go-see-do guide for adventurous travellers
For a place explored, surveyed and ravaged by pastoralism, mining and smelting; overrun by sheep, camels, donkeys, rabbits and dingoes; and more recently under threat from an avaricious government looking to sell off uranium mining rights, Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is looking mighty fine! That’s due to the extraordinary Sprigg family* – visionaries, eco-tourism pioneers and explorers – who bought this[…]
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Bruny Island As far as I could tell, the fashion police hadn’t made it down to Bruny Island’s Adventure Bay. Just as well. If they had, they’d have been handing out infringement notices left, right and centre on board our purpose-built Naiad. We were donning the Bruny Island Cruises complimentary waterproof onesies – our only protection from the winds[…]
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Even if I’d been to Woodenbong BEFORE I listed the Aussie place names that WON’T keep you guessing, it never would have made the cut. Yes, there really IS a town called Woodenbong. And no, this Northern New South Wales town just south of the Queensland border and ~150 km west of coastal hot spot Byron Bay ISN’T named after[…]
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For some, the whole point of Central Australia is Uluru. For others the whole point of AUSTRALIA is Uluru. And who can blame them? It’s HUGE. It’s magnificent. It’s RED!! But Central OZ isn’t just about Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Of COURSE they’re several kinds of awesome, but there are lots of other attractions that’ll show you just as good[…]
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The last few kilometres were heavy going as I trudged back to camp. The bright daylight faded into twilight as the sun sank below the eroded peaks surrounding the amazing Wilpena Pound valley, centrepiece of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges National Park. The evening coolness rose as we entered the campground. While taking an 18.8 kilometre (11.7 mile) hike might not[…]
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Visit Innes National Park on a fine day and if you don’t end up with a photo that looks close to the one above, you’re just not trying! But joining the ‘Entrance to Innes National Park’ photo club isn’t the only reason to visit this smallish 9400+ hectare National Park. It’s around 300 km from Adelaide on the toe of[…]
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In spring, the distinctive landscapes of Victoria’s Grampians National Park – where vista after staggering vista stretches out in an almost endless 360° scenic panorama – become an irritating distraction from its main attraction! Because springtime is double the fun in the Grampians when every magnificent view comes with a bonus extra – a unique display of wildflowers especially formulated[…]
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Searching for Australian campsites or caravan parks that we won’t regret in the morning adds that little frisson of uncertainty that makes road-tripping round Australia so exciting. Although sometimes it’s a little TOO exciting when darkness is falling and we’ve got NO clue as to where we’ll spend the night. That’s why we take time each trip on a reconnaissance mission[…]
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Even without maps to guide them, Australian place names mean visitors to Australia – whether overseas tourists or aliens from beyond the Southern Cross – need not fear losing their way. In some parts of Australia, anyway. Thanks to the daring imagination and colourful speech of our colonial past, working out your location can be as simple as describing what[…]
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OK, so I’d been reading a photography magazine as we approached Lake Cullulleraine at the end of a long day on the road, and I was itching to try a few things out. So what if my camera was ‘only’ a point & click, and not one of the fancy-schmancy-hi-tech must-have gadget-laden-gizmos the mag condescended about. Besides, I was in[…]
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