Category Archives: Explore Australia

Classic Australian road trips you have to do

Posted on by
No Comments

There’s only one way to see most of Australia – and that’s by car. Australia’s highways are a roadmap to adventure; start your exploration with one of these classic road trips, which cover wide open roads from the red centre to the coastal fringe.

Stuart Highway from Alice Springs to Darwin, Northern Territory

This road, cutting through the heart of the country between Darwin and Adelaide, is one of the great Australian adventures. And the 1500km section between Darwin and Alice Springs is a track to the best of the Northern Territory: there’s the Devils Marbles, ancient rock formations carefully balanced on top of each other like a cheerleaders’ pyramid, the hot springs at Bitter Springs and Mataranka, the eerie termite mounds of Litchfield National Park, the waterfalls and gorges of Nitmiluk National Park … and that’s not even mentioning the charismatic roadhouses along the highway (the one at Wycliffe Well is famous for alien sightings). This is a road trip full of personality.

Great Ocean Road, Victoria

This insanely picturesque route is the Australian version of driving along the Amalfi Coast. The Great Ocean Road winds its way between tree-covered mountains and the endless rolling surf and, just like in Italy, there are charming seaside towns here too, from the barista boomtown of Lorne to the picture-perfect cottages of Port Fairy. The road starts just south of Torquay and runs for 278km along the coast past famous landmarks like the Twelve Apostles and Cape Otway Lightstation. You could drive the route in a few hours, but follow the example of the locals and chill out, slow down and enjoy the scenery.

Savannah Way from Cairns, Queensland to Katherine, Northern Territory

This bumpy road connects Queensland with the Northern Territory through the heart of the Gulf country with its river crossings and crocs – plus the odd interestingly named roadside stop, like Hells Gate Roadhouse. After leaving Cairns, the Savannah Way quickly passes through the lush Atherton Tablelands on its way to more wild and adventurous territory, like the true-blue gold-mining towns of Croydon and Normanton, which proudly displays a statue of the biggest croc ever caught. From Normanton, it’s a 700km stretch of unsealed road through some of the best barramundi-catching territory in the country on the way to Katherine. Just watch out for road trains!

Princes Highway from Sydney, New South Wales to Melbourne, Victoria

As you sit crunching your feet into the white sand of Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay, you’ll ask yourself why you ever drove the Hume Highway. While the Hume is the quickest route from Sydney to Melbourne, the 1000km meandering coastal road along the Princes Highway is by far the more interesting. It starts just outside of Sydney and rolls by the South Coast’s famously laid-back coastal towns, like Ulladulla, Jervis Bay, Eden and Lakes Entrance. You can also duck into the protected coastal environs of Royal National Park, Ben Boyd National Park and Croajingolong National Park. And if that’s not enough to convince you – there’s also good coffee.

Crossing the Nullarbor from Ceduna, South Australia to Norseman, Western Australia

Crossing the Nullarbor means driving 1200km between Ceduna in South Australia and Norseman in Western Australia across the Nullarbor Plain, a massive featureless expanse where you’ll also find the 90-Mile Straight, a 146km stretch of straight road. It’s enough to strike terror into the heart of any driver. Luckily there’s plenty to distract you along the route if you know where to look, from the 200km-long Bunda Cliffs, where the Nullarbor drops off into the ocean, to the Nullarbor Links, potentially the longest golf course in the world, where the holes are stretched out along the length of the highway. Then there are the roadhouses, peopled by outback characters and, in one case, a NASA museum. Yup, it’s fair to say that the Nullarbor is as interesting as you make it.

 

     

Best hot springs in Australia

Posted on by
No Comments

Exploring Australia is a tough business – luckily, the country is full of naturally occurring hot springs popping up in the most unexpected places to help wash the cares of the road away. So say farewell to fancy spas … and hello to the best hot springs in the country!

 

Zebedee Hot Springs, El Questro Station, Western Australia

Zebedee Hot Springs by @robynchalk – Instagram

By the time you’ve bounced your way along the rough Kimberley roads into El Questro Station, you’ll have plenty of aches and pains to wash away. So you’ll be counting your lucky stars that the property is home to the ridiculously pretty Zebedee Hot Springs, a series of small pools nestled in tiered layers down a rock-face among tropical palms. The water hovers at around 38 degrees Celsius; it’s guaranteed to relax your muscles. The hot springs are only open to the general public from 7am until 12pm in season (the afternoons are reserved for guests of the station’s luxury homestead), so get in early to beat the crowds.

 

Lightning Ridge Hot Bore Baths, Lightning Ridge, New South Wales

Lightning Ridge Hot Bore Baths by Tripadvisor reviewer Julia J

A long way in both location and style from Zebedee Hot Springs, Lightning Ridge Hot Bore Baths is a large circular pool in the middle of a dry and dusty plain with shrubby trees. But we’d expect nothing less from the idiosyncratic opal-mining town of Lightning Ridge, which is renowned for its frontier feel. The baths are just outside of town, and, with water temperature that’s around 40 degrees Celsius, are the perfect spot to relax after a long day travelling or opal mining – but unless you’re visiting the town in winter, best leave the swimming to early morning or late at night.

 

Artesian Mud Baths, Eulo, Queensland

Artesian Mud Baths by Tripadvisor reviewer CocoGELM

You’ll find hot springs with a large side of personality at Eulo in Queensland. Owner Nan has inventively placed four large claw baths in an enclosed area that’s open to the sky. The baths are filled with the naturally hot artesian water and infused with artesian mud, for the most unique beauty experience you’ll have this year. You can even book your bath at night, and sip on a glass of wine while leaning back in the tub and staring at the starry, starry night. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

 

Bitter Springs, Elsey National Park, Northern Territory

Bitter Springs by Tripadvisor reviewer Lesley2402

Bitter Springs, just two kilometres south of Mataranka, has long been a hot spot for its hot springs. Near the equally famous Mataranka Thermal Pool, Bitter Springs is famously beautiful, with interconnected pools of sparkling aqua overshadowed by palms and tropical grasses. The water is a balmy 34 degrees Celsius, and you can hire a noodle from the nearby camping area and float from the top pool to the bottom – don’t forget your snorkel for a glimpse of underwater life. Word to the wise: there are crocs about, so stay alert.

 

Dalhousie Springs, Witjira National Park, South Australia

Dalhousie Springs by Tripadvisor reviewer family_of_four_qld

On the edge of the Simpson Desert lies the dusty Witjira National Park, which hides a hot secret – around 120 mound springs full of artesian water. The most well known of the springs is Dalhousie Main Spring, a National Heritage–listed pool surrounded by palms and hardy desert trees where the water sits at around 37 degrees Celsius. The largest pool on this list, the oasis is a pretty good reward for braving the long, bumpy and dirty road into the park.

 

     

14 places to explore in 2014

Posted on by
No Comments
Cathedral Gorge, in Purnululu National Park, courtesy of Tourism Western Australia

Cathedral Gorge, in Purnululu National Park, courtesy of Tourism Western Australia

Feeling inspired to explore Australia in 2014? Here are 14 places you should add to your must-visit list in 2014.

Red Hands Cave and Wollemi National Park, Blue Mountains, New South Wales

You only have to stand at Echo Point and look at the Three Sisters to work out that the Blue Mountains have been around for a long, long, long time – those rock formations would have taken a cool couple of million years to form. And you can still see this ancient history all over the mountains, from the remarkable red handprints marking the walls at the Red Hands Cave to the ancient Wollemi pines in Wollemi National Park (although you’ll just have to content yourself with knowing that the pines are there, because they are in a protected area of the park).

Lightning Ridge, New South Wales

This opal-mining town still feels like a frontier outpost, and is in a relatively isolated corner of New South Wales. Although the town attracts around 80,000 visitors each year, you can still hear stories coming out of Lightning Ridge about people being bribed with opals, which, true or not, gives the town an air of the Wild West. Combine that with the blistering summer heat, and you’ve got a place that will capture your imagination. You can fossick for your own opals in town (although we don’t recommend using them for bribes) or take a tour around some other digs.

Castlemaine, Victoria

Wesleyhill Market Castlemaine, courtesy of Tourism Victoria

Wesleyhill Market Castlemaine, courtesy of Tourism Victoria

If Lightning Ridge feels like an Old West frontier town, then Castlemaine feels like a frontier town of a different sort – the creative kind. With a community of painters, potters, instrument makers and crafters, Castlemaine is at the creative front of Victoria. The charm of the town convinces quite a few visitors to move here for good, and after visiting, you might be one of them.

Before it had a rich creative community, Castlemaine was quite simply rich. It was the centre of the greatest alluvial gold rush in the world, and the grand old buildings in town stand as monuments to this history. While in town, you should visit some of these buildings, including Buda Historic Home and Gallery and the Historic Market Building.

Hanging Rock, Victoria

Hanging Rock National Park, courtesy of Tourism Victoria

Hanging Rock National Park, courtesy of Tourism Victoria

Hanging Rock has a reputation as the Bermuda Triangle of Australia, somewhere that people disappear into and never come back. This is due to the famous book and film, Picnic at Hanging Rock, in which some schoolgirls and their mistress vanish around Hanging Rock and are never seen again. Hanging Rock might be famous for all of the wrong reasons – or the right ones, depending on who you are talking to – but it’s time that this rock threw off its bad reputation.

One thing the book did get right. Hanging Rock is a great place for a picnic. There are coin-operated barbecue facilities dotted around the reserve near the rock. Sit back with a sanga or two and enjoy the view of this geological formation. You can also climb the rock, and generally spot a koala or two. The rock was created by the erosion of solidified lava, and is surrounded by dense bushland.

Granite Island, South Australia

Rattling on a horse-drawn tram across the 630-metre-long causeway between Victor Harbor and Granite Island, you could almost pretend that you were in a bygone era. The island was discovered by both the British and French at around the same time in the early nineteenth century (although it has a much longer presence in the Ramindjeri people’s Dreamtime). But rather than being impressed by the large boulders covered with lichen or the beautiful views of the harbour, the British were enticed to Granite Island by the populous communities of seals and southern right whales, which prompted whaling stations to be set up on the island.

Today the island is much more animal-friendly, with many people visiting the island to catch a glimpse of the penguins that call the island home. Take the Kaiki Trail around the island to see signposts and remains of the island’s history, as well as the incredible natural beauty of this region.

Investigator Strait Maritime Heritage Trail, South Australia

The European history of the South Australian coast hasn’t just been treacherous for seals and whales – over 26 ships were wrecked on the stretch of coastline between West Cape in Innes National Park and Edithburgh. You can pick up a map that marks all of the wrecks along this coast, and take a drive along the route. It’s more famous for its diving opportunities, but you can still enjoy the trail on dry land.

New Norcia, Western Australia

St. Gertrude's College, part of the Benedictine Community of New Norcia, courtesy of Tourism Western Australia

St. Gertrude’s College, part of the Benedictine Community of New Norcia, courtesy of Tourism Western Australia

When staring at the unmistakably Spanish vistas of New Norcia, it can be tough to remember that it was the British who settled in Australia. The town was established by Spanish Benedictine monks in the 1830s, which accounts for the classically imposing Spanish buildings. The town still runs as a monastery. It’s the only monastic town in Australia, which alone makes New Norcia worth a visit. You can join the monks in prayer, or explore the town on a guided tour. There’s a guesthouse, so you can enjoy the peace and quiet for a few days while snacking on some local produce, available from the Museum Gift Shop.

Bungle Bungles, Purnululu National Park, Western Australia

Australia has many awe-inspiring sights. Unfortunately for visitors, many of them are spread out across the country’s vast interior. And one of the most inaccessible sights is the majestic, World Heritage̶–listed Bungle Bungles at Purnululu National Park. Located on the border between Western Australia and Northern Territory, most visitors get to the national park through Kununurra, a large town on the banks of Lake Argyle.

It’s hard to explain the scale of these striped, cone-shaped rock formations, which form a rock city in the most unexpected place. Weave in and out of the rock formations, through laneways that put Melbourne to shame, to discover magical gorges and rock pools. It’s a sight worth travelling for.

Lost City, Cape Crawford, Northern Territory

A city on a much smaller scale, the Lost City at Cape Crawford is one of three areas in Australia claiming the name ‘lost city’, but it is our favourite. This city is a gathering of sandstone pillars, some reaching 25m high, which are the remains of an ancient sea bed. At 1.4 billion years old, the pillars are some of the oldest rocks in Australia. One of the reasons these pillars have survived so long is that you can only reach them by helicopter, as they are found in an inaccessible part of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Helicopter rides depart from Cape Crawford.

Mereenie Loop Road, Northern Territory

The Mereenie Loop Road is the most scenic outback road in Australia. It connects Alice Springs to Kings Canyon, and is an alternative to the sealed roads between Alice Springs and Uluru/Kings Canyon. You can choose one of two roads that make up the loop. The first, Namatjira Drive, takes you through the MacDonnell Ranges, a spectacular mountain range coated in fifty shades of brown. The other road, Larapinta Drive, passes by Finke Gorge National Park and Palm Valley.

The loop is an unsealed road, so a 4WD is recommended, and you’ll need to get a permit before undertaking the trip. The traffic is much lighter on the Mereenie Loop Road than on the main sealed road, although there’s enough outback scenery to go around. This is Namatjira country, and the soft colours may surprise those expecting the harsh colours and landscapes that usually depict Australia’s outback. But if there’s one thing that will always be true about the outback, it’s that what you find out there will surprise you.

St Helena Island, Queensland

For many years St Helena Island was a place you wouldn’t have wanted to visit. Although just as beautiful as Queensland’s more famous islands, St Helena’s was co-opted to a more unsavoury part of life than holiday-making back in the 1860s. It was Queensland’s main prison from 1867 to the 1920s, and had a reputation that rivalled Port Arthur’s as a hellhole. Abandoned in the 1930s, the buildings on the island have deteriorated, but they stand testament to a less-than-appealing (although fascinating) part of Queensland’s history. St Helena’s is around 8km from the mouth of the Brisbane River, and can only be accessed as part of a guided tour – either a day tour or a ghost tour at night.

Maleny-Blackall Range Tourist Drive, Queensland

Away from the beaches and sun-seekers of the Sunshine Coast, up in the mountains that stand sentinel over the coast, you’ll discover one of the prettiest drives in Queensland. Running 28km along the Blackall Ranges, this trip passes through towns such as Maleny. Maleny is a famous dairy town, which is now establishing a reputation as a creative hub. Locals are probably inspired by their fantastic views of the Glass House Mountains and the coast. The route finishes in Nambour, which is perhaps best known as the town with the Big Pineapple.

Governor Island Marine Reserve, Tasmania

This stretch of coast is known for the beauty of its water. There’s the Bay of Fires and Wineglass Bay, just to mention a couple. Yet the ocean around Governor Island has a reputation for being the most beautiful in the area. Most of this beauty is hiding under the water, and Governor Island has a deserved reputation as a fantastic dive spot.

Dive here and you’ll see unparalleled sea gardens and the variety of sea creatures that make their homes amongst the tulips and sponges and caverns of this area.

Maria Island, Tasmania

If Maria Island was off the coast of mainland Australia, it would be swamped with visitors. But as it sits of the east coast of Tasmania, Maria Island is sparsely populated with visitors. If you can, make yourself one of these visitors. The island is most famous for its Fossil Cliffs, where you’ll find 300-million-year-old fossils packed into the cliffs of Cape Boullanger. The best way to see the island is by bushwalking or bikeriding.

 

     

Explore Australia’s National Parks

Posted on by
No Comments
Explore Australia's National Parks infographic

Explore Australia’s National Parks infographic

The biggest – Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

At 1.9 million hectares, Kakadu National Park is just as spectacular as you imagine. This World Heritage–listed park contains entire ecosystems, as well as over one-third of the bird species found in Australia. Everything seems bigger and better at Kakadu, not least because the national park has six seasons, rather than the four on which the rest of the world runs.

Situated in Arnhem Land, the park is jointly run by Parks Australia and the traditional owners. Along with majestic natural scenery, you’ll also find man-made wonders, including rock paintings that are estimated to be fifty thousand years old.

You might hear some travellers refer to Kakadu as Kaka-don’t. But the only thing you don’t want to do is miss out on the almost mystical beauty of this park.

The oldest – Royal National Park, New South Wales

Royal National Park is the oldest national park in Australia, and the second oldest in the world after Yellowstone National Park in America. And this grand old dame still knows how to put on a show for visitors, with its untamed sandstone cliffs, hidden swimming holes, stunning beaches and plethora of native plants.

The park has been welcoming visitors since 1879, and was a pleasure garden for Victorians. But in making it a pleasure garden, the Victorians didn’t always make the best decisions, including introducing exotic species and foreign animals, such as deer and rabbits.

Although conservationists have made leaps and bounds in restoring the park to its native glory, especially since the National Parks and Wildlife Service took over management of the park in 1967, you can still see deer meandering (and occasionally stampeding) through the park.

The largest sand island – Great Sandy National Park, Queensland

It seems right that Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, makes its home in Queensland’s Great Sandy National Park. With its long stretches of beaches and huge sand dunes that can reach heights of 230 metres, the island is a mecca for four-wheel drivers.

But even if you aren’t into roaring up sand dunes in a 4WD, you’ll find plenty to interest you, from the spectacular beaches (make sure to check out the shipwrecks off Fraser and Teewah beaches) to the population of dingoes.

The shakiest – Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia

You might feel a little bit shaky after visiting Flinders Ranges National Park. This could be put down to its incredible natural beauty, or the fact that Flinders Ranges experiences around 200 earthquakes a year.

But don’t let this put you off visiting. The majority of earthquakes happen so far underground they are never felt on the surface, but they have shaken a truly spectacular landscape, full of dramatic ridges and mountains, into being.

Le Français – Francois Peron National Park, Western Australia

One thing you might not have known about Napoleon is that he was really interested in Australia. In fact, while he was emperor he authorised numerous expeditions to Australia. It was on one of these expeditions that Francois Peron came to Australia.

Francois Peron was a French naturalist, and wrote about the animals and plants he found in Australia in his book, A Voyage of Discovery to the Southern Hemisphere (1809).

And he would have found plenty to write about in the area that is now Francois Peron National Park. This region is teeming with life, especially off the shores of the national park in Shark Bay Marine Park, where you will find whale sharks, turtles, dugongs, rays and dolphins.

The most mysterious – Mornington Peninsula National Park, Victoria

It’s not every day that the Prime Minister of a country goes missing and is never found again. Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the shores of Mornington National Park in 1967, and is presumed drowned – although some people suspect more sinister conspiracies behind his disappearance.

Today Harold Holt is remembered at the public swimming pool named after him in Melbourne, and his disappearance is one more story in the fascinating history behind this national park, which has also been a quarantine station and a coastal fortress. But people don’t really visit for the history. They visit for the spectacular beaches and cliffs, including the ones watched over by the delightful Cape Schanck Lighthouse.

The biggest conservation battle – Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Tasmania

It was the battle for the Franklin River that really kicked off the conservation movement in Australia. And when you see the incredible natural beauty of this national park, you can see why people were so passionate to save it.

In the late 1970s, the Hydro-Electric Commission proposed to dam the Franklin River. There was a huge outcry protesting this dam, as it would destroy one of Australia’s last wild rivers. The battle for the river passed through politics, the courts and civil disobedience, and eventually resulted in the creation of the Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

For experienced kayakers, rafting down the river is the best way to see the incredible landscape.

Embed this infographic on your website using this code: <a href=”http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/Bookshop/Guides/National-Parks target=”><img src=”http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Australias-National-Parks_free-infographic.jpg” alt=” Australia’s National Parks | Free infographic” border=”0″ /></a>

Photo credits: Aerial wet season, Adelaide River, courtesy Tourism Northern Territory; Great Sandy National Park, Tourism Queensland; Flinders Ranges National Park, Jeff Drewitz; Francois Peron National Park, Jeff Drewitz; Mornington Peninsual, James Lauritz/Tourism Victoria; Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Ted Mead.

     

On the 1st day of Christmas …

Posted on by
68 Comments

On the 1st day of ChristmasToday we’re giving away a set of books that would please any Aussie traveller.

Explore Australia 2013 is the ultimate travel guide and atlas for your trip around Australia, and the Explore Australia Travel Guide will help you keep a record of your journey around the country.

Congratulations to Ali Derrick, the winner of the 1st Day of Christmas prize pack.