Australia – Sydney Olimpic Stadium

 

ANZ Stadium, originally known as Stadium Australia, was the centrepiece of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. No other outdoor stadium used for the Olympics had been bigger than the stadium at the time of the games. Four Boeing 747s would fit side-by-side under the span of the main arches of the grandstands. The original capacity was 110,000, however post-games renovations has reduced this to 83,500.

Specially designed for the unique Australian environment, the stadium is one of the few in the world which effectively shades and protects most spectators, without the need for a claustrophobic and grass-killing fully enclosed dome. Suspended from a huge arch structure and three hectares in area, the roof is constructed from translucent polycarbonate to minimise the shadows and patches of direct sunlight on the playing area, creating ideal conditions for TV presentations and spectators.

The Olympic Stadium’s design includes state-of-the-art environmental features that make it a showcase of ecological responsibility. Its energy management strategy reduces the use of conventional electric power through measures such as natural lighting, two gas-fired co-generation engines, and energy-efficient lighting. All materials have been selected for their contribution to minimising pollution, conserving resources, and their durability. Significant waste management and water-saving measures are also in place.

ANZ Stadium has hosted many major sporting events since it opened in 1999. These include major football matches including the Socceroos vs. Brazil and Manchester United, A-League All Stars vs. Manchester United, major Rugby Union matches including the Wallabies vs. British & Irish Lions and the Bledisloe Cup vs. New Zealand, Rugby League fixtures including NRL double headers and Grand Finals, the first of which drew a record league crowd of 110,000, state or origin and international matches, as well as an American NFL pre-season game between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos. It also plays host to Australian Football with the Sydney Swans playing a few games at the venue each year and Cricket with some Australian matches as well as the Sydney Thunder in the Twenty20.

 

The stadium has had major redevelopment work done throughout 2001 and 2002 to reduce the size and convert the playing field into an oval shape to enable Australian Football to be played. Stage two of the project was completed in March 2002 and included the removal of the two stands at either end, remodelling of the lower level of seating into an oval shape. Stage three included the extension of the roof at either end which used to be occupied by the two large stands – this was completed in 2003.

The Olympic Stadium opened as Stadum Australia before it became Telstra Stadium in 2009 following a naming rights agreement. In 2008, the ANZ Bank purchased the rights and the venue became ANZ Stadium, not to be confused with the former ANZ Stadium in Brisbane (now known as QEII Stadium).

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Australia – Sydney metro map

 

Australia – Brisbane

Australia

Icons of Australia

Australia – Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia. It borders on Sydney’s metropolitan area, its foothills starting approximately 50 kilometres west of the state capital.
The area begins on the west side of the Nepean River and extends westward as far as Coxs River. Consisting mainly of a sandstone plateau, the area is dissected by gorges up to 760 metres deep. The highest point of the range is 1,190 metres above sea level. A large part of the Blue Mountains is incorporated into the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site, consisting of seven national park areas and a conservation reserve.

The Three Sisters is a rock formation in the Blue Mountains. They are close to the town of Katoomba and are one of the Blue Mountains’ best known sites, towering above the Jamison Valley. Their names are Meehni (922 m), Wimlah (918 m), and Gunnedoo (906 m).

Australia – Sydney – Opera House

Sydney is the largest city in Australia and Oceania, and the state capital of New South Wales, and is located on Australia’s south-east coast of the Tasman Sea.

The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First Fleet. The city is built on hills surrounding Sydney Harbor where the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge feature prominently. The hinterland of the metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and the coastal regions feature many bays, rivers, inlets and, most famously, beaches. Within the city are many notable parks, including Hyde Park and Royal Botanical Gardens.

Sydney is known as an international center for commerce, arts, fashion, culture, entertainment, education and tourism. Sydney has hosted major international sporting events, including the 1938 British Empire Games, the 2000 Summer Olympics, the final match of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, as well as the 2008 World Youth Day. The main airport serving Sydney is Sydney Airport.

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center on Bennelong Point in Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who, in 2003, received the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor.

The Sydney Opera House was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007.Currently, it is the most recently constructed World Heritage Site to be designated as such, sharing this distinction with such ancient landmarks as Stonehenge and the Giza Necropolis. It is one of the 20th century’s most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centers in the world.

 

Australia-Cambera-Old Parliament House

Canberra is the capital city of Australia.

The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation’s capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely planned city. Following an international contest for the city’s design, a design by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was selected and construction commenced in 1913.

The city’s design was heavily influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title “bush capital”. Although the growth and development of Canberra were hindered by the World Wars and the Great Depression, it emerged as a thriving city after World War II.

As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court of Australia and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance, such as the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Library of Australia. The federal government contributes the largest percentage of Gross State Product and is the largest single employer in Canberra.