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Oz Trek Series…The Flinders Ranges.Starting in Port Augusta, SA, this month our trek heads into the beautiful Flinders Ranges. While most of the trek is an easy one, some of the suggested sidetracks will tempt 4WD travellers to explore more of this spectacular landscape
Places to go…The Savannah shortcutThe dusty Savannah Way makes for an interesting shortcut from Cairns to Darwin, with a bonus of low-cost camps along the way. Cherry ripeTravellers can look forward to some special treats at Manjimup, in the southwest of WA, when the cherry season is in full swing.
High country campingSet up camp next to an alpine lake surrounded by snow gums and alpine heath, at Lake Catani in Victoria.
Great lakesThe Great Lakes area on the mid-north coast of NSW has all the ingredients for an excellent holiday
Things to do…Navigation – the complete guidePart two of our two-part navigation feature looks at the world of maps and navigational products, and what the future might hold for modern day travellers.
Simple camping with a small vehicleYou don’t need a lot of gear or a big car to enjoy a camping adventure if you choose your equipment wisely.
Addicted to travelTake a few tips on how to have a heap of fun camping without spending a lot of money. The perfect bush showerThis home-made shower offers campers a decent wash without wasting water.
Checks for towing safetyCheck the towing system on your rig before setting out to ensure a safe and hassle-free journey.
Puzzles!Try our crossword and Sudoku puzzles. |
Caravans, MotorHomes & more...VW vansVolkswagen has updated its range of vans, the Transporter, Caravelle and Multivan
Under reviewRick Huckstepp reports on the performance of Oztent’s RV-5 tent and the Polaris car audio and entertainment system.
Campsites...Mountain View Caravan Park, Biggenden, Qld. Frazer Park Campsite, Munmorah State Conservation Area, NSW. Orbost Caravan Park, Orbost, Vic. Murrawijinie Caves, Nullarbor National Park, SA.
Nature......In the bushWhile it’s easy to mistake the Queensland bottle tree for a boab, this distinctive tree is found in the southeast of Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Just for readers...My Favourite PlaceThere’s no shortage of fresh seafood at Cowell in South Australia, and a special feast has won for a reader a great prize from Snowgum
Readers' lettersEach month, the best reader's letter wins a rugged, 12-volt Panther Versa-Lite.
Cooking...Hearty saladsThese nourishing salads go well beyond the limp lettuce and tomato mixture – they’re a meal in themselves! Try a Thai beef & noodle salad, or chicken in witlof for a fresh and flavoursome treat. |
The Barkly Highway straddles the Queensland/Northern Territory border between Mt Isa and Three Ways, a featureless stretch of blacktop that stretches endlessly in a rather monotonous blur. Punctuated by dusty, tumbledown rest areas and roadhouses dispensing food and fuel at ever escalating prices, it’s the section of the Cairns to Darwin run that I always dread.
A far more exciting alternative lies to the north along the eastern end of the Savannah Way. This seldom-travelled route skirts the edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria through golden grasslands, rocky sandstone escarpments and vivid green waterways that nurture barramundi, prawns and a host of long-legged waterbirds. As a bonus, this scenic shortcut shaves more than 300 kilometres off the journey between Cairns and Katherine
Without sounding too clichéd, the perfect holiday or getaway destination for most travellers needs certain ingredients to make it worth travelling to – and maybe more importantly to keep coming back to. Driving time, accommodation options, available activities and climate, the list goes on. And, mostly, we want all our different ingredients.
One location that oozes with ingredients on most travellers’ lists is the Great Lakes area on the mid-north coast of NSW. About a 3.5-hour drive north of Sydney, it’s been a holiday favourite for both Sydney and Newcastle folk for generations, as well as a favourite stop for touring visitors.
It’s not hard to see why, as it has a natural setting with amazing beaches, national parks and mazed waterways that are highlighted with beautiful lakes. It really makes a complete getaway destination for either a weekend jaunt or for a prolonged stay
My other half is learning quickly: whenever coins are left on bedside tables or fall out of pockets, he knows they will be squirreled away to the camping tin. When the container is full, the money is eagerly spent on the next items for our slowly but steadily growing camping collection.
Perhaps that is why the piles of gold shrapnel I find cleverly placed around the house are becoming larger – the more I find, the more Lachlan can spend on tarps, pegs, poles and ropes.
Lachlan and I are both our 20s and we are addicted to travelling – the type of travel that easily forgives us for not showering for a day or three; for strolling bare foot around small towns; and for playing with wood fires and marshmallows. To spend more time indulging in such habits, we started our camping tin .
