Australia in a Nutshell

Australia is a country that provides many unique and diverse gems that can only be seen here. So for several reasons, I am extremely excited for my visit to the continent across the Pacific. I am fortunate to be taken on an exploration through Kansas State University’s study abroad program and will be visiting the cities of Melbourne, Victorian, Wagga Wagga, and Sydney to name a few. I am most excited to visit Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef, but will be exposed to the variation in agriculture by visiting several other locations scattered throughout Australia. In order to prepare myself for the trip, my classmates and I have done research to prepare ourselves for the quest.

 The geography of Australia is distinctive by being the only country that is also an entire continent. Furthermore, it is the flattest and driest continent, preceded only by Antarctica. A few things I found interesting about the Australian government is that it is illegal to walk on the right-hand side of the pavement and also illegal to give name to an animal intended for slaughter. The currency of Australia also had a peculiar beginning. The holey dollar and the dump were developed to ensure the coins did not return to Spain by separating the coin into an inner and outer part. The culture of Australia was mirrored off its English settlers, making rugby a favorite in Australia, and Christianity the primary religion, which replaced the “Dreamtime” spiritual concept developed by the Aboriginals.

A well-known feature of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef, is also known as the Blue Outback and spans a length greater that the Wall of China. On land is the Rainforest of Northern Queensland. With only two definite seasons, the “green” and the “dry” seasons, it is one-of-a-kind. Additionally, it contains the largest mountain in Australia, Mt. Bartle which stands over a mile tall.



Mount Bartle of the Rainforest of Northern Queensland



Almost all of the farms in Australia are family-owned, each feeding approximately 600 people. 61% of its vast land mass is occupied by farm ground that produces crops similar to the United States with a greater focus recently placed on their nut production. Australia is currently the second largest beef exporter worldwide, with beef contributing 18% to farm values and sheep accounting for 25%. Following many mergers with existing feedlots, Cargill and JBS are well-established in Australia. The primary difference between the Australian locations and others worldwide is the 93 page document of environmental restrictions to abide by.

http://www.saleyards.info/index.cfm

Although sale yards and livestock sales are similar to those in the U.S., the Wagga Wagga Livestock Market utilizes a system where the auctioneers and buyers are located in an arena above the cattle instead of at eye level. Several breeds such as Angus, Herefords, Shorthorns, and Simmentals have made their name in Australia, along with the popular sheep breeds, the Merino and the Suffolk. The Emu, a bird that is scarcely popular worldwide, is also a significant part of Australian agriculture.