At this museum you can explore more than 14,000 years of N.C. history. In addition to interesting artifacts, the exhibition "The Story of N.C." features multimedia presentations and an interactive format.

For those who set eyes on Deansgate's The John Rylands Library for the first time, 'library' might not be the first word that comes to mind. This masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture looks more like a castle or cathedral. When John Rylands died in 1888, he was one of Manchester's most successful industrialists with a personal fortune of £2.75million. The library was commissioned in 1890 by his wife Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her late husband. This world-class collection includes the oldest known piece of the New Testament, the St John Fragment. Other treasures of the vast, varied collection include magnificent illuminated medieval manuscripts and a 1476 William Caxton edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

If you don't have the time to visit the larger (but much farther) Litchfield or Kakadu National Parks, Charles Darwin National Park is a convenient alternative. Located a short distance from the city centre, just south of the airport, the area is one of the country's most important wetlands. It showcases 36 mangrove species and holds significant Aboriginal and historical importance.

A beloved landmark in the Cheshire countryside south of Manchester, the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre is a reminder of just how important the city is to the world of science. The University of Manchester's impressive radio telescope centre is a key part of the UK's astronomy research, scanning the skies to improve our knowledge of the Universe. The Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre allows visitors to discover the Universe beside the world-famous Lovell Radio Telescope and explore the planet Earth in the beautiful 35-acre tree-filled gardens.