go-see-do guide for adventurous travellers
Aglow in the setting sun, the Khancoban Pondage encircled with impossibly high mountains* was a calendar shot just waiting to happen**. So picturesquely pleasing, the scene seemed perfect. We looked out from the vantage point of our campsite in the Khancoban Lakeside Holiday Resort. Perhaps instead of crossing the River Murray border from Victoria into New South Wales, we’d inadvertently[…]
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At LAST I’ve got the answer to that irritating question – Have you been to all the Australian National Parks? I’ll just get out my recently released 2nd edition of Explore Australia’s excellent Explore Australia’s National Parks! And point out that to visit ALL of Australia’s 500+ National Parks would be a life-long project. The question comes up because lots of visitors stop[…]
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Does it REALLY take 7 days to drive the ~3000 km from Adelaide to Darwin? Only if you want to see a few sights along the way on a REAL adventure! Driving yourself is the best option (try Car hire if your vehicle isn’t up to scratch) to experience a cross-section of Australia’s unique countryside from the dry south, through the Red[…]
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Blue- and red-coloured landscapes are generally associated with other planets, abstract art or young children! But while you’re checking out all the amazing things to do in Broome you can experience a distinctive red and blue landscape for REAL! The ocean’s characteristic blue hue from white clay in the water combines with the red local Pindan rock and soil in[…]
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With Australia’s 25,760 km (16,000+ mile) coastline, more than most other countries, you’d think it’d be easy to find enough distinctive spots for photos with a unique and unmistakeably OZ flavour, right? So why do I repeatedly find myself with shots that could have been taken … well … ANYWHERE?? See if you recognise any of THESE! 1 The Fishing[…]
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WARNING: Do NOT attempt the Pinnacle walk if you don’t like A) heights; B) snakes; C) wildflowers; or D) looking uncool! Whether or not D) applies depends to a certain degree on physical fitness levels – and possibly hiking fashion sense! Although tragically that’s not a factor if you’re like me. That red face, heaving chest and death-rattle puffing after[…]
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‘Look out for the cat snakes on the rock ledges,’ our guide warned. ‘We saw one stalking a bird the other evening’. CAT Snakes? ‘But don’t take my word for it – I failed the snake identification exam!’ she laughed. Pilchard and I exchanged glances. The previous day a gaggle of grey nomads had shown us a photo of the[…]
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I hadn’t suspected the otherworldly limestone Karst country we’d crossed en route from the Visitor Centre to the Cutta Cutta Caves entrance to be a portal to a parallel universe. But had we inadvertently stumbled into a casting call for a bad B-grade movie? For now, waiting for our guide at the stairs leading down to the locked entry gate[…]
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As you can tell from this shot of a typical Australian Beach, it’s obviously the middle of winter. AND peak tourist season. No way? No, REALLY! Coconut Wells Beach, a short drive north of Western Australia’s Broome on this beautiful July day (yes, that IS winter dowunder!) showed no signs of habitation except for a dune buggy track heading off[…]
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‘I would NOT like to fall down there,’ the backpacker remarked to his mates with that peculiarly British mixture of overconfident understatement and blinding obvious as he stared down into the depths of the crater. They nodded wisely, unsure whether or not they’d heard something profound, but deciding to play it safe. Banal though his utterance was, however, he was[…]
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