More than 200 breathtaking destinations from around the world are currently vying for the chance to land one of the seven spots on the New Wonders of the World list. Locations from the Grand Canyon to Mount Everest to Uluru are fighting it out for the right to be labelled a World Wonder, with Australia having two entries in the list of nominees.
The Great Barrier Reef is hoping to become one of the New Seven Natural Wonders of the World
The New7Wonders Foundation was established in 2001 by the Swiss-born Canadian filmmaker, author and adventurer Bernard Weber to contribute to the protection of the world’s human-built and natural heritage and to foster respect for the cultural diversity on our planet.
The highly competitive list has been reduced down from 441 to 261 nominees, with wonders 222 countries being included. The Great Barrier Reef and Australia’s Uluru are currently still in contention.
Tourism Australia Managing Director Geoff Buckley hopes that the stage two qualification of Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef will be successful, and will provide the stimulus to continue preserving and promoting the vast array of national treasures in Australia.
“Credit goes to all parties who have worked so hard to preserve these outstanding natural sites over the years,” he said.
More than a billion people are expected to join in internet voting that will whittle down the 261 hopefuls to just 77 semi finalists.
Tia Viering of the New Seven Wonders campaign, said, “We are calling on people all over the world to actively show their appreciation for our natural world by joining together to celebrate the most extraordinary sites on our planet.”
Uluru was chosen from 441 contenders to compete for the title of a New Natural World Wonder
A panel of experts, chaired by Federico Mayor, Former Chief of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, will then reduce the list to the 21 finalists in July.
The seven winners will then be chosen in another round of public voting lasting until 2011, this time by internet, telephone and text messages.
Votes for the seven new wonders of nature can be cast until July 7th by registering on the Seven Wonders website.
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