The key to understanding what makes Australia so unique and interesting must begin with a knowledge of the earth's beginnings.
Scientists believe that the earth was originally a ball of molten rock and lava.
Over a time span of millions of years, Gondwana began to break up into separate pieces. These pieces gradually moved over the face of the earth, opening and closing oceans and seas, building mountains as pieces crashed into each other and were forced upward, until the earth appeared much as it does today. The continent of Australia is still drifting northward at a rate of 5.5 cm. During this time, animal life began to appear. From simple, single-celled organisms, animals evolved into more complex creatures as they adapted to the changes in climate and habitat.