Ben Groundwater
Published: January 26, 2014 - 7:45AM
In honour of our national day, I've pinpointed 26 persuasive reasons to choose a home grown holiday next time.
The temptation is there. With budget flights and a booming dollar it has been easy to take your holidays overseas, to head to another country and leave your own behind. But on this Australia Day, with our dollar just a little less rosy, we're here to celebrate the unique and inspiring travel experiences that make our country so great. Sure, they may not be quite as cost-effective as those offered by our near neighbours but these are things you can only do in our wide, brown land. From the bars to the bush, the coral to the cricket, these are the experiences you should have at home before you set your sights overseas. Why would you want to be anywhere else?
The temptation is there. With budget flights and a booming dollar it has been easy to take your holidays overseas, to head to another country and leave your own behind. But on this Australia Day, with our dollar just a little less rosy, we're here to celebrate the unique and inspiring travel experiences that make our country so great. Sure, they may not be quite as cost-effective as those offered by our near neighbours but these are things you can only do in our wide, brown land. From the bars to the bush, the coral to the cricket, these are the experiences you should have at home before you set your sights overseas. Why would you want to be anywhere else?
1. DIVE THE HERON BOMMIE
Before you bother with Thailand, or you start thinking about the Caribbean, you have to scuba-dive on the Great Barrier Reef.
One of the best places to do that is Heron Island, at the reef's southern end, and one of the best sites at Heron is "The Bommie", a series of coral outcrops that attracts all manner of marine life. This cleaning station - where fish and rays come to be groomed by smaller fish - is a favourite stop-off point for manta rays, eagle rays, reef sharks, wobbegongs, turtles ... and scuba-divers. destinationqueensland.com
2. TAKE A WINE-TASTING TOUR OF MARGARET RIVER
If you can tear yourself away from the beaches you'll find the Margaret River region's real drawcard: wine. From the huge and professionally run, such as Leeuwin Estate winery, to boutique cellar doors such as that at Cape Grace - where the vineyard dog seems to get as much attention as the award-winning cabernet sauvignon - this is a day that's best spent not being the designated driver. Hire someone else for that and get ready to taste. westernaustralia.com
3. STAY ON A WORKING SHEEP STATION
Culture comes in many forms, from paintings on a wall to a boot connecting with a footy, but one key element of Australian society is rarely appreciated by city slickers: the humble farm. What better way to grasp the enormity of this wide brown land, and the life lived by those who earn their keep from it, than to stay on a working sheep station? Check out Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory, an $800-a-night luxury experience. bulloriver.com; travelnet.com
4. SLEEP BY THE SEA AT WATEGOS BEACH
Close enough to Byron Bay to possess its hippy charm, but secluded enough to avoid the crowds that flock to it, Wategos Beach in NSW is the perfect place to rent an apartment and while away a week doing very little. You could get up early to surf the gentle break, or you could sleep in and enjoy a late brunch. You could lie on the beach, or hike up to the lighthouse. Or, given the standard of accommodation available, you could not bother leaving your house at all. visitnsw.com
5. EXPLORE KAKADU BY 4WD
If there's any natural attraction in Australia that can stand proud among the world's greats, it's Kakadu. People pay small fortunes to safari in Africa, or to schlep through the Amazon jungle, when one of the true wonders is in our backyard. You need to see this by four-wheel-drive, to get down and dirty with the crocs, to camp under the stars and experience the immensity of this amazing park. That's an adventure to rival them all. travelnt.com
6. TREK THE LARAPINTA TRAIL
Up there with Tasmania's Overland Track as this country's "must-do" walk for outdoor enthusiasts, the Larapinta Trail is a classic adventure. Spanning 223 kilometres of the West MacConnell Ranges in central Australia, the trail is designed to be tackled over 12 relatively gentle days, beginning at the old Alice Springs Telegraph Station and ending at Mount Sonder. The landscape is rugged and beautiful, and the isolation absolute - not an experience you'll readily forget. travelnt.com
7. PLAY A ROUND OF GOLF AT BONVILLE
Golf enthusiasts travel far and wide for the chance to lose balls and get angry with their putters in exotic locations, but some of the world's finest courses are here in Oz. Bonville, near Coffs Harbour, is in Australia's top 50, and provides a great balance of affordability, ease of access, and a ridiculously nice, if challenging, layout. With plenty of other courses in the region, it's worth spending a week here. And bringing a lot of balls. bonvillegolf.com.au; visitnsw.com
