A continental wonder: Australia

The prime minister of this nation, with its 25,760 kilometers of coastline, is Australian, while the head of state is the queen of Australia, Queen Elizabeth II, better known as the queen of England. The queen is represented by the governor-general, the top-ranking official in Australia. Australia is home to people from all over the world, and due to the time difference and physical distance between Australia and so many other countries, it is in many ways a nation much on its own.

We look out over Sydney while the sun is still rising. We see the heavy traffic driving over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and we note the Australian flags fluttering everywhere. And then there is the famous Sydney Opera House, recognized all over the world, not to mention the skyscrapers seemingly racing against each other to see which can dominate the Sydney skyline.

Sydney: a paradise

This city looks like some sort of paradise, with its vast shoreline and bays small and large dotted everywhere.

As you leave the center of Sydney, you see more and more residential neighborhoods. In these areas there are almost no tall buildings. People largely live in single-family dwellings and houses with yards. Looking at all of this, it seems clear that everything possible has been done to create a comfortable life for the people here. The city is orderly and well organized. Buildings that do not come up to standard are simply not built here. Not only this, trees and green vistas are everywhere you look. There are no neighborhoods that don’t boast generous numbers of leafy trees. Sydney was site of the first British settlement in Australia. It was officially founded in 1788 and with a population of approximately 4 million now, it is Australia’s largest city. It is modern and sophisticated.

It’s a great pleasure to take a helicopter ride over Sydney to get an idea of the city from the air and then land and start exploring with guidebook in hand. One great place to explore in Sydney is the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby. You can see many animals that are unique to Australia here, including the koalas and kangaroos for which Australia is so famous. Of course, try not to have any hopes that you’ll actually see koalas in action when you go to this park because koalas in general are only up and on their feet for about six hours a day; they spend the rest of the day sleeping. Though koalas were once killed for their fur, they are now protected under Australian law.

[QUICK FACTS] Capital: Canberra National language: English Government: Federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm Prime Minister: Kevin Rudd Area: 7,682,300 square kilometers of land Population: 21,262,641* Gross domestic product (PPP): $38,200* Main religions: Catholic 25.8 percent, Anglican 18.7 percent, None 18.7 percent*** *As of July 2009. **2008 estimate. ***According to 2006 census results. An Australian mosque

Kangaroos are also incredibly adorable and fun to watch. The word “kangaroo” has an interesting story behind it. When the first Europeans arrived in Australia, they asked the local Aboriginal people what the animal was called, and they responded with the word “kangaroo,” which actually means “I don’t know” in their language. And so, the first arrivals from abroad thought this was the name of this funny animal, and the name has stuck until the present day.

After touring Sydney a bit more, we head for Melbourne. Our goal in heading for Melbourne is to get to Ballarat, the home of Australia’s greatest gold rush, and hear the story of this gold. You might start asking yourself if you’ve passed through some sort of time warp when you arrive in Ballarat; there are old homes reminiscent of those you see in Westerns and even people walking around in period clothing, doing what they can to make you believe you really have traveled back in time. The story behind the gold in Ballarat dates back to 1851, when a huge number of people started rushing to Australia after gold was discovered in the area. In fact, it was mostly Europeans racing to get in on the discovery. Land was dug, raked and moved to get to this gold. And gold did emerge, that most valuable of metals.

World’s smallest continent

Australia, located between oceans as it is, is also the world’s smallest continent. But while we refer to it as small for a continent, from the perspective of sheer land mass, it is actually enormous, and there are around 4,000 kilometers of land that lie between its eastern and western shores. In terms of its total area, Australia is actually the world’s sixth largest country.

Due to its location in the southern hemisphere, Australia experiences winter from June to August, with its coldest month being July. Then from December to February is its summertime, with the hottest months being January and February.

Australia is renowned for its natural beauty, vast coastlines, rainforests, deserts, mountains and bountiful plains. And of course, this is a continent with large expanses of agricultural land and fields perfect for growing crops. Australia has also perfected certain methods of harvesting; all you have to do is watch the machines gathering citrus fruit to understand this. They have tools that easily reach up to the very top branches of trees to pick the fruit, without damaging the branches, leaves or tree at all.

Interestingly, the capital of Australia is neither Sydney nor Melbourne, but instead is Canberra. While not as famous as some other Australian cities, Canberra is nonetheless the city from where the federal government runs the country and where the federal parliament is located. The capital also plays host to a wide variety of important cultural and artistic events. And with its orderly layout and generous number of parks, Canberra is considered to be a great example of urban planning for the world.

The people of Australia enjoy a high level of prosperity. It should be at the top of the list for people who enjoy touring around and seeing modern world cities and countries. Before heading for Australia, make sure you keep in mind the seasonal variations due to it being in the Southern Hemisphere.