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Ambiance

Lay of the Land

Backpacker Scene

Lay of the Land

Australia is often touted by the media as a harsh landscape with kangaroos and crocodiles bouncing, or slithering, around everywhere. Surprisingly, much of this is true. Australia has a vast and often times unforgiving landscape, and the kangaroo overpopulation is enough of a problem that ranchers have open season to shoot as many of these "Pests" as they can. It's not uncommon to see kangaroo crossing signs along the highway… and there's a reason that many Australian vehicles have cattle catchers on the bumper. Keep in mind, however, that Australia is a huge country with vastly different landscapes and climates from one region to the next. It's not all outback, and only a small fraction of the population carves out a livelihood in the seemingly uninhabitable outback. Australia's got a little bit of everything. The landscape is comprised of everything from lush rainforests to unspoiled beaches to deserts to jagged mountains to tropical islands to cosmopolitan cities.

Probably one of the least publicized, but most deserving, treasures of Australia is the beautiful beaches that litter it's never ending coastline. It is, after all, an island continent. Even in the larger cities, the beach plays an essential role in the Australian way of life. The rumor is that over two million Australians surf. From the crowded people watching beaches of lovely Sydney to the absolutely stunning island beaches dispersed throughout the Great Barrier Reef, Australia has an ideal beach for everyone. To witness the absolute best beach on earth, go to Lake McKenzie (Yes Lake - it's a fresh water paradise) in the middle of Fraser Island. It's an absolute paradise.

Be aware, however, that skin cancer is a serious concern in Australia and you should take the necessary precautions. If you're just visiting there for a short while, then it's probably not a huge issue, but I'd recommend being fairly religious with the tanning lotion. Australians on the Gold Coast usually get checked for Melanoma every six months. Many of them wear long shirts and hats when it's one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Others go topless. I guess it's a matter of priorities.

While the true beauty of any country is usually found in the small towns and out of the way places, Australia's crown jewel, Sydney, is the finest big city on the planet. Sydney's breathtakingly scenic natural harbor, lively Bondi and Manly beaches, the cosmopolitan buzz of the cities nightlife, the manageable Australian pace, and the uncanny friendliness of Sydney-siders combine to make Sydney a truly world class city that shouldn't be missed.

The natural splendors of Australia are many and this is usually the reason that people decide to make a trip down under. You won't be disappointed. Australia is fortunate to boast claim to a number of natural wonders including: the Great Barrier Reef, Ayer's Rock (a enormous monolith), the Twelve Apostles (amazing rock formations off of Port Campbell), the stark splendor of the outback itself, and much, much more.

The Great Barrier Reef is all you can imagine. The visibility can be tremendous and the marine life is spectacular. You'll see everything from vast forests of coral to giant three foot wide clams to sharks to every type of fish you can imagine. Ayer's Rock isn't easy to get to, but if you're in the area, it's quite incredible. Because Australia is a huge place, you can't see everything unless you're going to take a few years off, so it's best to see what you can within your budget. Don't get all worked up if you can't take in all the sites in one trip… it's the people that you meet that you'll really remember, not the sights. After all, which pictures do you like to look back at and reminisce upon? The picture of the big rock or the ones with the people you met in them?

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