|
|
Australia
– A Land of Natural Wonders
The
huge monolith known as Uluru – formerly Ayer’s Rock –
remains one of Australia’s most mysterious and beautiful natural
features. Rising more than 1,000 feet above the flat red center
of the continent, "The Rock" is eight miles in
circumference and honeycombed with caves, displaying Aboriginal
wall art. Uluru once stood at the bottom of an inland ocean, and
is a spectacular sight as it changes color through the day. The
sandstone it is composed of contains many minerals like feldspar
which reflect shades from deep red to violet, according to the angle
of the sun.
However,
while Uluru is probably the most famous Australian geological wonder,
it is certainly not the only one. The amazing Bungle Bungles
in Western Australia are huge pillars of sandstone that look
like ancient ziggurats. But nature, not man, made these orange and
black striped monoliths, situated in Purnululu National Park.
The black stripes are caused by lichens growing on the orange sandstone.
Known to Aborigines for centuries, it remained a secret to the rest
of the world until the 1980s, when the stunning rock formation was
spotted from the air.
The
Devil’s Marbles in the Northern territory are another example
of Australia’s geological diversity. The “marbles” are huge roughly
hewn ovoid boulders piled on top of one another, some seemingly
defying gravity, poised like eggs balancing on end. Made of coarse
granite, the marbles have gained their shape by constant weathering.
The
Great Barrier Reef is one of the few geological wonders that
can be seen from space. A spectacular 161 square miles of coral
reef, it stretches from New Guinea down the Queensland Coast. Dotted
with coral islands, the reef is the largest structure ever built
by living creatures. These tiny polyps leave their skeletal remains
behind, forming stretches of coral reef.
Nullabor
means, literally, no trees, and the Nullabor Plain between Adelaide
in South Australia and Perth in Western Australia lives up to its
name. It is a vast 155,000 mile flat desert that drops with frightening
suddenness into the Great Southern Ocean. There are no towns or
permanent habitations on the Nullabor Plain – and definitely no
trees.
Wave
Rock is a stunning formation in Western Australia that looks
like a breaking wave on land. The smooth curve of the rock was believed
to be caused by water erosion. Around 500 million years old, the
wave shape was formed by granite flowing in molten form.
For
more information about travel (airfares, hotels, car rentals, vacations,
cruises, etc) to Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth,
Cairns and Brisbane, please visit http://www.icheapairfares.com/Australia-Airfares.htm
For
more information about travel (airfares, hotels, car rentals, vacations,
cruises, etc) to Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth,
Cairns and Brisbane, please visit http://www.icheapairfares.com/Australia-Airfares.htm
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_S
Send
mail to AUNZTravel
with questions or comments.
6 Tamsin Crt, Regents Park, Queensland, Australia. 4118
Copyright © 2007-2010 AUNZTimes
|
|
