What's in the January 2010 issue....
Places to go...South Coast NSW Bodalla and Narooma are two of the beautiful towns in the Eurobodalla region of NSW.
Somerset Dam You don’t have to travel far from Brisbane to find a perfect weekend escape in southeast Queensland. Desert Loop The famous Pinnacles are the main feature of WA’s Nambung National Park, and access for car-based travellers is excellent. Casterton Take a tour around this tiny Victorian town that is recognised as the birthday of the kelpie breed of Australian working dog.
Kangaroo Valley This slice of paradise is close to Sydney yet still remains a small-town gem. Things to do...Stay safe! The Personal Locator Beacon, or PLB, is the solo camper’s friend.
UHF review We look at how Icom’s IC-41S UHF CB handheld performs in the field.
60 years of caravanning Colin and Laurel have enjoyed caravanning holidays for the best part of their lives.
Natural volunteers Tilligerry Nature Reserve is developed and maintained by volunteers to help others enjoy nature’s beauty.
Celebrate a great trek 2010 is the 150th anniversary of Burke and Wills’ great expedition.
Beach baits Fresh local bait can be most effective in catching more species of fish
Puzzles! Try our crossword and Sudoku puzzles. |
Caravans, MotorHomes & more...Spinifex Caravans Spinifex Caravans offers custom built vans built to cope with the rough stuff.
Kia Sorento Kia’s latest Sorento offers value for money and room for the family
Campsites...Nuga Nuga Lake campsite, Central Queensland. Victory Park Caravan Park, Wilcannia, NSW. Little Desert Nature Lodge, Winiam, Vic. Yallingup Beach Holiday Park, Yallingup, WA Nature...In the bush This issue we feature oystercatchers, which forage between the high tide and low tide mark on beaches around the country . Just for readers...My Favourite Place For great camping and good fishing it’s hard to beat Steep Point in Western Australia.
Readers' letters Each month, the best reader's letter wins a rugged, 12-volt Panther Versa-Lite. Cooking...Desserts to please Rich and delicious, these dessert ideas will satisfy any sweet tooth! |
Somerset Dam
By John McCann
If you are looking for somewhere to go for a pleasant weekend near Brisbane you don’t have to look much further than the lakes, dams and quaint little communities that are dotted along the Brisbane Valley Highway to the northwest of the city.
People who are pressed for time could do this trip in a day, although it would be much better to spend a couple of days to take a leisurely drive through this historical area of southeast Queensland.
The journey really starts once you turn off the Warrego Highway onto the Brisbane Valley Highway 10km west of Ipswich. From here, the bitumen winds its way through cleared grazing country for 16km until you arrive at the sleepy little town of Fernvale.
Desert Loop
By Catherine Lawson
Casting shadows across the Swan Coastal Plain, a sea of bright yellow limestone columns rise from shifting desert dunes.
Protected within the boundaries of Nambung National Park, the Pinnacles Desert is one of Western Australia’s biggest drawcards, as enigmatic as the Bungle Bungles and particularly popular for its accessibility.
Located 245km north of Perth, the park lies within easy reach of self-drive travellers and attracts hundreds of daily visitors with what must be the most popular scenic drive in the state: the Pinnacles Desert Loop Drive.
Kangaroo Valley
By Julie Ihle
Kangaroo Valley is one of those small town gems you can't believe still exists. The valley is lolly-green and the surrounding sandstone escarpment towers over the gin-clear Kangaroo River.
This heritage town heaves with colonial architecture, the people are welcoming and the area abounds in boutique cheeseries and olive groves, with wineries nearby.
Just two hours’ drive south of Sydney, it’s hard to believe the valley is so close to a seething metropolis.
Although it ticks all the boxes on the small town charm offensive, by the same token, Kangaroo Valley is a working town.