Captain Cook and the Discovery of Australia

It is strange to think now, that well into the eighteenth century, Australia and New Zealand were little more than a rumour to the wider world. Ferdinand Magellan had made the first Pacific crossing in as early as 1520 but the great Ocean was still virtually uncharted. There were a lingering suspicion that a vast unknown continent lurked in the depths of the world, it was generally referred to as Terra Australis Nondum Cognita, loosely translated as The Southern Land Yet Unknown. Many European sailors including Francis Drake had searched in vain for this secretive land. In 1769, the British Admiralty organised a scientific expedition to observe the transit of Venus which was to cross the sun, the expedition was also given the secret mission to hunt for the hidden continent. The Admiralty chose a brilliant young navigator named James Cook to lead the expedition. Cook had successfully charted the St. Lawrence river in Quebec, his charts later helping General Wolfe’s army capture Quebec from the French in 1759. Cook had been born in humble circumstances in the small village of Marton in Yorkshire. At the age of seventeen he became apprenticed to a firm of Whitby coal shippers, he spent several years on colliers sailing between Tyne and London mastering his craft; while at night studying algebra, geometry, trigonometry, navigation and astronomy. On completion of his apprenticeship he began working on trading ships on the Baltic Sea. He worked his way through the ranks, eventually being offered command of his own vessel in the merchant navy, however, quite amazingly he turned it down, opting instead to volunteer in the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman.

Cook quickly rose through the ranks obtaining the rank of Master which was the highest non-commissioned rank achievable. It was as a Master that he produced his highly valuable maps during the Siege of Quebec that first brought him to the attention of the British Admiralty. During the early 1760s, he surveyed the jagged coastline of Newfoundland gaining a mastery of the skill of practical surveying under the most adverse conditions. His appointment as Captain of the major expedition into the South Seas was a remarkable achievement, as very few men ever managed to rise from seaman to commander and in addition, such high class appointments were usually ridden with bribery and corruption and granted to those with influence. Cook chose a Whitby built collier named the Endeavour, the type of ship that he knew so well. It was stoutly built, well capable of withstanding the pounding sea, could hold a glut of provisions and could be managed by a small crew if necessary. It sailed from Plymouth on 26 August 1768 with a rather large crew of ninety-four. It made its way around Cape Horn and anchored in Tahiti on 13 April 1769 where the observations for the transit of Venus were to be made, however they did not prove to be as conclusive or accurate as had been hoped. It was an idyllic sojourn on the island with the crew and islanders striking up a camaraderie. The Endeavour then continued on to New Zealand, where Cook mapped the entire coastline, remarkably making only some minor errors, in fact the maps used today are little different.

 

 

Cook then sailed onto the south-eastern coast of Australia anchoring in Botany Bay, naming it after the rich specimens which the botanists of the expedition had gathered there. It was here that Cook’s crew made first contact with an Aboriginal tribe before heading northwards as far as Possession Island, declaring the entire explored coastline as British. They returned to England via the Cape of Good Hope landing on 12 July 1771. Cook was promoted from Master to Commander and was once again commissioned by the Royal Society to search for the mythical Terra Australis. His first voyage had proved that New Zealand was not connected to a larger landmass and although he had charted the eastern coast of Australia, it was not considered to be what they were looking for, as it was thought to lie much further south. He took two Whitby colliers for his second voyage, Resolution and Adventure, the expedition circumnavigated the globe at a very high southern latitude. Cook almost encountered the mainland of Antarctica but turned northwards back towards Tahiti. Cook’s third and last voyage was to find the North-West Passage, believed to link the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Once again he took the Resolution and another Whitby collier named Discovery. The expedition made landfalls at South Africa, Tasmania, New Zealand, Tahiti, Canada, Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands. Sadly however, Cook became involved in a confrontation with a party of Hawaiian islanders in which he was stabbed to death on 14 February 1779. His voyages paved the way for British colonisation of New Zealand and Australia and the advances in surveying and mapping that were garnered, reinforced the Royal Navy’s place as the naval superpower of the time.

Discover The Outback On Your Next Australia Tour

The Outback is a region of great beauty and grandeur that will leave you lasting images of Australias intense landscape. Although the word Outback in native dialect is considered really any area that is far away from urban areas. Outback is generally referring to locations more remote than an area called the bush which generally refers to any rural or undeveloped land or area.

In the province of New South Wales, the Outback features the Darling River which flows over 1700 miles making it the longest river in Australia. It is also considered the lifeblood for much of the wildlife even though it has run dry over 45 times and has a high salt content due to systemic droughts. It was also considered the greatest inland mode of travel from Brewarrina to Wentworth.

The outback in Australias Northern Territory is home to the Kakadu National Park and the Uluru/Ayers Rock. Aboriginal people share their 40,000 year old story with rock drawings and canvas. There are more than 5000 recorded art sites that depict Aboriginal culture over thousands of years.

The NT has very diverse and often contrasting environments along with intriguing and spectacular wildlife as you go from the deserts of Central Australia to the tropics of the Top End. You can expect an assortment of unique Australian pubs, amazing characters and enduring landscapes. Here you will find a number of colorful and down to earth characters that insist upon sharing a tale or two.

Many folks take the Ghan Train ride which allows travelers to enjoy the changing landscapes from the red desert of the outback to the tropical top end in the north. You can even take a camel ride through parts of the desert.

The Great Western Woodlands is the largest temperate woodland left on Earth. By sheer remoteness, this piece of land has mostly escaped the impact of industrialization and maintains a nearly preserved ecosystem. The vastness of the woodlands has assured that the hydrological patterns of thousands of years ago still operate and animal migrations are uninhibited. The plant life has as a metered impact on cloud formation.

The area contains a diversity of vegetation communities with islands of granite rock and natural salt lakes mixed in the sixteen million hectares of land. The woodlands is cut off by the world famous Rabbit Proof Fence to prevent human meddling represents 2 percent of Australias land mass. 20 percent of all known plant species indigenous to Australia are represented in the Great Western Woodlands. Nowhere else in the world are such volumes of Eucalytis trees found in such a profoundly dry climate.

Cairns and Gordonvale (Photo slideshow)

The photo on the slideshow display mostly Cairns some photos of Gordonvale area, here in Queensland, Australia. (4:3, 576p)

Are You Thinking Of Touring Sydney Australia?

When examining a list of attractions or a map of Australia, it’s only natural to think, “I just want to do everything!” But to narrow it down a little bit, Sydney Australia is a destination that won’t disappoint!

If you’re pressed for time, the Australian tourism industry recommends catching the Manly Ferry, taking a harbor cruise, riding the Shelly Ferry, visiting Shell Beach and touring Manly Beach. Many travelers point to the Sydney Opera House as a highlight of their trip as well.

When you come to Sydney Australia, you’ll obviously want to get the most optimal view of the towering buildings, the world-famous Harbour Bridge and the architecturally intriguing Opera House. At Circular Quay, you can travel thirty minutes from the Sydney Harbour to Manly via ferry, where you’ll get the best view of these landmarks.

When you arrive in Manly, you may want to eat some delicious grub at the brand new Manly Wharf Pub. A more traditional, narrated tour is the Sydney Harbour Cruise, which can tell you a little bit about waterfront mansions, Australian history and the city’s multitudinous cultural offerings.

You’ll get the same view as the ferry, but you’ll have a longer ride and more commentary. “Coffee cruises” have become very popular, offering fresh espresso, teas, gourmet biscuits, muffins and Lamingtons, which is an Aussie favorite. Or you can go on the half-day Sydney Harbour sail aboard “Katrina,” a luxury yacht, which will take you to hideaway beaches and bays.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge Cruise will quickly take you beneath the bridge and narrate a little about this landmark, specifically. You’ll stop in the Darling Harbour, where theatres, aquariums and museums await.

For all you land-lubbers, there’s a nice walk from the Manly Ferry Terminal to Shelly Beach. You’ll pass pubs, cafes, shops and restaurants, although, the particularly keen may even spot a Manly penguin or breaching Humpback Whale!

You can take a tour of Manly Beach or get a terrific view of the Sydney Harbour from the North Fort lookout. With the city, the AMP Centrepoint Tower, a 1,000-foot-high Australian national monument, will give you a bird’s eye view of Sydney’s cityscape.

Sports are more than just entertainment in Sydney Australia: it’s an important part of culture and a celebration of the Australians’ pride. It is an important part of the culture. Rugby is by far the most popular sport but you can also see a horse race at Randwick Race Course, an Australian Football League game (cheer for the Sydney Swans!), a National Basketball League game (go Sydney Swifts!), the start of the “Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race” and the quirky “City to Surf” foot race.

When you first arrive in Sydney Australia at the Kingsford Smith airport, unless you’ve booked a tour, you’ll likely feel overwhelmed and out-of-sorts. You can visit the Sydney Visitor Centre in The Rocks at the corner of Argyle & Playfair Streets or the Sydney Visitor Center at 33 Wheat Road in Darling Harbour between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm to get maps and attraction information.

The key to Australian vacationing is to come prepared, so you may want to look online or book a few tours before you depart from your homeland! The “Sydney Sampler,” for instance, offers five nights exploring Sydney. Starting at $U425 per person, you’ll receive five nights of hotel accommodations and round trip airport transfers, a day at Blue Mountains National Park, the Sydney Harbour coffee cruise, the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge and beach tours. You’ll also stop to see wildlife, museums, shops, Aboriginal heritage sites and more. To arrange a tour, you can check “United Vacations Sp”.

TIDE AND TIME: THE CROCODILE ISLANDS

A LANGUAGE IS ABOUT TO DISAPPEAR IN FAR NORTH AUSTRALIA. THE YAN-NHANGU LANGUAGE HAS BUT TWENTY SPEAKERS. Currently, the Yan-nhaŋu Language Team, which consists of both linguists and native speakers, is working to compile resources for the description of Yan-nhaŋu culture and the revitalization of Yan-nhaŋu language. These include a portrait of marine identity, a dictionary, and a learners guide to the language. •

How to Emigrate to Australia

Every year Australia actively seeks skilled immigrants to relocate ‘down under’ and start a new life living in the sunshine of Australia. At the same time, every year thousands of Britons, Europeans and North Americans consider their options of starting a new life far away from their old life in a new country where the climate is fantastic, the lifestyle is excellent and the prospects are pretty much perfect. This is why annually Australia is one of the countries in the world that receives the greatest number of applications from would-be new citizens seeking a residential visa.

Australia offers so much to its citizens, from the aforementioned excellent weather to plentiful job opportunities, from a great standard of affordable living to a free society where everyone is considered equal. If you’re currently a little disillusioned by your home nation because of economic issues, rising crime, falling wages or just because you want a change of scenery and a chance for a new and better life, have you considered emigrating to Australia?

If you have started thinking about it, this guide will show you how to emigrate to Australia with a visa in hand and plenty of potential for your future.

Stage One - Getting Your Visa

Before you rush off and apply for a visa you need to know that there are multiple types of visa that one can apply for to gain residency in Australia. For those who only want to visit for a few months there’s the working holiday visa that allows anyone eligible who is between the age of 18 and 30 to go and live and work their way round Australia for 12 months. For those who want to relocate permanently there are skilled worker visas, employer and investor visas or even humanitarian visas.

You need to spend some time on the Australia immigration department’s website looking at which type you are most likely to be eligible for. There are individuals and agencies out there which can help you with your application - for a fee. But if you prefer to go it alone, just take the process slowly and surely, make sure you send all the evidence of your eligibility with your application and persevere. If you do have skills and talent that would benefit Australia, you stand a good chance of entry.

Stage Two - Making the Move

With your visa in hand you now have to make the move a reality. You may be keen to sell up everything at home and leave with no ties - but what about if a move ‘down under’ to Australia doesn’t work out for you? How will you ever make it back? Think carefully about what solution would work for you best and then know that it is never too soon to start packing, looking for a job in Australia, seeking accommodation etc.

Some people prefer to make the move when they have a home to go to, jobs to go to and the children enrolled in school. Others are happy to just arrive, stay for a few weeks in a holiday let and sort everything out when they are on the ground. Whichever approach you choose, there are others who have gone before you and succeeded so know that although it will be tough at times, you can make a go of it if you try hard.

Stage Three - Coping with Homesickness and Settling In

Although you have dreamt of a move to Australia and finally made your dream come true through pure perseverance and hard work, the honeymoon period once you arrive in Australia doesn’t last long for most people! The stress of actually having to put together the pieces of a new life can take its toll on even the most organised people, and most people reach a point where they think ‘why have I done this? Why have I turned a perfectly good life upside down?’ This feeling is NORMAL! Don’t panic. Just push through, keep your eye on the goal which is settling in to life in Australia and you will get there.

Possibly one of the best things you can do to make your transition easier is make friends. So, get out and about and meeting people and make contacts and friends who will support you and help you, and before you know it, you’ll have that brand new life you dreamed of and you will be happier than ever before!

ReggaeTown Festival 2007

ReggaeTown Festival in Cairns, Far North Australia. With OYaba, Jah Mason, Blue King Brown, Nicky Bomba and HEAPS more. September 1 2007

U/W Sunset, Far Northern Australia

Sunset taken while crossing the Gulf Of Carpenteria, Far North Australia.

A Travel Guide Through Australia

Beyond doubt, Australia is a miraculous nation. The experience will be unbelievable. The enormity of the country and its varied inhabitants give it an appealing spirit. As a tourist, you wish to visit Australia to taste the beauty of the country. You need an Australian visa.

Australia’s biggest attraction is its natural splendor. The thick tropical rain forests, the huge sunny beaches, the Indian Ocean touching hands with the mighty Pacific, the Great Barrier Reef and the placid Tasman Sea are some sites of glory.

Enjoy the delightful outback townships and posh cities which combine a European fervor with a passion for sport. The open-air wine regions have something special for all tourists. You can visit Australia at any season.

The period between spring and autumn are normally the most enchanting. The weather remains calm and pleasant. Spring heralds the entry of fantastic wildflowers in the outback. To be specific, Canberra and the Victorian Alps are gorgeous during this period of the year.

Summer months are from December to February. You may experience hot weather. This climatic condition may be most uncomfortable to a traveler. In the southern states this climate will be grand beach weather for partying. At the same time, the north is rainy and you have to tolerate extreme humid conditions. You need to be very careful about jellyfish.

The sea is full of them around this time. Campervans are trendy options for many travelers. You will find a number of joints that rent fully operational campervans. They vans include complete set of camping gear for the modern traveler. Prices vary on the period of occupancy and they charge reasonably.

With visa Australia, some objects are there in Australia that you should see without fail. We give the introduction of those wonderful objects. The first of them is the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. This icon is nicknamed “The Coathanger” or “Colin” by the localities. This mammoth steel architecture connects the central business distinct of Sydney with the North Shore.

It has motor vehicle road, pedestrian road and railway tracks for the movement of traffic. This marvel of an arch bridge was opened in 1932. The bridge carries many stories that can rouse interest in a traveler interested in history. This is by far the best of all sights in Australia.

The second in the must-see list is the Sydney gay and lesbian Mardi Gras, which is an annual parade ceremony of the members of a particular community. This takes place in February with the opening taking place in January at the Sydney Opera House.

This is one of the best shows of live entertainment in the world. The show includes dances, music, comedy acts, theatrical shows and films on gay and lesbianism. People come from all over the globe to enjoy and take part in events of dance, drama, forums and conferences and other social activities.

You can enjoy the charming ones like the Sydney Opera House, Bondi beach, New South Wales and Manly ferry services Sydney provided you have an Australian visa.

Darwin - The Top End Of Australia

Positioned between Queensland and Western Australia on Australia’s northern coastline, and overlooking the Timor Sea is Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. Darwin has a permanent population of around 110,000 people, but really comes alive during the Dry Season when the tourists flock to the city. With its tropical climate and warm weather all year round, the city enjoys a relaxed outdoor lifestyle and a real buzz occurs each night in the many hotels and nightclubs. If you want to experience some true Australian cuisine then make sure you try Kangaroo, Barramundi and Mud Crabs, or for the real experience try some Buffalo or Crocodile.

On 19th of February 1942, 188 Japanese planes raided Darwin, dropping more bombs on the city than Pearl Harbour. At the time Darwin had a population of about 2,000 people, but this had swelled with an additional 15,000 Allied soldiers based in Darwin due to its strategically-placed naval port and airbase. Darwin came under attack another 58 times during 1942 and 1943, but none were as devastating as the original attack. Today there are still remnants from World War 2 around the city.

Because of Darwin’s location so far north in Australia, the city has 2 distinct seasons, one Wet, and the other Dry. The dry season tends to run from April/May through to October, with the wet season seeing most of the rain fall between December and March. November sees the days becoming very hot and humid because of the build up to the wet season, whereas in the dry season there is very little rain between May and September. If you want to see the waterfalls and rivers in Kakadu at their best, the wet season is the best time to visit Darwin as tours are available to fly over the National Park and see them from the air.

Darwin is the perfect place to base yourself as you explore the Top End of Australia, with good access to the Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks, Katherine Gorge is not too far down the road in Outback terms, and the Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land aren’t too far away. If its fishing you want to do, there are many tour options to chase after the much sought after Barramundi, or you can always watch the crocodiles jump out of the water on a tour up the Adelaide River. There are the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets each Thursday and Sunday evening during the Dry Season where food stalls prepare cuisine from around the world and local artisans and craft people sell a colourful array of goods.

If you would like to read more information on travelling to Darwin, please click on this link: Darwin

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