By Sarah Megginson
Australia Travel Expert, about.com
Every colour of the rainbow is represented in our great land down under. Which shade will you land on during your next Aussie vacation?
White[post_ads_2]
Hyams Beach
The
Guinness Book of World Records lists Hyams Beach, which is almost three
hours south of Sydney, as having the whitest sands in the world.
Australia is well known for its incredible beaches but Hyams Beach is
definitely one of the most beautiful.
Whitehaven Beach
Whitehaven Beach, on Whitsunday Island in Queensland, has been consistently voted one of Australia’s favourite beaches.
Its secluded, private nature makes for a veritable heaven on earth;
there’s no accommodation near Whitehaven Beach, which is accessible only
by boat.
Though it may not be the whitest sand in the world, the
incredibly bright sands of Whitehaven Beach must be a close second.
There are no facilities available at Whitehaven, so make sure to take
everything with you when you go.
Red
Uluru
The Australian outback is known for its harsh climate, Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) and scarlet sands that stretch as far as the eye can see.
Uluru, found in the south of the Northern
Territory about an hour’s flight from Alice Springs, is Australia’s most
recognisable natural landmark, and holds a very deep significance to
the Aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of Australia.
Why
so red? The soil found in the Australian outback is rich in iron, which
rusts when it comes in contact with the oxygen in the air, causing the
soil to turn an incredibly bright shade of orange-red.
Green[post_ads_2]
Cradle Mountain National Park
The island state of Tasmania is home to some of the most rugged and pristine bushland and rainforest in Australia, and the Cradle Mountain National Park,
two-and-a-half hours from Hobart, is no exception. With everything from
sparse alpine vegetation to dense, mossy rainforests, Cradle Mountain
National Park is arguably one of the greenest locations in Australia.
In
winter, the area is covered in a layer of snow, but it’s spring where
the area’s rugged beauty truly shines through. The native flora show off
every shade of green, from deep almost-black mossy green, the
flickering shades of sunlight through the Eucalyptus, to light green new
growth of a flowering shrub.
Blue
Shark Bay
With crystal clear waters and clean, untouched beaches, Shark Bay in Western Australia feels like another world away. Shark Bay
is where red cliffs and sand meets turquoise water that is almost
unbelievably blue. Despite the name you can swim in the incredible
waters of Shark Bay. In fact, you’re more likely to see whales, dolphins
or any number of other wild creatures than you are to come nose-to-nose
with the infamous Great White.
Blue Mountains
From a distance, the Blue Mountains
have a distinct – and quite unique – blue colouring, for which the
region is named. The colouring, which is significantly less blue the
closer you get, is caused by Eucalyptus oil evaporating from the
countless gumtrees in the National Parks. As a result, the mountains
look particularly vibrant during summer and on hot, sunny days.
Thankfully,
there’s much more to do in the Blue Mountains than simply admire them
from a distance. Take a hike through one of many National Parks, marvel at nature’s wonders at the Three Sisters, ride the steepest passenger train in the world at Scenic World, or simply enjoy a coffee in one of the many quaint and quirky cafes.
Rainbow[post_ads_2]
Great Barrier Reef
Though ‘rainbow’ doesn’t really qualify as a colour, but there’s no other way to describe the incredible colour of the Great Barrier Reef.
As the world’s largest reef system, and home to around 1,500 species of
fish, you can expect to see every colour imaginable when diving or
snorkelling off one of the 900 islands that are part of the reef.
You
can book a snorkelling or diving day tour to explore the Great Barrier
Reef from Cairns, in northern Queensland, or the Whitsunday Islands, a
2-hour flight from Brisbane.
