Unique Wildlife of Australia & New Zealand....That You Won't Find in the U.S.

AUSTRALIA

1. Red Kangaroo- I had to start off with one that everyone would know. The red kangaroo is Australia's largest kangaroo of the nearly 60 species in the kangaroo family, and normally move in groups ranging from a few dozen to several hundred individuals.

2. Bilby- Bilbys are rabbit size marsupials with large ears (they have great hearing, and the ears also allow the bilby to lose heat, a sort of "thermoregulation") and their fur is soft grey with a bluish tinge. The Bilby has gone from being a very prolific animal in Australia, once covering more than 70% of the mainland, to near extinction and surviving on the edges of Australia's great arid regions.



3. Dugong- The Dugong (sometimes refered to as a "Seacow") is a mammal, that is, it suckles its young. Dugongs are large grey mammals which spend their entire lives in the sea. Though Acquatic, it breathes air through lungs and has live babies, not eggs like fish.

NEW ZEALAND

1. Kiwi- The kiwi is New Zealand's national icon and unofficial national emblem. New Zealanders have been "Kiwis" since the days of the First World War. It's a nickname bestowed by fellow Australian soldiers, and it stuck. Today their identity as "Kiwis" is based around their national bird.

2. Killer Whale/Orca- Despite its confusing name, the killer whale is actually the largest member of the dolphin family. It is well known and can be identified relatively easily by its distinctive black and white markings and very tall, prominent dorsal fin.

3. Long-Tailed Bat- Bats are New Zealand's only native land mammals. Long-tailed bats were common throughout New Zealand in the 1800s and were recorded in colonies of "scores", "hundreds", and "thousands". By 1900-1930 they were becoming scarce in many districts.

Flags!

-Flag of Australia

Flag of New Zealand>


Do these look similar to you? Most former British Colonies had a Union Jack (what most people know to be in the British flag) in one corner of their flag. Australia and New Zealand are not alone in this. There are actually many countries in the Caribbean and the South Pacific that carry the Union Jack. Interestingly, the US state of Hawaii also has one as it was governed by the British at one time.

Anyway, when these countries became independent they kept the Union Jack in place, partly as a point of history and to show their link with Britain as a member of the Commonwealth. Other countries, such as Canada and South Africa, have revised their respective flags so that they do not feature the Union Jack any longer. This is an action that many believe both Australia and New Zealand should take with their flags.

There are differences between the New Zealand and Australian flags though. The New Zealand flag has one less star in its Southern Cross. The stars that are there are colored red. Australia has an extra star in its Southern Cross, and another star with points representing each state and the territories under the Union Jack. All the Australian stars are colored white. The Southern Cross constellation is fairly common on many countries flags in the Southern Hemisphere.

Iconic Australian and New Zealand Foods

Loving food as much as I do, I found it interesting the foods that are unique to Australia and New Zealand.

When Australia was settled by Great Britain in 1788 and New Zealand several decades later, the people relied heavily on imported goods in order to make their favorite foods. Since then, both countries have developed a range of food items which are quintessentially Australian and/or New Zealander. Sometimes they fight over who invented what and when. What follows, is a sample of these icons.

1. Lamingtons- A squarish piece of sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut. There are many variations of Lamingtons; one calls for the cake to be cut in half and then filled with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Australia even has their own National Lamington Day!

2. The Pavlova- The Pavlova is New Zealand's national dessert. This delicate cake is part of a great debate between Australians and New Zealanders who both lay claim to its invention. The Pavlova is a meringue shell with a marshmallowy center topped with whipped cream and fruit.


3. Shrimp on the Barbie!- The phrase "slip a shrimp on the barbie" was made famous by a television advertisement developed by the Australian Tourism Commission in the mid-1980s. The ad starred Crocodile Dundee actor Paul Hogan and was aimed at increasing American tourism to Australia, which it did very successfully. The ad is somewhat misleading. While the word "barbie" is short for "barbecue" and commonly used, the word "shrimp" is never used. Australians call it a "prawn."

4. Vegemite- Vegemite is a dark brown, savory spread. It was invented in 1922 by Dr. Cyril Callister, a chemist employed by the Fred Walker Company (later bought by Kraft). Its taste can best be described as salty with a subtle bitterness (although I hear this is one product that defies description). It is lightly spread on toast or crackers with some butter. It can also be spread on toast with peanut butter or cheese slices and sometimes used to flavor soup stocks. New Zealanders, while many like Vegemite, tend to prefer Marmite. Marmite has quite a similar taste to Vegemite, but it's slightly sweeter.

A few interesting facts about Australia...

For those tourists looking to get a more inside look into this country/continent, here are a few interesting facts that one wouldn't normally think about:
1. Australia is the smallest , flattest, driest inhabited continent in the world.
2. Not all Aboriginies could vote until 1971.
3. The box Jelly fish is known as the world's most venomous marine creature and has killed more Australians then sharks, crocodiles, and stone fish combined!
4. Melbourne once was the capital before they made Canberra.
5. Queensland has the largest and most profitable narrow-gauge railway system in the world.
6. Australia was once a British penal colony filled with thieves, murders etc.
7. Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world!
8. The Australian Alps get more snow then Switzerland.
9. Melbourne has the second largest Greek population.

So for those who are traveling to this unique country, you'll now be a little more knowledgeable than many others about the 'Land Down Under!'