Red tide on Christmas Island
In the Indian Ocean, Christmas, the furthest island from its homeland (1500 km) has a particularity.
Near Jakarta, this 21 km long rocky peak, two-thirds classified as a National Park, is a unique sanctuary in the world for… red crabs.
Every year, at the start of the rainy season, between October and December, nearly 50 million of these
Gecarcoidea natalis
come out of the forests to reproduce on the beaches before releasing their eggs into the sea where whale sharks and manta rays.
All roads are good to reach the coast.
For several days, thousands of crabs invade the streets and roads of the island.
A mind-blowing spectacle.
Stay on the island from €1,530 for 8 days/7 nights
.
Australianwildlifejourneys.com
Read alsoGreat Barrier Reef, Uluru... Australia's most beautiful natural treasures
Silos signed in Western Australia
Grain silos transformed into monumental works of art in Western Australia Bewley Shaylor
The transformation of grain silos, agricultural landmarks linking rural and coastal towns in the southern regions of Western Australia, into monumental works of art has become a veritable phenomenon that extends throughout Western Australia (
Australiansiloarttrail
. com
)
.
It all started in Northam, near Perth, in 2015, when Form, a cultural organization, commissioned artists to dress eight 38-metre-high grain silos with their talent.
Today, the Public Silo Trail, as the project is called, also spills over the walls of streets, water towers and electrical transformer cabinets, along 1,000 km of Western Power, from Northam to Albany.
Publicsilotrail.com
Art gets wet in Queensland
Off Townsville, the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA).
Melissa Findley, Tourism Australia
Off Townsville, the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA), the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, is set against the Great Barrier Reef.
This remarkable underwater art trail is the work of English sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, fervent defender of underwater biodiversity and founder in 2006 of the very first underwater museum, Molinere Bay in the Caribbean.
Each of his works, including the exceptional cathedral-like
Coral Greenhouse
, is designed to allow the establishment of corals to support the restoration of the reef, damaged by global warming.
Snorkeling or scuba diving, enough to combine reflections on the environment and art.
Different formulas for the day, from 184 to 241 €.
Moua.com.au
Read alsoAustralia: Lord Howe Island, the last stopover before eternity
Adrenaline rush in Tasmania
Gordon Dam is nearly 300 meters high.
Graham Freeman
Chill lovers will appreciate the experience.
Located in Strathgordon in south-west Tasmania, 2.5 hours from Hobart, the Gordon Dam, which overlooks the river and the lake of the same name, is nearly 300 meters high.
The bravest will be able to descend part of it, ie 140 meters without interruption.
Sensitive souls refrain.
The others will enjoy unique sensations, as only Australia can offer.
Allow 2h30 for this morning activity (meet your guides at 9am, on site) and €140 per person.
aardvarkadventures.com.au
The Land of Stars in New South Wales
Outback Astronomy offers night sky viewing parties year round.
Damian Bennett
Light pollution makes it difficult to observe the night sky.
Fortunately, Australia is full of remote places, especially in New South Wales where the Warrumbungle National Park was the first Australian site to obtain the international Dark Sky Park label.
More isolated in the Outback, 6 hours drive from Adelaide, Broken Hill is also a destination of choice to appreciate the celestial vault of the Southern Hemisphere.
On the outskirts of this former mining town, Outback Astronomy offers year-round viewing evenings with powerful binoculars (provided) on a balcony hillside over the vast expanses of desert.
From €48.
Outbackastronomy.com.au
Urban vertigo in Queensland
SkyPoint Observation Deck, an eagle's nest 270 meters above sea level. Tourism and Events Queensland
Australia's tallest outdoor climb begins on the 77th floor of a skyscraper, the iconic Q1 Tower in Surfers Paradise.
Accompanied by a guide and strapped in a harness, the brave participants will then head outside the tower to reach the spire, SkyPoint Observation Deck, an eagle's nest 270 meters above sea level. Regular stops will be made before reaching the summit to enjoy the 360 degree views of the verdant hinterland, the beaches of the Gold Coast and the South Pacific.
Breath-taking assured.
From €56.
Skypoint.com.au
Behind the scenes at the Opera House in Sydney
In 2023, Sydney will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its iconic Opera House.
Eric Martin / Le Figaro
In 2023, Sydney will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its emblematic Opera House which offers to lift the veil on some of its mysteries.
Thanks to a guided tour in small groups, you will be able to discover the backstage of this high artistic place.
On the program: breakfast in the interpreters' dressing rooms and the possibility of attending rehearsals exclusively.
Along the way, connoisseurs of the Opera will share a few anecdotes with you and guide you through the various venues and performance halls.
From €115 per person.
Sydneyoperahouse.com
Read alsoOur 10 gourmet addresses to know in Sydney
Prison break in Tasmania
Port Arthur Prison (a 90 minute drive from Hobart) is steeped in history.
Alastair Bett
Among the thousands of prisons established by the British Empire on Australian soil in the 18th and 19th centuries, eleven have been classified as World Heritage by UNESCO.
Home to the toughest criminals of its day, Port Arthur Prison (90 minutes' drive from Hobart) is steeped in history.
Its buildings, gardens and walking paths have made it a popular tourist site in Tasmania thanks to guided day and night tours where a
Ghost Tour
will take you by the light of a lantern to one of the most haunted places in 'Australia.
Ghost Tower, €24.
Portarthur.org.au
Read alsoTravel in Tasmania, in the hillsides at the end of the world