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UNESCO Australia - Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

Kakadu National Park is the most diverse region in all of northern Australia, in both landscape and varieties of life, and is of primary importance for those studying both archaeology and ethnography. Many sites within the park attest to more than 40,000 years of habitation by the Aboriginal hunter-gather societies that are still present and living within the park area today. In fact, Kakadu has the distinction of being the earliest known area of habitation on the entire Australian continent. This park was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1981.

It’s hard to find a place on Earth that has a more breathtaking landscape than Kakadu. It ranges from the hills, basins and plateaus of the inland to the marshes, floodplains and tidal flats of the coastline. Two islands off the coast are also encompassed within the park boundaries. The coastline itself is composed of a sandy beaches and rocky coves.

This variety of landscape features has given rise to a wide assortment of flora and fauna over the years. Where the inland, coastal and marine regions meet creates unique habitats. Forty-six known rare species of plants are found in the park, nine of which are found only there. In fact, much of the life in Kakadu can be found nowhere else. There are also several relic species, survived from a time long ago in a relatively unchanged fashion.

Kakadu is an extremely important area for mass waterbird migration. More than 2.5 million birds come through the park every year. In addition, there is an unusually high number of insect species and an assortment of different fish in the park.

Archaeologically, some of the oldest cave paintings in the world can be found in Kakadu. These painting date from a time more than 20,000 years ago and continue all the way up to the present day, the tradition being continued by approximately 300 Aborigines who still live there. Other artifacts consist of rock carvings and some of the oldest stone tools in the world.

Luckily, Kakadu has seen very little interference and preservation of the area is excellent. This region was virtually untouched during the period of European colonization of Australia, so most of what remains today is as it has been for thousands of years. There are few places on the earth which are as awe-inspiring and culturally rich as Kakadu.

UNESCO Australia - Sydney Opera House, New South Wales

The Sydney Opera House is a unique and marvelous building that is considered by many to be one of the greatest architectural achievements of the modern age. Set at the end of a peninsula in Sydney Harbor, this structure was officially inaugurated in 1973, after a more than 16-year building process. Even though the opera house is relatively new, is has already presented a strong influence on modern architectural design. The Sydney Opera House was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2007.

This structure of vaulted shells and glass walls was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon. The government of Australia took a chance on his design, seeing nothing more than his initial sketches. Utzon was also relatively inexperienced when it came to such things and the concepts he was presenting were structurally challenging to say the least.

By assembling an expert team of builders, architects and engineers, Utzon managed to craft something that had never before been seen. It was an experiment in design that could have ended up being one of the biggest disasters in architectural history. Instead, it has become a masterpiece of art.

Through the use of engineering innovations and the most advanced building technologies of the time, the Sydney Opera House was erected. Since then, this building has become an iconic image that many people recognize through sight what they have never heard of in name. The

Opera House is more than just a wondrous monument, however, and it still performs the functions of its original purpose.

There have been many improvements, additions and renovations to the opera house over the years, but the main design has been well-preserved. The balance between usage and maintenance as been strictly held to in order to keep the structure’s authenticity. This national treasure has been adopted by the governments of both New South Wales and Australia proper as a project to be protected so that visitors from all over the world can come and see it as the marvel it was intended to be.

UNESCO Australia – Shark Bay, Western Australia

Shark Bay, in Western Australia, consists of the large body of water that is that bay, the islands which encircle it and the inland shore. The bay covers more than 8000 square miles and is, aside from several channels, almost completely cut off from the ocean by a ring of islands. Inland, the landscape is one of hills, saltpans, cliffs, bays and inlets. One of the more famous features of Shark Bay is Shell Beach, which boasts a shore consisting not of sand, but of shells. Shark Bay and the accompanying areas were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1991.

Shark Bay is known for its unique make-up of flora and fauna. It possesses the largest sea-grass beds in the world and is populated by colonies of algae which are some of the oldest forms of life on Earth. It also hosts a population of dugong (sea cows) numbering more than 11,000, which is one of the largest in the world.

There are five species of endangered mammals in the Shark Bay area. These are unique to the Australian continent and consist of the boodie, two species of hare-wallaby, the Shark Bay mouse and the western barred bandicoot. The diversity of birds in the region is another remarkable phenomenon. More than 35 percent of Australia’s total bird species have representatives that live in Shark Bay.

Marine life is also very unique in this region. Shark Bay is an important location in the migration of several aquatic species. These include Humpback and southern right whales, bottlenose dolphins and green and loggerhead turtles. And, of course, as the name implies, Shark Bay has its fair share of sharks. Bay whalers, tiger sharks and hammerheads are just a few of the species which make their home here.

Shark Bay boasts a significant archaeological and historical record as well. Evidence in the region shows more than 22,000 years of aboriginal habitation, ranging back to before the bay was filled with water. This is also the first recorded site of a European landing in Western Australia.

Scientists find Shark bay to be invaluable in studying the evolution of algae. This helps them to determine how algae have evolved over millions of years to become more complicated life forms. To protect this national treasure, a program called Project Eden is helping to clear the surrounding areas of human interference and create a buffer zone that will keep Shark Bay preserved for future generations.

UNESCO Australia – Heard and McDonald Islands

Far away from the mainland of Australia, near the shores of Antarctica, lies the Heard and McDonald Islands. These two islands are nearly halfway between the African and Australian continents and are so remote from any vestiges of civilization that they were not even discovered until the 19^th century. They also happen to be the only two subantarctic islands in the world which are also still volcanically active. This makes them a vital location in the study of the way volcanic activity works when interacting with the properties of glacial dynamics. These two islands were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1997.

The main geological feature of the islands is the volcano which towers more than 9000 feet above them – Big Ben. One of these islands unique traits is that there are no living things, either flora or fauna, which are not endemic to the islands. The region is mostly inhospitable, so human habitation has not been a problem in keeping them in the pristine state they still enjoy today. In fact, aside from a few small settlements used by seal hunters during the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, no one is known to have ever lived on the islands. The undisturbed nature gives the Heard and McDonald Islands even more importance as a site to study an isolated environment and how various life forms have developed over the years without influence.

The landscape of the islands is what one might expect from a heavily volcanic region. There are plenty of unique rock formations, created from the interaction of lava flow and glaciation. There is, of course, Big Ben as well. The islands are also home to a number of caves, lava formations, calderas and a rocky, cliff-lined shore. Among the creatures living there are seals, a variety of flying birds and more than two million pairs of macaroni penguins. In fact, Heard and McDonald Islands account for a major portion of the world’s population of these penguins.

Heard and McDonald are kept protected to facilitate the studies that go on there. The harshness of the environment and the long trip across the sea make the site one that tourists would find inconvenient to visit.

UNESCO Australia – Ningaloo Coast, Western Austalia

Along the shores of the East Indian Ocean, in a remote area of Western Australia, is the Ningaloo Coast. This national park is one of the most amazing mixtures of a marine and land environment in Australia and also holds the distinction of having within its boundaries one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world – the Ningaloo Reef. Within the reef is an extensive marine habitat which supports many different forms of life and acts as a primary breeding ground for many species. The Ningaloo Coast was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2011.

On the land-side of the site there are beautiful landscapes compose of rocky shores, pristine beaches, mangrove forests and lagoons. There is also an extensive karst system as well as a vast network of underground caves and waterways. This diversity in environment has resulted in an equal diversity in the types of life which make their home at Ningaloo.

Birds and reptiles are two types of land animals that have found themselves well-suited to the Ningaloo Coast. The underground caves are home to many rare species, most of them occurring nowhere else in the world. Ningaloo is known for having one of the highest diversities of cave fauna in the world.

Marine species range from the common to the unusual. Green sea turtles have made the area a preferred place to give birth, with approximately 10,000 nests being made there annually. One of the more spectacular elements at Ningaloo is the fact that whale sharks annually gather off the coast in numbers estimated to range between 300 and 500. This is the largest gathering of this type in the world. The oceans contain around 300 types of coral, 700 species of reef fish, 650 different mollusks and a variety of sponges, algae and crustacean species.

The Ningaloo Coast is a beautiful place to visit, and the reef is an equally beautiful place to explore for those who enjoy diving and snorkeling. Visiting here is an opportunity to see forms of life that are unique to this region and take in both the stunning landscapes and seascapes. Unfortunately, there are some threats to Ningaloo which may damage this beauty if not dealt with. Poachers, tourism, human incursion, pollution and invasive species are all problems for the delicate balance that has persevered for so many thousands of years.

UNESCO Australia – Lord Howe Island Group, New South Wales

Lord Howe, located northeast of Sydney, off the coast of eastern Australia, is an island that has remained isolated for most of its history, until European ships discovered it and landed in 1788. There is no evidence that anyone ever tried to settle the island until the first small trading village was established in the 19^th century. Formed by volcanic activity deep beneath the surface, the exposed area of Lord Howe is, essentially, the top of a large shield volcano that has eroded over time. Lord Howe and the various islands in its vicinity were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1982.

Approximately 75 percent of the designated area of the site is the land mass of Lord Howe Island. The offshore islands are small and often little more than rock formations jutting from the sea. These other islands consist of the Admiralty Islands, the Mutton Bird Islands and Ball’s Pyramid, as well as the coral reefs and marine environments around Lord Howe.

Despite being the largest of the island chain, Lord Howe is still relatively small. Most of the land area is mountainous, with only a small area on the northern part of the island being habitable. Two main mountains dominate the scenery – Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird. The landscape consists of rugged hills, cliffs, rainforests, palm forests and the occasional grasslands.

Over 250 types of plants exist in the Lord Howe Island Group, more than 100 of them being endemic to the islands. This is because Lord Howe, regardless of its small size, has evolved to support a wide range of habitats. There are also 168 bird species which either live on the island or migrate there seasonally, quite a few of these endangered. The rest of the fauna are rather unremarkable, including such animals as rats, goats, wild pigs and wild cats. Marine life is a different story, however. Due to the unique hot and cold water fluctuations which occur in the area, the coral reefs around Lord Howe are quite unlike those in other regions of the world.

Lord Howe and its associated islands are extremely important for researchers seeking to study volcanic activity and its role in the formation of island chains. Preservation of the area has gone fairly well, though early boats introduced rats to the island which has subsequently led to problems in the ecological balance and the extinction of at least five bird species. Currently, there are plans to exterminate the rats in hopes of preserving further species and keeping the island intact for further study.

UNESCO Australia – Purnululu National Park, Western Australia

Within the East Kimberley Region of the State of Western Australia lies one of the most beautiful savannah landscapes in the world. Purnululu National Park is known for its spectacular scenery, though what most know it for is the Bungle Bungle Range. The range is home to amazing karst features formed by erosion over more than 20 million years. So striking is Purnululu that it is often referred to as the “Australian Grand Canyon.” This site was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2003.

Though the park has many wonders, it is certainly the Bungle Bungles which attract the most attention from visitors. These karst mountains are formed from quartz sandstone into towers and cones, rising steeply from the land into domed summits. The layering of these stone wonders has occurred in such a way that they are alternated with dark grey bands. The colors of the range are also known to change when it rains in Purnululu. They are set among the gorges and cliffs of the region, with waterfalls and pools that appear seasonally.

Other areas of the park consist of the western zone, which is heavily forested, the Ord River valley and the wide sand plains that surround the Bungle Bungle Range. Though somewhat barren, the plains are covered in black soil and grasslands and dotted with scattered trees.

Purnululu has also been an important site of habitation for Aboriginal people for more than 20,000 years. There are many archaeological sites of interest in the area, only a small fraction of which are believed to have been discovered. Though the Aborigines no longer live in the region as they once did, they have left their mark behind

The park is also very important in the realm of geology. The extensive karst formations allow researchers to study the formation processes involved in creating such wonders, including such elements as time and weather. This is a recent field of study among geologists and so Purnululu is receiving a fair bit of attention in this regard.

Certain areas of the park, mainly the Ord River Valley, have suffered due to human influence. Cattle grazing has stripped the grasslands and resulted in erosion. The damage that has been done to the Aboriginal cultures and their way of life is, unfortunately, extensive and irreversible. One thing that has helped Purnululu resist the effects of human interference is that it is has remained relatively unknown, even to those living in Australia. Recently, this is changing and the park now receives more than 20,000 visitors per year, with another 20,000 per year flying over to view the landscape from the sky.

The promotion of tourism in Purnululu National Park is a top priority for the Australian government. Those wishing to get a view before people begin to fill it might wish to purchase their tickets soon.

UNESCO Australia – Macquarie Island, Tasmania

Macquarie Island is a state reserve and marine park located in the Southern Ocean, more than 900 miles southeast of the island of Tasmania and approximately half-way between the Australia and Antarctica. At just over 21 miles long and only three miles wide, this island might not seem like much at first, but its unique geography and the resultant flora and fauna that have evolved over time make it a researcher’s dream. Macquarie Island was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1997.

This island comprises an exposed section of the Macquarie Ridge, where the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates meet in a convergence. The landscape consists of a giant plateau, which drops sharply on all sides. Due to its height, there is a plethora of lakes and even a few glaciers that reside on the top of this plateau – unusual features given the latitude of the island.

Flora and fauna is diverse in what is the world’s largest protected marine habitat. Both king and royal penguins are in abundance and are especially active during their breeding season. Elephant seals also find Macquarie Island to be a favorable home and choose it as their own prime breeding area. In addition, many forms of plant and animal life have evolved in a virtually undisturbed environment to fit into their own ecological niches.

There are several important aspects to the island which bring researchers from around the world to study its wonders. The island itself is an example of geological activity that is seen nowhere else in the world, as this is the only place where rocks from the Earth’s mantle have risen above sea-level. Scientists can gain a much greater understanding of the processes going on in the deep layers of the Earth by studying this phenomenon.

Great care has been taken to protect Macquarie Island from human intrusion. Preservation of the marine life populations is a top priority. Since the island is difficult to reach and no permanent settlements are allowed (aside from a research station), this island is likely to retain its pristine state for some time to come and provide a wealth of information to those curious enough to look.

UNESCO Australia – Australian Convict Sites

The Australian Convict Sites are a unique series of locations which represent the historical founding of the Australian continent. During the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the British Empire, in order to expand their presence, used convicts as a form of labor and to help drive out the Aboriginal tribes from the more habitable areas of Australia. These penal colonies existed all over the continent and housed hundreds-of-thousands of men, women and children. Though there are thousands of these sites across the country, 11 of the best examples, representing the diversity of labor and colonization goals, were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2010.

Even those convicted of minor offenses were often sent to these colonies to work. Due to the heavy labor needs of building infrastructure in the Australian wilderness, the British government shipped whomever they could there. From children convicted of stealing to political dissidents, exporting human beings and placing them in a form of indentured servitude was a primary part of the Empire’s methodology. Though they were eventually allowed to go free after serving their sentence, few returned to their homeland, instead choosing to stay in Australia and make new lives for themselves.

The various functions of these sites ranged from coal mining and agricultural projects to privately sponsored commercial ventures. Many of these prisons were specifically designed to accommodate women or children. Each of the eleven sites represents one aspect of a colonization process that was in regular use by not only Britain, but many other colonial powers of the time. By removing people from their own countries to do the hard work, governments not only secured a source of cheap labor but also “cleaned up” their countries of criminals and those with volatile political opinions.

Though the colony system was eventually abolished and Australia established as its own state, the model of penal system used was adapted in many other European countries and America as well – albeit in a more evolved form.

The last of these prisons to be in use was shut down in the 1990s and most of the structures which have survived into modern times have either been turned into parks or museums. Some of them were restored and reused, though many of them were abandoned and have decayed over time. The 11 sites on the World Heritage list represent the most complete and well-preserved examples of this historical colonization of the Australian land.

UNESCO Australia – Fraser Island, Queensland

East of Australia and along the southern coast of Queensland lies Fraser Island. This 75 mile-long island is the largest sand island in the world and a location for some of the most amazing landscapes. In addition to acting as home for a diversity of flora and hundreds of bird species, Fraser Island also contains the remains of nearly 2000 years of Aboriginal occupation as well as a record of sand deposits that stretches back over the last 700,000 years. Fraser Island was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1992.

The landscape of Fraser Island is composed of miles of shifting sand dunes, pristine white beaches, colorful cliffs, lakes and rainforests growing from the sand. More than 40 freshwater dune lakes are present as well as a number of other types of lakes. The combination of these various elements makes Fraser Island unique in many ways.

Flora on the island is surprisingly diverse considering the living conditions. This is the only place in the world where rainforests can be found growing on top of sand dunes which reach more than 650 feet into the sky. The fauna is mostly composed of birds, the majority of them migratory. Fraser Island is widely considered to be a critical location in the migration of wading birds as they make their way from Australia to Siberia.

Aside from more than 230 species of birds which come and go, other life on the island is fairly limited, being made up mostly of bats with a small dingo population. The lakes of the island are a poor habitat for fish, though some frog species have managed to adapt to them over the years.

Historically, Aborigine people have made their home on Fraser Island, though they were forcibly removed when the island was declared a forest reserve. The relatively well-preserved nature of the island makes it a perfect place for those to visit who seek a place away from the rest of the world.

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