AUSTRALIA - Greater Blue Mountains Area

"The Greater Blue Mountains Area consists of 1.03 million ha of sandstone plateaux, escarpments and gorges dominated by temperate eucalypt forest. The site, comprised of eight protected areas, is noted for its representation of the evolutionary adaptation and diversification of the eucalypts in post-Gondwana isolation on the Australian continent. Ninety-one eucalypt taxa occur within the Greater Blue Mountains Area which is also outstanding for its exceptional expression of the structural and ecological diversity of the eucalypts associated with its wide range of habitats. The site provides significant representation of Australia's biodiversity with ten percent of the vascular flora as well as significant numbers of rare or threatened species, including endemic and evolutionary relict species, such as the Wollemi pine, which have persisted in highly-restricted microsites." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1: Unwritten

Postcard 2: Empress Falls
 
 
An official postcrossing card from Laurent

showing Empress Falls in the Valley of the Waters, Blue Mountains, NSW Australia.

Thank you so much for this card!

Postcard 3: Card with matching Stamp

An official postcrossing card.

Thank you so much Don!

Postcard 4: The 3 Sisters

Don shares that this is the most visited site in the Blue Mountains...

 While the stamps commemorate the 90th Anniversary

of the Royal Australian Air Force --- the world's 2nd oldest air force.

Thank you so much for the card and stamps, Don!

Postcard 5: The 3 Sisters

Another postcard showing the famous 3 Sisters at the Blue Mountains.
Thank you so much to Denny for this postcard!

AUSTRALIA - Kakadu National Park

"This unique archaeological and ethnological reserve, located in the Northern Territory, has been inhabited continuously for more than 40,000 years. The cave paintings, rock carvings and archaeological sites record the skills and way of life of the region’s inhabitants, from the hunter-gatherers of prehistoric times to the Aboriginal people still living there. It is a unique example of a complex of ecosystems, including tidal flats, floodplains, lowlands and plateaux, and provides a habitat for a wide range of rare or endemic species of plants and animals." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

Thank you so much "gracefool" for sending me this UNESCO card of Kakadu NP!

Postcard 2

A great token from Jean Pierre of France during his holidays in Australia...
Thank you so much for this awesome postcard, Jean Pierre!
Great stamp and postmark too! ^-^

AUSTRALIA - Purnululu National Park

"The 239,723 ha Purnululu National Park is located in the State of Western Australia. It contains the deeply dissected Bungle Bungle Range composed of Devonian-age quartz sandstone eroded over a period of 20 million years into a series of beehive-shaped towers or cones, whose steeply sloping surfaces are distinctly marked by regular horizontal bands of dark-grey cyanobacterial crust (single-celled photosynthetic organisms). These outstanding examples of cone karst owe their existence and uniqueness to several interacting geological, biological, erosional and climatic phenomena." -http://whc.unesco.org

Info on postcard: Bungle Bungles are unique beehive shaped tower or cones

This postcard completes my Australian UNESCO WHS postcards collection!

Thank you so much Penny for making me happy! ^-^

 

AUSTRALIA - Australian Convict Sites

"The property includes a selection of eleven penal sites, among the thousands established by the British Empire on Australian soil in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The sites are spread across Australia, from Fremantle in Western Australia to Kingston and Arthur's Vale on Norfolk Island in the east; and from areas around Sydney in New South Wales in the north, to sites located in Tasmania in the south. Around 166,000 men, women and children were sent to Australia over 80 years between 1787 and 1868, condemned by British justice to transportation to the convict colonies. Each of the sites had a specific purpose, in terms both of punitive imprisonment and of rehabilitation through forced labour to help build the colony. The Australian Convict Sites presents the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1: Cockatoo Island

"Cockatoo Island is in Sydney Harbour and was a jail for convicts in the 1840's.
It was here they filmed X-men and Wolverine...", shares Penny.
Thank you so much Penny for sharing with me wonderful UNESCO postcards!


Postcard 2: Great North Road

Awesome postcard! Thank you so much, Penny!


Postcard 3: Hyde Park Barracks

Another great postcard. Thank you so much, Penny!


Postcard 4: Port Arthur

Thank you so much Don for this great card of Port Arthur Penal Colony
and for sharing with me lots of informations about the different buildings on the picture.

The 11 penal sites constituting the Australian Convict Sites:

 1. Cockatoo Island Convict Site (New South Wales)
2. Great North Road (New South Wales)
3. Hyde Park Barracks (New South Wales)
4. Old Government House (New South Wales)
5. Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area (Norfolk Island)
6. Brickendon and Woolmers Estates (Tasmania)
7. Cascades Female Factory (Tasmania)
8. Coal Mines Historic Site (Tasmania)
9. Darlington Probation Station (Tasmania)
10. Port Arthur (Tasmania)
11. Fremantle Prison (Western Australia)

AUSTRALIA - Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte)

"Riversleigh and Naracoorte, situated in the north and south respectively of eastern Australia, are among the world’s 10 greatest fossil sites. They are a superb illustration of the key stages of evolution of Australia’s unique fauna." -http://whc.unesco.org

"These 2 fossil sights are in remote areas and well known for the discovery of many dinosaur fossils", shares Penny.

 Thank you so much penny for sending again these postcard with stamp this time! :)

...it wasn't postmarked though... :(

AUSTRALIA - Wet Tropics of Queensland

"This area, which stretches along the north-east coast of Australia for some 450 km, is made up largely of tropical rainforests. This biotope offers a particularly extensive and varied array of plants, as well as marsupials and singing birds, along with other rare and endangered animals and plant species." -http://whc.unesco.org/

"The Daintree Rainforest is one of the

9 National Parks in the Wet Tropics of Queensland designated site areas.

The rainforests have the highest concentration of primitive flowering plant families in the world and is home to some incredible flora and fauna!" shares Norma.

Thank you so much Norma for adding this wonderful UNESCO postcard in my collection!

AUSTRALIA - Macquarie Island

"Macquarie Island (34 km long x 5 km wide) is an oceanic island in the Southern Ocean, lying 1,500 km south-east of Tasmania and approximately halfway between Australia and the Antarctic continent. The island is the exposed crest of the undersea Macquarie Ridge, raised to its present position where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate. It is a site of major geoconservation significance, being the only place on earth where rocks from the earth’s mantle (6 km below the ocean floor) are being actively exposed above sea-level. These unique exposures include excellent examples of pillow basalts and other extrusive rocks." -http://whc.unesco.org/

Another beautiful maxicard!

"Macquarie Island is in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, halfway between New Zealand

and Antarctica, but it is geo-politically part of Australia.

It is the only place where the rocks from the Earth's mantle are actively

exposed at sea-level. For this reason, it was made a World Heritage Site

by UNESCO in 1997", shares Norma.

Thank you so much Norma for sharing this with me! ^-^

AUSTRALIA - Gondwana Rainforests of Australia

"This site, comprising several protected areas, is situated predominantly along the Great Escarpment on Australia’s east coast. The outstanding geological features displayed around shield volcanic craters and the high number of rare and threatened rainforest species are of international significance for science and conservation." -http://whc.unesco.org

Great maxicard!

Postcard collecting is indeed very educational, Nareeda! ^-^

Thank you so much for helping me increase my UNESCO cards collection!

AUSTRALIA - Lord Howe Island Group

"A remarkable example of isolated oceanic islands, born of volcanic activity more than 2,000 m under the sea, these islands boast a spectacular topography and are home to numerous endemic species, especially birds." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

Another great UNESCO card from Sharon.

Thank you so much Sharon for helping me out with my collection!

Postcard 2 

A beautiful prepaid maxicard of Lord Howe Island from Jean Pierre!
Thank you so much JP for this surprise card for my collection!

AUSTRALIA - Ningaloo Coast

"The 604,500 hectare marine and terrestrial property of Ningaloo Coast, on the remote western coast of Australia, includes one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world. On land the site features an extensive karst system and network of underground caves and water courses. Annual gatherings of whale sharks occur at Ningaloo Coast, which is home to numerous marine species, among them a wealth of sea turtles. The terrestrial part of the site features subterranean water bodies with a substantial network of caves, conduits, and groundwater streams. They support a variety of rare species that contribute to the exceptional biodiversity of the marine and terrestrial site" -http://whc.unesco.org

Thank you so much Azzi for this prepaid maxicard!

I just love the shades of blue on it!

AUSTRALIA - Fraser Island

"Fraser Island lies just off the east coast of Australia. At 122 km long, it is the largest sand island in the world. Majestic remnants of tall rainforest growing on sand and half the world’s perched freshwater dune lakes are found inland from the beach. The combination of shifting sand-dunes, tropical rainforests and lakes makes it an exceptional site." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1: Multi-View

"Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world", shares Phillipa.

Thank you so much for this wonderful card! =)

Postcard 2: Single View

"The island is a popular destination for tourists, and it is also home to dingoes,
the Australian wild dog...", shares Jemma.
Thank you so much Jemma for sending my wish card! =)

AUSTRALIA - Willandra Lakes Region

"The fossil remains of a series of lakes and sand formations that date from the Pleistocene can be found in this region, together with archaeological evidence of human occupation dating from 45–60,000 years ago. It is a unique landmark in the study of human evolution on the Australian continent. Several well-preserved fossils of giant marsupials have also been found here." -http://whc.unesco.org

This is a sacred site to Aboriginal peoples.
Please respect this image as it portrays an ancestor...

Thank you so much Sharon for sharing this card with me!

I truly am so grateful to have this...

AUSTRALIA - Tasmanian Wilderness

"In a region that has been subjected to severe glaciation, these parks and reserves, with their steep gorges, covering an area of over 1 million ha, constitute one of the last expanses of temperate rainforest in the world. Remains found in limestone caves attest to the human occupation of the area for more than 20,000 years." -http://whc.unesco.org

Thank you so much Kim for sharing with me this postcard! =)

AUSTRALIA - Great Barrier Reef

"The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of Australia. It contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. It also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong (‘sea cow’) and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction." -http://whc.unesco.org

 

I so love this colorful card! Makes me want to go snorkeling and even learn diving! 

Thank you so much Heather for helping me out with my collection and for sending great cards!

AUSTRALIA - Shark Bay, Western Australia

"At the most westerly point of the Australian continent, Shark Bay, with its islands and the land surrounding it, has three exceptional natural features: its vast sea-grass beds, which are the largest (4,800 km2) and richest in the world; its dugong (‘sea cow’) population; and its stromatolites (colonies of algae which form hard, dome-shaped deposits and are among the oldest forms of life on earth). Shark Bay is also home to five species of endangered mammals." -http://whc.unesco.org

Hi Heather! Thank you so much for suggesting and sending this postcard! 
My 3yo son loves the stamps because of the different colorful trains!

AUSTRALIA - Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens

"The Royal Exhibition Building and its surrounding Carlton Gardens were designed for the great international exhibitions of 1880 and 1888 in Melbourne. The building and grounds were designed by Joseph Reed. The building is constructed of brick and timber, steel and slate. It combines elements from the Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance styles. The property is typical of the international exhibition movement which saw over 50 exhibitions staged between 1851 and 1915 in venues including Paris, New York, Vienna, Calcutta, Kingston (Jamaica) and Santiago (Chile). All shared a common theme and aims: to chart material and moral progress through displays of industry from all nations." -http://whc.unesco.org

Thanks much again Alison for this card! =)

AUSTRALIA - Heard and McDonald Islands

"Heard Island and McDonald Islands are located in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,700 km from the Antarctic continent and 4,100 km south-west of Perth. As the only volcanically active subantarctic islands they ‘open a window into the earth’, thus providing the opportunity to observe ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics. The distinctive conservation value of Heard and McDonald – one of the world’s rare pristine island ecosystems – lies in the complete absence of alien plants and animals, as well as human impact." -http://whc.unesco.org

Thank you so much Alison for this Heard Island postcard! 
I specially like the stamps! So cute! =)