Hobart makes Lonely Planet Top 10 City Destinations for 2013

Wowed by dining hot spots, natural beauty, friendly locals and the marvellous MONA, Winsor Dobbin says the time to visit Hobart is now.

While the rest of Australia expressed amazement at Hobart being named by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 city destinations for 2013, there was no such surprise among the capital's residents, who have long known they are on to a good thing.

There is a real vibrancy about Hobart these days.

According to Lonely Planet, Hobart's "allure has always been its natural beauty ... but the arrival of the world-class MONA museum has the waters rippling, hip tourists flocking and Hobart rousing from its slumber".

Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/travel/all-hip-and-happening-20121109-292ym.html#ixzz2CphVNCIq

ActiveActivities is an Australian website for Australians with the sole aim of bringing the widest range of kids activities, events, resources and kids activity providers together for mums, dads, grandparents, step mums and dads, aunts and uncles, carers or just about anyone looking to entertain a child.

Activeactivities.com.au has over 50,000 listings across Australia and growing, and our focus is only on kid’s activities for young children. We are continually expanding our listings, events, venues and resources guides as well as adding new functionality to bring you, the user the best possible experience.

Heading Off the Beaten Track

Each year hundreds of 4WD vehicles leave the bitumen for an offroad adventure! If you are looking to take on one of Australia's most challenging 4WD tracks, here are seven of the best:

The Cape-Telegraph Road / Penninsula Development Road, QLD

• The route to the northern-most point of mainland Australia
• Starts at Lakeland
• 743km - five days or more
• Best travelled April to October
• Archer River to Bramwell Junction is the longest distance between fuel and supplies (162km)
• Hard, rugged drive.
• Highlights include ancient Aboriginal art and the ruins of Somerset.

Simpson Desert, SA & QLD

• Birdsville to Dalhousie Springs
• 440km - four days or more
• Closed from last week in Nov until the end of Feb
• Always check conditions before setting out
• Mt Dare to Birdsville is longest distance between fule and supplies (511km)
• Extremely remote drive, crossing hundreds of dunes separated by salt and clay pans.
• Attach a flag to your aerial at all times for visibility in dunes. Dunes continualy moving with some steep drop offs. The grow in height as you travel east so crossing from west to east is best.
• Highlights include old ruins, The Knolls, Poeppel Corner (meeting of 3 states), Big Red highest of the sand dunes.

Binns Track, SA & NT

• Mount Dare to Timber Creek
• 2191km (at least 10 days) or break into four separate sections
• Always check road and weather conditions before trip
• Attach flag to your aerial in the dunes
• Longest distance between supplies and fuel - Mt Dare to Santa Teresa (344km)
• Highlights include Gregory National park, Simpson Desert, Old Andalo Homestead, rare acacia peuce trees, ancient rock carvings, Santa Teresa Aboriginal community, gem fossicking, Devils Marbles and more.

Lower the bar from 5 star

You might think that you cannot manage a road trip around Australia without an expensive rig and all the creature comforts....

 

Okay, so you may not need something quite so luxurious but you don't need a new Landcruiser or late model caravan either. There are plenty of bargains to be found when buying a second hand caravan or camper trailer. Our caravan was a 70's vintage, old but still robust. We had it serviced and made a few upgrades but it was still very basic and small, 12 ft small! Our car was a '94 dual cab Ford Courier 2 wheel drive which proved to be very reliable. We added an annexe and a tent for extra space when setting up camp for more than a few days.

My point is, don't wait until you can afford the rig of your dreams, not if it means taking on a large debt or years and years of saving. Spend as much as it takes to get a reliable, fuel efficient vehicle that can tow a well looked after second-hand house on wheels and just go....

How to Survive a Road Trip with a Toddler

Spida and Sheree Everitt have a great TV show and website The Great Australian Doorstep. Check it out for heaps of travel tips and adventure stories.

How to Survive a Road Trip with Toddlers is just one of their helpful articles...

* Try and choose caravan parks where kids can get physical! Most parks these days cater enormously for kids. Plenty of space to run about. If not, tackle a beach or big town park, and really wear them out. Try to do this every day. Kids will get grumpy and irritable if they don’t have adequate outside running around time.

* Make a set time every day for ‘fun time’, one parent get washing in and start on dinner while the other does fun time with the kids. Run them ragged, then put them in the shower (always best in daylight with little ones) then have them ready for bed when they sit down for dinner. With tired legs and a full tummy they will fall asleep before you know it.

* Rewards – reward the kids when they are good. Extra play time is always a great option!

* Dirty nappies, dispose of them as far away from your campsite as possible! Double bag, put them in a plastic container with a lid and pour Listerine mouthwash inside the tub. Keeps ants, cats & dogs away.