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non metropolitan places - Travel Australia

King Island

March 7th 2008 22:20

King Island is an idyllic island located at the western entrance to Bass Strait on the northern end of Tasmania. Boasting a rich history of which shipwrecks, lighthouses and jagged reefs which can still be seen to this day, the island is better known today for its sandy beaches, lush green pasture and the origin of some of Australia's finest natural foods.

With a population of less than 2000, the area is serene and blessed with a mild maritime climate of moderate temperatures. Visitors to the Island are mainly there for three reasons - sightseeing (shipwrecks, lighthouses etc.), wildlife (Flora & Fauna) and great food.

The treacherous waters of Bass Strait have claimed hundreds of ships and more than a thousand lives. At interpretation sites all around the island, memorial cairns will give you an insight into the lives of those shipwrecked, the brave rescuers, and the lighthouse keepers who worked tirelessly through the night to make the King Island waters safe.

The island is rich in wildlife with native flora and fauna abound due to the isolation of the island and lack of natural predators. Other native animals include Bennetts wallaby, Rufous wallaby, Tasmanian pademelon, Echidna and Brushtail Possum.

King Island's mild maritime climate plays a vital role in its fresh produce which includes the famous King Island beef, diary products (cheese, yoghurt) and seafood (crayfish and abalone). Many visit the Island for its food alone and you will find many tours that takes tourists on a food expedition that samples the flavours of King Island which include the aforementioned beef, seafood, diary plus herbal teas and honey.

Tours to King Island can be found here.

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Posted By: Arnold - Category: Tasmania, non metropolitan places

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Flinders Island

February 28th 2008 22:57

Flinders Island is the largest and main island of the Furneaux Islands, a group of 52 islands that stretch across Bass Strait between Tasmania and Australia.

Known as 'a scattering of islands where mountains meet the sea', the main island of the Furneaux Islands is one of the most serene holiday destinations in the world offering crystal clear waters and sparkling beaches, amazing wildlife and rugged ranges.

Flinders Island from afar...

Adventurous types will love the outdoor activities which ranges from boating to climbing while the historic sites located throughout the island is a sight-seers dream. Due to the area's maritime climate which moderates any extremes of temperature thus ensuring mild weather throughout the year means that these activities can be enjoyed all year round.

The average minimum temperature in winter is 6.0 degrees and the average maximum temperature in summer is 22.5 degrees although it is not uncommon for the temperature to hover around the low thirties on a typical summer's day.

Wybalenna - the cultural icon

The must-see landmarks of Flinders Island include the cultural icon that is Wybalenna, Mt Strzelecki, Palana, Marshall Bay, Walkers Lookout, Cameron Inlet and Trousers Point. An executive tour of Flinders Island will take you to all the aforementioned areas and more.

The Flinders Island Adventures tour show you the beautiful wild and remote places that visitors rarely see including the wild life, the scenery on land or by sea, guided by experienced locals who love the islands on a luxury 4WD.

Marshall Beach walk

Tours of Flinders Island can be found here.

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Posted By: Arnold - Category: Tasmania, non metropolitan places

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Devonport

February 12th 2008 22:15

Mersey River

The City of Devonport is located on the beautiful northwest coast of Tasmania and is blessed with gorgeous river, ocean and mountain views.

The 26,000 residents of the coastal city enjoys a relaxed and active lifestyle thus making good use of Devonport's vast number of reserves and recreational facilities. Parkland, which has been established along the Mersey Estuary, along the whole Coastal foreshore and in the Don River valley, contains a cycling/walking track linking many of the City's recreational facilities.

Bluff Light House

Due to its location on the Mersey River, the city is the major sea gateway to Tasmania and the place luxury passenger ferries, Spirit of Tasmania I & II calls home. These ferries connect Devonport with Melbourne on a daily basis and along with the airport (the third largest in Tasmania), are the two main arrival points for most of the city's visitors.

The city boasts a mild climate and the weather is at its hottest in January and February with mean max. temperatures of around 22 degrees celsius while June and July are the coldest at 4 - 13 degrees celsius.

Don River Railway

The main tourist attractions in Devonport are the Regional Art Gallery which has a collection of Tasmanian art works, ceramics, prints, and photographs; the Maritime Museum with a collection relating to early shipping activities; the Devonport Entertainment & Convention Centre which is considered to be the premier entertainment facility in the North West; Imaginarium Science Centre, Tasmania's first and only science discovery centre; and Tiagarra Aboriginal Culture Centre and Museum.

Find out more about the city at the City of Devonport website.

Spirit of Tasmania II

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Posted By: Arnold - Category: Tasmania, non metropolitan places

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Domestic Flights

May 9th 2006 10:44

No matter whether you are an Australian travelling interstate or an overseas visitor travelling across the country, you’ll be forced to fly domestically. Australia is big, with large centres spread far apart. Unless you have plenty of time, you’ll find yourself flying. Driving across Australia is a great way to see the country, but today I’m going to explore the flight option.

First of all, the Australian airline market has seen a structural change that has generally resulted in cheaper flights. Big airlines have moved towards offering low cost options for domestic travellers that really make flying a viable option. Good news for us travellers.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: non metropolitan places

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Tasmania's Port Arthur

April 28th 2006 06:34

I wouldn’t have returned to highlight a Tasmanian location so soon had it not been for an important date which twisted my arm. Today it is 10 years since Martin Bryant shot dead 35 people in a rampage that began at the Port Arthur historical site. Today a memorial was held to remember the deceased. The setting for the murders couldn’t have been in greater contrast to the horrors. Port Arthur, a beautiful historic site in Tasmania was in bright sunshine that day. Today there was a sense of remembrance in the area, but there is also the general feeling of having to move forward.

Port Arthur is best known for its connection with Australia’s convict history. Many convicts from Britain were taken there to work in a variety of labour intensive jobs. A great deal of the sites were built using convict labour, but ship building, housekeeping and work in the flour mill was also done.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: non metropolitan places

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Dubbo and Western Plains Zoo

April 26th 2006 11:28

Seeing as though a certain Sydney weather man has been presenting his reports from Dubbo the last couple of days, I thought it a perfect time to showcase the towns’ pleasures. This western NSW town has a couple of major tourist drawcards that I’m sure surrounding towns would like to have.

Dubbo isn’t just about these drawcards though. There is a general good feeling about Dubbo, a small town community feel with the services of a large centre. Old Dubbo Gaol and the Western Plains Zoo draw in enough people that there is plenty of accommodation from caravan parks to motels to rooms above pubs. If you are going during a hot time I recommend your accommodation comes with a pool. Dubbo is hot during Summer, really hot. In winter, overnight, it gets really cold. This is of course the nature of Australia’s more central locations.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: non metropolitan places

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Start Pining for the Huon Valley

April 25th 2006 08:20

Tasmania has a lot to offer including good food and wine, character filled historical towns, some interesting wildlife and wonderful wilderness.

A highlight of this wilderness is in the Huon Valley. The Huon Valley is forty minutes from Hobart at the southern point of Tasmania (and the very south of Australia). The south of Tasmania contains vast ancient forests. This is a site to be seen and its value has resulted in heated debate over whether the forest should be subject to any logging or left for the enjoyment of current residents, future generations and tourists alike, but that’s something for another time.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: non metropolitan places

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Grand Pacific Drive - Get out of Sydney for a day

April 20th 2006 09:10

Very much in the mould of Victoria’s Great Ocean Rd, NSW now has a picturesque driving route of its own called Grand Pacific Drive and it is something to be seen. Despite being a response to a falling rock problem in the northern part of the coastal city of Wollongong, the NSW government have turned a bridge into a tourist destination that will impress anyone, however well-travelled.

A spectacle and an engineering marvel

The best part of it is it is only an hour south of Sydney, making it a perfect daytrip before the cold weather really sets in. The highlight of the Grand Pacific Drive which takes you from the Royal National Park along the escarpment overlooking a number of fantastic beaches is the 665 metre long Sea Cliff Bridge which goes high out over the ocean. I recommend you stop somewhere before or after the bridge and walk across it so you really take everything in because in a car it is just over too quickly.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: non metropolitan places

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