Best places to see in Australia

My favorite spot in Australia was at Ayers Rock in the Outback. The landscape was not that different from the desert landscape around my home in Arizona, but the colors were much more vivid. Here we have desert tan and brown, in the Outback the dirt is red, and Ayers Rock is an amazing rock structure in the middle of miles and miles of red desert. The rock itself is actually several huge rocks that have been sculpted over time by the wind. They look smooth from a distance, and the sunsets over the rock are spectacular!

Of course, no trip to Australia is complete without seeing the peculiar animals that live no other place on earth. The Koala bear in the Eucalyptus trees are just as cute in the wild as they are in pictures and zoos, but they are wild animals with long claws so don't try to pick them up and cudlde them, no matter how cute they look. Kangaroos are facinating to watch as they bound across the countryside using their long, very strong back legs and tails as springs. The wombats and tasmanian devils are odd looking, but seem very much at home in the harsh environment.

A complete opposite experience can be had on the Great Barrier Reef - where you are surrounded by water. Scuba diving off the many boats along the reef will get you up close and personal with some incredibly colorful fish and coral formations. To get to the reef, you must charter a boat or go on a planned excursion. There are many of these kinds of trips you can book that include a seafood lunch (complete with raw sushi, octopus, and other exotic fare), scuba gear and instructions on reef diving. Once at the reef you can take a ride in a tiny submarine with big windows so you can see the reef and its exotic fish without donning scuba gear and diving into the water.

One last event to be sure to take in is the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. Phillip Island is in Western Australia, just two hours outside of Melbourne. The parade occurs at dusk when the fairy penguins return to their beach homes from a day of swimming and fishing in the ocean. It is amazing to see these little guys coming up out of the gentle surf, wave after wave of them, all coming back to roost for the night before heading out again the next day for more fishing and swimming.

As you leave Australia, or perhaps when you first arrive, make sure you visit the Opera House in Sydney. It is a marvelous architectural example and an inspiring place to visit. If you are lucky enough to witness a concert while you are there, you will never forget it.