Australia is a vigorous young nation astride an ancient continent. This vast, parched land -- the flattest and driest continent -- is revealed here in 200 splendid colour photographs, including panoramic gatefolds by some of the most distinguished photographers working in the country today. State by state, the images here capture the Great Barrier Reef, the biggest coral reef on the planet; the massive glowing monoliths of the Red Centre in the Northern Territory; the snow-capped peaks and frozen lakes in the rain-soaked wilderness of Tasmania; the lush green plains of the Great Divide; and the scorched stone, sandy deserts, and crystalline white salt lakes of the interior.