Overview
The traditional Aboriginal Australians have a rich history that dates back at least 40,000 years. Australia, that we know today, though, is vastly different to what Captain Cook once discovered when he landed on this huge island-country-continent. There still exists a world of difference between Aboriginal and the modern Australian lifestyle.
In its early years, when the settlements in Australia were few and far between, the Europeans knew it as ‘Terra Australis’. From 1606, the penal settlements started flowing into the country with the Dutch East India Company starting the trend. Till 1868, the country had more than 160,000 convicts settled by the British and thus, started the development of modern cities along the coast.
Soon, the British established control over the entire country and treated the indigenous Kooris very brutally, which led them to migrate towards interiors. Realising the grave mistake committed by the British, ‘National Sorry Day’ became a regular feature in the Australian calendar since 1998.
The modern Australians also recognise the tremendous contribution of the Aboriginals in enriching their culture and tradition. The Didgeridoo and the Boomerang are the classic examples of what Aboriginals mean to the world. Another momentous monolith, Uluru (Ayers Rock), is simply stunning for most European visitors with the Sun offering magnificent red and orange views. The truth seekers simply love to explore and understand the Aboriginal Dreamtime, and try to reconcile it with what they see in modern Australia, which is a carefree and fun-filled lifestyle.
The natural beauty of Australia is enough to mesmerise anyone looking for unspoilt places amidst miles and miles of sun-soaked beaches. In fact, sun, sand, and beaches is what describes Australia best for the visitors from around the world. Hundreds of surfing schools will surely keep the surf-lovers hooked on to the country. This world’s largest island boasts of some stunning landscape scenery ranging from numerous tropical rainforests playing perfect host to native Australian flora and fauna (like Kangaroos, Koala Bears, Emus, Eucalyptus trees, etc.), vast barren deserts, rugged mountains, and far-flung places totally cut off from the rest of the country.
The cities, like Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, etc. have transformed the once Aboriginal laidback style of life into a cosmopolitan one. The country is a fine amalgam of cultures from different parts of the world visible throughout from Sydney’s Great Harbour to Melbourne’s ultra-glamorous outlook to the happening Chinatown.