Cairns, Australia

Cairns is located in the NE of Australia, about two-thirds of the way up the Queensland coast (1,100 mls NW of Brisbane; 460 mls NW of Mackay; 670 mls NW of Rockhampton; 750 mls NW of Gladstone). Central Cairns is just 3 mls S of its own international airport. Tropical North Queensland in Australia is a holiday maker's paradise, bursting at the seams as an atractive 'hub' destination for nearby attractions and tours that showcase this remarkable part of the world. Cairns Esplanade, once a huge grassy park, now features a world-class facility incorporating an outdoor amphitheatre, a large sandy swimming lagoon, grassy picnic areas, walking tracks, free public barbeques, children's playground, shops and restaurants, an environmental interpretation centre and a Great Barrier Reef Cruise departure terminal. 

Whitsundays Australia

The Whitsundays has many natural attractions that are significant within Australia and globally, including the Great Barrier Reef, the second most visited attraction in Queensland, visited by over half a million international visitors each year. The Whitsundays is a paradise of islands. Of the 74 islands, only 8 are inhabited leaving 66 virtually untouched islands which provide the perfect setting for a day of exploring or simply relaxing on the secluded beaches and coves. The Whitsundays offers a unique combination of water, reef, island, coast and activities. These are the elements that distinguish the Whitsundays destination from other destinations both domestically and internationally. The Whitsundays region attracts over 600,000 visitors per annum with 67% being domestic visitors (426,000) and 33% being inbound visitors (209,754). Eleven per cent of international visitors to Queensland will visit the Whitsundays. Of the resort islands, there is a choice ranging from world-class luxury and sophistication to budget hideaways. Resort islands in the Whitsunday region include Hayman, Hamilton, Daydream, Linderman, Brampton, Long, Hook and South Molle Island. 

 

Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is an extensive complex of islets, shoals and, of course, coral reefs. It is located off of Australia’s northeastern coastline in the Pacific Ocean. The Reef expands over 1,250 miles to the northwest-southeast, at about 10 to 100 miles offshore, and is about 135,00 square miles in area. This wonder has been characterized as the biggest structure that living creatures have ever built. There are actually 2,100 reefs and 800 fringing reefs around the Great Barrier Reef. All of the reefs, however, share a common origin. They have all been formed from the skeletal waste and skeletons of a living marine organism mass over the course of millions of years. The framework of the reef is formed from tiny creatures’ calcareous remains, which are known as hydro corals and coral polyps, and bryozoans and coralline algae are what holds it all together. At the Great Barrier Reef, at least 300 different species of hard coral, worms, sponges, anemones, crabs, prawns, crayfish, lobsters, gastropods, and a wide variety of other fish, as well as birds, can be found. The crown-of-thorns-starfish is actually the reef’s most destructive animal, which has decreased the attraction and color of much the reefs due to feeding on a lot of the coral that is alive.

 

 

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is situated in Sydney, Australia. The opera house was made a part of the UNESCO, World Heritage Site in 2007 and is said to be the world’s most distinct 20th century buildings. It is also considered one of the most famous performing art centers in the world. The Sydney Opera House was built by an architect Jorn Utzon and also received the Pritzker prize in the year 2003. The synopsis of the quotation that was written on it said that the opera house is one of the masterpieces designed by this architect and will be considered the icon of the 20th century not only for this city but also for the country & continent of Australia.

Festival of the Winds in Sydney, Australia.

Festival of the winds is one of the most popular event in Sydney. Hundreds of kites of all different colours, shapes and sizes dominate the skyline creating a magical spectacle. 31 th annual Festival of the Winds - an event which attracts kite enthusiasts from around the world took place at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Sunday, September 13. Scavenged all the winds of Sydney's beach provides ideal conditions for kite flying. The festival was attended by both beginners and the real experts from the Australian Society of kites. Many participants of the festival ran designed his own kites.

75 years of Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge was completed in 1932 and at that time was truly an engineering achievement and triumph. Prior to this, people had to travel between the city center on the south side of the harbor and the residential on the north side by ferry or a circuitous 20km road route, which involved five bridge crossings.
The single-span arch bridge, colloquially known as the 'Coathanger', and the railway line took eight years to build, and used up to 1,400 workers with 16 killed in accidents during construction. The arch spans 503 meters and supports the weight of the bridge deck. Today, over 150,000 vehicles cross the bridge, about 15 times more than in 1932.
Recently, climbing this bridge has become one of Sydney's new pastimes and is proving a hit with thrill seekers. Thousands of people have taken up the BridgeClimb challenge. A guided climb is available either during daylight or night.

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