Perth is a vibrant and modern city sitting between the cerulean（蔚蓝的）Indian Ocean and the ancient Darling Ranges（达岭山脉）。 It claims to be the sunniest state capital in Australia， though more striking is its isolation from the rest of the country - Perth is over 4400kms （2750mi） from Sydney by road.
The city centre's sterile concrete-and-glass skyscrapers unfortunately dominate a picturesque riverside location. Still， behind the domineering edifices hide a handful of 19th-century buildings and facades and some saving-grace patches of greenery.
Perth is situated on Australia's western coast， close to the south-western tip of the country. The city centre is fairly compact， situated on a sweep of the Swan River（天鹅河）。 The river， which borders the city centre to the south and east， links Perth to its port， Fremantle（弗里曼特尔）。 The western end of Perth rises to the pleasant Kings Park（英皇公园）， which overlooks the city， then extends to cosmopolitan Subiaco（苏比雅克）。 Further west， suburbs extend as far as Scarborough and Cottesloe beaches on the Indian Ocean.
Spring （September to November） and autumn （March to May） are the best times to visit， as Perth experiences hot， dry summers and mild， but rainy， winters. One peculiarity of the local weather is the breeze that blows in from the sea in the late afternoon - call it the 'Fremantle Doctor'， and you might as well wear a T-shirt saying 'I'm not from around here'.
Every year around February/March the Festival of Perth offers entertainment in the form of music， drama， dance， visual art and films. The Northbridge Festival is hosted at the same time. The Perth Royal Show takes place every September while the Artrage Festival is in October.
The site that is now Perth had been occupied by groups of the Nyoongar tribe for thousands of years. They， and their ancestors， can be traced back some 40，000 years.
In December 1696， three ships in the fleet commanded by de Valmingh - Nijptangh， Geelvinck and Het Weseltje - anchored off Rottnest Island（洛特尼斯岛）。 On 5 January 1697， a well-armed party landed near present-day Cottesloe Beach（科特索海滩）then marched eastwards to the Swan River near Freshwater Bay. They tried to contact some of the Nyoongar to enquire about the fate of survivors of the Ridderschap van Hollant， lost in 1694， but were unsuccessful. They sailed north， but not before de Vlamingh had bestowed the name Swan on the river.
Perth was founded in 1829 as the Swan River Settlement， but it grew very slowly until 1850， when convicts were brought in to alleviate the labour shortage. Many of Perth's fine buildings， such as Government House and Perth Town Hall， were built using convict labour. Even then， Perth's development lagged behind that of the eastern cities， until the discovery of gold in 1890s increased the population four-fold in a decade and initiated a building boom.
Perth's penchant for rampant speculation has meant that many of the city's 19th-century buildings have since disappeared amid a deluge of concrete edifices of dubious architectural value. This growth has undoubtedly been fuelled by Western Australia's vast mineral wealth. In the 1980s， it was said that Perth had more millionaires per capita than any other city in Australia. Huge business empires emanated at a rate completely disproportionate to a city of that size， and soon enough， with the high-profile fall from grace of beer， yachting， media and Vincent van Gogh mogul Alan Bond in particular， Perth came to epitomize（成为……的缩影）the decade's obsession with making a fast buck. Alan Bond came to national prominence with the unlikely win of the boat he paid for - Australia II - at the America's Cup in 1983. Fremantle yacht club hosted the tournament four years later， bringing the previously sleepy 19th-century port to life. Perth became known as the kind of place where anybody could become a millionaire， except， unfortunately， for the local Nyungar population， which remains comparatively disadvantaged.
The political and corporate scandals which have rocked the city in recent years have added to its frontier， get-rich-quick image. In fact， they were a throwback to the bad old days of the 1980s， when the line between government collusion and government regulation was dangerously blurred， and by a Labor government of all things. Richard Court's Liberal government presided over the greater part of the 1990s and oversaw a property boom in Perth similar to that which overtook most of Australia's major urban centres.
2008年2月1日星期五
Canberra (Australia)
Canberra is a picturesque（风景如画的）20th-century concoction on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin（贝里哥里芬湖）that has struggled to establish itself as the focus of Australia's national identity. It has often been perceived as a 'fat cat'（有权有势的）town of politicians and bureaucrats living off the rest of the country.
However， you'll only have to step outside the Parliamentary Triangle to realise that there's more to Canberra than machinations（密谋）and money. One of only two artificially-conceived cities in the world， Canberra is eerily symmetrical， surprisingly workable and endlessly intriguing.
Autumn in Canberra is quite simply gorgeous. The days are sunny and crisp， the trees are changing and everything looks lovely. Winter is really cold. Spring is much wetter and windier， though the very popular Floriade festival（花卉节）brightens things up.
Canberra was first settled by Europeans in 1824， when Joshua Moore bought the first land grant（政府赠予地）in the area， at the foot of Black Mountain. By 1845 a town had grown up in the shadow of the mountain， with the newly built St John's Church and the nearby school at its centre.
The establishing of a national capital and surrounding Australian Capital Territory （ACT） was one of the tenets（原则）of the constitution created when the colonies were federated into Australian states in 1901. The site was selected in 1908 - diplomatically situated between arch rivals（主要竞争对手）Sydney and Melbourne. Canberra was named in 1913， from an Aboriginal term believed to mean 'meeting place'， and an international competition to design the city was won by the American architect Walter Burley Griffin. Development of the site was slow and although parliament was first convened in the capital in 1927， it was not until after the World War Two that the dream of a national capital began to reach fruition（实现）。
In 1957 the Menzies（孟席斯，罗伯特·戈登，1894-1978澳大利亚政治家，曾两度任职总理）Government created the National Capital Development Commission， to establish Canberra as the seat of government and generally spruce（打扮、装饰）the place up a bit. Over the next 20 years it was full steam ahead - bridges were built over a hypothetical lake， then a year later the lake followed； the Mint， the National Library， the Botanic Gardens and the Carillon sprang up； the civic centre was packed full of offices， shops and theatres. Throughout the 60s the public service became Canberra's major industry， with departments shifting to the capital from all over the country， bringing with them hordes of happy families in search of a quarter-acre block to call their own. In line with its reputation as a planned city， Canberra's growth was less than organic - rather than filling in the city centre and letting suburbs sprawl around it， the NCDC oversaw the setting up of 'satellite towns' to the north and south. Woden， to the south， was set up first， then Belconnen to the north. In the 70s they were followed by Tuggeranong， and in the 80s Gunghalin.
Since Federation the ACT had been under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government， with no local government of its own. In a 1978 referendum（公民投票）Canberrans had voted no to self-government， but despite this in 1988 the Federal Government passed four bills to make the Territory self-governing and in 1989 the first Legislative Assembly was elected.
However， you'll only have to step outside the Parliamentary Triangle to realise that there's more to Canberra than machinations（密谋）and money. One of only two artificially-conceived cities in the world， Canberra is eerily symmetrical， surprisingly workable and endlessly intriguing.
Autumn in Canberra is quite simply gorgeous. The days are sunny and crisp， the trees are changing and everything looks lovely. Winter is really cold. Spring is much wetter and windier， though the very popular Floriade festival（花卉节）brightens things up.
Canberra was first settled by Europeans in 1824， when Joshua Moore bought the first land grant（政府赠予地）in the area， at the foot of Black Mountain. By 1845 a town had grown up in the shadow of the mountain， with the newly built St John's Church and the nearby school at its centre.
The establishing of a national capital and surrounding Australian Capital Territory （ACT） was one of the tenets（原则）of the constitution created when the colonies were federated into Australian states in 1901. The site was selected in 1908 - diplomatically situated between arch rivals（主要竞争对手）Sydney and Melbourne. Canberra was named in 1913， from an Aboriginal term believed to mean 'meeting place'， and an international competition to design the city was won by the American architect Walter Burley Griffin. Development of the site was slow and although parliament was first convened in the capital in 1927， it was not until after the World War Two that the dream of a national capital began to reach fruition（实现）。
In 1957 the Menzies（孟席斯，罗伯特·戈登，1894-1978澳大利亚政治家，曾两度任职总理）Government created the National Capital Development Commission， to establish Canberra as the seat of government and generally spruce（打扮、装饰）the place up a bit. Over the next 20 years it was full steam ahead - bridges were built over a hypothetical lake， then a year later the lake followed； the Mint， the National Library， the Botanic Gardens and the Carillon sprang up； the civic centre was packed full of offices， shops and theatres. Throughout the 60s the public service became Canberra's major industry， with departments shifting to the capital from all over the country， bringing with them hordes of happy families in search of a quarter-acre block to call their own. In line with its reputation as a planned city， Canberra's growth was less than organic - rather than filling in the city centre and letting suburbs sprawl around it， the NCDC oversaw the setting up of 'satellite towns' to the north and south. Woden， to the south， was set up first， then Belconnen to the north. In the 70s they were followed by Tuggeranong， and in the 80s Gunghalin.
Since Federation the ACT had been under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government， with no local government of its own. In a 1978 referendum（公民投票）Canberrans had voted no to self-government， but despite this in 1988 the Federal Government passed four bills to make the Territory self-governing and in 1989 the first Legislative Assembly was elected.
Brisbane (Australia)
Brisbane is Australia's third largest city and the state capital of Queensland（昆士兰州）。 Not so long ago， the rest of Australia considered it little more than an overgrown country town， but it has shirked off this unwelcome reputation to become one of the country's most progressive centres. Since playing host to a string of major international events in the '80s， including the 1982 Commonwealth Games（英联邦运动会）and Expo '88（1988年世界博览会）， Brisbane has developed into a lively， cosmopolitan city with several interesting districts， a good street cafe scene， a great riverside park， a busy cultural calendar and decent nightlife.
Queensland's growing tourism industry has brought an influx of visitors to the capital， and with its near-perfect climate year-round， Brisbane comes as a pleasant surprise to most visitors. The city is also surrounded by some of the state's major tourist destinations， and there are plenty of options for daytrips.
Located in the southeastern corner of Queensland， Brisbane is a river city， situated 25km upstream from the mouth of the Brisbane River. The compact city centre is built along and between the looping（多圈的）meanders（曲流）of the river， making it easy to explore on foot.
Brisbane has plenty of backpackers'（背包客）hostels and there are also quite a few well-priced hotels， motels and self-contained apartments within a few blocks of the city centre. Most of the action， however， happens in the inner suburbs. Brisbane's restaurant and cafe scene has blossomed in recent years and you'll find there's no shortage of good eateries（餐馆）。 Many of these places have taken advantage of the balmy climate and provide outdoor eating areas.
Brisbane was established when Sydney and the colony of New South Wales needed a better place to store its more recalcitrant 'cons'（反抗者）。 The tropical country further north seemed a good place to put them and in 1824 a penal settlement was established at Redcliffe Point（红岩石岬）on Moreton Bay（摩顿海湾）。 This location was soon abandoned in favour of the riverside site to the south where Brisbane's business district now stands. The penal settlement was abandoned in 1839 and the area was thrown open to free settlers in 1842. As Queensland's huge agricultural and mineral resources were developed， Brisbane grew into a prosperous city， and in 1859 the state of Queensland separated from the colony of New South Wales， and Brisbane was declared its capital.
Queensland's early white settlers indulged in one of the greatest land grabs of all time and encountered fierce Aboriginal opposition. At the time of white settlement， Queensland was the most densely populated area of Australia， supporting over 100，000 Aboriginal people in around 200 tribal groups - it is probable that Aboriginal people had been in the country for at least 50，000 years before the arrival of Europeans. For much of the 19th century， what amounted to a guerrilla war took place along the frontiers of the white advance. By the turn of the century， the Aboriginal people of Queensland had been comprehensively run off their lands， and the white authorities had set up reserves for the survivors. In the 1980s control of the reserves was handed over to the residents， subject to rights of access for prospecting（探矿）， exploration or mining.
By the 1860s Brisbane had shed（摆脱）its convict background and developed into a handsome provincial centre， although it wasn't until the 1880s that the central business district was transformed by the construction of many fine public and commercial buildings. Despite a country-wide climate of jingoism and giving it all for the motherland， WWI saw Queensland vote in an anti-conscription Labor government. Labor hung on to government until 1957， introducing a series of social and industrial reforms including compulsory voting and workers' compensation.
During WWII， large areas of the state were transformed into military camps， with thousands of Americans being garrisoned（驻守）throughout Queensland as Australia and the USA fought against Japan throughout the Pacific. The war resulted in Australia shifting its allegiance from the UK to the USA， as the north of the country， in particular， realised how vulnerable it was to invasion. In the post-war years Queensland shifted from a rural to an industrial economy and Labor was replaced by a conservative Liberal-Country Party coalition.
Brisbane's more recent history is dominated by the right-wing Joh Bjelke-Peterson regime which lasted from the early 1970s to the late 1980s， thanks to a bit of sleight-of-hand with electoral boundaries. Queensland suffered a government which was at odds with（和……不一致）the rest of the country in matters such as human rights， rainforest conservation， Aboriginal land rights and even the availability of condoms. Corruption was rife and since the defeat of the National Party in 1989， it seems everyone from the former Commissioner of Police to Joh himself has appeared in court on charges relating to some sort of shady deal.
Brisbane's rapid economic growth， its favourable climate and Joh's 1977 decision to abolish death duties have all attracted a massive wave of internal migration. Since 1980 over half a million Australians from other states have packed up and moved to Queensland.
Queensland's growing tourism industry has brought an influx of visitors to the capital， and with its near-perfect climate year-round， Brisbane comes as a pleasant surprise to most visitors. The city is also surrounded by some of the state's major tourist destinations， and there are plenty of options for daytrips.
Located in the southeastern corner of Queensland， Brisbane is a river city， situated 25km upstream from the mouth of the Brisbane River. The compact city centre is built along and between the looping（多圈的）meanders（曲流）of the river， making it easy to explore on foot.
Brisbane has plenty of backpackers'（背包客）hostels and there are also quite a few well-priced hotels， motels and self-contained apartments within a few blocks of the city centre. Most of the action， however， happens in the inner suburbs. Brisbane's restaurant and cafe scene has blossomed in recent years and you'll find there's no shortage of good eateries（餐馆）。 Many of these places have taken advantage of the balmy climate and provide outdoor eating areas.
Brisbane was established when Sydney and the colony of New South Wales needed a better place to store its more recalcitrant 'cons'（反抗者）。 The tropical country further north seemed a good place to put them and in 1824 a penal settlement was established at Redcliffe Point（红岩石岬）on Moreton Bay（摩顿海湾）。 This location was soon abandoned in favour of the riverside site to the south where Brisbane's business district now stands. The penal settlement was abandoned in 1839 and the area was thrown open to free settlers in 1842. As Queensland's huge agricultural and mineral resources were developed， Brisbane grew into a prosperous city， and in 1859 the state of Queensland separated from the colony of New South Wales， and Brisbane was declared its capital.
Queensland's early white settlers indulged in one of the greatest land grabs of all time and encountered fierce Aboriginal opposition. At the time of white settlement， Queensland was the most densely populated area of Australia， supporting over 100，000 Aboriginal people in around 200 tribal groups - it is probable that Aboriginal people had been in the country for at least 50，000 years before the arrival of Europeans. For much of the 19th century， what amounted to a guerrilla war took place along the frontiers of the white advance. By the turn of the century， the Aboriginal people of Queensland had been comprehensively run off their lands， and the white authorities had set up reserves for the survivors. In the 1980s control of the reserves was handed over to the residents， subject to rights of access for prospecting（探矿）， exploration or mining.
By the 1860s Brisbane had shed（摆脱）its convict background and developed into a handsome provincial centre， although it wasn't until the 1880s that the central business district was transformed by the construction of many fine public and commercial buildings. Despite a country-wide climate of jingoism and giving it all for the motherland， WWI saw Queensland vote in an anti-conscription Labor government. Labor hung on to government until 1957， introducing a series of social and industrial reforms including compulsory voting and workers' compensation.
During WWII， large areas of the state were transformed into military camps， with thousands of Americans being garrisoned（驻守）throughout Queensland as Australia and the USA fought against Japan throughout the Pacific. The war resulted in Australia shifting its allegiance from the UK to the USA， as the north of the country， in particular， realised how vulnerable it was to invasion. In the post-war years Queensland shifted from a rural to an industrial economy and Labor was replaced by a conservative Liberal-Country Party coalition.
Brisbane's more recent history is dominated by the right-wing Joh Bjelke-Peterson regime which lasted from the early 1970s to the late 1980s， thanks to a bit of sleight-of-hand with electoral boundaries. Queensland suffered a government which was at odds with（和……不一致）the rest of the country in matters such as human rights， rainforest conservation， Aboriginal land rights and even the availability of condoms. Corruption was rife and since the defeat of the National Party in 1989， it seems everyone from the former Commissioner of Police to Joh himself has appeared in court on charges relating to some sort of shady deal.
Brisbane's rapid economic growth， its favourable climate and Joh's 1977 decision to abolish death duties have all attracted a massive wave of internal migration. Since 1980 over half a million Australians from other states have packed up and moved to Queensland.
Majuro (the Marshall Islands)
Traditional house on Namu （outer islands）
Majuro （马朱罗，马绍尔群岛共和国首都）， a 30-mile-long atoll（环状珊瑚岛、环礁）， is the captial and main urban center of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Almost half the Marshall Islands' present population of around 60，000 live in Majuro. Along with administrative offices and tourist amenities， the city's attractions include a relatively pristine stretch of beach called Laura.
The atoll has 57 small islets（小岛）， the largest of which are connected by a single 55 kilometre stretch of paved road， making Majuro appear to be one long， narrow island. Robert Louis Stevenson called the atoll the 'Pearl of the Pacific' when he visited in 1889， but it's a far less pristine Majuro that one sees today. Races held by Americans on Kwajalein
Majuro is the most Westernized（西化、欧化）of the Marshall Islands， but there's still a lot that can be learned about life in the islands from a visit. You can grasp what it's like to live on a ribbon of land so narrow that as often as not you can see the ocean on both sides. By visiting Laura Village， at the westernmost end （最西端）of the mainland， you can find a rural lifestyle somewhat similar to that of the outer islands. While there， make use of the islands' best beach and Majuro Peace Park， a memorial built by the Japanese and dedicated to those who died in the East Pacific during WWII.
Named for an 18th century British sea captain， the Marshall Islands consist of 29 atolls and five coral islands（珊瑚岛） that are equal to Washington， D.C.， in terms of land area， yet scattered over 780，000 square miles of the Central Pacific Ocean. U.S. forces wrested control of the Marshall Islands from Japan toward the end of World War II， and subsequently conducted nuclear weapons tests on the Enewetak and Bikini atolls. The Kwajalein atoll still hosts a US ballistic missile（弹道导弹）test range.
The Marshall Islands economy is based on farming， fishing （especially tuna（金枪鱼） for sushi（寿司））， and tourism. Coconut products account for 90 percent of the nation's export volume.
Marshallese society has always been stratified（阶层分明）， and despite increasing Westernization and the introduction of a moneyed economy（金钱经济）， social status still comes as much from one's kinship（血统关系） as it does from one's own achievements. Chiefs continue to wield a great deal of authority over land ownership and usage.
Food cultivation on the islands has always been catch as catch can（千方百计，用尽一切办法）。 Fish and seafood provide the bulk of the nonvegetable dishes， with tuna a staple of the catch. On land， breadfruit， coconut， arrowroot， yams， taro and pumpkins are the traditional mealtime mainstays. With the increasing Westernization of the Pacific， North American junk food（垃圾食品、无营养食品）has been increasingly dominating more traditional staples； on the rise too are the related health problems of obesity， diabetes， high blood-pressure and alcoholism.
One craft once common in the Marshall Islands （but growing less so） is canoe building. The walap canoes of old could reach a length of 100ft （30m） and carry up to 40 people， with supplies for open-sea voyages that could last more than a month. The smaller and faster tipnol was used mainly for fishing inside the lagoons， while the korkor， a small outrigger sometimes fitted with a sail， was also used within the lagoons.
Marshallese and English are both official languages of the islands and are commonly spoken throughout the country. Indicative of islanders' general amicability， their traditional greeting， Yokwe yuk， means 'Love to you.'
Majuro （马朱罗，马绍尔群岛共和国首都）， a 30-mile-long atoll（环状珊瑚岛、环礁）， is the captial and main urban center of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Almost half the Marshall Islands' present population of around 60，000 live in Majuro. Along with administrative offices and tourist amenities， the city's attractions include a relatively pristine stretch of beach called Laura.
The atoll has 57 small islets（小岛）， the largest of which are connected by a single 55 kilometre stretch of paved road， making Majuro appear to be one long， narrow island. Robert Louis Stevenson called the atoll the 'Pearl of the Pacific' when he visited in 1889， but it's a far less pristine Majuro that one sees today. Races held by Americans on Kwajalein
Majuro is the most Westernized（西化、欧化）of the Marshall Islands， but there's still a lot that can be learned about life in the islands from a visit. You can grasp what it's like to live on a ribbon of land so narrow that as often as not you can see the ocean on both sides. By visiting Laura Village， at the westernmost end （最西端）of the mainland， you can find a rural lifestyle somewhat similar to that of the outer islands. While there， make use of the islands' best beach and Majuro Peace Park， a memorial built by the Japanese and dedicated to those who died in the East Pacific during WWII.
Named for an 18th century British sea captain， the Marshall Islands consist of 29 atolls and five coral islands（珊瑚岛） that are equal to Washington， D.C.， in terms of land area， yet scattered over 780，000 square miles of the Central Pacific Ocean. U.S. forces wrested control of the Marshall Islands from Japan toward the end of World War II， and subsequently conducted nuclear weapons tests on the Enewetak and Bikini atolls. The Kwajalein atoll still hosts a US ballistic missile（弹道导弹）test range.
The Marshall Islands economy is based on farming， fishing （especially tuna（金枪鱼） for sushi（寿司））， and tourism. Coconut products account for 90 percent of the nation's export volume.
Marshallese society has always been stratified（阶层分明）， and despite increasing Westernization and the introduction of a moneyed economy（金钱经济）， social status still comes as much from one's kinship（血统关系） as it does from one's own achievements. Chiefs continue to wield a great deal of authority over land ownership and usage.
Food cultivation on the islands has always been catch as catch can（千方百计，用尽一切办法）。 Fish and seafood provide the bulk of the nonvegetable dishes， with tuna a staple of the catch. On land， breadfruit， coconut， arrowroot， yams， taro and pumpkins are the traditional mealtime mainstays. With the increasing Westernization of the Pacific， North American junk food（垃圾食品、无营养食品）has been increasingly dominating more traditional staples； on the rise too are the related health problems of obesity， diabetes， high blood-pressure and alcoholism.
One craft once common in the Marshall Islands （but growing less so） is canoe building. The walap canoes of old could reach a length of 100ft （30m） and carry up to 40 people， with supplies for open-sea voyages that could last more than a month. The smaller and faster tipnol was used mainly for fishing inside the lagoons， while the korkor， a small outrigger sometimes fitted with a sail， was also used within the lagoons.
Marshallese and English are both official languages of the islands and are commonly spoken throughout the country. Indicative of islanders' general amicability， their traditional greeting， Yokwe yuk， means 'Love to you.'
Cairns (Australia)
Cairns（凯恩斯）is surrounded on three sides by rainforest and on the fourth by the Coral Sea（珊瑚海）， and it's the jumping off point to the Great Barrier Reef（大堡礁）and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest. It is in northern Queensland， the place that dubs itself（自己戏称自己）the Sunshine State. So perhaps the Cairns Web site that declares "Welcome to Paradise" isn't too far off base.
Some details： Much of the natural world surrounding Cairns is dense and diverse. The Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest was set aside as a world heritage area for its scientific and cultural importance and its natural beauty. The hundreds of miles of rainforest contains the most complete and diverse record of plant evolution. It is home to dozens of rare or unique plant and animal species.
The forest has also been home to aboriginals（澳大利亚土著居民）for tens of thousands of years. Aboriginal and Torres Straight（托雷斯海峡）Islanders culture has been captured in part for the tourist trade. You can take in the Aboriginal Dance Theatre， learn how to throw a boomerang or spend days in the forest with an aboriginal guide.
Some details： Much of the natural world surrounding Cairns is dense and diverse. The Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest was set aside as a world heritage area for its scientific and cultural importance and its natural beauty. The hundreds of miles of rainforest contains the most complete and diverse record of plant evolution. It is home to dozens of rare or unique plant and animal species.
The forest has also been home to aboriginals（澳大利亚土著居民）for tens of thousands of years. Aboriginal and Torres Straight（托雷斯海峡）Islanders culture has been captured in part for the tourist trade. You can take in the Aboriginal Dance Theatre， learn how to throw a boomerang or spend days in the forest with an aboriginal guide.
Auckland (New Zealand)
Auckland has been a hot spot for an awfully long time， but the reasons have quite fortunately changed.
New Zealand's largest city and prime international gateway resides on some 48 volcanoes， but it's been 600 years since lava flowed from any of them. Those volcanic hills have created great park space， fabulous （惊人的；难以置信的）panoramic views and twin harbors filled with watercraft. In fact， Auckland's nickname is The City of Sails.
It's a sprawling metropolitan area （actually four cities） of more than one million souls， including the largest concentration of Polynesians on the planet. And it's known for its multicultural flair.
The big attraction is all that waterfront property and the leisure pursuits that go with it. On land， there's a variety of museums （including a highly regarded Maritime Museum） and the famed Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium， with its sharks and penguins and masses of sea life.
Attractions ：
NZ National Maritime Museum
New Zealand's leading maritime museum in the heart of Auckland's vibrant waterfront. Discover New Zealand's seafaring history in over 14 world class galleries. Sail the harbour aboard a heritage vessel.
Waiwera Thermal Resort
From the roaring， whirling twister and dual speed slide， to the sheer luxury of soaking in the Hibiscus pool watching movies on the large screen， to the relaxation of a soothing massage， to the intimate seclusion of rising steam， soft music and cascading waterfalls of the private spas， sauna and Jacuzzi （'极可意"浴缸，周边可喷水按摩的小浴池，源自商标名）- Waiwera Thermal Resort's naturally heated water provides something for everybody - only 25 mins north of Auckland on State Highway 1.
Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World
See colonies of King and Gentoo Penguins， watch them swim and plunge beneath the ice cap， then travel deep beneath the ocean and come face to face with the awesome predators of the deep - SHARKS - only centimetres away.
Auckland Zoo
Home to New Zealand's largest collection of native and exotic animals. Explore the Tropical Rainforest， Hippo River， Pridelands （African savannah） & Primate Trail. Discover Wilderness New Zealand. Experience Sealion and Penguin Shores where Sealions can be seen through an amazing underwater viewing window.
New Zealand's largest city and prime international gateway resides on some 48 volcanoes， but it's been 600 years since lava flowed from any of them. Those volcanic hills have created great park space， fabulous （惊人的；难以置信的）panoramic views and twin harbors filled with watercraft. In fact， Auckland's nickname is The City of Sails.
It's a sprawling metropolitan area （actually four cities） of more than one million souls， including the largest concentration of Polynesians on the planet. And it's known for its multicultural flair.
The big attraction is all that waterfront property and the leisure pursuits that go with it. On land， there's a variety of museums （including a highly regarded Maritime Museum） and the famed Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium， with its sharks and penguins and masses of sea life.
Attractions ：
NZ National Maritime Museum
New Zealand's leading maritime museum in the heart of Auckland's vibrant waterfront. Discover New Zealand's seafaring history in over 14 world class galleries. Sail the harbour aboard a heritage vessel.
Waiwera Thermal Resort
From the roaring， whirling twister and dual speed slide， to the sheer luxury of soaking in the Hibiscus pool watching movies on the large screen， to the relaxation of a soothing massage， to the intimate seclusion of rising steam， soft music and cascading waterfalls of the private spas， sauna and Jacuzzi （'极可意"浴缸，周边可喷水按摩的小浴池，源自商标名）- Waiwera Thermal Resort's naturally heated water provides something for everybody - only 25 mins north of Auckland on State Highway 1.
Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World
See colonies of King and Gentoo Penguins， watch them swim and plunge beneath the ice cap， then travel deep beneath the ocean and come face to face with the awesome predators of the deep - SHARKS - only centimetres away.
Auckland Zoo
Home to New Zealand's largest collection of native and exotic animals. Explore the Tropical Rainforest， Hippo River， Pridelands （African savannah） & Primate Trail. Discover Wilderness New Zealand. Experience Sealion and Penguin Shores where Sealions can be seen through an amazing underwater viewing window.
Casablanca (Morocco)
If the Hollywood image of 'Casablanca' is important to you， prepare for a shock from Casablanca. The city is further away from Oriental romanticism than any other in Morocco， and Casablanca is a modern city - and beautiful in its own respect.
The centre of Casablanca is fairly impressive. It's brand modern， with big， lively boulevards， high， white， well-kept buildings. And it's clean and efficient. People visiting Casablanca as their first city， could easily end up hating this place： There are few things here confirming the newcomers conception on the Orient. But for people having visited other parts of Morocco first， Casablanca is good！ The city is modern in a Moroccan way， and an excellent example of Moroccans capacity of taking charge of the future of their country.
But as soon as you step out of the impressive centre of town， dark clouds cover the realities of people here. Extreme poverty and prostitution only to be matched by Tangier （丹吉尔，摩洛哥北部港市） is what you'll find without even looking for it. No other place in the country displays bigger differences between the haves and the have-nots.
If anything in Casablanca should fit the Casablanca of Bergman and Bogart（影片《北非碟影》中的女主角英 格丽·褒曼和男主角亨弗瑞·包嘉）， it should be the old city. It's small， consisting mainly of smaller houses， which all seem to be from this century， and the alleyways（小巷） dominating in other old cities， are rarely found here. There is a good market here， but look around before you buy， shop keepers here know their skills. Some thousand people live here， and in one or two spots， true beauty occurs.
Wide boulevards
Among the most visible aspects of Casablanca are the wide boulevards flanked by white， tall buildings. The streets run out as the leaves of a fan from the Place de Nations Unies. This place is the focal point of downtown Casablanca， and also the point where the modern town meets the medina.
Colony white
A walk around Casablanca will demonstrate clearly that Casablanca was the place that the French colonial authorities gave most attention. The old colonial centre of Casablanca is not small， and refreshingly beautiful. The buildings are of a French version of Arabo-Andalucian architecture， white with soft lines， and often plenty of details.
Corners do often give away the best examples， and happily， the buildings are most of the time in very good condition. The area to explore is south of Avenue des Forces Arms Royales， but of special interest is the Place des Nations Unies， which has the largest structures. Further east and south buildings are less impressive， but equally interesting.
Shopping
Casablanca isn't really the place to go searching from shop to shop. The city has a laidback feeling to shopping， especially if you step out from the market zone of the medina. The commercial areas reminds you principally of Europe's.
But money isn't a problem. Casablanca is one of the better places in all of Morocco to pick up something nice and different.
Old city
The old city of Casablanca is conveniently located - just off the main town square from where all avenues radiate， and near the sea. But as you enter， you will see that it is not all that old after all， that the houses here often have a form and size which would have made them natural elements in the "new" parts of many other Moroccan cities.
But still， it is very nice， even if it is surprisingly small. The best parts of the old city is made up of shopping areas， where all types of products are sold， and you should not either miss out on the less visited quarters - the areas where people live - where colours and shapes and curves brings you far away from elegance of downtown Casablanca.
The centre of Casablanca is fairly impressive. It's brand modern， with big， lively boulevards， high， white， well-kept buildings. And it's clean and efficient. People visiting Casablanca as their first city， could easily end up hating this place： There are few things here confirming the newcomers conception on the Orient. But for people having visited other parts of Morocco first， Casablanca is good！ The city is modern in a Moroccan way， and an excellent example of Moroccans capacity of taking charge of the future of their country.
But as soon as you step out of the impressive centre of town， dark clouds cover the realities of people here. Extreme poverty and prostitution only to be matched by Tangier （丹吉尔，摩洛哥北部港市） is what you'll find without even looking for it. No other place in the country displays bigger differences between the haves and the have-nots.
If anything in Casablanca should fit the Casablanca of Bergman and Bogart（影片《北非碟影》中的女主角英 格丽·褒曼和男主角亨弗瑞·包嘉）， it should be the old city. It's small， consisting mainly of smaller houses， which all seem to be from this century， and the alleyways（小巷） dominating in other old cities， are rarely found here. There is a good market here， but look around before you buy， shop keepers here know their skills. Some thousand people live here， and in one or two spots， true beauty occurs.
Wide boulevards
Among the most visible aspects of Casablanca are the wide boulevards flanked by white， tall buildings. The streets run out as the leaves of a fan from the Place de Nations Unies. This place is the focal point of downtown Casablanca， and also the point where the modern town meets the medina.
Colony white
A walk around Casablanca will demonstrate clearly that Casablanca was the place that the French colonial authorities gave most attention. The old colonial centre of Casablanca is not small， and refreshingly beautiful. The buildings are of a French version of Arabo-Andalucian architecture， white with soft lines， and often plenty of details.
Corners do often give away the best examples， and happily， the buildings are most of the time in very good condition. The area to explore is south of Avenue des Forces Arms Royales， but of special interest is the Place des Nations Unies， which has the largest structures. Further east and south buildings are less impressive， but equally interesting.
Shopping
Casablanca isn't really the place to go searching from shop to shop. The city has a laidback feeling to shopping， especially if you step out from the market zone of the medina. The commercial areas reminds you principally of Europe's.
But money isn't a problem. Casablanca is one of the better places in all of Morocco to pick up something nice and different.
Old city
The old city of Casablanca is conveniently located - just off the main town square from where all avenues radiate， and near the sea. But as you enter， you will see that it is not all that old after all， that the houses here often have a form and size which would have made them natural elements in the "new" parts of many other Moroccan cities.
But still， it is very nice， even if it is surprisingly small. The best parts of the old city is made up of shopping areas， where all types of products are sold， and you should not either miss out on the less visited quarters - the areas where people live - where colours and shapes and curves brings you far away from elegance of downtown Casablanca.
Johannesburg (South Africa)
It is known as the City of Gold， a sprawling megacity （百万人口以上之城市）on the South African rand（边缘）that seems to radiate endlessly beyond the gleaming urban core.
Johannesburg exists largely because of the gold first found here in the 1880s by an Australian prospector（勘探者，探矿者）。 He'd come across the richest gold reef ever found， and more than a century later， gold is still being extracted（开采） from mines around the city.
The jobs and wealth those mines have generated have made Johannesburg the country's largest city， with six million people. A lot of that growth has happened on the city's outskirts， where unemployed rural blacks in search of jobs came and established what became known as townships - in a lot of cases little more than massive squatter （新开垦地的定居者） camps. The most famous of these is Soweto（索韦托）， and tours there are now available to take visitors to a distinctly different part of greater Johannesburg.
Those who have prospered live in a cosmopolitan city that in areas seems to ooze（渗出；冒出）wealth， and there are many fine galleries， shopping centres and restaurants to choose from.
There's also the popular Rosenbank and Randburg Waterfront nightclub districts， the Wanderer's Club cricket grounds and Ellis Park， where the home team Springboks captured the 1995 Rugby World Cup and sent a country into delirium（极度兴奋，发狂）。
Johannesburg exists largely because of the gold first found here in the 1880s by an Australian prospector（勘探者，探矿者）。 He'd come across the richest gold reef ever found， and more than a century later， gold is still being extracted（开采） from mines around the city.
The jobs and wealth those mines have generated have made Johannesburg the country's largest city， with six million people. A lot of that growth has happened on the city's outskirts， where unemployed rural blacks in search of jobs came and established what became known as townships - in a lot of cases little more than massive squatter （新开垦地的定居者） camps. The most famous of these is Soweto（索韦托）， and tours there are now available to take visitors to a distinctly different part of greater Johannesburg.
Those who have prospered live in a cosmopolitan city that in areas seems to ooze（渗出；冒出）wealth， and there are many fine galleries， shopping centres and restaurants to choose from.
There's also the popular Rosenbank and Randburg Waterfront nightclub districts， the Wanderer's Club cricket grounds and Ellis Park， where the home team Springboks captured the 1995 Rugby World Cup and sent a country into delirium（极度兴奋，发狂）。
Cape Town (South Africa)
The Victoria and Albert Waterfront
Set on the waterfront（滨水地区）， surrounded by spectacular （壮观的；壮丽的）mountains， Cape Town （南非西南部港市开普敦）is one of the world's prettiest cities.
Think of San Francisco and the Mediterranean rolled up into one - a place with great arts and culture， nearby wine country with gorgeous （灿烂的）old architecture and prize-winning product， sunny， active beaches， and a city center full of charm and history.
It's been called the African Eden（伊甸园，乐园）and the Mother City， the place where modern South Africa has its roots. Explorers had sailed round the Cape for many years， but it wasn't until the mid-17th century that the Dutch landed and started a settlement against the backdrop （背景）of Table Mountain.
It has grown through the years as a regional centre and remains very much the reserve（保留地）of South Africa's European descendants.
The attractions here are endless， from simple walks around the historic downtown quarters（住处）， dining and drinks at the waterfront ， art galleries， Cape wine tours to drives up the scenic west coast or along the Indian Ocean-side Garden Route.
Africa's racial policies kept Cape Town a travel secret for decades， but apartheid （种族隔离政策）is gone and the city wants a place on the world stage.
Set on the waterfront（滨水地区）， surrounded by spectacular （壮观的；壮丽的）mountains， Cape Town （南非西南部港市开普敦）is one of the world's prettiest cities.
Think of San Francisco and the Mediterranean rolled up into one - a place with great arts and culture， nearby wine country with gorgeous （灿烂的）old architecture and prize-winning product， sunny， active beaches， and a city center full of charm and history.
It's been called the African Eden（伊甸园，乐园）and the Mother City， the place where modern South Africa has its roots. Explorers had sailed round the Cape for many years， but it wasn't until the mid-17th century that the Dutch landed and started a settlement against the backdrop （背景）of Table Mountain.
It has grown through the years as a regional centre and remains very much the reserve（保留地）of South Africa's European descendants.
The attractions here are endless， from simple walks around the historic downtown quarters（住处）， dining and drinks at the waterfront ， art galleries， Cape wine tours to drives up the scenic west coast or along the Indian Ocean-side Garden Route.
Africa's racial policies kept Cape Town a travel secret for decades， but apartheid （种族隔离政策）is gone and the city wants a place on the world stage.
Cairo (Egypt)
Few other countries are so dominated by their capital： Cairo is Egypt. For Egyptians to speak of one is to speak of the other. The 'Mother of the World' nurtures more than 16 million Egyptians， Arabs， Africans and sundry（各式各样的）international hangers-on in a collision of East and West， old and new， African and Arabic. She's overburdened with one of the world's highest population densities， which makes for a seething （原意为沸腾）mass of people， buildings and cacophonous（发音不和谐的）traffic.
Cairo has been the heart of Egypt for more than 1000 years. Here the medieval world and the contemporary Western world clash in a confusion of mud-brick houses and towering modern office buildings， of flashy cars and donkey-drawn carts（驴车）。 Cairenes see nothing strange in this. They aren't driven by the Western obsession to update and upgrade. The resulting pervasive sense of timelessness is one of the city's great charms. At the end of the day， it's a city travelers either loveor hate； few come away indifferent.
Finding your way about Cairo's vast sprawl is not as difficult as it may seem. Midan Tahrir is at the center. Northeast of Tahrir and centered on Sharia Talaat Harb is Downtown， a bustling commercial district. The city's main train station at Midan Ramses marks Downtown's northernmost extent. Heading east， Downtown ends at Midan Ataba and the old medieval heart of the city known as Islamic Cairo takes over.
Bordering Downtown to the west is the Nile River， which is obstructed （拦截）by two sizeable islands. The more central of these， connected directly to Downtown by three bridges， is Gezira， home to the Cairo Tower and the Opera House complex. The west bank of the Nile is less historical and much more residential. The primary districts are Mohandiseen， Agouza， Doqqi and Giza， all of which are light on charm and heavy on concrete. Giza covers by far the largest area of the four， stretching some 20km （12.4mi） west on either side of the long， straight road that ends at the foot of the Pyramids.
Cairo has been the heart of Egypt for more than 1000 years. Here the medieval world and the contemporary Western world clash in a confusion of mud-brick houses and towering modern office buildings， of flashy cars and donkey-drawn carts（驴车）。 Cairenes see nothing strange in this. They aren't driven by the Western obsession to update and upgrade. The resulting pervasive sense of timelessness is one of the city's great charms. At the end of the day， it's a city travelers either loveor hate； few come away indifferent.
Finding your way about Cairo's vast sprawl is not as difficult as it may seem. Midan Tahrir is at the center. Northeast of Tahrir and centered on Sharia Talaat Harb is Downtown， a bustling commercial district. The city's main train station at Midan Ramses marks Downtown's northernmost extent. Heading east， Downtown ends at Midan Ataba and the old medieval heart of the city known as Islamic Cairo takes over.
Bordering Downtown to the west is the Nile River， which is obstructed （拦截）by two sizeable islands. The more central of these， connected directly to Downtown by three bridges， is Gezira， home to the Cairo Tower and the Opera House complex. The west bank of the Nile is less historical and much more residential. The primary districts are Mohandiseen， Agouza， Doqqi and Giza， all of which are light on charm and heavy on concrete. Giza covers by far the largest area of the four， stretching some 20km （12.4mi） west on either side of the long， straight road that ends at the foot of the Pyramids.
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