Hidden amongst Australia’s beautiful coastline, forests and cities are places where stories are forgotten, relics sleep in long grass and the atmosphere is palpably different. Here’s just seven of these unusual places to visit in Australia, all of which are worth at least half a day of your time. 1. Pillinger – western Tasmania A …
I first met Steak the adventure dog in Buckley’s Plains – about 10 kilometres north of Broome in Western Australia – lazing in rust-coloured dirt next to an old shed. We were about to head north with camels and a trailer towards Cyclone Nicholas, a journey I won’t soon forget. Little did I know, however, …
A thick haze covered the horizon, across the Indian Ocean and inland – where I could make out a ferris wheel not too far in the distance. I’d been to Fremantle many times before, I’d even lived here for a couple of years, however this time felt different. To me, on my last day wandering …
I find wild, empty beaches are great places to explore. Walking barefoot along the sand with no one about, by a cool breeze and the briny scent of the sea is, at least to me, a feeling of freedom like no other. Wild beaches are also a great place to recharge, to think and to …
Given its size and wealth of scenery, Australia is a great place to see by car. You can virtually stop where you like, provided your sense of adventure doesn’t outweigh your common sense. And while there’s some classic routes you shouldn’t miss – such as the Nullarbor Plain, the Great Ocean Road and Captain Cook …
It’s that time of year again. Humpback and southern right whales – the majestic marine monsters of the deep – are currently travelling from Antarctica to Australia’s northern waters to breed. If you’re wondering where you can witness this wonderful rolling, spurting, barnacle busting bonanza, here’s my top five whale watching spots in Australia. Tip: …
I’m often visiting Fremantle in Western Australia, as most of my family live in the surrounding suburbs. However, up until last week, I had never visited the Fremantle Arts Centre – a beautiful, colonial-gothic style building that’s today a prominent centre for the arts. It’s also one of Western Australia’s oldest buildings, and admittedly I was …
Rain smashed into our tin shed like glass pellets and thunder split dark clouds as we waited for news of two cyclones heading our way from Indonesia. Sitting in near darkness at the edge of our shack, we were also waiting to begin our journey north of Broome with our Gypsy trailer. Waiting…. I’d been …
Three knives descend swiftly into the water in the far north. Slaughter under the eventide, darkness sets in. A lone hunter, betraying a palpable hardness beneath the shadows, takes in his prize. At times driven to the edge of madness, the boy from the city is all but gone…. Luke Campbell, a friend who I’ve …
“Andy”. I heard my name spoken beyond the dune, as clear as day, on a fiercely sunny morning. Apart from the British geologist standing next to me, no one else was about. Perhaps I was hearing things, although in the half a dozen times I’ve been to the Pinnacles, roughly 200 kilometres north of Perth …
A small island surrounded by the translucent waters of the Indian Ocean, littered with dolphins and seals, that’s home to penguins and numerous birds. An island where a literature-loving hermit lived for 12 years, who carved out a “library” and a “grand ballroom” from the scabrous limestone caves found within. Curiously, while sounding like a …
At the end of a day’s adventure, often one of the best feelings is to slurp a cold ale in a good pub and let its warm tingle bathe you in merry reflection of a life well lived. There’s few finer ways to cap off a day’s travel, particularly when a pub’s done right. Here’s …