What's in the May 2009 issue....
Places to go...Home of the paddle-steamer The Port of Echuca, set on the Murray River in Victoria, is undergoing further restoration to reflect the days when the river was the main highway in these parts.
The roar of the rainforest When the monsoon rains sweep over the North Queensland Wet Tropics, Kuranda’s Barron Falls roar and shake the very foundations of the earth. Cradle Mountain Tighten your bootlaces for a day-walk through the wild wonderland of Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain. Underground hospital The Outback Queensland town of Mt Isa has sifted through the rubble to re-open its bomb shelter hospital, originally built in 1942. Things to do...Paddle your own canoe! Pick up a paddle to make the most of your water-side camps and set out to explore in a canoe or kayak â€' it’s cheap, it’s hassle-free and it’s fun. Beat the mozzies A group of travellers gathered in a mosquito-ridden camp to find out which mozzie repellents actually work.
The Great Escape Take a tour from Fremantle to Bunbury in Western Australia to follow the history of the Catalpa Incident. |
Campsites...Nepean River Holiday village, Emu Plains, NSW Bivouac Junction Holiday Camp, Macrossan, Qld Rawnsley Park Station Caravan Park, Flinders Ranges, SA St George Caravan Park, St George, Qld Nature...Wildlife Connections Colourful rosellas are a frequent visitor to campsites, especially in the well-timbered coastal fringes of Australia. Caravans & Motorhomes...Islander Ranger 2 Slide-on Camper This slide-on camper, fitted to a Falcon ute, is versatile and has plenty of home-style facilities.
Cooking...Pack a few cans in your tuckerbox next time you head bush to add variety and taste to a range of light and easy meals. |
Paddle your own canoe!
By Steve Farmer
For most travellers, some sort of nearby waterway usually adds to a campsite’s appeal. Whether it’s a pristine mountain stream beside a wilderness camp, or a sheltered bay or estuary bordering a busy coastal caravan park, water usually means fun and entertainment for all the family.
And when it comes to exploring that waterway, it’s hard to beat the simple, hassle-free pleasures of paddling your own canoe. These basic craft can be both functional and fun, providing hours of entertainment for paddlers of all ages and interests. They are ideally suited to avid anglers, stealthy birdwatchers or those who simply enjoy messing about in boats.
The roar of the rainforest
By Dick Eussen
About 30 minutes’ drive west from Cairns is the rainforest village of Kuranda. It was originally set up as a mountain retreat for hippies back in the 1960s and 70s, but their descendants have made the village a model of tourism prosperity. The little village caters for tourists with its many souvenir shops, crocodile leather goods, art galleries containing Aboriginal and European art, and delightful cafes serving fresh Mareeba coffee, or Daintree tea, with scones.
Getting to Kuranda is easy, you can drive up the windy rainforest-fringed road, take the Skyrail rainforest cable car up from the Cairns lowlands, or ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway. There is an option to use all modes of transport â€' head up by cable car and return by train, or coach, stopping en route for scenic attractions.
Cradle Mountain
By Melanie Ball
Hype can make anything sound good, but now and then you experience something that lives up to the hoopla. With its ice-carved ridges and precipitous lakes, rare flora and rumbustious wombats, big sky and smell-the-herbs clean air, Cradle Mountain, in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, is such a destination.
More chipped crown than cradle â€' Joseph Fossey, who named it in 1826, must have had a rocky ride as a child â€' Cradle Mountain reigns over the beginning/end of the Overland Track, which snakes 80km south to Lake St Clair. But should you lack the fitness and/or the desire to heft a backpack stuffed with six days of supplies, or even to carry a lighter load on an accommodated trek with Cradle Huts, you can drink your fill of this remote and often wild wonderland on a dozen-plus day walks. .