Directions: Read about different places you can visit in Australia. Write a 3-sentence summary of what a tourist could do when visiting each location to PERSUADE someone to go there. WRITE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Then, answer the exit ticket questions on the back.

Kakadu is dual-listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its outstanding natural and cultural values.

People aren’t exaggerating when they refer to Kakadu as a world-class destination – only a few dozen sites around the globe appear on the World Heritage List for both their natural and cultural significance (and only four places in Australia). Kakadu National Park was first added to the World Heritage List in 1981, with further areas added in 1987, 1992 and 2011.

Located 240 kilometres east of Darwin in Australia’s tropical north, Kakadu National Park is Australia’s largest national park, on land. It covers almost 20,000 square kilometres and is a place of enormous plant and animal diversity. It's landscape includes the coast, floodplains, lowlands, and rocky ridges. These landscapes are home to a range of rare and endemic plants and animals, including more than one-third of Australia's bird species and one-quarter of its freshwater fish species

The park is a living cultural landscape. Its archaeological sites record the skills and way of life of Aboriginal people over tens of thousands of years. Kakadu’s rock art documents Indigenous creation stories and makes up one of the longest historical records of any group of people in the world.

Kakadu’s ancient stone country spans more than two billion years of geological history. It’s rivers and coastal floodplains are more dynamic environments, shaped by changing sea levels and big floods every tropical summer.

The island with a thousand stories...

The geographical history of Rottnest Island has been effected by changes in sea level. These changes occurred either as sea water became trapped and released when ice sheets advanced and retreated, or as the land slowly rose and fell in response to changing stresses in the earth's crust. It is believed that Rottnest Island was separated from the mainland 7,000 years ago.

The sea level rose, cutting the Island off from the land mass, and it is now the largest in a chain of islands near Australia, outside of the city of Perth. These islands all are formed of limestone rocks with a thin covering of sand, making spectacular beaches. In fact, in the west, at Strickland bay, there are famous wave breaks which surfers can enjoy.

The limestone base of Rottnest Island has an effect on all life on the Island, including the unique types of plants which can grow on it, and the unique species of animals which can feed upon the plants. Rottnest Island's famous marsupial, the Quokka, can be seen around the Island particularly in the mid to late afternoon. During the autumn and winter months (March to August) young joeys may be seen peaking from their mothers' pouch and come spring (September to November), bravely hopping around exploring their new world. The island is also known for a colony of sea lions and fur seals.

One of the best road trips in Australia...

Take a drive on the spectacular Great Ocean Road, which winds alongside the wild and windswept Southern Ocean. Home to the world-class surfing at Bells Beach and the craggy limestone spires of the 12 Apostles, this diverse and dramatic region is best explored over the course of a few days. The Great Ocean Road, a 400 kilometer drive, begins 90-minutes from Melbourne's city center.

From rainforests and rivers to old volcanoes and rugged coastlines, the Great Ocean Road showcases nature at its most diverse. Victoria's dramatic south-west coastline covers an incredible range of scenery. See the world-famous waves at Bells Beach or laze on the sand at Anglesea. Visit the charming old fishing village of Port Fairy and get among the buzzing arts community in Lorne. Of course, you can't miss the 12 Apostles. These craggy limestone stacks rising majestically from the Southern Ocean are a must-see.

Aboriginal stories connect the landscapes of the Great Ocean Road. Taste bush tucker, learn about ancient remedies and hear didgeridoo playing at the Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Geelong. Visit the Brambuk center to see fascinating displays of art and artefacts and join a tour to visit some of rock art sites dating back 22,000 years in the Grampians National Park.

“A building that changed the image of an entire country”

Fusing ancient and modernist influences, and situated on an ancient and sacred site, the sculptural elegance of the Sydney Opera House has made it one of the symbols of twentieth century architecture - a building that, to quote US architect Frank Gehry, “changed the image of an entire country.”

Built in 1954, the Sydney Opera House has been home to many of the world’s greatest artists and performances, and a meeting place for matters of local and international significance since opening in 1973.

Today it is Australia’s number one tourist destination, welcoming more than 8.2 million visitors a year and one of the world’s busiest performing arts centers, presenting more than 2000 shows 363 days a year for more than 1.5 million people. Performances include talks and ideas, theater and dance and the superstars of classical and contemporary music.

But while the tale of the Opera House is one of breathtaking triumph, it is also one of personal cost. The building’s design was inspired - entirely unlike anything that had been seen before. Pressures piled upon its architect, Jørn Utzon, who left Australia midway through construction, never to return to see the building completed.

Nevertheless, Utzon’s masterpiece would define his career; it is a work of art built for the performance of works of art and brought to life by people who believed in the power of imagination.

A Natural Wonder

One of Australia’s most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the world’s largest coral reef. The reef contains an abundance of marine life and comprises of over 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays and literally hundreds of picturesque tropical islands with some of the worlds most beautiful sun-soaked, golden beaches.Because of its natural beauty, the Great Barrier Reef has become one of the worlds most sought after tourist destinations.

A visitor to the Great Barrier Reef can enjoy many experiences including snorkeling, scuba diving, aircraft or helicopter tours, bare boats (self-sail), glass-bottomed boat viewing, semi-submersibles and educational trips, cruise ship tours, whale watching and swimming with dolphins.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and pulling away from it, and viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space. Great Barrier Reef has over 100 islands, from unique and exotic islands to the Whitsundays and the remarkable Northern Islands. The islands of the Great Barrier Reef will redefine your idea of paradise.

A closer encounter with the Great Barrier Reef’s impressive coral gardens reveals many astounding underwater attractions including the world’s largest collection of corals (in fact, more than 400 different kinds of coral), coral sponges, mollusks, rays, dolphins, over 1500 species of tropical fish, more than 200 types of birds, around 20 types of reptiles including sea turtles and giant clams over 120 years old.