Australian Country Towns don’t come much smaller than some of these! But each town on my A-Z list within my Aussie ABC punches above its weight with attractions you probably won’t find anywhere else. My list of HOT Aussie Towns from N-Z here in Part 2 have attractions so COOL you’ll want to see them all.

And if you missed my selection of Australian Country Towns from A – M, then take a look at Part 1 of T is for Towns HERE!

Nimbin, New South Wales

This vibrant village in the heart of Northern New South Wales’ Rainbow Region is a alternative lifestyle magnet – think communes, cannabis and colourful creativity – amidst a spectacular natural rainforest.

Which is still there thanks to a sustained – and successful – protest against logging that reached a head at nearby Terania Creek, now known as Protestors Falls, in 1979.

Orroroo, South Australia

Near the Goyder Line – surveyed to determine the point at which agriculture in South OZ isn’t viable – Orroroo is a stepping off point for the Flinders Ranges.

But detour to nearby Magnetic Hill, described by Wikipedia as a gravity hill optical illusion! It’s not unique to Australia – but the bizarre sensation of rolling uphill on a downhill slope makes it a tourist magnet, haha!

Portland, Victoria

Non-birdos might not find the prospect of seeing the only mainland Australian Gannet colony at Point Danger near Portland – oldest European settlement in Victoria – so thrilling.

Luckily, the other attractions – like the Petrified Forest and Blowholes at Cape Bridgewater; and Enchanted Forest, Yellow Rock and Lighthouse at Cape Nelson – have more universal appeal. And how could anyone resits the Bonney Upwelling Festival?

Quobba, Western Australia

More of a locality than a town, Quobba makes up for its lack of infrastructure with a stunning coastal landscape complete with campground, beach, lighthouse, whales, blowholes (both the rocky AND whale types), wildflowers, monster waves – and one of the best Aussie dunnies anywhere EVER!

Yes, it’s in MY BOOK: Aussie Loos with Views!

Richmond, Tasmania

Nearly every Aussie state has a town, suburb or locality called Richmond. The Tasmanian Richmond boasts Australia’s oldest bridge built in 1823. Between Hobart and World Heritage site Port Arthur, picturesque and historic Richmond makes a perfect base from which to explore.  Especially when you consider its fine collection of eateries!

Besides, everyone’s already got the shot of Australia’s MOST photographed bridge!

Swan Reach, South Australia

One of the first South OZ river ports, Swan Reach marks where Goyder’s Line crosses the Murray River.  It’s 30 km below the first of the 13 completed locks along the biggest river system in OZ.

Explorer Edward John Eyre made his home here, and nearby Big Bend (can you guess why it’s called that?) has the highest cliffs on the Murray!

Tully, Queensland

Tully’s Golden Gumboot shows the height of its annual rainfall. But it doesn’t show the rivalry between Tully, Babinda and Innisfail.  Each year they vied for the ‘honour’ of being Australia’s wettest town and scoring the ‘Golden Gumboot’ award!

With average annual falls of 4000 mm (160 inches) AND highest recorded annual rainfall in a populated area (7900 mm in 1950) sugar town Tully claims the title!

For now …

Useless Loop, Western Australia

Unless you get a job mining the purest salt in the world, you won’t see the Useless Loop township because no tourists are allowed in this closed community, westernmost town in Australia.  But it’s still my favourite Australian Country Towns name!

You CAN access the Shark Bay World Heritage area surrounding the town from closest town Denham.  It’s also the official westernmost town with Australia’s westernmost caravan park!

Victoria River Roadhouse, Northern Territory

A fully self-contained roadhouse with fuel, food, accomodation is what passes for a town in parts of the Northern Territory. With a scenic campground setting below the Stokes Range right next to Australia’s WILDEST river, the roadhouse is worth a stopover.

The Victoria River Roadhouse is a chance to experience wild Outback Australia at its best if you like your scenery full of staggering views and your landscapes with a rugged edge.

Wycheproof, Victoria

It’s not such a long way to the top of Mt Wycheproof, a “metamorphic boss”.  At 43 metres above the plain (237 m above sea level) it is also the world’s (self-proclaimed) smallest mountain!

Visible from Broadway below in the township, the mini-mount is a tourist drawcard.  Especially when coupled with endemic flower Correa Glabra, unique mountain quartz Wycheproofite AND a cool scenic loo.  YES, it’s in my BOOK!

eXmouth, Western Australia

I can’t tell you why there aren’t many OZ towns beginning with X.  But I blame an unimaginative language that fails to use the letter X to its full potential!

That doesn’t mean Exmouth on the tip of North West Cape isn’t worth seeing.  It’s between the ocean and the outback with Ningaloo Reef on one side (guess which!) and Cape Range National Park on the other!

Yowah, Queensland

This remote opal mining town shares its name with the Yowah Nut, a geode-like nut shaped rock with an opal core found nowhere else on earth.

They’ve got matrix opal too.

Come for the opal festival and find yourself a Yowah Nut either on the opal field or at one of the many opal outlets.  Or just experience the awesome Aussie outback at its best!

FitZroy Crossing, Western Australia

Visit during the dry season and you’d never guess that the Fitzroy River has the highest volume of water in Australia. That’s when it’s in flood with an estimated 30,000 cubic metres per second flowing along a 15 km wide flood plain.

When it’s not being flooded out, visit Fitzroy Crossing for the awesome Geikie Gorge, the closest mainland Australia has by way of icebergs!

Well, that’s just a tiny town teaser! With thousands of small Australian Country Towns there are a LOT more to discover out there.

And if you want to discover them for yourself, take a look at some cheap flights to get you started!

Want MORE?

• T for Towns Part 1 A-M
• Australian Towns, Wikipedia
• MORE Photos of Australian Towns on Flickr
• MORE Aussie ABC 

The post Aussie ABC: T is for Towns Part 2 appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

How to get from Darwin to Broome!

Whether you got to Darwin by plane, train (the Ghan), or my 7 day Road-trip from Adelaide, once you’ve seen the sights – like my TOP TEN things to do in Darwin – you’ll eventually have to leave.

But if you’ve got another 7 days (or more!) to kill, the alternative to returning the way you came is to take a road trip. Hire a car if you didn’t drive, and drive across the Top End through the Kimberley from Darwin to Broome via the Great Northern Highway!

But be warned! Even though the Darwin to Broome road trip CAN be done in a week, you must carefully pick and choose the sights you want to see or you’ll run out of time. That’s why my 7 day road trip itinerary has optional extras so you can add extra time and extra attractions!

So choose what you’d REALLY like to do from the itinerary and enjoy!

Day 1: Darwin to Victoria River Roadhouse

Distance: 510 km

Driving Time: 6-7 hours. Leave as early as possible – there’s a lot to see and do when you reach the Victoria River Roadhouse!

Route & Scenery: Head south from Darwin along the Stuart Highway, passing through tropical bushland and savannah and over low rocky ranges. At Katherine, leave the tropics behind and enter the RED Outback, heading south-west along the Victoria Highway. Near the Roadhouse, the road passes through Judburra/Gregory National Park and Stokes Range.

Points of Interest:

• This itinerary assumes you travelled to Darwin via Katherine and have already seen those attractions. For attractions between Darwin and Katherine, see Days 6 and 7 of my Adelaide to Darwin road trip itinerary.
• Outback scenery and pastoral properties, low ranges and Buntine Highway (alternative route to Halls Creek) turn off
• From the Victoria River Roadhouse, climb up to the Escarpment Lookout, hike the 1.7 km Joe Creek Loop Walk. Take a look at Australia’s WILDEST river (watch for crocodiles!), watch spectacular sunsets over the Victoria River Escarpment and have a meal at the roadhouse.

Options:

• Take an extra day to explore attractions en route to Katherine. Stay overnight in Katherine on Day 1 and travel to Victoria River Roadhouse on Day 2.
• Alternatively, stay at Katherine, then combine Days 2 and 3, seeing the Victoria River Roadhouse sights en route to Timber Creek

Read MORE: Things to do at Victoria River Roadhouse

Day 2: Victoria River Roadhouse to Timber Creek

Distance: 91 km (yes, you read that right!)

Driving Time: 1 hour (yes, you read that right!)

Route & Scenery: Head west from Victoria River Roadhouse, climb the Victoria River Escarpment and pass through the Stokes Range. Spectacular outback scenery complete with Boab trees all the way!

Points of Interest:

• Today’s short trip means there’s time to see any attractions around Victoria River you didn’t have time for yesterday.
• In Timber Creek, book a sunset Victoria River Cruise to see more of Timber Creek, discover Australia’s wildest river, see more crocodiles than you’ve probably ever seen before. AND enjoy drinks and snacks while watching the sunset.

Options:

• Save Timber Creek for another visit and continue to Keep River National Park campground (150 km), Lake Argyle (190 km) or Kununurra (225 km)
• Stay an extra night and explore Timber Creek. There’s the historic museum, Escarpment Lookout, crocodile feeding in the creek behind the caravan parks and more of Gregory National Park.

Read MORE: Cruising with Crocodiles on Australia’s Wildest River

SEE MORE:  Victoria River Region Photos on Flickr

Day 3: Timber Creek to Kununurra

Distance: 225 km

Driving Time: 3 hours (including extra for a WA/NT Border vehicle check – don’t carry fruit, vegetables, plants or flowers). Gain bonus extra time at the border by turning clocks back to WA time!

Route & Scenery: Drive west along the Victoria Highway passing through spectacular ranges and land formations. After the border checkpoint, approx 150 km from Timber Creek, continue to Kununurra.

Points of Interest:

• Keep River National Park, sometimes referred to as the Mini Bungle-Bungles, is just 3 km from the WA border.
• Lake Argyle, Australia’s largest body of fresh water, is 34 km off the highway just across the border.

Options:

• Stay overnight at the Keep River National Park campground for amazing scenery and the 7 km Jarnem Loop Trail
• Stay an extra night at Lake Argyle for a sunset or morning cruise and a dip in the infinity pool
• Extend your stay in Kununurra and use it as a base to explore the region thoroughly (including Lake Argyle and Keep River National Park)
• Stay an extra night at Wyndham to see the amazing Five Rivers Lookout at sunset, and a number of other attractions

Read MORE:

• Top TEN Things to do in Kununurra;
• 5 Reasons why Wyndham is a TOP Aussie Town;
• Marlgu Billabong

SEE MORE:  Kununurra Photos on Flickr

Day 4: Kununurra to Halls Creek

Distance: 360 km

Driving Time: 4 ½ – 5 hours

Route & Scenery: 46 km west of Kununurra, turn east onto the Great Northern Highway. Spectacular scenery with multi-coloured rock formations through the Carr-Boyd and O’Connell Ranges. Outback scenery with red rock and spinifex closer to Halls Creek.

Points of Interest:

• Doon Doon Roadhouse
• Warmun (Turkey Creek) Roadhouse, Indigenous Arts Centre and Bungle-Bungle Scenic Flights
• Punululu National Park (Bungle-Bungles)
• At Halls Creek, visit the China Wall quartz formation, Caroline Pool and Old Halls Creek.

Options:

• Stay an extra night at Warmun or one of the Bungle-Bungles campgrounds and explore Purnululu National Park
• Stay an extra night at Halls Creek and visit Wolfe Creek Crater National Park (260 km round trip) on the Tanami Road

Day 5: Halls Creek to Fitzroy Crossing

Distance: 290 km

Driving Time: 3 ½ – 4 hours

Route & Scenery: Travel south-west from Halls Creek passing through oddly shaped rocky mountains, cliffs and canyons then lightly wooded pastoral country.

Points of Interest:

• When in flood, the Fitzroy River has the largest water volume of any river in Australia.  In the world only the Amazon is larger!  Take a look – even if it’s NOT in flood!
• Take a cruise through Geikie Gorge, a Devonian reef system about 20 km from Fitzroy Crossing.

Options:

• Stay an extra day and explore Geikie Gorge via several walks, or take a tour to Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge.

Read MORE: The Incredible ‘Icebergs’ of Geikie Gorge

Day 6: Fitzroy Crossing to Derby

Distance: 260 km

Driving Time: 3 – 3 ½ hours

Route & Scenery: Head west along the Great Northern Highway and head north at the junction with the Broome-Derby road. It’s then only 40 km to Derby on King Sound.

Points of Interest:

• Watch the ebb and flow of the highest tides in Australia from the Derby Jetty. It’s 12 metres above the low tide line.
• Other Derby attractions include the Jandamarra Heritage Trail, old prison, Boab Prison Tree, Frosty’s Pool, the Long Trough and the Joonjoo Botanic Walk.

Options:

Stay an extra night in Derby and experience the Gibb River Road on the Windjana Gorge/Tunnel Creek Day Tour.  Alternatively, visit the Buccaneer Archipelago and Horizontal Waterfall

Read MORE: The Highest Tide in OZ!

Day 7: Derby to Broome

Distance: 220 km

Driving Time: 2 ½ -3 hours

Route & Scenery: Follow the Great Northern Highway south-west to Broome.

Points of Interest:

• Willare Bridge Roadhouse
• Roebuck Plains Roadhouse

Read MORE about Broome’s attractions:

• 5 Reasons to Visit Broome in July
• Good Times at Gantheaume Point
• Sun Pictures and the Scenic Public Loo!
• Broome Bird Observatory

SEE MORE:  Broome Photos on Flickr

Broome’s many attractions probably mean you’ll want to stay for a LOT longer than just one night! And why not? You deserve a break after an epic road trip like this!

And anyway, you may as well kick back and enjoy yourself while you work out where to go next!

Want even MORE?

• MORE about the Kimberley
• MORE Red Nomad OZ Roadtrips
• MORE Kimberley Photos on Flickr

PS  For the record, it took me 28 nights to do the Darwin to Broome Road Trip.  I spent 15 more nights exploring Broome and surrounds!

And I STILL didn’t see everything!

So yes, it CAN be done in 7 days – but if you’ve got the time, you’ll see a LOT more!

The post 7 Days from Darwin to Broome via the Great Northern Highway appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

I don’t know what made us decide to stay overnight at the Victoria River Roadhouse as we pulled in for fuel, late on a Northern Territory July morning.

Perhaps we took the Grey Nomad’s experimental driving technique involving an inexpertly executed U-turn directly in front of us without warning as a sign to stay off the roads that day.

Perhaps the imminent full moon threatened the same thing.

Or perhaps the iconic Victoria River Roadhouse, nestled below the wild Victoria River’s magnificent escarpments between Katherine in the Northern Territory and Kununurra in Western Australia just looked too inviting …

Whatever the reason, we soon discovered we’d lucked out with one of the most spectacular campground settings in remote Outback Australia.

And 5 completely unexpected extraordinary experiences that make this remote outpost on the Victoria Highway WAAAY more than just a fuel and food stop.

So … what’s to do? Here’s how WE spent a stay of less than 24 hours at the Roadhouse!

1 Get a photo of … well, EVERYTHING!

From the iconic Roadhouse sign to the wild outback landscape to the moonrise over the escarpment* and sunrise over what is arguably Australia’s wildest river, it’s almost impossible to take a bad photo (although I did my darndest!).

BUT … here’s the catch. You won’t get good pix by spending all your time having happy hour in the campground or drinks at the bar.

Here’s my tip. Do the other things on my list, and the photos will take care of themselves!

2 Admire the landscape from the Escarpment Lookout!!

Heading west up the road and round the corner, a reasonable walking track (with some steep sections) winds up from the valley over the rocks and onto the escarpment.

It’s worth the effort for the staggering views over the Victoria River Valley, and down to the roadhouse and campground, nestled amongst the trees.

The fantastic array of wildflowers** were a pleasant surprise!

And because it’s in the valley between escarpments, the sun on the RED rock enhances the incredible view at virtually any time of the day!

3 Get close to Australia’s Wildest River!!!

If you DO try to get close to the river, don’t get TOO close – crocodiles are common in these parts. And while we didn’t see one on the Roadhouse stretch of the Victoria River, on our crocodile cruise at Timber Creek, a couple of hours west, we saw more crocodiles in a couple of hours than in the rest of both our lives put together!

The height of the old bridge compared to the new gives an indication of how much water flows through the river crossing during the wet season. The many campers who didn’t take the 5 minute stroll down onto the old bridge missed an excellent opportunity for those sunset or sunrise photos where the escarpment GLOWS!

A short drive south along a gravel road down to the river gave a different perspective. On the lookout for the crocodiles infesting the river, we weren’t expecting the buffalo*** that somehow wandered between us and our car …

4 Eat at the Roadhouse Restaurant …

… and have a real multicultural experience!

The pierced Nordic backpacker**** who rattled off her practised spiel as we checked into the excellent and scenic caravan park nestled between escarpment cliffs of the Victoria River Valley was only the first in a string of overseas tourists we encountered during our short stay.

An eclectic mix of staff representing a smattering of other European countries variously served us drinks, took our order, served our meal and cleared our table.

And the other diners weren’t all Grey Nomads on an extended happy hour, either! My shameless eavesdropping picked up at least 10 different accents from both sides of the counter in the small dining room – with Aussies way in the minority.

More fools them!!

5 Walk the Joe Creek Loop

The guidebook ‘suggests’ this walk is moderate grade, but I wasn’t so sure …  a steep, rocky track straight up the escarpment; a narrow path under a soaring cliff; gravel crumbling underfoot.

But the next day at Timber Creek, the one-legged man with crutches***** on our crocodile cruise told us he’d done it the day before and I felt like a big girl. Hardly surprising because I AM a big girl, but you know.

Difficult or no, however, this walk delivers the goods. Red rock, livistona palms, Aboriginal Art, natural amphitheatre glowing RED in the evening light. It even overshadowed the public toilet which sadly, wasn’t quite scenic enough to make the cut …

And if I can do it, and a one-legged man with crutches can do it, what’s YOUR excuse?!

This remote outpost in the Aussie Outback is the real deal. But like so many Outback places, the only way to see it is to stop and explore. Looking back, it’s hard to believe we spent less than 24 hours there – but I see at least one more 24 hour stopover in my future …

* I can’t guarantee a moonrise for YOUR visit!

** Nor can I guarantee wildflowers!

*** Wild buffalo might not appear!

**** And Nordic backpackers might not turn up for YOUR visit!

***** And I certainly can’t guarantee a one-legged man with crutches!!

Want more information?

• Victoria River Roadhouse
• Victoria River Region
• Northern Territory
• MORE Photos of the Victoria River Region on Flickr

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NEXT Post:  Scenic Public Loo #29 – The Crocodile Cruise Conveniences

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