I have just returned from a 9 week Trip around Australia. A wonderful trip full of new adventures, new experiences and knowledge about new places and new people. But this trip has been, somehow, different from my previous trips. This time I had the opportunity to try out different types of accommodation in Australia. From serviced apartments and self-contained cottages, to 4stars hotels, to private accommodation I could experience how different ways of stay can enrich your travels too. 

While I enjoyed all types of accommodation, I found private accommodation the perfect fit for my solo trips and my travel style.

Private Accommodation in Australia is turning indeed into a popular way of travel. On this post you can read about the benefits of private accommodatoin and why I can recommend it to other fellow travellers who look for good value accommodation and prefer a more relaxed and personal way of travel.

8 Reasons for choosing private accommodation in Australia

What are the main reasons for choosing private accommodation? Why do people prefer a privately-owned stay rather than a more conventional stay like hotel rooms? While saving money on accommodation is reason no. 1, people also value the quality of accommodation like comfort, space and the priceless experience of “feeling-like-at-home” when far away from home!

Here you have 8 good reasons for staying in private homes.

• Value-for-money Accommodation
  If you want to to save money on accommodation in Australia private rentals are a great alternative to expensive hotels. Private rentals are in average 20-40% less expensive than hotels.

• More space, more comfort
  If you do not like tiny hotel rooms and prefer spacious rooms with all comfort, private apartments are definitely a better choice.

• Feel-like-at-home Stay
  Private apartments  offer  “the-home-away-from-home” experience which is a priceless feeling because you will not get anywhere else.

So, what type of travellers is most likely to look for private accommodation? Solo travellers and couples can benefit from the much lower rates than hotels, whereas for families with kids it can be the a great option for longer stay.

• Travelling alone on a budget
  If you love to travel solo but do not fancy staying in hostels or paying for single room supplements a private room is a great choice as budget accommodation offering in addition more privacy and greatest rest.

• Ideal stay for family with kids
  A better way of managing long term trips with kids and at the same time maintaining the feel-like-at-home balance.

Besides saving money on accommodation there are more aspects that play a role when considering to rent private accommodation rather than staying in anonymous hotels. Here below more benefits from private rentals in Australia.

• Learning about the place and people
  Staying in private accommodation means to be able to experience the place in a more authentic way, by being confronted with the habits and the local culture in a direct way.

• Get to know the locals
  Probably the best part of it and main reason next to saving money is the desire to get to know the locals. Exchanging insights and thoughts and making friends with friendly Aussies is a great benefit you would not easily get otherwise.

• Try out something different
  If you are tired of the same old way of travel, trying out something different like renting private apartments can be a very enticing experience. Either as a break on long term holidays or as a short stay it will allow you to experience a place from a different perspective.

How do you look for private accommodation in Australia

The best way to look for private accommodation in Australia is to browse in internet where you can find booking sites offering large pools of private rentals such as rental apartments, studio flats and rooms in privately-owned homes.

A reliable and large online platform for private rentals is WIMDU with whom I have booked my private accommodation in Australia. Click on the link to read my experience and review about my private accommodation in Perth.

Michela

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Adelaide is known in Australia for great Festivals and excellent Food and Wine. Besides that Adelaide is also the greenest city in oz with its CBD completely surrounded by beautiful parklands. From the city centre you can reach both the coast and the hills in only 20 minutes drive. For international travellers Adelaide is the natural starting point for great adventures to outback destinations like the Flinders Ranges, Coober Pedy or Kangaroo Island. But most of times there is no extra time to spend in Adelaide and that’s a shame, because there are lots of things to do in Adelaide that deserve more attention. Yes Adelaide definitely should be included in your itinerary!

I have been 5 times to Adelaide so far. This year Adelaide was the hub for my “Coast to Coast Trip around Australia“. I spent 8 days in total and was happy to discover new things and be able to see the city from new perspectives. Adelaide is a very relaxing city offering at the same time plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities. I really enjoyed my time in Adelaide making me want to go back to spend more time there in the next future….and who knows I might even consider to live there one day!

If you plan to visit South Australia’s capital ciy soon these are my best tips on how to spend 48 hours in Adelaide.

Hire a Free Adelaide City Bike

This is a great way to explore the city and its beautiful parklands. Hop on a free Adelaide city bike and visit the CBD with its lovely architecture in the Rundle Mall. Stop at the South Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of S.A. to see the largest exhibition of indigenous art and history. Along the city circuit there are are great cafés venues. Visit the Adelaide Arcade and make a coffee break at Ciao café in the Arcade or at Haigh’s Chocolates Store. There are 10 hire points around the city from where you can hire a bike for free! Check out their website  www.bikesa.asn.au/AdelaideCityBikes/

Beautiful Adelaide Architecture 

Explore the Park Lands to experience the green side of Adelaide

You will not believe it there are 29 parks in Adelaide all of them are very unique, from rose gardens, to japanese gardens to old olive groves and exotic trees. The parklands have a bitumen cycle and walk pathway. Take the Parklands Trail around the city to view the Botanic Gardens, Adelaide Gaol and Bonython Park, a great place along the river with playgrounds, BBQ facilities and adjacent to the Golf Course. The River Torrens Linear Park is the largest hills-to-coast park in Australia, that takes you from Tea Tree Plaza in the northern part of the city to Henley Beach. For more information check ou twww.adelaideparklands.com.au/

Spend time at Adelaide Central Market for the best local produce

The Adelaide Central Market is a real institution for all kind of local produce. A colourful place filled with a great atmosphere, home-grown fruit, vegetables, homemade cheeses and breads and an array of local seasonal delicacies. I love browsing through the unique little shops and eating the creative food of local cuisine. The Adelaide Central Market is open from Tuesday to Saturday, for more info visit their website www.adelaidecentralmarket.com.au

Go to Henley beach for a sunset beach walk 
and great hangout

I only discovered Henley Beach during my last visit in April and loved it. First time travllers tend to go to Glenelg Beach, which is great for shopping. However Glenelg Beach is not as beautiful as Henley beach where you can walk or jogg along its promenade during the day as well as enjoy a gorgeous sunset and relax at the many dining venues lining the beach.

Enjoy Adelaide Great Food and Wine

Adelaide is known for great local food and excellent wines and its great climate makes it to the right place for dining out most of the year. In the city there is a good mix of bars, pubs along with fine restaurants and cafés. The best streets for dining out are Rundle Street, O’Connell Sreet and Gouger Street for asian eateries. Something you must try are fresh oysters and prawns, they are absolutely delicious! I did not like oysters till I tried the oysters from the Eyre Peninsula!

These are my picks to savour Adelaide city flair. There are more things that are worth doing such as to experience one of the many festivals for which the city is famous worldwide like the Adelaide Festival and the WOMAdelaide Festival, just to name a couple of festivals held in March every year.

There are over 20 Adelaide festivals from cultural, sports to food & wine events throughout the year. The best way to check what’s on when you are visiting South Australia’s capital city is to visit this website: http://www.southaustralia.com/events.aspx  for current events and updates.

Have you been to Adelaide? ?If you have any tips or special things to suggest leave your comment

Michela

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A trip to the Gold Coast has never been on my list when travelling Australia. In 10 years I have travelled with over 60thousands km across the vast outback, secluded australian beaches and wilderness areas I never felt the need of the buzzing life nor I felt naturally attracted to see the Gold Coast. Bu lately my curiosity about the Gold Coast started to grow more and more while listening to other travellers’ stories and their enthusiasm about it. I was somehow keen to see with my own eyes how the place that attracts over 5 millions of tourists every year from all over the world looks like. An interesting fact 15% of Gold Coast visitors return to visit or even buy properties there to then become permanenent residents. Indeed the Gold coast is the fastest growing region in Australia with an average growth in population of 5% per year.

This is for now my 2 days trip to the Gold Coast.

Why and how I picked Coolangatta

The idea of diving into a Miami-like bustling city surrounded by skyscrapers, hundred of hotels lining the beach, clubs, massive shopping malls was frightening me. At first I did not know where to go and what to do there! So I asked for tips and the name Coolangatta was mentioned and recommended by friends and other travellers I met during my Australia Trip this year.

Where is Coolangatta on the Gold Coast

Coolangatta is located in Queensland on the border to New South Wales, to the twin town Tweed Heads. It is quirky how this geographical border is shaping the same place in two different states. A sculpture at the roundabout on Boundary Street is the only visible sign of the geographical border, unless you know about you could not tell you are in 2 different states just by crossing the road. This means that during the 6 months of light saving there will be 2 different times zone within the same towns. In fact Queensland does not have any light saving system but NSW does so it makes visitors’ stay a bit complicated but fun at the same time. The funniest thing is at New Year’s Eve when you can actually celebrate the New Year twice, by joining another club across the road…one hour after midnight

What to do and see in Coolangatta

Coolangatta is different from Surfers Paradise, although there are high buildings in the town centre, the architecture has more gentle, soft contours with plenty of natural attractions, pretty surf beaches, long wide stretches of sandy beaches, offering great walking and sighting of Surfers Paradise from afar.

I can highly recommend to do the long walk from the Pacific Parade or a shorter one from the Marine Parade up to the Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse. This walk takes you through the popular swimming beaches like Greenmount Beach to Greenmount Heathland down to Rainbow Bay a very popular surfing spot along with Snapper Rocks, the most eastern rocky point.

From there you keep walking up to the hill for a grandious 180-degrees view over the ocean. This is Point Danger. At the lookout you can take photos of Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse and enjoy a stunning view over the ocean, the jetty and the lovely Duranbah Beach with the Tweed River Inlets that you can see from afar. The whole area is a green area popular for picnics with BBQ facilities.

What else can do you in Coolangatta?

Next to the bustling beachside town with lots of shops, boutiques, cafes, clubs, pubs and live entertainment you can visit the wildlife sanctuary in Currumbin which is only 7km drive from town. And if at some stage you need a nature escape, with a short drive inland (30km) you can reach the wonderful rainforest and do one of the many walks. The Lamington National Park, or the Springbrook National Park are very close to Coolangatta and home to an ancient volcanic area with beautiful walking trails like the one that takes you up to the summit of Mount Warning. This is a great area to see wildlife and also very rare ancient trees that are estimated to be 2000years old.

While I cannot say that I am now raving about the Gold Coast, I have enjoyed my 2 days in Coolangatta walking along its beautiful beaches, watching surfers catching waves and taking photos of amazingly beautiful Surfers Paradise on the horizont.

Michela

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Within 4 weeks of solo travel I went  from the most south-westerly point in Western Australia, Cape Leeuwin to the most southern point of mainland Australia, the Wilson Promontory. 
Initially I was not planning a road trip in Victoria because of my previous road trip in W.A. and South Australia I thought it was enough to drive alone for almost 1500km.

In Victoria, since I had been several times before, I wanted to see Phillip Island and Wilson Promontory which had been long on my list. Although there is a public transportation service that takes you to both destinations from Melbourne, once you get there it’s not easy to get around if you do not have a car and unless you go on a tour, the only way to see these places is hiring a car.

So in the end I decided to hire a car for the entire route and it turned out to be one of the best solo road trips I ever did in 10 years of travels around Australia.

How I organized my Solo Road Trip

As usual I booked my rental car with DriveNow and picked it up at Europcar in Franklin Street, Melbourne. Driving out of town form Melbourne is very easy even for someone like me who is not familiar with the city. You will not need any GPS system, you can either use Google Maps or download an appls to get your route organized. Once I got to the free highway the driving route took me down south for 130 km to my the first destination of my solo road trip, Phillip Island.

Destination Phillip Island

Phillip Island was the first stop of on my Solo Road Trip. I spent a couple of nights in a lovely private accommodation with a garden overlooking the ocean. Cowes is the main town and the heart of the island, from there you can start discovering the island which boasts one of the biggest attractions in Australia: the Penguins Parade. Although it does sound like a touristy attraction It is a truly unique experience that has enriched my knowledge about these lovely creatures. Watching them coming out of water, hanging out in big group, dragging themeselves home (burrows) after a hard day of work (fishing) is really impressive. From Dave, the ranger who was our guide that night, we got to know that Phillip Island is home to 32 thousand penguins, so it was an easy guess, penguins outbumber by far the inhabitants of Philipps Island

On the way to Wilson Promontory

The final destination of my Solo Road Trip was Wilson Promontory, or simply the Prom as the locals love to call it. The drive from Cowes to Yanakie takes you to the most southerly point of Australia through stretches of green countryside to Wonthaggi. From there it is worth taking a 2okm detour along the coastal drive on the Bunurong Road and the Cape Peterson Road to Inverloch, the biggest town in the area. The drive is smooth and easy and offers a few spectacular views over the ocean, with outlooks and staircases to the beach.

After 120km I have reached Yanakie, a little village in Corner Inlet Marine National Park, an oasis for wild and bird life. Yanakie is also well known for great kayaking, snorkelling spots as well as for excellent walking trails. In Yanakie I stayed in a luxury cottage with a fantastic 180° view over Corner Inlet.

Corner Inlet Marine Park and Tidal River

In Yanakie I spent my day walking in Tidal River National Park. There are over 20 walking tracks ranging from easy, short walks to long walks with overnight camping, to several days walks. Tidal River is the main camping sites in Wilson Promontory. Yanakie is located 30km from the .Tidal River Visitor Centre.

in 24 hours I did 15km of walks from the Corner Inlet Marine Park to the most highest point in Tidal River Outlook. I saw flocks of black swans and a variety of water birds to breathtaking view over Norman Bay and Squeaky Beach to the highest point of Tidal Overlook. Wilson Promontory offers stunning views and a pristine enviroment that reminded me of Tasmania.

I really loved my solo road trip to Wilson Promontory and enjoyed these 4 days. The time at the Prom was a bit tight and there are a few more walks that I still want to do in one of my next visit.  Stay tuned for more details about this wonderful wilderness area which is Wilson Promontory.

You can follow me on my Travel Adventure around Australia on Facebook and on Twitter too.

Michela

My Solo Road Trip To Wilson Promontory and Phillip Island was proudly supported by Melbourne Victoria Tourism

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The white long cloud and Aotearoa, how Maori people named New Zealand, are the first things I learnt about New Zealand from a friendly new zealander on my flight to Auckland. It does not take long, in a couple of hours I can witness myself what I have learnt. By peering through my window I am rewarded with a magnificient aerial view. Thin layers of long white clouds stretching over the inlets of Auckland’s harbour and the golden orange sunlight reflection makes it to a beautiful scenery.

KIA ORA NEW ZEALAND! I have reached a land of magic landscapes and natural phenomena. My New Zealand Tour starts here in Auckland.

Auckland – New Zealand’s modern and friendly capital city

Auckland with 1,5 million inhabitants is not only the core of finance and business in New Zealand it is a must see destination. With its unique relaxed character and its lovely suburbs Auckland spreads around its magnificient harbour which reminds me of Sydney. Our first stop is at Mount Eden, the highest volcano of the area, from where we enjoy a magnificient 360° view over the city and its surronding valleys. Memorial Gardens and Skyline are two more places to view the city from afar. In 36 hours I got to see Auckland from all angles and different perspectives.

A boat tour to Devenport on the southern site of the harbour rewards you with a lovely walk and view over the city. The afternoon is spiced up with an adrenaline experience abord a jet tour spinning down the harbour. To contrast this a relaxing dinner cruise is a fabulous way of completing our discovery day in Auckland.

New Zealand’s natural phenomena

New Zealand is all about landscape and natural phenomena. Its ancient volcanic land has formed over thousands of years making it to one of the most spectacular and fertile landscape on earth. As we head north to Bay of Islands, winding through sweeping valleys, the rich and diverse vegetation creates a striking scenery which has no comparison. While I sea and look out of the window in awe I try to take photos swinging from one side to the other abord of our comfortable Leisure Time Tours coach. This photo was taken from the coach, although it looks beautiful, it cannot do justice to the stunning beauty of New Zealand’s landscape.

The striking landscape lies in the variety of trees and vegetation growing together on a small stretch of land. From oaks, redwoods, cabbage trees, to a variety of ferns trees and palm trees. A canvas filled with dashes of green melting together and dotted by the lovely golden Toetoe. This iconic native grass grows literally everywhere in New Zealand. It sticks out of the ground with large plumes on long stems creating a unique contrast in the large green expanses.

The Kauri Tree

The main protagonist in the New Zealand’s natural phenomena is the Kauri Tree. An ancient tree which is estimated to be thousands of years old, one of the most ancient trees in the world which has shaped the history, the culture and the life of the indigenous Maori population as well as the earlier pioneers of New Zealand.  To learn about this fascintating history of the Kauri Tree we visited the Matakohe Kauri Museum, a very interesting museum showcasing the history of the pioneers till the present days.

We drive further north through the forest to  meet a Maori Tour Guide and learn about the secrets and significance of the Kauri Tree to the Maori people. We are introduced to Tane Mahuta, the God of the Forest. As we take a 5 minutes walk to see Tane Mahuta, a majestic tree, 60meters high, 2000 years old we stand in awe for a few minutes listening to our Maori Guide’s emotional singing prey of welcome.

The Hokianga’s Harbour

By driving further south east of the Waipou Forest we reach the spectacular harbou’s inlets of Hokianga. A peaceful area with beautiful beaches, a less travelled area, the ideal place to stay away from crowds and relax at the beach surrounded by lovely hills, deep forest and the ocean. It’s windy and the sun shines through the white long clouds… I am glad I am wearing my purple Gondwana Outdoor Jacket to keep me warm.

The Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands lies opposite Hokianga Harbour on the eastern coast. It is a huge area of inlets and home to a myriad of small to large rocky islands. As we depart from Paihia’s ferry terminal the sight around us opens up on the blue ocean with tiny conic island silhouettes lining the far horizont. A sunny morning with a clear sky rewards us with deep blue light reflections on the water making it to a great cruise experience. The highlight of the day is the sight of  dolphins swimming around out boat and wonderful blue fish close to the rocky formations. Another great day for photos!

The Maori Cultural Dance

Waitangi is located close to Paihia and it’s the place where New Zealand was born as a country, where the treaty between the British and the Maori population was signed, 180 years ago. There we get an insight about this important historic event and also have the honour to witness a cultural Maori performance. It was very entertaining and educational at the same time to learn about the traditional meaning of gestures and tools Maori people use in their dance.

This is a short recap of the first 3 days of my famil tour in New Zealand. There are still plenty of places and activities to cover….our next destination for the following days is Rotorua. Stay tuned to read more about my experience in New Zealand.

My New Zealand Tour was hosted by Leisure Time Tours, a family owned tour operator offering high quality coach tours around New Zealand.

Michela

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When I first visited Kangaroo Island 10 years ago, I was not aware of how much this island has to offer and decided to go on a day tour. But hopping on and off the coach was not enough for me and it truly is too short to make justice to this unique island. In a few hours you can get a glimpse of Kangaroo Island’s highligths but to discover the beauty of the island and get the feel of the place you need at least 3 full days. And this is what I did on my recent trip 2 weeks ago. I hired a car and went off re-discovering Kangaroo Island.

How to get to Kangaroo Island

I travelled from Adelaide on the Sealink Coack Service to Cape Jervish along 100km of scenic drive that takes you to Cape Jervis along the Fleurieu Peninsula. From Cape Jervish the Sealink Ferry takes you in 45 minutes over to Kangaroo Island. Penneshaw is the place where you land and where I picked up my car at Budget Rental Car. Although the little village of Penneshaw has not changed much in 10 years, a new larger ferry terminal hub is under construction right now so that the locals are very much looking forward to this event which will bring benefits to both local operators as well as to the thousands of visitors.

Self-driving on Kangaroo Island

I loved driving on Kangaroo Island. The main roads that link Penneshaw and Kingscote to the south west of the island are sealed and very easy to drive. In 1 and half hour you have reached the major attractions located in the southern part of the island and further down in the west southern point. With a rental car you are allowed to drive on some gravel roads, usually the short sideroads to the beaches. I really enjoyed driving along the sweeping plains and soft hills of Kangaroo Island, enjoying its far horizonts and feeling the deep isolation that still reigns on Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island attractions

The main reason why people go to K.I. is to see wildlife and its gorgeous and unique landscape. Next to the 3 major attractions which are Seal of Bay with the unique experience of the See Lions, Cape the Coudeic Lighthouse with Remarkarble Rocks and Admirale Arch (within the Flinders Chase National Park) Kangaroo Island offer plenty of outdoor activities especially in the south western area and in the Flinders Chase National Park.

The Flinders Chase National Park

The Flinders Chase National Park is the major national park on K.I. Just a short drive from the visitors centre you can reach the Lighthouse with Remarkable Rocks and Admiral Arch.

This area is actually my favourite part of K.I  I can highly recommend the short walk (1,5km) from the Lighthouse to the Weirs Cove. This is a beautiful walk along the cliffs with spectacular views over the ocean and the rugged coastline. It ends at Weirs Cove, which was the landing point for ships. There you can see the ruins of the last settlement. In the Flinders Chase National Park there are over 20 walks that you can do starting from the visitors centre in the early morning to view birds and native animals including platypus. The earlier you start the walk the higher the chances to see animals.

Kangaroo Island Beaches

Kangaroo Island is not only known for its dramatic landscapes and its abundant wildlife, it also has got very pretty beaches in the most varied settings. From rugged cliffs and stony beaches with huge breaks in the south to white sandy beaches with calm waters in the northern part of the island. On the way to Seal Bay you can stop at  Bales Beach and further south to Vivonne Bay, one of the most beautiful places in the southern coast. Vivonne Bay is a lovely place where you can spend a couple of days enjoying the area by walking or biking or kayaking along the river. Moreover just 5 minutes drive from there you can experience sandboarding huge white sand dunes. This is pretty popular among kids and the youngest, I stopped there and it was fun watching them.

I enjoyed walking on Vivonne Bay, just before sunset it’s a lovely long walk along a wide white beach, in the inlet a bit further south there is a jetty and a lookout point with beautiful view over the bay. This is more protected and you can swim there too.

Probably the most admired beach among all is the famous Hanson Bay. From the beach you can take a walk in the coastal heathland, with stunning views over the cliffs and the ocean. This walk is 18km long long walk and you will need to plan a full day.

The northern part of Kangaroo Island – Kingscote

The 3 major places on the northern coast of Kangaroo Island are Stokes Bay, Emu Bay and Kingscote. I had initially planned to see all of them, but in 3 days you cannot see all of the island (laugh) and decided to focus my last day on visiting Kingscote. As there are many things you can do and see there. I loved Kingscote, sucha a lovely and peaceful place surrounded by water on 3 sides. My first stop was the Island Beehive which is famous for its organic Ligurian Honey (could not believe it but it is pure ligurian honey bees). Not many people know but K.I. is famous for its pure organic honey and a variety of local produce including excellent wines. A visit to Bay of Shoals Winery is a must with breathtaking view over the ocean and enjoy excellent wine testing.

Kangaroo Island Accommodation

To stay overnight on Kangaroo Island is expensive. That’s why camping is the most popular accommodation options on the island. You can take your car on the ferry and camp at a campsite. The island is also a luxury destination for honey mooners, so while luxury accommodation is thriving there are not many good value budget accommodation options available.  I stayed the first night at beautiful Vivonne Bay Lodge, a lovely  place with great facilities offering upgraded backpacking rooms in forms of shared rooms, or doubles and twins with shared bathrooms. The kitchen  is well furnished and equipped with a large lounge and a lovely veranda where you can sit and relax, enjoy a beer and prepare your BBQ and have dinner. There is also a small bottle shop and bar. The place is ideal to to explore the southern part of Kangaroo Island and it is the only good value budget accommodation in the area. My second night in the Flinders Chase National Park in a small cottage and my last in Penneshaw I was invited to stay atKangaroo Island Seafront Hotel , a good place with spacious refurbished rooms, very comfortable, with a garden and a swimming pool in the backyard.

I had a great time re-discovering Kangaroo Island and learning more about its unique landmarks. While 3 days were a good time to savour the island’s characer yet there are many things that I would love to do, hopefully there will be another occasion for me to go back and this time for sure it will keep me occupied for a whole week

Michela

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The Flinders Ranges were the destination of my trip in South Australia. As a first timer traveller I was not keen to travel around by myself and for a few reasons. First of all I knew I would have needed to hire a 4WD to drive through gorges and stony creek beds, secondly the vastness of the Flinders Ranges discouraged me from going it solo.

So, I decided to go on a 3 day tour which turned out to be the best way, for me, to see much of this magnificient outback destination in a relatively short time.

Where are the Flinders Ranges

The Flinders Ranges are a spectacular huge mountain and outback area 450km north of Adelaide. This area is estimated to have formed over 500million years ago. A semiarid vast area and home to a harsh and unforgiving environment with very impressive geological features that have no like it in Australia. Moreover  it’s one of Australia’s richest areas of Aboriginal heritage and the natural features of the Flinders Ranges still bear a strong significance to the various aboriginal groups.

The Highlights of the Flinders Ranges

The ancient river red gum trees with exposed roots and hollow barks. This is such a spectacular scenery that photos cannot bring it live, because there are other elements playing a role like the depth of peacefulness and timelessness that you can feel while you walk through them and rise your eyes to the summit. This is something you cannot capture it into a photo, you can only experience it by being there.

The changing colours over the harsh backdrop of the Flinders Ranges This is very impressive. While we have been driving through gorges, stony creeks beds, on sealed roads, through hills and slopes the perspective and the scenery kept changing all the times. A wonderful setting for taking photos!

From green, brown and blue and to ocre, red and gold colours.

The abundant birdlife and wildlife. We saw emus, kangaroos the grey, the red and Euro Kangaroo. And our treat was seeing this unique australian animal: the yellow-footed rock wallaby that can be seen only in this region…what lovely creatures!

Sleeping in a swag under million stars sky at Rawnsely Park Station ….(no photo of the starred sky sorry!)

The Flinders Ranges National Park

The Flinders Ranges National Park is the focal point  in the heart of the Flinnder Ranges. From here we started our walk to 2 lookouts from where you can enjoy a beautiufl view over the Wilpena Pound, the majestic amphitheater. A great way to appreciate the vastness of its formation is to take a scenic flight or take the walk to St. Mary Peak, (1300meter), the highest point on the Wilpena Pound. Within the Flinders Ranges National Park there are 4 walks and 14hikes offering great scenic bushwalking. The park also includes a section of the Heysen Trail that extends for over 1200km from Cape Jervish to Parachilna Gorge. There is a caravan park at the Flinders Ranges NP and you can also stay overnight at Wilpena Pound when walking the trails.

How I visited the Flinders Ranges

As I said  I went on a tour with Heading Bush Outback Adventures. The main trigger for me it was the wish to take break from long self-driving routes, sit back and enjoy a small group tour. Secondly I was aware of the vastness of the area and as a first timer traveller to the Flinders Ranges I thought it could be better for me to have my travel arranged by the locals who know the place well.  I really enjoyed the tour with Heading Bush I saw a lot of the Flinders Ranges in 3 days and the quality of the tour was good value for money. Moreover it saved me lots of energy and time which I would have spent while organizing it by myself.

As you know I am not a tour person, I advocate independent travel and am very critical when it comes to tours! On the other hand going on a Flinders Ranges Tour can be a great way of seeing the place for the first time without having to worry much about all organisational aspect of the trip.

If you wish to visit the Flinders Ranges as a first time traveller I can highly recommend the Heading Bush Outback Adventure Tours  for small group tours and high quality tours with local, experienced, and fun tour guides who will show you the secrets of this ancient and fascinating outback landscape which is the Flinders Ranges.

I hope you enjoyed this short introduction to the beauty of the Flinders Ranges! If you have been there or want to go there feel free to leave a message here below.

Thanks!

Michela

p.s.: while I have received a discounted travel on my Flinders Ranges Tour with Heading Bus Outback Adventures the opinions in this post are my own.

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The Geographe Bay was one of the major highlights during my visit to the Margaret Wine Region. While Geographe Bay is a very popular weekend and holiday gateway  among western Australians yet it is not known among international travellers, who refer to South West Australia as the “Margaret River Region”. But the Geographe Bay is a region of its own with its distinctive character and its natural beauty. A visit to the Margaret River Region is definitely not complete without a visit to this special coastline.

Where is the Geographe Bay?

The Geographe Bay is located between Bunbury and Margaret River, a beautiful coastline stretching for over 30km with the most diverse beaches, from secluded bays to long stretches of white sands and lovely spots for safe swimming to rugged red cliffs of Cape Naturaliste, the extreme point of the region, to the magnificient surf beaches of Yallingup on the south-west side of the Cape.

How to visit the Geographe Bay

To visit the Geographe Bay you need at least 2-3 days, ideally a long weekend. This was my first visit and I spent 2 days and 2 nights, on the way back from my visit to the Margaret River Region. The drive from Margaret River takes aprox 1 hour along the Caves Road. This is a beautiful scenic road, towered by lovely trees, that takes you through the countryside offering several stops along the way at local farms, wineries, and microbreweries. In addition there are a few art galleries offering excellent artisan works.

I can recommend the Yallingup Galleries for paintings and local wooden furniture. Before reaching Dunsborough, a lovely township on the coast, you can follow the sign to Yallingup Beach and stop at the lookouts to marvel at the awe-inspiring Smiths Beach and get a feel of the place at Yallingup Beach. Yallingup in aboriginal language means “the place of love” and by standing there a while silently you can understand why.

Yallingug is a popular spot for surfers. Nonetheless the rugged coast forms a lovely safe bay for a peaceful beach escape to suit both family with kids, as well as active people, who want to enjoy the great outdoors by walking its gorgeous walking trails. There are no shops at Yallingup but BBQ facilities are available in the car park area.

The highlights of the Geographe Bay

The Cape Naturaliste area is the focal point of the area. The Geographe Bay Tourism Office has organized for me a walk with a ranger within the park. Altough the weather was not ideal on that morning, it was raining, we decided to take a short walk to Shell Cave along the Bunker Bay Beach to return to the lighthouse. I loved this short walk in the rain. It was so inspiring even in a rainy and grey day, I could feel the deep natural beauty, the fresh smell of the moisture from plants and the ocean breeze….this was my morning treat…a lovely encounter with a kangaroo on the way to the Lighthouse!

The highlight of this walk is definitely the Bunker Bay Beach,  a lovely spot for romantic escapes with beautiful villas, lodges and the Bunker Bay Cafe overlooking the ocean. Andrew, the ranger and my guide that morning told me about the history of this area. In the past it used to be a pastoral area which the government then converted into a national park of Western Australia. It was fascinating to listen to the ecological and enviromental features of this region. The lighthouse is the starting point for several beautiful walking trails, from 2km loop to longer walks meandering through the national park and along the rugged coastline.

All walks can be either self-guided or organized by the park rangers. Moreover there is also a track with wheelchair access. The Cape Naturalist is also the starting point or ending point of the famous 90km Cape to Cape Track, one of the top 10 walking trails of Australia.

From the Lighthouse you can take the scenic coastal drive down to Dunsborough stopping at Eagle Bay, Meelup Beach and Castle Rock. On your way to Eagle Bay Beach do not miss out on stopping at Sugarloaf Rock, 10 minutes drive from the Lighthouse. The Sugarloaf Rock is a huge rock formation sticking out of the ocean. From the car park you walk across a short walking path to witness a gorgeous view over Sugarloaf Rock on the ocean.

Before reaching Eagle Bay Beach a visit to the famous Eagle Bay Brewery is a must! There you can test the special Eagle Bay Beer and savour excellent food, 100%  locally grown products. In fact Eagle Bay Brewery is not only a microbrewery but includes a large farm property too. Their olives are delicious, I called them “salty cherries” and could not stop eating them. The venison pizza (from a wooden fire) was the hit together with the fish and chips, the best crispy non-oily fish and chips I have had in Australia! If you are a food lover this is a top-notch place for  excellent quality food.

Where to stay in the Geographe Bay

You can stay in the 2 major towns of Dunsborough and Busselton if you love to have all comforts, shops and facilities. If you prefer to dive yourself in the natural beauty of the place you can choose to stay at one of the lovely lodges, beach villas or in the forest.  I stayed at a lovely lodge in the Dunsborough hills at the Glasslodge, a beautiful eco-lodge nestled in the forest with an view over the ocean! A special place I will tell you more about it in a separate post.

Must do things of the Geographe Bay

To recap, if you want to enjoy this area and make the most of it, you need to stay at least 2-3 days. These my my top 8 musts:

• Visit Cape Naturaliste and take a walk to discover the history and the aboriginal significance of the area
• Enjoy the peacefulness walk and swim in Bunker Bay
• Explore the coastline on a scenic drive and stop at the various lookouts and beaches
• Stand in awe at Sugarloaf Rock, close to the Lighthouse
• Visit the local art galleries for excellent artisan works, especially wooden furniture and painting
• Visit the local farms, the wineries and the microbreweries to taste and buy their local produce because you will not be able to get them anywhere else.  Most of these farms sell their products only from their premises.
• Stop at Busselton for a tour of the unique 1,8 km long Busselton Jetty with underwater coral reef, very beautiful
• Watch whales emerging out of the ocean a few meters from shore at Bunker Bay Beach. Whale watching is seasonal and can be done only from September-November during the whale migration.

Either on a solo trip, a family trip, or a romantic escape the Geographe Bay is a very special place that will stay in your memories forever.

Michela

The post The Geographe Bay in South West Australia appeared first on Rocky Travel.

After a rocky start with my Australia Trip 2013 where I found myself facing a few challenges. My booked accommodation in a  boutique budget accommodation in Perth turned out to be an awful experience. Travelling is a learning experience and this time I have learnt a lesson that will help me in future. On top of this I was struggling to get some sleep and eat, so it took me a few days to fully recover from jet lag. Thanks God I was lucky to find a good accommodation in the city centre on a Friday Morning and get ready for my discovery tour of the Margaret River Region. As advised on the RockyTravel Journal I had announced this road trip to Australia’s South West as the first leg of my Australia Trip this year.

Margaret River was very impressive! It truly is a place full of surprises that unfolds its beauty and richness a little bit at a time. While I was there and started getting around I kept discovering new interesting things to do and see than I could have ever imagined. So, initially my plan was to spend 4 days in the Margaret River Region and 2 more days in the GeographeBay Region. Soon after my arrival in Margaret River I realised my plan was too tight and decided to cancel my next stop further south at Walpole and Denmark and preferred spending more time epxloring this beautiful region. If you want to visit it properly you need at least 5 days but a  week  in my opinion is the ideal time to do justice to this magnificient Margaret River Region.

How to get to Margaret River and how to get around

To visit the Margaret River region you need a car. There is a bus service  Transwa that takes you from Perth to Margaret River but once you get there you will need to hire a car, otherwise it will be a bit difficult to explore the region. I had booked my rental car through DriveNow Car Hire which you can find by clicking on the link. I got an excellent offer from Budget Rental Car and paid 280AUD for 9 days! I have added the GPS for a discounted price of 50dollars and spent about 120dollars for about 1000km.

The Margaret River Region is very easy to get around you will find your way without the use of GPS. Grab the fantastic Map from the Margaret River Visitor Centre The Visitor Centre is very well serviced with plenty of information. At the Margaret River Tourism Office you can start your visit and find out about what to do and see in the region, about wineries tours, about what’s on, all activities and events. In addition they can make all arrangements for your stay in Margaret River from searching to booking of accommodation, tours, events, entrances to lighthouses, caves and give you guidance for other parts of the region.

What I did in Margaret River

My days were fully packed with lots of things to see and tours. Funny enough, on each day I discovered something new about Margaret River and new things to do, so I easily could have spent a whole week and yet I would not have covered it all.

Here a short recap of what I did in 6 days in Margaret River:

• I visited 9 wineries, tested 30 wines and an array of local produce with Margaret River Vintage Wine Tours
• I visited a local microbrewery and tested its excellent farm products
• I went on a MTB bike Tour from winery to winery with DirtyDetours
• I went canoeing along the Margaret River with Margaret River Discovery Tour
• I walked part of a coastal track in beautiful Cape Naturaliste National Park
• I visited 2 caves  Jewel Cave and Ngilgi Cave with amazing limestone formations
• I saw a giant stingray swimming past my feet at Hamelin Bay, close to Augusta
• I stood in awe at Redgate ‘s beach huge breaking waves
• I watched international surfers hitting the waves at Prevelly Beach
• I watched a Surf Movie under ancient trees at Cape Mentelle
• I visited the tallest Lighthouse on mainland in Australia at the most south westerly point
  where the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean meet

The list is not complete and I could keep adding things. Thanks to the friendly locals whom I met during my stay I learnt secrets about this precious area and its landmarks, its vegetation, its fertile soil, its aboriginal significance, its thriving local wineries and local produce factories, its amazing natural beauty.

There are no words to explain the greatness of this area, to me the best way to enjoy the Margaret River Region with its peacefulness, its integrity is to travel down south west Austalia and experience it yourself.

When is the best time to visit Margaret River

From September to March it is actually the best time, from December to February it can be hot and it will be busy. The ideal time is Spring time from September to November for a few good reasons. First you can get away with the  school holidays, the crowds and the heat. September to October is the time when wildflowers are at its best covering full carpets of coastal heathland to create a stunning contrast with the red rock formations and the green towering forests, so ideal for photos and videos. Last but not least you will be lucky to witness the spectacular whale watching show which will be possible from north to south of the entire Margaret River Region. Moreover it is the ideal weather to hike the Cape to Cape Track. So there are  plenty of reasons to plan a trip to Margaret River during the spring months!

Where to stay in Margaret River

Margaret River is not as touristy as you may think. There are no big hotel names or chains. Everything is local and that’s the best part of it. In Margaret River the accommodation types you can find range from fully equipped residences like the Darby Park Residences where I stayed. You can find exclusive luxury beach lodges, cabins and bungalows in camping sites to B&B and privately owned accommodation. Some wineries and factories offer accommodation too, check it out with the Margaret River Visitor Centre for more details. I loved staying at Darby Park because it made me feel like at home. Moreover it was the perfect location, 1minute walk from town centre and all shops, which I really appreciated. Nonetheless my apartment faced the forest and the swimming pool so I could not have asked for more!

Margaret River is a region that offers a huge variety of things to do and see, which is really hard to beat. From the younger generation, to couples, families with kids, to active travellers who love adventure,there is truly something for everyone.

I hope my experience will be helpful to you while getting your trip organized and in first place will inspire you to travel down south western Australia

For a deeper insight of the region, watch out for more posts which will be published shortly about each day of my stay in the wonderful .Margaret River Region

Michela

Many thanks to the Margaret Visitor Centre  and  Geographe Bay Tourism Office  for organizing my Trip to the Margaret River and Geographe Bay Regions.

The post Exploring the Margaret River Region appeared first on Rocky Travel.

I am so excited to announce my upcoming Australia Trip.  Starting from middle of March I will be on the road again for a while. Again I will be travelling alone, as I love to do. And this year is going to be a special trip for several reasons!

In the last months I have gone through a pretty difficult time, from working non stop to get my site reorganized on a WP system to this Rocky Travel New Design to various personal issues that put a strain on me both physically and mentally. So more than ever I need this time out. Travelling on the road alone will  give me the opportunity to rest and detox from work as well as restore my energy level.

But what happened in the last months also helped me see reality in a different way and from a different perspective I once more realized that I am not the type of person that can sit behind a computer and blog behind the scene for ever. In fact I am missing tremendously the human factor, I miss being among people and dealing with “real people” as I used to do in my past career…. unfourtunately this is a downside of blogging life, everything happens on a virtural level. Although the virtual world we experience on the web is definitely a great way of connecting wiht other people, at the same time is not enough, at least for myself.

So from sitting long hours behind a computer and falling asleep on it ….

in the next weeks I will be diving into outdoor activities in magnificient settings, walking at the beach, soaking in the ocean breeze and … falling asleep at the beach too….

Courtesy Picture of www.margaretriver.com

I am really looking forward to get out and be travelling around Australia again.  The travel itinerary  is focussed on places that I have been wanting to see for years.  I am looking forward to travelling in Western Australia and South Australia again.

What I am going to do and see in my Australia Trip 2013?

I have been longing for a while to spend some time at the western australian beaches, but at the same time, being an active person, I love to be in places where I also have the opportunity to walk and get active in the nature.

I love outdoor activities and love enjoying local food and meeting the friendly locals. So for the first trip leg  the protagonist of my Australian Solo Adventures is the great Australia’s South West

Courtesy Picture of www.geograhebay.com

My Australia Trip 2013 is divided into 5 legs and every 2 weeks or so I will be  rolling out the following part of the Trip.

Check out what I am going to do  in this Top Australian destination for Food, Wine and Outdoor Delights.  Click on the link to find out what I  will be doing in my South Western Australia Trip!

Michela

The post Rolling out my Australia Trip appeared first on Rocky Travel.