Uluru voted Australia’s top natural icon in New7Wonders competition

ULURU has been voted Australia’s top natural icon and will represent the country in a worldwide competition to name seven new natural wonders.The ”Rock” had been trailing Victoria’s 12 Apostles in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign until the last week of the competition.This was despite the fact that five of the 12 Apostles have fallen down.Uluru made a late surge and will compete against 261 other natural icons around the world to be named one of the seven natural wonders. The Great Barrier Reef will also be in the running, but was not included in the Australian section because it is shared with Papua New Guinea.

Tourism Australia managing director said the competition was a great opportunity to promote Uluru to the world.”We are now presented with a fantastic opportunity to work with Uluru as the international flagship of the program, to continue to preserve and promote the vast array of national treasures that our nation beholds,” he said.Uluru will face some stiff competition if it is to be voted one of the seven natural wonders.

Other contenders include the Grand Canyon, Loch Ness, the Kalahari Desert, the Amazon Jungle, Iguazu Falls and Niagra Falls.Voting in the second stage will run until July 7, after which 21 finalists will be chosen.Voting for the finalists will run for two years with the seven natural wonders to be announced in 2011.