Travel Escapades,Australia and Tasmania



	Australia & Tasmania

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	Sydney \| Brisbane \| Cairns \| Alice \| Canberra \| Melbourne \| More \| Maps \| Tasmania

	General:			Our travels included mainly Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. We have visited two times and just love Australia and it's people. We were fortunate to get really good airfare prices both times. Both visits were during the fall and the first trip was on a new plane that was being delivered to Australia.. We paid less than $800 U.S. dollars for roundtrip fare from Seattle, WA. to Sydney. This site has a lot of information and maps on Australia: Australia-ATC

				For information on Australian slang check: Australian slang

				There are beautiful beaches all along the coast and magnificent scenery everywhere you go. There are lots of places where you can see the native animals, mostly in game reserves or zoos. Some will allow you to walk with the kangaroos or take your picture with the koala bears. The koala bears not not as gentle as they appear so you won't get to cuddle or hold them. See Lone Pine Kola Sanctuary below.

				Travel Tips: Australia offers many travel perks to promote tourism. These perks usually have to be purchased before you leave. We bought airfare passes and hotel vouchers at a great discount. Our first trip we purchased an airfare pass to travel one big loop from Sydney, to Brisbane, to Cairns, to Alice, to Melbourne, and back to Sydney. The second trip was a smaller loop and included from Sydney to Canberra, to Melbourne, and back to Sydney. These are really a great value, be sure to check them out with your travel agent.

				Note: All electric appliances will need an adaptor and maybe a transformer. (hair dryers, shavers, etc) You can find more Essentials.

				Don't forget the Aussies drive on the left side of road! You'll need to be careful when you cross streets, etc.

				Most of the big cities you can get around on the subways. The smaller or more rural locations you can catch a tour bus. You can find maps for trains, subways, tram etc from their website. (this site was down - will update link later if restored) http://www.railpage.org.au/railmaps/melbourn.htm

	Sydney			Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales. There are many high-rise buildings in the downtown area and it is home to Australia's famous Opera house. The city is located on the coast and has many waterways. Harbour Bridge is also a well known landmark. Check here for pictures and travel info: Travel Sydney
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				Across the harbor is the Taronga Zoo. Take a twelve minute ride to the zoo and enjoy a great view of the beautiful Harbour Bridge. We came back late and got spectacular views of the bridge in the sunset. The zoo is quite large and contains over 2,000 animals, one of the best I've ever seen. You can take great pictures in a few spots at the zoo with Sydney across the harbor. Their web-site takes a while to load, but is really quite impressive. (http://www.zoo.nsw.gov.au/index.htm)

				Getting around is quite easy without a vehicle. Most attractions can be accessed using the subway or by tour bus. We caught a tour bus that continues in one big loop, you can get on and off at each stop on the route as you please.

				Recommended sites or activities: Harbor Cruise & Bridge, Opera House, Hyde Park, The Rocks, Queen Victoria Building, Tarongo Zoo, shopping.

	Brisbane:			A very clean and modern city. Brisbane is located on the coast of Queensland and is close to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. We only stayed one day here. We took a city tour and visited the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. There is also abundant shopping and places to eat. I don't believe they have a subway system here. Check this site for more info on Brisbane: Brisbane

	Cairns:			Cairns is a tropical locale on the coast, north of Brisbane. This city is smaller than Sydney or Brisbane. No subway here as I recall. This is the destination city for going out to the Great Barrier Reef or to the Kuranda Rainforest. The reef is a world wonder you should surely see. More info: Greet Barrier Reef
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				We rode a boat out to the reef. There you could snorkel or ride in a glass-bottom boat. The ride out to the reef was very choppy and over half the people got sea-sick. No wonder they wait to feed everyone lunch after the boat ride!
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				The glass-bottom boat was great. It has glass sides that are submerged below the surface. I felt a little claustrophobic but managed to do all right. It is very tight inside and gets very warm. The views of the coral and underwater wildlife was well worth the trip and ride. It is truly an amazing wonder, a definite must see.

				We also did the Kuranda Scenic Railroad tour while in Cairns. This is a very scenic ride through the Australian rainforest. This was fun and we got to see some very scenic country. Check out their site: Kuranda RR

	Alice:			Alice Springs is the capital of Central Australia. Visiting Alice Springs is like going off to another country. You leave the city life and venture into the real Australian outback. It's hot and dry, it is after all a desert. There are river beds that are completely dry. We saw a lot of the aborigine people in town and out at Ayers Rock. You can find more info at this site: Alice Springs

				We took a tour bus out to Ayers Rock and the Olgas. The ride takes several hours. There is a lot more to this area than just a bunch of rocks. Both Ayers and the Olgas have spiritual significance to the aboriginals. These areas also help sustain area wildlife. The Rock is porous and it absorbs the rain. As the water flows through the rock it provides water for the wildlife. There are also caves and caverns in the rock, some have aborigine paintings on the walls. There is a small shrimp found at the top of the Rock. It completes it's entire life cycle in the rain puddles that collect there. Link: Fairy Shrimp & Dry River Boat Races

				You can climb to the top of the rock, but it is dangerous and scary. There have been a number of deaths from falling off. Your tour guide will give you some of the history as your ride the bus. There is also a centre where you can buy books or wood carvings from the aborigines. More info at: Ayers Rock & Olgas
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				We were housed in a big hotel complex out in the middle of the desert. The complex is quite isolated and it got a little boring waiting for our ride back to town. In between the complex and back to town one rest stop had camel rides. These beasts sway quite a bit when they run. I would have been scared but the area is fenced in and the handler held on to him as he ran him around edge of the fence. Makes a great picture to show all your friends back home!

	Canberra:			Canberra is Australia's capital city. It is very clean and modern but consists of mainly government buildings which are spread quite a ways apart. Not easy commuting by foot and I don't recall a subway. More info at: Canberra

	Melbourne:			Melbourne is an all around city, something for everyone. Is is Australia's second largest city and is the capital of Victoria. It too is located on the coast so there is plenty of beautiful beaches and scenery. Watch for sharks and rip tides if you go swimming! More info at: Victoria

				We have family in Melbourne. We lived with them for a week in the suburb of Mt. Martha. I noticed they spend a lot of time out doors and their weather is mild even in the fall and not as damp or wet as we have in the northwestern U.S. Most Australians like to play or watch sports. They also enjoy their pubs, the pubs there offer good food at good prices, very similar to pubs in England.

				The family threw a birthday party for my three year old. They had sausages and eats for the party, a minty hunt outside. (like an Easter egg hunt with mints instead of eggs.) There were games and fun, then the birthday person got gifts. The kids all took a piece of cake home with them when they left.
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				Recommended sites or activities: If you get a chance to see the fairy penguins, do it. They are very special. You wait out along the roped area of beach and just like clockwork at dusk the little fairy penguins come in and waddle up the hill to their nests. They are so cute! Some did a little waddling in and out and did some cooing too. Check these sites for more info: Philip Island Penguins on parade.

				There is lots to see and do in Melbourne including shopping. Check this site for more details: Melbourne

	More Australia			This link has additional photos and notes on Australia.

	Australia Maps			This link has several maps of Australia.

	Tasmania			This link takes you to our travels inTasmania.

	Conclusion:			This concludes my notes on traveling the areas of Australia that I know about. There are many other areas to discover. It is very easy to get around most of the cities and the people are very warm and friendly. We felt very safe traveling around and never had any problems, other than getting lost once in awhile. We even stayed in the wild King's Cross area because it was close to everything and the hotel rates were good.

	Page Up			I also enjoyed the many murals on the sides of buildings and other art or culture around the country in addition to the beautiful scenery. The people seem more laid back and not as stressed as in the U.S. The quality of life there seems really great, I would love to live there myself. It reminds me somewhat of the U.S. back in the sixties when neighbors and families were more in touch and attached. We can't wait to return and discover more of Australia some day. We really enjoyed every minute no matter where we were.

	Disclaimer:			The links provided are links I found in searching the net. Some are to travel agents or other services. I have not used most of these services, so I am not recommending any. I am only adding these links to provide additional information to my travel documentaries above.

				I suggest you do your own research before traveling and only book your travel adventures through a reputable travel company. Buyer beware: there are lots of scam artists that use the travel industry to make a quick buck, don't be a victim. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

				Images above provided by:ATC@www.bofa.na.australia.com


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	Sydney \| Brisbane \| Cairns \| Alice \| Canberra \| Melbourne \| More \| Maps \| Tasmania
	Updated 3/27/04
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