14 ReviewsAustralians love music as much as people everywhere else in the world. The invention of the MP3 player, however, is not yet known down under...
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The lively pedestrian streets in...
9 ReviewsVisit Rottnest Island... you can get around on bikes or walk... there are no cars just people powered vehicles. Crystal blue ocean surrounds this small island.
Scuba diving, surfing, snokeling and...
6 ReviewsBOOMERANG
The boomerang is the long range weapon of the Australian Aborigine and was devised only in Australia. No other peoples anywhere else in the world use this unique weapon.
Australian...
5 ReviewsWater...Australias most precious commodity. In the goldrush era water was worth more than the gold that was mined.Of all the necessitys travellers need to take with them in Australia is adequate...
8 ReviewsIt's definitely worthwhile to check out Kings Park...it's a huge park that overlooks the city of Perth and isn't too far from the centre...it's an uphill walk though so take a bus or taxi if you don't...
3 ReviewsA cave nearby margaret River Actually, this cave did not leave any impression during this trip.
And I also did not understand guider's English. Only understand one sentense which is " Do not touch...
1 ReviewNorthbridge is the scene in Perth… The area boasts a multitude of ethnic restaurants, bars/pubs, bottle shops, cafes, music venues and all those funky shops your looking for. Certainly there are...
2 ReviewsAt a certain time in the later afternoon, the light of the already low sun is reflected by the glass facades of Central Park tower and other skyscrapers in a way that is, well, almost magic. I have...
2 ReviewsTrees along the road to Margaret River Actually, this tree is dead or dying. It got some illness which can stop it from drinking water.
On the way to Margaret River, there are so many such kind of...
1 ReviewThe Swan Bells are in Barrack Square. There are 18 bells in the bell tower... It's an interesting building and worth checking out. The tower is 8.25 metres high making it one of the world's largest...
If you like wines and, I have to admit I'm not a huge fan, unlike my eldest son, you may already have heard of Margaret River.Margaret River is a town about 15kms inland from the ocean and it has given its name to an area where you can find over 80 wineries. A lot of them are closer to Yallingup and other towns but the area is touted as Margaret River.There are also wineries further south and around Perth but here is where the purists head, especially in November when the two week festival is on. A veritable plethora of Bacchanalian delights.
The thing I like about them is the wineries themselves. Their setting, their ambience, the stress-free (until you get the bill) type tasting rooms and the way they're set amongst the woods.I have to also confess that I can actually enjoy drinking the wine from this area, somehow the taste is more to my palate than other places.Then, always you're...
Maud Bay
by iandsmith
Most people haven't heard of Maud Bay, including VT, but it's adjacent to Coral Bay (and they haven't heard of that either) and now that the new wharf and boat launch facility have been put in place, a lot more people will become familiar with it.Nothing here in the way of housing but one suspects that if Coral Bay overcomes its chronic water shortage then this is where some expansion might take place.
While my mate Bob went whale shark watching I threw a line in and just soaked up the glorious colours for a few hours.......it's not hard to take.The new purpose built wharf gets a lot of use judging by the number of cars parked in the parking area with boat trailers and ultimately one feels this land will get built on when there's more infrastructure.
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Birds of W.A.
by iandsmith
I'd sort of been semi interested in birds before but, on my way around Australia, somewhere or other it all started to click in and I've now even bought a bird identification guide book. Sad really.
So, when I got the shot of the white bellied sea eagle I thought I might try to get some more shots en route and I like to think that I succeeded but only someone else can be the judge of that.Here is a sampling of some I photographed in W.A.
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El Questro - Emma Gorge
by iandsmith
El Questro in the past decade has become synoymous with tourism in the Kimberley. This was, and still partly is, a working property but these days tourism brings in an awful lot of money in peak tourist season.The camp grounds and resorts are full and there's a continual flow of tourists in and out of the place.
One of the main places they go to is Emma Falls. Though they may claim exuberant times for walking up there and back, it's really not that far if you're a fit walker.Frankly I was appalled when they reckoned I wouldn't make it in and hour and refused me entry yet, the next day I walked up there in 40 minutes. I realise they have to cater for all types but I certainly found it frustrating.When you get to the spectacular horseshoe shaped canyon known as Emma, it leaves any other scenery you have viewed en route in the shade.It truly is one of those special places that you should...
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Esperance
by iandsmith
Think Esperance, think harbour and beaches. This harbour hasn't really been active for much more than 100 years but, with the advent of the nickel boom, where the price went from $4,800 per tonne in 2002 to over $60,000 per tonne in 2006 (it's now back to around $45,000 in 2008), then Esperance was well placed to take advantage due to its proximity to new nickel mines to the north and west.Iron ore is another significant contributor to the port's growth from 1.5 million tonnes in 1995 to over 8 million. The biggest single load to date was 201,000 tonnes!Sulphur and lead are other things that are traded through here as well.However, for most of its life, Esperance has been a grain port. At its peak there were over 500 holdings before the Great Depression but these days it's around 480 with over 1,100,000 hectares used for agriculture.
All the above needs infrastructure and one of the...
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A view to the past
by iandsmith
In Albany they have a life size replica of the brig, Amity. The original was one of the ships that transported people out to Australia. In these enlightened times it seems appalling to think of what cramped quarters 60 passengers and convicts had to put up with for months at a time.This one was built in 1975 and is now open for tourists down on the waterfront at Albany.Pics 3 and 5 give you some idea of what life was like below decks while pic 2 would undoubtedly be something to do with the anchor chain.
Of course, life wasn't meant to be easy and, just 30 years later they had to prop up the replica. Sadly, the white ants had decided it was to their taste and work is currently under way to try and solve the problem.
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Perth: Accommodation
by ElsieChin
I would recommend staying in Perth CBD, either Pier Street or Hay Street. There's a Comfort Hotel right at the other end - No. 200, Hay St which serves a great breakfast and the city cat is just across the road. But this is the very quiet part of the usually busy Hay Street. Go further up where the action is - look for Aarons Hotel on Pier Street. Btw, there's a budget rent a car - cheapest by far - also across the road from Comfort. If you want an apartment which is 'central' - check out apartments in Mounts Bay Waters - adjacent to Swan River and Kings Park - but you need to have your own transportation. I remember some booking sites offering letting of the apartments with a car. When you have your own transport, you can go to Fremantle any time.Hope this helpsElsie
The black swans and the sheds in Fremantle.
Coral Bay
by iandsmith
Coral Bay is a small settlement that lies protected from the Indian ocean by the Ningaloo reef. It is Australia's only fringing reef. In contrast to other locations the coral starts right at the water's edge. The fish and the coral are very accessible to all including small children. Fish and coral can be experienced either snorkelling or on one of the Coral viewing boats. It is about 50 km to the North of the tropic of Capricorn, some 120 km south of Exmouth in Western Australia. The weather is mild, without the humidity that is often associated with tropical climates. It comprises a resort hotel, two caravan parks and about 20 houses. It is a holiday destination for Western Australians together with some overseas backpackers. Some houses are available for short term holiday rentals. and are booked well ahead for the school holidays.
Every afternoon there is fish feeding. They don't...
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Broome
by iandsmith
Broome comes with much hype. Pictures of camels at sunset on Cable Beach are many and it all sounds enticing. After 643 kilometres of no water until we reached there we were fairly excited just to reach civilization again.The reality of Broome was not what I expected. For me it was a flat town put there because it was a convenient spot. On one side is Roebuck Bay, a mangrove and mud lined expanse of water that only the occasional boat owner frequents. It is pretty to look at but you wouldn't want to go there.The town itself is set on a flat peninsula and, unless you're on a sealed road, it's dusty.Sadly, there's also a problem with some of the indigenous population who indulge a little too much with alcohol. They will mostly be seen around the sporting ground near the CBD and up the end of Dampier Terrace.Many of the buildings are made of corrugated tin that used to be used as ballast...
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Bungle Bungle
by iandsmith
For years I had a dream to see the Bungle Bungle. I had a trip planned with my brother but unfortunately I got the sack from my job so that put and end to that.It was about 15 years later before I finally got there and my brother had passed away in the meantime.By the time I reached Turkey Creek it wasn't as important as it had been then; mainly because I'd been to Karijini.A small bit of trivia here; it's not the Bungle Bungles, but the Bungle Bungle. The same thing has happened in N.S.W. with the Warrumbungle.
Still, when there's an empty chopper at the side of the road and it's offering flights over the Bungle Bungle, why not?Of course, there was only one small problem. The motor wouldn't start. Though it had fired up staight away in the morning it wouldn't go for us. We had to wait over an hour longer before it finally fired up.Then, for $165, I was flown over more than I'd hoped...
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