Aussie Offbeat Facts
11 May 2006
Ideal place for travel
Known for blue skies and sunshine and with a climate that’s generally pleasant without any extremes in temperatures, Australia is the ideal place to visit any time of the year. From winter skiing in the Australian Alps between June and September, to year round beach holidays in Queensland, Australia’s varied range of pleasant climates makes it an ideal holiday destination. Sydney winters find an average of 16 degrees centigrade, whilst the balmy summers in the Australian interior can reach as high as 45 degrees. Average annual rainfall is between 200 and 400 mm with lows in the central deserts of 100 mm and highs in Cairns and the east coast of up to 3000 mm.
Wide Open Spaces
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It's about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA and 50 per cent larger than Europe, but has the lowest population density in the world - only two people per square kilometre.
World's Longest Reef
Australia's Great Barrier Reef holds the Guinness World Record for the Longest Reef. The Great Barrier Reef, situated off the coast of Queensland, Australia, stretches a total distance of 2,027 km (1,260 miles). Corals on the reef are occasionally devastated by the crown of thorns starfish.
My Precious
Australia produces 95 per cent of the world's precious opals and 99 per cent of black opals.
Opal Capital
Coober Pedy in South Australia is known as the opal capital of the world. Its population is made up of more than 40 nationalities and, with year-round extremes in temperature, more than 50 per cent of the population live in below-ground 'dugouts'.
Golden City
Kalgoorlie in Western Australia is not only Australia's largest producer of gold, but has the world's largest political electorate - covering a mammoth 2.2 million square kilometres.
Aussie Icon
The kangaroo is unique to Australia and one of our most easily recognised mammals. There are more kangaroos in Australia now than when Australia was first settled. Estimates suggest around 40 million.
Long Haul
The longest stretch of straight railway track in the world crosses the Nullarbor Plain. From Nurina in Western Australia to near Watson in South Australia, the track is dead straight for 478 kilometres.
Long Drive
The Eyre Highway at Caiguna in Western Australia has the longest stretch of straight road in Australia - 148 kilometres. Crossing the southern edge of the Nullarbor Plain, it is the only sealed road from Perth to Adelaide, a 2700 kilometre drive.
Long Fence
The world's longest continuous fence known as the 'dingo fence', runs through central Queensland for 5,531 kilometres. It is 1.8 metres high and is designed to keep sheep safe from Australia's native dog.
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