Australia

beyond the beaten path

Oh, Australia! Unless you have several months to spare, prepare yourself for the idea that one trip won't be enough to even scratch the surface of all the outstanding natural wonders this country-continent has to offer. Just to put things into perspective: nearly seven million square kilometres, or 91 per cent of the country, is covered by native vegetation. And about 93% of Australian flora and fauna can’t be found anywhere else in the world. That’s right. It's not surprising when you consider that for millions of years this land has enjoyed total isolation from the rest of the planet, becoming home to ecosystems you won’t find anywhere else. For tens of thousands of years, the life and cultural identity of the local populations has been inextricably linked to the natural elements, flora and fauna. And indeed, this is still the case: we can still find traces of it in the animist spirituality of Aboriginal cultures, passed down orally from time immemorial, but also in the eyes of any Australian man, woman, boy or girl. From the arid red sands of the Northern Territory to the flourishing wine regions in the South, passing through the Daintree Rainforest and the luxuriously blue skies of Queensland, Australia has it all. And this is as true inland as it is offshore: here we find the Great Barrier Reef, the only living system visible from Space, born twenty-five million years ago, home to over 400 species of corals and over 1,500 species of tropical fish. And then there are the pristine landscapes of Tasmania, the jewel on Australia’s natural crown and a living paradise for adventure seekers. In short, there really is enough to fill a lifetime, or even two, of unparalleled experiences.