Here's a short video describing the immense Great Barrier Reef in Australia, including fantastic aerial views of the reef and some of the islands, and beautifully-shot underwater clips of the corals, reefs and animal life while scuba diving. Of course, there's the required (and true) warning about the impact that global warming and climate change is having on the reef, notably the bleaching of the corals due to rising water temperature. I've become rather cynical as almost all nature/animal videos now have a requisite dire warning - but if you can get past that, this is a remarkably gorgeous video...

12/05/08 by visitEarth
Tags: Great Barrier Reef, Australia, reef, coral, global warming, climate change, scuba, diving

 

Here's a short but excellent video promoting tourism to Australia, focusing on the very diverse and rather unique wildlife throughout the country. Some of the clips are really interesting and unusual, very tempting indeed - the only strange thing was the scene showing the forcible moving of koalas because there were "too many" of them for tourists. I think that was perhaps taken out of context, as it really doesn't fit well within the rest of the video. Regardless, the land animals (kangaroos and dingos) and the ocean animals (such as the whales and manta rays) of the Great Barrier Reef are a true wonder...

11/24/08 by visitEarth
Tags: Australi, tourism, travel wildlife, animal, animal life, koala, kangaroo, whale, great barrier reef, manta rays

 

Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Courtesy of Forbes Traveler is a new list of top attractions and activities in Australia. From hiking interesting rock formations around Uluru to dining at the Sydney Opera House, this article shows just how much outdoor activities there are to see and do down under. To watch the slideshow, click here.

11/18/08 by visitEarth
Tags: Australi, travel, things to do, top, lists, Uluru, Sydney, Sydney Opera House, outback

 

Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum

Here's a great photo slide show from BBC showing a few of the new and indigenous species off the coast of Australia. The nudibranches are always my favourite, but some of the other photos are quite incredible, such as the comb jellyfish above and new soft coral. To view the slideshow, click here.

09/18/08 by visitEarth
Tags: Australia, Great Barrier Reef, species, discovery, Australian coast, jellyfish, coral

 

Thomas Schoch

Here's a good idea for a trip if you're in Australia, the 3-day Indian Pacific train operated by Great Southern Rail. It starts off in Sydney, then travels through the famous Blue Mountains, through the Outback before ending in Perth. The author focuses on American readers, with prices in US Dollars and comparisons to Amtrak, but still some good reference material. Sounds like an interesting way to travel! To read the article, click here.

07/24/08 by visitEarth
Tags: Syndey, Perth, Australia, Indian Pacific, railway, train, Blue Mountains, Outback