Campervan eBook OZ-V6

8/8/2019 Campervan eBook OZ-V6

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1

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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6

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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10

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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12

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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13

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.


14/83

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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15/83

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


16/83

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


17/83

17

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


18/83

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


19/83

19

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!


20/83

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.


21/83

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


22/83

22

A RuNdowN oF thE REGIoNsweern Araia (w.A.)

PoPulARPlACEs:

Perth,RottnestIsland,ThePinnacles,TheKimberley,Broome,

NingalooReef,PurnululuNationalPark,SharkBay,MargaretRiver.


23/83

23

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.


24/83

24

Nrern terrir (N.t.)

PoPulARPlACEs:

Darwin,AliceSprings,KakaduNationalPark,Uluru,KingsCanyon,

KatherineGorge,ArnhemLand.


25/83

25

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.


26/83

26

s Araia (s.A.)

PoPulARPlACEs:

Adelaide,KangarooIsland,thecentraldeserts,FlindersRanges,

NullaborPlain,BarossaValley,CooberPedy.


27/83

27

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.


28/83

28

Qeenan (Q.)

PoPulARPlACEs:

Brisbane,GoldCoast,SunshineCoast,Noosa,AirlieBeach,

GreatBarrierReef,WhitsundayIslands,FraserIsland,Cairnsand

PortDouglas,DaintreeRainforest,Kuranda.


29/83

29

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.


30/83

30

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.


31/83

31

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.


32/83

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.


33/83

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.


34/83

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.


35/83

35

whAt to ExPECt FRoMthE wEAthER

TheAustralianclimatevarieshugely,

butbyfarthelargestpartofthecountry

isdesert,orsemi-arid40%ofthe

landmassiscoveredbysanddunes!

Onlythesoutheastandsouthwestof

thecountryhasatemperateclimateand

fertilesoil.

Thenorthernpartofthecountryhas

atropicalclimate;partistropical

rainforest,partisgrasslands;andpart

isdesert.


36/83

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


37/83

37

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.


38/83

38

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


39/83

39

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.


40/83

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


41/83

41

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.


42/83

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,


43/83

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.


44/83


45/83

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.


46/83

46

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.


47/83

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


48/83

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


49/83

49

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:


50/83

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.


51/83

51

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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52

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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53

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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54

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:


55/83

55

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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56

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

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