Australia - another world

88% of the population lives within 20 kilometers of the coast. Australians like to joke that their founding father knew that future generations would love the beaches, so they built all the state capitals near the coast; but they couldn’t put Canberra, the federal capital, there because the politicians wouldn’t get any work done.

Australia’s 18 million citizens comprise one of the world’s most multicultural societies. In addition to the native Aboriginals, immigrants and descendants of immigrants from 60 nations make up the population. This variety creates an exciting cultural kaleidoscope.

This country seems to have become a perennial “media darling”. Favorite movies are made here, books on the best-sellers lists are set there and every bush fire and shark attack is discussed on the nightly news. I think I don’t have to mention the famous Crocodile Dundee! We all recognize the elegant Sydney opera House or the Harbour Bridge, we all watch National Geographic, which has focused on koalas, and we know how beautiful the wildlife is. Maybe someone knows a little bit about the Aboriginal culture trough some art exhibits as well. But not only this, is possible to find here. Australia is the country of contrasts and tremendous diversity.

It is really a fascinating country- both the landscape and the culture invite exploration and provide tremendous variety. You can be drawn by the unique wildlife, by a fascination for the Aboriginal culture or the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef where you can see tropical fish, giant clams or colorful coral or do an underwater sightseeing in a semi submersible boat. Very famous are also Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast along the whole east coast of Queensland.

I cannot forgot to mention also other typical Australian things, flowers or animals… a burnished red rock – the Ayers Rock - Aussie’s most distinctive landscape symbol, gum trees and other varieties of eucalyptus trees, colorful birds, blue sky and the shining sun. Other specialty is the wattle (there are more than 600 species of acacia and the golden wattle is the unofficial national floral emblem). Another features of the coastal strip are rain forests, the Nation parks or nice islands – e.g. the Fraser Island where the bush is mixed with the beautiful beaches, dingoes, cockatoos or exotic flowers.

Of course, you can’t imagine Australia without koalas, kangaroos and crocs, possums, wallabies, bandicoots, Tasmanian devils or wombats that are creating the unique structure of native animals. Snakes can make their presence known, too. Many, like the death adder, taipan, and brown snake, are poisonous. It’s good to know as well that the Australian waters are home to 20 kinds of sharks. But not everything that swims in Australia is ferocious, however. You can be lucky to catch a glimpse of the shy platypus, or see fairly penguins during the night. And do not forget the famous Emus, which is one of the largest and the most strange-looking birds, because it can’t fly…

Australia is really worth your visit! So pack your beg, catch the first plane and start your adventure trip!

Aboriginals = Australští domorodci
Acacia= akát
As well = taktéž
Aussie = slengový výraz pro “Australan”
Bandicoot= krysa malabarská
Brown snake = jedovatý druh hada
Burnished= naleštěný
Bush fire = lesní požár
Coastal = pobřežní, přímořský
Cockatoo= kakadu
Colorful = barevný, barvitý, pestrý
Croc = krokodýl
Death adder= australský jedovatý had připomínající zmiji
Descendant = potomek
Dingo = australský pes dingo
Diversity = rozmanitost, různorodost, pestrost
Exploration = zkoumání, bádání, výzkum
Founding father = praotec, zakladatel
Fairly = zcela, úplně
Feature= rys, znak
Ferocious= krvelačný, divoký, zuřivý, prudký, ostrý
Foral = květinový
Focus on = zaměřit se na, soustředit se na, orientovat se na
Giant clams= obří mlž (žije v korálových útesech Indického a Atlantského oceánu, váží přes 200kg)
Glimpse= pohled
Gum tree = gumovník
However = avšak, ale, nicméně, však
It is worth = má to cenu
Kookaburra= ledňák obrovský
Landscape= krajina
Native = rodný, domorodý
Penguin = tučňák
Perennial = trvalý, stálý, pernamentní, věčný, vytrvalý, víceletý
Poisonous = jedovatý, škodlivý
Possum = posuk (vačicový)
Platypus= ptakopysk
Shark = žralok
Shark attack = útok žraloka
Shy = plachý, bázlivý
Strip= pruh, proužek, pás
Submersible = ponorka
Taipan = prudce jedovatý had (korálovcovitý)
Tremendous = obrovský, velikánský, senzační, fantastický
Unofficial = neoficiální
Unique = jedinečný
Wallaby= malý klokan
Wattle= proutěné pletivo
Wonder = zázrak, div