When it comes to the beaches in Sydney, it's hard to know where to begin. Around 100 beaches spread around the harbor and along the coast. Here are four of them.

Bronte Beach

Bronte's sea pool offers a protected ocean swim and is regarded as one of the best in Sydney—and much like beach culture itself, it's free. The nearby parkland has spacious barbecue areas for family gatherings. On public holidays, the park becomes a sea of busy people as parties take place.

Balmoral

Balmoral, on the north shore's Middle Harbor near Taronga Zoo, has an air of peace. Life moves at a more leisurely pace here. If it's loudness and pride you're after, this isn't it. What Balmoral does have overall is impressive views. And its calmness makes it a great swimming spot for families.

Garie Beach

Located in the Royal National Park, 54 kilometers south of Sydney, Garie Beach is accessible through Garie Road and isn't one for beach-lovers without a car. The large beach is very impressive, though. It's well preserved and is the perfect spot for a relaxing day away from the city. The facilities are top-grade and there is a great fishing spot off the east-facing rocks.

North Narrabeen Beach

Having some of the best and most consistent surf, the beach attracts board lovers from all over Sydney. Surfers have no discomfort making the 25-kilometer trip north to get to the three-kilometer-long beach. The northern end of the vast beach is protected from the northeasterly winds and is a surfer's destination, while the rest of it is ideal for swimming.

Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks time. Then inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year. If it falls within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.

Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.

There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the Southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing — very, very slowly — as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.

Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.

If you are longing for a hike in Alaska and aren’t sure where to star, here are our favorites. There’s something for all levels of skills and ambitions.

The Kenai River Trail

A half mile down this trail are wonderful views of the Kenai River Canyon. There are really two trailheads(小道的起点); the main “upper” trail starts at mile 0.6 of Skilak Lake Rd, and the other at mile 2.3.

Turnagain Arm Trail

This 11-mile hike begins at Potter Trailhead (Mile 115). Initially used by Alaska Natives, the trail, can also be accessible to points along the way: McHugh Creck (Mile 112), Rainbow (Mile 108) and Windy (Mile 107).

Iditarod National Historic Trail

The National Historic Iditarod Trail is a 24-mile hike used by gold miners and sled-dog teams until 1918, when the Alaska Railroad was finished. It’s a two-to-three day hike through superb mountain scenery to Girdwood (where it’s known as the Crow Pass Trail), and is the region’s best backpack adventure.

Put up a tent at Echo Bend (Mile 3), or rent one of two yurts(毡房) ($65 per night) close by. For a shorter outing you can turn around at the Perch, then return to the Dew Mound Trail at Echo Bend and then to the Nature Center, making this a scenic 8-mile trip.

Reed Lakes Trail

Two alpine lakes, waterfalls, glaciers and towering granite(花岗岩) walls: the 7-to-9-mile Reed Lakes Trail is one of the most wonderful hikes in the region, and worth the climb. Once you reach upper Reed Lake, continue 1 mile to Bomber Glacier, where the ruin of a B-29 bomber lies in memorial to six men who died in a 1957 crash.