.orgers in Oz?

[daviddd]

I'm off for a long spell touring Australia from next month, and wondered how many of you from down under post on here? What part of Oz do you inhabit, and what places are worth visiting there? I'm planning the full trip around the outside, rather than crossing the interior.

[Lolabelle]

I live in the Hunter Valley, Wine Country New South Wales and it is a lovely area. If you drink wine, we apparently have some good ones, ( I don't, lol). The Port Stephens area is really nice and there is plenty to do. And we went to the Blue Mountains and stayed at Katoomba last year, that was absolutely fantastic. Also the Great Ocean Road in Victoria is pretty spectacular.
The whole of the east coast is varied and has lovely spots all the way. [lol]
Maybe I should just say everywhere, that is out of the city! We tend to go bush when we get away. So the national parks are good value.

[Echidna]

Hi daviddd

most of Australia has a striking beauty from rugged mountians to sweeping plains, a land of extreme contasts....

in NSW where i live we have many national parks usually containing a striking natural feature like a waterfall, forest. The Royal National Park just south of Sydney was Proclaimated around 1876 and was second only to Yellowstone in the USA to receive such legislative protection. It has preserved the natural bushland around the thriving megatropolis of Sydney, sufficient to protect a grove of red cedar trees, and red gums from the loggers. The view from Otford and Stanwell Park south towards Wollongong is stunning.

I now live in the Southern Highlands on NSW in a town where an annual Brigadoon Scots festival is held in April. Within an hours drive we have at least ten lookouts over waterfalls, sandstone gorges and rugged wilderness country of the Shoalhaven River and Kangaroo Valley.

If you do a circuit the road from Darwin to Broome is amazing, especially the remote Gibb River Road (4wd only). The mesa country west of Katherine towards Kununurra and Victoria River is great. Good fishing at Daly River for Barramundi (watch out for crocs!).

If you get to Tassie you will be rewarded with some of the loveliest country around.

Try to get into the outback, the real Australia away from the cities and you will find something else...

Happy and safe travels:Razz

[docker]

Head West is the best option.

Whenever anyone goes to Australia you would think that only the east coast was inhabited as no one every talks about the West. Western Australia has everything to offer that you are looking from in an Australian adventure, rain forests, beautiful remote beaches, coral reef, spectacular outback, great wine and probably the best climate in Australia. Head West I say, and you will not be disappointed.

[changilass]

A trip to Dubbo Zoo is well worth it. Not at all like the zoo's over here, rather than looking through fences at the animals they have built deep wide trenches so the animals are on your level, others are in enclosures that you can enter and a great picnic area, we spent a whole day there and would love to go back again.

[Lolabelle]

Head West is the best option.

Whenever anyone goes to Australia you would think that only the east coast was inhabited as no one every talks about the West. Western Australia has everything to offer that you are looking from in an Australian adventure, rain forests, beautiful remote beaches, coral reef, spectacular outback, great wine and probably the best climate in Australia. Head West I say, and you will not be disappointed.

I agree, WA is fantastic too, well all of it is fantastic, but the kimberly is awsome.

[daviddd]

Sounds good so far. I have certainly not neglected Western Australia, and I'll be spending 3 or 4 months all told in that state. My outline itinerary is on my blog at www.davidddinoz.blogspot.com

I'll note some of the places mentioned above, which I haven't yet come accross whilst researching the trip - any others? (I'm sure there are lots!). I'm particularly interested in great scenery / nature rather than 'things to do in towns and cities'.