AUSTRALIA Sydney Harbor Bridge (Sydney, New South Wales)

The Sydney Harbor Bridge, affectionately known locally as ?The Coathanger?, is the world?s most massive steel arch bridge with the highest point soaring 134 meters above the harbor below. The bridge opened in 1932 and stands as an architectural marvel to this day. Images of the bridge are instantly recognizable around the world. Visitors to the area can take advantage of the Bridge Climb where, for a fee, they are escorted into the network of catwalks to the top of the span in the center. From here, the most spectacular view of Sydney Harbor can be experienced. The Bridge Climb can be taken during the day, twilight, or night for different panoramic perspectives. Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia)

The Sydney Opera House is probably Australia?s most instantly recognizable landmark. With its soaring, sail-like arches that dominate its unique construction, the Sydney Opera House has come to represent Australia just as the Eiffel Tower represents France or the Roman Colosseum represents Italy. Queen Elizabeth II opened the structure to the public on October 20, 1973 and since that time the Opera House has become the busiest public venue in the world with some 3000 performances each year and a yearly audience of over 2 million. Guided tours are available, and over 200,000 people a year visit the architectural marvel each year just to tour it. The Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National Park, Western Australia)

The Bungle Bungles are unique, beehive-shaped sandstone formations located in Purnululu National Park that was created after the discovery of the structures. Long known to the local Aborigines, the Bungle Bungles were only discovered by outside civilization in the 1980s when a television crew came upon them. This fact can help the reader understand how remote the Bungle Bungles are in the heart of the Australian Outback some 250 kilometers south of Kununurra. It?s a tough trek getting there as one must first venture along 80 kilometers of dirt roads only navigable by four-wheel drive. The trip is well worth it as the area is a breathtaking natural environment with the Cathedral and Piccaninny Gorges, and the Echidna Chasm. If venturing here be sure to bring your hiking garb, as you will need it. Great Barrier Reef (coast of Queensland, Australia)

The whole continent of Australia is a land of unique natural wonders, but the Great Barrier Reef is the most famous. The Great Barrier Reef is, by far, the world?s largest coral reef system stretching 2600 kilometers in the aptly named Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland. With an area of over 300,000 square kilometers, the huge reef system can make the sole claim that it is the only visible living structure from outer space. The Reef is truly a natural wonder populated with unusual wildlife like the dugong, Loggerhead sea turtle, and many species of dolphins. The area is a major tourist destination with over 2 million visitors a year ? fueling the debate on the environmental impact of the numerous feet tramping on the fragile coral. While your in Queensland, journey further south from the the great barrier reef and tour Brisbane. Uluru/Ayers Rock (Uluru ? Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory)

Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, is the world?s largest monolith, or single piece of stone, on the planet. Uluru is the traditional name given to the monolith by the local Pitjantjatjara people of the region who greatly revere the structure and attach significant spiritual importance to it. Uluru stands in stark contrast to the desert scrub surrounding the huge sandstone formation. Much like an iceberg in the cold seas, much of Uluru?s mass is hidden underground, but above ground Uluru soars 348 meters high and has an elliptical shape with a circumference of 9.4 kilometers. Guided walking tours are

available of this geological marvel and Uluru is particularly notable for its striking appearance at different times of the year as it appears to change colors with the different light angles.

Port Arthur (Tasmania)

Port Arthur is a great tourist destination full of Australian history. Founded as a penal settlement in 1830, Port Arthur originally served the British Empire as a timber station. Industry in the area soon followed and by the 1840s Port Arthur had a convict population of over 1100. However, by the 1870s the convicts were gone and left the buildings of the period that stand to this day that weren?t destroyed by fires in the late 19th century. Tourists soon followed after the settlement closed with an interest in viewing the ?horrors? of a British penal colony. Preservation of Port Arthur as a historic site was established with the creation of the Scenery Preservation Board in 1916. Today, ongoing archeological studies continue to dig up the penal colony past.

BRITAIN Tower of London

For over 900 years, The Tower of London has been standing guard over the capital. As a Royal Palace, fortress, prison, place of execution, arsenal, Royal Mint, Royal Zoo and jewel house, it has witnessed many great events in British history.

The Tower of London was originally built by William the Conqueror, following his successful invasion of England in 1066. The Tower of London is perhaps better known as a prison. The prisoners would be brought, via the river, from Westminster where they would have been tried and crowds would wait on the river bank to find out the verdict to see if they would be treated to the spectacle of a public execution. The executioner, with his long sharp axe would stand behind the accused on the boat. If the accused was guilty he would point his axe towards the victim and if not guilty he would point it away. People knew that if found guilty there would be a public execution 48 hours later.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official and main royal London home. It has been the official London residence of Britain's monarchy since 1837. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live there.

Buckingham Palace is also an office Buckingham Palace is used also for the administrative work for the monarchy. It is here in the state apartments that Her Majesty receives and entertains guests invited to the Palace. History of Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace was originally a grand house built by the Dukes of Buckingham for his wife. George IV began transforming it into a palace in 1826.

St Paul's Cathedral

The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the second biggest dome in the world, after St Peter's in Rome

The first St Paul's Cathedral was built in 604 AD but burnt down in 675. The rebuilt cathedral was again burnt down in the Great Fire of London in 1666. On 2nd September, 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed a large area of the city including St. Paul's Cathedral. Sir Christopher Wren was given the task of designing and rebuilding St. Paul's - a task that was to take him thirty-five years to complete. The most dramatic aspect of St. Paul's was its great dome. It was the second largest dome ever built (the largest was St. Peter's Basilica in Rome).

The Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, known also as the Houses of Parliament or just Westminster, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. It is the place where laws governing British life are debated and passed.

From the middle of the 11th century until 1512 the Palace of Westminster was the royal home to the Kings and Queens of England, hence the name. The Palace of Westminster features three main towers. Of these, the largest and tallest is the 98.5-metre (323 ft) Victoria Tower, which occupies the south-western corner of the Palace. The Queen rides in a State coach to Westminster to open each new session of Parliament, usually in the second week in November. Only Westminster Hall (scene of many trials, such as Guy Fawkes' and Charles I's) and St Stephen's Crypt escaped the great fire of 1834. Over 700 years of history were destroyed in that dramatic fire.
The fire gave Sir Charles Barry the opportunity of designing the Gothic Houses of Parliament we know today. The modern Palace of Westminster is the largest Gothic building in the world - there are over 1,000 rooms and two miles of corridors in it

Big Ben
The Palace of Westminster contain the bell Big Ben that is struck each quarter hour. A light in the clock tower tells when the House of Commons is in session.

Big Ben is one of the most famous landmarks in the world. The clock tower is situated on the banks of the river Thames and is part of the Palace of Westminster. Officially "Big Ben" does not refer to the whole clocktower (also known as St Stephen's Tower), but to the huge thirteen ton bell that strikes the hour. The Great Bell which was first struck on the 7 September 1859 The Big Ben bell has the following measurements: 9'-0" diameter, 7'-6" high, and weighs 13 tons 10 cwts 3 qtrs 15lbs (13,760 Kg

Westminster Abbey is just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the oldest
buildings in London and one of the most important religious centres in the country.

he Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor, and William the Conqueror was crowned in it on Christmas Day Every King and Queen has been crowned in Westminster Abbey since William the Conqueror in 1066. Many kings and Queens and famous people are buried or commemorated at Westminster Abbey. Its founder, Edward the Confessor, was made a saint after his death and he is buried in a special chapel dedicated to him. National figures including Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, David Livingstone, Sir Isaac Newton, Rudyard Kipling, Clement Attlee, William Pitt are buried in Westminster Abbey.

London Eye

The British Airways London Eye (Millennium Wheel) stands 135 metres (443 feet) high on the South Bank of the River Thames between Westminster and Hungerford Bridges. It is the world's highest observation wheel.

The wheel was constructed in sections which were floated up the river Thames on barges and assembled lying flat on pontoons. Once the wheel was complete it was raised into its upright position by cranes, initially being lifted at a rate of about 2 degrees per hour until it reached 65 degrees.
The total weight of steel in the Eye is 1,700 tonnes.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is the most famous prehistoric monument in Britain. It is a circle of stones.

People began building Stonehenge about 5,000 years ago, dragging each stone into place. Stonehenge is situated on Salisbury Plain in the county of Wiltshire. Age estimated at 3100 BC Location Wiltshire, UK Type of stone Bluestone, Sarson, Welsh Sandstone

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle has been a royal residence for over 900 years and today is one of the homes of Queen Elizabeth ll. The royal standard flies from the round tower of the Castle when the Queen is in residence. Windsor Castle has dominated the river Thames for over 900 years. It was built by the Normans from timber and later rebuilt in stone.