Australia Is Far More Interesting Than You Think

Australia is a unique land in many ways. Well for starters, it’s a country and a continent rolled into one (at least, for most part of the continent); it’s home to some of the most interesting creatures which sometimes outnumber the people; and apart from its stunning attractions it also has his awesomely hot land (bakingly hot, I should say) which makes Australia the driest continent in the whole world!

So read my blog entry for today as I’m going to share some of the interesting facts and figures that you can only find in Australia apart from its usual travel attractions. Enjoy!

Photo: health.sunnybrook.ca

The Outback – This region of Australia is surprisingly hot! So hot that 70% of the total land mass receive only less than 500mm of year annually! Even so, this doesn’t stop tourist from coming in as some of the world’s oldest rock features like the Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Wave Rock are found here.

Kangaroos Outnumber People 2:1 – Pretty outrageous statistic don’t you think, but it’s true! The country’s national animal is so widely-populated that they actually double the number of Australia’s human population. And one of the main reasons for this is that “roos” (as locals call them) are so highly regarded that killing them would be tantamount to imprisonment just as camels are also protected by laws in middle eastern countries (though there are also reports of strategic culling for the better good). Nonetheless, this one of a kind attraction has surely enticed more tourists from coming in!

The “Land Down Under” actually export camels to KSA (Saudi Arabia) – And since I mentioned camels, did you know that Australia also export camels to the Middle East? Yes! Apparently, some ranches in the country are raising only camels instead of livestock for this sole purpose. And there’s so much of them in the wild that six thousand camels went to the town of Docker River for water!

And almost 75% of its species are still left to be discovered – If you think that Australia is home to kangaroos, koalas, emus, poisonous snakes and spiders then think again. Scientists think that only 25% of its species are actually classified and there are still three fourths of its zoology still left to be discovered (with the possibility that most will be endemic only to Australia).

Photo: inhabitat.com

There is a lake that runs ‘red’ – And you think that India (Kerala) is the only country with red waters… The Lake Hillier in Western Australia is known for its pinkish water. But unlike similar waters where the red pigment is often produced solely by microorganisms, the color of the lake is caused by the living organisms reacted to the salinity of the water. Even so, it is perfectly safe to swim in. That’s why it is also considered as one of the popular tourist destinations of the country.

More beaches to visit in half a lifetime – And while the country/continent is known for its arid regions, Australia is also home to 10,000 beaches. That is an equivalent of going to a new beach every day for the next thirty years!

To sum up, there is actually more to Australia than the Ayers Rock or the Sydney Opera House… a lot more interesting finds. And you can only find out more about this once you set foot into this amazing land.

Ayers Rock, camels, emus, kangaroos, koalas, Lake Hillier, Land Down Under, Outback, poisonous snakes, spiders, Sydney Opera House, Uluru, Wave Rock