one of the longest straw stalactites, with a length of 580 centimeters.
The Pinnacles
Just about 3 hours drive north of Western Australia’s capital and the biggest city, Perth, is a place with great mystery and wonder residing. The Pinnacles is one of Australia’s most wonderful landscapes because of the limestone spires that grow for more than a meter in the sands of the area.
These pinnacles were believed to be created several million years passed by the erosion of the sand that contains seashells. Tourists can enjoy these unique formations and the locals even made an interpretative dance on how the Pinnacles were made.
Horizontal Waterfalls
Found in the Talbot Bay which is I the Buccaneer Archipelago, there is an enormous tidal motion that is regarded as the biggest in the world. The waterfall-like motion of the ocean water is made because of the passing of these waters on a narrow passage, thus creating water pressure and produces somewhat like waterfalls.