Batemans Bay is a bustling coastal town with a population of over 10,000 in the south coast region of New South Wales. Located in a large oceanic bay where Clyde River meets the ocean, Batemans Bay is a popular holiday destination.
The twin towns of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest are the southernmost towns on Barrington Coast. The 2 popular holiday towns are just a few minutes drive away from each other, separated by the 304 m long car bridge Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest Bridge across Myall River.
Located just inside the mouth of Port Stephens, the coastal town of Nelson Bay is the largest town in the Port Stephens area with a population of just over 6000.
Nelson Bay’s large natural harbour has made Nelson Bay the commercial centre of Port Stephens and a town with a high concentration of cafés, restaurants, entertainment and leisure offerings, and retail shops. Nelson Bay’s D’Albora Marina is visited by yachts and cruisers from around the world, and it is where visitors take dolphin and whale watching cruises and ferries to tour around Port Stephens Bay, which is within the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park.
West Lake (西湖) was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2011 by UNESCO and is the only lake heritage site in China. The 6.4 km2 West Lake has a perimeter of around 15km and is actually very shallow, with an average depth of 1.5m. The deepest part of the lake is around 3m.
Xiling Seal Engraver’s Society (西泠印社) is located on the largest island in West Lake (西湖) – Gushan (孤山). Gushan connects the lake shore by Xiling Bridge (西泠桥) and Bai Causeway (白堤) and is on the Hop-on-hop-off round-the-lake sightseeing car route. Xiling Seal Engraver’s Society site is actually a compact yet refined and elegant exquisitely landscaped garden on a 38m tall hill overlooking West Lake.
The 589km long Qiantang River (钱塘江) is the largest in Zhejiang (浙江) Province. Qiantang River actually refers to the downstream Hangzhou section of the river whereas the upstream section of the river is named Fuchun River (富春江). The famous “Qiantang River Big Wave” (钱塘江大潮) is a natural wonder of the world caused by the interactions of gravitational pulls of the seawater by the Sun and the Moon, the Earth’s rotation, and topography of the Qiantang River and Hangzhou Bay.
The 6.4km2 West Lake has a perimeter of around 15km. West Lake is actually very shallow, with an average depth of 1.5m. The deepest part of the lake is around 3m.
West Lake is divided into sections by Su Causeway (苏堤) which runs in the north-south direction across the lake and Bai Causeway (白堤) in the northern part of the lake. The causeways, lined by trees and flowerbeds, 4 man-made islands on the lake, as well as the many pagodas, temples, pavilions, gardens, and bridges, make West Lake so uniquely scenic in different ways in different seasons and in different weather conditions.
A short 25-minute drive north of Perth CBD, Hillarys foreshore is a beautiful coastal area where Hillarys Boat Harbour, Hillarys Marina, Hillarys Marina Lighthouse, Hillarys Marina Beach, Hillarys Yacht Club, and Western Australia’s only underwater aquarium – AQWA, are located.
The 16-hectare Roma Street Parkland is located within a short walk from Brisbane city. Opened in 2001 after over 100,000 shrubs, 1200 mature trees, 1800 unique species of plants, and 250 ferns were planted, the Parkland is an inner-city green oasis built within a concrete jungle, an excellent getaway for people working in the Brisbane city.
The costs of solar energy, both in terms of total installed costs and solar panel costs, have been coming down in the last 20 or so years. The dramatic price drop of solar energy has made solar energy the world’s cheapest source of power currently. It is no wonder that solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity has increased almost 12 times from 72 gigawatts (GW) in 2011 to 843 GW in 2021.
ChatGPT is just one of the many generative AI tools. Many other tools can generate text, images, videos, music, graphics, and other creative content. In September 2023, OpenAI rolled out voice and image capabilities in ChatGPT. So, ChatGPT can now listen, talk, and see. This is a key development and a huge step change that could potentially lead to even more powerful generative AI tools.
Perth’s 400-hectare (4 km2) Kings Park is one of the world’s largest inner-city parks. Opened in 1965, Kings Park has the best views of where the Swan and Canning Rivers meet and is visited by close to 6 million people every year. Two-thirds of Kings Park is natural bushland, and the rest of Kings Park is the Western Australian Botanic Garden, walking trails, lookouts, monuments, and open recreation areas.
The Spit is the 5km long peninsula that stretches all the way up in the northward direction to the Gold Coast Seaway separating the Coral Sea from the Gold Coast Broadwater. The Spit is the gateway between Gold Coast Broadwater and the open ocean.
Mariner’s Cover Marina, Marina Mirage Shopping Mall, and Sea World Resort are located on the Gold Coast Broadwater side of The Spit. The ocean side of The Spit is relatively undeveloped compared to many other beautiful Gold Coast beaches.
Townsville is a major service centre for northern Queensland and the main centre for government administration outside Brisbane. If you have 2 days in Townsville and you have a car to drive around, some tourist destinations in Townsville are free to visit. You just need to drive there. Even parking is free too.
Lake Gwelup is a seasonal lake located within the Perth suburb of Gwelup, a 17-minute drive north of Perth CBD. The winter months are the best months to view Lake Gwelup when the lake water levels are at their highest levels.
Lake Gwelup Regional Open Space, which includes Lake Gwelup, is the open space, the natural bushland, and the walking trails around Lake Gwelup.
Cliffs Park in the Brisbane suburb of Kangaroo Point is a unique park located by the bank of Brisbane River and right next to Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Kangaroo Point Cliffs comprise a 20m to 25m tall vertical rock face that extends most of the length of the Cliffs Park. The cliffs are the remains of 150 years of quarrying activities and are a heritage-listed site.
Is it possible to create “energy-positive” buildings? Is it possible to make buildings “generators of energy”? The answer is “Yes”. It is possible. In reality, there are already many “energy-positive” homes and buildings around the world.
South Bank, a suburb located on the southern bank of Brisbane River and just south of Brisbane CBD, is Brisbane’s lifestyle and cultural precinct.
Here in South Bank, you will find the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, State Library of Queensland, Queensland Museum, and Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
The Brisbane Sign and the Wheel of Brisbane are in South Bank too, along with many eateries, restaurants, cafes, bars, and hotels.