A Guide to the Attractions of Australia

(Music playing) Speaker: Australians love nothing more than beaches, sun and surf except perhaps the native animals that have become integrated with daily life. Australia is the largest island in the world that is also one country and one continent. It is bordered by 37,000 kilometers of coastline, which means there’s always somewhere to take a dip or go surfing. Australia’s position in the southern hemisphere makes it a perfect spot for European and American tourist to escape the winter. Nikola: It’s beautiful. There is not a cloud in the sky and it’s about 32 degrees. And it’s beautiful. Interviewer: And what would you be doing back in England? Nikola: Probably about topping a coat, jumper and scarf, having turkey. Instead, we’re having prawn cooked on the barbeque tonight. (Music playing) Speaker: But as tempting as they look, Australia’s beaches can be dangerous. Lifeguard: If you’re not turning in the flight, you’ll be swimming in a dangerous area. Speaker: Sharks pose a threat to swimmers particularly out in deep water. Lifeguards patrol beaches to keep an eye out for threats including sharks, rips and currents. They are always ready to rescue any swimmer who might be at risk. Australians have so much coastline that their lifeguards have become amongst the best in the world. Although they deal with danger, they like to keep upbeat. Victoria Farrar: Oh, it’s pretty upbeat actually. I mean, you can say a lot of the lifeguards have had little sand to sand, some of the things like that and other people on the beach do too. So, I mean, it’s good I think even without, with the, there’s a balance if they’d be coming in on the beach and not bringing alcohol. It’s still a very good for me. Speaker: All around Australia there are beaches for you to try. Just keep a lookout for these dangerous spots and swim between the red and yellow flags. (Music playing) Australia’s wildlife is some of the most unique in the world. The kangaroo is a symbol of Australia. Early explorers described them as across between the deer, a man and a frog. Naturally, many people had to see it to believe it. (Music playing) Koalas are another national treasure. They live high in eucalyptus trees in the forest. (Music playing) Dr. William Folley: The main problem for koalas has been lost of the eucalyptus habitat that they live in. Speaker: Koalas survive on eucalyptus leaves. So, if the tree goes, so do they. But it is not all doomed in glue. You can still find many koalas in forest, national parks and zoos. (Music playing) Tasmanian Devils are particular to Australia’s southernmost state. They have a catlike appearance and are an endangered species. Dr. Claire Hawkins: You start getting really upset when you come back to site regularly and you see how much the numbers have dropped. And you realize that not a single animal is lasting to an older age. The disease is getting all of them and they all die. Speaker: Tasmanian Devils have suffered from Devil Facial Tumor Disease which has dramatically reduced the population. (Music playing) Australia has faced severe droughts in the past ten years. And habitats for animals such as the Tasmanian Devil and Koalas have come under threat. (Music playing) Conservation groups are doing their best to preserve the environment. In the meantime, many animals are still thriving in the warm Australian climate. (Music playing)