From convicts to cultured people. famous unesco sites in australia. unesco heritage in australia

Kermadec Petrel
Pitcairn consists of 5 islands of volcanic and coral origin: Henderson, Ducie (Ducey), Sandy, Oeno and Pitcairn. The total area of ​​the islands is 47 km², of which the largest is Henderson (37.3 km²).



Bounty bay - the gate of the island - named, of course, in honor of the rebel ship (the remains of the burned ship - ballast pigs, they say, can still be viewed with scuba diving at a depth of 5 meters near the bay)




The road to the left of the barn goes up to the island's only town/town, Adamstown. This hill climb has one of the coolest place names in the world - Hill Of Difficulty





Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island, volcanic in origin (volcanoes, up to 335 m high, have long since died out), with steep cliffs and a heavily indented coastline. Dimensions: 3×1.5 km; area: 4.6 km². The rest of the islands are uninhabited due to the lack of fresh water, although traces of Polynesian activity have been found on Henderson Island.





The climate of the islands is subtropical maritime. Average monthly temperatures range from +18 °C in August (winter) to +24 °C in February (summer). July and August are the driest months and the best time to visit the islands.



Ducie and Henderson Islands are believed to have been first discovered by a European on January 26, 1606. It was Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandez de Quiros.


He named these islands "La Encarnación" (Incarnation) and "San Juan Bautista" (St. John the Baptist), respectively. However, some researchers express doubts about which islands Quiros visited and named by these names, suggesting that in fact he named Henderson Island with the name "La Encarnación", and "San Juan Bautista" - Pitcairn.

The island was rediscovered in 1767 by Philip Carteret, commander of the British sloop Swallow (Swallow), and named Pitcairn Island after the son of the naval officer who first spotted the land. Due to heavy surf, Carteret made no attempt to land, but he noticed a stream falling from a cliff and rich vegetation on the higher ground.


breadfruit
It all started in 1787, when the British government sent an expedition to Tahiti for breadfruit seedlings. The idea was to bring breadfruit as cheap food for slaves in the Caribbean, where there were many slaves and little cheap food. The British Navy purchased the ship, renamed it the Bounty, put Captain William Bligh in charge and sent it on a mission.

Bly swam through Tierra del Fuego, but there were such storms (in Chile, even my glasses were blown off in the sea), that after a month of torment, he decided to reach the goal from the other side - through what is now called the Southern Ocean. They sailed to Tahiti, but the crew was so tired that the ship stood there for six months. During this time, the crew managed not only to load breadfruit, but also to make friends with local girls. It was hard to swim. But business is business. We swam.

We moved quite a bit, as the captain's assistant - Fletcher Christian - staged a riot. Bloodless, but quite real. They put Captain Bligh with his faithful people in a boat, gave out very little water and provisions with them, and sent them to all four directions. Bligh was doomed.

And Christian himself on the "Bounty" with the remaining people sailed back to Tahiti. The rebels thought dreamily about the girls. They sailed back, found their girls and began to get high again. But Christian understood that sooner or later the punishing sword of British justice would find out everything and it would not be good. So he decided to go somewhere. Seven other crew members went with him. Each took a Polynesian girl. They also took six natives as slaves, for whom they captured three more girls.

Looking ahead, let's say that those who remained in Tahiti were taken after some time to England, where everyone was tried, and some were even executed. And Fletcher went in search of the uninhabited Pitcairn Island marked on the maps. The island was discovered shortly before the above events and named after the sailor who first saw it. But the island was marked on the maps with a mistake of two hundred miles, so they had to swim around until they found it. It was 1790.

Our rebels began to live, live, and make good. Learned how to drive alcohol, so it was fun. The British divided the island among themselves, leaving nothing to their Polynesian friends. Everything valuable was removed from the ship, and the skeleton was burned.

And so it all went, until at one fine moment the wife of one of the English fell off a cliff while collecting bird eggs (according to legend). The man grieved a little, and went to take away the woman from the six Polynesians. Recall that the natives had three women for six. The natives were not at all happy with this arrangement. And they decided to kill the whites. Half soaked (including Fletcher). The remaining half drenched all the Polynesians. As a result of the natural decline from drunkenness and stabbing, a bunch of women remained on the island, even more children born by that time and one single man - John Adams.

Here comes the moment of enlightenment. The Bible came to the rescue. Adams somehow began to read it, imbued it and began to educate women and children. There was goodness and order.

Thirty-five years after these events, a British ship sailed by. With surprise, the captain heard the story of a gray-haired old man surrounded by a village of swarthy people. Adams received a pardon from the Crown.

In 1808, the island was visited by a ship under the command of Captain Folger, according to the report of which “... About six years after they landed here, their servants attacked them and killed all the English, except for the narrator (Alec Smith - approx.), And he was badly wounded. On the same night, the Tahitian widows rebelled and killed all their fellow countrymen ... "



According to other sources, sailors John Adams, William McCoy, Edward Young and Matthew Quintal survived after these events. McCoy and Quintal learned how to make moonshine and made drunken brawls. As a result, in 1799, Adams and Young killed Quintal, who molested their wives and threatened to kill their children, and McCoy drowned himself. In 1800, Young died of asthma, but managed to teach the illiterate Adams to read and write.

John Adams In 1808, there were 8 women, 1 man (John Adams, aka Alec Smith), 25 children on the island, including 24 children of mixed origin and 1 girl - a full-blooded Tahitian. Adams ruled the community until his death in 1829. Women began to give birth very early, both in marriages and out of wedlock, and the population of the island grew rapidly.

In 1831, London decided to resettle the Pitcairns to Tahiti, as a result of which, within 2 months, 12 people died, and 65 islanders returned.

In 1838, the island was officially declared a British colony. It introduced democratic government through elections to the magistrate. All men and women who were born on the island or spent more than 5 years on it could vote. Pitcairn thus became the first territory in the British Empire to introduce women's suffrage.

In 1856, the entire population of the island with an area of ​​​​4.6 square meters. km, which by that time was suffering from overpopulation due to high birth rates, moved to the uninhabited Norfolk Island, but after a while some of the inhabitants returned. There are now far more descendants of the Bounty sailors (about 1,000 people) living on Norfolk than on Pitcairn.


From 1870, the island was ruled for 37 years by James McCoy, who was born on Pitcairn but spent some time in England. He was re-elected 22 times in a row. In 1904, taxation was introduced on the island. With the opening panama canal in 1914 ships regularly visited the island, as Pitcairn was on a direct route from the canal to New Zealand.


The peak population of 233 was reached in 1937, after which the population declined due to emigration to New Zealand.

The only settlement on the island is called Adamstown.
Henderson

Ducy (Ducy)



Murphy's Petrel on a Rock
Oeno
Used some photos from: http://mff.livejournal.com/274516.html , http://www.tema.ru/travel/pitcairn Fraser Island
Fraser Island or Great Sandy Island is a sandy island off the east coast of Australia.

The island has an elongated shape along the coast, the length is about 120 km, the width is from 7 to 23 km. The area of ​​the island is 1840 km². This is the world's largest sand island.

The dunes that make up it were formed about 400 thousand years ago and rise up to 240 meters. There are more than 40 freshwater lakes on the island, the largest of which is Lake Boemingen with an area of ​​200 hectares. The western coast of the island is occupied by mangrove forests and swamps, the eastern, facing the ocean, is a beach about 100 km long of white sand.


The northern part of the island, which has preserved untouched equatorial rainforests, is the Great Sandy National Park. In 1992, Fraser Island was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a unique natural monument.



Prior to the European colonization of Australia, several thousand Aborigines lived on the island. In the Butchulla language, the island was called Kgari (K`gari) - paradise. The modern name is associated with the surname of Captain Fraser and his wife, whose ship "Stirling Castle" was wrecked on the island.
riversleigh

Heard and McDonald Islands

Heard Island and McDonald Islands (abbreviated as HIMI) is a small uninhabited archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean. It consists of two main islands - Heard and McDonald, as well as many small outlying islets, rocks and reefs. All are Australian Outer Territories.
The islands are one of the most remote places on Earth: they are located approximately 4099 km southwest of Perth (Western Australia), 3845 km southwest of Cape Louvin (the extreme southwestern point of Australia), 4200 km to southeast of South Africa, 3830 km southeast of Madagascar, 1630 km north of Antarctica and 450 km southeast of Kerguelen

Heard Island (53°06'S 73°31'E (G) (O)) is the summit of an underwater volcano in the Kerguelen Plateau and is 43 kilometers long and 21 kilometers wide. Mawson Peak - the highest point of the island, the height above sea level is 2745 meters. This is one of two active volcanoes and at the same time the most high point in Australian territory. About 80% of the Heard's surface is covered with snow and ice, which form the character coastline islands. The area of ​​the island is 368 km².

McDonald Island (53°03′ S 72°37′ E (G) (O)) is small and rocky, located 44 kilometers to the west, also volcanic in origin. Its highest point is 230 meters above sea level. The island is limited by steep cliffs and previously consisted of two parts - the northern plateau and the southern steep hill of Maxwell Hill, connected by a narrow isthmus. The area of ​​the island is 2.5 km².

Landscape of Heard Island overlooking Mawson Peak
Of the rest of the islands of the archipelago, the largest is Shag Island, located 10 kilometers north of Heard, and Flat Island (now part of McDonald) and Meyer Rock are somewhat north of McDonald. The territory also includes all territorial waters within 12 nautical miles of the coastline. Together with these islets, the total area of ​​the archipelago is 372 km².

The volcano on McDonald Island, after dormant for 75,000 years, has been active since 1992, with several eruptions since then. Satellite images taken in 2004 showed that due to volcanic activity McDonald Island merged with Flat Island to form one island, roughly doubling its area.
According to NASA satellite data, at the end of October 2012, the eruption of the Mawson Peak volcano began and continues to this day on Heard Island.
There are no ports or harbors on Heard and McDonald, ships have to anchor offshore. The coastline is 101.9 km, there is a 12-mile (22 km) zone of territorial waters, and a 200-mile (370 km) zone is declared by Australia as an exclusive fishing zone

King penguin on Heard Island

The islands, now little affected by human activity, are home to huge populations of penguins, pinnipeds and seabirds.
mammals
The pinnipeds on the Herd were virtually extirpated at the end of the 19th century, after which the number of seals became too small for economic use. Since then, their population has increased and has been protected. Among the pinnipeds that breed on Herd are southern elephant seals, Kerguelen and subtropical fur seals. Leopard seals regularly visit rookeries in winter, but they do not breed in the archipelago. Crab-eaters, Ross and Weddell seals are just occasional visitors
Birds
Heard and McDonald are predator-free and provide favorable habitat and breeding grounds in the middle of the vast Southern Ocean for a variety of birds. The surrounding waters provide food for the birds. The islands have been identified by BirdLife International as an important area for birds, as they contain very a large number of nesting seabirds.

black-browed albatross
Nineteen bird species have been recorded as breeding on Heard and McDonald Islands, although volcanic activity on McDonald over the past decade has likely reduced vegetation cover and reduced bird nesting sites.

Processing of harvested elephant seals at Heard Island - 19th century
Heard Island was discovered by the American captain, sealer John Heard on November 25, 1853, when his ship Oriental was heading from Boston to Melbourne. Shortly after Hurd's discovery, on January 4, 1854, the captain of the Samarang, William MacDonald, discovered the island named after him.

After that, for more than 20 years, the islands were regularly visited by hunting expeditions, a small settlement of hunters arose (up to 200 people). However, by 1880, most of the seal population was destroyed and the hunters left the island. After that, until the expedition of Douglas Mawson in 1929, practically no one showed economic or scientific interest in the archipelago. People landed on MacDonald only twice in history - in 1971 and 1980. No official human landings have been recorded on neighboring Flat Island.

The archipelago belonged to Great Britain since 1910, when the flag of this country was raised on Herd. On December 26, 1947, the islands were transferred to Australian administration and became part of the Australian Antarctic Territory, but after the signing of the Antarctic Convention by Australia in 1961, they formed a separate external territory. There is no permanent population, but the islands are visited by tourists (without landing) and scientific expeditions (to Heard Island).

Heard and McDonald Islands were designated an Australian National Treasure in 1983 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Although the islands are not inhabited, they have been given their own domain.
Macquarie Island


Macquarie is an island in the South Pacific Ocean (about 1.5 thousand km southeast of Tasmania).
The surface area of ​​the oceanic volcanic ridge of the same name is about 128 km², and the height is up to 420 meters above sea level. The island is the southernmost point of Australia.

Not far from Macquarie is a small archipelago - the Bishop and Clark Islands.

Macquarie jumping parakeet


The climate on the island is humid subantarctic with strong winds. Average monthly temperatures range from +3.4 °C to +7.1 °C (annual average is +4.9 °C). Precipitation - 912 mm per year, mainly in the form of drizzle and throughout the year

Macquarie penguin colony on the island

The flora is represented only by herbaceous vegetation, mainly sedges and tussock. Macquarie cabbage (Stilbocarpa polaris, family Araliaceae), endemic to the subantarctic islands, is occasionally found.



spectacled penguin
On the northern tip of the island there are elephant seal rookeries. On the coast there is a colony of penguins - king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), donkey penguin (Spheniscus demersus), gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) and endemic Macquarie penguin. There are whales in the waters around the island. In coastal waters - thickets of large brown algae (Lessonia spp.).



The island is also inhabited by birds. Until 1890, the endemic Macquarie jumping parrot lived on the island, which disappeared after the introduction of cats to the island. Albatrosses are also common.


gentoo penguin
As a result of the influence on human nature, rabbits and cats were settled on the island. If in 2002 cats were declared destroyed, then the population of rabbits is estimated at about 100 thousand individuals.
It is not known for certain when cats hit the 30-kilometer strip of land, previously inhabited only by birds nesting in the rocks and on the ground, penguins and seals. Scientists believe that this happened in 1810-1820, so these cats, in principle, could have sailed from St. Petersburg. However, it is very well known that very soon cats and cats became wild and began to walk on their own, without looking back at the person who brought them here, turning into predators that even the king of nature himself would not want to meet.
Half a century later, or a little more, rabbits appeared on the island.
The time of their arrival is known exactly - 1878, and they were brought there by the same St. John's wort, for whom one of the few islands in these southern latitudes remained a reliable base throughout the 19th century. Unlike cats, whose numbers on the island have stabilized at about a thousand heads, rabbits, sadly for Australians and happily for rabbit breeders, famous for their speed of reproduction, continued to breed without stopping. Their number doubled approximately every 5–6 years, and by the 1960s had reached 100,000.

"Was" and "Was" on Macquarie Island's Finch Creek. The photo from 2001 shows the mighty vegetation on the slopes of the waterfall, which was completely eaten by rabbits by 2007. Tall green plants have been replaced by short grass, less attractive to rabbits. // Kate Kiefer/Australian Antarctic Division

Ecologists sounded the alarm, and their forecasts for the island were very gloomy - the destruction of most plant species within a decade, which was to be followed by a sharp decline the species diversity of birds living here, and then the number of rabbits themselves. Since Macquarie Island is one of the few breeding sites for the king (Patagonian) penguin in this part of the world, such a prospect could not but disturb.
In the fight against rabbits, environmentalists forgot about cats.

And these animals still wanted to eat, and with the fall in the number of eared cats, they switched to birds. The number of birds began to drop rapidly.

In 1995, a program of annual shooting of cats was launched, and by the beginning of the 21st century, the animals were completely exterminated. Then it seemed that this time all previous mistakes were taken into account, and in order to prevent an explosive increase in the number of rabbits, the spread of fleas, which had practically stopped in 1988, resumed.

However, something in the ecologists' calculations was wrong. Whether the rabbits have somehow adapted to myxomatosis, or whether the fleas have become different in 20 years, or whether they should have been brought to the island more often - this remains to be seen. But the disease could not prevent the growth of the rabbit population. From 2000, when the last cat was killed, until 2007, when the data set analyzed by Bergstrom and her colleagues ends, the number of rabbits increased from the same 15,000 where it stopped in 1988, to 70,000 according to the most conservative and 150,000 according to not. the most conservative estimates.

Schlegel penguin (lat. Eudyptes schlegeli) - a species of crested penguins endemic to Macquarie Island

F. F. Bellingshausen
Opened in 1810 by the captain of the schooner Frederick Hasselborough. In 1820, the famous expedition of F. F. Bellingshausen visited the island. The island is named after the famous Governor General of the British colony (at that time) New South Wales Lachlan Macquarie.

Declared a nature reserve in 1978 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

brown algae
December 23, 2004 north of the island There was an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale. Three days later, the famous 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake hit.

Coast of Ningaloo
Territory on the remote west coast of Australia, includes 604 thousand 500 hectares coastal zone and water areas with the longest coastal reef in the world. Its ground part is remarkable for its extensive karst system, a network of underground caves and water tunnels. Rich in underground water pools and channels, it forms a habitat for rare species that create exceptional marine and terrestrial biodiversity.

Every year flocks of whale sharks gather to the coast of Ningaloo, among other local inhabitants there are sea turtles found in abundance. In the terrestrial part of the reserve there are various underground formations - an extensive network of caves, passages and channels. The reserve is home to various rare species that create an exceptionally rich biodiversity of the marine and terrestrial world.



The Ningaloo Coast, in Western Australia, as well as the Ningaloo Reef located here, are the last object in Australia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011.

Ningaloo Reef is located approximately 1200 kilometers north of the city of Perth. The length of the reef is about 260 kilometers, which makes it the largest coral reef in Australia and the only large reef located close to land. The total area of ​​the reef is about 604,500 hectares. In 1987, the reef area was included in marine park Ningaloo.

In the underground water area of ​​the coast there are a large number of underwater caves, as well as underground streams.

The Ningaloo coral reef stretches along the western coast of Australia for 260 kilometers. This is the second largest Australian reef after the Great Barrier, however, Ningaloo is not as widely known as his "big brother".

At the same time, the beauty and diversity of the underwater world on the Ningaloo reef is in no way inferior to the riches of the Great Barrier Reef: 500 species of fish, 300 species of corals, 600 species of mollusks live here. From March to June, the waters around the reef become a "pasture" for whale sharks, and the vulture and green turtles have long chosen the coast of the reef. Dolphins, dugongs, rays and humpback whales also live here.

The lack of publicity of Ningaloo Reef is due to the fact that there is a serious discussion in Australia about whether to develop tourism infrastructure near the reef, because attracting a large number of tourists is potentially dangerous for its unique ecosystem.

But here in 2006, sea creatures were discovered that had not been known to science before. As a result, Ningaloo Reef was nominated for World Heritage status in 2010, and the tourism infrastructure continues to develop little by little, providing everything more people the opportunity to touch the unique world of the most beautiful coral reef on Earth. The best base for exploring Ningaloo is Exmouth.

This presentation is intended for students in grade 7 (author of the textbook Korinskaya and Dushina) and can be used both in geography lessons and in extracurricular activities. Studying the nature of different continents, it turns out that on each continent there are many monuments that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This presentation talks about such UNESCO natural monuments located in Australia as: Great Barrier Reef, Shark Bay, Kakadu National Park, Uluru-Katayuta National Park, Willandra Lake District, Fraser Island, Purnululu National Park. etc. The presentation contains geographic coordinates, a brief description and several views of each natural monument. Due to the large size, the presentation is divided into 5 parts.

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Australia. natural monuments UNESCO. Orlova Olga Vladimirovna teacher of geography of the Public Educational Institution "Sanatorium Boarding School", Kalininsk, Saratov Region

The purpose of the presentation To develop geographical knowledge and culture; Describe the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Australia.

Introduction Studying the nature of different continents, it turns out that on each continent there are many natural monuments that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In total, there are more than 800 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, and their number is growing year by year. This presentation talks about the UNESCO natural monuments located in Australia.

Natural monuments of Australia Great Barrier Reef; Shark Bay - Bay; Kakadu National Park; Uluru National Park - Katahyuta; Willandra Lake District; Fraser Island; Lord Howe Island area; Blue Mountains National Park; Purnululu National Park; Macquarie Island.

The Great Barrier Reef is a natural monument of amazing diversity and beauty off the northeast coast of Australia. Great Barrier Reef Geographical coordinates - 18 ° S, 147 ° E

Here is the world's largest concentration of coral reefs, where there are 400 species of coral, 1500 species of fish and 4000 species of shellfish.

The reef is of great scientific value as a habitat for dugongs (sea cows) and a large green turtle - these animals are on the verge of extinction. Listed by UNESCO: 1981

The Great Barrier Reef National Park stretches for almost 2000 km. along the northeast coast of Australia. The reef has long been a tourist attraction, and is often used as a filming location for popular science films.

Shark Bay - Bay Geographic coordinates - 26 ° S, 114 ° E Shark Bay is located at the very western point Australian continent. Together with the islands and the surrounding area, it has three exceptional natural features.

Natural features: The world's largest thickets of seaweed with an area of ​​4800 km 2; A population of dugongs (sea cows); Stromatolites (colonies of algae that form solid dome-shaped deposits and are considered one of the oldest life forms on Earth).

The bay is also home to five species of endangered marine mammals. Inclusion on the UNESCO list: 1991.

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Australia. UNESCO Natural Monuments. part 2 Orlova Olga Vladimirovna teacher of geography of the public educational institution "Sanatorium boarding school", Kalininsk, Saratov region

Kakadu National Park Geographical coordinates - 13 ° S, 133 ° E This unique archaeological and ethnological reserve is located in the Northern Territory. This place has been inhabited for over 40,000 years. Wall paintings and archaeological finds allow us to reconstruct the lifestyle and skills of the inhabitants of this region, from the hunter-gatherer of prehistoric times to the aborigines living here today.

Kakadu National Park is a unique example of a complex of ecosystems, including intertidal zones, floodplains, lowlands and plateaus, which is home to many rare or endemic species of plants and animals.

Uluru National Park-Katayata Geographical coordinates - 25 ° S, 131 ° E Formerly known as Uluru (Ayres Rock - Mount Olga), this national park is home to an amazing geological formation that rises above the endless sandy plain of Central Australia.

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Australia. UNESCO Natural Monuments. Part 3 Orlova Olga Vladimirovna teacher of geography of the Public Educational Institution "Sanatorium boarding school", Kalininsk, Saratov region

The giant monolith of Uluru and the Katayata massif located to the west of it are considered sacred by one of the oldest human communities in the world - by the local natives of the Anangu tribe. Listed by UNESCO: 1987 Renewal: 1994

Willandra Lake District Geographic coordinates - 34 ° S, 143 ° E This region contains the fossilized remains of a chain of lakes and sand formations dating from the Pleistocene era, as well as archaeological evidence of human habitation, which appeared here 45-60 thousand years ago. A unique source for the study of human evolution on the Australian continent. Well-preserved fossilized remains of giant marsupials have also been found here. Inclusion on the UNESCO list: 1981.

Fraser Island Geographic coordinates - 34 ° S, 143 ° E Fraser Island is located off the East Coast of Australia. It is the largest sandy island in the world with a length of 122 km.

A dense tropical forest grows on the sand, and in the center of the island there are freshwater lakes, separated from the sea by sand dunes. The combination of dunes, tropical forests and freshwater lakes makes this island a unique natural monument. Inclusion on the UNESCO list: 1992.

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Australia. UNESCO Natural Monuments. Part 4 Orlova Olga Vladimirovna teacher of geography of the public educational institution "Sanatorium boarding school", Kalininsk, Saratov region

Lord Island area - Howe Geographical coordinates - 32 ° S, 159 ° E An amazing example of isolated oceanic islands resulting from underwater volcanic activity at a depth of 2000m. The islands have interesting topography and are home to many endemic species, especially birds. Inclusion in the UNESCO list: 1982

Blue Mountains National Park geographic coordinates - 34 ° S, 150 ° E The sandy plateau with a total area of ​​1.03 million hectares is dissected by cliffs and covered with eucalyptus forests.

The monument includes 8 protected areas and gives a visual representation of how the evolutionary development of Australia's eucalyptus trees took place in the period after separation from the ancient mainland Gondwana. There are 91 species of eucalyptus trees in the Blue Mountains. The world of Australian flora is widely represented here, 10% of which are vascular plants, as well as many endangered species, including endemics and relics, such as the rare Wollemi pine, preserved only in inaccessible corners of the reserve. Listed by UNESCO: 2000.

Purnululu National Park geographic coordinates - 17 ° S, 129 ° E Covering an area of ​​239,723 hectares, Purnululu Park includes the heavily dissected Bangle-Bangle Plateau, formed by Devonian sandstone, eroded over 20 million years into a chain of beehive-like towers or cones, the steep slopes of which are composed of horizontal bands of bright orange sandstone, alternating with dark gray bands formed by cyanobacteria.

Unique karst formations on the territory of the park are of great scientific importance - as an example of the interaction of geological, biological, erosional and climatic phenomena. Listed by UNESCO: 2003.

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The island is of great geological importance, as the only place on Earth formed by the rocks of the earth's mantle (located at a depth of 6 km) that have come to the surface. There are unique samples of pillow basalts and other volcanic rocks. Inclusion on the UNESCO list: 1997.

Sources of information Encyclopedia "Heritage of Humanity"; Australia. Nature. DVD encyclopedia; Internet resources.

The Willandra Lake District covers an area of ​​2,400 km2 in southwestern New South Wales, 582 km west of Sydney. There are five large and fourteen small lakes, formed more than two million years ago.


All lakes (5 large and 14 small) are dry, formed more than 2 million years ago, and are covered with solonchak vegetation. The area also features unique lunar semi-desert landscapes. There are eucalyptus sparse forests.
The area is unique in terms of paleontological finds from the Pleistocene period, as well as finds of evidence of human civilization dating back to 45,000-60,000 BC. e. In 1968, the remains of a cremated woman were found in the dunes of Lake Mungo. In 1974, a male burial was found not far from the find. are considered ancient remains human activity on the planet.
Nature in these places, unlike other regions of Australia, is not rich - a semi-desert landscape, many sand dunes, fields with rare shrubs and grass, in some places small islands of woodland with eucalyptus and coniferous (such as white pine and Australian blue cypress) trees. About 20 species of mammals have been recorded in the region, including kangaroos and echidnas, as well as emu ostriches, several varieties of bats and many reptiles.


Mungo National Park, located in the Willandra Lake District and named after a large ancient lake Mungo is world famous for its paleontological discoveries, proving the habitability of this region about 60 thousand years ago. In the vicinity of Lake Mungo in 1968 and 1974, archaeologists discovered the remains of cremated ancient people - this is a unique, oldest cremation in the world.

In total, there are 19 lakes in the Willandra Lake District, and the fact that they were all formed more than 2 million years ago makes them unique! In the photo you can distinguish the largest of the Willandra lakes: 1 - Mulurulu, 2 - Willandra, 3 - Garnpung, 4 - Lehur, 5 - Mungo, 6 - Arumpo, 7 - Chibnalwood


In addition to the ancient dry lakes, Willandra can "boast" of interesting semi-desert landscapes, somewhat reminiscent of the moon, among which small eucalyptus groves are occasionally found.

The territory of the lake district turned out to be a treasure trove of traces of human life, dated back to 45-60 millennia BC, and the human remains found here in 1968 and 1974 are the oldest burial places of our ancestors today!


Wildlife of Western Tasmania


In a once brutally glaciated region, steep gorge parks and reserves cover over 1 million hectares, making Western Tasmania's forests one of the last in the world to be located in a temperate climate. The remains that are found in limestone caves indicate that people appeared here more than 20 thousand years ago.

Opened in 1642 Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, the island of Tasmania, located at southeast coast Australia. It is cut off from the mainland by the Bass Strait, the Indian Ocean on its western side, and the Tasman Sea on the eastern side.

The nature of Tasmania impresses with its pristine fairy-tale beauty, magnificence and originality of landscapes - these are mountain peaks and centuries-old, in some places impenetrable tropical forests, quiet green valleys and fast rivers with crystal clear water and icy waterfalls, picturesque gorges and volcanoes, colorful meadows with marvelous flowers and a mirror expanse of lakes, sea shores with a great number of narrow bays and snow-white beaches. Surprisingly, the nature of Tasmania still keeps vast expanses where no human foot has yet set foot.

Orange-bellied parrot, southwestern Tasmania. There are about 150 of them left in the wild. A huge number of plants, eucalyptus forests, tree ferns - the wildlife of western Tasmania is in many ways very similar to that of Australia. The local mild humid climate has both evergreen and deciduous trees.


Many of them reach incredible sizes. The spherical eucalyptus, for example, can be up to one hundred and twenty meters in height. There are also southern beeches and Franklin pines with very valuable red wood, spinous arotaxis (some representatives of the species have lived for more than two centuries), cypress anthrotaxis, rare species of mosses, lichens.

The wildlife of western Tasmania abounds with exotic animals. This paradise is home to the Tasmanian devil, red wallaby, Tasmanian bettong, marsupial wolf, dingo, platypus, koala, kangaroo, echidna, opossum, and about 150 species of birds.


Of great interest is the cultural heritage of this region, which was the southernmost human habitat on our planet. There are more than 40 sacred places local aborigines, which are still of exceptional importance for the modern aboriginal population. Archaeological finds from this region have made invaluable art collections.
It is known, however, that modern cultural history Tasmania is full of drama and even tragic. During the colonization of the island by Europeans local population The islands were almost completely destroyed. According to the 1961 census, there was one (!) Aborigine in Tasmania. Now there are officially many more of them, but does this mean that the connection of times has been restored? The noted specificity of the region can be traced in its toponymy.

Here are the names of the rivers of the World Heritage region: Gordon, Franklin, Andrew, Denison, Maxwell, etc. and so on. Needless to say, historically, quite recently, all these rivers had completely different names, reflecting, as elsewhere in the world, their characteristic features in the languages ​​of those people who lived on their banks. Fortunately, many mainland areas of Australia still retained their natural toponymy, which is also part of the heritage - natural and cultural.

Tasmania is a World Wildlife Heritage Site covering 1.38 million hectares. It is a stronghold of rainforest, alpine nature and untouched habitats for animals (rare and endangered) and plants.

The island of Tasmania is interesting for its extraordinary nature - this is the only place in the region where a temperate climate type prevails, in the Southern Hemisphere this is found only in the south of Chile and Argentina. Tasmania is the smallest state of Australia.


Almost the entire territory of the island is big nature reserve. Almost a quarter of its territory has not yet experienced human influence. Impenetrable forests and jungles, mysterious and strange forest animals, a huge number of rare bird species, a large number of fish in mountain lakes and rivers have been preserved here. One of the legendary inhabitants of the forests of Tasmania is the Tasmanian devil, however, in recent years, the number of this unusual wild animal has declined significantly.


The nature of Tasmania is exceptional and has no analogues in the world. Heart of Tasmanian Wildlife - National Park Wild Rivers Franklin Gordon. Here you can see amazing mountain peaks, tropical forests, deep river valleys, picturesque gorges. And among all this splendor, protected rivers meander.


You can not ignore the National Park-Mountain Cradle-Lake St. Clair. This national park is one of famous monuments nature, it is included in the lists of monuments of the cultural heritage of mankind.


Local lakes - popular place trout fishing and bushwalking, and in local restaurants you can taste real Tasmanian cuisine and taste wonderful Tasmanian wine. From jagged peaks, icy rivers cascade down and flow into transparent lakes. It offers stunning views of centuries-old rainforests and alpine moorlands.
. rain forests east coast
The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the east coast of the Australian mainland, on the border between the states of Queensland and New South Wales.





Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1986 (expanded in 1994) under the name Australian East Coast Temperate and Subtropical Rainforest Parks. Then it included 16 rainforest sites in New South Wales (an area of ​​about 203,500 hectares). In 1994, the property was expanded to include 40 more properties, most of which were located within the state of Queensland. Between 1994 and 2007 it was called the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves.






Currently, about 50 separate reserves are located on its territory, located between the Australian cities of Newcastle and Brisbane. All of them stretch for 500 km along the Great Dividing Range in eastern New South Wales and southern Queensland, and the site itself is a cluster of numerous patches of rainforest, which are surrounded by eucalyptus forests and agricultural land. The rainforests of the east coast of Australia are the most extensive subtropical rainforests in the world. The total area of ​​the facility is about 370 thousand hectares.




From a scientific point of view, they are important, as they represent a huge accumulation of the ancient vegetation of Australia, formed at a time when the modern mainland was still part of the Gondwana supercontinent. The relief of the area on which the forests are located is diverse. It includes numerous gorges, prehistoric volcanoes, waterfalls, rivers.




The world of flora and fauna is extremely rich: about half of all Australian plant families and about a third of Australian mammal and bird species are recorded in forests (despite the fact that forests occupy only 0.3% of the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe Australian mainland).
Wet tropics Queensland

The Wet Tropics of Queensland is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the northeast coast of the Australian mainland, in the state of Queensland. The object represents a wilderness area covered with tropical rainforests and characterized by a wide variety of topography (rivers, gorges, waterfalls, mountains). Located in the valley of the Daintree River, covering an area of ​​8940 km². Included in the World Heritage List in 1988.




Great Dividing Range
There are three main geographic regions within the site: the Great Dividing Range Plateau, the Great Cliffs region to the east, and the coastal plains. The plateau has a highly eroded topography, resulting from both erosion and past volcanic activity.

Separate lava cones and crater lakes. The Great Cliffs region is a highly rugged terrain that has undergone catastrophic erosion. There are numerous gorges and waterfalls. The northern part of the World Heritage Site contains extensive areas of coral reefs.

Coral reefs
The climate varies from humid to very humid. There are two seasons per year: a relatively dry winter and a rainy summer. The average annual rainfall ranges from 4000 mm near the coast to 1200 mm in the western part. Medium Maximum temperature in summer off the coast is 31 °C, in the winter months - 5 °C lower. On the plateau and in the area of ​​the cliffs, the temperature in summer ranges from 28 to 17 °C, in winter - from 22 to 9 °C.

The world of flora and fauna is extremely rich: about 380 plant species and 102 animal species are registered in the forests, which are endangered or considered rare. Forests are home to 30% of all recorded marsupial species in Australia, 58% of bat species, 29% of frogs, 20% of reptiles, 58% of butterflies and 40% of bird species. From a scientific point of view, local rainforests are important, as are a huge accumulation of ancient vegetation of Australia, formed at a time when the modern mainland was still part of the Gondwana supercontinent. There are extensive mangrove forests with an area of ​​about 136 km².

The local forests are the traditional home of the Australian Aborigines, who settled the region more than 50,000 years ago.
Shark Bay, Western Australia


Shot from space
Shark Bay is a bay in the northwestern part of the Australian state of Western Australia, located about 650 km north of the city of Perth.





On old English and Dutch maps it was called "Shark Bay". The bay is a bay medium depth 10 meters, which is cut by two peninsulas protruding into the Indian Ocean. Today, Shark Bay attracts about 120,000 tourists annually. In 1991 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.




In 1629, the Dutch traveler Francois Pelsart described the coast of the bay as a lifeless and desolate place. Its first name is Shark Bay, the bay received at the end of the 17th century, when an English ship under the command of Captain William Dampier reached the shores Western Australia and stopped in the bay.






Around this time, Dampier mapped the outline of the coast of the bay. According to one version, Shark Bay got its name due to the fact that the sailors of the ship under the command of Dampier caught a giant shark, which was used as food for the starving crew. According to another, the most common version, the bay got its name because more than ten species of sharks live in its waters, including the tiger shark.


Stromatolites in Hamelin Pool


In 1991, the bay was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a unique ecosystem. The basis of the ecosystem is algae, covering more than 4000 km² of the bottom of the bay. Plankton, consisting of shrimps and small fish, finds shelter in them. Algae is also the main food for dugongs, of which there are about 10,000 here.


Shark Bay is one of the largest dugong habitats in the world. Bottlenose dolphins are found in the bay, attracting biologists from all over the world to the bay. In the southernmost part of the bay is a shallow bay called Hamelin Pool, the world's largest formation of stromatolites that are almost 3 billion years old.
Fossils of Australian mammals (Riversleigh and Narakort)

Having global importance The most important fossil sites in Australia are Riversleigh (in the northeast of the mainland) and Narakort (in the southeast). In Riversleigh, Queensland, the fossilized bones are very well preserved, thanks to the ideal environment (the limestone plain is rich in surface water), which, unfortunately, is not so favorable for plant remains.

Paleontologists have discovered animal fossils that date back to the Cenozoic era (65 million years). These are fossils of bison, frogs, kangaroos. In 2001, the remains of a marsupial lion, a distant relative of koalas, were found here.

Scientists have found that in the Miocene, in the forests of Riversleigh, herbivorous marsupial mammals lived - wallaby kangaroos and rat kangaroos, huge diprotodonts and “strange-toothed” yalcaparidonts. And the last representative of the carnivorous striped marsupial wolf (thylacine, "marsupial tiger", "Tasmanian wolf") died relatively recently - in 1933, in captivity.

Of the discovered fossil birds, the “thunder birds” are remarkable, resembling ostriches in appearance and being the ancestors of modern flightless species.

Means "entrance to the lakes" - in this place, an extensive network of rivers and lakes flows into the ocean, creating ideal conditions for fishing.

Indeed, there were quite a few fishing trawlers on the pier at Lakes Entrance, which immediately sold fresh fish and shrimp. Almost all vacationers in this place in Victoria could see a boat, many hotels have corners with tables for cutting fish.

Well, where there are fish, there are pelicans.

And the fishermen...

In general, apart from fish and a couple of beaches, there is nothing special to see in Lakes Entrance, except for the private maritime museum Griffiths Sea Shell Museum, where you could find just tons of different types of shells, alcoholized and dried fish and other marine reptiles.

Not far from Lakes Entrance are the Buchan Caves.

Well, after visiting the caves, it was nice to skip a mug of local beer at the Bullant Brewery.

We were already in Canberra in 2008, stopping by for a couple of days on our way to Sydney. Then we saw that there are many places in the city that can be visited in a few days.

Before leaving Canberra we visited the Australian Parliament building. There were several police officers at the entrance, who let visitors through the frame, like in airports. After walking through the halls and offices, visiting the green roof, we drove on...

The Economist Intelligence Unit consulting group has published its best cities world and for the second year in a row it was led by Melbourne.

The top ten cities look like this:

great ocean road

Last December we took a ride on the Great Ocean Road and just yesterday added everything from that trip.

You can drive the whole road in one day, if you leave early in the morning, stop not everywhere, but return directly along the highway. In order not to rush into sightseeing, we stopped for a couple of nights right in the middle of the road, in the town of Port Campbell (Summer's Rest Units).

On the first day it was cloudy, so we had to put on jackets, but on the second day the sun came out and it became much more fun.

A few places we visited:

Despite s18(1) of the Spam Act 2003 (Cth), I agree and acknowledge that any message Vodafone sends me will not contain an unsubscribe facility. I understand that I can, at any time, opt out of receiving marketing material by contacting Vodafone Customer Care.

In general, Australian laws may not be followed, the main thing is to report this in small print.

She received the surname "Macpherson" from her stepfather, Neil MacPherson.

Thanks to her ideal body proportions (90-61-89), at the age of 18, El signed the first contract with the famous Click Model Management modeling agency.

In 1985, El decides to marry the photographer and creative director of Elle magazine Gilles Bensimon, who was 20 years older than McPherson. Through her marriage, El appeared in every issue of Elle magazine for six years.

Elle was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1986. By that time, she had already been on the covers of magazines such as Cosmopolitan, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Playboy. El also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times during her career.

In 1989, McPherson and Bensimon divorced, and along with her husband, Elle lost her largest employer, Elle magazine. This period in the girl's career and life is not easy, but Elle pulls herself together and decides to move on.

Elle MacPherson in the movie "On the Edge"

In 1990, the first film with the participation of a famous model, Alice, directed by Woody Allen, was released. Then she plays in several films: "Sirens" (with Hugh Grant), "Batman and Robin" (with George Clooney), "On the Edge" (with Anthony Hopkins) and others.

Also in 1990, MacPherson launched her Elle Macpherson Intimates underwear line, which is sold exclusively in Australia.

In 1995, together with supermodel friends, El opened the Fashion Café restaurant chain, which did not become profitable and was closed in 1998.

In 1999, Elle MacPherson starred in five episodes of the hit series Friends.

Elle was engaged to French financier Arpad Busson in 2003, with whom she had two sons, Flynn in 1998 and Cy in 2003.

In 2005, the couple broke up, and today Elle lives in London with her children.

Smile!

I'm reading today in the local newspaper about what to do when traveling, and I see this advice:

smile. always smile.

It "ll get you places you wouldn't believe. From persuading Parisian waiters to speak English to figuring out where the hell you"re supposed to be sitting on that train, a little smile and a good attitude will get you help in no time. NB: There"s an exception to this rule – it "s called Russia. (They" ll think you "re mad.)

In translation:

Smile! Always smile.

It will open up so many new opportunities for you that you never dreamed of. For example, a waiter from Paris will suddenly speak English, or you will finally find that fucking seat on the train - just smile a little and act accordingly.

One exception to this rule is Russia. They will think you are crazy.

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Australia is a unique country. For the most part representing an uninhabitable desert, it has managed to become one of the most developed countries in the world. What is there just not here: both magnificent buildings, and tasty food, rare animals and sea treasures. In other words, Australia is a real fairy tale. It is not without reason that in the colloquial speech of Australians the word Oz is used to designate the country. Do you remember Frank Baum's famous fairy tale "The Wizard of Oz"? That's it! Today we turn to the natural component of this wonderful country, namely, we will tell you about 7 main natural wonders Australia.

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef It is the world's largest coral reef system and Australia's most famous natural attraction. Its length is more than 2500 kilometers, and its width reaches 2 kilometers. Thus, the total area of ​​the reef is 348,698 km².

Once upon a time, James Cook, quite by accident, discovered the Great Barrier Reef. His ship Endeavor ran into one of the reefs and while it was being repaired, Cook studied his new discovery.

This place is amazing in that a unique ecosystem has been created here, including more than 400 species of corals, 4,000 species of mollusks and 1,500 species of fish.

Despite the fact that the Great Barrier Reef was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, every year its nature is destroyed. Some die from cyclones, some are eaten starfish, and some die off due to an increase in temperature and acidity of the water.

The Australian government is constantly coming up with new ways to deal with these problems, but so far no unique solution has been found.

See Great Barrier Reef

Fraser Island

Fraser Island is located near the east coast of the country and is considered the largest sandy island in the world. The area of ​​the island is about 1,630 km². Before the colonization of Australia, several thousand Aborigines lived on the island. And in translation from the local language, the island was called “Paradise”, which is not at all surprising, given the beauty that can be seen here.

The modern name is associated with the name of Captain Fraser, whose ship was wrecked off the coast of the island. Fraser began its formation many centuries ago as a result of the erosion of the mountains of the northern part of New South Wales. Following the erosion, dunes began to appear, many of them now 240 meters high.

The main treasures of the island are the lakes. Over 40 fresh lakes spread throughout Fraser. This includes Lake Boemingen, as well as the famous Lake Mackenzie, which is known for its bright blue color.

Traveling around the island, you can ride along the sandy Cathedral Rocks, walk along the 75-mile beach, go to the rainforest, see many turtles near Lake Allom, watch whales from Indian Head, go in search of kangaroos or opossums.

In other words, you will definitely not be bored on Fraser. In 1992, the island was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Relax on Fraser Island

Twelve Apostles

Twelve Apostles- another unique natural treasure of Australia, which is a group of limestone cliffs near the coast in national park Port Campbell. These rocks were formed as a result of thousands of years of ocean work.

To our time, only 8 of the 12 original Apostles have survived. 9 The Apostle collapsed in 2005, unable to withstand the pressure of the ocean. At first, the place was called "Pig and Pigs", which in the 1950s was changed to "The Twelve Apostles" in order to attract more tourists.

In the early 2000s on this route was built tourist centre. Among tourists are popular long hiking around the rocks and overflight of the rock group by helicopter.

Pay attention to the path that runs along the cliff, it leads to the main observation deck and Mount Castle Rock, which offers a wonderful view of the coast from a height of 200 meters.

See 12 Apostles

Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park is a pearl in the north of Australia, which is spread over an area of ​​19,804 km² and is a real treasure of all mankind. More than 1,700 plant species, 280 bird species, 117 reptile species, 77 freshwater fish species, 1,000 insect species and 60 mammal species have been recorded in the park.

Don't pass by famous waterfalls- Jim-Jim and Twin. On the territory of the park you can meet crocodiles with barramundi, semi-fingered geese, Australian cranes, yakans and even white-bellied eagles.

Kakadu is home to one-fourth of all fish species that inhabit fresh water Australia, and more than a third of Australian bird species.

In addition to the magnificent natural world, in the park you can also see ethnographic treasures, in particular, rock paintings, which are about 20 thousand years old. They are interesting in that they depict bodies in detail and internal organs people and animals. About 500 natives still live here, to whom you can go on a private visit.

It can be said that Kakadu park is a unique archaeological, natural and ethnological area that deserves close attention. Here you can admire the beauty of Australia's wildlife and get unique chance touch the imprints of the creativity of the ancient Australian inhabitants, who appeared here 50,000 years ago.

visit Kakadu National Park

Uluru rock

Uluru, or Ayers Rock located in the heart of the Australian continent. This is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also one of the main natural attractions of Australia, which is visited by more than 500 thousand people every year.

Uluru- This is a huge block, which consists of red sandstone, capable of changing its color depending on the time of day. At dawn, when the sun is just emerging from the horizon, the Aires rock takes on a delicate purple hue, when the sun is at its zenith, Uluru “dresses” in purple, and closer to sunset, the outfit of the rock looks more like gold. Some consider the rock to be a monolith, others believe that underground Uluru connects with Mount Olga, but they cannot fully argue this.

According to the natives, Uluru is the place where the souls of dead tribes rest. There is even a belief: whoever takes even the smallest part of Uluru will be damned. Among tourists, this belief is very widespread. There are stories when people, having taken a piece from a rock, began to get sick or all sorts of misfortunes happened to them.

In 1985, the Australian government leased Uluru to the local Anangu tribe for 99 years, which is why Australian aborigines are the official owners of these places. Aborigines do not prevent the flow of tourists to Urul, since for the tribe it is good opportunity earn.

The entrance ticket, valid for three days, costs 25 Australian dollars and 20% of the cost of each ticket goes to the tribe. The only thing that the natives are asking for a ban is climbing to the very top of Uluru. Firstly, it is unsafe, and, secondly, it is insulting to the tribe.

Watch the sunset at Uluru

Desert Pinnacles

Pinnacles Desert (or Pinnacle Desert) is located in the western part of Australia, near the city of Perth and 6 km from the Indian Ocean. The desert got its name due to the fact that hundreds of low, pointed limestone formations called “pinnacles” are scattered throughout its area.

The desert is at its most beautiful at dawn or dusk, when the limestone cliffs cast strange long shadows over the golden dunes that surround them.

Scientists believe that once there was an ocean in this place, and after the drying of this part of the continent, such limestone deposits appeared, which, under the influence of water and wind, turned into such original figures.

Walk through the Pinnacles Desert

Stone Wave

Stone Wave (or Wavy Rock)- this miracle of nature is also located in the western part of Australia, not far from the city of Perth. Its age is estimated at more than 3 billion years, and this natural object got its name due to its shape - it seems that a large ocean wave decided to show all its power on land.

Its height is 14 meters and its length is 110 meters. According to scientists, only water could create such a masterpiece, which, year after year, century after century, washed away soft rocks granite and formed this unusual bend.

More than 150 thousand tourists come here every year, which is not surprising, because Stone Wave is not only unique, but also beautiful.

See Stone Wave