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25.05.2010 | by Rocky Travel
Darwin, a special Australian City !
Welcome to Darwin!
...my favourite city in Australia...
The past belongs to history, the future is a secret, every present .gif)
moment is a gift !
This is a lovely birthday wish I picked among all the wishes I received today!
And that´s why I want to dedicate a Blog Post to my fave city in Australia, which is Darwin!
Darwin is a very special place to me ! you know one of those places that gets you hooked and you would not leave! I have gorgeous memories of my travel to Darwin that will always stay in my heart.
What´s special about this little Australian frontier town !
I like everything of Darwin !! Its lovely street cafès and dining venues, its huge parks, the esplanade, its marina, its enchanting sunsets, its beaches, its history with beautiful museums, and last but not least its very friendly people always welcoming you with a cheerful smile and a gleam in their eyes.
For me the ideal, relaxed atmsphere of a place to live in! For the time being I enjoy visiting Darwin whenever I can travel to Australia and hope one day my dream to stay there for longer time will come true!
I hope you will also like Darwin and enjoy great travel in Northern Australia as I did.
Learn more about Darwin in this separate section. And if you have any story or travel tips to share, please add your comment here below. Thanks !
Michela
25.05.2010, by Rocky Travel, comments: (0)
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17.05.2010 | by Rocky Travel
Where to look for Australian Aboriginal Art
The best places for Australian Aboriginal Art !
The first time I visited Australia, 6 years ago, I did not have any information about where to buy aboriginal art. I had heard a lot about the Top End, where the major production of indigenous art is actually coming from, but since my travel itinerary did not include the Northern Region of Australia, I first started visiting the major Aboriginal Art Galleries in in the main cities like Sydney and Melbourne and Adelaide.
A good source of aboriginal arts can be found at the local street markets, in fact some artists only sell their own works at these local street markets, you can find one almost in any australian town and little village too. Among all markets I visited there are a few places that are worth the mention for aboriginal arts, for example the Darwin Mindil Beach Market in Sydney, the Rocks Markets .
You can also find interesting stalls selling good aboriginal arts in Melbourne the Soutbank Market and at the Art Galleries nearby, as well as at my fave street market: the St. Kilda Market. Usually they are held on weekends but to be sure check the opening times at the local visitor centre, since these may change during the year.
Another place you should visit, if you like me, are interested in arts, if you plan to visit Adelaide go to the
Art Gallery of South Australia which is hosting the largest exhition of Australian Indigenous Art!
Absolutely not to be missed!!
Among all places I visited, my fave town, I can recommend for buying Aboriginal Arts, is definitely Alice Springs, where you can find an array of aboriginal art galleries, little shops offering an excellent choice of art! Do not worry about the transportation, you can have all your purchases shipped home, thus avoiding the trouble of carrying them with you. Most galleries also offer extensive informative materials, from books, to videos, talks, so as to give you an accurate insight about the different painting techniques, the story behind the art work and the traditions and culture about the artists as well as the indigenous tribes they belong to. And moreover you can have an update about the local events and festivals throughout the Northern Territory!
Broome in North Western Australia and Airlie Beach on the Eastern Coast in Queensland are also very interesting places for aboriginal art! But about these two places I will come back with a separate post!
If you are interested in buying aboriginal arts you may want to check this link, I came across recently, where you can find an aboriginal art directory offering a comprehensive list of art galleries throughout the country, a detailied list of commercial and non commercial galleries can be found here too: http://www.aboriginalartdirectory.com/search/search-results.php
Moreover if you are interested in Aboriginal Arts Events in Australia you can check out the official site of Australia Indigenous Arts !
If you know some good places for aboriginal arts feel free to share it with us and add it by posting a comment here below!
Thansk and Cheers!
Michela
17.05.2010, by Rocky Travel, comments: (0)
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04.05.2010 | by Rocky Travel
What about Train Travel in Australia ?
Experience Queensland by Rail !
Thinking of Australia train travel probably the first thing that
comes to your mind is The Ghan ! 
A rail journey crossing the country from Darwin to Adelaide through the red hearth of Australia: undoubtedly the biggest train attraction in Australia as well as one of the most famous rail routes in the world!
Travelling Australia by rail is a unique and relaxed way to travel around the contintent, that gives you a great opportunity to see much of the country, go through remote, untouched landscapes and thus make of the journey itself part of your travel experience.
If you are planning to travel mostly by car or flying between your destinationsin Australia, adding a train route can be a good option to enjoy the country in a different perspective.
Australia has a wide offer of train trips ranging from the classic long distance routes such as The Indian Pacific, from Sydney to Perth and The Overlander, from Melbourne to Adelaide. Next to these long distance Australian Trains there are several local Australia Rail Travel routes.
Queensland there is the largest rail network of long distance trains, operating outback and coastal routes as well as tourist trains.
Let´s have a look at the single train routes in Queensland:
- Tilt Train
A high speed train, the fastest in Australia, offer state-of-the-art facilities, takes you from Brisbane to Cairns, and Brisbane to Rockhampton. It´s ideal for daily short trip, you can reach any of the beautiful places in between very fast while enjoying spectacular coastal scenery.
- The Sunlander
A spectacular coastal journey from Cairns to Brisbane (and return), across the lush landascape of Queensland´s coastline.
- The Westlander
A scenic journey from Brisbane to Charleville, across the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, the green countryside of the Darling Downs. In charleville you can see amazing fauna and flora and learn abou the history of the town by walking the Heritage Charleville Trail.
- The Inlander
A historic journey from Townsville to the heart of Queensland outback , Mount Isa, a famous mining centre.
- The Spirit of Outback
From Brisbane to Longreach, 24hours train journey that transports you for over 1300km into the heart of Queensland outback. Longreach you can visit the Australian Stockman Hall of Fame, The Outback Heritage Centre.
- The Kuranda Scenic Railway
Possibly the most spectacular tourist rail journey in Queensland, this should stay on your list when visiting Cairns and its surrounds!! This historic railway takes you in approx 90 minutes from Cairns to Kuranda, a mountain village in the Rainforest´s heart ! The train rising at 328 meters above the sea level, winds its way through a dense, World Heritage protected Tropical Rainforest, travel past the awesome Barron Gorge, steep ravines and spectacular waterfalls. For more information visit the Kuranda Scenic Railway
- The Gulflander
This is half day journey , the service operates between Normanton and Croydon and takes you through ancient geological formations, large cattle stations. You can enjoy a stop at Norman River Bridge for morning tea and taking pictures.
- The Savannahlander
This is a great Outback Railway experience, on the classic 1960 Train, which takes you from Cairns to Forsayth, through the World Heritage-listed forests to Kuranda, stopping at Barron Falls, proceeds through the rural areas of the Atherton Tablelands to reach the Gulf Savannah, where you can start exploring the outback region viewing the Chillagoe Caves, the Cobbold Gorge and the Undara Volcanic National Park. For more information visit the Savannahlander website.
To learn more about Queensland Rail Trips you can visit the website of the rail provider TravelTrain
Of the above itinerary options I have tried myself the Ghan in 2008 and the Kuranda Scenic Rail in 2004. Travelling on the Ghan was certainly a different way of experiencing the vast outback areas, but for some reasons this route as well as the train service did not impress me as I expected.
The Kuranda Rail Trip in Tropical Queensland is a short travel into beautiful rain forest that I can highly recommend if you are visiting Cairns and its surrounding area.
For my next trip to Queensland I have on my list the Savannahlander, to experience more of the Queensland Outback treasures!
How was you train travel experience in Australia ? If you want to send in your story or add any comments to this blog post, feel free to write it here below. Wish you happy Train Travel around Australia !
Michela
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