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CAMPERVANNINGthE INsIdERs GuIdE to
IN AustRAlIA
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tABlE oF CoNtENts
Introduction 3
MapofAustralia 4
AustralianGeography101 4
AustralianHistory101 6
EssentialAussieBasics 7
DrivingonAustralianRoads 10
HandlingYourCampervan 13
CampervanningBasics 14
CrossingBassStrait 17
DrivingDistances 17
InvaluableCampervanningTips 19
ARundownoftheRegions 22
WhatYouCanExpectfromtheWeather 35
Wildlife 38
AboriginalAustralia 45
GettingtoKnowtheAussies 47
AussieTucker 49
Cheers! 52
50FantasticPlacestoVisit! 56
OfftheBeatenTrack 69
TenBestBeachesinAustralia 72
SpeakingStrine 76
ItineraryIdeas 79
FinalThingstoThinkAbout 83
dicaimer: Wehavedoneourbesttoensuretheaccuracyofthisinformation,andapologise
ifanyoftheinformationinthisbookisincorrectoroutdated,butacceptnoliabilityforanyconsequencesarisingfromthis.
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INtRoduCtIoN
Fr generain f Araian, r
Aie, eing ff in e famicampervan (mrme, rave raier
r RV) epre eir magica cnr
a eir n pace i e in f reae,
free-pirie ia e ae fr grane,
r an enviabe e qie cmmn a
pen a ar-earne reiremen.
Ifyourereadingthisbook,congratulations
onmakingthedecisiontofollowintheir
footsteps!
Simultaneouslyanisland,acountryand
acontinent,Australia,nicknamedThe
LandDownUnderisaperfectdestination
foracampervanningholiday.Itsfriendly,uncrowded,huge,andisriddledwith
uniquebutequallywonderfultouristspots
everywhereyougo.
Australiasnoteworthyforitsunique
oraandfauna,everyimaginabletypeof
scenery,itsfriendlypeople,delectablefood
andwine,itssuperbclimateandrelaxed,
noworrieslifestyle.
InAustraliayoucanabsorbthefascinating
Aboriginalculture,experiencesophisticated
cosmopolitansocietywithalaid-backtwist,
andtraveltoremotespotsitspossible
nootherhumanhaseverevensetfooton.Campervanningisanidealwayto
experiencethisgeneroussliceofheaven
youcantravelatyourownpaceandstop
whereveryoulike,foraslongasyoulike!
Theresavastnumberofcampsitesand
holidayparksdottedalloverthecountry
toaccommodateyouandcampervansto
suitanybudgetandtheresafavourable
exchangeratetotakeyourmoneyfurther.
MANy PEoPlE sAy thAt A
CAMPERVAN holIdAy Is thE BEst,
IF Not thE oNly REAl wAy to MEEt
AustRAlIAN loCAls ANd sEE thE
EssENtIAl AustRAlIA.
TheresanewcaravanbuiltinAustraliaevery14minutes!Andaccordingtocurrent
affairsshow60Minutes,therearemore
than325,000caravansandmotorhomes
currentlyregistered.Atanyonetime,more
than80,000ofthemareonwhatsknownas
theBigLapdrivingallthewayaround
Australia.
ReadontogettheBESTadvice,tips,
tricksandsecretsonwheretogo,whatto
do,howtoplanandmistakestoavoid,to
trulygetthemostoutofyourAustralian
campervanningholiday.
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5
Territory,WesternAustralia;and
Tasmania(theseparateislandoffthe
south-eastcoast).
Italsohastwomajormainland
territories,theNorthernTerritoryand
theAustralianCapitalTerritory.
Australiaalsohasseveralminor
territories;thefederalgovernment
administersaseparateareawithinNew
SouthWales,theJervisBayTerritory,
asanavalbaseandseaportforthe
nationalcapital.
Australiahasthefollowing,inhabited,
externalterritories:NorfolkIsland,
ChristmasIsland,Cocos(Keeling)
Islands,andseveralmostlyuninhabited
externalterritories:Ashmoreand
CartierIslands,CoralSeaIslands,
HeardIslandandMcDonaldIslandsand
theAustralianAntarcticTerritory.
Themajorityofrainfallfallsinathin
stripalongthecoast,leavingthe
majorityofthecountryaridanddry,
vulnerabletodroughtsandbushres.
MostofAustraliaiscomprisedofthe
Outbackwhichgenerallyreferstothe
harsh,desolateinland.
Theonlythingsavingthishugedryland
fromcompletedessicationistheGreat
ArtesianBasin.Thisenormousround
geologicalformationstretchesover
inlandN.S.W,S.A,QldandN.T.Beneath
itareundergroundwatersupplies
thoughttobestoredbetween66-208
millionyearsago.Boreholesbring
watertothesurfaceanditssuppliedto
livestockandhumans.
OfftheQueenslandcoast,thefamous
GreatBarrierReefstretchesaround
200km(1240miles)fromoffGladstone
totheGulfofPapuanearNewGuinea.
Itsthelargestcoralreefonearthandis
hometomanydifferenttypesofanimals
suchasstarsh,seaanemones,sh
(includingsharks),turtles,seaslugsand
giantclams.
Sydneyisthelargestcitywithabout4
millionpeople.Otherlargecitiesinclude
Melbourne,Brisbane,Perth,Adelaide
andNewcastle.
LakeEyreisAustraliaslargestbodyof
wateradrysaltwaterlakeinSouth
Australiathatcovers3,430squaremiles.
TheeastcoastofAustraliaiscoveredby
tropicalrainforest.TheGreatDividing
Range(amountainrangethatruns
north-southdowntheeastcoast)is
whatcausesraintofallontheeast
andblocksitfromthedryinland,or
Outback.
Australiaclaimstheworldslargest
monolith,Uluru(formerlyAyersRock).
Itslocatedalmostsmack-banginthe
middleofAustralia,inUluru-KataTjuta
NationalPark.Thishuge348-metre
redpieceofsandstoneisasacred
AboriginalsiteandarguablyAustralias
mostfamouslandmark.
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a wwI anzac soldIer
statue In sydney.
AustralianAboriginesrefertothe
beginningoftimeastheDreamtime
(whichisoftenthecontextforalotof
traditionalAboriginalart)
Australiawasoriginallypartofa
supercontinentcalledPangea,which
eventuallysplitanddriftedapartinto
twopiecescalledGondwanalandand
Laurasia.Gondwanalandtheneventually
brokeaparttoo,creatingSouthAmerica,
Africa,India,Australia,NewGuinea,New
ZealandandAntarctica.
Australiaoncehadlargepre-historic
animals(likeeverywhereelse)butthey
wereintheformofgiantmarsupials
suchasawombatthesizeofahippo,and
10-foot-tallkangaroos!
TherstpeopletoreachAustraliaand
chartitscoastlinewerethePortuguese,
inabout1536.Throughoutthe1600s,
manyDutchshipsthefollowed(itwas
referredtoasNewHolland).
AbelTasmanwasthensentoverto
chartthecountry.Healsodiscovered
Tasmania.TheseabetweenNewZealand
andAustraliaiscalledtheTasmanSea.
CaptainJamesCookarrivedinhisship
Endeavourin1770andchartedtheEast
Coast.HeclaimedthelandforBritain
andnamedNewSouthWales.
Meanwhile,KingGeorgeIIIbegantosee
thepotentialinAustraliaasacolonyfor
Englandsincreasingconvictpopulation,
andtherst800weresentoverin1787.
Goldwasdiscoveredin1852,causing
aninuxofimmigrantsfromEurope,
AmericaandChina.
Thelastoftheconvictswerebroughtover
in1868,bringingthetotalto168,000.
Australiaproclaimeditselfthe
CommonwealthofAustraliain1901,
butfoughtwithNewZealandalongside
BritainintherstandsecondWorldWars
andalongsideAmericainKoreaand
Vietnam.
Itwasonlyin1992thatalawwaspassed
allowingAboriginestoreclaimtheir
government-ownedland.
AustRAlIAN hIstoRy 101
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EssENtIAl AussIE BAsICs
Via, Cm anQaranine
AlltravellerstoAustraliamustcarry
avalidpassportorsimilartravel
documentandalltravellersexcept
holdersofAustralianandNewZealand
passportsneedavisatoenterAustralia
(avisacanbeobtainedfromyournearestAustralianhighcommission,
embassyorconsulate).
TheElectronicTravelAuthority(ETA)
whichcanbeissuedonthespotbya
travelagentreplacesthetraditionalvisa
andisbecomingincreasinglyavailable
throughtravelagents.
Everyonecanbringsomegoodsduty/
tax-freeintoAustralia,andadultsover
18canalsobringalcoholandcigarettes
ortobaccoproductsduty/taxfree.The
articlesmustaccompanyyouthrough
Customsandhavetobeforpersonal
use.
Theresnolimitontheamountof
Australianand/orforeigncashthat
youcanbringintoortakeoutof
Australia.However,amountsofmore
thanA$10,000(orequivalentinforeign
currency)mustbedeclaredonarrival
anddeparture.
Ondeparture,youcanclaimarefundof
theGoodsandServicesTax(GST)and
WineEqualisationTax(WET)thatyou
paidongoodsboughtinAustralia.The
refundongoods(notservices)costing
$A300ormore(onthesamereceipt),
onlyappliestoitemscarriedashand
luggage.TouristRefundSchemebooths
arelocatedinthedepartureareasof
internationalterminalsafterpassport
control,whereyoumustshowyour
passport,internationalboardingpass,
taxinvoicefromtheretailer,andthe
goods.Youllgetacashrefund,orthe
amountcanbeputontoyourcredit
card.
Gvernmen an Ecnm
TheCommonwealthofAustraliais
ademocracy,butitalsorecognizes
themonarchofGreatBritainas
sovereign(TheQueenofEnglandhas
thetitleChiefofStateandhassome
ceremonialduties)
ThePrimeMinisterofAustraliais
currentlyKevinRudd.
Australiahasastrong,modern
economy.
CurrencyistheAustraliandollar.
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Cmmnicain
MostpeopleinAustraliahaveamobile
phoneandsocommunicationwhen
youretravellingisaloteasier.Cheap
phoneswithPre-Payaccountscanbe
purchasedinmanyplacessuchaspost
ofcesandevensomesupermarkets.
Coverageisextensive,howeverthere
areplentyofplaceswithoutcellphone
coverage.
MostcaravanparkshaveWiFiandyou
canlinktotheinternetwirelesslywith
therightsoftwareinyourlaptop.These
hotspotsarealsotobefoundat
McDonaldsandotherplaces.Itsbest
todoanyemailingorphotouploading
inthemaincentresasyouwontknow
wherethenextplacewithwireless
internetwillbe!
Thetelephonecountrycodefor
Australiais61,andoutgoing
internationalaccessis0011.
Payphonesarered,green,goldor
blue.Onlylocalcallscanbemade
fromtheredones,buttheothershave
InternationalDirectDialling.Youcan
buyTelstraphonecardsatnewsagents,
supermarketsandchemists,andthere
arealsocreditcardphonesatairports,
citycentrelocationsandmanyhotels.
Mne
YourATMcardmustcarryeitherthe
CIRRUS,PLUSorSTARinternational
ATMmarkortheInterlinkorMaestro
POSmark.Youshouldcontactyour
bankathomeforinformationon
availabilityandservicecharges.ATM
cardscanbeusedinAustraliaatboth
ATMs(AutomaticTellerMachines)
andatparticipatingretaillocations,
solongastheyvebeenenabledfor
internationalaccess.
Themostcommonlyaccepted
creditcardsareAmericanExpress,
Bankcard,CarteBlanche,Diners
Club,MasterCard,Visaandtheir
afliates.Usemightberestrictedin
smallertownsandcountryareasand
smallretailshops.Changingforeign
currencyortravellerschequescan
bedonequicklyandefcientlyatmost
banks.Youshouldcashtravellers
chequesatbanksorlargerhotelsas
itmaybedifcultelsewhere.Some
banksmaychargeasmallfeefor
cashingtravellerscheques.Banks
willcashmosttravellerschequesin
everycurrency.Mostwidelyaccepted
areAmericanExpress,ThomasCook,
Barclays,BankofAmerica,Visaand
MasterCard.
ItsnotessentialtotipinAustraliaits
uptoyouwhetheryoufeeltheservice
wasexceptional.Tippingwouldtypically
beabout10%ofthebill.
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Mearemen
Australiansusethemetricsystemand
measurethingsinkilometres,litresand
kilograms(unlessyoureover50!)
Whenwritingthedate,themonthcomes
second,eg23/11/2009.
Thedecimalpointisadot,notacomma.
Temperatureismeasuredindegrees
Celsius,notFahrenheit.
Miceane
TheofciallanguageisEnglish,but
Australiahasalargepercentageof
minoritiessuchasGreek,Italian,
Chinese,Germanandsoon.Thenthere
aretheindigenousAboriginaldialects.
Themaininternationalairportsare
Sydney,Melbourne,andBrisbane,
followedbyPerth,Adelaide,Hobart,
DarwinandCairns.Eachstatehasat
leastoneinternationalairport.
Australiaspansthreetimezones:
sanar Ea-Queensland,NewSouth
Wales,VictoriaandTasmania:GMT+10,
andGMT+11OctobertoMarch(except
Queenslandwhichdoesntobserve
DaylightSavings).
Cenra SouthAustraliaandNorthern
Territory:GMT+9.5andGMT+10.5
OctobertoMarch(exceptNorthern
TerritorywhichdoesntobserveDaylight
Savings).
weWesternAustralia:GMT+8.
Electricity:220/240voltsAC,butmost
campervansarewiredfor12or24volts
soyoullneedanadaptor.Theresplenty
ofsunshineyear-roundsotheresan
increasinguseofsolarpowertocharge
deep-cyclebatteries.3pinplugsare
used,butsocketsaredifferentfrom
thosefoundinmanycountriesandan
adaptorwillprobablybeneededforthis
reasontoo.
Thereareveryfewfth-wheelersin
Australiaandmostcaravansare20
feetorless.Therearefewslide-outs
althoughsomeofthelargercampervans
dohavethem.
FuRNACEs ARENt usEd IN
CAMPERVANs IN AustRAlIA,
RAthER thE uNIts ARE
wARMEd wIth ElECtRIC
hEAtERs, oR tRAVElERs sIt
outsIdE By A CAMPFIRE. thE
ExCEPtIoNs ARE thE VERy
lARGE ClAss A MotoRhoMEs
IMPoRtEd FRoM thE stAtEs.
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dRIVING oN AustRAlIAN RoAds
Australiansdriveonthe efsideofthe
road.Ifyouarentusedtodrivingonthe
leftsideoftheroad,itmightpaytorent
anautomaticcampervanandbeextra
carefulatturns.Rememberyouthe
drivershouldalwaysbeinthecentreoftheroad.
Alldrivers,includingvisitors,must
carrytheirlicensewiththematall
times,althoughyoudontneedaspecial
licensetodriveacampervan.
Forexperienceddrivers,theblood
alcohollevelis0.05.Provisionaldrivers
andyoungdriversmaynothaveany
alcoholbeforedriving.
Seatbeltsandchildrestraintsmustbe
wornbyallvehicleoccupants.Itsan
instantneifyourecaughtwithoutit.
Thepolicedospotchecksforseatbelts
anddrunkdriversregularly.
Alltrafcmustproceedinaclockwise
directioninaroundabout.Avehicle
alreadyonaroundabouthasrightofway
overanyvehiclesentering.
Alwaysovertaketotheright.Besureyou
canseeenoughoftheroadtocomplete
overtakingandmovebacktoyourside
oftheroad.Neverovertakeoncorners,
blindrisesorondoublewhitelines.
Whenovertakingheavyvehiclesinwet
weather,bewareofwindturbulence
andwheelspraycausingareductionin
visibility.Allowplentyofspacebehindyouwhenpullingbackinafterpassing
atruck.Truckscantstopasquicklyas
cars,especiallywhencarryingheavy
loads.
whEN dRIVING oN A MultI-lANE
RoAd, kEEP to thE lEFt-hANd
lANE whEREVER PossIBlE. MoVE
to thE RIGht to oVERtAkE ANd
thEN MoVE BACk to thE lEFt
oNCE Its sAFE.
Attrafclights,agreenarrowmeans
youcangointhedirectionindicated
evenifthemainlightisred.Lookoutforthegreenmancrossingsignwhen
turningattrafclights.Oftenyourlight
couldbegreenbutyouhavetogiveway
topedestriansbeforeyoucanturn.
Usingahand-heldmobilephonewhile
drivingisanoffence.Ifyoudoneedto
makeortakeacall,pullovertothesideoftheroad.
s, ve g r campervan an re rea g! B riving n Araian ra, n
menin riving a CAMPERVAN n Araian ra, ma be an enire ifferen eperiencean re e .
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Ifyouhaveanaccidentwheresomeoneis
killedorinjured,itshouldbereportedto
thepoliceatonceorwithin24hours.In
WesternAustralia,anyaccidentmustbe
reportedtothepolice.
Inmoststates,themaximumspeed
limitonfreewaysandmajorhighwaysis
100kphandlocalurbanlimitsrangefrom
50to80kph.IntheNorthernTerritory
therearehighwaysthatarefreeofany
limits.Allspeedlimitsareclearlymarked
andallstatesusespeeddetection
equipmentincludingmobileandstatic
speedcameras,alongwithredlight
cameras.AnyneincurredinAustraliais
yourresponsibilityandifyoureaforeign
national,thenewillbemailedtoyour
homecountryaddress.
Itsbestnottodriveyourcampervanat
nightoutsideoftowncentresormajor
cities.Wildlife,especiallykangaroos,
canbeverydangerousontheroads
particularlyatsunriseandsunset
(whentheyrelookingforfood).You
couldencounterallsortsofanimalson
Australianroadsincludingkangaroos,
echidnas,camels,wallabies,cattle,
emus,pigs,largesnakes,wombats,or
eagles!Theywontonlycomeoutatnight
eitherbeonthelookoutallthetime.
Shouldyoudecideyouwanttogooff
roaditsessentialyoudiscussthiswith
someonelocal,bothtogettheiradvice
(onweatherconditions,thebestroute,
fuelavailabilityandsoforth)andtomake
suresomeonelocalknowsyourintended
route.Itsalsoagoodideatodiscussyour
intendedroutewithyourrentalcompany
regardingtheirpolicyofdrivingthe
campervanonunsealedroads.
Ifyoudobreakdowninaremotearea,
donttryandgetoutandwalk.People
whostaywiththeirvehiclesareusually
locatedquicklyandeasily.Stayinthe
shade,conservewater,andprepare
effectivesignals.
watch out for
wIldlIfe on
australIan roads.
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AnytravelacrossdesignatedAboriginal
landneedsspecialpermissionfromthe
ownersinadvance.Thispermitprocess
variesfromstatetostateandcantake
uptosixweekstocomethroughso
contactthenationalparkscontrolling
bodiesineachstatepriortoyour
journey.
whEN tRAVEllING IN REMotE
AREAs, AlwAys tAkE A
suFFICIENt suPPly oF wAtER
5 lItREs PER PERsoN PER dAy.
Iftheroadyouredrivingonisdusty,
becautiousasitmaybeconcealing
potholesand/orwashouts.
ItscommonintheOutback(especially
intheNorthernTerritory)toencounter
roadtrainsmulti-trailertrucksup
to50metreslong.Ifyourecomingfrom
theoppositedirectiontopassaroad
train,giveyourselfplentyofroomas
thedisplacedaircancausesignicant
buffering.Ifyoureovertakingone,allow
atleast1.5kmsofclearroad.
RoadsinAustraliaaregenerallygood
butexpectthequalitytochangefrom
timetotimeandalsorememberthat
therecanbeverylongstretchesofroad
betweenservicestationssoplanahead
whenyoureinruralareasandOutback
regions.
multI-traIler
trucks known
as road traIns
are common In
the outback.
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Checkwithyourindividualcampervan
company,butgenerallyyourinsurance
willbedeemedinvalidifyoudrive
onrestrictedroads.Itwillvaryfrom
companytocompany,butusually2WD
campervanscanonlybedrivenon
sealed/bitumenroads,withtheexception
ofwell-maintainedroadsleadinginto
holidayparksandwell-maintained
roadsonKangarooIslandinSouth
Australia.4WDvehiclescanusuallybe
drivenonrecognisedunsealedroads
butmayneedwrittenpermissionfor
thefollowingremoteareas:Simpson
Desert,GunbarrelHighway,Strzelecki
Track,CapeYork,theBungleBungles,
OodnadattaTrack,BirdsvilleTrack,
WarburtonRoad,CapeLeveque,Tanami
Track,ThePlentyHighway,Kalumburu
RoadandGibbRiverRoad.
Norentalvehiclesaregenerallyallowed
on:theCanningStockRoute,thelasttwo
kilometresoftheLennardRiverGorge
Road,theLostCityinLitcheldPark,
CapeYorkbetweenDecemberandMay,
andtheTelegraphsectionoftheroadto
CapeYork.
Campervansaretallerthanmost
passengervehicles,soknowthe
clearanceheightrequiredandconsider
thingslikeservicestationcanopiesand
low-hangingbranches.
Somehighwayseitherrestrictor
recommendnon-useforvehiclesovera
certainlength,soresearchwhichroads
youcantravelandhowtoaccessthem.
Alwaysbearinmindthatcampervans
areheavyandrequirelongerbraking
distancesthanyoureprobablyusedto.
Ifyouaregoingtotowsomethingbehind
you,considerwhetheryourcampervan
cancarrytheextraweightupsteep
mountainsorslipperysurfaces.Make
surethehitchattachmentissecure,
andalsoconsiderthetotallengthofthe
campervanandattachmentcombined.
Beforeeachlegofyourtrip,makesure
youthoroughlycheckthefollowingon
yourcampervan:electricalandplumbing
systems;integrityoftheLPGtank;uids,
brakesandtyres;angleofmirrors;and
hitchandcouplingsystemifthereisone.
hANdlING youR CAMPERVAN
check your
rental companyspolIcy regardIng
unsealed roads.
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CAMPERVANNING BAsICs
Whenyouarriveineachnewtown,
itsbesttoheadstraighttotheVisitor
InformationCentre,generallylocatedin
thecentreoftown.Thestaffwillgiveyou
adviceandbrochuresonanythingthats
ofinterest.
Campgroundsorholidayparksin
Australiaaregenerallyofahigh
standard.Bookingisntusually
necessaryexceptinpeakseason(around
Christmas/NewYearandEaster).You
canchoosetostayeverynightata
campground,orcertainnightstousethe
extrafacilities.Mostcampgroundswill
letyouusethefacilitieswithoutstaying
thenightforasmallcharge.
Thereareawidearrayofvanparksto
choosefrom.Manyofthenewerparks
havealmostbecomeminiresorts
completewithtenniscourts,multiple
swimmingpools,minigolfcourses,
gamesrooms,cafesandrestaurants
andevenkidsclubs.Althoughthe
facilitiesintheseparksmaybetop
notch,thepricesaregenerallyhighas
wellandtheymaynotbeinthebudget
ofmanylong-termtravellers.Atthe
otherendofthescale,thecouncil-run
caravanparksdonothavealltheextras
buttheyareusuallymuchcheaperand
offerabasicplacetostaywithpower
andamenities.
Ifyouthinkyoumaybestayinginalotof
vanparks,itmaybeworthjoiningoneof
theholidayparkmembershipschemes.
Theschemesprovidememberswith
discountsforstaysattheirparkswhile
theparksthemselvesmustmeeta
certainsetofstandardsintermsof
facilitiesandcleanliness.BIG4Holiday
Parks,TopTouristParksandFamily
ParksofAustraliaarethreeofthe
biggestvanparkgroups.
Mostnationalparkshaveareassetaside
forcamping.Thereareoftenshower
andtoilets,barbequesandpicnicareas,
howevertheygenerallywonthave
facilitiesforyoutoplugyourvehicleinto
electricity.Australiasnationalparks
containsomeofitsmostspectacular
sightsand,somefeel,someofits
bestcampingspotsaswell.Although
thefacilitiesatcampgroundsinmost
nationalparksincludelittlemorethan
adroptoiletandoccasionallyatapora
picnictable,thesceneryandsenseof
beingclosetonaturemorethanmake
upforit.Thefeesareusuallyprettylow,
too.
TheNationalParksdepartmentofeach
stateandTerritoryhasitsownsystem
intermsofentryfeesandcamping
fees.Youcangetmoreinformation
aboutaccess,availability,facilitiesand
attractionsforthenationalparksin
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touristinformationcentres,ontheweb
orbyphoningtherelevantnationalpark
ofce.LinksforcheckingouttheNational
Parkwebsitesforeachstateareonthelastpageofthisbook.
Formany,goingbushnotonlyprovides
awelcomerelieffromaccommodation
fees,italsocreatesarealspiritof
adventure.Somebushcampingareas
arewellestablishedandmayhaveadrop
toiletbutmanyhavenofacilitiesatall.Ifyouplantogobush,ensureyouhave
adequatesuppliesoffoodandwater
anddontforgetyourspade!
Localcouncillawsdontpermityouto
camponthesideoftheroadinthevicinity
oftowns,howeveroutsidethetownsand
incountryareasitisgenerallyallowed.AsageneralruleyoureOKtoparkup
inmostplacessuchasofftheroador
byabeachorriversideunlesstheresa
signprohibitingovernightcamping.All
thatsaskedinreturnisrespectforthe
environmentandthelocals.Besensible
anddontparkanywherethatrestricts
others,oranywherethatmightinterferewithnature.Alsomakesureyourenoton
privateproperty!
Somecouncilsarenowmakingcertain
regionsnofreecampingzonesthough,
sojustbeawareofthis.Itsusuallybest
topullofftheroadandparkbehindsometrees.Itsgenerallylegaltodothis,butif
youarentsure,orhaventseenthesign,
youcouldhaveyourselfrudelyawakened!
Discretionusuallyhelps.
Inacountrycharacterisedbylong
stretchesofroadacrossabigOutback
skywithfewtownsbreakingthehorizon,restareashavebecomeanecessityfor
manydrivers.Theyaremeanttoprovide
aplacetobreakyourjourney,havearest
andthenresumeonceagainrefreshed.
Eachstatehasadifferentpolicywhenit
comestoovernightstaysatrestareas
butallagreethatiffatigueissetting
inyoumuststop,reviveandsurvive.Moststateroadauthoritiesproducefree
mapsdetailingwhererestareasareand
whetherovernightstaysarepermitted.
Therearetoomanycampgroundsin
Australiatolistthemallhereagood
placetostartis
p://.araianeprer.cm/campie/ine.m.
some bush toIlets
mIght make you wonder
whether Its worthholdIng on.
15
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16
keepIng to tracks
prevents fragIle
ecosystems from damage.
wa i Rbbi an wae
Mostholidayparkswillhavearubbishandwastecollectionfacility.
Thewebsite p://.animp.cm/animp_araia.pphasalistofdumpstationsthroughoutthecountryforcampervanuserstoiletandwastewater.Youredoingthe
environmentafavourwhenyouusethese.
keep i Cean, Green an safe
Protectplantsandanimalstheyreuniqueandoftenrare
Removerubbishcarryoutwhatyoucarryin
Takecarewithredousewithwaterandcheckashesbeforeleaving(preferablyusea
portablefuelstove)
Keepstreamsandlakescleanwhenwashing,takethewaterandwashthingsawayfrom
thesource,andletsoapywatersoakthroughsoiltobeltered
Keeptothetracksthereslessriskofdamagingfragileplantsandecosystems
RespectthecountrysheritagemanyplacesinAustraliahavespiritualand/orhistorical
signicance
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CRossING thE BAss stRAIt
gettIng to tasmanIameans crossIng the
bass straIt.
te Ba srai i e canne beeen e
mainan an tamania. If re panning
ince tamania in r campervan
ia (r ire r veice in tamania
an rave e mainan), nee
cr i picreqe ea-ra.
Therouteisoperatedbytwoships,Spiritof
TasmaniaIandII,whichofferanovernight
serviceinbothdirectionsbetweenStation
PierinPortMelbourneandPortDevonport
onTasmaniasnorthcoast.Theygoseven
daysaweek,year-round,withextradaytime
servicesatpeaktimesoftheyear.
Theshipseachhavemorethan700
berths,or220cabinsandthetriptakes
approximately9-11hours.Campervanscan
travelontheshipsfromaroundA$93off
peakandA$134inpeakseason(subjectto
change).Thefareincreasesasthesizeofyour
campervanincreases.
Fordetailsonfaresandtimetables,gotothe
website.pirifamania.cm.a.Due
tothevariationsinsize,youwontbeable
tobookyourcampervaninonline,however
therearedetailsonthewebsiteabouthow
todothis.Besuretocheckwithyourrental
companyiftheirtermsallowyoutotakeyour
vehicleontheferry.
Australiaisahugecountry,sotoenjoyyour
holiday,itsrecommendedtoresearchyour
intendedtravelroutethoroughly,especially
yourtravellingdistances.Itsmuchbetter
totravelataleisurelypaceandstopat
whicheverattractionsyoulikeratherthan
spendingeachdaycoveringhugedistances.
Whencalculatingtravellingtimeitis
importanttotakeintoconsiderationthe
needtoreducespeedthroughthemany
townsandcities.Youwillalsoneedto
consideradverseroadandweather
conditions,aswellasroadsthatmaybe
windingratherthanstraight.Aimtocover
approximately150-250kmperday.
Alsoremember,driverfatiguecausesmany
crashesinAustralia.Whendrivinglong
distances,stopandrestevery2hours.
dRIVING dIstANCEs
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ai bi c di m p s
ai 2062 1204 3024 725 2707 1424
a 913 1545 343 3937 310 3620 563
ai si 1534 2946 2680 1490 2259 3933 2958
b 616 1765 762 3640 109 3323 982
bi 641 1632 642 3665 149 3348 862
bii 1202 1619 2153 2246 2470 3293 2129bi 2062 1268 3399 1686 4363 982
b hi 509 1553 1073 3127 820 2810 1174
b 4271 4646 4975 1875 4996 2258 5112
ci 3384 1697 2922 2885 3008 6050 2679
c 1204 1268 3917 653 3911 286
di 3024 3399 4170 3749 4163 3994
g 862 1760 727 3852 74 3410 947
g 3131 4787 4335 3739 3856 424 4555
ki 2188 3634 3392 4760 2913 597 3465
ki 2710 3085 3856 314 3435 3718 3588
m 2666 979 2204 2913 2290 5275 1941
m 725 1686 653 3749 3432 873
mi 397 1671 807 3421 554 3104 1027
m gi 454 2071 1068 3478 482 3161 1288
n 1599 807 461 3819 1048 4159 175
p 2707 4363 3911 4163 3432 3984
p a 308 1754 1512 2716 1037 2399 1585
p h 4831 5178 5536 2482 5057 1625 5609
r 2329 642 1867 2954 1953 5199 1624
s 1424 982 286 3994 873 4131
t c 2040 2440 3186 984 2765 4622 3010
ti 3038 1351 2576 2541 2662 5911 2313w w 959 1285 245 3672 438 3666 465
diance Car
Ra iance beeen mar ciie, in imere. te iance are bae n e m
irec re, n neceari e m pracica.
18
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INVAluABlE CAMPERVANNING tIPs
Takesoftandcollapsibleluggage,not
rigidsuitcases,totintheoftensmall
storagecompartmentsincampervans.
Baggageareasattheinternational
airportsarepatrolledbysnifferdogs
whosepriorityisactuallynding
fruitandvegetables,notjustdrugs!Forgettinganappleinyourbackpack
cancostyouaninstantne.
TwoAussiefavouritesthatarehighly
accessiblewhentravellingaremince
pies(aaky,high-caloriemeatpie),
andbatteredshandchipswrapped
inpaper.Approachbothwithcautionunlessyoubroughtelasticpants!
Getoffthewell-troddentouristroutes
andinteractwiththelocalstodiscover
partsofAustraliathataregenerally
reservedforlocalknowledge.Youllalso
ndmanyofyourfellowcampervanners
areAustraliansgettingoutofthecities.Successfulcampervanningrelieson
matey-ness,atwhichAussiesexcel!
Dontunderestimatethepowerof
thesunevenwhenthetemperatures
arentextreme.Infact,acombination
ofverylittleairpollutionandathinning
oftheearthsprotectiveozonelayer
(particularlyinSouthAustraliaand
Tasmania)meanstheburntimescan
beshort.ApplywaterproofSPF30+frequently,andcoverupwithsunhats,
clothingandsunglasses.
Ifyoudogetbadlyburnt,takean
anti-inammatorysuchasibuprofen,
moisturisefrequently,drinkloadsof
waterandavoidmoresun.Alsoavoid
applyingaloeveraunlessyouarecertainitspuremanyhighly-coloured
versionsactuallyhaveahighalcohol
contentwhichfurtherdryouttheskin.
Donttryandtickofftoomaysightsin
tooshortatime,oryouwillspendyour
wholetriplookingoutthewindowof
yourcampervan.
battered fIsh and chIps
are all too tasty and
easy to eat every day.
I a ver e ning ere re ging an ge ere b i e ie ing
a can mae r brea a campervanning ia!
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20
posItIon your
campervan so
you and your
neIghbour both
have prIvacy.
Whenparkingataholidaypark,
unspokenetiquetteistopositionyour
vansoyourslidingdoordoesnotface
yourneighboursdoor.Thatwayyou
canavoidenforcedchitchatandretain
someprivacy.
Levellingblockscanbehandyifyou
dontlikesleepingonanangle,but
planks(orVERYthickcardboard)are
alsoworthwhiletoplaceunderyour
wheelsasyouparkifitlookslikeitwill
getverymuddy.
Bringalltheessentials,butdont
overpack.Doyoureallyneedmorethan
onepairofthesametypeofshoe?Youll
begladforanysquareinchofextra
spacetoliveininsideyourcampervan.
Spring-typeclothespegscomein
handyforcountlessthingskeeping
openbagsclosed,replacingtheddly
closuresonslicedbreadandhanging
upyourclothesofcourse!Onthisnote,
clotheslinesatholidayparksllupvery
quickly.Washyourclothesandhang
themoutatnight.
Glassestravelwellinstubbycoolers
(foamcupsthatkeepyourbeerbottle
cool),orpolystyrenesheetswith
different-sizedholescutin.
Takewirecoathangerssoyoucanbend
thehooksaroundtostopthemjumping
offtherailevenonreallybumpyroads.
Checkthealignmentofotherpeoples
TVantennaswhenyouarriveata
holidayparkchancesaretheyllbe
pointingintherightdirection!
Cookdoubletheamountofanyfood
youmake,especiallystews,curries,
stir-friesetcsoyouhaveaneasy
re-heatablemealattheendofthe
followingdaystravel.
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Hunt down the
lowest prices onAustralia
and New ZealandCampervan Hire.
SALE
CampervanHireSaleFinder.com.au
CampervanHireSaleFinder.co.nz
Make sure you pay less than those people parked in the campervan
next door to you. Visit the home of the lowest campervan rental prices.
SALE
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22
A RuNdowN oF thE REGIoNsweern Araia (w.A.)
PoPulARPlACEs:
Perth,RottnestIsland,ThePinnacles,TheKimberley,Broome,
NingalooReef,PurnululuNationalPark,SharkBay,MargaretRiver.
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ThisisAustraliaslargeststateinterms
ofarea,coveringthewesternthirdofthe
mainland(vetimesthesizeofTexas).
Itscapitalcity,Perth,isoneofthemost
isolatedmetropolitanareasontheplanet
thenearestcityisAdelaide(over2000
kmsaway)infactitsclosertoEast
TimorandJakartainIndonesiathanitis
toSydneyorMelbourne.
PerthisAustraliassunniestcity(which
issayingalot!).Thetemperaturesreach
above40degreesCelsiusinsummer,althoughitswintersaremild.Theheatis
dryinthesouthandhumidinthenorth.
Perthisahandsome,moderncity
withfantasticparks,greatswimming
andsuperbsurf.TheSwanRiverruns
throughthecityandmostresidents
denethemselvesaseitherlivingNorthorSouthoftheriver.Theriverows
intotheIndianOceanatthePortof
Fremantle,anotherbeautifultownwith
greathistoricbuildings.
DrivingsouthoutofPerthtakesyouto
townssuchasAlbanyandEsperance,
withthisregionclaimingsomeofthe
bestbeachesintheworld.SouthWest
Australiaisalsohometopartsofthe
Karriforestwheresomeoftheworlds
tallesttreesgrow.
HeadnorthfromPerthandyoullhitthe
Outback.ThetopthirdofW.A.istropical
andyoullseerainforestalongthecoast,
andendlessgrassysavannahdottedwithkangaroosandallsortsofotherwildlife.
Southandinlandarethehugedeserts
thebiggestintheworldapartfromthe
famousSahara.Themaindesertsare
theSimpsonDesert,theGreatVictoria
Desert,TheGreatSandyDesert,andthe
NullaborPlain.Thisregionisfamous
foritsspectacularspringtimedisplayof
wildowers.
TheresmorecoastlineinW.Athanin
anyotherstate,muchofitbeautiful
whitesandandsparklingturquoise
water.However,manyofthenorthern
beachesarehometosharksandother
treacherouswildlife,sobrushuponyour
localknowledgebeforedecidingifand
whentoswim.
ThemostwesterlypointofAustralia
isNorthWestCape,thelocationof
theNingalooReef.Itsnotaslargeas
theGreatBarrierReefbutisjustas
spectacular,moreaccessibleandlesspopulated.
TherearemanyhugeminesinW.A,so
roadtrainsarefrequentlyseen.The
opencastminesmakeforaninteresting
visit,astheyhousesomeoftheworlds
biggestearth-movingmachinery,
truckswithhousesinthem,andtrains
kilometreslong.
Followingthemainhighwaynorthwill
takeyoutotheNorthernTerritory,
whereasthesouthofthestateis
borderedbySouthAustralia.Offthewest
coastistheIndianOceanandbeyondthe
southernborderistheGreatSouthern
Ocean.Thenearestlandmasstothe
southisAntarctica.
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Nrern terrir (N.t.)
PoPulARPlACEs:
Darwin,AliceSprings,KakaduNationalPark,Uluru,KingsCanyon,
KatherineGorge,ArnhemLand.
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Thisterritoryishugeandsparsely
populated.Itspansdesertandtropics
andliesjustunderneathAsia.
Themajorityofthisregionisclassed
asOutbackandstations,whichare
hugefarmsorranches(someofthese
stationsarebiggerthancountries!)
ThenorthernpartisknownastheTop
EndtoAustralians,andonlyhastwo
tropicalseasonswetanddry.Darwin
islocatedintheTopEndandisthe
capitalofN.T.
Darwinisaveryrelaxedcity,although
hasntalwaysbeensolaidback.In
fact,itsbeendestroyedandrebuilt
twice!ItwasbombedbytheJapanese
duringWWIIandthensuccumbedto
apowerfulcycloneonChristmasDay,
1974.Becauseofthis,itsnowthemost
moderncityinAustralia.
WestofDarwinistheworld-renowned
3.2million-acreKakaduNationalPark,
famousforitsstunningsceneryfullof
waterfalls,crocodilesandmangroves,
aswellasitssacredAboriginalsites
therearemorepaintingsonrocksand
cavewallsherethananywhereelsein
Australia.
HeadsouthandyoullgettoAlice
Springs,N.Tssecond-largestcity.Its
amodernOutbackcitywithanold-
worldcharm,surroundedbydesert
andtheMcDonnellRanges.Peoplecall
thisareaofAustraliatheRedCentre
becauseofthecolourofthesand,which
isoccasionallybrokenupbywhitesalt
fromdried-upsaltlakes.Theresahuge
amountofwildlifearoundhereyoure
likelytoseekangaroos,emus,snakes
andmaybeagoanna(ahugelizard).
Inthesouthoftheregion,almost
perfectlyinthecentreofAustraliais
Uluru(formerlyAyersRock),arguably
thecountrysmostfamouslandmark.
Thehugesandstonemonolithisabout
halfadaysdrivefromAliceSprings.
Continuesouthandyoullendupin
SouthAustralia,westandyoullbeback
inW.A.,andtotheeastisQueensland.
NorthofN.TistheArafuraSeaandthe
nearestlandfromthereisIndonesia.
the majorIty of the
northern terrItory Is
classed as outback.
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s Araia (s.A.)
PoPulARPlACEs:
Adelaide,KangarooIsland,thecentraldeserts,FlindersRanges,
NullaborPlain,BarossaValley,CooberPedy.
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SouthAustraliaborderseverymainland
stateinAustralia.Itsthedriestinthe
countrybutitsclimateisperfectfora
thrivingwineindustry.
NearAdelaideistheBarossaValley
whichisprobablyAustraliasmost
famedwine-producingregion.Northare
thestunninglyruggedFlindersRanges.
EvenfurthernorthistheSimpson
Desert,andwestfromthereisthevast,
atNullaborPlain.
SouthAustraliaishometosome
interestingtowns,suchasCooberPedy
inthenorth.Theresidentsofthissmall
miningtownactuallyliveunderground
thebestwaytoescapethestiing
heatofaboveground.Houses,church
buildings,pubsandotherbuildingsare
alldugouttolooklikegrandcaves.Its
alsoknownastheOpalCapitalofthe
World.Itsremotebutwellworthavisit.
Travellingeast,youllreachQueensland,
VictoriaorNewSouthWales.N.T.is
tothenorthandW.A.tothewest.The
coastlineoftheGreatSouthernOceanis
calledtheGreatAustralianBight.
thE CAPItAl CIty oF s.A. Is
AdElAIdE, whICh Is sItuAtEd
oN thE toRRENs RIVER. ItsNotABlE FoR Its BEAutIFul
PARks whICh sEPARAtE thE
CIty FRoM thE suBuRBs.
south australIas
clImate lends
Itself perfectly to
wIne growIng.
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Qeenan (Q.)
PoPulARPlACEs:
Brisbane,GoldCoast,SunshineCoast,Noosa,AirlieBeach,
GreatBarrierReef,WhitsundayIslands,FraserIsland,Cairnsand
PortDouglas,DaintreeRainforest,Kuranda.
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QueenslandisAustraliassecond-
largeststate,anditscapitalisBrisbane,
Australiasthird-largestcity.Tothesouth
isanotherlargecity,theGoldCoast,and
northernQueenslandslargestcityis
Townsville.
QuEENslANds ClIMAtE
RANGEs FRoM suB-tRoPICAl
uP to tRoPICAl IN thE NoRth,
ANd thIs CoMBINEd wIth
soME oF thE Most stuNNING,
oFtEN uNCRowdEd
BEAChEs IN thE woRld
MAkE It A PoPulAR holIdAy
dEstINAtIoN FoR Both
AustRAlIANs ANd oVERsEAs
VIsItoRs.
Themostfamousgeographicalfeature
ofQueenslandistheGreatBarrierReef,
whichisknownasoneofthenatural
wondersoftheworld.Around2000kms
long,ithassomeofthebestdivingand
snorkellingintheworldduetoitsrich
marinelifeandsome900beautiful
tropicalislands.Particularlyspectacular
aretheWhitsundayIslandswhicharea
must-see.
IntheupperpartofQueensland(known
asFarNorthQueensland,orF.N.T)lies
DaintreeNationalPark,hometothe
worldsoldestrainforestandamazing
spotssuchasCapeTribulation,where
therainforestrunsuninterruptedtothe
reef.Uphereistheonlyplaceinthe
worldwheretwoWorldHeritageareas
existsidebyside.
InlandQueenslandismostlydesert,or
Outback,startingfromthewestofthe
GreatDividingRangeuptotheNorthern
Territory.QueenslandbordersSouth
Australiatothesouthwestbutitsnot
arouteforcampervans,asthereareno
roadsyoucancrossintoNewSouth
Walesinthesouth,however.
NorthofQueenslandistheTorresStrait
whichseparatesAustraliafromPapua
NewGuinea,andistheendpointof
theGreatBarrierReef.Peoplewholive
ontheislandsintheTorresStraitare
ofciallycitizensofAustralia.
queensland has some
of the best beaches Inthe world.
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Ne s wae (N.s.w.)
NEw south wAlEs Is AustRAlIAs Most PoPulous stAtE ANd
oFFERs A huGE VARIEty oF thINGs to sEE ANd do BEAutIFul
CoAstlINE, woRld hERItAGE PARks, MouNtAIN RANGEs,
outBACk, sNow ANd skIING, ANd thE BRIGht lIGhts oF thE CIty.
PoPulARPlACEs:
Sydney,ByronBay,BlueMountains,HunterValley,NewEnglandregion,
PortStephens,PebblyBeach,JervisBay,Kosciuszco,BrokenHill.
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sydney In new
south wales Is
australIas most
recognIsable cIty.
ThestatescapitalSydneyisagorgeous
cityandAustraliasmostrecognised.
ItsmuchbiggerthanN.S.Wssecond
andthirdlargestcities,Newcastleand
Woollongong,whicharemuchbigger
againthantheremainingcountrytowns.
Whilemuchofthesophisticatednightlife
andculturalattractionsareconcentrated
inSydney,thereareplentyofnaturaland
historicalsitesmakingtherestofthe
stateextremelyworthspendingtimein.
ByronBay,Australiasmosteasterlypoint,
hasexcellentsurfbreaksandisrenowned
foritsartsy,hippie-likeatmosphere.
InlandisthelushNewEnglandregion
(hometoNewcastle)sonamedbecause
ofitscoolclimateandBritish-looking
landscape.AroundtheGreatDiving
Rangeyoullndlotsofprotectedareas
ofgorges,rainforestandvalleysthatare
excellentforhikingandextremesports
suchaswhitewaterrafting.
N.S.Wstemperateclimatewithits
warmsummersandmildwintersmean
itsappealingyear-round.TheOutback
cangetuncomfortablyhotinsummer
though,andevenSydneymightgetthe
odd40degreeday.NSWisastateofmany
contrasts,however,andyoucanskiinthe
AustralianAlpstothesouth.
Inthestateswestyoullcometothe
BlueMountainswiththeirbreathtaking
cliffs,limestonecaveformationsandlush
rainforest;evenfurtherwestandyoull
hittheOutback.Tothesouthliesthe
RoyalNationalPark,northistheKurangi
ChaseNationalPark.TweedHeadslies
northernmost,ontheborderofNSW
andQLD;andCoolangattasitsonthe
Queenslandside.
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32
VictoriaisAustraliassmallestmainland
state,withthehighestdensityoutofany
ofthestates.Itscapitalcity,Melbourne,
isAustraliassecond-largestcity,andis
bestknownforitsstyle,sophistication,
culture,fabulouseateries,great
shoppingandthrivingartsscene.Over
aquarterofitsresidentswereborn
overseas,makingitAustraliasmost
multi-culturalcity.
Melbourneisknownasthecultural
capitalofAustralia,andthereisan
endlesstimetableoffoodandlm
festivals,artexhibitionsandmusical
offerings.Thecityalsohostsmanylarge
eventssuchastheAustralianGrandPrix
andtheMelbourneInternationalFlower
andGardenShow.
OutsideMelbourne,regionalattractions
includePhillipIslandwithitsfamous
penguinparade,thevastsandstone
ridgesofTheGrampians,andthe
spectacularGreatOceanRoadfrom
whichyoucanviewdramaticrock
formationssuchasthefamousTwelve
Apostles.
InlandVictoriaislargelyfarmland;
northernVictoriaborderstheAustralian
Alps.
Vicria (Vic.)
PoPulAR
PlACEs:
Melbourne,GreatOceanRoad,TheGrampians,MorningtonPeninsula,
BellsBeach,Ballarat,PhillipIsland.
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33
TasmaniaisAustraliasislandstate,
separatedfromthemainlandbyBass
Straitwhichis240kmsacross.
Tasmaniaisfamousforitsunpolluted
air,uninterruptedwilderness,
spectacularviewsandgourmet
produce.Overonequarterofthestateis
protectedwithNationalParkstatus.
Thelandscapetothewestisrugged
withrockycoastlines,steepmountains
anddenserainforest.LakeStClairis
saidtobeoneofthemostscenicareas
thelocationofCradleMountainand
trekstorivalevenNewZealandsmost
picturesque.
tamania (ta.)
PoPulAR
PlACEs:
Hobart,LakeStClair,CradleMountain,PortArthur,FreycinetPeninsula,
Mariaisland.
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34
many anImals, lIke
the tasmanIan
devIl, are unIque to
the state.
EasternTasmaniaislessrugged,
warmer,andmorebeachyWineglass
bayinFreycenetNationalParkwas
oncevotedinthetoptenbeachesin
theworldaccordingtoaninternational
travelmagazine.
TasmaniascapitalisHobart,andis
Australiassecondoldestcity(after
Sydney).Itsitsnexttoariver,abusy
harbourandimpressivemountainsand
hasitsownuniqueatmosphere.
TasmaniawasoriginallynamedVan
DiemensLandbytheDutchexplorer
AbelTasman,butitsnamedwas
changedin1856.Tasmaniahasa
fascinatinghistoryduetoitspastasa
Britishpenalcolony.
tAsMANIA Is tEEMING wIth
wIldlIFE (thE Most FAMous
BEING thE tAsMANIAN dEVIl)
MuCh oF It sPECIFIC to thE
stAtE duE to Its IsolAtIoN.
thERE ARE VARIEtIEs oF
kANGARoos ANd PossuMs,
FoR ExAMPlE, thAt ARE oNly
FouNd IN tAsMANIA duE
to Its CoolER ANd MoRE
MouNtAINous ClIMAtE.
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whAt to ExPECt FRoMthE wEAthER
TheAustralianclimatevarieshugely,
butbyfarthelargestpartofthecountry
isdesert,orsemi-arid40%ofthe
landmassiscoveredbysanddunes!
Onlythesoutheastandsouthwestof
thecountryhasatemperateclimateand
fertilesoil.
Thenorthernpartofthecountryhas
atropicalclimate;partistropical
rainforest,partisgrasslands;andpart
isdesert.
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36
ThetropicalareasofAustraliadont
experiencetheseseasonstypically,however.
Therearereallyonlytwoseasons:wet
(OctoberApril)anddry(MaySeptember).
Therightweathercanmakeorbreakyour
campervanningholiday,whetherityourtrip
isforthreeweeks,threemonthsorthree
years!Luckily,Australiasclimatemakes
itpossibletoenjoyfantasticweatheryear
roundifyougototherightplacesatthe
righttimealthoughofcourseMother
Natureisfarfrompredictableandits
entirelypossibletogetacloudy,rainyweek
inPortDouglasinAugust,oraheatwavein
MelbourneinOctober.
Genera peaing, g
Thee ean in e nr(above
thetropicofCapricorn)iswhenheavy
monsoonrain,cyclones,ashoods
andoccasionallyevenhurricanesoccur.
Thehightemperaturescombinedwith
sometimes100%humidity(althoughan
averageofabout70%)canalsomakeit
uncomfortabletobeoutside(oranywhere
insidethatdoesnthaveair-conditioning!)
However,itcanbequitetheexperienceto
bravetheconditionsandwitnessdramatic
electricalstorms,thunderingwaterfallsand
ragingwaterways.Ifyouareplanningto
visitthefarnorthduringthistime,takelocal
adviceaboutroadconditionsandweather
warnings.Therecanberoadclosuresin
someareas,morefrequentlythefurther
northyougo.Themostcomfortabletime
tovisittheseareas(suchasBroome,Alice
Springs,DarwinorCairns)isinthedry
seasonbetweenMayandOctoberJuly/
Augustisyourbestbet.
Ther ean in e nriswhen
temperaturessitataround25-30degrees
Celsius,humidityislowandthereslittle
chanceofrain.Nearlyeverydayiswarm
andsunny,andafternoonhumiditysits
around30%.Thelowesttemperatureyoull
experiencewillbearound12-14degrees
Celsiusatnight,butrarelylower,andno
frostshaveeverbeenrecorded.Waterfalls
andriversdropandthelandcandryout
signicantly.Itsaverypleasanttimeofyear
inthesepartswinterinthenorthismuch
likesummerinthesouth-butexpect
manyothertravellerstohavethesameidea,
particularlyduringschoolholidays.
Theea in e cenrecanreach45degrees
Celsiusorevenhigherinthesummer
monthsofNovembertoMayandconditions
canbehugelyuncomfortable.Itsavolatile
timeandthereisalsotheriskofsudden
downpoursthatturndriedupcreeksinto
ragingrivers.Itsalwaysbestnottoembark
onlongwalksorstrenuousactivitiesduring
thefullheatofdayandalwaystakeahat,
sunscreenandplentyofwaterwithyou.
RemembertheOutbackisprettyfarfrom
civilisationifanyoneneedsmedicalattention.
te ean are a f:
spring:September,October,November
smmer:December,January,February
Amn (Fa):March,April,Maywiner:June,July,August
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Thec in e cenrehappensApril
toOctoberandduringthedaytimethe
temperaturescanbeverypleasant,
althoughitcangetverycoolatnight,
especiallyinJulyandAugust.Theresnot
muchchanceofrainbutdontcountthe
occasionaldownpouroutcompletely.
Themmer in e (southofthe
TropicofCapricorn)isafantastictime
ofyear,althoughitcangetuptoaround
40degreesCelsiusinsomeplacessobe
preparedforheat!Thelowestrainfalland
highesttemperaturesgenerallyoccur
betweenNovemberandMarch,andthe
daysarelongertoo.
Theiner in e cangetprettywet
andcold,especiallyintheareasfurthest
south,suchasTasmaniaandlocations
onthesouthcoast.Inthesubtropical
regions,wintersareoftendryanddaytime
temperaturesmild,ifalittlecrisp.
extreme weather
condItIons In
the outback
shouldnt be
underestImated.
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Araia iife i ver niqe, an
i gegrapica iain. sme f e
r m na anima ei ere.
Caseinpoint:thepap,anegg-laying
marsupialwithwebbedfeet,abilllike
aducks,andabeaver-liketail.Whena
specimenwasrstbrought
backtoEurope,many
scientistsinsisted
itwasfakea
mixtureof
severalanimals
sewntogether!
Anotherfascinating
monotreme(egg-laying
marsupial)istheecina,
aspinylittlethingwithabeakandalong
stickytongueforcatchinginsects.
kangarareanotherprolicnative
animalthereare45differentspeciesof
kangaroosandaabie,ranginginsize
fromthatofahamstertothatofagrown
man.Potoroosandbettongsarethetiniest
infact,potoroosare
oftenknownaswallaby
rats.
Youmightalsowant
toseeaaa,the
gorgeousfuzzy
marsupial(notabear)
withtheblacknose.Your
bestbetistoseeoneatazooorsanctuary
(theLonePineKoalaSanctuaryinBrisbane
istheworldslargestyoucanhaveyour
phototakenwithonethere)butbewarned
theysleep20hoursadaysohemaynot
beawakefortheexperience.Koalasfrom
southernareasareabout30%biggerthan
Queenslandkoalas.
PmareeverywhereinAustralia
particularlythecommonbrush-tailed
possum,oftenfoundtheminsuburban
gardens.Therearealsolesscommon
variationsofpossum,includinggliders
(yingpossums).
wmba
aresturdy
marsupials
weighingupto
36kg,withbig
bluntheads,
shortnecks
andbigclaws
fordiggingburrowsandtunnels.
Youwillhaveheardoftamanian
devi,acat-likecreaturefound
onlyinyes,Tasmania.Itsthe
largestmemberofafamilyof
carnivorousmarsupialsthat
includestheq,thenmba,the
anecin,thekariandthe
mgara.
wIldlIFE
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BanicareanotherfamousAustralian
marsupial,agrayish-brownmousey-looking
creatureaboutthesizeofarabbitwithbig
ears,apointytailandalongsnout.Abilbyis
avariationofabandicoot.
Baaboundin
theeasternand
northernedges
ofAustraliainthe
warmest,moistest
habitats.Theyremostly
fruitbats,otherwiseknownasyingfoxes;
otherwiseyoumaycomeacrossLittle
Bentwingbatsinanycavesortunnelson
theeastcoastofthecountry.
waer bffaarentnativebutarefoundin
theNorthernTerritory.Theywerebrought
induringthenineteenthcenturyasasupply
ofmeat,howeveraspartofaBrucellosis
andTuberculosiseradicationcampaign
from1997-2007manywereshotandthe
populationwassubstantiallyreduced.You
mightalsocomeacrossseveraldifferent
speciesofeerinsmallpartsofthesouth
eastofAustralia,orare f(anywherebut
Tasmaniaandthetropicalnorth).
The ingisanativedogofAustraliaand
Australiaslargestmammalcarnivore.The
sizeofamedium-sizeddogandrangingon
colorfromcreamtotantoblack,youllnd
themalloverAustraliaexceptinTasmania.
Neverfeedorapproachawilddingo
theycanbeverydangerous.Itsillegal
tohavethemaspetsinSouthAustralia,
QueenslandandTasmania,andownersin
VictoriaandtheNorthernTerritoryneed
aspecialpermit.InNSWandWAyoucan
havethemunlicensed.Itsalsoimportant
okeepallfoodsourcesawayandsecure
whenyouarenteating,otherwisedingoes
willseeitasaninvitationtoransackyour
belongings!
Thereisapproximately300,000brmbie
(wildhorses)inAustralia.Theyre
consideredaproblemastheycause
erosion,spreadweedsandcompetefor
pasturewithnativeanimals.Cullingto
controlnumbersisacontroversialpractice
inAustralia.
Ne:Washyourhandscarefully
ifyouvecomeintocontactwith
anymarsupialsastheycancarrya
numberofdiseasesandothernasties
suchasparalysisticks.Ifyoudo
ndatickonyourbody,dabitwith
methylatedspiritsorsomeotherkind
ofnoxiousliquidandthencarefully
pullitoutwithtweezers,ensuringyou
gettheentirething.
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40
Theyarentimmediatelywhatpopsto
mindwhenyouthinkofAustralianwildlife,
howeverthecontinentishometoupto
200,000wilddromedarycame.Thousands
ofthemwereimportedintoAustralia
between1840and1907toopenupthearid
areasofcentralandwesternAustralia.
Theywereusedforriding,andasdraught
andpackanimals,andtosupplygoodsto
remoteminesandsettlements.
AustralianandNewZealandfr eaare
commonlyseenaroundthesouthcoast
ofAustralia,andAustralianea into
thesouthandwest.Otherseamammals
includemanykindsofae(killerwhales,
falsekillerwhales(thereisadifference!),
pilotwhales,bluewhales;SouthernRight
whales,dwarfminkewhales,nwhales,
humpbackwhales,seiwhales,andsperm
whales);pin(common,pantropical,
striped,andbottlenose);andgng,
otherwiseknownasseacows.
Birdsofalmosteverydescriptionll
Australianskiesandground.Ofparticular
noteistheemalargeightlessbird
thatsoneoftheworldslargestbirds(just
slightlysmallerthananostrich).They
arefarmedinAustraliaandoverseasfor
everythingfromleathertofeatherstotheir
eggs;andcanbe
foundallacross
thecontinent,
fromcoastal
regionstohigh
inthesnowy
mountainsto
thedryinland
plains.Youshould
alsobeaware
ofrunninginto
acaar
anotherightless
birdthatsfoundinnorthQueenslands
tropicalrainforests.Theyrequitestunning-
lookingwithalargeblackbody,abrilliant
blueandblackheadwithabrightred
wattle,andalargehornhelmetonits
head.Theyreimportantastheydistribute
seedsintherainforestfromfruitthats
toolargeforanyotherbirdtocarry.Dont
approachcassowarieshowevertheyhave
thereputationasbeingoneoftheworlds
mostdangerousbirds.Theyarebynature
quiteshybutwhendisturbedcaninictfatal
injuriestodogsandchildren.Ifyouheara
largebirdthatsoundslikeitslaughingat
you,thatsaabrra!
TherearetwotypesofcrcieinAustralia
freshiesandsalties.Freshiesor
freshwatercrocodiles,aresmallerand
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relativelyharmless,onlygrowingupto
around3metersandsubsistingonadiet
ofmostlysh.Thesaltwaterorestuarine
versionsarentsuchfussyeatersandcan
reachuptoabout6meters.
Therearemanyfascinatingtypesof
ragnandizar inAustralia,suchas
theThornyDevilaharmlessreptilecovered
inthornsincludingspikesaboveeacheye
thatalsohastheabilitytochangecolor.
Gannaarealarge,distinctivetypeof
lizardthattherearemultiplespeciesofand
youllalsocomeacrossseveraldifferent
variationsofinandgec.
Australiaisfamousforbeinghometomany
differentvarietiesofnae,fromharmless
greenandbrowntreesnakes,tothe
extremelyvenomoussuchasdeath
adders,copperheads,tigersnakes
andtaipans.Therearealsomanytypes
ofpython(whichareconstrictorsandnot
venomousbutwillstillbiteifprovoked
whichhurts)aswellasseasnakesmost
ofwhicharevenomous.Snakesarea
protectedspeciesinAustralia,andshould
beleftalone.Itsnotadvisabletoapproach
anysnake.Unlessyoureasnakeexpert,
itcanbeveryhardtotellexactlyhow
dangerouseachindividualsnakeis.
Ifsomeonedoesgetbitten,treatevery
snakebiteasseriousevenifyoudont
thinkthesnakewasvenomous.Themost
dangerouseffectsaresometimesnotfelt
untillater,andsomebitesmaynoteven
hurt.Symptomsofsnakebitepoisoningcan
includedizziness,lossofvision,nausea,
sweating,headache,doublevision,blurred
vision,weaknessanddifcultyswallowing
andbreathing.
Ne:Dontswimin,orevenstand
onthebanksof,anyriver,swamp,
estuary,pondorlakeinNorthern
Australiaunlessyouknowits
croc-free.
Ne:AlthoughsomeAustralian
snakescangivefatalbites,few
peoplediefromthemiftheygetthe
correctrstaidandanti-venomif
needed.Alwayswearshoesand
longpantswhenwalkinginthe
bush,anddontputyourhandinto
hollows,cracksinthegroundor
underrockswheretheymaybe
sheltering.
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42
Thepersonshouldbemadetoliedown
andcalmeddownsotheyremainstill.
Donttamperwiththewoundinanyway,
includingwashingit.Makesureyouremove
ringsoranyotherjewelleryastheycan
becometightifswellingdevelops.Ifthe
biteisonalimb,useabroadbandage
ortornstripsofclothingorpantyhose
toapplyatmoderatepressure(nottight
enoughtostopcirculation).Gooverthetop
ofclothingratherthanmovingthelimbto
removeitandoncethebandageison,
keepiton.Then,keepthelimbasstillas
possibleusingasplintorsling.Dontusea
tourniquetorsuckthewound!Also,dont
givethepersonanythingtodrink,orlet
themwalkatall.
Callemergencyserviceson000orget
themtothenearestplacetheycanbeseen
byamedicallytrainedperson,assoonas
possible.Althoughitmightbeusefultoknow
whattypeofsnakecausedthebite,dont
attempttocatchorkillit.Peoplehavebeen
bittenbysnakestheythoughtweredead.
Australiaalsohasmanyseareand
freshwaterturtles.Theyarequiteshybut
makegreatswimmingandsnorkelling
companions!
Theresalsoanabundanceofamazing
inAustraliayoucanseewhilesnorkeling
ordiving,includingangelsh,clownsh,
barracuda,cuttlesh,wrassandmany
more.Fishtoavoidhowever,arestingrays,
stonesh,porcupinesh,lionshandpuffer
sh.Donttouchancpifithasblue
ringsonit.
InQueensland,boxeorstingers
arecommoninthesummermonths
(OctoberApril).Stingernetsareplacedat
themostpopularbeachesduringstingerseasonanditsnotrecommendedtoswim
atanyotherbeachesbutifonetouches
you,pourvinegarontheaffectedarea
straightaway.Thelocalauthoritiesusually
havebottlesoftheseplacedalongthe
beaches.Bluebottlejellysharealsofound
inandaroundSydney.Thebesttreatment
forthisistowashthestingwithfreshwaterthenhaveahotbathorshower.
Thereisusuallysignageforalltypesof
dangerouswildlife.
Otherwatercreaturesincludeeare,
earagn,ar,rimp,pran,
crab,abbie,craandlotsmore.As
youcanimagine,Australiaisalsohome
tomanytypesofinsects,fromexquisite
berietohugebeeetovariousm
toexoticantoirritatingmigeandmore.
Alsonoteworthyarethemanyspeciesof
spidersomevenomous,somenot.There
arealsoseveraltypesoffrganda
fromthespectacularlyprettygreentree
frogthroughtothewartyandvenomous
canetoad.Alsowatchoutforcrpin,
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43
cenipeeandmiipeewhichcanand
willbite.Particularlyhorrifyingaregiant
centipedeswhichcanreachlengthsof
uptoandover16cm.Theydelivervenom
throughmodiedclawsthatistoxicto
bothmammalsandinsectsbutisnt
strongenoughtokillalargeanimal.They
cancauseintensepainformanyhoursto
humansthiscanberelievedsomewhat
withicepacksbutinsomecaseshospital-
gradepainkillersarerequired.
Ne:Wereruiningthefunhere,but
dontbelieveanAustralianwhotells
youtowatchoutforDropBears,
amythicaltypeofviciouskoalathat
supposedlydropsoutoftreesontop
ofyou.Itsalong-runningAustralian
joketotrickhaplesstourists.Watch
out:theywilleitherswearblack
andbluethatitstrue;ortheywill
attempttousereversepsychology
bytellingyouitsmythinaway
thatmakesyoucontinuetodoubt
whetheritisornot.Youmayalso
hearaboutTasmanianTigers,which
actuallydidexistonceuponatime
butbecameextinctinthe1930s.
Even g mc f Araia
iife i b facinaing an
appeaing an feeing em canbe a mean f aving mre cnac
i em, feeing i anima i
icrage fr evera rean:
Itcanleadtoagreaterthan
normalnumberofanimalsin
thearea,puttingextrapressure
onnaturalfoodsources;
Animalscanbecomedependent
onthearticialfoodsource;
Increasingnumbersof
animalsinoneareacanleadto
aggressionamongstthesame
anddifferentspecies;
Predatorslikehawksandowls
areattractedbytheincreasein
animals,leadingtoincreased
predation;
Humanfoodisoftenhighly
processedandmaynotbesuitableforanimalsinthewild;
Unnaturalconcentrationsof
animalscanbecomethefocal
pointforoutbreaksofdisease
whicharethentransmissible
tohumans.
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45
ABoRIGINAl AustRAlIA
Around300,000Aboriginalpeoplein
around250tribes(eachwiththeirown
territory,beliefsandlanguage)already
livedinAustraliawhenCooklanded
theretoclaimitasBritishland,andhad
beenforatleast60,000years.History
bookstheorizetheyweredescended
fromIndonesianmigrants;the
Aboriginalbeliefisthattheyhavebeen
theresincethedawnoftime.
Thepeoplewerenomadichunter-
gatherers,linkedtotheirancestralland
bysacredsites.Thesesacredsitesare
hometotheDreamtimespiritsthe
ancestraltotemicspiritsthatformed
TheCreation(ofthestars,themoon,the
ocean,land,animalsandhumans).
AustralianAboriginalsbelieveintwo
parallelformsoftime.Oneisdaily
activity,theotherisaninnitespiritual
cyclecalledtheDreamtime.Whatever
happensinthedreamtimeestablishes
thevalues,symbols,andlawsof
Aboriginalsociety.Itisbelievedthat
peoplewithspecialspiritualpowers
hadcontactwiththedreamtime.The
Dreamtime,orTheDreamingcanalso
refertothetimewhentheuniversewas
createdaswell.MuchAboriginalart
depictsstoriesandsettingsfromThe
Dreaming,andAustralianAboriginal
mythsareoftentraditionallyperformed
acrossAustralia.
WhilerelationswithearlyEuropean
settlerswereinitiallypeaceful,
resentmentandconictbetweentwo
polaroppositewaysoflifeeventually
ledtobattleinwhichmanypeoplefrom
bothsidesdiedalthougharoundten
timesasmanyAboriginalpeopleas
Europeans.TherewasevenacampaigntoridtheentirestateofTasmaniaof
Aboriginalpeoplewhichworkedthe
lastfull-bloodedTasmanianAborigine
diedin1876.ManyAboriginalsalso
succumbedtoEuropeandiseasessuch
asinuenza,thecommoncoldand
smallpox,uptoaslateasthe1950s.
Theyactuallybegantodieout.
the australIan
aborIgInal people
have been there for
at least 60,000 years.
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Aroundthe1920sitbecame
governmentpolicytotakeAboriginal
childrenawayfromtheirfamiliesand
puttheminwhitefosterhomesor
churchrefuges,andsterilizeyoung
Aborginalwomen.Thesechildrenare
referredtoastheStolenGeneration.
Relationsarestillstrainedbetweenthe
280,000AboriginesinAustraliaandthe
restofthepopulation.Recently,several
actshavebeenpassedallowingthemto
reclaimsomeofthelandthatwaslost
tothem,anditwasonlyveryrecently
thatthegovernmentapologisedforthe
StolenGeneration.Theystillhowever
arethesinglemostdisadvantaged
groupofpeopleinAustralia.
sme pin be aare f:
YouneedapermittoentersomeAboriginal-ownedland.
Inremotecommunities,manyofthepeoplespeakEnglishasasecond
language,ifatall.
Theirbodylanguagemayalsobedifferent,forexampletheymaynot
immediatelymakeeyecontactwithyou.
AccesstoDreamingstoriesorsomeotherculturalpracticesmayberestricted,egtooutsiders,orbygender.
Picturesofpeoplewhohaverecentlydiedarentdisplayedandtheirnamesnot
spokenforawhile.
Alwaysaskbeforephotographingagroup,personorresidence.
Donttouchrockartorengravings.
Someindigenouscommunitiesbanalcohol.
Certainpartsofindigenouslandaremoresacredthanothers(iesacredsites).Whenvisitingtheseareasaskaboutappropriatebehaviour.
thE BEst PlACEs to lEARN MoRE ABout thEINdIGENous CultuRE ARE: AlICE sPRINGs, thEREd CENtRE, uluRu-kAtA tjutA ANd IN thENoRthERN tERRItoRy.
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MostoftheearlyEuropeanstoinhabitAustraliawereBritishconvicts(which
possiblycontributestothegeneral
bloke-inessofAussieculture).This
isthesourceofsomegood-natured
teasing(mostlyfromNewZealanders,
whointurngetlaughedatfortheir
accent;thesmallsizeoftheircountry;
andtheamountofsheepcomparedtopeoplethere).AustraliansandNew
Zealandersenjoyahealthyrivalry,
althoughNZersgenerallycomeoffworst
intheendlesssportingcompetition.
Australiaissports-mad.Bothgenders
watchalotofsport,whichisgenerally
thecricket,andsupportingtheirfootyteam(whichreferstoeither
RugbyLeague,AFL,orRugbyUnion
denitelynotsoccerorgridiron).Tennis,
swimmingandmotorsportarealso
popular.Theydonttendtoknowso
muchaboutbasketball,netball,hockey,
baseball,etc-evenifthenationalteam
aretheworldchampions.ThecountryalsobasicallystandsstillonMelbourne
CupDay.
Australiansareveryintocars,andaregenerallydividedoverwhethertheyare
FordorHoldenmen.Largepowerful
FalconsandCommodoresarepopular
andmanyaremodied.
Evenmoreiconicistheute(utilityor
pickuptruck).Itspartofthenational
identitytohaveauteistobeatrueAustralian.
Beerisprettymuchthenationaldrink
favouritesvaryfromstatetostate.
Australiansareveryproudoftheir
nationalexportssuchasElle
MacPherson,MelGibson,RussellCrowe,CateBlanchett,AC/DCandso
on.MostAustralianshaveseeniconic
AustralianmoviessuchasMadMax,
TheCastle,MurielsWedding,Crocodile
Dundee,PriscillaQueenoftheDesert
andStrictlyBallroom.
ThegeneralisedgreetingGday(anabbreviationofgoodday)isacceptable
touseinalmostanysituationregardless
GEttING to kNow thE AussIEs
s a a pica Araian ie?
Well,thatsalittlehardtosaygiventhenationsunicationofsomanycultures.Aswellasthe
Aboriginalpeople,andtheAnglo-Celts(stillthedominantethnicitythere)therearepeople
fromallaroundtheworldNewZealanders,British,Lebanese,Greek,Italian,Chinese,
Japanese,andDutchtonamejustafew.However,Australiastillhasanextremelystrong
identityanditsveryownculturethatwouldntbewhatitistodayifnotforthismeltingpotof
diversepeople.
47
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ofrelationship,gender,sex,race,social
standing,weatherormood.
Australiansareveryfriendlyandhelpfulpeoplewithgoodsensesofhumourand
anaturalabilitytotelljokesandplay
withwords.Theycanseemreserved
tostartwithbutoncetheiceisbroken
everythingrelaxes.Theyareeasygoing,
butpersonalmatterstakelongerto
comeoutintheopen.
Theesky(aplasticboxthatkeeps
thingscool)playsavitalpartinAussie
cultureonecontainingtherightitems
cankeepanAustralianhappyfordays.It
canbeusedasaseatatfootymatches;
anoutdoorfridge;ashholderon
shingtrips;andlunchboxesfor
tradiesandmanuallabourers.
Australiaisbasicallyclasslessandnot
centredaroundancestorsandthefamily
unit-theydontreallycarewhatfamily
someonecomesfrom.
Australianssufferedthehighest
per-capitadeathtollofalltheAlliedcountriesinWWI.TheANZAC(Australia
NewZealandArmyCorps)spiritisstill
strongaslongassportmatchesarent
involved.
Christmasisrightinthemiddleofsummerandisusuallyaveryhotdayof
theyear,howeverdecorationsandcards
stillincludesnowakes,sleighs,tinsel,
andpinetrees.Christmaslunchor
dinnerisoftenhadoutdoors.
AveryhighpercentageofAustralians
livebytheseaandmuchofAustraliaissunnyallyearround,sobeach
cultureishugegoingtothebeach
onweekendsislikegoingtothemallor
doingsport.
FishingisabigthinginAustralian
culturethereareofcoursemany
excellentplacestoshandahugenumberandvarietyandspecies
available.Therearerulesthoughall
statesexceptQldrequireashing
license(whichcaneasilybeobtained).
Therearealsolimitsregardingtypeand
sizeofshcapturedandquantity,size
andgenderofshellshandcrustaceans
whichareallexplainedinbookletsatanyshingshop.Youalsoneedaspecial
licenseforaboatsover6horsepower.
the typIcal
aussIe Is
easygoIng and
frIendly.
48
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Grub,a.k.atucker,a.k.afoodisabigpartof
Australianculture,althoughithasrelatively
fewnativefoods.Itsmoderncuisineidentity
ismadeupofintertwiningstrandsof
Aboriginalculture,traditionalBritishfood,
andotherculturalinuencesthathave
arrivedheresince.
Inigen Araian F
AustralianAborigineswerehunter-
gatherersandselectedfoodwhichwas
availableandateitfornutritionalpurposes.
Therewerenorefrigerationorstorage
containers.Localknowledgeofwhichplants
wereedible,palatable,ordelicious,aswell
asthebesttimeforharvestandpreparation
methodswerepasseddownbywordof
mouthtothenextgeneration.Itsreferredto
asbushtuckerorbushfood.
Nativemammalsandbirdssuchas
kangaroo,wallabyandemuwereregularly
huntedandkilled.Althoughanimalswere
sometimesthrownstraightonthere,
severalfoodpreparationtechniqueswere
known.Otherfoodsthatseemlesspalatable
tomodernurbanAustralians-suchas
grubs,lizards,snakesandmoths-were
greatlyvalued.
Bushfoodssuchasberries,rootsand
nectarswereavitalpartoftheAboriginal
dietinmanyareas.Oftentheserequired
advancedpreparationtechniquesto
neutralisetoxinsandtomakethem
palatableandnutritious.Incertaincoastal
areas,shellshwereplentifulandeasily
harvested.Aboriginalsalsocaughtshin
theoceansandriversusinghooks,spears
andshtraps.
AussIE tuCkER
lemn mre: freshleaf,orgrounddried
leafoftheLemonMyrtletree
Mnain Pepper: groundleaforberries
ofthemountainpeppertree
Naive pinac: warrugulgreens,anative
spinachgrowingincoastalareas
B mae: smalltomato-likefruits,
alsocalleddesertraising
Macaamia n: nativeofAustralia,now
growninotherplaces
wae ee: Asmall,oval,blackvariety
oftheAcaciaseed.Wattleseedisusedinmanyfoodsincludingrice,soups,meat
rubsandbakedgoods.
damper: atraditionalbreadmadewith
groundseedsandcookedinthecoalsof
there
yabbie: alittlefreshwatercrustacean
thatlurksonthebottomofstreams,lakesandinfarmdams
traiina B tcer ingreien mig ince:
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50
Mern Bf Inr
Thereisanoveltyvalueinbushtuckerfor
manypeopleanditsnowpartofAustralias
tourismindustry.Themodernindustry
makesuseofplantsindifferentwaysfrom
thoseoftheAborigines,forexamplefor
avour,insteadofnutrition.
Bushtuckerplantsareusednowforjams,
chutneyandjellies,avourings(eg.Lemon
Myrtle),spices(eg.MountainPepper),
drinks,sauces,colours(eg.Davidsons
plum).
Onlyoneindigenousplant,theMacadamia
nut,hasbeenwellestablishedin
horticulture,andeventhenmostofthe
earlyworkwasdonebyAmericans.Some
AmericansevenrefertoitastheHawaiian
Nut,sinceithasbeengrownextensively
there.
Ear seer F
DuetoAustraliasyouth,allAussiefoods
havetraceablelinkstoothercountries,
mainlyEngland.Thesepeoplebrought
withthemtraditionalEnglishrecipessuch
asstewedchops,potatodumplingsand
jampudding.Theywereallsimplerecipes,
notrequiringcomplicatedingredients,or
costingmuchmoney,astyleofcooking
thatreectedthemodestmeansofthe
time.Manyrecipes,inhandwrittenrecipe
books,broughttoAustraliabymigrant
womenhavebeenpassedfromonecookto
anotherdowntheyearsandstillformpart
oftraditionalAustralianfood.
Mern Ciine
Australianfoodtraditionshavebeenshaped
bypeoplewhohavesettledinAustralia.
Inthe19thandespecially20thcentury,
foodbegantoreecttheinuencesof
MediterraneanandAsiancultures.There
are,however,anewseriesofuniquely
Australianfoodsemerging.Thingslike
kangarookebabs(yes,theyeattheir
nationalanimal!)andcrocodilesteakare
gainingpopularity,andAussiesarealso
inventingmoreandmoreoftheirown
recipes.AlargeinuenceonAustralian
foodsistheavailabilityandlowpriceof
meats-Australiaistheworldslargestbeef
producer.
tradItIonal aborIgInal
bush tucker uses
IngredIents such as
grubs and ants.
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Overall,Australianseatalargevarietyof
food,consistingofAustraliandishesand
mainstreamoverseasdishes.Chineseand
Italianvarietiesareparticularlypopular,
althoughallsortsofmeals,fromBurmese
toUkrainian,areavailable.Restaurants
whosecuisineincludescontemporary
adaptations,interpretationsorfusionsof
theseculinaryinuencesareoftenlabeled
withthetermMern Araian.There
aremany,manysuperbrestaurantsfullof
innovativeandskilledchefs.
Therearea
smallminority
ofwholly
Australian
products,such
asVegemie
(verysaltyyeast
spread),which
therestoftheworlddetests;Pavva
(meringuecoveredinwhippedcreamand
fruit)-althoughKiwiswillhotlycontest
theoriginsofthis;andlamingn,
chocolatecoatedcubesofspongecake,
rolledindesiccatedcoconut.Itissaid
thatLamingtonswereinventedinthe
QueenslandGovernmentHousekitchenas
acreativeuseforstalespongecakeand
theyarenamedafterLadyLamington,the
wifeoftheGovernorofQueenslandfrom
1896to1901.
Anzac
biciare
sharedwith
NewZealand
andarehard,
crispycookies
madewith
oatsandmolasses.
Togetanideaabouttheimportanceof
themea pieinAustralia,thequantityof
meatisregulatedbylawandcannotbe
inferiorto25%ofthetotalweightofthe
pie.Competitionstondthebestmeatpie
makerinAustraliaiscarriedoutannually
andcanbring
prestigeand
bigbucksto
thewinners.In
SouthAustralia
smallpiesare
sometimes
servedinvertedonabedofpeasoup,
coveredintomatosauce,andcalledapie
oater.
saagealsomakeupalargepartof
manyanAustraliansdiet.Thebasicbeef
sausagecostsaround$3akilo,andhence
istheidealfoodforanyoccasion.Although
theirnutritionalvalueisquestionable,they
arequickandeasytocookandcanbepart
ofcountlessmeals,particularlybarbecues
ofwhichAussiesareveryfond.Other
commonAussiedinnersmightbestir-fry,
roastdinners,pizza,pasta,saladsorsh
andotherseafood(makesureyoutrysome
wildbarramundi,southernbluentuna,
andMoretonBaybugs).
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ChEERs!weer prefer beer r ine, cance are en p amping me f Araia
caraceriic iqi fare. Ne: e ega rining age in Araia i 18.
Beer
Australiaisanationofbeeritspractically
thenationaldrink.Itsthemostconsumed
alcoholicbeverageinAustralia,andtheres
nothingbetteronaswelteringdaythan
acoldstubby(smallbottleofbeer).Australianscandrinkitatanamazingly
rapidpace,too.
PopularAustralianbeersareVB(Victoria
Bitter);XXXX(pronouncedFourX)which
isslightlyweaker;Carlton;andFosters.
TheresalsoCascade,whichismade
fromwaterfromaTasmanianmountain.Mostbeerrangesfromabout4.8to5.2%
percent,althoughyoucanalsogetmid-
strengthswhichareabout3.6%.
SomeplacesusethetraditionalBritish
measurementsofpintsandhalf-pints.
InNSW,itseitheraschooneroramidi.
InVictoriaitsapotoraglass.However,
anS.Aschooneristhesamesizeasan
NSWmidi,andaW.Amidiisthesameas
anNSWmidibutyoucanalsogetaneven
smallerglasscalledapony.Itmayjustbe
easiertoorderitbythebottle
wine
Therstgrapevineswerebroughtto
Australiain1788,andtherearenowover
550winemakersproducingworld-class
winesthroughoutAustralia.Thedemand
ishighandnewvineyardsarebeingconstantlyplanted.
PopularwhitewinesinAustraliainclude
Chardonnay,Riesling,SauvignonBlancand
Semillon.Whenitcomestoreds,itsall
aboutCabernetSauvignon,Merlot,Pinot
Noirandtheworldwidehit,Shiraz.
Ne: AlthoughSyrahwasoriginallycalled
ShirazinAustraliaandSyrahelsewhere,
itsdramaticcommercialsuccesshasled
manySyrahproducersaroundtheworldto
labeltheirwineShiraz.
OneofthegreatestAustraliainventionsof
packagingisthecask,acartonboxwith
ataptoregulatetheamount,withnocorks
tobetakenoutorputbackin.Veryeasy,
simpleandcheap.JusttohaveanIdea,a4
litrecaskcostsaboutAU$12,andthewine
rangesfromnot-so-goodtoverygood.
Ifyouwantsomethingalittlemore
upmarket,youcanvisitoneofthecountrys
hundredsofwineries.Australiahasabout
60wineregionslocatedacrossthecountry
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with103denedgeographicindications
forwinegrowingdistrictscoveringzones,
regionsandsub-regions.
However,thefollowingtenareamongits
mostfamousanddiverse.Fromtherugged
andisolatedbeautyofMargaretRiverin
W.A.tothehistoricalhomeofAustralian
wine,theHunterValleyinN.S.W,ajourney
acrossAustraliaswineregionsislledwith
adiversityofclimates,soils,elevationand,
ofcourse,varietiesofwine!
1. Bara Vae, s.A.
Hometosomeofthecountrysiconicwines,
theBarossavalleyisrenownedforitsShiraz
production.Beautifulrollinghillsanda
Mediterraneanclimatecombinetoproduce
richredsanddelicatewhitesincluding
CabernetSauvignon,Grenache,Mourvedre,
Merlot,Riesling,SemillonandChardonnay.
Thereareover50wineriesintheregion.
HobbsofBarossaRanges
(.bbvinner.cm.a)
SonsofEden
(.nfeen.cm)
Penfolds(.penf.cm.a)
2. Cnaarra, s.A.
Thisregionhasalayeroflimestonesitting
beneathitsrichsoil,andwhenthetwo
combinetheyproduceCabernetSauvignon
grapesthataresecondtonone.Othervarietalsthathavewonawardsintheregion
areShiraz,MerlotandChardonnay.
WynnsCoonawarra
(.nn.cm.a)
BalnavesofCoonawarra
(.banave.cm.a)
KatnookEstate
(.aneae.cm.a)
3. Care Vae, s.A.
Thispicturesqueregionisknownasthehome
ofAustralianRiesling,anditalsoproduces
award-winningCabernetSauvignonand
Shiraz.YoucantakethepopularRielsing
Trail,a27kmlongsealedtrackthatlinksthe
manysmalltownsalongtheway.
LittleBramptonWines(.iebrampnine.cm.a)
AnniesLane
(.annieane.cm.a)
WilsonVineyard
(.invinear.cm.a)
4. heace, Vic.
TheMtCamelrangeofmountainscreatesa
coolerclimateinthegrape-growingperiod
inthisregion,resultingingrapeswithtaste
andlongevity.Theregionisfamousfor
Shirazbutrecentlywinemakershavebeen
mixingsmallamountsofViogniergrapesto
giveitanextradimension.Othersignature
varietalsincludeCabernetSauvignon,Pinot
Grigio,andRiesling,andItalianvarieties
SangioveseandNebbioloalsogrowthere.
3 grea inerie:
3 grea inerie:
3 grea inerie:
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EppalockRidge(.eppacrige.cm)
WhistlingEagleVineyard
(.iingeage.cm)
ShelmerdineVineyards
(.emerine.cm.a)
5. hner Vae, N.s.w
Australiasoldestwineregionnowhas
over80wineriesandisfamousforShiraz,
VerdelhoandChardonnay,butparticularlyforitsSemillon.HunterValleySemillons
ageparticularlywellandthegrapeshavea
distinctcitrusavour.
MistletoeWines(.mieeine.cm.a)
BrokenwoodWines
(.bren.cm.a)
Capercaillie
(.capercaiieine.cm.a)
6. Mclaren Vae, s.A.
ThisregionsouthofAdelaideisBarossa
valleysrivalforthetopShirazmaker.Its
combinationofaseasidelocationandrich
soilresultsinintenseredssuchasShiraz,
CabernetSauvignon,GrenacheandMerlot,
andstrikingwhitessuchasChardonnay,
SauvignonBlancandRieslingfrommore
than50wineries.
BriniEstateWines
(.briniine.cm.a)
GemtreeVineyards
(.gemreevinear.cm.a)
TapestryWines
(.aperine.cm.a)
7. Margare River, w.A.
Whilealltheclassicvarietalsarewell-
representedinthisregion,MargaretRiverwinemakersaremostnoted
fortheirCabernetSauvignons.The
breathtakingcoastalsceneryistheperfect
accompanimenttotheextensiverangeof
winestylesincludingShiraz,Verdelhoand
SauvignonBlanc.
WindanceEstate(.inance.cm.a)
CullenWines (.cenine.cm.a)
BrooklandValley
(.branvae.cm.a)
8. Mgee, N.s.w
Locatedinthewesternslopesofthefamous
BlueMountains,Mudgeeisanotherof
Australiasoldestwineregions.Cabernet
SauvignonandChardonnayareitsmost
popularvarietals,availablefromarangeof
largewinecompaniesthroughtoboutique
wineries.
3 grea inerie:
3 grea inerie:
3 grea inerie:
3 grea inerie:
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LoganWines(.ganine.cm.a)
FarmersDaughterWines
(.farmeragerine.cm.a)
LoweFamilyWines
(.eine.cm.a)
9. tamania
Tasmaniascoolermaritimeclimate
producesstatelywineswithsuperbnatural
acid,comingfromover60wineries,somejustafewacresinsize.Specialistvarieties
includePinotNoir,Chardonnay,Riesling,
PinotGrigio,CabernetSauvignonand
CabernetFranc.
BayofFiresWines
(.bafreine.cm.a)
TamarRidgeWines
(.amarrigeine.cm.a)
PipersBrookVineyard
(.regingerineeae.cm)
10. yarra Vae, Vic.
Consideredoneoftheworldsnest
cold-climatewineproducers,Yarravalley
specialisesinChardonnayandPinotNoir.
TheChardonnay,inparticular,isthemost
widely-plantedgrapevarietyduetoits
exibility.Otherwhitewinesproducedin
theyarraValleyincludeGewurtztraminer,
MarsanneandSauvignonBlanc,whichis
oftenblendedwithSemillon.
DeBortoliWines(.ebri.cm.a)
DominiquePortet
(.miniqepre.cm)
Labyrinth(.abrinine.cm)
3 grea inerie:
3 grea inerie:
3 grea inerie:
beer Is the most
consumed alcoholIc
beverage In australIa.
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tere are man ing ee an in
Araia a i impibe i em a.
Ofcourse,therearethemainonesthatit
wouldbeoddtonothaveonthelist,such
asSydney,thehugemonolithUluru,and
theGreatBarrierReef,butdontforget
thatAustraliahassomuchmoretooffer
charmingtowns,breathtakingbeaches,
rainforestvillages,imposingmountains
andpicturesquefarmland.Followingare50
highly-recommendedspots.
1. Ben, w.A
Acomfortablethree-hourdrivefrom
Perth,Busseltonboastssome30
kilometresofshelteredsandybeaches
withcalm,clearandsafewaters.Many
campervannersusethetownship
asabasefromwhichtoexplorethe
regionsnumerousotherattractions.
ThewondersofLeeuwin-Naturaliste
NationalPark,NgilgiCaveandCape
NaturalisteLighthouseareonlyashort
driveaway.
2. Eperance, w.A.
Theblindinglywhitesandybeachesandbrilliantturquoisewatersofthe
EsperanceareainWesternAustralia
placetheregionatthetopofmany
campervannersbestdestinationslist.
Esperanceitselfboastsastunning38-
kilometrescenicdrivethatfollowsthe
localcoastlineandthenloopsbackinto
town.Thereareseveralidyllicbeaches
whereyoucantakeabreakforaswim
aswellassomelovelywalkwaysand
viewingplatformsforsomeincredible
coastalscenery.And,ifitsstunning
non-caravanparkcampingspotsyoure
after,youreinluck.Theregionalsohas
threenationalparks.
3. Arnga hiri