|
|
 |
|
|
|
Oz Trek Series…From Mildura to Warri Gate.From Mildura to Warri Gate, this month our trek takes a run along the Silver City Highway in an easy introduction to the outback regions of New South Wales
Places to go…Coastal highlightThe Cape Otway Lightstation looks over a sea cliff where Bass Strait and the wild Southern Ocean come together with tremendous swells.Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary“Paradise” is a word that aptly describes the natural world of Mornington, in Western Australia. Western wildflowersTake a camping tour through a wonderful land of wildflowers in WA’s mid-west.
Pilbara – big, bold and beautifulThe Pilbara is a massive expanse of land that holds an incredible beauty, and it’s a favourite destination for campers and caravanners of all ages. Things to do…Aussie pubThe Ettamogah Pub in Queensland is a great place for a good feed and a good laugh.
Navigation – the complete guidePart one of our two-part navigation feature looks at the fundamental components of successful navigation.
Murray codThe freshwater systems of southern Australia are home to an icon of Australia, the Murray cod.
Puzzles!Try our crossword and Sudoku puzzles. |
Caravans, MotorHomes & more...Outback Camper TrailersThe Walkabout is a light off-road camper trailer with plenty of storage and room for your choice of options.
Goldstream RVThe On The Road crew took Goldstream RV’s Storm RL camper for a trip up to Tuross Lake in NSW.
Mazda 6Mazda’s 6 is an all-round vehicle with a model range that includes three body styles and the option of a diesel engine.
Campsites...Port Germein Caravan Park, Port Germein, SA. Eidsvold Caravan Park, Eidsvold, Qld Yackandandah Holiday Park, Yackandandah, Vic. Shark Bay’s free camps, near Denham, WA.
Nature......In the bushButcherbirds have a melodious call, and two of the five species in Australia can usually been easily seen across most of the continent.
Just for readers...My Favourite PlaceBargara, near the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, is Lesley’s favourite place and has won for her a great prize from Snowgum.
Readers' lettersEach month, the best reader's letter wins a rugged, 12-volt Panther Versa-Lite.
Cooking...Winter warmersKeep warm this winter with some slow-cooked, hearty fare. Try our Mediterranean camp oven lamb, braised chicken with barley risotto or an easy spiced rice pudding. |
The splash as we slide into the water echoes off the cliffs that crown way overhead, book-ending a sky daubed with 3D tufts of cloud. Our laughter bounces back at us too, the only human sounds in a world fashioned in fantastic textures and rich hues.
The sky is a vivid, almost enamel blue. Olive rock-shelf shallows darken to bottle green depths carved by millennia of wet seasons. And the precipitous red-rock walls that contain the summer floods, and reflect sun and sound in winter, are samples of extraordinary natural stonemasonry, revealing every step in their tortuous creation.
Back on shore, dripping on a towel unrolled in a lazily shifting wedge of shade, I feel like I am an integral part of the remote and rugged country enfolding me. And that is bliss!
When it comes to things big, bold and beautiful, the Pilbara region of Western Australia has, almost selfishly, many more than its fair share scattered across its sprawling horizons. With a mixture of splendid natural attractions supplemented by some unbelievably huge man-made features, the region has plenty to entice travellers to stay a while longer, to explore and enjoy its contrasts and faces.
Stretching from WA’s west coast at Onslow, east to the Northern Territory border about 1000km away, the Pilbara region covers more than 510,000 square kilometres but has a population of only around 50,000 people. With most of these centred in just a handful of towns, there’s a good chance of having at least some of its beauty spots entirely to yourself.
Many people visit Victoria’s Great Ocean Road to see eroding cliff faces, pristine beaches and awesome southern ocean swells. And many foolishly skip a visit to the Cape Otway Lightstation. But calling this the high light of this stretch of coast is not just a play on words. This place really is the pick of the features on a coast that is crammed with fascinating things to see.
This is mainland Australia’s oldest lighthouse, starting operations in 1848 so only a little over 10 years after the founding of Melbourne. And it was a huge job to set it up, so a fair dose of determination was required. It has been in continuous operation since then, on the sea cliff where Bass Strait and the wild Southern Ocean come together with tremendous swells.
