University of California - Davis: Melbourne and Kakadu National Park - Urban to Outback

During our three weeks in Melbourne and one week in the remote outback, we will encounter Australia’s natural wonders and cultural complexities by examining its literature, history, film, environment, and wildlife. Readings will focus on themes of individual and national identity and the tensions between a colonial and an indigenous population. We will visit museums, art galleries, botanical parks, and nature reserves in and around Melbourne. We will spend time in Darwin, a beach town that is the gateway to the outback and we’ll travel to the amazing Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Site for both its Aboriginal rock art and its unique flora and fauna. You will be thrilled by close observations of marsupials, dingos, crocodiles, water buffalo, and birds in their natural habitat.