In Australia, we like to call ourselves the "lucky country", a phrase originally applied ironically. But, in many ways, it's actually true. And one of those ways is the landscape: wild and beautiful and unlike anywhere else on Earth.
We're also very far away from the Northern hemisphere, which contains 90 percent of the global population, so getting to Australia can be a pain in the proverbial for pretty much most of the world. But if you've ever wanted to visit without the hassle of actually getting on a plane and flying over, Google Street View has a new way.
In collaboration with New South Wales National Parks and Catlin Seaview Survey, and in celebration of the once-a-decade IUCN World Parks Congress, 21 national parks and 27 underwater locations for Australia have been showcased on Street View, with special collections on the Street View website.
Locations include the spectacular Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Harbour, Bondi Beach, Ku-ring-gai Chase, Cape Byron Lighthouse and Mount Kosciuszko. You can have a look through a selection of these in the gallery below, and hit up the National Parks and Australian Oceans landing pages for your own browsing.
