{"id":31768,"date":"2020-04-24T09:12:36","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T13:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=31768"},"modified":"2020-04-24T09:12:39","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T13:12:39","slug":"what-to-do-visit-australia-virtually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=31768","title":{"rendered":"What To Do: Visit Australia, virtually"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>What do most people in this area know about Australia?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a country.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an island.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s on the other side of the world.<\/p>\n

G\u2019day mate!<\/p>\n

It has kangaroos.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the \u201cLand Down Under.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is home to Crocodile Dundee.<\/p>\n

What other things about Australia do many people know?<\/p>\n

It is a continent.<\/p>\n

It is summer there when it is winter here.<\/p>\n

It is home to Koala Bears.<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen glow and men plunder.\u201d<\/p>\n

They eat vegemite sandwiches there.<\/p>\n

It is where the Great Barrier Reef is located.<\/p>\n

What do those a bit more familiar with Australia know?<\/p>\n

It is the sixth-largest country in the world by total area.<\/p>\n

It is the oldest inhabited continent in the world (human habitation of the Australian continent is known to have begun at least 65,000 years ago).<\/p>\n

It t is one of the\u00a0most sparsely populated countries in the world with\u00a0an average\u00a0population density\u00a0of 3.3 persons per square kilometer of total land area.<\/p>\n

It is the flattest inhabited continent in the world.<\/p>\n

It is the home of many of the world\u2019s top rock acts including AC\/DC, the Bee Gees, INXS, The Seekers, Crowded House, Little River Band, Men At Work and Tame Impala.<\/p>\n

Now that COVID-19 has forced everyone to stay at home in order to \u201cshelter in place,\u201d now can be a good time to learn more about the \u201cLand Down Under\u201d via a large and interesting assortment of virtual tours focusing on Australia.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Western Australia Tourist Information Center<\/a> (https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ExtraordinaryWesternAustralia\/<\/a>) \u00a0has created a 13-day virtual vacation that will take you to some of the most stunning destinations in the country. Virtual travelers will start at the Esperance in the south and travel north until they hit the Horizontal Falls in the Kimberly region. Each day, the\u00a0Western Australia Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0will post a new video at 9 a.m. WST for travelers to watch.<\/p>\n

Each video offers 360-degree functionality so you can click around to explore every aspect of the location as if you were there. You can watch these at your own pace, whether it be one video a day or all at once. Each video is labeled by day, in order of how you would experience these sights if you were actually there and heading north.<\/p>\n

Day One will let you relax on the beach with some kangaroos while Day Two will show some stunning views of Albany\u2019s imposing granite cliffs and sheltered bays. Day Three will provide an up-close look at the stingrays that lurk in Hamelin Bay, while Day Four will feature a cruise through the Margaret River. On Day Five, the focus will be on exploring the depths of Ngilgi Cave in Yallingup.<\/p>\n

Far North Queensland is destination for those wishing to check out Australia\u2019s natural wonders.<\/p>\n

Get a taste of all it has to offer with this virtual video that takes in its two most incredible features — the\u00a0Daintree Rainforest<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Great Barrier Reef<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Great Barrier Reef<\/p><\/div>\n

Guided by\u00a0Dan Churchill<\/i><\/b><\/a>, the tour starts with a bird\u2019s-eye view of the reef on the journey from Cairns before 360-degree video takes you on a boat cruise up the Daintree River.<\/p>\n

You can look around the rainforest as Churchill reveals just how old the unique trees and plants in this part of the world are and focuses on one of the curious creatures you might spot roaming the boardwalks.<\/p>\n

Then, you\u2019ll have the opportunity to take in the vast views over the hinterland and out to sea from the Skyrail and understand just how glorious this place is.<\/p>\n

Video link for North Queensland — https:\/\/youtu.be\/_ezmZakArjQ<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

A visit to Uluru will introduce you to Bruce Munro\u2019s breathtaking \u201cField of Light\u201d\u00a0exhibition.<\/p>\n

\u201cField of Light\u201d is an art installation that employs tens\u00a0of thousands of small frosted-glass spheres, which transform their setting into a dreamily lit wonderland.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Field of Light<\/p><\/div>\n

Since 2017, the exhibition has been illuminating the ancient lands near Uluru, its closing date extended several times as visitors flock to walk among the more than 50,000 solar-powered bulbs.<\/p>\n

This virtual tour allows you to pivot your vantage point to take in as much of the installation as possible, with a sweeping view of the frosted globes. A stunning soundtrack sets the mood perfectly as the purple, pink and white lights start to flicker.<\/p>\n

Displayed in the grounds of Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, about 15 kilometers north of Uluru, the installation will now remain until December 31, 2020.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cField of Light\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/NAnocEAs8FI<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Localing (https:\/\/localingtours.com\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), a private tour company based in Melbourne recently launched\u00a0Virtual Victoria<\/a>, where homebound travelers can join 360-degree tours showcasing popular tourist attractions around the state and its capital.<\/p>\n

The Localing team was able to film for the free initiative in March before extensive restrictions came into place in Victoria.<\/p>\n

Video link for Victoria — https:\/\/localingtours.com\/virtual-victoria-tours\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Localing\u2019s Mornington Peninsula tour features the region\u2019s stunning coastline and rugged basalt formations — source material for Melbourne\u2019s famous bluestone lanes and buildings. Point Leo Estate, a winery and sculpture park, is also on the itinerary, along with a stop in the seaside town of Flinders and a walkthrough of Moonlit Sanctuary in Pearcedale, home to\u00a0koalas<\/a>, wallabies, and other native animals.<\/p>\n

Other virtual visits offered by Localing feature The Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley, Phillip Island and Tasmania.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Australia\u2019s oldest art gallery \u2014 has created\u00a0virtual tours of its current exhibitions<\/a>, including “Keith Haring\u00a0|\u00a0Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines” and “KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness.” About 90 percent of NGV\u2019s collection of approximately 75,000 works is available to view online, including iconic paintings depicting the region.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Melbourne<\/p><\/div>\n

Melbourne Museum<\/a>\u00a0is another city highlight. The cultural and natural history museum has arranged an extravaganza of web-based activities as part of the\u00a0Museum at Home<\/a>\u00a0initiative developed by Museums Victoria across its social channels, such as hands-on\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0home projects and\u00a0curator Q&As<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Sydney Opera House (https:\/\/www.sydneyoperahouse.com\/digital\/season.html<\/i><\/b><\/a>) has announced an\u00a0all-digital program<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0to keep arts lovers entertained. Every day at 6pm AEST between Wednesday and Sunday, a new performance will be featured on the Sydney Opera House website for people to stream digitally, free of charge.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sydney Opera House<\/p><\/div>\n

The weekly program will be announced every Tuesday; the first batch of shows includes the Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven\u2019s Ninth, and an interview panel with Australian writers Celia Pacquola, Josh Thomas and Luke McGregor.<\/p>\n

Once available, the videos will remain on the site for viewers to watch on demand.<\/p>\n

If you want to take a peek beneath the sails, you can also watch a 360-degree video tour of the iconic space to examine the exterior and interior architecture, accompanied to a soundtrack performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n

Video link for Sydney Opera House — https:\/\/youtu.be\/K4z7k4GWdho<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

As long as you\u2019re \u201cDown Under,\u201d you might as well hop over to New Zealand to check out Wellington.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Wellington<\/p><\/div>\n

A range of 360 videos are available on the\u00a0WellTown Youtube<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0channel that showcase some of the best things to do in the city. Marvel at works on display at the Te Papa Museum of New Zealand; feel the buzz of the crowd as you take in the pregame entertainment for an All Blacks game; and peek inside the Weta Workshop, the Oscar-winning special effects company made famous for its work of the\u00a0Lord of the Rings\u00a0film trilogy.<\/p>\n

Video link for Wellington — https:\/\/youtu.be\/eb0XbpIMbIA<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Heading back across the Pacific Ocean, you can stop in Hawai’i for a virtual tour of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park presented by the National Park Service (https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/havo\/index.htm<\/i><\/b><\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Volcanoes in Hawai’i<\/p><\/div>\n

Upon starting the virtual tour, guests are transported to the park\u2019s entrance. It is an entrance to a world of a vibrant ecosystem that comes with many native plants, birds, insects — many of which can\u2019t be found anywhere else in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, virtual visitors can enter right into the volcano\u2019s incredible lava tubes which are like the veins of a volcano, transporting lava from the heart of an eruption<\/p>\n

Visitors can then use their mouse to explore the gorgeous cave structure, simply clicking around to see it all as if they were right there with Kaawaloa-Okita.<\/p>\n

From the caves, visitors head out to the coastal cliffs, where more than 500 new acres of land has been added to the island in the last 30 years alone.<\/p>\n

Back on the mainland and closer to home, Pennsylvania’s Americana Region (www.visitpaamericana.com<\/i><\/b><\/a>) is offering families a special online program geared to helping young kids avoid cabin fever \u2013 weekly activities packets.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>These \u201cDiscover Pennsylvania\u201d packets have puzzles and other activities for kids up to fourth grade.<\/p>\n

You can find \u201cWeekly Activity Packet Three,\u201d which is this week\u2019s group of activities, at https:\/\/www.visitpaamericana.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Week-3-Activity-Packet.pdf<\/i><\/b><\/a>. The webpage also has links to the first two weeks\u2019 activities.<\/p>\n

Another activity to keep families occupied this week is checking out the skies for a good look at Venus, a brilliant planet that has been very visible this year.<\/p>\n

Every night when the sun goes down in the west, a bright \u201cstar\u201d becomes visible directly above in the twilight sky. The fiery second planet from the sun is known as the \u201cEvening Star<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u201d This week, it reaches its peak brightness.<\/p>\n

The third-brightest object in the sky behind the sun and the moon, Venus is always brighter than the brightest stars. However, because it orbits relatively close to the sun, it is only ever visible for a short time after sunset or before sunrise. It has been visible after sunset since November and will sink behind the sun in June. In late March, Venus had its\u00a0greatest eastern elongation and<\/em> appeared to be as far from the sun as it ever gets. Because it is closest to Earth just after that point, Venus appears to reach its peak<\/p>\n

Venus is very easy to locate after the sun has set. Look to the west where Venus will be visible about 40\u00ba above the horizon (halfway between the horizon and the\u00a0zenith\u00a0above your head). That large separation from the sun means Venus keeps on shining brightly for many hours before setting after midnight.<\/p>\n

For when you\u2019re inside rather than outside stargazing, here is a list (not by genre and in no particular order) where you can enjoy interesting and informative virtual journeys: The Penn Museum (www.penn.museum<\/a>), The Museum of the American Revolution (www.amrevmuseum.org<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The Delaware Art Museum (delart.org\/connectwithartfromhome<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (https:\/\/www.rijksmuseum.nl\/en<\/i><\/b><\/a>), the Van Gogh Museum (https:\/\/www.vangoghmuseum.nl\/en<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The Louvre in Paris (https:\/\/www.louvre.fr\/en<\/i><\/b><\/a>); Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Orsay in Paris (https:\/\/m.musee-orsay.fr\/en\/home.html<\/i><\/b><\/a>); The Vatican Museums in Rome (www.museivaticani.va<\/i><\/b><\/a>); Uffizi Gallery, Florence (https:\/\/www.uffizi.it\/en)<\/i><\/b><\/a>, Faroe Islands (https:\/\/www.visitfaroeislands.com\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden\u00a0(http:\/\/cincinnatizoo.org\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The National Park Foundation (https:\/\/www.nationalparks.org\/connect\/blog\/take-virtual-visit-national-park<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Abbey Road (https:\/\/www.abbeyroad.com\/news\/google-presents-inside-abbey-road-1003?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1<\/i><\/b><\/a>), York Minster \u00a0(https:\/\/www.york360.co.uk\/movies\/york-minster-interior.htm<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Appalachian Trail (https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/walk-the-distance\/id634548793<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The National Park Service and The National Cherry Blossom Festival\u00a0 (https:\/\/nationalmall.org\/bloomcam<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace (https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/partner\/schloss-schoenbrunn<\/i><\/b><\/a>). The B&O Railroad Museum (http:\/\/www.borail.org\/jrjunction.aspx<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Roman Baths (https:\/\/www.romanbaths.co.uk\/walkthrough<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Hadrian\u2019s Wall (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kGcpiwL3CEg<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The National Gallery in London (nationalgallery.org.uk<\/b><\/a>); <\/em>The British Museum (britishmuseum.org<\/a>); Guggenheim in Bilbao (www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus\/en<\/i><\/b><\/a>); Guggenheim Museum in New York (https:\/\/www.guggenheim.org<\/i><\/b><\/a>); Metropolitan Museum of Art (https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org<\/i><\/b><\/a>); The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (www.nga.gov<\/i><\/b><\/a>); Giants Causeway (https:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/giants-causeway\/features\/take-a-virtual-tour-of-the-giants-causeway?awc=3795_1587148311_51431446614873859d363fe54b35b29d&campid=Affiliates_Central_Mem_AWIN_Standard&aff=78888<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (https:\/\/naturalhistory.si.edu\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Space Center Houston (https:\/\/spacecenter.org\/app\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), <\/strong>Buckingham Palace (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gen0NgJjry4<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The Tower of London (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yeLQVare-3k<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution (https:\/\/airandspace.si.edu\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Palace of Versailles (https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/project\/versailles<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Six Flags Great Adventure (https:\/\/www.sixflags.com\/greatadventure\/attractions\/vr2016\/experience<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Dorney Park<\/a>(https:\/\/www.dorneypark.com\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Walt Disney World (https:\/\/disneyworld.disney.go.com\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), <\/strong>St. Paul\u2019s Cathedral (https:\/\/www.360cities.net\/image\/inside-st-paul-s-cathedral<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Stonehenge (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_RyqU1r1Fmk<\/i><\/b><\/a>), LEGOLAND Florida Resort (https:\/\/www.legoland.com\/florida\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>)<\/strong>, SeaWorld Orlando (https:\/\/seaworld.com\/orlando\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), <\/strong>Universal Orlando Resort (https:\/\/www.universalorlando.com\/web\/en\/us<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Betsy Ross House (historicphiladelphia.org\/betsy-ross-house<\/a>), Charlotte, Anne, and Emily Bront\u00eb residences \u00a0(https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/story\/FwLyGtC06USyJA<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Loch Ness (https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/@57.1866913,-4.6170689,2a,90y,179.9h,82.17t\/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFB8R6jT4YbOQd8Kpy4Xg7g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656<\/i><\/b><\/a>), Valley Forge National Historical Park<\/i><\/b> (https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/museum\/exhibits\/valley_forge<\/i><\/b><\/a>), the American Treasure Tour Museum<\/i><\/b><\/a> (http:\/\/americantreasuretour.com\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania<\/i><\/b><\/a> (https:\/\/rrmuseumpa.org\/about\/musviews\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The National Toy Train Museum<\/i><\/b> (www.nttmuseum.org<\/i><\/b><\/a>), The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (http:\/\/www.phmc.state.pa.us\/portal\/communities\/archaeology\/resources\/virtual-tour.html<\/i><\/b><\/a>), the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum (http:\/\/lumbermuseum.org\/<\/i><\/b><\/a>) and Edinburgh Castle (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zu-KVWSqJlI<\/i><\/b><\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times What do most people in this area know about Australia? It\u2019s a country. It\u2019s an island. It\u2019s on the other side of the world. G\u2019day mate! It has kangaroos. It\u2019s the \u201cLand Down Under.\u201d It is home to Crocodile Dundee. What other things about Australia do many people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[12339,6269,12340,12341,12342],"class_list":["post-31768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-australia","tag-featured","tag-great-barrier-reef","tag-melbourne","tag-tasmania"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31768"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31769,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31768\/revisions\/31769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}