So much so that one can spend all day stating fun facts about Australia. We are sure you may already know a bunch of them. So, what are some fun facts about Australia? Do you know any?
If not then don’t worry as today we will share 10 fun facts about Australia with you that are not only interesting but also very informative if you read this article all the way, maybe there are some more bonus facts for you, so keep reading to learn more about the continent of Australia.
1. Australia Is Home to the World’s Longest Fence
Yes, you heard that right, Australia has the world’s longest fence in the world and that is to tackle its Dingo problem. For those who don’t know Dingoes are a type of wild dog native to Australia and are known for attacking sheep and other farm animals.
So, to protect the animals Australia has built a 5,614-kilometer-long fence that starts in Queensland and goes all the way to South Australia, almost dividing the continent in half.
2. Australia Was Once Home to Mega Fauna
Australia may be known for its Kangaroos and Emus today, but did you know that there was a time when it used to have Mega Fauna? The only thing more interesting than a normal Kangaroo is a Kangaroo that is 3-meter or 10-foot tall, so imagine those guys hoping around.
If you don’t find the prospect of 10-foot-tall kangaroos not scary at all, then perhaps giant lizards called Megalania who grew up to be 23 feet or 7 meters long would be scary. But that is not all, Australia also had wombats the size of small cars, so how is that for fun facts about Australia?
3. The Great Barrier Reef Is the World’s Largest Living Structure
Of all the Australian fun facts you will read here, this is perhaps the most heartbreaking. You may already know that Australia is home to the Great Barrier Reef which stretches over 2,300 kilometers and is considered the largest living structure in the world.
But due to climate change and other factors, this natural wonder of the world which is home to more than 1500 different types of fish, 400 types of corals, and thousands of other marine species is slowly dying.
4. Australia Once Had a Gold Rush That Rivaled California’s
Next on the list of fun facts about Australia is the Australian Gold Rush. We have all heard stories of the gold rush in America, particularly the California gold rush, but did you know there was one in Australia as well?
This gold rush started in the 1850s when thousands of people, flocked to Victoria and New South Wales in search of gold and eventually made Melbourne what it is today, so this one was for those who want to know what are some fun facts about the history of Australia.
5. Australia Has Pink Lakes
Of all the fun facts about Australia, this one is perhaps the strangest one and makes you think when you find out that Australia has pink lakes and yes you read that right. Lake Hillier in Western Australia is known to have bright pink water and owing to its color has become a major tourist attraction.
Its pink color is attributed to the type of algae that grows beneath it and produces pink pigment. But that is not the only lake as there are others like Lake Eyre and Hutt Lagoon.
6. Australia Has the Most Venomous Animals in the World
For most people, this is common knowledge and hence shouldn’t be on the list of fun facts about Australia, but considering how many different species of animals in Australia are venomous, it should be on the list, for we are not only talking about deadly spiders and snakes.
You also have ants and other insects and if you thought the oceans were safer than land, then don’t forget there are snakes that live in water and the oceans are also home to box jellyfish and blue-ringed octopus, all extremely venomous.
7. There’s a Town in Australia That Lives Underground
It is now secret that the Australian climate can be really harsh and the extreme desert heat can be deadly. To deal with this, one town in South Australia chose to build underground homes. The town is called Coober Pedy and people here live in dugouts, which are carved in the rocks beneath the ground.
The town is also one of the largest opal producers in the world and hence dubbed “The Opal Capital of the World.
8. Australia Was Once a Penal Colony
Another in the list of historical fun facts about Australia is the fact that Australia once used to be a British penal colony. In fact, that is how it originally started out, when in 1788 the first British fleet arrived at its shore in Sydney carrying more than 700 convicts.
Each year more and more convicts along with other settlers arrived in Australia and in 80 years, Australia was home to more than 160,000 convicts of Britain.
9. Australia Has More Kangaroos Than People
How can this be a list of fun facts about Australia and not have any facts about Kangaroos. So, to remedy this, did you know, that Australia has more Kangaroos than people? Australia has a human population of 26 million, while the Kangaroo population is twice that and approximately 50 million.
10. There’s a Place Where Two Oceans Meet
Considering that Australia is the largest Island surrounded by water and is known for its beaches; it is only appropriate that the list of fun facts about Australia should end with a fact about oceans. Australia is home to Cape Leeuwin, which is a place in Western Australia, where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean and waves are just spectacular.
Bonus Fact
Wycliffe Well is a small town in Northern Australia, that is known as the “UFO Capital of the World” as many people here have witnessed UFO sightings and as a result, there are many UFO-themed murals and attractions in the town.
