Located in the southern hemisphere, Australia is geographically about the same size as the United States. Although much of the country is sparsely populated with the country’s total population about the same as that for New York City, it has many large, cosmopolitan cities. Of the total population 98% is comprised of ethnic Brits. Sydney’s Bondi Beach is one of the playgrounds of Australia. A regular spectacle there is the parade of the lifeguards. A few hours outside of Sydney, one can see the Blue Hills, so named for the blue haze the shrouds the valley. Melbourne, the second largest city in the country and capital of Victoria, is called the square mile city because of it geographical size. Despite its cosmopolitan nature, it has the luxury of having one of the lowest crime rates in the world for cities its size. In both Sydney and Melbourne are many beautiful gardens, but one in Melbourne is special in that it is dedicated to the pioneer woman. Some of the other special finds are opals, among the best specimens in the world.