Largest Natural Wonder

[glenc]

What is our largest natural wonder?

[alan meehan]

in australia i would have to say ayres rock.

[vash]

Great Barrier Reef

[astro_south]

Being a groundwater hydrologist I would say the Great Artesian Basin ;)

[GrahamL]

tarantula nebula ?

[Astroman]

The Great Barrier Reef is Australia's largest recognized natural wonder.

[DougAdams]

Define "our" :)

I'd say Earth.

[netwolf]

The Universe's ;) How about the Grand Canyon thats big.

[ballaratdragons]

There is a larger rock about 100k or so to the west of Ayres Rock, but it isn't an interesing shape, so it isn't a tourist attraction. Ayres Rock has a nice shape, that's why its popular.

[ving]

me. ;)

[AJames]

I can't decide... either the terrestrial impact craters of ;

1) Kandimalal or "The Wolfe (or Wolf) Creek Crater" in Western Australia, some 130 kilometres south of Halls Creek. It is 850 metres across, a nicely circular, and was only found in 1947 - almost exactly sixty years ago!

Images see;
http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/images/wolfe-creek.htm

2) Tnorala or "Gosses Bluff Meteorite Crater" near the Macdonnell Ranges in Northern Territory, about 175 kilometres from Alice Springs. Although about 140 million years old, the diameter of 22 kilometres is hard to beat. It one of the few natural wonder you can drive through - 4WD of course!

Images;
http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/images/gosses-bluff.htm
Image from space at;
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/geology/sgeo/slide_17.html

AJames
NOTE: Of course, the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru are pretty good features, but the Great Barrier Reef is mostly underwater and Uluru is only about six kilometres across at its widest. It is probably outstripped by Kata Tjuta / The Olgas

[AJames]

glenc wrote;
What is our largest natural wonder?

By "our", do you mean Australia and its territories?

Note: Ayer's Rock is now an antiquated term, which is now preferably called Uluru.

[Dennis]

Life itself. Just waking up each day, drawing breath and seeing the richness of life is quite amazing. All the time knowing that in a purely personal way, I had nothing to do with it. I am in awe at the system of systems that generates and maintains all living processes, keeping them ticking along quietly, without fuss, whilst I safely sleep.

Cheers

Dennis

[glenc]

I deliberately made it vague by using "our". Thanks for all the great replies.

[manny]

George W. Bush

[Glenhuon]

The largest natural wonder is a big blue marble, 3rd out from Sol :)

[Shawn]

Please explain...

:shrug:

[ispom]

"Our" ?
I think you mean the people that participate this forum:)

So I vote for the Yellowstone Park as the greatest for the mankind

[netwolf]

Shawn The GAB is the first thing i noticed about Australia when I opened an Atlas. The Old school Atlas books used to have different maps of Australia showing different features. I came here when I turned 9 and had a healthy curiosity about the country. The GAB is a marvel of nature and its huge.
http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/water/gab/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Artesian_Basin
http://www.gabcc.org.au/public/content/ViewCategory.aspx?id=52


Regards
Fahim

[ballaratdragons]

Geez some people are pedantic! I know it's called Uluru, but I also try not to keep correcting people. Everyone knows where he means.

[ispom]

what a disconcertment...
wiki says:
The local Pitjantjatjara people call the landmark Uluru .....
In 1993, a dual naming (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_naming) policy was adopted that allowed official names that consist of both the traditional Aboriginal name and the English name. On 15 December (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_15) 1993 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993), it was renamed "Ayers Rock/Uluru" and became the first officially dual-named feature in the Northern Territory. The order of the dual names was officially reversed to "Uluru/Ayers Rock" on 6 November (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_6) 2002 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002) following a request from the Regional Tourism Association in Alice Springs.

I'm not a (copy and paste :) ) Pitjantjatjara - man, and I name it Ayers rock....

[h0ughy]

sorry thats alien;)

[h0ughy]

ME:D closely followed by GBR, then the Wollombi Pine;)

[AJames]

Hey, just stop hitting on me. I don't need some "moral conscience" from you every time I write something!

If you want to be really pedantic, there are many others here who don't live in Australia in this IIS site. Our usage of the aboriginal name for the rock it is Uluru - is now preferable - the name adopted as respectful to the traditional people of this country.

The name was changed mainly to recognise the aboriginal culture and their traditional stewardship of the monolith. To them it is a sacred site. It was in 1983 that Aboriginal title was recognised by the Australian Government, and for its protection, the area became known as the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in 1993.

I personally respect the process of reconciliation in this country, and if we have to adopt local names for geographical features - then so be it!

[h0ughy]

Look I think Ken was refering to those with a few frequent flyers on spaceship earth around the sun. Now both of you place your right hand to your back, grab your undies, twist and pull up hard:whistle:

[xstream]

I respectfully request both Ken and Andrew to keep their comments to one another to themselves or in pm.

This is the final word and warning on the matter.

[glenc]

I think the largest natural wonder easily visible from Australia is the Milky Way.
It would be a major tourist attraction for all northern hemisphere visitors, including non astronomers, if there was no/less light pollution. (M31 is larger, but not easily visible with the naked eye from here)

[mnm]

Yeah, you "Wonder" how anyone can be that stupid! :rofl:

[Shawn]

Thanks Fahim, you live and learn...

Shawn

[spacezebra]

Good one Ving :lol:. IMO I think that the GBReef is our largest natural wonder - but we have so many to choose from.

Cheers Petra

[manny]

I think our sun would have to be. Without it there would be no life to enjoy the rest of the natural wonders.

Manny