Visiting Australia and want to know about the most famous landmark? Want to learn about the various Australian landmarks and their history? Read our informative and factual guide…
Sydney Opera House: Akin to the Statue of Liberty of New York, this is the most discerning and easily recognizable landmark of Sydney. The structure is very definitive and stands with its sail like arches soaring above the waters of Sydney Bay. The structure was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II and was thrown open to the general public in 1973. The opera house is one of the busiest venues in the world with a record 3,000 performances each year and a 2 million strong audience.
The Sydney Harbor Bridge: Fondly known as the Coat hangar; this is one of the most massive suspension bridges in the world with its highest point reaching a height of 134 meters. The bridge was opened for public use in 1932 and has since then enthralled architecture enthusiasts the world over. It is a bridge that has become synonymous with Australia. The bridge also has a catwalk that leads to the top and from here visitors can enjoy the most unrestricted and breathtaking view of the harbor. Tourists can enjoy the walk up the bridge during the day, at night or during twilight; the panoramic perspective is different and equally stunning each time.
The Great Barrier Reef: There is certainly no dearth of natural wonders across the continent of Australia; however the Great Barrier Reef remains one of the most prolific places of natural beauty. It is a 2,600 km long coral reef system in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland. The reef covers an area of 300,000 square kilometers and is the only living structure visible from outer space. The reef is also home to some of the most unique flora and fauna like the dugong; many species of dolphins and the loggerhead sea turtle. Almost 2 million people visit the area each year.
Ayers Rock or Uluru: This is the world’s largest monolith; the Uluru is a single, massive rock formation used by the local tribes who revered the structure as a spiritual object. The sight of the monolith is simply stunning because the mammoth rock formation stands in stark contrast to the flat desert that surrounds it; much like a massive ice berg rising up from the bed of a cold sea to meet the sky in all its glory. Uluru stands 348 meters tall and is 9.4 kilometers wide with an elliptical shape. The monolith looks different from various angles and different times of the year as the rock appears to change its colors.
Port Arthur Tasmania: This is a wonderful destination for tourists who want to explore Australia’s history; founded as one of the first penal settlements in the country; Port Arthur was originally a timber station for the British Empire but by 1804 the place was bustling with almost 1,100 convicts. More than 60 years later; the convicts had gone away but the structures that were built to incarcerate them still stood their ground. Even though a fire in the late nineteenth century almost gutted these historical buildings, they are still around to the utter delight of tourists who visit Port Arthur to catch a glimpse of Australia’s convict past.
