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| Image: Keith Zhu/Unsplash |
The itinerary
Australia is somewhere that's not on my real life travel bucket list - I have nothing against it, but it's so far away, there are plenty of other places closer to home that I'd like to visit first, before committing to that lengthy flight. Thankfully, the Australian tourist board offers virtual tours of plenty of the country's cultural experiences, including Dinosaur Walk at the Melbourne Museum, and the art collection at the National Gallery of Victoria. No plane ticket required.
For me, one of the most iconic Australian sights is Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Sydney Opera House. If I do ever make it to Australia in person, I'd love to climb the Harbour Bridge, but in the meantime I'll make do with this 3D tour of the area by Qantas, and this 3D rendering of the Opera House. If you're more about the culture than the architecture, a programme of digital performances is available to watch at home, including the Australian Ballet performing Swan Lake.
Teleporting several hours north to Brisbane, I'm dropping in on Steve Irwin's famous Australia Zoo, with a video tour given by his son, Robert. He's clearly inherited his father's enthusiasm and love for animals, and it's a great introduction to Australian wildlife, including wombats and wallabies - and the excellently named Crikey Cafe.
Finally, a couple of days (!) drive away in almost the centre of the country, is another of Australia's most famous sights, Uluru. But before we get there, can we take a moment to appreciate just how vast Australia is, and just how remote some parts of it are. My curiousity for maps had me Googling a route between Australia Zoo and Uluru, and it's a 35 hour drive. Not only that, it's a very round-about route, going down to the coast at Adelaide and back up, instead of cross country, presumably because there are no roads travelling across that route. It amounts to a diversion approximately the length of the entire UK. Mindboggling.
Anyway, back to Uluru, my final stop on this Aussie tour, just in time for sunset. Parks Australia offers several online Story Spheres, complete with 3D footage and voiceovers and sound effects. Best of all, it goes into the Aboriginal history and folklore of the area, with stories told by Aboriginal people and Anangu traditional owners, and translated into English. I found it absolutely fascinating, not only to hear about the culture, but to get an idea of the size and scale of Uluru, and learn that it's not just a flat rock, but has caves and water features within. The best virtual tour I've found on this trip so far.
If you fancy a quieter Uluru stroll without the commentary, Uluru Tours Australia has one embedded on its website.
For me, one of the most iconic Australian sights is Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Sydney Opera House. If I do ever make it to Australia in person, I'd love to climb the Harbour Bridge, but in the meantime I'll make do with this 3D tour of the area by Qantas, and this 3D rendering of the Opera House. If you're more about the culture than the architecture, a programme of digital performances is available to watch at home, including the Australian Ballet performing Swan Lake.
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| Image: Australia Zoo |
Teleporting several hours north to Brisbane, I'm dropping in on Steve Irwin's famous Australia Zoo, with a video tour given by his son, Robert. He's clearly inherited his father's enthusiasm and love for animals, and it's a great introduction to Australian wildlife, including wombats and wallabies - and the excellently named Crikey Cafe.
Finally, a couple of days (!) drive away in almost the centre of the country, is another of Australia's most famous sights, Uluru. But before we get there, can we take a moment to appreciate just how vast Australia is, and just how remote some parts of it are. My curiousity for maps had me Googling a route between Australia Zoo and Uluru, and it's a 35 hour drive. Not only that, it's a very round-about route, going down to the coast at Adelaide and back up, instead of cross country, presumably because there are no roads travelling across that route. It amounts to a diversion approximately the length of the entire UK. Mindboggling.
Anyway, back to Uluru, my final stop on this Aussie tour, just in time for sunset. Parks Australia offers several online Story Spheres, complete with 3D footage and voiceovers and sound effects. Best of all, it goes into the Aboriginal history and folklore of the area, with stories told by Aboriginal people and Anangu traditional owners, and translated into English. I found it absolutely fascinating, not only to hear about the culture, but to get an idea of the size and scale of Uluru, and learn that it's not just a flat rock, but has caves and water features within. The best virtual tour I've found on this trip so far.
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| Photo: Danny Lau/Unsplash |
If you fancy a quieter Uluru stroll without the commentary, Uluru Tours Australia has one embedded on its website.
Where I'm staying
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| Image: Taronga Zoo |
In pop culture
On the menu
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| It's not the most photogenic of dishes |
Souvenir shopping
Other than a cuddly toy kangaroo or a koala keyring, the most Australian object I can think of is a boomerang, and even in researching this, I've learned more about Aboriginal history. Aboriginal Australians used a non-returning variety of boomerang for hunting, though I'll probably just stick to the iconic L-shaped one for my wall.
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