Why visit Kings Canyon

When I planned my first trip to Ayers Rock 8 years ago, the Uluru was the only thing I wanted to see. I thought that's all worth seeing in the Red Centre, but I was wrong. There is indeed much more to see besides the majestic Uluru Rock.

Starting from Alice Springs, the focal outback town in the heart of the Red Centre, you can explore a precious and ancient area of dramatic landscapes, red striped sandstones, small green oasis peppered with water gorges and plunge pools: you can go camping, bushwalking, spotting wildlife, watching a myriad of native birds, marvel at stunning sunrises, sunsets and sleep under a sky covered with millions of stars. About 300km north east of Uluru there is the Watarrka National Park also known by tourists as the Kings Canyon National Park.

Sydney Opera House Facts....and Photos

What's the first thing people want to see when in Sydney? Uhm...that's an easy question: The Sydney Opera House of course! Thousands of visitors who visit Sydney every day throng to the Sydney Opera House to see one of the most distinctive buildings and performing arts venues in the world. The Sydney Opera House cruised through storming waters during its construction though. Lots of controversies, mostly caused by costs blow-outs and engineering disagreements, made its progress and completion difficult till the opening in 1973.

The Sydney Opera House with its unique and imposing shell-shaped building gained over the years global cultural significance, thus becoming not only an iconic symbol for Australia but also a worldwide recognisable image that was officially sealed when UNESCO in 2007 declared the Sydney Opera House a World Heritage Site.

Tips for shopping "Australian Made"

A trip to Australia is by itself a wonderful experience, that will reward you with unforgettable memories. Photographs and videos are certainly a great way of capturing the spirit of your travels, an authentic product of Australia is also a great memento that can evoke feelings and memories of places you discovered, people you met, things you learnt. Often when it comes to choosing authentic products of australia to take home, you will come across the definition of "Australian Made". The majority of australian souvenirs to be found in shops are not australian made, most of those souvenirs are made in China or somewhere else.  Australian Made Products is a label that guarantees the product is a natural product of the country. This means the product is locally produced by using natural products of Australia and it is also made by local artists or by local producers.

If  you care for 100% australian made products and want to buy something authentic of Australia you can take a look at my top list of australian made products worth buying during your travels in Australia.

 I have decided to add a "Guest Blogger section " to the Australia Rocky Travel Blog. On a regular basis I will introduce international travel bloggers who, like me, love to travel Australia independently and want to share with their thrilling Australian Travel Stories!   Today a Guest Post by: Jeremy

Solo Holidays in Australia

Solo travel isn’t easy. In fact, it’s not supposed to be. Both one of my favorite and least favorite things about my travels is that I do them on my own. Sometimes it’s just better riding solo, working around your own schedule and, very importantly, your own budget. There’s no need to concern yourself with others and what they’re up to--just do your thing!  But then there are other times... I’ve been away from home for almost exactly two years now. This works out to two Christmases away from home. Two birthdays. Two New Years’. Two Thanksgivings. Two Halloweens. Two Mother’s Days. Two Easters.  That’s a whole lot of holidays.

Discovering the Australian Outback by train

Road tripping is by far regarded as the best way to discover and savour the australian outback in all its facets.The feeling of freedom by setting off and moulding the road trip as you like is priceless. A train journey can also be a great way of reaching remote areas of Australia without the fatigue that long driving distances involve. Travelling Australia by train is a good alternative to self-driving, that allows you to get the feel of the vastness of the country, enjoy the beauty of the landscape while covering long distances at a more relaxed pace.

Last year I had the chance of travelling around Australia by train for a long time. In a couple of months I went from the Tropical North of Queensland and  coastal areas, to the south west and Central Australia's Outback Heart. I travelled on 7 different train services criss-cross Australia totalling over 14,000 kilometers. It has been a great experience that gave me the opportunity to see remote areas of Australia that I would have not seen otherwise. For solo travellers  train travel in Australia is indeed a great way of discovering less travelled, remote places of  Australia.