Page 56 - LIN-May-June-July-2024-web-file

by Ron McGinty
A ustr alia
Australia

An Adventure

Australia is an exceptional Down Under
blend of bustling cities,
breathtaking landscapes,
and unique wildlife.

ustralia is a unique country that took a ride in a submersible boat and flew over the reefs in a
also comprises the majority helicopter to appreciate the vastness of the area.
A of the continent of Oceania. During a hot-air balloon ride, we saw hundreds of

Oceania’s geography is traditionally kangaroos wandering around the open fields. One interesting
divided into four subregions: Australia, fact about female kangaroos is that they have a duplex uterus,
Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. which means they have two uteri. This allows them to be
Australia is an exceptional blend of constantly pregnant, with one joey developing inside the womb
bustling cities, breathtaking landscapes, while another is being nursed in the pouch. Kangaroo mothers
and unique wildlife. The country is so vast that the forty eight can produce two different types of milk for joeys at various
continental states of the USA can fit in the middle and still not fill developmental stages. For example, a mother kangaroo can
it. I can attest to its scale, as it took several weeks and three flights produce a more nutrient-rich milk for a younger, undeveloped
to explore the country. Our Tauck tour was exciting and engaging joey still in the pouch and a different milk composition for an
but also a travel marathon. older joey that has started exploring outside the pouch but still
Australia is mostly desert, and Uluru is a famous desert area. returns for nourishment. This explains why the joey stays in the
The Indigenous Australians who live there are considered to be one mother’s pouch. Additionally, the kangaroo is the only animal
of the oldest continuous cultures in the world. Evidence suggests that can stand like a prizefighter and win its bout.
that they have been in Australia for at least sixty five thousand Most people have seen photographs of the world-famous
years and are descendants of the first human migrations out of Sydney Opera House, but it’s an entirely different experience to
Africa. The history of Indigenous Australians is complex and see it in person. The building is an engineering marvel, unlike
multifaceted, encompassing both resilience and struggle. anything else in the world. Construction on the Opera House
As someone who used to enjoy scuba diving, I always dreamed began in 1959 and wasn’t completed until 1973, which was
of seeing the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the much longer and more expensive than initially expected. The
world’s most extensive coral reef system, situated off the coast of Concert Hall is remarkable, with its unique ceiling made from
Queensland, Australia. It extends over fourteen hundred square a single tree cut into a thin veneer. In 2007, the Concert Hall
miles and consists of more than twenty nine individual reefs and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing
nine hundred islands, making it one of the most diverse ecosystems its exceptional value as a masterpiece of human creativity. The
on the planet. To take in the magnificent underwater views, we acoustics of the Concert Hall are unparalleled and renowned.
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Next, on to New Zealand and four more charter flights! !
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56 Life in Naples | April 2024