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Snowy River Riding CountryHorse Riding in New South Wales, Australia If you’re a rider and you haven’t been thrilled and charmed by the story of the colt from old Regret who goes to run with the brumbies in Banjo Patterson‘s “Man from Snowy River” with its description of the countryside near Kosciusko that will make your toes curl, then you have no idea what you have been missing. If you’re a rider and you have heard the poem and you haven’t been riding in the Snowy River region then why not? There can be no better description of the countryside, but I’ll give you my own less emotive more practical review (I’m not quite Banjo or Clancy.). Kosciusko, Australia’s tallest mountain, and the Snowy River region is rocky, grey, misty country. It’s quite still, the mist makes things feel close and sound is muted. In the valleys the trees stand with their branches linked together around alpine streams and on the high plains there are wildflowers, low bushes, high grasses and gracefully drooping silverly grey eucalypts. Coming down over a ridge and feeling your horse open up beneath you as he’s totally foot-sure over country you’d be too scared to run down on two thick legs is exhilarating, as is charging through an alpine river. Wild brumbies still live on Mount Tantangara. People still work up here as drovers and station hands. See the film if you’re not inspired yet. It’s up to you how authentic you want your Snowy River experience to be. You can do anything from a day ride to a week of horse trekking and camping, complete with drovers stories by the campfire, damper and billy tea, to joining a drove and escorting cattle or working on a station. There are several working stations up here that make extra money by running tours in the off season so if you really want to experience what it was like to be a bushman you can get pretty close. One of the oldest stations still working is Reynella just out of Adaminaby, Australia’s highest town: www.reynellarides.com.au
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Review by Photo by flickr user pfly |
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Humpback migration, Hervey BayWhale Watching in Queensland, Australia Hervey Bay calls itself the whale watching capital of the world which may be an overstatement, but it is definitely one of the most popular whale watching spots. It’s on the migration route for Humpbacks between the cold waters of the Antarctic and the warmer tropical waters off Queensland where they calve. Part of the spots popularity must be due to the calves and mums on their way home. Humpbacks are the whale worlds most playful and most vocal and this is one of a whales most frisky times so the frolicking, breaching and tail and fin slapping that people enjoy seeing happens here frequently. Humpbacks are also huge - the worlds fifth largest animal - I read statistics saying they're the size of twelve elephants. There are a lot of companies operating in this small area and the bay can be busy. The marine park is also home to dolphins, dugongs and sea turtles.
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Review by Photo by flickr user erikogan |
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Sky over Arkaroola Wilderness SanctuaryAstronomy in South Australia, Australia The Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, a seven hour drive north of Adelaide, is right out in the middle of nowhere in the Australian Outback. Arkaroola’s isolated position is great for stargazing and the park was the first in Australia to adopt the ‘Dark Skies Policy’ to keep it that way.
There are three observatories on site, complete with up to date astronomical equipment, and the site is fully prepared to cater to all levels of observatory experience. Strange contraptions known as ‘star chairs’ are available for visitors looking to experience the night skies in comfort. Almost like dentists chairs pointed up at the heavens they are fitted out with a joy stick and binoculars to navigate through the stars. Arkaroola has received an Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation for its astronomy tours and these really are experiences worth taking part in.
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The Yarra ValleyWine Regions in Melbourne, Australia The soft yellow plains and grey blue mountain scenery of the Yarra Valley is Victoria's oldest wine region. The first vineyard was planted in the red soil here in 1838 at what is now boutique winery, Yering Station, which has been recently rebuilt into a very modern visitors centre with a sweeping stone wall, mirror pond and faux-rustic tasting rooms. The cool misty climate specialises in smooth Pinot Noir grapes and the red and sparkling wines they produce. 55 major and boutique wineries, many which welcome visitors interested in tasting their wines have been set up in the valley; some of big name producers in the region are Domaine Chandon, Fergusson, Seville Estate and De Bortoli, who have an restaurant annexed to their winery which serves northern Italian cuisine. In addition to the Pinot Noir grapes, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes also flourish in the Burgundian conditions of the Yarra. Most of the producers are centred around the towns of Coldstream, Yarra Glen and historic federation style town, Lilydale with it's pale sandstone homesteads with wide verandas (probably the nicest place to base your stay though it is close enough to travel down from Melbourne.). The stunning backdrop of the smoky blue mountains of the Diving Range and the Dandenongs hem the valley in with the Yarra River running through the centre making this a popular area to see by balloon.
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Review by Photo by flickr user Allerina & Glen MacLarty |
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The DaintreeRainforests and Jungles in Queensland, Australia While thousands of people visit the Daintree, in far North Queensland, you can still escape from it all and experience the ancient sense of this place. Famously known as the place where 'the rainforest meets the Reef', it is home to one of the largest ranges of animals and plants on earth. It contains 30% of the frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species. The forests are ancient and can track their lineage back 135 million years – these forests act as a reminder of what much of Australia was like when it was far wetter through the presence of primitive flowering plants – for instance the ancient rainforests stretched out as far as Uluru/ Ayers Rock. Now they exist in small pockets – none are more impressive than Daintree where the coral reefs push up against dazzling white beaches that then merge into tropical rainforest.
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Review by Photo by flickr user tauntingpanda |
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