posted by Traveller on Oct 20

Great Ocean Road : The Great Ocean Road is a popular tourist attraction. Located near Melbourne, holiday makers enjoy one of the world’s most scenic drives here. As you travel along the curving road, you will be amazed at the stunning views that appear at each turn. A number of beautiful holiday towns are located in this region. Tourists come here to enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery and explore the historic towns. Below are some highlights you can find at the Great Ocean Road.

Portland, a deep-water port at the end of Princes Highway, was the site of Victoria’s first European settlement. This place has a mix of the historic and the industrial. The beautiful scenery of craggy cliffs, blowholes and rough waters found near the town at Cape Bridgewater is worth visiting.

At Port Fairy, you can see tiny cottages which were there since the1830s when the town was known as a centre for whaling during that time. This place is one of the earliest settle areas in Victoria. The historic town has a number of old bluestone and sandstone buildings, whitewashed cottages and bright fishing boats. Currently, the town is a popular tourist attraction.

The coastal town, Warrnambool, seems more of a major commercial centre, although you can find some historic buildings there. The town has a number of art galleries, museums and old churches. It is known that southern right whales can be seen in this area, off Longans Beach, during the period between May and October. There are some fine beaches for swimming and surfing here.

Port Campbell National Park is the most popular and scenic region of the Great Ocean Road. The narrow stretch of low heathlands where the limestone cliffs tower over the seas creates a stunning sight. Due to the waves thrashing on soft rock for many years, natural sculptures such as rock stacks, gorges and blowholes were formed. The Twelve Apostles, in Port Campbell National Park, are truly astounding rock formations. Many tourists are lured by the beauty of this scenic spot. Travelling between Port Campbell and Port Fairy, you can enjoy beautiful landscapes of rugged cliffs and swirling seas.

Another stunning view of the Great Ocean Road can be seen along the stretch from Lorne to Apollo Bay. As you travel on the curving road, you can enjoy breathtaking views of steep cliffs and the wide ocean. Apollo Bay is a fishing town and fishing trips can be taken from the wharf. You can find a relaxed atmosphere here. This place is known to have fabulous food restaurants. Lorne is a cosy, peaceful seaside village. There are nice forests for nature lovers to go for strolls. During peak seasons, the place tends to be crowded and thus, car parks and accommodation are difficult to find. You can find superb food served by restaurants and cafes here.

Aireys Inlet is a seaside village located beside beautiful beaches. You can find great ocean views here. There is a red and white lighthouse here, which is considered as a landmark of this small coastal town. A drop-by visit at Point Addis can enable you to have a good view of rolling waves beating the rocks. Bells Beach is an excellent place for surfing and an international surfing competition is held here every Easter. This event usually drew thousands of tourists to this spot.

At Great Ocean Road, you can enjoy one of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Australia. Furthermore, as described above, there are some beautiful towns you can visit along this road. From this region, you can enjoy stunning landscapes of rugged cliffs, rough waters, blowholes, rock sculptures, sandy beaches, forests, national parks, whaling ports and waterfalls. It is indeed a wonderful place to visit. Great Ocean Road.

Copyright : Rose Mary

posted by Traveller on Jul 2

Cairns Australia is a booming city of Northern Queensland. There are many wonderful attractions. Cairns Australia is the departure point for most cruises to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world. Hence, there are many cruise boats, catamarans and yatchs heading from here to the Great Barrier Reef every day. Cairns Australia is packed with many activities for the visitors to do. They can choose to do diving, snorkelling, cruising, white-water rafting, skydiving, fishing, bird watching and hot air ballooning.

Along the northeast coast of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 2,300km, from Bundaberg in the south to the tip of Cape Town in the north. It is the largest natural feature on earth, made up by live organisms. Billions of tiny creatures known as coral polyps have formed the reef for more than 600 years. There are many tours to the Great Barrier Reef including day cruises, sailing trips and island stays.

One of the most popular spots, Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, is fabulous for swimming. This saltwater swimming lagoon is free to the public. The 3-km boardwalk promenade, northwest of the lagoon, is popular with strollers and joggers. Cairns Australia’s foreshore has fine spots for picnics and barbecues, as well as a playground for children.

If you want to experience some greenery, you can visit the Flecker Botanic Gardens. It has plenty of tropical plants with a comprehensive collection of over 100 species of palm trees. The rainforest, with native birdlife, is a wonderful natural attraction. A boardwalk leads from the botanic gardens to the Century Lakes. There is a freshwater lake and a saltwater lake. Both lakes provide areas for picnics and children’s play. The Century Lakes were created in 1976 to commemorate the city’s first 100 years.

For visitors who are interested to visit museums and art centres, there are the Cairns Museum, Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns Regional Gallery and Tjapukai Cultural Park. The Cairns Museum reflects the city’s early architecture. The museum has exhibits showing the beginnings and development of the region. The information it provides includes the Palmer River and Hodgkinson River goldfields, contents of a Chinese temple and the construction of the Cairns-Kuranda railway.

The Tanks Arts Centre showcases local artists’ art pieces and performance arts. Housed in a beautiful heritage building, the Cairns Regional Gallery holds exhibitions on both local and indigenous works. A shop located in the gallery sells handicraft goods such as jewellery, ceramics and glassware.

The Tjapukai Cultural Park has a Creation Theatre, a Dance Theatre and gallery. It is an indigenous-owned park, providing a range of educational performances on Aboriginal culture. The activities held here certainly offer visitors an insight to this interesting culture. There are boomerang and spear throwing demonstrations in an Aboriginal camp set-up.

In Cairns Australia, there is a mini zoo, Cairns Wildlife Dome. This mini zoo is perched in the glass atrium on the top of Reef Casino. In the zoo, visitors can see free-flying birds, koalas, wallabies, lizards and crocodiles in a rainforest atmosphere.

From the above, you can see that there is a wide variety of attractions in Cairns Australia.  Visitors can be involved in various kinds of activities. Based on individual needs, visitors can spent their time doing the activities they like here. Furthermore, there is the world-acclaimed attraction, the Great Barrier Reef, which you can visit through an organised tour departing from here. Visit Cairns Australia today, a rewarding experience awaits you.

Copyright: Rose Mary

posted by Traveller on Jun 25

Flights to Hobart Tasmania : Here is the answer. Port Arthur is Tasmania’s most popular attraction. It is one of Australia’s most significant heritage sites with more than thirty buildings, ruins and restored homes. Port Arthur is located about 60km south east of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. This place was first established as a timber station and a prison settlement. The prison was in operation until 1877. Later, the ruins were restored through a conservation program. Port Arthur’s main highlights include the Penitentiary, Commandant’s House, Church, Government Cottage, Trentham Cottage, Hospital and Asylum.

The Penitentiary was originally a flour mill, which was later converted to into a penitentiary, housing near to 500 prisoners in dormitories and cell. The building was gutted by fire in 1897, but had undergone a conservation program which started in1960s.

The Commandant’s House is one of the first houses at Port Arthur. It started as a simple wooden cottage. After the close of the convict period in 1877, the building became a hotel and later a guest house which operated until 1930s. This cottage was restored and furnished in early 19th century style. This beautiful cottage was separated from the rest of the settlement by some high masonry walls.

The Port Arthur’s Church was built in 1836 and used by all denominations. It could accommodate a prison population of about 1,000. The building was once gutted by fire, but the ruins had been fully preserved through several conservation efforts. The Government Cottage was formerly used by visiting dignitaries and government officials. The Trentham Cottage was decorated with the early 19th century furnishings.

Completed in 1942, the Hospital was built with only four wards, having 18 beds in each ward. It also has a kitchen, baking room, laundry and morgue. The hospital was burnt in two fires. Today, the remains of sandstone building is a piece of architectural piece.

Another place to visit is the Port Arthur’s Asylum. Previously it housed more than 100 mentally ill patients. However, when the settlement was closed, it was converted to be the town hall. Currently, it is used as a museum and café.

Today, Port Arthur remains one of Australia’s most significant heritage sites.  If visiting a heritage site is you passion, then you will appreciate Port Arthur.
 
Copyright : Rose Mary