Five things you may not know about Australia — how was Australia discovered?

Text / Compiled and reported by Chen Guanxin, MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network

In recent years, Australia has sparked a wave of working holiday and study abroad trends in China, attracting many young people to experience the ups and downs of life overseas, broaden their horizons, and try to gain a deeper understanding of local customs and culture through travel. However, aside from driving along the Great Ocean Road, hugging koalas, and seeing the Sydney Opera House, there are many lesser-known local stories in Australia waiting for travelers to explore and experience.

Traveling in Australia involves discovering many local details. (Image source / From the Sydney Opera House fan page)

1. The Sydney Opera House has a unique exterior, but its construction was full of twists and turns

When it comes to iconic Australian architecture, the uniquely designed Sydney Opera House is definitely the top choice. Having just celebrated its 40th birthday this month, the Sydney Opera House was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, making it the youngest World Heritage Site to date.

However, this pride of Australia had a rather bumpy construction process and wasn't very popular at first. In 1956, Danish architect Jørn Utzon won the design competition for the Sydney Opera House and took on the major responsibility of being the chief designer. But because his design for the Opera House was so unique, there were many execution difficulties with the construction methods of the time, causing delays, increasing costs, and the then- government refused to pay for the construction expenses, forcing Jørn Utzon to resign as chief designer. The subsequent work was taken over by Peter Hall.

The Sydney Opera House officially opened to the public in October 1973, but Jørn Utzon did not attend the grand opening ceremony, nor did he ever set foot on Australian soil again.

The Sydney Opera House, which just celebrated its 40th birthday this month, faced many challenges during its construction. (Image source / From the Sydney Opera House fan page)

2. Australia is not only famous for koalas, but also has the world’s largest population of wild camels

Hugging adorable koalas and taking photos together is also one of the must-do activities when visiting Australia. Although koalas are beloved worldwide and have become one of Australia’s symbols, Australia’s wild camel population ranks first in the world, making them another kind of “Australian pride.”

These wild camels were introduced to the Australian desert in the 18th century to solve transportation issues in inland desert areas. But as time passed, there are now over a million camels roaming the deserts. These camels not only cause water holes in the desert to dry up but also damage sacred sites of local Indigenous peoples.

Although the continuously growing camel population is damaging parts of the ecology and environment, prompting Australian authorities to launch culling programs for wild camels, Alice Springs, one of the three major towns in Australia’s Northern Territory, is actually quite welcoming to camels. Every July, the area hosts an exciting camel racing event — the “Lasseters Camel Cup” and related activities, bringing together people across the country for a wild celebration with the camels.

Australia has the world’s largest population of wild camels, and there are also festive events themed around camels. (Image source / From the Lasseters Camel Cup official website)

3. Australians love outdoor activities, but they’re also big on gambling?

Australia’s diverse outdoor activities are reflected in the energetic spirit of its people. However, Australia’s casinos are also quite famous. There are a total of 14 casinos across Australia, and in terms of the ratio of population to number of casinos, Australia ranks highest in the world. According to a research report by “H2 Gambling Capital,” a division of the global entertainment consulting group “H2 Leisure Group,” in 2012, Australians spent an average of approximately USD 1,314 per person on gambling activities, also ranking first in the world. In addition, a new casino under construction in Sydney is set to be completed in 2019, which will add new momentum to Australia’s gambling scene.

Australia has more than 10 professional casinos, with the highest density in the world. (Image provided / Moleskine Editorial Department)

4. Australia is also a “country of a thousand islands”

Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world. Its continent spans 7.68 million square kilometers, but even more astonishing is that it is surrounded by over 8,000 small islands. These include the island state of Tasmania, the world’s largest sand island Fraser Island, and the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. In addition, among these islands, there are also many named after animals, such as Kangaroo Island, Lizard Island, and Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour.

The Australian continent is surrounded by more than 8,000 small islands, including animal-named islands such as Cockatoo Island and Kangaroo Island. (Image source / From the Australian Antarctic Division website)

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