Great Australian Bight

In Australia, marsupials abound: A snarling Tasmanian devil stands before craggy Cradle Mountain, while a stubby brown wombat surveils the Great Australian Bight.

About: A stepping-off point for Kangaroo Island, the Great Australian Bight and the Nullarbor Plain, Adelaide is within easy driving distance of South Australia’s most prestigious vineyards in the Barossa and McLaren Vale.

Australia’s government science agency, CSIRO, gathered and analysed cores of the ocean floor taken at six remote sites about 300km off the country’s southern coast in the Great Australian Bight.

Oil giant Equinor has abandoned controversial plans to drill in the Great Australian Bight in a move hailed by environmentalists as a "huge win".

Oil companies eyeing the Great Australian Bight have long battled opposition from green groups concerned about potential damage to fishing towns, whale breeding grounds and an unspoiled coastline.