What's in the October 2009 issue....
Places to go...Behind the cellar door The Clare Valley in South Australia has a special warmth and generosity for visitors to this beautiful region. Beaches and more at Stansbury Families and holiday makers will love scenery, the fishing and the camping at this town on the Yorke Peninsula, SA.
Stirling summit views Western Australia's Stirling Range offers bushwalking, spectacular views and incredible flora. Long Plain camping Long Plain Road, in the northern section of the Kosciuszko National Park, leads to some simple and scenic High Country campsites. Stockton Beach This fabulous beach near Newcastle, NSW, is a wonderful place to learn the ups and downs of outdoor life.
Things to do...Bush camping and canoeing Fisherman's Rest, on the Maranoa River in Queensland, offers a real serenity that's hard to beat.
Watchful dogs The gannets of Port Danger have special sentries that keep them safe from predators.
Preserve your bait Learn how to salt pilchards to use as bait - not only does this make them last longer, it also makes them easier to use.
Puzzles! Try our crossword and Sudoku puzzles. |
Caravans, MotorHomes & more...Trakka's Trekkaway 850 Have an inside look at Trakka's C Class motorhome, the Trekkaway 850.
Readers' rig Ivan and Sharon have designed and built a number of campers to suit their own travelling style.
Holden Cruze This small sedan offers value, space and safety. Campsites...Iluka Riverside Tourist Park, Iluka, NSW. Pialba Beachfront Caravan Park, Hervey Bay, Qld. St John Brook Conservation Park, Nannup, WA Dicky Beach Family Holiday Resort, Caloundra, Qld. Nature...In the bush Queensland's floral emblem is the Cooktown orchid, a flower of exquisite beauty. Just for readers...My Favourite Place A campsite at an isolated spot east of Alice Springs has been deemed Beth and Denis's favourite place - and has won for them a great prize from Snowgum. Readers' letters Each month, the best reader's letter wins a rugged, 12-volt Panther Versa-Lite. Cooking...Catch of the day The best seafood dishes are simple ones. Our recipe selection this issue includes Salt 'n' Pepper Crabs, Coconut Panko Prawns and Poached Lemon Thyme Barramundi. |
Behind the cellar door
By Lance Richardson
The Salon Rouge Gallery in Kapunda is pretty standard for these parts: off the highway, around a corner, down a lane of flaking houses, and patrolled by an affectionate dog.
The owner is Jacqueline Coates, who is not aware of that smear of green paint across her nose, even as she offers up a bottle of wine she made last week 'with friends'. There is a small girl eating biscuits in an empty bathtub. There are several tipsy students, piles of pastels, a chandelier, and dozens of floral canvases. There is a glowing spirit of hospitality even more palatable than those famous rieslings that hail from down the road.
'Welcome to Clare Valley' rings in the air, and nobody even needs to speak the words.
Stirling summit views
By Catherine Lawson & David Bristow
Stretching dramatically for more than 65 kilometres across WA's southwest, the Stirling Range rises abruptly from a patchwork of pastoral plains. A rarity in a state not graced with lofty peaks, this rugged chain of stark rock spires beckons walkers up strenuous summit trails that reward with exceptional views.
But it's not just the hiking trails that lure visitors to this rocky wilderness, located a half-day's drive southeast of Perth. Uplifted from beneath an ancient seabed, the Stirling Range is an ecological island that nurtures some of the country's most delicate plants. With a record 1500 flowering plant species - 87 of which are found nowhere else on earth - Stirling Range National Park is one of the world's most important flora reserves.
Long Plain camping
By Chris Davis & Sandra Waters
In the northern section of Kosciuszko National Park, about 53km north of Adaminaby and 73km south of Tumut, lies the beautiful and remote Long Plain area. Long Plain Road, which cuts across this vast, treeless expanse, is easily accessed from the Snowy Mountain Highway and is only open to vehicles during the summer period.
The road follows a traditional Aboriginal trail and has several scenic diversions along the way to make it one of the most interesting drives in this section of the national park.