The Magazine for Australian Travellers

October 2005

GREAT PLACES TO GO

Cutta Cutta Caves

The Northern Territory town of Katherine has a secret treasure deep underground.

Great walking on Fraser Island

Melanie Ball heads away from Fraser’s coast to focus on the middle of the world’s largest sand island.

Campsite reports

Our campsite reporters find the best places to camp, this month in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.

CARAVANS & MOTORHOMES

Waltzing with Matilda

New owner, new factory and new model motorhomes.

GOOD GEAR & GADGETS

Walkabout

Go on the greatest bushwalk, live the Snowy River legend and travel with a greener outlook – find out how in Walkabout this month.

How to photograph Australia

A new book by Steve Parish can help us to make our holiday pictures much better.

CAMPERS’ TALES

Cruising Australia

Aussies are planning for a life of leisure in their retirement – and, apparently, we’re very good at it.

The good life at McLaren Vale

This area in South Australia is truly gorgeous.

Hit the Spot

A seafood feast awaits at Airlie Beach.

The hazards of helping out

Adrian Ryan has some tales of woe to tell – he’s helping out a friend.

Dismal Swamp

This place in Tasmania is anything but dismal.

Outback wings and
stockmen’s things

Jim Foster takes us for a tour around two Australian icons.

Campfire cooking

Derek “The Camp Oven Cook” Bullock doesn’t need a campfire to make a camp oven feast.

JUST FOR READERS

My Favorite Place

The tantilising glitter of garnets has won for a reader a pair of great daypacks from Snowgum.

GETAWAY VEHICLE

Facelifted Forester

Subaru’s popular soft-roader Forester has increased its appeal.

CATCH A FEED

Snapping happy

This month, Paul B. Kidd offers some tips on getting better fishy photos.

REGULAR FEATURES

Readers’ Letters

Advice on locating a doctor wherever you travel is discussed this issue.

Aussie Cross Quiz

A beautifully wild garden at McLaren Vale, overlooking more orderly fields.

in Australia’s great

outdoors

Truly gorgeous

Stroll, sip or snack

at McLaren Vale

in South Australia

A delightful friend of mine once had a memo stuck permanently to her fridge door. It said: “So many pleasures… so little time.” My friend was 79 and she had spent years trying to experience them all. She’s still at it.

Visiting McLaren Vale in South Australia is a bit like that. And the answer is pretty similar. If you can’t do everything you want to in a week, just add more days.

One of South Australia’s most
celebrated wine regions, McLaren Vale is sprawling vineyards – and a whole lot more. Sure, you’ll want to call in and sample the grape juice at perhaps a dozen of the scenic and well-landscaped wineries. But while you’re touring the region, leave time for pleasures like a stroll through an historic village, a walk along a roaring river, a run on a long, clean beach and a meal at a rustic little restaurant.

Conveniently located less than 50 kilometres south of Adelaide, McLaren Vale offers its visitors
that rare but delectable combination of country charm, lovely rural
vistas, outstanding fresh produce,
a bit of history and a thriving arts colony. If the wine tastings don’t
lure you here, sampling local produce like berries, stone fruit, almonds and avocados certainly will.

We started our explorations in the attractive little town of Willunga. The village dates from 1837 when an exploring party from the new city of Adelaide ended their expedition here, quite possibly because the valley was so attractive there was little reason to press on.