|
|
 |
|
|
|
Oz Trek Series…The Bruce HighwayBetween Maryborough and Gladstone in Queensland, travellers will find a natural, open air playground of rivers, lakes, coastal estuaries and beaches that are just right for aquatic fun and games. Places to go…Fantasy islandWedge Island is a nature-filled wonderland where you can do as little or as much as you like. And, this island experience can be yours for the renting. The old coach roadTake a break when you're at Norseman in WA, and find the hidden treasure that is the Dundas Heritage Trail. The old and the newCamping near Cobar is pretty good, and these two sites near the outback NSW town offer some bush camping at its best. Mallee motorhomingThe Darling River is a bit of a feature on this tour, as are the treed floodplains of the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park.
Remote and preciousThe wilderness of Guy Fawkes National Park is diverse and interesting, and there's plenty of scope for exploration.
Warm the cocklesNear the 'end of the road' in Tasmania is Cockle Creek, and a lovely free campsite offers access to fishing, walking and more.
Things to do…Omeo's claimsTake a hike around a very different landscape in the High Country of Victoria.
Tin Horse HighwayThe folk around Kulin way have a lot of imagination, as well as the dedication to promote their annual bush race in a colourful and unmissable way.
Hinterland historyThe small town of Landsborough on Queensland's Sunshine Coast hinterland has an excellent museum.
Stomping groundsTen per cent of fisherfolk catch 90 per cent of the fish, or so the saying goes, and it certainly seems to ring true in the waters off Adelaide.
Making TracksRon Moon's not happy about more areas being locked up and away from public access.
Touring AroundYabbies racing in the name of charity are not to everyone's taste.
Puzzles!Try our crossword and Sudoku puzzles. |
Caravans, MotorHomes & more...Lotus Trooper 19'6"With a tough looking exterior and plenty of internal comfort, the Lotus Trooper is a van you can take off the blacktop and onto rougher dirt roads with confidence.
Trakka's Trakkadu rangeThe Trakkadu is a real escape machine that is compact enough to use around town, yet large enough for around-Australia travel. And the range also includes an Off Road Pak for exploring at its best.
Bolwell RV The EdgeFlowing swept-back lines and raked windows give The Edge a striking appearance that's backed up by credentials that allow it to go off-road in style.
Mazda CX-5This mighty Mazda is all about around town family-friendliness, and has an option of a four-wheel-drive system to ensure it's also useful on a trip to the snow or down a gravel track.
Campsites…Each month, On The Road contributors report on bush campsites or caravan parks around the country.
Cranky Rock Nature Reserve, near Warialda, NSW Rivers Edge Wilderness Camping & RV, Lonnavale, Tas Point Gibbon campsite, Point Gibbon, SA Narrawong Holiday Park, Narrawong, Vic
Nature……In the bushAustralia's native wisteria, Callerya megasperma, is a twining, vigorous vine that makes an impressive display in the wild. Cooking…Ultra freshMint is a fresh and versatile herb, and mint-infused North African and Middles Eastern dishes can be easily whipped on up on the road. Try our Moroccan lamb & couscous wraps, zucchini fritters, and asparagus and rocket tabouli. Just for readers...Our CountryOur readers' photographic competition focuses on all the wild creatures we meet on our travels, and the most inspiring entry received will earn a great prize!
Readers' lettersEach month, the best reader's letter wins a portable Rechargeable Firefly LED light from Soterion. |
How good would it be to rent a luxury house on a remote offshore island, fishing, four-wheel-driving, sightseeing, bird watching and swimming without seeing another person for the entire stay? Well, that is exactly what our family and good friends Scott and Sarah and their kids have just done. Sounds isolated, but in reality it is just a three-hour drive away from metropolitan Adelaide.
Admittedly you will then have to take a 90-minute boat cruise or a short hop on a small plane to get there, but this is all part of the adventure. There are another nine houses on the island but every time I have stayed here I have never seen another soul. Peak holiday seasons could be the exception but with over 10 square kilometres to explore, you are sure to get away from the "crowds".
Travelling along a bush track amongst eucalypt scrub on the goldfields, we didn't expect to see a cricket pitch. It was cracked and worn, but remains as a tangible reminder of a long past community life. We found the pitch along the 25-kilometre Dundas Coach Road Heritage Trail just south of Norseman, and we wished we had some cricket gear with us.
If you are travelling across the Nullarbor to Western Australia, or from Kalgoorlie to Esperance, you will reach Norseman at the end of the Eyre Highway. Instead of rocketing along the highway in your quest to reach Esperance and the coast, I suggest you take a break by turning off the highway to explore the hidden treasure that is the old Dundas goldfields.
Gusts of wind sent angry flurries of dust hurrying across the outback's red plains, and sombre grey clouds that hovered over the distant horizon hinted that life-giving rains were on their way as we headed towards the NSW outback town of Cobar. "Send it down, Hughie!" those who live in the drought stricken region might have been shouting at that moment, but in 1869, the people of the outback had prayed for the rain to stop.
Floods that had inundated the landscape had forced settlers to flee from nature's brutality, and three teenage boys working near Bourke decided it was time to leave, too. Accompanied by Aboriginal guides, they headed south and eventually reached the Kubbur waterhole, a meeting place for the region's indigenous tribes. As they set up camp for the night, they noticed rocks streaked with a blue/green colouration, and it was that moment of luck that changed the face of the outback. The rocks contained copper, and their discovery led to the formation of the Great Copper Mining Company in 1876, and to the establishment of a new and prosperous town, known as Cobar.
