The past few weeks have shown us that our world has changed and nothing is quite the same. Things have come to a stop and we're slowly adapting to a different way of life. By connecting online, people all over the world have shown that we can still come together and we can still explore the world around us. But we are now visiting from inside our computers, inside our homes.
All across the world, there are live streams that show us the beauty that's still out there, just waiting for us to return.
The choices are endless. You can walk through some of the iconic museums of the world, take a virtual tour of Uluru, visit the Taj Mahal, explore the Great Barrier Reef and view the Northern Lights from Canada, just to name a few.
Regardless of your age, there's something for everyone to enjoy!
Here are some of the best from around the world:
Museums and Art Galleries
The
Louvre in Paris - without the queues!
Visit the Solomon R.
Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Enjoy every exhibit in every room at the
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Have a 360 degree look around
The British Museum in London
Walk through the stunning rooms of the
Vatican Museum in Rome
Go global and check out more than 2500 galleries and museums online, thanks to
Google Arts and Culture.
Or, check out what's happening closer to home:
MOD's Life Interrupted exhibition is free and runs till 1st August 2020.
MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) will live stream
Spectra on Saturdays from sunset to sunrise until MONA reopens. It's spellbinding!
You can even get out of this world with NASA. The
Langley and
Glenn Research Centers offer free online tours.
Or, how about watching a live stream from the
International Space Station where you'll see a sunrise or a sunset every 45 minutes. Or perhaps take a
walk on Mars? Why not!
There are thousands of museums and galleries open for online tours and each day there are more and more who are opening their online doors to the public with interesting content. Be sure to check in with your favourites - you just don't know what surprises are in store.
Travel and Nature
Travelling is temporarily on hold, but there's nothing to stop you from bringing the world to you!
Take some time to immerse yourself in the stories, the history and the culture of
Uluru as told by an Anangu elder.
Uluru Story Spheres are going to make a visit to the Red Centre a priority when we're allowed to travel again.
David Attenborough has millions of fans who love his nature documentaries. You can join him on an interactive exploration of the
Great Barrier Reef.
Watch the
Panda Cam at Atlanta Zoo. It's live 24 hours a day and you never know what you'll see.
Go on a virtual tour of
SeaWorld in Orlando and, if you're game, take a ride on the roller coaster!
Visit Victoria's
Melbourne and Werribee Zoos where you can see your favourite animals live 24/7!
Want your video chat to look like you're in Disneyland? You can
download a background for free from Disney and follow the instructions on your software to start using them.
Watch the
live stream of Australasian Gannets and Black-faced Cormorants on the rocky reefs at Port Phillip Bay
Walk the entire 5400 kilometre length of the
Dog Fence from the Great Australian Bight in South Australia to the Darling Downs in Queensland. There are
1781 photos to view while on your virtual tour.
Go for a walk on the
Great Wall of China and enjoy some pretty spectacular scenery along the way.
Or, take a stroll around the
Taj Mahal in India.
Watch this live stream and if you're lucky you'll see the
northern lights from Churchill in Canada. Keep an eye on the chat window for an aurora alert from an admin.
You can take a quick trip to Africa and watch the waterhole at either the
Tembe Elephant Park or the
Tau Waterhole.
Explore.org have dozens of live cams that can keep you entertained for hours watching gorillas, eagles, owls, even a rescue kitten house. Check them out at different times of the day to see the animals during play and sleep. You don't just get to view the animals, you're given information on what you're seeing, the current time and temperature and useful website links.
Please note that most live streaming sites have had their streaming quality reduced to accommodate heavy worldwide internet use.
Stay home, stay safe.
