It’s no news that Australia has some rather bizarre species of plants and Animals that are not found in other continents. Besides the Flora and Fauna, Australia also has some awe-inspiring wonders of nature which are both breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Australia is an island which has evolved with unique experiences for the traveler.
Australia has many natural wonders and we have listed 10 of them below.
1. Great Barrier Reef
This is the only living thing on earth that can be seen from the outer space. The origin of the Great Barrier Reef can be traced to 25 Million years ago, it stretched over 3,000 kilometers off the coast of Queensland. The span is a home to over 400 different types of coral and 1,500 species of tropical fish. The continuous existence of this beautiful and delicate piece is threatened by increased attention of tourists.
2. Uluru
The site is regarded as sacred by the indigenous Anangu tribe. They prohibit the climbing of the sandstone monolith located 450km south of Alice Springs in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The height of Uluru is 348 meters and the circumference is 9.4 kilometers. The monolith is renowned for the different shades of hues that reflect on it, especially during sunset.
3. Shark Bay
The Shark Bay is located at 800 km north of Perth towards the west coast of Australia. It is a W-Shaped coastline comprising of rocky limestone, white sand dunes, and about 1,500 kilometers long cliff. The cliff contains about 10,000 dugongs, many threatened species, dolphins and a highly diverse population of sea-grasses. According to historians, this was the first place Europeans tried to settle but regard it as worthless.
4. The Pinnacles
This is a three-hour drive from the northern parts of Perth. It was estimated that the limestone formations are about 30,000 years old, created from the calcareous deposits from a receding sea. Today, the pinnacles have risen several meters above sea level at the Nambung National Park. It is now inhabited by emus, reptiles and gray Kangaroos.
5. Twelve Apostles
These limestone formations called The Twelve Apostles were created by stacks of limestone which are visible from the Great Ocean road, off the coasts of Victoria where they continue to wear down. Although they are called Twelve Apostles, there were only nine of them when they were discovered and named. However, after a recent collapse, there are now eight of them. The base of the Twelve apostles erodes by about two centimeters every year.
6. MacKenzie Falls
This waterfall pours down from a sandstone mountain range which rises above the plains 235 kilometers west of Melbourne. The water falls about 30 meters into the underlying gorge leading to a rainbow mist. It is the biggest waterfall in the Grampian National Park renowned for a large number of kangaroos present there.
7. Fraser Island
This is the largest island in the world, located at the extreme end of the Great Sandy Lake and spanning about 123 kilometers in length and 22 kilometers wide. Today, the Fraser Island is a haven with rainforest and sand dunes up to 240 meters high. It has hundreds of freshwater lakes and a wide variety of wildlife and dingoes.
8. Kakadu
Located at 171 kilometers southeast Darwin. This is 20,000 square kilometres of tropical paradise with about 1,700 plant species. This beautiful haven is a home for both freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, so be careful! It has floodplains tidal flats and rocky landscapes covered with aboriginal carvings and a controversial Uranium mine.
9. Blue Mountains
This is a mountain ridge with a green hue derived from the abundance of flora such as eucalyptus and gum trees, it spans about two hours’ drive west of Sydney. It contains ridges, limestone rock formation, and the Three Sisters all located above the sandstone plateau and a 760 metre deep gorges. This mountain range contains some of the oldest species of plant known to man such as Wllemipines which exist about the same time dinosaurs were roaming the earth.
10. Bungle Bungles
Within the Bungle Bungles/Purnululu National Park is the massive, condensed sandstone up to 578 meters high. It is a 350-million-year oil massif now a home to tropical mammals and highly diversified wildlife that graces the gorgeous, tropical pools, and caves that are found in the Bungle Bungles.
