NEWS AND EVENTS FROM AUSTRALIA
JULY and AUGUST
July and August are winter months in Australia. For students, July is the month that concludes the first semester of schooling, and also concludes the second term of the school year. A school holiday period precedes the beginning of the second semester.For those of us who are lucky enough to travel, some of Australia’s World Heritage listed places would be ideal destinations to travel to during this time. Below, is a sample of what some of these sites have to offer.
Australia has 17 sites on the World Heritage list, which is administered by the United Nations
The list includes:
- The Great Barrier Reef
- Uluru-Kata Thuta National Park
- Kakadu National Park
- Australian Fossil Mammal Sites in Qld/S.A
- Willandra Lakes in New South Wales
- Shark Bay in Western Australia
- The Central Eastern Rainforest in NSW/Qld
- Fraser Island
- The Opera House
- Lord Howe Island
- The Blue Mountains
- Macquarie Island
- The Royal Exhibition Buildings and the Carlton Gardens surrounds in Melbourne
- Purnululu National Park in W.A.
- The Heard and McDonald Islands
- The Wet Tropics in Queensland The Tasmanian Wilderness
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
The Reef is located in the Coral Sea, which is off the coast of Queensland, in the north east of Australia. It is the world’s biggest structure, made up of living organisms. This reef structure is composed of billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. As the largest, living organism on the planet, the reef structure spans almost 2,300kms, and supports a wide diversity of life.
The Great Barrier Reef is also an important cultural feature for many of the clan groups of the Aboriginal and Torres Islander people who live in the area. The greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef is climate change which brings about ocean warming and the consequent bleaching of the coral. Pollution, crown-of-thorns and fishing are also serious threats to the health of the reef system.
ULURU
This famous natural landmark, located in the southern part of the Northern Territory, ULURU/AYERS ROCK is the world’s largest is a sacred sight. It is deeply connected with monolith the Aboriginal Dreamtime legend, and was believed by the people of the area, to be formed during the Creation period. It has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and paintings,
FRASER ISLAND
This beautiful island, with its long, uninterrupted, white beaches, is the largest sand island in the world. It has over 100 freshwater lakes circled by white, sandy beaches. Its tall, ancient
rainforests are uniquely found growingn on sand dunes at a height of 200 metres It is famous for its dingoes, wildlife, creeks, rainforests, native birds, and fishing. Fraser Island was originally occupied by Aboriginal Australians However, the arrival of European settlers by 1840, adversely affected the Aboriginal way of life with an eventual reduction in Aboriginal population. Sand mining and logging were also extensively carried out until as late as 1977 and 1991 respectively, as part of the intense harvesting of the island’s natural geological wealth.
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
The SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, located in Sydney, NSW, is an iconic, twentieth century building built as a multi-venue, performing arts centre. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in June, 2007, and and built by Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, who was awarded architecture’s highest honour when he received the Pritzker Prize.
This masterpiece of extraordinary beauty is symbolic, not only of Sydney where it is located, but has become the symbol for the whole continent.
AUSTRALIAN NEWS
Australia is gearing up for a Federal election as the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, is expected to call an early election any time now.
The current Government is a Labour government, which is close to ending its 3 year term in office. The Liberal Party opposition is led by Tony Abbott.
Major issues in the election campaign relate to the Mining Resources Tax, the Emissions Trading Scheme and the problem of how best to handle the current refugee situation.
