Australia |
| Monday, 02 June 2008 00:00 |
 Kylie, bleached blond hair, tanned skin, grittily annoying cricketers, shrimps on the Barbie, and auntie Mable in Melbourne who you’ve never visited. For those who’ve never been, this is Australia, for those who do brave the twenty four hours flying, the experience is very different. Australia is huge, indescribably huge, from the rainforested tip of Cape York to the underground opal mining city of Coober Pedy, the sparkling high-rises of Sydney Central Business District to the familiarity of the tiny hotel, or pub, visible in every tiny cluster of buildings trying to be a village. The experience is just as varied as the land, Australia is that big! Obviously, a major attraction is the Great Barrier Reef, situated along the north east coastline and easily accessible from many points along it. Most tourists head to Cairns though, with its wide range of accommodation from budget to five star and its many tour companies offering afternoons, overnights or weeks on and around the reef. What can you expect from the reef? Colour, just putting your head under the surface will usher you to a different world of the most vividly coloured plants and fish imaginable. Be aware as you travel around that trips into the outback, unsupplied, unplanned and unguided are about as foolish a thing as you could do, and that for vast areas with no tarred road, you may have to double-check your car insurance. Australia may be the land of easy going outdoor life, but that outdoors can become very dangerous for the foolhardy. The CarDelMar office can provide information for safe driving. Outside of the Reef lots of travellers head to the two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. For Sydney think relaxed, laid back vibe, beautiful azure waters of the bay, a downtown that could be part of Manhattan, and beaches, beaches and more beaches. For Melbourne, a sort of Southern Hemisphere Manchester, a little dirtier than Sydney, a little edgier but with a fantastic, pulsating atmosphere which attracts the bohemians. Somewhere not to miss in your rental car, and one where you can travel without fear of danger, is the outstanding Great Ocean Road, winding its way west from Melbourne along some of the most spectacular coastal in the world. Number one on the list though is Uluru, or Ayers Rock as was. Situated in almost the exact middle of the country, known as the Red Centre, this huge monolith changes colour twice a day with the rising or setting of the sun, from deep purple to intense orange. A sight not to be missed as you sip your pre breakfast champagne. |
Travelguide Australia
Tasmania Tasmania Island is situated at the south east end of Australia. The Bass Strait separates Tasmania Island from Australia....more |
Airlie Beach Airlie Beach is a popular small town situated on the east coast of Australia. With the Great Barrier Reed being not too far away,...more |
New South Wales The Australian state of New South Wales has a lot to offer to its visitors.In addition to the grand landscapes of desert and mountains of the Australian cordillera, the New South Wales has a gorgeous......more |
Canberra If Sydney and Melbourne had agreed, Canberra would not have been the capital of Australia today. Indeed Canberra was founded to settle the issue of Sydney and Melbourne's candidatures....more |