go-see-do guide for adventurous travellers
‘It’s just a short walk up the gorge starting over there,’ the kiosk attendant told the three fit young women in front of us, waving casually towards the trail head. Then it was our turn. Pilchard produced his senior’s card. ‘The track is uneven and rocky, and there’s a couple of creek crossings so please take it easy and take[…]
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What’s a weary Aussie traveller to do after a few hours and a few hundred kilometres on the road? Stagger from the car – reeling from too much sitting and legs crossed from sipping water water – and head straight for the loo, of course! Or the nearest tree, rock or shrub. Finding a good place to do your business[…]
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Gorging yourself silly in OZ doesn’t mean what you’re probably thinking it means. For a start, I’m not even talking about food – although you haven’t lived until you’ve eaten at a fine OZ bakery – but I digress! No, I’m talking about gorges. OZ is riddled with them. And in some parts, you can’t swing a long-tailed[…]
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Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve# The muggy tropical night enclosed me in its warm fist, immediately bonding the long-sleeved light shirt I wore to my sweaty glowing skin. A squadron of mosquitoes lined me up and zoomed in for the kill – until they reached the tropical strength DEET forcefield surrounding me and fell back, choking on the blood they’d sucked[…]
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It’s just a 20 minute drive from the Wycliffe Well roadhouse to the stunning natural attraction of Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles. But other than distance, these two places could not be further apart. Wycliffe Well, known as Australia’s UFO capital, is full bizarre extraterrestrial figurines, spaceships, mural-covered buildings and other oddities dotted throughout the campground. On the other hand, the Devil’s[…]
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You can blame the public amenities block at Kata Tjuta, near Uluru in the Northern Territory for my obsession with the odd juxtapositioning of Australia’s most spectacular scenery with the often mundane conveniences that service its admirers. The view from this loo MUST be the best in Australia, I thought. So I captured it on film. And it remained my[…]
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Books of etiquette and protocol offer no guidance on what to wear to a crocodile viewing. So who’s to say that the young woman outfitted as the diabolical love child of Heidi and Morticia Addams was dressed inappropriately for our Adelaide River ‘Jumping Croc’ tour near Darwin? The fitted black stretch shrug over the tight black lace top tucked[…]
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Yes, we’d crossed the portal into a parallel universe. But at least it was Tropical-Paradise-Cliché universe! Balmy breezes wafted through the open walls of the pub where we kicked back, drinks in hand, admiring the endless white sands, tropical palms, blue water and skies. Bob Marley played in the background. ‘Best in the world’ (albeit self-nominated) barra* and chips** on[…]
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All roads lead to Alice Springs – as close as a fart in an outhouse to the centre of OZ! It’s not the country’s official geographic centre – but go on! Have a look at the map of Australia – how do you find the centre of THAT?! But exact centre or not, no town defines OZ quite like Alice[…]
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Visit Australia’s Northern Territory and it won’t take long before the giant termite mounds become a bit commonplace. After a couple of photos, the average tourist won’t even bother stopping! Until they reach the amazing talking termite mound at Mataranka, that is! Not everyone has the capacity to turn a termite mound into a tourist attraction – but the Mataranka[…]
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