Like many Americans, I pictured Australia as one giant desert—the red-rock, dry-as-dust Outback. I assumed most of the country's food had to be imported. Living in Australia, I’m stunned by how different the reality is. Australia has almost all the world’s terrestrial ecosystems in one continent and can grow nearly any crop.

Let’s start with what most people think of: the desert. While Australia is the driest continent except for Antarctica, only 18 percent of the land area is considered desert. Deserts are found mostly in the interior of the country.

Australia has one of the largest areas of grasslands on the planet. It stretches across six Australian states with an area of around 1,062,023 square miles (1,709,160 square kilometres).

Moving from the arid to the wet, rainforests—whether tropical, subtropical, or cool temperate—are found mostly in Queensland, Tasmania, and New South Wales. One rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, is the fourth largest in the world.

Eastern Australia has temperate forests, with a moderate climate and higher rainfall. In southeast Australia, we have temperate forests as well, mostly eucalyptus. There are four seasons, with temperatures that range from summer highs in the 90s to winter lows in the 20s.

This part of Australia also has an alpine region that includes the Snowy Mountains and Victorian Alps, stretching from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory down to Victoria.

Surprisingly, Australia also has tundra, defined as treeless polar desert, on three sub-Antarctic islands: Macquarie, Heard and McDonald.

What do all these ecosystems mean for agriculture? Because of Australia’s varied climates and soil types, nearly any crop will grow here. The variety of fruits and vegetables is staggering. Also, many types of cereal crops like wheat, corn, and oats are grown here, along with rice, beans, and lentils. Sugar cane is a booming industry in the east and northeast regions.

With so much variety, visitors to Australia can experience most of the world in one continent. Why travel anywhere else?

Australians drive on the left. I had never driven on the left. Not once. Not even when I visited England. The London Tube was my transportation. When I arrived in Australia, the idea of driving on the left filled me with anxiety.

However, Australia has a lot of wide open space, and there is no Tube in Canberra. Like it or not, I was going to have to hit the road.

As I climbed into the driver’s seat of our car for the first time, I thought about how weird it would be to have the steering wheel on the right. To my surprise, I felt comfortable, not disoriented at all. Okay, sitting in the car felt fine. What would the actual driving be like?

I soon realized that Canberra is a forgiving place for anyone learning to drive on the left. The roads are nice and wide, and what traffic congestion does exist is minor compared to the D.C. metro area. Best of all, perhaps because of the embassies here, Canberrans are used to foreigners finding their way. Medians divide many of the highways to keep traffic on the correct side of the road. Dotted lines and road signs remind drivers how to make the turns at intersections.

Lower road speeds help as well. Many highways have speed limits of 80 kilometres, which is 49.7 miles per hour. Speed cameras are ubiquitous, and even a few kilometres over the limit earns a ticket with a hefty fine. I’ve heard that the strict policing has brought down the number of traffic deaths, and I believe it. 

Rather than traffic lights, more often a “Give Way” sign (like our “Yield”) or roundabout controls the intersection.  

I’ve been confused by other road signs as well. In Australia, you don’t pass. Rather, you “overtake” other cars. And a refuge island is not the oasis I was picturing.

Now I’m dreading driving on the right back in the States.

I love to walk out into the nature reserve after a hard rain. The sharp, clean scent of eucalyptus oil in the air is something I will always remember about Australia.

More than 600 species of eucalyptus trees grow all over Australia. They are also called “gum” trees because some types exude a sticky sap or gum-like substance. Indigenous Australians ate the gum and used it to secure barbs on to weapons or tools.

Eucalyptus comes in many shapes and sizes. Some types are small shrubs. Others, called “mallees,” are multi-stemmed like crape myrtles, and grow to about 33 feet. A third type is a single stemmed tree that can grow to about 300 feet tall. The bark can be stringy and loose or rough like an oak tree’s.

Surprisingly, bush fires help eucalyptus trees to thrive. The intense heat helps to force out the seeds from hard seed pods, allowing future trees to grow.  In some types of eucalyptus trees, the oil in their bark and leaves cause them to burn easily, spreading a fire.

Many of Australia’s public holidays are different from those in the United States, so I have eagerly anticipated each one and the chance to learn something new.  

This Monday, 11 June, is the public holiday for the Queen’s Birthday. Australia’s states and territories celebrate it on the second Monday in June with two exceptions. The state of Western Australia celebrates the public holiday on 24 September, while Queensland waits until 1 October.

The holiday is celebrated because Australia is a constitutional monarchy and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The official head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, the Monarch of the Realms. She is also the head of state of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, and many other countries and territories. Crowned in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest reigning British monarch in history.

I discovered that Queen Elizabeth’s real birthday is April 21, 1926. If her birthday is in April, then why do we celebrate in June? History provides the answer.  

In 1788, Australia celebrated for the first time a public holiday to mark the Monarch's Birthday on King George III’s birthday. The holiday continued to be celebrated on the actual date of the monarch’s birthday until 1936, when King George V, Elizabeth’s grandfather, died. His birthday was 3 June and since then the holiday has been celebrated in early June.

While tradition seems to account for the June date, I’ve also read speculation that celebrating on the Queen’s actual birthday would place the holiday too close to Easter and ANZAC Day.

The Queen’s Birthday is celebrated with sporting events, including an Australian Football League (AFL) game played between the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Demons at the Melbourne Cricket Club. Public fireworks displays and parades are also part of the festivities. In Canberra, the Royal Military Academy at Duntroon holds the Queen’s Birthday Parade every year. The Queen’s Birthday honors list is released as well. This list includes the new members of the Order of Australia along with those who have received honors from the Australian government or the Queen. The Queen’s Birthday also marks the official start of the snow season in the mountains of New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and Tasmania.

This long holiday weekend features lots of things to see and do, and I’m looking forward to celebrating the Queen’s Birthday.