书城外语英语PARTY——袋鼠之国·澳大利亚
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第18章 宜人风景Natural Scenery(4)

The British Columbia wine industry was just beginning to flourish about the time of Blue Mountain,s first vintage (1991). With this first release, the calibre of wine making met with immediate praise and set a new benchmarkbenchmark [计] 基准 for premium wines. About the same time, the next generation of Mavetys was becoming active in the family business, graduating from playing in the vineyards to aiding with cultivation and harvest. Today, son Matt, with an Agriculture degree and studies in Viticulature and Oenology, join Lan and Jane in the family operation.

While limited in production, Blue Mountain wines are attainable. To enjoy them in the company of good food, there,s a grand list of winesavvy restaurants in British Columbia and Alberta where they,re featured. Wine sales are conducted exclusively through the winerywinery n.葡萄酒酿造厂 as production levels preclude Blue Mountain from selling in retail wine and liquor stores.

The Blue Mountains were once thought of as the barrier to freedom, with many early settlers believing China was on the other side. 25 years later Europeans crossed the mountains and soon after, a road was finally built. The mountains reach a height of 1100m and their name is due to the blue haze that hovers above the mountains produced by the oil from the plentiful eucalyptus (gum) trees in the area which also give the place a wonderful eucalyptuseucalyptus n.[植]桉树 aromaaroma n.芳香, 香气, 香味, making the air fresh and sweet smelling.

The Blue Mountains, located less than two hours drive from Sydney, offer spectacular views of untouched natural bushland, as well as fascinating rock formations and an abundance of wildlife. The region is truly a natural wonderland of waterfalls, valleys and indescribable views that stretch to the horizon. There are numerous lookouts, walking tracks and picnic spots where you can just sit and be one with nature or explore the natural beauty of the Australian bush.

There are many towns in the area worth visiting such as Katoomba, Blackheath and Leura. There are also plenty of activities for all ages which include abseiling, mountain bike riding, caving, bushwalkingbushwalking n.<澳>丛林徒步旅行 and horseriding.

Katoomba is a main tourist destination in the Blue Mountains combining spectacular views with a wide variety of accommodation. It is the heart of the Blue Mountains and is where the main attractions of the area are, such as the Scenic Railway, Scenic Skyway, the famous Three Sisters as well as the Jenolan Caves located on the north western fringe of the National Park.

Blackheath is the highest point in the Blue Mountains and is a great base for visiting the Grose and Megalong valleys, where there are some superb bushwalks through the National Park as well as magnificent cliff lookouts.

The town of Leura is charming and picturesque, full of cafes and country stores. Nearby is Gordon Falls Reserve and from here you can take the cliff drive between Katoomba and Leura. This is the highlighthighlight n.加亮区, 精彩场面, 最显着(重要)部分 vt.加亮, 使显着, 以强光照射, 突出 of any visit to the area and the range of lookouts and views across the Megalong and Jamieson Valleys make this a must see for anyone wanting to experience the full beauty of the area.

No matter where you choose to stay, you will find international style hotel and resorts as well as charming homesteadshomestead n.家园, 田产 where you can enjoy the simple pleasures in life such as trying your hand a sheep sheering or cattle mustering or join in on one of the local festivals, especially if travelling with children.

Whatever takes your fancy, the Blue Mountains will have what you are looking for and some.

Australian National Botanic Gardens

澳大利亚国家植物园

澳大利亚国家植物园(ANBG)是由环境保护局的生物多样性机构“澳洲环境”直接管理。园址占地90公顷(已开发公顷),园内维护着以科学分类分布的澳洲全国各地的乡土植物。这些植物在为观众提供娱乐与教育的同时,也为植物的分类与生物学研究提供了必要的条件。在其旁边还有一个植物标本馆。

园内同时培育着一些野生濒危植物,以防止物种灭绝,同时可以提供各种研究资料以重建它们的自然生存环境。

位于黑山之上的植物园立地条件并非用于园艺开发的理想环境,因为其天然土壤属于砂岩和黏性土壤,海海拔高度为580~670米,年平均降雨量为655mm,年平均雾天为100日。其经纬度为55°6′(S),149°6′(E)。

澳大利亚国家植物公园收集了本国各地的植物,并进行了科学的分类。公园内保存的干燥标本与其生活状态非常接近。

澳大利亚国家植物园的历史可以追溯到1933年,1935年迪克森报告构建了植物园的框架。1945年种植了公园的第一棵树,经过20世纪60年代的飞速发展,公园于1967年对公众开放,1970年正式对公众开放。

Australia is a continent of remarkable flora and fauna. Our varied climate and topographytopography n.地形学 have created a vast range of Australian plants, all highly developed to suit specific environmental conditions.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens brings together in one place a significant collection of our unique Australian plants. Not only do the gardens allow us to enjoy this wonderful living collection but they are a highly regarded scientific institution that is a centre for studying the biology, horticulturehorticulture n.园艺 and classification of Australian flora. The Gardens are located at the foot of Black Mountain not far from the centre of Canberra City, and their 40 hectares contain 7,000 plant species drawn from right across the country. This represents more than one third of the 17,500 known Australian plants.

It is winter in Canberra, and the Hakeas and Banksias are in full bloom. Most of the plants in these families flower in winter and are a wonderful source of food for honeyeaters. Hakea corymbosa originates from Western Australia, like the vast majority of the Proteaceae family. This one is quite rare because it is one of the few that has green flowers, but like most of these plants they like sandy soil and good drainagedrainage n.排水, 排泄, 排水装置, 排水区域, 排出物, 消耗.