The Whitsundays

During one of my last trips home to Oz to visit the family, I was lucky enough to make a quick side-trip to The Whitsunday Islands, off the central coast of Queensland.  I don't know about you, but I usually need a holiday after spending time with my family :-)  Anyway, I flew into Proserpine (or the Whitsunday Coast, depending on which airline you fly) and it was a quick 25 km (16 miles) to get to Airlie Beach where I was staying.  Talk about a picturesque location!  It's set on a bit of a peninsular, but it has a sheltered bay with a man-made lagoon and play area for the kids to run around, right near downtown.  It was October when I went, so the weather was fabulous and not too hot yet, and my timing was good because I made it before jellyfish season (November - May).  I still strongly suggest sunscreen, regardless of when you visit, as that Queensland sun is mighty powerful.

Whitsundays from the air

My first afternoon/evening was spent wandering around town, poking into all the little shops and boutiques and, of course, enjoying some fresh fish and chips.  Although I'll admit, I was pleasantly surprised at the range of food options available.

The next day I had already arranged a day cruise out to Hamilton Island on a former racing yacht, although we couldn't dock at Hamilton due to wind conditions.  Wow, what a great experience!  It was what I consider a good sized group, about 12 passengers total, including crew, and it ended up being a friendly, happy bunch of people.  Lunch was catered on board when we stopped at a tiny island that I can't for the life of me remember the name of (there are SO many!).  Anyone who was interested could go for a walk on the beach or go snorkeling.  I'll take a snorkeling trip any opportunity I can get, so off I went.  Snorkeling, and more so scuba diving, to those who have not experienced it can best be described as visiting another world. The feeling of being weightless in the water combined with the amazing vista of sea life and coral waving in the 'breeze' transports you to another planet.  I can see how easy it would be to lose all track of time and sense of where you are as you're held captive by watching your surroundings.  The colours are so brilliant that they're indescribable.  Even the truly talented photographers can't really do justice to the entire experience.

Souvenir shopping took up most of the next morning before heading back to the airport for my flight back to Brisbane.  It's only about an hour and half flight (about 2 hours to Sydney, 3 to Melbourne) which is nice because I didn't lose the whole day travelling.  Other than being too short, this trip was great and I hope to do it again in the near future.

Cute & Cuddly or Dangerous & Deadly

Of course I am biased, but Australia is filled with some of the most unique wildlife on the planet.  Naturally everyone is familiar with the kangaroo and the koala, but those are just the tip of the iceberg.  The Tasmanian Devil is so unusual he inspired his own cartoon character!  We have the platypus, an odd-looking creature with a snout that looks similar to a duck's bill, a flattened tail and webbed feet.  The male platypus has spurs on their back legs that will inject toxic venom when he's feeling aggressive.  They can be found along the east coast of Australia.  On the other hand, there's also the rainbow lorikeet (a species of parrot) whose brilliant colours are indescribable.  Rest assured, they can be noisy buggers, especially when they're eating the almost-ripe mangoes from your tree!

I won't sugar coat it - we do have some of the deadliest animals in the world, from snakes and spiders to jellyfish and octopus.  Like with any country you visit, you do have to pay attention to your surroundings.  Perhaps it's a good idea to view those critters in an aquarium or wildlife sanctuary, and try to avoid them in their natural habitat....

There are plenty of great places all over the country to view the different kinds of wildlife.  For example, no trip to Sydney would be complete without a visit to Taronga Zoo or The Aquarium. The zoo is situated right on the harbour, across from the Opera House, offering spectacular views from many places within.  The aquarium, located in Darling Harbour, lets you explore an underwater paradise filled with exotic sea creatures.

If you're headed further up the coast to Brisbane, I definitely recommend stopping in at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.  It's the world's first and largest koala sanctuary, although they do also have a wide variety of other Aussie wildlife in a natural setting.  Approximately an hour and a half north of Brisbane, on the Sunshine Coast, you'll find Australia Zoo - home of the late Steve Irwin "The Crocodile Hunter".

For a truly unique experience, try feeding the wild dolphins at Monkey Mia (a 10 1/2 hour drive north of Perth in Western Australia, or 2 hours by air).

Regardless of where you travel within Australia, there will be plenty of opportunities to see some of our odd creatures.

  

More than a big, red rock

Uluru Ayers Rock, one of the most recognizable icons to depict Australia, is also the largest monolith in the world - visible from outer space.  Upon your first view, nothing can quite prepare you for the contrast between the red sand stretching to the horizon in every direction and the huge Red Rock jutting upwards like the toe of a sleeping giant sticking up through the desert.  It is a mystical place, one to be savoured at dawn when you can watch the Rock change colours to meet the new day, or at sunset as the last rays of sun beam across the empty desert and highlight the fissures and crevices of Uluru Ayers Rock as it settles in for the night.

The Aboriginal People of Australia lived around Uluru Ayers Rock for more than 30,000 years before 1873 when its presence was first recorded by William Gosse, a surveyor for the new European settlers of Australia.  It was named Ayers Rock after the Chief Secretary of South Australia, though officially it is now known as Uluru Ayers Rock to honour the original Aboriginal name.  

Kata Tjuta

Uluru Ayers Rock and nearby Kata Tjuta have great religious and spiritual importance to the local Anangu people and are the subject of many tales and myths handed down through their Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.

Located in the geographical heart of Australia it is approximately a 3 hour flight from the main cities of the east and south coasts and is almost equal flying time from Sydney, Cairns or Melbourne.

Perhaps the best way to get a feel for the immense size and scale is to see it up close from the air.  A tour by helicopter will throw it into focus very quickly.  Other tours available (walking, vehicle based, or by camel) will get you up close to the Rock at almost any time of day.

You can find much more information (and inspiration!) here.

Throw Another Shrimp on the Barbie

OK, most people have probably heard this now famous line bandied about at one time or another.  For some, it might bring to mind a gathering of mates around a BBQ, beers in hand, laughing and having a good time.  For the foodies out there, it would be the thought of succulent prawns (most Aussies don't call them shrimp) - ones that are SO big they're worth the effort of shelling, like the king prawns.

Australia has a wide variety of seafood available, including some very unique characters like the Moreton Bay Bug.  I know, it sounds pretty nasty, doesn't it?  But I promise you, it's not an insect, it's actually a type of lobster.  They're found along the northern coast of Australia all the way from Western Australia and over down the coast of Queensland to Moreton Bay (near Brisbane).

You might hear some strange words when people are talking about seafood.  Yabbies, for example, are a type of freshwater crayfish (or crawfish or crawdads, depending on where you live).  Barra, short for Barramundi, is a sweet tasting white fish that is also very popular for sport fishing.  The most common areas for this type of fishing are in the Northern Territory and Queensland.