The Great Barrier Reef

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Category: Destination - Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef is a world heritage listed, natural inspiration. One of Australia's most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the world's largest coral reef.

The reef which stretches over 3000km, is between 15 kilometres and 150 kilometres off shore and around 65 Km wide in some parts, is a gathering of brilliant, vivid coral providing divers with the most spectacular underwater experience imaginable.

The reef contains an abundance of marine life and comprises of over 3000 individual reef systems, 300 coral cays and picturesque tropical islands with some of the worlds most beautiful sun-soaked, golden beaches.

The reef is home to the world's largest collection of corals (in fact, more than 400 different kinds of coral), coral sponges, molluscs, rays, dolphins, over 1500 species of tropical fish, more than 200 types of birds, around 20 types of reptiles including sea turtles and giant clams over 120 years old.

The Great Barrier Reef is a breeding area for humpback whales, migrating from the Antarctic and is also the habitat of a few endangered species including the Dugong (Sea Cow) and large Green Sea Turtle. In recognition of its significance, UNESCO listed the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and pulling away from it, and viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space.

The Daintree - Ancient Rainforest Ecosystem

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Category: Destination - Queensland

At around 2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi), The Daintree is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent. Along the coastline north of the Daintree River, tropical rainforest grows right down to the edge of the sea.

The rainforest area, named after Richard Daintree, is loosely defined as the area between the Mossman Gorge and the Bloomfield River. It contains 30% of the frog, reptile and marsupial species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species. 18% of bird species in the country can be found in this area. There are also over 12,000 species of insects. All of this diversity is contained within an area that takes up 0.1% of the landmass of Australia.

Part of the forest is protected by the Daintree National Park and drained by the Daintree River. The roads north of the river wind through areas of lush forest, and have been designed to minimize impacts on this ancient ecosystem.

The World Heritage listed Daintree National Park is home to one of the oldest living rainforests on the planet, and originated on the super continent Gondwana approximately 260 million years ago.

The diverse landscape of the Daintree region comprises a great variety of vegetation including complex mangroves, coastal heather on sand, widespread Eucalypt woodlands and the most luxuriant tropical rainforest in Australia.

Today the Daintree contains plant life representing some of the earliest land plants such as ancient cycads and conifers from the Jurassic period.  It also contains primitive angiosperms which are the flowering plant families that are known as fossil plants representing among others original eucalypts, citrus, holly, heath and mistletoes to name a few.

The Daintree is home to a great variety of mammals and birds many of which are not found anywhere else in Australia such as the Southern Cassowary and Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo.

The Top End - History, Mystery, and Beauty

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Category: Destination - Northern Territory

The Top End of the Northern Territory is known for its tropical weather, rich indigenous culture, national parks and laid-back lifestyle. It is home to an eclectic mix of cultures whose outdoor lifestyle is complemented by brilliant sunsets, fantastic fishing and a colourful calendar of outdoor events.

Northern Australia is a vast region stretching from the Kimberley Plateau of Western Australia through the Top End of the Northern Territory to the tip of Queensland's Cape York. In Northern Australia five percent of the population inhabit approximately half of the continent.

The Top End has been constantly occupied for more than 60 000 years. This is reflected by one of the oldest currently practiced cultures in the world, which has been passed down through countless generations. The Top End includes spectacular wetlands and waterfalls, awe inspiring rocky outcrops and Precambrian escarpments up to 1.6 billion years old. The abundant wildlife includes freshwater and saltwater crocodiles and a wealth of rock-art that is amongst the oldest on earth.

The landscape is relatively flat with river floodplains and grasslands with eucalyptus trees along with rocky areas and patches of rainforest, and in western Arnhem Land a high rugged sandstone plateau cut through with gorges, much of which is in Kakudu National Park. The rivers that form the wetlands include the South and East Alligator Rivers, Mary River, and the Glyde River. The climate is tropical monsoon with a wet and dry season. Temperatures do not fluctuate widely throughout the year.

The Mary River floodplain inflow channel diffuses into vast seasonal swamps before reaching the sea through a number of tidal channels.  Compared to other coastal floodplains in the Northern Territory, this feature results in greater areas of wetland habitats flooded over extended periods and an extremely complex and productive system. The floodplain is dominated by a mix of sedge and grass communities and large paperbark forests in the north, and fringed by open eucalypt woodland and pockets of monsoon forest.

Flora - Most savanna in Australia is used for grazing livestock but in this far north there are vast areas of grassland in their original state and dotted with Darwin stringybark and Darwin woollybutt eucalyptus trees.

Fauna - The floodplain comprises a complex mosaic of wet and dry habitats which support vast populations of waterbirds and unique wildlife. The rivers and estuaries are home to large populations of both Saltwater Crocodile and Freshwater Crocodile, as well as Bull Sharks, Sawfish, and Dugong. The wetlands are a rich habitat vital to bird migration and home to large populations of birds including the world's largest breeding colony of Magpie goose (numbers exceed 400,000 during breeding season in some years), as well as large numbers of rodents and snakes. The floodplain environments also provide a major breeding area for many fish species, notably Barramundi.

Endemic species of the Top End include Woodward's Wallaroo, Oenpelli python, Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon, Arnhem Land Rock Rat, and several species of skink. Other reptiles include Frill-necked Lizards and large monitor lizards (known locally as Goannas.) Snakes include the Olive Python, Death Adder, Mulga, Water Python (Liasis fuscus), and various others. The plateau is home to many of these endemics especially invertebrates, fish, and frogs, including for example hundreds of species of ant.

The Scenic Rim - National Parks with Diversity

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Category: Destination - Queensland

The Scenic Rim region is a thriving rural paradise set in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range and surrounded by world heritage listed national parks.

It is particularly known for its breathtaking scenery and contains more than 30,000 hectares of parkland and national parks much of it contained in an arc of spectacular mountains. The sheer size of the caldera is breathtaking and shelters a huge diversity of rare flora and fauna, and subtropical rainforests within the rim of mountain ranges.

There are some magnificent National Parks in the region, two of which are World Heritage listed. These include:  Main Range National Park, Mt French National Park, Moogerah Peaks National Park, Mt Greville National Park. These diverse habitats are home to much wildlife, spectacular views and popular walking trails.

The Main Range National Park is located on the western part of the Scenic Rim. The park covers 29,730ha and features five very diverse sections, Mt Mistake, Goomburra, Cunningham’s Gap (including Spicer’s Gap), Mt Roberts and Queen Mary Falls.

The park features a range of natural habitat, including rainforest, open eucalypt forest, rocky ridges and drier slopes. These habitats shelter much wildlife, including the seldom seen Albert’s lyrebird, the eastern bristlebird and the black breasted button quail. A restricted plant species, the giant spear lily also occurs in the park.

Supported by a thriving economy, a farming industry and a vibrant arts community, the Scenic Rim has a strong community spirit and friendly locals. The region's primary businesses are agricultural and horticultural production, the equine industry and tourism and ecotourism. It is a burgeoning wine region and is home to a long line of award-winning vineyards and wineries.

With its myriad of wineries and art galleries to expansive bushwalking tracks, state of the art equine facilities, growing rural communities and friendly country charm, the region is also well known for atmospheric and historic pubs, local cheese, beer, liqueurs, spring water, country markets, well-stocked farm-gate and road-side fresh produce stalls. The region is home to some of Queensland’s most prolific producers of fresh food: carrots, onions, rhubarb, avocados, beans and broccoli grow in abundance.

Ayers Rock (Uluru)

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Category: Destination - Northern Territory

Ayers Rock (Uluru)

The dual World Heritage listed wilderness of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park stretches out over 311,000 acres and is Australia’s most famous natural landscape and arguably a journey to Australia’s heart.

The National Park features the world’s largest monolith, Uluru or Ayers Rock, and Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, a striking group of more than 30 rounded red domes rising dramatically from the desert floor. Both sites have significant meaning to Aboriginal people and form an important focus of their spiritual life.

Visitors to Uluru and Kata Tjuta are exposed to an expansive living cultural landscape which few are able to experience. Whether they spend their time learning of the ancient cultures of traditional owners, hearing about the plights of early explorers, or exploring the stunning flora and fauna with expert guides, face to face with this irresistible land, their senses come alive.

Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural icons. The world-renowned sandstone formation stands 348 m high with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures 9.4 km in circumference. Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta have great cultural significance for the Aṉangu Traditional landowners, who led walking tours to inform visitors about the local flora and fauna, bush foods and the Aboriginal dreamtime stories of the area.

Uluru is notable for appearing to change colour as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight when it briefly glows red. Although rainfall is uncommon in this semiarid area, during wet periods the rock acquires a silvery-grey colour, with streaks of black algae forming on the areas that serve as channels for water flow.

Kata Tjuta, also called Mount Olga or The Olgas, is another rock formation about 25 km west of Uluru. Special viewing areas with road access and parking have been constructed to give tourists the best views of both sites at dawn and dusk.

Northern Outback Queensland - Ancient Landscapes

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Category: Destination - Queensland

Pioneers country. A place that wilted even the toughest early explorers.

This region of sparsely settled cattle stations as big as some countries, stark red earth plains and scattered billabongs along seasonal rivers is Australia's "big sky" country.

Piercing blue days of cloudless sunshine and occasional thunderous summer storms bringing the land to life. Rich red sunsets fade into nightly heavens of brilliant stars on an inky black canvas. Dry and hungry soils interspersed with spectacular rock formations and precious waterholes; a magnet for wildlife. A region of dramatic contrast to the opal colours of the reef and rainforest east coast.

This ancient landscape is a remnant of the oldest land on earth - the ancient Gondwana/Pangea continent that was ripped apart in geological movements like giant hands moving pieces of a super-continent sized jigsaw puzzle. The old continent's edge can still be traced today along the ridge of the oldest "Great Barrier Reef" left high and dry as black limestone ridges and spectacular caves around the Chillagoe area. Multiple uplifting events and volcanic activity built the east coast ranges of Daintree and recent lava flows created the spectacular lava tubes of the Undara region. With good reason this region is said to have the greatest geological  diversity in the world.

Dominated by the seasons, the landscape is a changing backdrop of brown to green for this outback theatre. In the 'Dry', threads of watercourses weave across the vast parched land - with occasional pools providing deep green oases - a battleground of survival for barramundi, freshwater crocodiles and migrating birdlife. The larger permanent lagoons thrive throughout the year and develop a diverse and complex ecosystem.  Jabiru, Magpie Geese, Sea Eagles and diverse waterfowl concentrate around these sources of life as do wild pigs, brumbies, wallabies and kangaroos.

As the first afternoon thunderstorms approach in December with the coming of the Wet, spectacular displays of monsoon rainclouds burst from the sky and the land becomes rich and green within days. Migratory birds arrive and wildlife flourishes - a vibrant and exciting time to be in the Top End Outback as rivers and lagoons are replenished, life rebounds and the perennial seasonal cycle continues under the perennial "big sky" sun.