A glimpse of Sydney's wildlife




Interested about Wildlife in Australia? If you are landing in Sydney, a couple of places are distinguished for this purpose. Discover furry koalas, skipping kangaroos and shy platypus in zoos and wildlife parks just minutes from the heart of Sydney city.

Don't expect to see kangaroos or reptiles when you have landed in Sydney, if you do, you must have landed somewhere else. If you have confirmed your destination (which is Sydney) then I guess you must have your eyes checked.

Many tourists still see Australia as having a land with kangaroos on the street. Most of them are found somewhere on the bush or some place where they can feel that they have the sense of habitat. The easiest way to experience fauna in Sydney is to transport to the zoos, the largest collection of the city's wildlife is at Taronga Zoo, its size and its years of serving makes it a spectacular place to discover wildlife and preservation. Taronga zoo is located north of Sydney Harbour. To get there, take a ferry from Circular Quay and the Central Business District, the trip is approximately 12 minutes. Make it scenic, transport through one of the cable cars of Sky Safari that operates from the Top Entrance to the Ferry Wharf from 9.30am to 5.00pm daily. Not finding it cool? Take the bus.

Some people wishes to discover Australian wildlife in their original habitat and state, one way of doing this is hiring a 4WD or a campervan hire Australia, depending on your intended wildlife location. Why not, if you have more than a day and would love to do other stuff like hiking, camping, etc, this is a call for adventure. Handle some safety while doing this and always as a local about animal behaviors.

Another wildlife haven in Sydney is the Sydney Wildlife World located within walking distance of the city centre. It is an ideal place to see wildlife given the limited time. Sydney Wildlife World is adjacent to Sydney Aquarium, between Cockle Bay and King St Wharf. Also consider Featherdale Wildlife Park, located in the western Sydney suburb of Doonside, about 40 minutes by road from the Sydney centre.

A Synopsis of Disney Theme Parks





With Disney continually increasing its repertoire of parks and attractions, it is difficult to keep up with them! This overview gives a quick look at some of the popular Disney parks.
Epcot Center: The Epcot Center is divided into two main sections, the Future World and the World Showcase. The Future World features futuristic attractions that focus on innovation and the future, and there are many options for entertainment and shows with this theme.
The World Showcase has pavilions displaying eleven different countries. Each pavilion showcases the culture and cuisine from each country. There are opportunities for shopping and other attractions at the pavilions as well. A few of the countries included are Morocco, Norway, China, and Mexico.
The Epcot Center allows you expand your horizons! You can try being a racecar driver, go through a space training lab, and fly through the Imagination Institute.
Disney Animal Adventure Park: This Walt Disney park is unique in its mission. Not only does this park aim to inspire imagination and entertainment in its visitors, it also strives for quality animal care and research. There are many chances to learn about animals, with 1,700 animals across the park’s 500 acres!
The different areas of this park include Africa, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Asia, and Dinoland. These areas offer educational opportunities to see animals up-close, and occasionally even pet them!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: This amusement park takes you out from the theater and into the scene, allowing visitors to experience behind-the-scenes action from their favorite movies. All attractions are based on box office superstars, and there are chances in the park to meet superstars, like your favorite princesses. One of the popular attractions at this park is the American Idol Experience, which lets visitors experience the excitement of American Idol firsthand.
Disneyland Resort: The Disneyland Resorts have the iconic castle in the background. Bring your little princess in her Sleeping Beauty dress, and let her experience her fairytale firsthand! You can visit Mickey Mouse at his house, experience the classic ride “It’s a Small World,” and go on an adventure with Indiana Jones. You can get the autograph of your favorite princesses and other Disney characters throughout the park.
There is a futuristic portion to these resorts as well, offering a hands-on innovation area. With tea cups, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and other rides staring favorites like Pinocchio, this park is sure to please any Disney fan. There are vintage shopping areas, frequent parades, and firework shows as well.
Downtown Disney: Downtown Disney is a shopping and eating experience just outside of the Disneyland resorts. Parking and entrance to this attraction are free! There are live dancers and musicians performing throughout Downtown Disney. This is a fun place to stroll through and shop in the evening.

Everest Environmentalists




It was almost inevitable that a high mountain like Mount Everest (8,848m) would become a high profile platform for environmental issues. On December the 7th 2009, the UN Climate Change Conference will begin in Copenhagen, but green campaigns are already under way to put pressure on world leaders to curb greenhouse gas emissions.



The most daring stunt aiming to influence the Copenhagen summit from Everest's summit had been planned by an Indian expedition. They intended to draw attention to the effects of global warming by skiing from Everest's peak down to Everest Base Camp and, in doing so, set a high-altitude skiing record. Unfortunately, an increase in avalanche risk from heavy snows meant they had to abandon the expedition.



Base Camp Swim Trek



In April 2010, a hardy individual and adventurer, called Lewis Gordon Pugh, is planning to use his courage to help the environmental cause in Nepal. Lewis is a long-distance swimmer who has previously demonstrated his remarkable constitution and determination by swimming in the sub-zero Arctic Ocean. He put up with the intense cold on that occasion to draw media attention to the receding icecaps, and intends to stage a similar publicity stunt at Everest next year to draw attention to the disappearing glaciers in the Himalaya and worldwide.



Wearing only trunks and goggles, he will swim a kilometre in the Khumbu Glacier's lake, close to Everest Base Camp. Lewis expects the experience will be "excruciating", and points out that there aren't facilities to take a hot shower on the mountain. There will be a dinghy accompanying him on his freezing swim in case he gets into difficulty, and Lewis has enlisted the help of some Sherpas to haul the escort boat along the Everest Base Camp Trek trail to the lake.



Everest Biker



As part of an ongoing odyssey, Japanese cyclist Keiichi Iwasaki has shown he is the ultimate green traveller, setting an example for everyone. Keiichi has been travelling around the world for years, but has been doing it entirely under his own steam: by bicycle. During his eight-year journey, he has travelled through thirty seven countries and had amazing experiences, all at a low cost to the planet and his pocket.



One of the stops on his grand tour was Nepal, where Keiichi diverted his round-the-world bicycle trek to Everest Base Camp so he could summit the world's tallest mountain. He successfully reached the peak of Everest in 2005, having clearly developed the necessary stamina and lung power from all those hours of cycling. Because of this, Keiichi has earned the curious accolade of being the only man known to have journeyed from sea-level to the top of Everest unassisted, in other words, using just his own power.



The Everest Trekking Environment



Despite concerns for its preservation, the Everest landscape is far from ruined. It remains an incredibly beautiful and varied environment that changes visibly at different altitudes; something that can be witnessed on the many trekking routes through the Himalayan countryside.



These treks are predominantly led by Nepalese guides who take pride in their country and its maintenance, and come from communities living along the Everest Base Camp Trek trails, communities that have learned to have a limited impact on their surroundings. It's a lesson the rest of the world needs to learn in order to preserve our planet's most breathtaking and vulnerable environments.