Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 2 . PLANNING AN AFFORDABLE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA
discovery that the lesser-known nearby
domes of Kata Tjuta, or “the Olgas,”
are even more spectacular (if that’s
possible). A half-day’s drive from the
Rock brings you to Kings Canyon, an
awesomely lovely desert gorge popular
with hikers. If you visit the Red Centre,
try to spend at least a few days in
Alice Springs. This laid-back Outback
town has the best Aboriginal arts-andcrafts
shopping in Australia, Aboriginal
tours, a world-class desert wildlife
park, stunning scenery, hikes through
the stark MacDonnell Ranges, an Outback
ranch to stay at, and even camel
rides along a dry riverbed.
THE TOP END The northwest
reaches of Oz (from the rocky red
ranges of the Kimberley in Western
Australia to the northern 3rd of the
Northern Territory) encompass what
Aussies eloquently dub “the Top End.”
This is Crocodile Dundee territory, a
remote, vast, semi-desert region where
men are heroes and the cattle probably
outnumber the people. In this book,
we have concentrated on the Northern
Territory section of the “Top End,”
with the Kimberley included in the
Western Australia chapter.
Near the tropical city of Darwin,
the territory’s capital, is Kakadu
National Park, where you can cruise
past crocodiles on inland billabongs,
bird-watch, and visit ancient Aboriginal
rock-art sites. Closer to Darwin is
Litchfield National Park, where you
can take a dip in fern-fringed swimming
holes surrounded by red cliffs—
stuff straight from Eden. You can
cruise the waterways of Katherine
Gorge, a few hours’ drive south of
Darwin, or explore them by canoe.
Near Katherine you can learn to make
your own didgeridoo, and canoe rarely
explored, croc-infested inland rivers.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Distance
and high airfares work against Western
Australia’s tourism industry, which is a
shame because this is one of Australia’s
most wild and beautiful regions. The
seas teem with whales in season, and
thrill seekers can swim alongside
gigantic but gentle whale sharks on
the Northwest Cape every fall
(Mar–June). This cape is home to one
of Australia’s best-kept secrets, a second
barrier reef called Ningaloo
Marine Park, which runs for 260km
(161 miles), one of the few reefs in the
world to grow on a western coast. You
can snorkel with manta rays here, and
the diving is great. Just 19km (12
miles) off Perth, snorkelers can gaze at
corals and fish on Rottnest Island, and
in Shark Bay at Monkey Mia, tourists
greet wild dolphins (or is it the other
way around?).
In the southwest “hook” of the continent
lies the Margaret River wine
region. Wild forests, thundering surf,
dramatic cliffs, rich bird life, and wild
’roos make it one of the country’s most
attractive wine regions. The state’s
capital, Perth, has surf beaches and a
restored 19th-century port with a fun
atmosphere and some great museums.
One or two hours’ drive from the city
brings you to some cute towns, like
the Spanish Benedictine monastery
town of New Norcia. Inland, the state
is mostly wheat fields and desert, but
if you have the inclination, head west
600km (372 miles) from Perth to the
gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie,
where you’ll find the world’s largest
open-cast gold mine. With its gracious
old pubs lining the wide bustling
streets, it’s what an Aussie country
town should look like.
In the Kimberley, you can visit the
ancient Geikie and Windjana gorges,
pearl farms where the world’s best
South Sea pearls grow, and the charming
(in a corrugated-iron sort of way)
beachside frontier town of Broome.
This tract of the country is so little
populated and so under-explored that
most Aussies never contemplate
coming here. Getting around can be
expensive, because it’s so vast. Near
Kununurra, on the eastern edge of the