Transcript Ecotourism in Australia

Ecotourism in Australia
Ecotourism
• Ecotourism is ecologically sustainable tourism
with the primary focus on experiencing
natural areas to foster environmental and
cultural understanding, appreciation, and
conservation.
• Australia is a popular destination for
ecotourists. One area that many tourists flock
to is the Great Barrier Reef.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world. It is located off the shores of
northeastern Australia, framing the Queensland coastline for 2300 kilometers. The
Great Barrier Reef is a collection of more than 2,900 coral reefs, 600 continental islands
(many with their own fringing reefs), 300 coral cays and thousands of species making it
one of the world's most complex and diverse ecosystems.
Rainbow Beach
• Rainbow Beach was
originally known as Back
Beach and was home to a
large sand mining industry
until 1976.
• The current name comes
from the rainbow colored
cliffs. In an Aboriginal
legend the cliffs were
colored when Yiningie (the
spirit of the Gods
representing Rainbow) was
killed in a fight, spreading
his 'colorful' spirits across
the cliffs.
Uluru
Uluru, also known as
Ayers Rock, is a large
sandstone rock
formation in the
southern part of the
Northern Territory,
central Australia.
Uluru is sacred to the
Aṉaṉgu, the
Aboriginal people of
the area. It has many
springs, waterholes,
rock caves and
ancient paintings.
Tasmanian Wilderness
• In a region that has been
subjected to severe
glaciers, these parks and
reserves, with their
steep gorges, constitute
one of the last expanses
of temperate rainforest
in the world. Remains
found in limestone caves
attest to the human
occupation of the area
for more than 20,000
years.
Emu Park
• Home of the famous
Singing Ship
Monument, the Emu
Park land area was first
discovered by Captain
James Cook in 1770.
This small, peaceful
town is a popular
tourist spot. It has won
several tourism awards,
and features fishing,
surfing, boating, and
unspoiled beaches.
Bump Track
• The Bump Track was originally
an Aboriginal trail between the
coastal and mountain regions. It
became a crucial link between
Port Douglas and the hinterland
for settlers and miners. After the
creation of the Captain Cook
Highway, the use and
importance of Bump Track
decreased. It is now a popular
trail for walking, mountain
biking and horse riding.
The Bump Track is six kilometers
long and can be very steep in
places.
Undara Volcanic National Park
• The Undara Lava Tubes were
formed some 190,000 years ago
when a major volcano in the
McBride volcanic province erupted,
its molten lava flowing down a dry
river bed. As the top layer quickly
cooled and crusted, the fiery
magma below continued to flow
through the tubes. As the eruption
slowed and then stopped, the lava
drained out of the tubes leaving a
series of long, hollow tunnels.
• Undara is the longest lava flow
from a single volcano on our planet
in modern geological time.
Kakadu
• Aboriginal people have
occupied the Kakadu area
continuously for at least
40, 000 years. Kakadu
National Park is renowned
for the richness of its
Aboriginal cultural sites.
There are more than 5000
recorded art sites
illustrating Aboriginal
culture over thousands of
years. The archaeological
sites demonstrate
Aboriginal occupation for
at least 20,000 and possibly
up to 40,000 years.
Shark Bay
At the most westerly point of the
Australian continent, Shark Bay,
with its islands and the land
surrounding it, has three
exceptional natural features: its
vast sea-grass beds, which are the
largest and richest in the world;
its dugong (‘sea cow’) population;
and its stromatolites (colonies of
algae which form hard, domeshaped deposits and are among
the oldest forms of life on earth).
Shark Bay is also home to five
species of endangered mammals.
Phillip Island
• Phillip Island Nature Parks is
the home of Australia’s most
popular natural wildlife
attraction – the iconic Penguin
Parade, along with the Koala
and spectacular coastal
scenery - protected and
managed by quality
environmental and research
programs. The area that the
Nature Parks manages is over
1,805 acres and includes
diverse environments and
habitats for a range of flora
and fauna including threatened
species.
Kangaroo Island
• Kangaroo Island is a pristine
wilderness - a place that has
offered protection to substantial
populations of native Australian
animals, a place of beauty and a
place of escape.
• Kangaroo Island (or ‘KI' as the
locals call it) is also big and
surprisingly diverse. If you
traverse its 155km length you'll
find soaring cliffs, dense forest,
towering sand dunes, wetlands
and massive arcs of bone white
beach.