8 Geographical Facts of Australia ...

The first of these geographical facts of Australia begins with something you wouldn’t normally expect for the flattest non-polar continent in the world. Mount Kosciuszko towers above Australia in the Kosciuszko National Park. It’s 2,228 meters above sea level and has an intriguing history because it was actually named in honor of General Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish American Revolutionary war hero, by Count Paul Edmund Strzelecki in 1840. Budding climbers and artists alike should always consider visiting the picturesque Snowy Mountains range in which Australia’s tallest peak stands.

The longest river in Australia is easily the Murray River. It’s a massive 2,375 kilometers in length and rises in the Australian Alps and flows across the inland plains. It forms a natural barrier between the states of Victoria and New South Wales. The river offers the perfect place for sailing, picnicking, and taking a scenic drive along its banks.

Deserts make up a large part of Australia, with 18% of the mainland completely covered in sparsely populated sandy plains. The Great Victoria Desert, at a massive 348,750 kilometers squared, is the scene of many a tourist who foolishly lost their trail and met their end here. It’s mainly populated by indigenous Australians, but bushwalkers and road trippers regularly cross parts of the desert. It would definitely be an adventure vacation to remember!

This addition to the list of geographical facts of Australia is cheating a little bit, but it’s always worth a mention. The largest island is Australia itself. In fact, it takes the title of being the largest island in the world. Amongst the other largest islands of Australia is the Melville Island at 5,786 square kilometers in the Northern Territory, and a number of the Pacific Ocean islands. Overall, there are thousands of islands within Australia's jurisdiction; many with their own distinct cultures and attractions.

As for the hottest place in Australia, this goes to the central deserts. In these areas it’s no surprise when temperatures exceed that of the populated areas by many degrees. For the sake of traveling and tourism, though, the hottest inhabited location in Australia is Oodnadatta in South Australia, which hit a scorching 50.7 degrees Celsius in 1960. Consecutively, Western Australia’s Marble Bar takes the title for 161 consecutive days of at least 37.8 degrees Celsius.

One of the undeniable features of Australian geography is the magnificent beaches. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people travel to the country simply to visit these magnificent golden sands. The longest beach is Coorong, a monster 222-kilometer (139 miles) stretch of sand along the coast of South Australia. Another huge sweep of sand is the aptly names 90 Mile Beach in Victoria.

This sunshine country isn’t really known for its waterfalls. Although the coastlines are definitely the main attraction, the 50 million-year-old Wallaman Falls attracts significant crowds each year. Based in the Girringun National Park in Victoria State, it’s a drop of 268 meters into a 20-metre deep pool. Base jumpers occasionally brave the falls; however this isn’t recommended as a jumper recently died whilst attempting it.

Tasmania is the place to be for deep caves and thrilling climbs. Cavers should direct themselves to Niggly Cave. At 394 meters below ground level, this is by far the deepest cave in Australia. It’s filled with water in many parts which increases the climb’s difficulty, has plenty of pitches to compete with, and it’s absolutely freezing. Even just looking down into this cave is enough to make you shiver!

So there you have it – some of the interesting geographical facts of Australia and that’s without mentioning amazing features such as the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru (Ayer’s Rock), which are worth articles on their own! Have I inspired you to make an antipodean trip?