ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
(see ഀ picture A.1.01)
ഀ People ഀ
wonder why such a huge country has a population of just 20 million people. ഀ
The truth is, Australia can barely ഀ
support that many. About 90 percent of those people live on only 2.6 percent ഀ
of the continent.
ഀ
Climatic and physical land conditions ensure ഀ
that the only decent rainfall occurs along a thin strip of land around Australia's ഀ
coast. It's been even tougher of late: Australia is in the grip of the worst ഀ
drought in a century. The vast majority of Australia is harsh Outback. People ഀ
survive where they can in this great arid land because of one thing: the Great ഀ
Artesian Basin. This saucer-shaped geological formation stretches over much ഀ
of inland New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. ഀ
Beneath it are underground water supplies stored some 66 million to 208 million ഀ
years ago, when the area was much like the Amazon basin is today. Bore holes ഀ
bring water to the surface and allow sheep, cattle, and humans a respite from ഀ
the dryness.
ഀ
Just off the Queensland coast, The Great Barrier Reef stretches some 2,000 ഀ
km (1,240 miles) from off Gladstone, to the Gulf of Papua, near New Guinea. ഀ
It's not more than 8,000 years old, although many fear that rising seawater, ഀ
caused by global warming, will cause its demise. As it is, the nonnative Crown ഀ
of Thorns starfish and a bleaching process believed to be the result of excessive ഀ
nutrients flowing into the sea from Australia's farming land, is causing significant ഀ
damage.
ഀ
The coastline of Australia measures some 25,760 km. It is generally ഀ
regular, with few bays or capes. The largest inlets are the Gulf of Carpentaria ഀ
in the north and the Great Australian Bight in the south. The several fine ഀ
harbours include those of Sydney, Hobart, Port Lincoln, and Albany.
ഀ
ഀ
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest known coral formation in the world. ഀ
It extends some 2,010 km along the eastern coast of Queensland from Cape York ഀ
in the north to Bundaberg in the south. The chain of reefs forms a natural ഀ
breakwater along the coast for vessels of modest size but is sometimes hazardous ഀ
for larger ships.
ഀ
Neighbouring ഀ
countries
ഀ
ഀ
Australia is an island, so it's surrounded by the Indian and ഀ
the Pacific Ocean. The nearest countries are New Zealand, Indonesia and Papua ഀ
New Guinea.
ഀ
Lakes
ഀ
Lake ഀ
Eyre (9.500 km)
ഀ
ഀ
Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately ഀ
15 m below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, the largest ഀ
lake in Australia. It is the focal point of the vast Lake Eyre Basin and is ഀ
found some 700km north of Adelaide.
ഀ
Lake ഀ
Mackay (3.494 km)
ഀ
ഀ
Lake Mackay is one of hundreds of dry lakebeds scattered throughout ഀ
Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The darker areas of the lakebed ഀ
are indicative of some form of desert vegetation or algae, some moisture within ഀ
the soils of the dry lake, and the lowest elevations where pooling of water ഀ
occurs.
ഀ
Lake ഀ
Amadeus (1032 km)
ഀ
Lake Amadeus is a huge salt lake in the ഀ
area of Uluru (Ayers Rock), located in the SW corner of Australia's Northern ഀ
Territory. Due to the aridity of the area, it is usually almost totally dry. ഀ
In times of sufficient rainfall, it is part of an east-flowing drainage system ഀ
that eventually connects to the Finke River.
ഀ
Lake ഀ
Gordon (270 km)
ഀ
ഀ
Lake Gordon is the name of a lake created by the Gordon Dam ഀ
on the upper reaches of the Gordon River in central Tasmania.
ഀ
The lake was created in the early 1970s for hydroelectric power by the Hydro ഀ
Electricity Commission. It was one of the largest and most controversial hydro-electric ഀ
power schemes in Tasmania.
ഀ
Lake ഀ
Torrens (5.745 km)
ഀ
ഀ
Lake Torrens is a 5,700 square kilometer endorheic saline rift ഀ
lake in South Australia. It forms part of the same rift valley that includes ഀ
Spencer Gulf to the south and is approximately 240 km long. It is in the Lake ഀ
Torrens National Park, and a permit is required to visit. Lake Torrens is ഀ
usually a dry salt flat.
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.1.01)
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
The Snowy Mountains are the highest Australian mountain range ഀ
and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, ഀ
which reaches 2228 metres AHD. They are located in southern New South Wales ഀ
and are part of the larger Australian Alps and the Great Dividing Range.
ഀ
Australian ഀ
Alps
ഀ
ഀ
The Australian Alps are the highest mountain ranges of mainland ഀ
Australia. They are located in south-eastern Australia, straddling far southern ഀ
New South Wales and eastern Victoria. The Alps contain the Australian mainland's ഀ
only peaks exceeding 2,000 metres and the only place that snow occurs regularly. ഀ
The Snowy Mountains in New South Wales are part of the Alps.
ഀ
Mount ഀ
Lofty Ranges
ഀ
ഀ
The Mount Lofty Ranges are the range of mountains to the east ഀ
of Adelaide in South Australia, stretching from the southernmost point of ഀ
the Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis northwards for over 300 kilometres before ഀ
petering out north of Peterborough. In the vicinity of Adelaide, they separate ഀ
the Adelaide Plains from the extensive plains that surround the Murray River ഀ
and stretch eastwards to Victoria.
ഀ
Gammon ഀ
Ranges
ഀ
ഀ
The Gammon Ranges are part of the northern Flinders Ranges, ഀ
immediately southwest of and adjacent to Arkaroola Sanctuary. They encompass ഀ
some of the most rugged and spectacular country in South Australia.
ഀ
The central ranges are of a different topographical ഀ
nature to the rest of the Flinders, being composed of roughly flat-lying strata, ഀ
creating a high plateau into which spectacular gorges have been cut, instead ഀ
of the buckled and folded strata further south which lead to the ubiquitous ഀ
cuestas of Wilpena Pound.
(picture A.1.02) ഀ
ഀഀ Hamersley Range (see ഀ picture A.1.02) , ഀ range of mountains in Australia, in the northwestern part of the state of ഀ Western Australia. The range runs 460 km (290 mi) from near the Indian Ocean, ഀ northwest to southeast. The northeastern boundary of the Hamersley Range is ഀ marked by a sheer drop into the valley of the Fortescue River. ഀ
ഀ ഀഀ The range is home to Mount Bruce and Mount Meharry ഀ (Western Australia's highest peak), both of which stand at about 1,300 m (4,100 ഀ ft). Many gorges break the range.
ഀഀ Hamersley National Park, home to red kangaroos ഀ and dingoes, lies within the mountains, as do huge deposits of iron ore. Most ഀ of Australia's iron is produced from the Hamersley Range ഀ (see ഀ picture A.1.03). ഀ
ഀ(picture ഀ ഀ A.1.03) ഀ
ഀഀ Towns such as Newman and Tom Price have sprung ഀ up around iron mines since the 1960s;previously ഀ the range's main settlement had been the town of Wittenoom.
ഀ ഀ
The Willandra Lakes Region is a World Heritage ഀ
Site that covers 2,400 square kilometres in south-western New South Wales.
ഀ
ഀ
The Region has important natural and cultural values including ഀ
exceptional examples of past human civilization including the Worlds oldest ഀ
cremation site. A small section of the Region is protected by the Mungo ഀ
National Park (see ഀ
picture A.1.04 and A.1.05).
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.1.04)
ഀ ഀ
(picture ഀ A.1.05)
ഀ[ ഀ вернуться в начало документа ]
ഀ ഀ
(picture ഀ A.2.01)
ഀ ഀ
In the beginning, there was the Dreamtime ഀ
(see ഀ
picture A.2.01) - ഀ
at least according to the Aborigines of Australia. Between then and now, perhaps, ഀ
the supercontinent referred to as Pangaea split into two huge continents called ഀ
Laurasia and Gondwanaland. Over millions of years, continental drift carried ഀ
the landmasses apart. Gondwanaland divided into South America, Africa, India, ഀ
Australia and New Guinea, and Antarctica. Giant marsupials evolved to roam ഀ
the continent of Australia: Among them were a plant-eating animal that looked ഀ
like a wombat the size of a rhinoceros; a giant squashed-face kangaroo standing ഀ
3m (10 ft.) high; and a flightless bird the same size as an emu, but four ഀ
times heavier. The last of these giant marsupials is thought to have died ഀ
out 40,000 years ago, possibly helped toward extinction by Aborigines.
ഀ
The existence of Australia had been in ഀ
the minds of Europeans since the Greek astronomer Ptolemy drew a map of the ഀ
world in about A.D. 150 showing a large landmass in the south, which he believed ഀ
had to be there to balance out the land in the Northern Hemisphere. He called ഀ
it Terra Australia Incognita - the unknown southland. Evidence suggests that ഀ
Portuguese ships reached Australia as early as1536 and even charted part of ഀ
its coastline. In 1606, William Jansz was sent by the Dutch East India Company ഀ
to open up a new route to the Spice Islands, and to find New Guinea, which ഀ
was supposed to be rich in gold.
ഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.2.02)
ഀഀ William Dampier (see ഀ picture A.2.02) (baptized ഀ 5 September 1651 - died March 1715) was an English buccaneer, sea captain, ഀ author and scientific observer. He was the first Englishman to explore or ഀ map parts of New Holland (Australia) and New Guinea. He was the first person ഀ to circumnavigate the world three times.
ഀഀ
ഀ
Between 1616 and 1640, many more Dutch ships made ഀ
contact with Australia as they hugged the west coast of "New Holland." ഀ
In 1642, the Dutch East India Company, through the governor general of the ഀ
Indies, Anthony Van Diemen, sent Abel Tasman to find and map the southland. ഀ
ഀ
Over two voyages, he charted the northern ഀ
Australian coastline and discovered Tasmania, which he named Van Diemen's ഀ
Land. Captain James Cook turned up in 1770 and charted the east coast in his ഀ
ship H.M.S. Endeavour.
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.2.03)
ഀ ഀ
James Cook (see ഀ
picture A.2.03) National ഀ
Maritime Museum, United Kingdom Nathaniel Dance Captain James Cook (27 October ഀ
1728 - 14 February 1779) was an English explorer, navigator and cartographer. ഀ
Ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy, Cook was the first ഀ
to map Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean during ഀ
which he achieved the first European contact with the eastern coastline of ഀ
Australia and the Hawaiian Islands as well as the first recorded circumnavigation ഀ
of New Zealand.
ഀ
ഀ
He claimed the land for Britain and named it New ഀ
South Wales, probably as a favor to Thomas Pennant, a Welsh patriot and botanist. ഀ
Cook landed at Botany Bay, which he named after the discovery of scores of ഀ
plants hitherto unknown to science. Turning northward, Cook passed an entrance ഀ
to a possible harbor, which appeared to offer safe anchorage, and named it ഀ
Port Jackson after the secretary to the admiralty, George Jackson. Back in ഀ
Britain, King George III viewed Australia as a potential colony and repository ഀ
of Britain's overflowing prison population, which could no longer be transported ഀ
to the United States of America following the War of Independence.
ഀ
The First Fleet left England in May 1787, ഀ
made up of 11 store and transport ships (none of them bigger than the passenger ഀ
ferries that ply modern-day Sydney Harbour) led by Arthur Phillip. Aboard ഀ
were 1,480 people, including 759 convicts. Phillip's flagship, The Supply, ഀ
reached Botany Bay in January 1788, but Phillip decided the soil was poor ഀ
and the surroundings too swampy. On January 26, now celebrated as Australia ഀ
Day, he settled on Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) instead.
ഀ
The convicts were immediately put to work ഀ
clearing land, planting crops, and constructing buildings. The early food ഀ
harvests were failures, and by early 1790, the fledgling colony was facing ഀ
starvation. Phillip decided to give some convicts pardons for good behavior ഀ
and service, and grant small land parcels to those who were industrious. In ഀ
1795, coal was discovered; in 1810, Governor Macquarie began city building ഀ
projects; and, in 1813, the explorers Blaxland, Wentworth, and Lawson forged ഀ
a passage over the Blue Mountains to the fertile plains beyond. When gold ഀ
was discovered in Victoria in 1852, and in Western Australia 12 years later, ഀ
hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Europe, America, and China flooded ഀ
into the country.
ഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.2.04)
ഀഀ The gold discovery ഀ (see ഀ picture A.2.04) in ഀ 1980 years changed fundamentaly the social and economic structures.
ഀ ഀ
By 1860, over a million non-Aboriginal people ഀ
were living in Australia.
ഀ
The last 10,000 convicts were transported ഀ
to Western Australia between1850 and 1868, bringing the total shipped to Australia ഀ
to 168,000. On January 1, 1901, the six states that made up Australia proclaimed ഀ
themselves to be part of one nation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was ഀ
formed. In 1914, Australia joined the mother country in war. In April the ഀ
following year, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) formed a ഀ
beachhead on the peninsula of Gallipoli in Turkey. The Turkish troops had ഀ
been warned, and eight months of fighting ended with 8,587 Australian dead ഀ
and more than 19,000 wounded.
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.2.05)
ഀ ഀ
It was chosen in 1901.
ഀ
In 1954 the flag ഀ
(see ഀ
picture A.2.05) became ഀ
legally recognized as the "Australian National Flag".
ഀ
The flag is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue ഀ
field with the Union Flag in the canton (upper hoist quarter), and a large ഀ
white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist ഀ
quarter. The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation ഀ
(made up of five white stars - one small five-pointed star and four, larger, ഀ
seven-pointed stars.)
ഀ
Australians fought in World War II in North Africa, ഀ
Greece, and the Middle East. In March 1942, Japanese aircraft bombed Broome ഀ
in Western Australia and Darwin in the Northern Territory. In May 1942, Japanese ഀ
midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour and torpedoed a ferry before being ഀ
destroyed. Later that year, Australian volunteers fought an incredibly brave ഀ
retreat through the jungles of Papua New Guinea on the Kokoda Track against ഀ
much larger Japanese forces. Australian troops fought alongside Americans ഀ
in subsequent wars in Korea and Vietnam and sent military support to the Persian ഀ
Gulf conflicts. Following World War II, mass immigration to Australia, primarily ഀ
from Europe, boosted the population. In 1974 the left-of-center Whitlam government ഀ
put an end to the White Australia policy that had largely restricted black ഀ
and Asian immigration since 1901. In 1986, the Australian Constitution was ഀ
separated from that of England. In 1992, the High Court handed down the "Mabo" ഀ
decision that ruled that Aborigines had a right to claim government-owned ഀ
land if they could prove a continued connection with it.
ഀ
The 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney put medal-winning ഀ
Australian athletes
ഀ
Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe in the spotlight, and spurred a new wave of interest ഀ
and tourism in the Land Down Under.
ഀ
Australia is a modern nation coming to terms with its identity. The umbilical ഀ
cord with Mother England has been cut, and the nation is still trying to find ഀ
its position within Asia. One thing Australia realized early on was the importance ഀ
of tourism to its economy. Millions flock here every year. Factor in the landscape, ഀ
the native Australian culture, the sunshine, the animals, and some of the ഀ
world's best cities, and you've got a fascinating, accessible destination ഀ
full of amazing diversity and variety.
ഀ
ഀ
[ ഀ вернуться в начало документа ]
ഀSydney
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
Sydney is one of the largest cities in the world by area, covering ഀ
more than 1,730 sq. km (675 sq. miles) from the sea to the foothills of the ഀ
Blue Mountains. Thankfully, the city center is compact. The jewel in Sydney's ഀ
crown is its harbor, which empties into the South Pacific Ocean through headlands ഀ
known simply as North Head and South Head. On the southern side of the harbor ഀ
are the high-rises of the city center; the Sydney Opera House; a string of ഀ
beaches, including Bondi; and the inner-city suburbs. The Sydney Harbour Bridge ഀ
and a tunnel connect the city center to the high-rises of the North Sydney ഀ
business district and the affluent northern suburbs and beautiful ocean beaches ഀ
beyond. The city's main thoroughfare, George Street, runs up from Circular ഀ
Quay (pronounced key), past Wynyard CityRail station and Town Hall, to Central ഀ
Station. A whole host of streets run parallel to George, including Pitt, Elizabeth, ഀ
and Macquarie streets. Macquarie Street runs up from the Sydney Opera House, ഀ
past the Royal Botanic Gardens and Hyde Park. Martin Place is a pedestrian ഀ
thoroughfare that stretches from Macquarie to George streets. It's about halfway ഀ
between Circular Quay and Town Hall - in the heart of the city center. The ഀ
easy-to-spot Sydney Tower (also known as Centrepoint Tower), facing onto pedestrian-only ഀ
Pitt Street Mall on Pitt Street, is the main city-center landmark. Next to ഀ
Circular Quay and across from the Opera House is The Rocks, a cluster of small ഀ
streets that was once part of a larger slum and is now a tourist attraction. ഀ
ഀ
The Rocks
ഀ
Sydney's historic district is on the Harbour ഀ
Bridge side of Circular Quay hilly and cross-cut with alleyways. Some of Australia's ഀ
oldest pubs are here, as well as fine restaurants, stores, and hotels. Pick ഀ
up a walking map from the visitor center and be sure to get off the main streets ഀ
and see the original houses that survived the bulldozers. The Eora Aboriginal ഀ
people originally inhabited the headland now known as The Rocks for thousands ഀ
of years. In 1788, British convicts and their guards arrived. A jail was built ഀ
where the Four Seasons Hotel now stands, on George Street, and public hangings ഀ
were common. Later it evolved into a vibrant port community, though its history ഀ
is colored with outbreaks of plague, shanghaied sailors, and cut-throat gangs. ഀ
In 1973, bulldozers and protesters clashed with police over plans to tear ഀ
down many of the buildings. These resulted in the Green Bans, which halted ഀ
any further demolition. In 1975 a compromise was reached and the bans were ഀ
lifted, in return for heritage protection and community consultation on future ഀ
projects. Today, there are 96 heritage buildings in The Rocks. The oldest ഀ
is Cadmans Cottage, built in 1815, while the Dawes Point Battery, built in1791, ഀ
is the oldest remaining European structure. On Observatory Hill you'll find ഀ
the three remaining walls of Fort Phillip, built in 1804.
ഀ
Roads meet at Town Hall from Kings Cross ഀ
in one direction and Darling Harbour in the other. From Circular Quay to The ഀ
Rocks it's a five- to ten-minute stroll; to Wynyard
ഀ Sydney is a jewel of a city, set around one of the finest harbors ഀ in the world. This thriving, sunny metropolis is home to some famous architectural ഀ and natural icons - the Sydney Opera House (see ഀ picture A.3.01),
ഀ ഀ
ഀ ഀ ഀ ഀ (picture ഀ A.3.01)
ഀand Bondi ഀ Beach.
ഀഀ Sydney's most famous beach is Bondi. In many ways, it's a raffish ഀ version of a California beach, with plenty of tanned skin and in-line skaters. ഀ Though the beach is nice, it's cut off from the cafe and restaurant strip ഀ that caters to beachgoers by a road that pedestrians have to funnel across ഀ in order to reach the sand. On summer weekend evenings it's popular with souped-up ഀ cars and groups of kids from the suburbs. Only a handful of buildings around ഀ the world are as architecturally and culturally significant as the Sydney ഀ Opera House. And this white-sailed construction caught midbillow over the ഀ waters of Sydney Cove is a working building. It's a full-scale performing ഀ arts complex with five major spaces. The biggest and grandest is the 2,690-seat ഀ Concert Hall, which has the best acoustics of any building of its type in ഀ the world. Come here to experience opera, chamber music, symphonies, dance, ഀ choral performances, and even rock 'n' roll.
ഀ ഀ
The Opera Theatre is (see ഀ
picture A.3.02) smaller, ഀ
seating 1,547, and books operas, ballets, and dance. The Drama Theatre, seating ഀ
544, and the Playhouse, seating 398, specialize in plays and smaller-scale ഀ
performances. The Boardwalk, seating 300, is used for dance and experimental ഀ
music.
ഀ
Danish Architect Jrn Utzon won an international ഀ
competition to design the Opera House. From the start, the project was controversial, ഀ
with many Sydneysiders believing it was a monstrosity. Following a disagreement, ഀ
Utzon returned home without ever seeing his finished project. Initially, the ഀ
project was budgeted at a cool A$7 million (US$5.6 million/?2.8 million), ഀ
but by the time it was finished in 1973 it had cost a staggering A$102 million ഀ
(US$82 million/?41 million). Since then, continual refurbishment and the major ഀ
task of replacing the asbestos-laden grouting between the hundreds of thousands ഀ
of white tiles that make up its shell has cost many millions more. A long-overdue ഀ
reconstruction is being completed, aimed at putting into practice what Jrn ഀ
Utzon has long visualized. The Tourism Services Department at the Sydney Opera ഀ
House can book combination packages, including dinner and a show; a tour, ഀ
dinner, and a show; or a champagne interval performance.
ഀ
Most of Sydney's main attractions are concentrated ഀ
in a relatively compact area. Still, there's so much to do that you could ഀ
easily spend a week into bed at night exhausted, having tried to see everything. ഀ
here and still find yourself crashing In summer head to one of Sydney's beaches ഀ
- with over 20 strung along the city's oceanfront, and dozens more around ഀ
the harbor, you'll be spoiled for choice. The most famous, of course, is Bondi, ഀ
a strip of golden sand legendary for its Speedo-clad Lifesavers and surfboard ഀ
riders.
ഀ
Another favorite is Manly, a 30-minute ഀ
ferry trip from Circular Quay. Pick up some fish and chips and head for the ഀ
main beach, which is flanked by a row of giant pines that chatter with hundreds ഀ
of small, colorful parrots at dusk. The best time to return is in the early ഀ
evening, when the lights of the skyscrapers around Circular Quay streak like ഀ
rainbows across the water of the harbor, and the sails of the Opera House ഀ
and the girders of the Harbour Bridge are lit up - it's magical.
ഀ
Construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge ഀ
started in 1924, and it took1,400 men eight years to complete. Today it rivals ഀ
the Sydney Opera House as the most photographed structure in Australia. The ഀ
bridge, is 1,150m (3,772 ft.) long and spans 503m (1,650 ft.) from the south ഀ
shore to the north. It has pedestrian walkways, two railway lines, and an ഀ
eight-lane road. The 30-minute stroll from one end to the other offers excellent ഀ
harbor views. From the other side, you can take a CityRail train from Milsons ഀ
Point back to the city (to Wynyard - change there for Circular Quay, Town ഀ
Hall, or Central). As you walk across, stop off at the Pylon Lookout. From ഀ
the top of this bridge support, 89m (292 ft.) above the water, you get panoramic ഀ
views of Sydney Harbour, the ferry terminals of Circular Quay, and beyond. ഀ
Reach the pylon by walking to the far end of George Street in The Rocks toward ഀ
the Harbour Bridge. Just past the Mercantile pub, you'll see some stone steps ഀ
that take you onto Cumberland Street. From there, it's a two-minute walk to ഀ
the steps underneath the bridge on your right. Climb four flights of stairs ഀ
to reach the bridge's Western Footway, and then walk along to the first pylon. ഀ
Climbing up inside the pylon involves 200 steps.
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.3.02)
ഀഀ
ഀ Compared to many other major cities, Sydney offers good value. ഀ Food and public transport are cheap, and attractions are generally not prohibitively ഀ expensive. (Senior and student prices are almost always available with ID.) ഀ The price of a hotel room is comparatively cheaper than in other major cities ഀ such as New York and London.
ഀഀ Officially called Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour is the focal ഀ point of Sydney and one of the features that makes this city so special. It's ഀ entered through the Heads, two bush-topped outcrops (you'll see them if you ഀ take a ferry or JetCat to Manly). The harbor laps at some 240km (149 miles) ഀ of shoreline before stretching out into the Parramatta River. Visitors are ഀ awestruck by the harbor's beauty, especially at night, when the sails of the ഀ Opera House and the girders of the Harbour Bridge are lit up. During the day, ഀ it buzzes with green-and-yellow ferries pulling in and out of busy Circular ഀ Quay, sleek tourist craft, fully rigged tall ships, giant container vessels, ഀ and hundreds of white-sailed yachts. The greenery along the harbor's edges ഀ is a surprising feature, thanks to the Sydney Harbour National Park, a haven ഀ for native trees and plants, and a feeding and breeding ground for lorikeets ഀ and other nectar-eating bird life. In the center of the harbor is a series ഀ of islands; the most impressive is the tiny isle supporting Fort Denison, ഀ which once housed convicts and acted as part of the city's defense.
ഀ
ഀ
Royal Botanic Gardens
ഀ
The gardens, next to the Sydney Opera House, ഀ
were laid out in 1816 on the site of a farm that supplied food for the colony. ഀ
They're informal in appearance, with a scattering of duck ponds and open spaces, ഀ
though several areas are dedicated to particular plant species. These include ഀ
the rose garden, the cacti and succulent display, and the central palm and ഀ
rain forest groves (watch out for the thousands of large fruit bats, which ഀ
chatter and argue among the rain forest trees). Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, along ഀ
the coast path, offers superb views of the Bridge. The "chair" is ഀ
a step cut out of sandstone with a huge stone plaque Opera House and the Harbour ഀ
on top. It bears the name of Elizabeth Macquarie (1788-1835), the wife of ഀ
Governor Lachlan Macquarie. (It's a favorite stop for tour buses.) The sandstone ഀ
building dominating the gardens nearest to the Opera House is the Government ഀ
House, once the official residence of the governor of New South Wales.
ഀ
ഀ
Melbourne
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.3.03)
ഀഀ
ഀ
ഀ
Victoria's capital, Melbourne ഀ
(see ഀ
picture A.3.03) (pronounced ഀ
mel-bun) is a cultural melting pot. Melbourne is at the head of the pack in ഀ
Australia when it comes to shopping, restaurants, fashion, music, nightlife, ഀ
and cafe culture. Melbourne was founded in the 1850s, when gold was found ഀ
in the surrounding hills. British settlers prided themselves on coming freely ഀ
to the city, rather than in chains. The city grew wealthy and remained a conservative ഀ
bastion until World War II, when another wave of immigration, from southern ഀ
Europe, made it a more relaxed place.
ഀ
Federation ഀ Square
ഀ
ഀ
When you're "in" Federation Square ഀ
you'll appreciate what a great space it is. This is a place that polarizes ഀ
Melbournians - they either love it or hate it. We're big fans. Visit on the ഀ
weekend and you can see that it really works as a gathering place, with lots ഀ
of events held in the amphitheatre. Restaurants and attractions are clustered ഀ
around the open piazza, which is cobbled with misshapen paving. The architecture ഀ
is made up of geometrical designs, and there's also an impressive glass atrium. ഀ
"Fed Square," as the locals call it, is home to the National Gallery ഀ
of Victoria: The Ian Potter Centre-Australian Art and the Australian Centre ഀ
for the Moving Image (The National Gallery building contains the largest collection ഀ
of Australian art in the country, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ഀ
art. The ACMI has two state-of-the-art cinemas and areas where visitors can ഀ
view movies, videos, and digital media.
ഀ
Melbourne Museum
ഀ
This is Australia's largest museum and ഀ
one of its most interesting. Highlights include a blue whale skeleton, an ഀ
indoor rain forest, and a brilliant insect and butterfly collection. Kids ഀ
love the exhibits, including cockroaches, ant colonies, and spiders, as well ഀ
as the interactive stuff and science displays, the Children's Museum, and ഀ
the mummified remains of Australia's most famous racehorse, Phar Lap. Bunjikata ഀ
is an awardwinning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre. The complex ഀ
also includes an IMAX movie theatre.
ഀ
National Galley of Victoria, International
ഀ
The NGV International is a showcase for ഀ
Australia's finest collections of international art, including works by Gainsborough, ഀ
Constable, Bonnard, Delacroix, Van Dyck, El Greco, Monet, Manet, Magritte, ഀ
and Rembrandt. Architecturally, the building is a masterpiece, with high ceilings, ഀ
fabulous lighting, and great open spaces.
ഀ
Canberra
ഀഀ Canberra (pop. 310,000) offers gentle virtues and comforts: ഀ The roads are wide and well kept, the buildings are modern, and the suburbs ഀ are pleasant and leafy. Canberra is also the seat of government and the home ഀ of thousands of civil servants - it's very much a company town. There are ഀ lots of open spaces, parklands, and monuments, and you'll find more than enough ഀ to keep you busy - from museum-going and gallery-hopping to boating on Lake ഀ Burley Griffin. Canberra was born after the Commonwealth of Australia was ഀ created in1901. Melbourne and Sydney each bid to become the federal capital. ഀ In the end, Australian leaders created a federal district and in 1908, they ഀ chose an undeveloped area between the two cities. Chicago landscape architect ഀ Walter Burley Griffin, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the ഀ city. The place he mapped out was christened "Canberra" (a local ഀ Aboriginal word meaning "meeting place"), and, by 1927, the first ഀ meeting of Parliament took place here.
ഀ
ഀ
Australian War Memorial
ഀ
This monument to Australian troops who ഀ
gave their lives for their country is truly moving. Artifacts and displays ഀ
tell the story of Australia's conflicts abroad. You won't soon forget the ഀ
exhibition on Gallipoli, the World War I battle in which so many Anzac (Australian ഀ
and New Zealand Army Corps) servicemen were slaughtered. The Hall of Memory ഀ
is the focus of the memorial, where the body of the Unknown Soldier lies entombed. ഀ
The memorial also holds one of the largest collections of Australian art in ഀ
the world.
ഀ
Canberra Deep Space Communication ഀ
Complex
ഀ
This information center, which stands beside ഀ
huge tracking dishes, is a must for anyone interested in space. There are ഀ
plenty of models, audiovisual recordings, and displays, including a spacesuit, ഀ
space food, and archival footage of the Apollo moon landings. The complex ഀ
is still active, tracking and recording results from space exploration projects, ഀ
as well as providing a link with NASA spacecraft. There's no public bus service, ഀ
but several tour companies offer programs that include the complex.
ഀ
National Museum of Australia
ഀ
Using state-of-the-art technology and hands-on ഀ
exhibits, the museum concentrates on three main themes: Australian society ഀ
and its history since1788; the interaction of people with the Australian environment; ഀ
and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories. It relies ഀ
more on images and sound than on historical objects to tell the stories of ഀ
Australia. Allow a couple of hours if it grabs you, and 30 minutes if it doesn't.
ഀ
Parliament House
ഀ
Conceived by architect Walter Burley Griffin ഀ
in 1912, but not built until1988, Canberra's focal point was designed to blend ഀ
into its setting at the top of Capital Hill; only a national flag supported ഀ
by a giant flagpole rises above the peak. In good weather, picnickers crowd ഀ
the grass that covers the roof, where the view is spectacular. Inside are ഀ
more than 3,000 works of Australian arts and crafts, and extensive areas of ഀ
the building are open to the public. Just inside the main entrance, look for ഀ
a mosaic by Michael Tjakamarra Nelson, Meeting Place, which represents a gathering ഀ
of Aboriginal tribes. Free 50-minute guided tours run throughout the day.
ഀ ഀ ഀ
Perth ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.3.04)
ഀഀ
ഀ Perth (see ഀ picture A.3.04) (Australia), ഀ city in southwestern Australia, capital of Western Australia, on the Swan ഀ River. It is an important railroad hub and, with nearby communities, forms ഀ the principal commercial, manufacturing, and cultural center of the state. ഀ Major products of the area include metal and metal items, refined petroleum, ഀ processed food, rubber goods, building supplies ഀ (see ഀ picture A.3.05), ഀ and printed materials.
ഀഀ Perth has a moderate climate, with warm to hot summers and cool ഀ winters. King's Park, near downtown Perth, features a large area of natural ഀ Australian vegetation known as bushland. From September to November, during ഀ the Australian spring, the bushland blooms with thousands of species of wildflowers. ഀ Other attractions in Perth are the Art Gallery of Western Australia, containing ഀ a collection of European and Australian art; the Western Australian Museum, ഀ featuring natural science and historical exhibits; and Anglican and Roman ഀ Catholic cathedrals. Institutions of higher education in the Perth metropolitan ഀ area include the University of Western Australia (1911); Murdoch University ഀ (1973); Curtin University of Technology (1987); and Edith Cowan University ഀ (1991).
ഀഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.3.05)
ഀഀ Perth was established in the late 1820s and chartered ഀ as a city in 1856. It is named for Perthshire, Scotland. The discovery in ഀ 1890 of gold around Kalgoorlie in the interior of Western Australia, the construction ഀ of port facilities at nearby Fremantle about 1900, and the completion of a ഀ transcontinental railroad in 1917 aided the growth and prosperity of the city. ഀ Population (1996) 1,096,829.
ഀഀ
Halls ഀ Creek
ഀ(see ഀ picture A.3.06)
ഀഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.3.06)
ഀഀ
Cooktown
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.3.07)
ഀ ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
Cooktown (see ഀ
picture A.3.07), ഀ
town in northeastern Australia, on the coast of the Coral Sea in the state ഀ
of Queensland. Cooktown, which is across from the Great Barrier Reef, is a ഀ
tourist destination. It also serves as a center for the surrounding agricultural ഀ
area. The town has a small airstrip and a port and lies off the Peninsula ഀ
Development Road connecting Cairns with Cape York. Cooktown is home to several ഀ
museums, including the James Cook Museum, which has several historical items ഀ
from the voyages of British explorer Captain James Cook.
ഀ
ഀ Cook beached his ship Endeavour at the site of ഀ Cooktown in 1770 after it had been damaged on the Great Barrier Reef. Cook ഀ and his crew were on peaceful terms with local Aborigines, and British naturalist ഀ Joseph Banks (later Sir Joseph) collected many samples, which he included ഀ in his writings on native plants and animals. In 1873 gold was discovered ഀ in the Palmer River and Cooktown, named for Cook, was founded nearby to serve ഀ the rush. Thirty thousand miners, many of them Chinese, flocked to the town ഀ and nearby Port Douglas. Cooktown declined after the boom. Population (1991) ഀ 1342.
ഀ ഀഀ
[ ഀ вернуться в начало документа ]
ഀ ഀ
Australia's isolation from the rest of the world over millions ഀ
of years has led to the evolution of forms of life found nowhere else. Probably ഀ
the strangest of all is the platypus (see ഀ
picture A.4.01). ഀ
This monotreme (egg-laying marsupial) has webbed feet, a ducklike bill, and ഀ
a tail like a beaver's. It lays eggs, and the young suckle from their mother. ഀ
When a specimen was first brought back to Europe, skeptical scientists insisted ഀ
it was a fake - a concoction of several different animals sewn together.
ഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.01)
ഀഀ Then there's the koala ഀ (see ഀ picture A.4.02). ഀ This fluffy marsupial eats virtually indigestible gum (eucalyptus) leaves ഀ and sleeps about 20 hours a day. There's only one koala species, although ഀ those found in Victoria are much larger than their brethren in more northern ഀ climes.
ഀഀ
ഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.02)
ഀഀ Australia is also famous for kangaroos ഀ (see ഀ picture A.4.03). ഀ There are 45 different kinds of kangaroos and wallabies, ranging from small ഀ rat-size kangaroos to the man-size red kangaroos.
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.03)
ഀഀ
ഀ The animal you're most likely to come across in ഀ your trip is the possum (see ഀ picture A.4.04), ഀ named by Captain James Cook after the North American "opossum," ഀ which he thought they resembled.
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.04)
ഀഀ
ഀ (They actually aren't related at all.) The brush-tailed ഀ possum is commonly found in suburban gardens, including those in Sydney. Then ഀ there's the wombat (see ഀ picture A.4.05).
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.05)
ഀഀ
ഀ There are four species of this bulky burrower ഀ in Australia, but the common wombat is most frequently found. You may come ഀ across the smaller hairy-nosed wombat in South Australia and Western Australia. ഀ The dingo (see ഀ picture A.4.06), ഀ thought by many to be a native of Australia, was, in fact, introduced - probably ഀ by Aborigines or traders from the north. They vary in color from yellow to ഀ a russet red and are despised by farmers.
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.06)
ഀഀ Commonly seen birds include the fairy penguin ഀ (see ഀ picture A.4.07) ഀ
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.07)
ഀഀ
ഀ along the coast, black swans ഀ (see ഀ picture A.4.08),
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.08)
ഀഀ
ഀ parrots (see ഀ picture A.4.09), ഀ
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.09)
ഀഀ
ഀ cockatoos ഀ
ഀഀ
ഀ
ഀ ഀ ഀ (picture A.4.10) ഀ and honeyeaters (see ഀ picture A.4.10).
ഀഀ Tasmanian devils ഀ (see ഀ picture A.4.11) ഀ can be found in - you ഀ guessed it - the island/state of Tasmania, though a virulent disease has decimated ഀ the wild population.
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.11)
ഀഀ
ഀ Snakes are common throughout Australia, but you'll ഀ rarely see one. The most dangerous land snake is the taipan, which hides in ഀ the grasslands in northern Australia. If, by the remotest chance, you're bitten ഀ by a snake, you must immediately immobilize the limb, wrapping it quite tightly ഀ (but not tight enough to restrict the blood flow) with a cloth or bandage, ഀ and head to the nearest hospital for antivenin. There are two types of crocodile ഀ (see ഀ picture A.4.12) ഀ in Australia: the (relatively) ഀ harmless freshwater croc, which grows to 3m (10 ft.), and the dangerous estuarine ഀ (or saltwater) crocodile, which reaches 5 to 7m (16-23 ft.). Freshwater crocs ഀ eat fish; estuarine crocs aren't so picky. Never swim in or stand on the bank ഀ of any river, swamp, or pool in northern Australia unless you know for certain ഀ it's croc-free.
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.12)
ഀഀ
ഀ Spiders are common all over Australia, with the ഀ funnel web spider and the red-back spider being the most aggressive. Funnel ഀ webs live in holes in the ground (they spin their webs around the hole's entrance) ഀ and stand on their back legs when they're about to attack. Red-backs have ഀ a habit of resting under toilet seats and in car trunks, generally outside ഀ the main cities. Caution is a good policy. If you go bushwalking, check your ഀ body carefully. Ticks are common, especially in eastern Australia, and can ഀ cause severe itching and fever. If you find one on you, dab it with methylated ഀ spirits or another noxious chemical. Wait a while and pull it out gently with ഀ tweezers. Fish (see ഀ picture A.4.13) ഀ to avoid are stingrays, ഀ porcupine fish, stonefish, lionfish, and puffer fish.
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.13)
ഀഀ
ഀ Never touch an octopus if it has blue ഀ rings (see ഀ picture A.4.14) ഀ on it, or a cone shell, ഀ and be wary of the painful and sometimes deadly tentacles of the box jellyfish ഀ along the northern Queensland coast in summer. If you happen to brush past ഀ one of these creatures, pour vinegar over the affected site immediately - ഀ local authorities leave bottles of vinegar on the beach for this purpose. ഀ Vinegar deactivates the stingers that haven't already affected you, but doesn't ഀ affect the ones that already have.
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.14)
ഀഀ
ഀ In Sydney, you may come across "stingers" ഀ or "blue bottles" (see ഀ picture A.4.15) ഀ as they're also called. ഀ These long-tentacled blue jellyfish can inflict a nasty sting that can last ഀ for hours. Sometimes you'll see warning signs on patrolled beaches. The best ഀ remedy if you're stung is to wash the affected area with fresh water and have ഀ a hot bath or shower.
ഀഀ
(picture ഀ A.4.15)
ഀഀ
ഀ
ഀ ഀ
[ ഀ вернуться в начало документа ]
ഀഀ
ഀ ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ
ഀ ഀ
[ ഀ вернуться в начало документа ]
ഀഀ ഀ Test
ഀ ഀ
Choose the correct answer:
ഀ
1. Western Australia occupies ______ the ഀ
continent.
ഀ
а) One third
ഀ
б) Half
ഀ
в) Aquarter
ഀ
г) Two thirds
ഀ
2. The capital city is ___________.
ഀ
а) Broome
ഀ
б) Brisbane
ഀ
в) Perth
ഀ
г) Derby
ഀ
3. During the wet season tourists can not ഀ
see the _______ because they are submerged.
ഀ
а) Rocks.
ഀ
б) Caves
ഀ
в) Limestone pinnacles
ഀ
г) Water holes
ഀ
4. America's Cup was the greatest ________ ഀ
competition.
ഀ
а) Football
ഀ
б) Yachting
ഀ
в) Surfing
ഀ
г) Scuba diving
ഀ
5. Wave Rock - a natural rock formation - ഀ
is situated at______.
ഀ
а) Perth
ഀ
б) Geraldton
ഀ
в) Hyden
ഀ
г) Kimberleys
ഀ
6. Hamelin Pool, a strange natural formation ഀ
on the rocks, was built up by means of _______. ഀ
ഀ
а) Corals
ഀ
б) Primitive organisms
ഀ
в) Ancient architects
ഀ
г) Aborigines
ഀ
7. Another name for Banded Anteater is ________. ഀ
ഀ
а) Quokka
ഀ
б) Possum
ഀ
в) Red Kangaroo
ഀ
г ) Numbat
ഀ
8. Russian for "ore" is -_______. ഀ
ഀ
а) ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ⤄ ഀ
в) Руда
ഀ
г) Известняк
ഀ
9. Bauxite is used for production of _______. ഀ
ഀ
а) Oil
ഀ
б) iron
ഀ
в) alumunium
ഀ
г) steel
ഀ
10. What is Wandjina?
ഀ
а) Mythical being
ഀ
б) Marine creature
ഀ
в) Name of rock formation
ഀ
г) Marsupial animal
[ ഀ вернуться в начало документа ]
ഀഀ
ഀ ഀ
Presentation ഀ № 1 "Australian ഀ Wildlife"
ഀPresentation ഀ № 2 "Australia's Barrier Reef"
ഀ ഀഀ
ഀ
[ ഀ вернуться в начало документа ]
ഀഀ
ഀ ഀ ഀ