Margaret River - Untamed Beauty

Details

Category: Destination - Western Australia

Margaret River WA was originally a chilled out surfie town, but has evolved into a delightful smorgasbord of premium wine, fine restaurants and food, dazzling beaches, spectacular forests and scenery – just a three hour drive south of Perth.

Blessed with a perfect Mediterranean maritime climate, the four seasons are gently defined in this relaxed and soulful corner of the country.

It is a region for all seasons, whether it is autumn dawn walks in wooded valleys veiled in mist; cosy winter nights spent with good friends and a great local wine around a roaring fire; spring picnics amid towering karri forest ablaze with wildflowers; or warm summer days lazing on a secluded beach by a sparkling sea.

The region offers a fine supply of world-class wineries, boutique breweries, and restaurants overlooking sweeping vineyards and surf breaks. While the region’s 60 plus wineries produce less than one per cent of Australian wine, they are responsible for over 15 per cent of the country's premium wine.

Active visitors are able to go rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing, whale watching, or even throw in a line and try their luck catching some local snapper or simply be enthralled watching the locals take on awe-inspiring breakers at world-class surf break, Surfers Point.

UNTAMED BEAUTY

From the tranquil waters of Geographe Bay in the north, down the ancient cave-carved Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, through the picturesque vineyards and karri forest of the heartland, to the desolate beauty of Cape Leeuwin in the south, this is a place of splendid natural contrasts.

Explore networks of underground caves, a rugged coastline, squeaky-clean sandy beaches, turquoise water, towering forests and bush and coastal walk trails.

The wild, rugged beauty of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge with its dramatic cliffs and rocks, the tranquil aqua waters of the many protected bays, the local vineyards covered in rising mist in the early morning all contribute to outstanding visual splendour. It’s a photographer’s dream.

The intrepid traveller can journey along the Cape to Cape Track, stretching from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste. The total journey takes up to 6 days. However, many sections of the trail make for a most enjoyable short stroll or day walk.

Large stingrays grace the waters of Hamelin Bay. There are schools of dolphins, the occasional seal, and on land kangaroos, possums and bird life aplenty. The Blackwood and Margaret Rivers' meandering waterways are visited by pelicans, hundreds of black swans, red necked stints, egrets while onshore blue wrens, silvereyes, magpies and a number of species of cockatoos.

Out at the Leeuwin Cape and along the spectacular beaches view a variety of seabirds including the Yellow nosed Albatross, Great winged Petrel, the Australasian Gannet and the Flesh-footed Shearwater, to name just a few. The Blackwood and Margaret Rivers also offer abundant water activities, ranging from canoeing to fishing and boating. The Blackwood is also becoming internationally renowned for its favourable kitesurfing conditions.

In Spring the countryside comes alive with a huge variety of Australian wildflowers which lay a carpet of mesmerising colours through the forests and coastal heath. It’s wonderful for those who like to walk and explore.

BEACHES
The serene aqua water of Hamelin Bay provides the perfect ambiance for relaxing in the sun, beach combing, swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving out on the shipwrecks. This bay is often graced with the presence of stingrays which can be hand fed.

FISHING
The area is a fisherman’s paradise. Fishing from a boat, the jetty or the riverbank may yield Bream, Herring and Yellow Fin Whiting. Blue Manor crabs are found in season and beach fishing all along the coast is extensive and worth the exploration and effort.

Barossa Valley - Wine and Food Country

Details

Category: Destination - South Australia

The Barossa Valley is renowned as one of the world's finest wine producing regions with a rich culinary heritage.

Home to more than 100 wineries (over 70 with cellar doors open to the public), the Barossa is a vibrant community with a rich 160-year old cultural and architectural heritage and the oldest continuous food culture in Australia.

If you really want to get a feel for the Barossa, check out the Barossa's amazing youtube clip. Tip: the secret ingredient is dirt!

There's nothing else like it in the world, where a rich European heritage lives on, combined with down to earth Aussie spirit.

The Barossa is one of the world's great wine regions; revered alongside Bordeaux, Napa and Tuscany. With consistently outstanding vintages over the past 160 years, six generations of grape growers and winemakers have established the Barossa as Australia's leader in crafting wines of great distinction. While the reputation of Barossa wines has strong international appeal, the region's food exhibits the same integrity, quality, diversity and heritage.

There are memorable meals to be had throughout the Barossa, whether it's a visit to a winery, farm shop or fine restaurant. Or simply visit artisan butchers and bakers, award winning cheese makers and micro brewers and cafes - an entire world of gastronomic delights awaits in this picturesque region of villages, rolling hills, stone churches and vineyards.

Barossa Farmers Market - Every Saturday morning, many locals including some of the Barossa's outstanding characters, chefs, foodies and winemakers, turn out to source the very best from the producers of the Farmers Market. The slow food philosophy thrives in the Barossa, showcased by a year long calendar of festivals, celebrations and events.

Heritage - The Barossa has several trails which link many of the key heritage sites throughout the region. They take visitors on a journey through the back roads of the region, past many white painted storybook churches, whose spires mark the spiritual centres of this still deeply religious community, and past many humble slab-sided barns and pug cottages, steep roofed farmhouses and houses built from locally quarried blue, iron and sandstone.

Explore - The Barossa's outstanding and authentic food and wine experiences are easily accessible, and there is a wide range of activities to complement the experience and fill a stay of several days. Enjoy hot air ballooning over vineyards, bushwalking or a relaxed stroll through one of the many charming country towns to browse through art galleries, antique shops and boutiques. Nowhere else in Australia can you experience this delightful and enriching combination.

Daylesford - Natural Springs and Vineyards

Details

Category: Destination - Victoria

Known for its mineral springs and abundance of health and wellbeing centres and spas, Daylesford, Victoria  is a place of breathtaking scenery, with a strong regional food and wine culture, a myriad of historical wonders, natural mineral springs and a number of spa retreats and holistic health services.

The rolling hills and farmland of Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges are home to the greatest concentration of naturally occurring mineral springs in Australia. The Daylesford and Hepburn Springs area is noted as a centre for relaxation, health, wellbeing and of course pampering.

Indulge for an hour, a day or an entire weekend. Impressive mansions, striking landscapes and some of Victoria's finest gardens combine to create the old world ambience. There are also outstanding galleries, antique shops and fine restaurants.

Tour Mount Macedon's heritage gardens, explore the 19th century streetscapes of Woodend and Kyneton, or visit the legendary Hanging Rock, the haunting backdrop to The Picnic at Hanging Rock book and film. What’s more, this is a cool-climate region known for producing outstanding sparkling wine, pinot noir and chardonnay. There’s also an abundance of local produce, from tasty meats to wild mushrooms, crisp apples and succulent berries.

Spa country - The township of Daylesford is located within a region that contains Australia and the Southern Hemisphere's largest concentration of natural mineral springs.  This is the heart of spa country, and the perfect destination for relaxation and rejuvenation.

While Daylesford's initial growth was due to thousands of workers looking for gold, the town is much more famous for the bubbling mineral waters which flow from its many springs. Coupled with its beautiful mountain scenery, forests, gardens and lakes, Daylesford and neighbouring Hepburn Springs there is a thriving industry built around physical and spiritual wellness including spa treatments, massages and acupuncture.

Fresh and local - So important are fresh local ingredients to the region's eateries that many highlight them on their menus, with award-winning chefs making best use of the season's bounty in some of Victoria's best restaurants. Within the region, guests may indulge in the full gamut of dining experience – from fine dining at the region’s flagship restaurant at Lake House, to congenial gastropubs, rustic trattorias, vineyard eateries and funky cafés.

Macedon wines - The Macedon Ranges claims the coolest grape-growing climate of any wine region on the mainland, with more than 40 vineyards located between 350m and 700m above sea level. Fertile high country soils, deep chill in the winter months, and guaranteed sunshine in summer are the primary ingredients for producing some of the nation’s best table wines.

The region is renowned for its sparkling wine, with the ranges' high altitude and cool climate providing perfect conditions for the production of the variety. Most of the local wineries boast their own label of 'Macedon', a term used for their sparkling wines made to an agreed style using only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes grown in the Macedon Ranges. Well-regarded wineries include Bindi, Hanging Rock, Curly Flat, Granite Hills and Cope-Williams.

The commercial centre of Daylesford features a generous collection of historic buildings including the post office (built in 1867), town hall (1882), and several hotels and shops.  Many of Daylesford's streets are lined with deciduous trees that erupt into a blaze of colour during the autumn season.

Lake Daylesford - The lake covers land upon which gold was first discovered, was created in 1929 and is located in the beautiful Central Springs Reserve, just a few minutes walk south of the town centre. There is a cafe built right beside the lake, picnic spots, walking tracks and several mineral springs. Jetties are provided for fishing and for those wishing to hire rowboats or other pleasure craft.

A short walk east of the town centre is the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens which were first established in 1863. They are situated on an extinct volcano and offer good views over the surrounding countryside from its manicured lawns and pathways.

Jubilee Lake is located a couple of kilometres south of Daylesford, constructed in 1860 as a water supply. These days it is a scenic spot idea for fishing, boating and swimming, just a short walk from a mineral spring. A few kilometres further south is Sailor's Falls - a 30 metre cascade of water into a deep gorge, surrounded by a reserve.

The Kimberley - Wild and Wonderful

Details

Category: Destination - Western Australia

The Kimberley is one of Australia's hidden treasures with an immense and complex landscape that encompasses spectacular gorges, waterfalls and cave systems, pockets of lush rainforest and an astonishing variety of wildlife. Wild and wonderful, the Kimberley is one of the world's last great wilderness areas.

The Kimberley is home to only 40,000 people meaning that there are fewer people per kilometre than almost any other place on the planet.

Located north of the Tropic of Capricorn, the climate in the Kimberley is a tropical monsoon climate, defined by a distinct wet season and dry season. This climate is typical not only in Western Australia, but across all of Australia's North.

The Kimberley dry season is characterised by clear blue skies, easterly winds and balmy days with some chilly nights. The weather is very stable, and outdoor activities and events can be planned years in advance. The chance of rain is very unlikely. Every day is so beautifully perfect.

The Kimberley wet season however, is a different story. During the wet season, the Kimberley becomes hot and humid, sometimes violent, and above all unpredictable.

The remote Kimberley region of north Western Australia was one of the earliest settled parts of Australia, with the first arrivals landing about 40,000 years ago from the islands of what is now Indonesia.

The Kimberley region is home to hundreds of thousands of rock art paintings and drawings known as Bradshaw or Wandjina rock art. These beautiful and mysterious paintings are hidden in outback bush galleries on the huge escarpments and terracotta rock surfaces of the north Kimberley.

The first European to explore the region was Alexander Forrest in 1879. Forrest was the first European man to discover and name the Kimberley district, the Margaret and Ord Rivers, the King Leopold Ranges, and the fertile area between the Fitzroy and Ord Rivers. He subsequently set himself up as a land agent specialising in the Kimberleys and was thus instrumental in the leasing of over 51 million acres in the region during 1883.

The Durack family sought Forrest's advice and went on to establish the Lissadell, Argyle, Rosewood and Ivanhoe cattle stations in the Kimberleys. It was at the Ivanhoe Station, to the north of Kununurra, that Kimberley Durack first began experimenting with the possibility of growing cash crops on the rich black alluvial soils of the Ord River valley. This was to later grow into the Ord River Scheme.

European settlement expanded during the late 19th century, when cattle were driven across Australia from the eastern states in search of good pasture lands. Many other Europeans arrived soon after, when gold was discovered around Halls Creek and pearls were harvested at Broome.

Sydney Surrounds - Seaside Villages and Local Culture

Details

Category: Destination - New South Wales

The NSW Bouddi Peninsula is surrounded by the meeting of five iconic waterways, just a stone’s throw from Sydney’s CBD where pristine sandy beaches and sparkling bays meet the native wilderness of The Bouddi National Park.

The NSW Bouddi Peninsula is part of the Sydney Basin. It extends south from McMasters Beach to Box Head at the entrance to Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River. Bouddi National Park covers more than half the area.

The remaining area is settlement: McMasters Beach, Killcare, Hardys Bay, Pretty Beach and Wagstaffe.

These iconic seaside villages hark back to simpler times and display a strong sense of local history and community. Expect local fishing boats, pelicans perched on wharves, ducks crossing the road, seaside cafés, art galleries and local craft.

The local landscape creates beauty and awe. The topography of the area is mainly due to water erosion and changes in sea level. During the last ice age, 18,000 to 6,000 years ago, the sea level was 140 metres lower. The coastline was 20 kilometers further east and the Hawkesbury River and Brisbane Waters were dry valleys. With the melting of the ice caps at the end of the Ice Age, the sea level rose. The coastline receded to where it is today and the Hawkesbury River and Brisbane Waters became drowned river valleys. Melting of the remaining ice caps would cause a rise in sea level of 70 metres.

The massive Hawkesbury sandstone dominates the higher levels as platform-like escarpments, where the exposed edges of the formation form vertical cliffs and overhangs.

The Bouddi National Park

Small secluded beaches, fringed by rainforests, sandstone cliffs and coastal heaths blanketed in wildflower colours, make Bouddi National Park one of the most diverse and delightful reserves within the greater Sydney area.

Explore the spectacular Bouddi Coastal Walk, view the remains of the wreck of the PS Maitland at Maitland Bay or simply relax and enjoy the pristine beaches and stunning scenery.

At the heart of the reserve is the Bouddi National Park Marine Extension located between Gerrin Point and Bombi Point. This unique 300ha reserve is one of the earliest Marine Protected Areas in Australia, protecting a diversity of marine habitats and species.

ABORIGINAL HERITAGE

The word Bouddi is the local Aboriginal name for the eastern headland of Maitland Bay and has become synonymous with the national park and the surrounding area. It has various meanings in local Aboriginal languages, and is thought to mean 'a heart' or 'water breaking over rocks'.

A number of Aboriginal place names are still in use today including Bombi Point, Gerrin Point, Kourung Gourong Point and Mourawaring Point.

The Bouddi Peninsula is a special landscape - around 100 Aboriginal sites have been recorded in the park and nearby areas and many more sites are likely to exist. Sites include rock engravings, grinding grooves, rock shelters with art (drawings and paintings), middens and other archeological deposits.

Aboriginal sites provide a valuable insight into Aboriginal traditions, lifestyles and interaction with the environment and are an important part of today's Aboriginal culture.

Ningaloo Reef - Turtles, Whales, and Deep History

Details

Category: Destination - Western Australia

Ningaloo Reef on Western Australia's mid north coast, has gained an impressive reputation as one of Earth's last ocean paradises. It's one of the largest fringing reefs in the world and unlike many others, is accessed just by stepping off the beach.

Swim with Whale Sharks, snorkel and dive the reefs, or just wander along the shoreline exploring the crystal clear waters for an appreciation and close up view of the aquatic world and nature at its premium.

Ningaloo Reef comprises 200 species of hard corals and 50 species of soft corals with over 520 species of fish. The reefs close proximity to the shoreline means it is easily accessible, being a diver's and snorkeller's paradise. The Ningaloo Reef is famous for Whale Sharks, Mantarays, Humpback whales, Dugongs, Turtles, Potato Cod and hundreds of other different fish species.

The Ningaloo marine park stretches 260 kilometres from Bundegi Reef near the town of Exmouth to Amherst Point near Coral Bay in the south. It reaches nearly 20 kilometres seaward, encompassing a massive 5,000 square kilometres of ocean.

Whale Sharks – The world’s biggest species of fish feed on the reef from March to June, following the mass spawning of coral in the Ningaloo Marine Park, after slowly passing through the tropical waters of the oceans.

The reef is also rich in coral and other marine life. During the winter months, the reef is part of the migratory routes for dolphins, dugongs, manta rays and humpback whales. The beaches of the reef are an important breeding ground of the loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles. They also depend on the reef for nesting and food.

Humpback whales visit the Ningaloo Reef between June to November each year migrating twice annually through the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park into the Exmouth Gulf. The first visit occurs in autumn during their northern migration, and they return in their southern migration each spring. Female Humpback Whales give birth in the deeper offshore waters where whales and their calves then spend their time frolicking in the calm Exmouth Gulf waters. Blue and sperm whales have been observed in the offshore regions of the reserve as have minke, Bryde's, southern right and killer whales. Dolphins are also relatively common in the reserve.

In 2006, researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science discovered in the marine park’s deeper waters gardens of sponges that are thought to be species completely new to science.

Rare turtle species hatch here in late January and February. Watch this amazing natural phenomenon on special guided, eco-interactive trails.

With the continental shelf only kilometres offshore, fishing and the Ningaloo Reef go hand in hand. There are many opportunities for beach, reef and game fishing in the diverse environment of Ningaloo. Sanctuary zones are special conservation zones where fishing is strictly prohibited but there are many other areas in the Marine Park where the fishing is superb.

Land based fishing is a popular recreational pastime as there are many different species to be caught. Beach fishing often produces surprising reef species while fishing in Exmouth Gulf turns up a variety of estuarine species. Mud crabbing and squid fishing are also popular activities. Enquire locally about what’s on the bite!

The reef protects a lagoon that is on average only 2-4 metres deep and is rich in marine life. There are limitless snorkel sites along the Ningaloo coastline and a variety of ways to access them. Experience the Ningaloo Reef from a dive boat, catamaran, coral viewing boat, sea kayak, from the air on a scenic flight, or by snorkelling from the beach. Slip on a snorkel or diving gear and swim with graceful manta rays, see dolphins and schools of brightly coloured fish in the clearest turquoise water imaginable.

And off the water, go four wheel driving to Cape Range National Park to see amazing red rock canyons and gorges.There has been a long association between Aboriginal people and the Ningaloo region. Materials found in rock shelters, shell middens and caves on the Cape Range Peninsula indicate that Aboriginal people have lived on the Ningaloo coast for over 30,000 years.