Long Coastline, HUGE Landmass, Low Population.

Our amazing unspoiled coastline, stunning natural attractions give us a fantastic array of AMAZING Australian coastal and beach holiday destinations!

So how do you choose one?

I’ve made it easy with my two-part virtual tour – so sit back, slip on your sunnies*, sip something soothing, and get set for a stunning scenic All-Around-Australia tour of 12 coastal destinations to inspire YOUR next holiday!  And look out for Part Two coming SOON!

For more information, click each heading below!

1.  Port Fairy, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

Choosing a vacation base along the 400 km (~248 mile) long Great Ocean Road trail starting at the South Australian border and stretching nearly to Melbourne is WAY too hard.  It’s got (almost) too many surf beaches, shipwreck sites, holiday towns, hiking tracks, National Parks, cafés and historic points of interest.

But you have to start somewhere. So for a cross-section of what the Great Ocean Road has to offer, base yourself at Port Fairy.  It’s a 2-bakery teaser with historic Griffiths Island and lighthouse (photo above).  There’s also a Short-tailed Shearwater nesting spot, site of the Bonney Upwelling phenomenon, and a rich maritime heritage with magnificent coastal scenery.

Plus access to a LOT of other attractions at nearby towns Portland and Warrnambool!

2. Port Philip Bay, Victoria

Bird watchers like me just don’t understand why most visitors to Melbourne don’t want to visit the sewage ponds at the Western Treatment Plant – one of the best birding hotspots in OZ.

Weirdly, many non-birding visitors seem to prefer water sports, sailing, swimming, fishing, cruising and hiking.  Not to mention visiting the many National Parks, gardens, lighthouses, historic sites and cultural hot spots.  They’d probably agree that Melbourne exists merely as accommodation while they indulge in the amazing variety of water- and beach-based activities in, on and around Port Philip Bay.

35 times larger than Sydney Harbour and home of Australia’s biggest cargo port, finding enough things to do on your seaside holiday won’t be a problem.  If all else fails, just chill out on one of the many beaches and soak up the coastal culture!

3. South West Rocks, New South Wales

We were horrified to hear that the unspoiled fishing village of South West Rocks we’d ‘discovered’ in the 1990s was a favourite of Ray Martin, one-time Aussie TV ‘personality’.  It took a temporary dive in our estimation.

Its array of attractions include Macleay River fishing, the staggering scenery from Smoky Cape Lighthouse, hiking trails, a superb bakery, hinterland and nearby towns to explore.  There’s Trial Bay Gaol, and Hat Head, Stuarts Point and Scotts Head (all with GREAT beaches).  So it made a speedy recovery and it’s still one of our all-time favourite NSW coastal spots.

We haven’t yet spotted Ray there … but who knows?  You might get ‘lucky’!

4.  Broken Head, New South Wales

The amazing Northern Rivers region of NSW has (arguably) some of the best beaches and coastal scenery in Australia.  The coast also includes the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse on Australia’s most easterly point.

But wilder and less crowded is the little hamlet of Broken Head just a short distance south of Byron Bay with the best of both worlds.  It’s an awesome coastal holiday destination in its own right. It’s also easy to access the amazing beaches and other attractions in the whole region.

You might need more reason to visit than the magnificent stretch of rainforest-lined unspoiled beach that curves all the way round to Cape Byron.  If so, stop dodging the scrub-turkeys in the car park and dodge the surfers and fishermen instead on the coastal walk south across the Head to the beaches and wilderness beyond. Interpretive signs explain historic and cultural points of interest, and the view goes on forever …

On a good day, it’s pretty hard to beat!

5. Mon Repos, via Bundaberg, Queensland

There’s a lot more to do in the coastal town of Bundaberg than see turtles, but nearby Mon Repos Conservation Park is one of the largest turtle rookeries in Australia.  That makes it an interesting beach holiday destination.

At night during laying season (Nov to Jan), female turtles lay their eggs on the beach – and a few lucky people, supervised by the interpretive centre, are privileged to watch.

If you’re thinking I look a bit rough in this November 1998 photo, it’s because it’s about 3:00 am – the turtles don’t perform on demand!

This is an extraordinary opportunity to see something amazing – and a must-do for your coastal vacation bucket list!

If turtles aren’t your thing, a tasting trip to the Bundaberg Rum factory – it also makes a killer Ginger Beer and selection of fruit-flavoured soft drinks – might do the trick!

6.  Cooktown, Queensland

It’s quite possible that every visitor to Cooktown has a photo of the 1885 Grassy Hill Lighthouse. Not to mention the killer view along the wild and heavily-rainforested coastline.

Its colonial history includes a visit of several weeks by Captain Cook (yes, THAT one) while repairing the Endeavour.  There was also a busy port that serviced the nearby Palmer River goldfields.

Now a popular winter fishing destination, it’s also a jumping off point for one of the most iconic of Australian road-trips. Yes, you guessed right—the trek to the most northerly point in Australia, Cape York!

7.  Darwin, Northern Territory

Australia’s most northerly major city, Darwin isn’t for the fainthearted. The town was virtually destroyed by bombings during the 2^nd World War and again by Tropical Cyclone Tracey on Christmas Day, 1974. Regularly lashed by tropical storms and isolated by floods during the annual ‘Wet’ season (Nov-March), its tropical waters contain crocodiles and stingers.

Fair-weather tourists like me who venture this far north during the ‘Dry’ are rewarded with magnificent tropical scenery, milder temperatures and the most laid-back lifestyle in OZ.

If you like your coastal holidays served up with a dash of adventure – think fishing in crocodile-infested waters and or even bird watching in a crocodile infested dam – then head to the beaches of Darwin.  But give the swimming a miss!

Across the bay by ferry, holiday town Mandorah is a taste of the tropics at their best.

I don’t know if I’ll ever visit Darwin during the Wet. But its a sure thing I’ll be back there one day to experience it’s Aussie Winter 30ºC (86º F) temperatures again!

8.  Broome, Western Australia

Likely the worst photo you’ll ever see of Broome’s famous ‘Staircase to the Moon’, this shot is a wordless warning to anyone attempting low light photography.  Don’t forget those pre-requisites: a) tripod; b) shutter release cable; and c) skill!

Sceptical of its ‘uniqueness’ – it’s just the moon rising over water and mud for goodness sake, and that happens in LOTS of places – seeing the real thing’s actual resemblance to a staircase (don’t look for this in my poor pic) changed my mind.

Luckily, there’s plenty more to do in the coastal pearling town of Broome if moonlight and mudflats don’t quite do it for you.

Broome has some of the most amazing coastal scenery – and highest tides – in Australia. It’s colours are a perfect backdrop to exploring the rugged coastline and amazing beaches like world-famous Cable Beach, and other gems like often-almost-deserted Coconut Wells beach.There’s also the swirling tidal patterns of Willie Creek – also home to a pearl farm!

An interesting array of cultures makes the regular outdoor markets on ‘Staircase’ nights a must-do.  As is exploring dinosaur footprints and the lighthouse at nearby Gantheaume Point.  Broome is best enjoyed as a beach holiday destination during the milder Aussie winter (June-August).

9.  Quobba Blowholes, Western Australia

Never turn your back on an active blowhole – if you want to stay dry, that is!! By a happy coincidence, the tides were perfect for optimum blowhole performance, and some dodging and weaving around the rocks ensured we didn’t get too wet. Not that it would have mattered – the perfection of a fine, warm and sunny winter’s day on Western Australia’s Outback Coast means we would have dried out pretty quickly!

But high-pressure sea spray bursting through rockholes isn’t the only kind of blowhole on offer below the impressive Quobba lighthouse and beautiful bay – whales are also sighted along this stretch of coastline.

For a different perspective, try blowhole-spotting from the vantage point high above at the lighthouse. It’s easier than it looks as the white spray stands out perfectly against the deep, deep blue of the sea!

There’s a campground near the blowholes, but there’s also plenty of things to do at nearby Carnarvon – a coastal town known for its produce, and a well known winter holiday destination for those escaping the southern cold.

10.  Kalbarri, Western Australia

With one of the most distinctive coastlines in OZ, the layered sandstone of Kalbarri’s 100 metre high cliffs can sometimes overshadow its other main attraction – the 500+ wildflower species for which the area is renowned!

But a series of cliff top walks atop sheer drops right down into the wild and whale-ridden waters of the Indian Ocean make the high concentration of shipwrecks – such as the Batavia in 1629 – unsurprising.

If you can tear yourself away from the cliffs, the impressive Murchison River, after carving its way through the sandstone from 80 km inland, enters the sea at Kalbarri in the shadow of the magnificent Red Bluff. The Kalbarri National Park – full of birds, wildlife and wildflowers – surrounds the town. Just up the road is the World Heritage area of Shark Bay, another beach holiday destination.

But who needs other attractions when all roads lead to the stupendous cliffs?!

11.  Head of Bight, South Australia

Its pretty hard to just drop in to Head of Bight – at the very top of the Great Australian Bight stretching across much of southern Australia’s coastline.

It’s at least a couple of days drive along the Eyre Highway from the closest major town in any direction.

But if you’re driving Australia’s best known road trip across the Nullarbor from June to October, you’ll find a southern right whale nursery under the unbroken 200 km line of the fabulous Bunda cliffs that mark where the world’s largest karst limestone formation meets the Great Southern Ocean.  It’s also the longest continuous line of sea cliffs in the world.

But the whales are the main attraction, and they’re easily seen from the viewing platform below the cliffs.  They’ll make spending your vacation on that long drive across the middle of nowhere worthwhile!

12. Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

The long coastline around the Yorke Peninsula, a narrow neck of land a couple of hours from Adelaide, virtually guarantees one of the highest concentrations of amazing beaches (often deserted), spectacular natural attractions AND coastal Scenic Public Toilets in Australia!

The perfect beach holiday destination, it’s also got some great hiking trails, including ‘Walk the Yorke’ around the whole peninsula.  There are also lighthouses, shipwreck sites and great scenic drives along the rugged coast. Then there’s the dolphin and seal spotting.  AND the fishing …

Well, that’s Part One done!  Stay tuned for Part Two with another 12 of Australia’s best coastal and beach holiday destinations – and another virtual tour of the whole coastline!

The post 12 HOT Australian Coastal and Beach Holiday Destinations – Part 1 appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

For an isolated city, rebuilt twice after being bombed (WWII) destroyed by a tropical cyclone (1974); regularly washed by massive 7 metre tides and monsoonal floods; and hosting a high proportion of dangerous and deadly wildlife; Darwin’s looking mighty fine these days.

At least to a fair-weather traveller like me – my visit was during the more activity-friendly dry season, when the average daily maximum temperature is only around 30º C! But there’s no shame in taking the easy way out, is there?

Whether you’ve road-tripped from Adelaide to Darwin, taken the train, or flown in, you’ll be ready for some tropical Darwin R&R! Here’s a teaser of 10 TOP things to do in Darwin – just to get you started!

1 Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve

OK, Ok, ok. So you DON’T see the attraction of a crocodile, snake and mosquito-infested swamp? How about if I call it a wetland, teeming with wildlife?

Fogg Dam was so intriguing we visited twice. Once during the day for a walk across the dam wall, watching thousands of birds feed among the waterlilies. Climbing up into the vantage point on the dam’s far side gave an even better perspective – and the chance to cool down before returning across the wall.

And then we did the night walk. That’s when the crocs, snakes and mosquitoes made their appearance!

MORE about Fogg Dam

2 Territory Wildlife Park

I’ll always remember the Territory Wildlife Park, around 60 km south of Darwin, as the place where I caught my first barra. Barramundi, that is, and the prize craved by all true Aussie Fishermen. And women.

But if you think something’s wrong with this picture, you’re right … and you can get one just like it in exactly the same spot!

For a great day out and a chance to see the REAL creatures of the Territory in their natural (albeit well-constructed) habitats – like the Billabong, Nocturnal House and Aviaries – study the park’s schedule of activities – wild birds, croc feeding and the like – carefully. Then check the park’s bus timetables to get from venue to venue because this park is HUGE!

MORE about the Territory Wildlife Park

3 Australian Aviation Heritage Centre

I didn’t think I’d spend more than half an hour or so at the Aviation Museum – we were really only going in memory of Pilchard’s late father who’d been there a few years before and sung its praises. But 5 hours – and many intriguing facts – later, I was still going strong.

This is Australian aviation history at its best with a matching array of 19 aircraft (including one of only two B52 Bombers outside of the US); regular screenings of aviation videos; displays of historic aviation memorabilia; and information stations – I’d heard of Amelia Earhart and Amy Johnson, but who’d ever heard of Jessie Maude ‘Chubbie’ Miller? Not me!  Now THERE’S a story waiting to be told …

I went in to the musuem not caring one way or another about planes. But I came out a newly-minted aviation nerd (well … almost!).

MORE about the Darwin Aviation Museum

4 Howard Springs and Berry Springs Nature Parks

The quest for shade and a place to go swimming is hardly surprising in a city that’s hot all year round. But factoring in the Top End’s natural swimming hazards – ie nasties like Crocodiles – shrinks the number of safe swimming spots considerably.

That’s why the shallow rock pools of Howard Springs Nature Park, 35 km south of the City; and the deeper pools of the Berry Springs Nature Park, ~60 km south, are so popular, especially with the added attractions of walks and picnic facilities.

MORE about Berry Springs Nature Park and Howard Springs Nature Park

5 George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens

Although there are regular sightings of Rufous Owl in the 130 year old Darwin Botanic Gardens, we had to make do with its other attractions as the owls remained elusive during our visit.

Luckily, there’s a lot more to see in this well-planned and varied 42 hectare park stretching from the sea to a small escarpment, one of the few in the world with naturally occurring marine and estuarine plants.

A network of walking trails winds through habitats like Rainforest Gully, the Baobab Collection, the exotic flora of the Plant Display House, a former church, and a boardwalk through the Mangroves.

But for MY money, don’t miss the Desert Rose display! Awesome!!

MORE about the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens

6 Aquascene and Doctor’s Gully

Spotting AND hand-feeding a frenzy of local fish (yes, that’s a new collective noun) in historic Doctor’s Gully at high tide is a sure thing. A tradition of hand-feeding for over 60 years old (Woo Hoo! WAAAY older than me!) means the fish continue turn up in ever increasing numbers – AND numbers of species – to forage for bread.

It’s not that hard with multiple tourists lining the shores at high tide. The fish ALMOST overshadow the sensational views across the harbour!

Doctor’s Gully, the site of Peel’s Well – Darwin’s first fresh water supply – and Chinese market gardens, is worth exploring too. And if you’re a sucker for kitsch like me, you’ll grab an Aquascene pen with a travelling fish inside it on the way out!

MORE about Aquascene

7 Mindil Beach Sunset Markets

As much a community event as a market, groups of picnicking locals set up their tables and chairs on the beach, eating, drinking and watching the the sun sink into the gulf.

The markets were in full swing behind me as I watched Pearl Lugger turned cruise boat cross the setting sun – the only object visible on the water. After the free presentation at the caravan park I’d thought a swim at the beach was one of the Darwin things to do.

But despite the warm evening no one was actually in the water.

‘Does anyone go swimming here?’ I asked, like the naïve tourist I was. ‘Nah, love. Too many crocs,’ came the reply. ‘And it’s too cold,’ another local commented.

Well, that left me with only one course of action to take. A shopping frenzy from the market stalls followed by a total pig-out at the food stalls. The swim could wait for another time! And place

MORE about Darwin’s Markets

8 Jumping Crocodiles

Our Jumping Crocodile Cruise wasn’t just memorable for the crocs. 75 minutes drive east of Darwin and we had a few minutes to kill while waiting for our Adelaide River cruise boat. What better way to pass the time than to check out our fellow passengers??

Sadly, little guidance exists for those unsure about what to wear to a crocodile viewing – we’d chosen the safe option of shorts and T-shirts. Not so the young woman in an outfit that combined the best (or worst) of Heidi and Morticia Addams! Even more sadly, I failed to capture it on film.

But even these dubious charms weren’t enough to distract us once the crocodiles started jumping!

Experience a prehistoric predator much closer to Darwin – try the Cage of Death at Crocosaurus Cove or hold a croc at Crocodylus Park and Zoo!

MORE about our Jumping Crocodiles adventure (and Heidi/Morticia)

9 Litchfield National Park

Not everyone visits the magnificent tropical Litchfield National Park for the termite mounds. Some people actually travel the 112 km south of Darwin to experience the wonderful array of waterfalls, inviting selection of swimming holes and network of short walks to most of the major attractions.

But I’ll bet everyone’s got a photo like THIS!

MORE about Litchfield National Park

10 Mandorah

On our last day in Darwin, we tossed up between a Harbour Cruise or a 15 minute ferry ride across the harbour to Mandorah. I’m sure I would have been happy with the harbour cruise, but boy, am I glad we chose magnificent Mandorah!

Lunch at the Mandorah pub was all Barramundi Burgers, refreshing cider and Bob Marley in the background. If we’d ordered up our own vision of tropical paradise, it wouldn’t have been much different to this!

MORE about Mandorah

There’s a lot more things to do in Darwin than this teaser TOP Ten!

If you’ve got the time (and energy!) try the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory for the chilling Cyclone Tracy simulation; East Point Military Museum for insight into the bombing of Darwin in WWII; and a short drive south to the Adelaide River War Memorial.

Enjoy the water by hanging out at the Waterfront or the Wave Pool, or take a Harbour Cruise for harbour highlights or a Sunset cruise for drinks – or romance. And for a REAL taste of the Territory, be in Darwin for the annual Beer Can Regatta – 12^th July in 2015!

Then there’s the festivals … but wait! You’ll have to discover it all for yourself!!  These best flights will get you there!

* Pics by Pilchard

Want MORE?

• Darwin
• Top End
• Northern Territory

The post 10 TOP Things to Do in Darwin, Top End appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Does it REALLY take 7 days to drive the ~3000 km from Adelaide to Darwin?

Only if you want to see a few sights along the way on a REAL adventure! Driving yourself is the best option (try Car hire if your vehicle isn’t up to scratch) to experience a cross-section of Australia’s unique countryside from the dry south, through the Red Centre deserts to the lush tropical north!

AND come to terms with the vast distances that road-tripping in Australia demands!

So follow my rough guide from Adelaide to Darwin via Uluru – with LOADS of optional extras! BUT … be warned! It might just mean your epic trek takes a few extra days!!

Day 1: Adelaide to Woomera

Distance: 487 km

Driving Time: 5½ – 6 hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Varied. After leaving Adelaide, drive through the scenic Clare Valley wine region; then along the edge of the Flinders Ranges to Pt Augusta. At this point, you’re still on the Adelaide Geosyncline (yes, I’m showing off!)(Dad, are you reading this??) landform.

It’s all Outback from Pt Augusta, and the drive along the Stuart Shelf, an extension of the Adelaide Geosyncline, is unremarkable but for some unexpectedly spectacular land formations.

Points of Interest:

• Salt Lakes and Claypans, including Pernatty Lagoon and Lake Windabout
• Island Lagoon Lookout (above) and Nurrungar – now closed, this joint US/OZ facility was the site of several protests, most notably by current Senator Peter Garrett, one-time front man for Aussie rock band Midnight Oil
• Woomera Heritage Centre & Missile Park within the western world’s largest land-based missile and rocket range

Enter the Woomera Prohibited Area (well … it gave ME a thrill!) 7 km off the highway from Pimba. The outdoor missile park’s unusual collection of relics from rocket range days is all the more bizarre for its location.

The Heritage Centre’s excellent displays show the fascinating heritage of this little town on the edge of nowhere that has variously included the Rocket Range, NASA Deep Space Tracking Station and a controversial Asylum Seeker detention centre.

READ: More about Woomera

Options:

• Spend an extra day exploring Woomera and nearby Roxby Downs, built in 1988 to support Olympic Dam – Australia’s largest underground silver and copper mine
• Combine Days 1 & 2 (be warned – that’s a LONG day) and save Woomera for another visit

Day 2: Woomera to Coober Pedy

Distance: 365 km

Driving Time: 4 hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Central Tablelands, with mesas, low hills and salt lakes before reaching the Stuart Range near Coober Pedy, where the landscape is dominated by mullock heaps.

Points of Interest:

• Lake Hart – either a saltpan so white it’ll hurt your eyes; or an oasis in the outback full of water!
• Glendambo Roadhouse complex and service centre – only place for fuel and food this leg of the trip
• Coober Pedy Mullock Heaps; Underground buildings and accommodation; and opal!

While passing Glendambo, spare a thought for Pilchard & I as we inched towards Glendambo after car trouble struck heading south just over half way from Coober Pedy in 2004.

The most compelling argument I can think of for a) carrying water and b) having paid up Road Assistance membership, with a blown head-gasket, the car was, as the mechanic put it in technical terms, ‘stuffed’.

Although he used a different word.

Road Assist paid for a) a motel unit; b) bus fares to Adelaide; c) trucking the car to Adelaide for repair; and d) general expenses. I still shudder to think how much we’d have been out of pocket – so DON’T leave home without it!

Staying in Coober Pedy’s underground accommodation isn’t for the claustrophobic – but IS something to experience at least once!  It’s even got the world’s only underground campground (or so I’ve been told). And looking for Opal, either in the tourist ‘noodling’ area OR ‘finding’ it at the nearest opal showroom can be very rewarding!!

Options: Stay another night and tour the nearby Breakaways and Painted Desert; the underground churches; and a working opal mine. Then take a round of golf at the Coober Pedy Golf Course. It DOES offer reciprocal rights to world famous St Andrews in Scotland after all!!

READ: More about Coober Pedy

Day 3: Coober Pedy to Uluru

Distance: 750 km

Driving Time: 8 – 8½ hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Varied. Once past the mullock heaps, red sandy soil and vegetation cover low hills, then the Indulkana range past Marla. Across the border, granite outcrops before entering the Amadeus basin, a former seabed.

Points of Interest:

• The Dog Fence – longest man-made structure in the world!
• Cadney Park and Marla Roadhouses
• South Australia/Northern Territory Border
• Sturt’s Desert Peas, depending on time of year
• Kulgera Roadhouse
• Erldunda Roadhouse – a giant, caged echidna near the car park was once a prop for Expo
• Mt Connor, sometimes mistaken for Uluru
• Uluru and Kata Tjuta

Start early for a long day because – trust me on this – you DON’T want to drive at night! There’ll be enough opportunities to hit stray wildlife during the day, when at least you can (mostly) see it coming!

Turn off to Uluru at the Erldunda Roadhouse. Mt Connor, at Curtin Springs station, is often mistaken for Uluru and is a tourist attraction in its own right. But there’s no mistaking the vast bulk of the world’s biggest monolith as it glows in the setting sun.

READ: More about Uluru and Central Australia

Options:

• Stay an extra night to explore Uluru and Kata Tjuta more thoroughly.
• Alternatively, take a detour to the remarkable Kings Canyon, and relive one of the more memorable scenes from cult Australian movie ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’!

Day 4: Uluru to Alice Springs

Distance: 465 km

Driving Time: 5 – 5½ hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Central Desert and ranges.

Points of Interest:

• Uluru and Kata Tjuta
• Henbury Meterorite Craters
• Rainbow Valley (detour)

Spend the morning exploring the amazing Uluru and Kata Tjuta formations before returning to Erldunda and heading north to the Stuarts Well Roadhouse for a bizarre, uniquely Australian experience!

Doesn’t EVERYONE want to see a singing, piano playing Dingo? STOP PRESS:  Tragically, Dinky has now retired.

But this means extra time to take the short detour to Rainbow Valley, right?!  Check road conditions at the Stuarts Well Roadhouse – the turnoff is 14 km north; then it’s another 23 km along a dirt road to Rainbow Valley.

READ: More about Stuarts Well; More about Rainbow Valley; More about Alice Springs

Options:

• Stay overnight at the Rainbow Valley campground!
• Factor in extra time to explore Alice Springs – it’ll take a LOT more than an overnight stay to see the sights!

Day 5: Alice Springs to Tennant Creek

Scenery: Spectacular ranges around Alice Springs, which flatten out into the grassy plains and rocky outcrops of the Barkly Tablelands.

Points of Interest:

• Alice Springs
• Aileron Roadhouse
• Wycliffe Well Roadhouse complex, once proclaimed Australia’s UFO capital
• Wauchope Hotel
• Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles)

Wycliffe Well Roadhouse’s unusual murals, strange otherworldly figurines and Elvis campsite are worth a look. Just up the road past the Wauchope Hotel are the Devils Marbles. While they’re at their best at sunrise or sunset, they’re worth stopping for any time!

Then it’s another hour or so up the road to gold mining town Tennant Creek.

READ: More about Wycliffe Well; More about Devils Marbles; More about Tennant Creek

Options:

• Stay overnight at Wycliffe Well, Wauchope or the Devils Marbles campground for sunset/sunrise shots of the Devils Marbles. Tennant Creek is 106 km north.

Day 6: Tennant Creek to Katherine

Distance: 673 km

Driving Time: 7 – 7½ hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Barkly Tablelands grasslands and cattle station country continue to Newcastle Waters. Tropical vegetation hides many relics from World War II, before the lush tropics of Mataranka and its thermal pools.

Points of Interest:

• Kunjarra (The Pebbles), a smaller version of the Devils Marbles
• Cattle Stations, Roadhouses and small towns including Banka Banka, Renner Springs, Elliott, Dunmarra, Larrimah
• Daly Waters Pub – a popular traveller stopover with meals and entertainment
• World War 2 Memorabilia and outposts
• Mataranka and Bitter Springs Thermal Pools – once part of Elsey Station, where the events of Mrs Aeneas Gunn’s classic Australian memoir ‘We of the Never Never’ took place.

Busy Katherine, on the edge of Nitmiluk National Park (also known as Katherine Gorge), is a crossroads and stocking-up point for travellers heading west to Kununurra or east to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The thermal pools just out of town are a popular gathering point at the end of a long day on the road.

 

READ: More about Katherine

Options: Stay 100 km south of Katherine at Bitter Springs, and soak in its famous thermal pools. Who could resist seeing the world’s biggest man-made termite mound in Mataranka’s main street? It even TALKS!

Day 7: Katherine to Darwin

Distance: 316 km

Driving Time: 3½ – 4 hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Tropical

Points of Interest:

• Cutta Cutta Caves
• Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge)
• Historic Pine Creek
• Adelaide River’s Historic Railway and War Cemetery
• Batchelor – Gateway to Litchfield National Park

Take a morning tour to Katherine Gorge or nearby Cutta Cutta Caves before completing the drive to Darwin. Although there’s lots to tempt the inquisitive along the way!

READ: More about Darwin & the Top End

Options:

• Stay an extra day to explore the Katherine Region more thoroughly, including the Gorge, and the marvellous Edith Falls just north of Katherine, for swimming and bushwalking.
• Take the scenic route through Kakadu National Park to, with its distinctive landmarks, walks, tours and scenic attractions to Jabiru, then via Mary River and Humpty Doo to Darwin.
• Stay an extra day in Batchelor and explore the natural wonders of Litchfield National Park!

Darwin is an adventure in itself so you might want to consider an open-ended car rental arrangement.  But of course it all depends on how much time you’ve got.

It’d be easy to spend a further week exploring this Top End wonderland – check out my TOP 10 Things to Do in Darwin HERE!

But if Darwin’s the end of the line, all you’ve got to do is fly or drive somewhere else!

Like continuing your road trip – try my 7 Days from Darwin to Broome itinerary!

The post 7 Days … from Adelaide to Darwin! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve#

The muggy tropical night enclosed me in its warm fist, immediately bonding the long-sleeved light shirt I wore to my sweaty glowing skin. A squadron of mosquitoes lined me up and zoomed in for the kill – until they reached the tropical strength DEET forcefield surrounding me and fell back, choking on the blood they’d sucked from other, less wary souls.

Fogg Dam Waterlilies – by day!#

Black-necked Stork, Fogg Dam, Northern Territory#

Black-necked Stork – close up!#

And however bright and hot, a day time visit was successful from my perspective too. If there WAS anything lethal lurking under the lilies, at least I could see it coming. Just whose crazy idea was this park ranger-guided night time tour, anyway?!

Magpie Geese and White-necked Heron, Fogg Dam#

Water lilies, Fogg Dam, Northern Territory#

• Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve
• Darwin
• Northern Territory
• More of my Random Adventures!

The post Random Adventure #5 – Fogg Dam, via Darwin, Northern Territory appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Yes, we’d crossed the portal into a parallel universe. But at least it was Tropical-Paradise-Cliché universe! Balmy breezes wafted through the open walls of the pub where we kicked back, drinks in hand, admiring the endless white sands, tropical palms, blue water and skies. Bob Marley played in the background. ‘Best in the world’ (albeit self-nominated) barra* and chips** on the way.

So what was wrong with this picture? Well, nothing – as a point-in-time snapshot, BUT …

1. We weren’t staying in the nearby accomodation
   2. We’d miss the evening entertainment
   3. In a couple of hours we’d be on the ferry back to Darwin, SO …
   4. we only had time for one more drink!!

And if that wasn’t enough to throw us into a raging depression, the next morning our June 08 Top End odyssey was over as we began the long drive south.

Yep, it was literally all downhill from here.

Apart from that, OK!! Actually, MORE than OK as the barra & chips arrived and we put our troubles aside to treat this great meal with the respect it deserved. Either that, or the Bob Marley had blissed us into a trance … or maybe it was the drinks

As we cursed the lack of foresight that stopped us staying for at least ONE night at lovely Mandorah across the harbour from Darwin, we vowed to one day stay a little longer in this idyllic spot.

It’s a 130km drive from Darwin to Mandorah – at the time apparently on roads the polite would describe as ‘indifferent’. But it was all hearsay to us – we took the easy option! For a modest levy of around $25 per adult return, the 7km, 20 minute SeaLink ferry ride from Cullen Bay Marina Ferry Terminal across the harbour is your portal to paradise! That’s if you can ignore the perils lurking beneath the water’s sparkling blue innocence – signs at various strategic points around the harbour warn of crocodiles, sharks, stingers and stingrays. And you don’t see any of the locals taking a dip …

From the wharf or pub, there’s no sign of the Wagait Beach suburb where a few hundred locals live – while it’s close by, we were too busy with our barra and chips to take the walk.  There IS a sign of what some locals do, however, with jetty fishing and boat launching aplenty visible from our vantage point.

Back down the Cox peninsula road are World War II sites, creeks, more beaches and wetlands – but taking the easy ferry option, as we did, means they’re out of reach for a day trip with no transport.  BUT … put all the parts of Mandorah together and they make a perfect recipe for an idyllic few days!!

So one day we’ll head off the tourist trail once more to fully explore the delights of Mandorah. But just like famous OZ poet AB ‘Banjo’ Paterson and his vision of Clancy***, the visions of that paradise sustain me through times of trouble and despair, while the promise of travels to come keeps me sane …

* Barra = Barramundi, tropical fish extraordinaire, and ultimate aim of most northern OZ fishing adventures!

** Chips, NOT fries!!

*** Non-Australians may well require a translation to fully appreciate the nuances of this OZ gem!

Want MORE?

• Mandorah
• More things to do in Darwin
• Road Trip from Adelaide to Darwin
• More of Red’s Northern Territory Adventures

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