29+1 interesting things you didn’t know about Australia

Australia is one of the world’s most wonderful holiday destinations. It’s known worldwide for its unique and picturesque landscapes, beaches, fantastic wildlife and white-sand beaches. But did you know that the Great Barrier Reef is visible from space? Or that Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world?

written by: Continent Surfer

Find out 29 interesting facts you probably didn’t know about Australia. If there’s anything you find interesting that we missed, let us know in the comments and we’ll add it to the list!

1. The Australian coat of arms features two native animals: the emu and the kangaroo. Both animals can only move forward, and are therefore common symbols of progress and a country moving forward.

2. 80% of Australia’s plants, mammals, reptiles, and frogs are species unique to the country and not found elsewhere in the world, such as koalas, kangaroos, dingoes, echidnas, platypus, and wombats.

3. Over 200 different languages are spoken in Australia, 45 of which are indigenous. After English, the most widely spoken languages are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin.

4. Do you love coffee? Then head to Perth, where there are more coffee shops than any other city in the world.

5. The city of Canberra was founded in 1908, after Melbourne and Sydney failed to decide between themselves on the capital.

6. Australia is one of the most naturally beautiful countries in the world. It boasts more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other destination. Three cultural, twelve natural and four heritage sites are a mixture of the two, making nineteen in total.

7. Australia has more than 10,000 beaches, making it the ideal location for surfing, sunbathing, diving, sailing and relaxing. What’s more, many of the beaches are covered in white or golden sand and crystal-clear blue water, with spectacular mountain vistas and underwater reefs.

8. Over 85% of Australians live within 30 miles (ca. 48 km) of the coast.

9. Australia was the second country in the world to give women the vote.

10. The oldest fossil in the world, about 3.4 billion years old, was found in Australia.

11. The city of Melbourne is considered the world city of sport, as it offers its residents the most live sporting opportunities (Tennis Tournaments, Formula 1)

12. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure in the world. It is made up of 2,500 separate reefs and can be seen from outer space.

13. The Great Barrier Reef has its own post office box! You can hop on a ferry to get here at any time and post your postcard with a unique Great Barrier Reef stamp.

14. Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. A highlight of a trip to Queensland can be taking a boat from Hervey Bay to explore the surrounding paradise! The azure blue waters of Lake MacKenzie are surrounded by snow-white sandy beaches and the Champagne Pool, where you can take a dip whenever the mood strikes.

15. Wine lovers – Australia has 60 different wine regions. Each region is picturesque, so you can enjoy the beautiful views while you’re tasting! Western Australia boasts beautiful vineyards, such as Margaret River, which is easily accessible from Perth. You could also visit Alpine Valley or Yarra Valley in Victoria, Clare Valley in the south or Hunter Valley in NSW, less than 2 hours’ drive away!

16. Australia is the only continent in the world without a working volcano. Unlike New Zealand.

17. The designer of the Sydney Opera House, Jørn Utzon, was inspired by eating oranges – if you were to join the sail-like roof elements of the Opera House together, you’d get a perfect spherical shape.

18. The male lant-tailed bird can mimic the sounds of more than 20 other bird species, as well as a camera, saw or car alarm. How cool!

19. Take a deep breath! Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world. It’s a walker’s paradise, with coastal promenades and breathtaking panoramas across the island.

20. We’ve all heard of Bondi Beach and the Sydney Opera House. But what about Lake Hillier in Western Australia? The water in this lake is pink, due to the red dye released by an organism called Dunaliella salina, which turns the salt in the lake pink. You might as well take a dip! 

21. The selfie was invented by carefree, photograph-obsessed Australians! Yes, they did, who else.

22. Australia has the world’s longest golf course (850 miles (ca. 1,368 km)) and the world’s longest straight railway (300 miles (ca. 483 km)).

23. The sparkling coastline is a holidaymaker’s top destination, but did you know that the Australian Alps – which border New South Wales and Victoria – get more snow than the Swiss Alps? The white wonder usually covers the region between June and September, making it a great skiing location for our summer season.

24. The world-famous Uluru monolith sits majestically in the Northern Territory. The monolith is one of the few sites to have two places on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list, one for cultural and one for natural wonders. Did you know that 2.5 km of the mountain is underground? It’s connected to Olgas, where the mountain rises again for 16 miles (ca. 26 km).

25. Although Uluru is not the largest mountain in the world, it is associated with Mount Augustus in Western Australia.

26. Australia’s national gem is the opal, much of which comes from the south of the country.

27. The Australian Outback is home to the world’s largest herd of camels, numbering 750 000 animals. 

28. After Antarctica, Australia is perhaps the most sweltering continent. It is absolutely the home of extremes. You can have a flood in one corner of the continent and a seemingly uncontainable bushfire in another.

29. Crocodiles are not only found in tropical rivers. Be prepared for the largest and most dangerous crocodile, the saltwater crocodile, to swim into the ocean. They are mainly found in estuaries. Have you seen the film Crocodile Dundee? They are in that one too.

+1. In which modern democracies does it happen that the prime minister disappears overnight? Former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt went surfing one December day in 1967 and hasn’t been seen since.

Did you know?

Indian Pacific train has the longest straight section of train track in the world! Australia boasts a number of spectacular rail journeys. Between Sydney and Perth lies the Indian Pacific, the railway that snakes its way across the country through the stunning Blue Mountains into the outback towards the mountainous Flinders Ranges.

Like what we do?

If so, please support us, every little counts and much appreciated!

You will help us to come up with useful information regularly, so please support us every once in a while or even on a monthly basis! Thank you!

Source(s):

Original article: 29+1 érdekesség, amit eddig nem tudtál Ausztráliáról Translated by: BOGI – CONTINENT SURFER

Travel Nation

Join the Continent Surfer community! 

Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to receive the latest news, useful tips, and exclusive offers! 

Like what we do?

If so, please support us, every little counts and much appreciated!

You will help us to come up with useful information regularly, so please support us every once in a while or even on a monthly basis! Thank you!