Listen to the unique laugh of the kookaburra, a large kingfisher, enjoy the sight of the many different parrots, feed the brilliantly plumed rainbow lorikeets in Queensland, or watch as hundreds of small fairy penguins march up the beach to their burrows every night at dusk on Phillip Island. Australia has many vegetation regions. Fill your lungs with the heavy scented air of the rainforests, or the distinctive smell of the eucalypt, commonly called gum tree. Wildflowers turn open country into a blaze of colour in spring and some of the best known are the waratah, Sturt's desert pea, kangaroo paw and the Christmas bush. Pristine Environment
Australia has more than 2,000 national parks and nature reserves, protected wilderness areas of natural and environmental importance that range from desert landscape to high mountains to coastal dunes and rainforests. Fill your cup! - the water is safe to drink anywhere. Beyond the big cities the air is so clean it is rarely experienced elsewhere in the world and the intensity and clarity of the light is the dream of every photographer. There are still areas of Australia that haven't been explored, they are so wild and inaccessible. Little wonder, that no less than thirteen areas are inscribed on the UN's World Heritage List a proud feat, not many countries can boast. On the list are Kakadu National Park, Uluru, the Wet Tropics of north Queensland, and the Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island, Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves, Willandra Lakes, Lord Howe Island, Tasmanian Wilderness, Shark Bay, Australian Fossil Mammal Sites at Riversleigh (Queensland) and Naracoorte (South Australia), Macquarie Island and Heard and McDonald Islands. Yearly clean up campaigns where the whole nation participates in ensure that Australia remains clean and pristine. Industry
The manufacturing industry accounts for about 14 per cent of Australia's GDP. The manufacturing sector has developed behind high tariff walls in the post-war years however protection is being reduced to make it a more efficient and export-oriented sector of the economy. About 98 per cent of all manufacturing firms are small businesses. The main industries are chemicals, aerospace, electrical and electronics, information technology, engineering, food processing, motor vehicles, iron and steel, paper, woodchips and forestry. Due to a sizeable resource base, Australia has developed an efficient and internationally competitive agricultural industry. Agricultural output contributes about 2.5 per cent to GDP. Australia leads the world in wool production and is a significant supplier of cereals, dairy produce, meat, sugar and fruit. Australian wines are receiving increasing attention due to the their high quality and distinctive flavour.