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

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CHAPTER 6 . QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Tips Walking Fraser Island
The stunning Fraser Island World Heritage Area is the location for the second
of Queensland’s six Great Walks (p. 316). To open in June 2004, the
Fraser Island Great Walk (& 07/5459 6114; www.env.qld.gov.au) will provide
a continuous winding track from Dilli Village to Lake Garawongera. The
main trail will be 85km (53 miles) long and take 6 to 8 days to complete, but
there are off-shoots which provide short, full day, overnight and 2- to 3-day
walks. The walk will take you to many of the island’s popular landmarks
such as Lake McKenzie, Central Station, Wangoolba Creek, Valley of the
Giants, and Lake Wabby.
trips, sunset champagne sails, and dolphin and dugong (manatee) spotting cruises.
Wildlife videos play continuously in the lobby, and the on-site ranger office lists
the animals and plants you are most likely to spot.
Fraser Island (PMB 1, Urangan, QLD 4655). & 1800/072 555 in Australia, or 07/4120 3333. Fax 07/4120
3326. www.kingfisherbay.com. 262 units. A$270 (US$176) double for hotel rooms; A$825 (US$536) 3 nights
in 2-bedroom villa (sleeps 5); A$1,260 (US$819) 3 nights in 3-bedroom villa (sleeps 6); minimum 3-night stay
in villas. Extra person A$22 (US$14). Free crib. Ask about package deals. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 3 restaurant;,
4 bars; 2 outdoor pools (with waterslide for kids); day/night tennis courts; Jacuzzi; watersports equipment
and fishing tackle for hire; kids’ club; game room; tour desk, babysitting; laundry (in villas only). In room:
A/C (hotel rooms only), TV, kitchen (villas only), fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
CAMPING
Fraser has seven camping areas, most with showers and toilets, or you can camp
on the beach. Camping permits, which you can buy at the various Queensland
Parks & Wildlife Service offices on the island (& 07/4127 9191), are A$4
(US$2.60) per person or A$16 (US$10) per family per night.
8 The Sunshine Coast
Warm sunshine, beaches upon beaches, trendy restaurants, and a relaxed lifestyle
attract Aussies to the Sunshine Coast in droves. Despite some unsightly commercial
development in recent years, the Sunshine Coast is still a great spot if
you like lazing on sandy beaches and enjoying a good meal.
The Sunshine Coast starts at Caloundra, 83km (50 miles) north of Brisbane
and runs all the way to Rainbow Beach, 40km (24 miles) north of Noosa
Heads, where the fashionable crowd goes. There are plenty of inexpensive
motels and holiday apartments to rent. Noosa’s restaurants are great, and while
none are super-expensive, few are cheap—so be prepared to spend a little if you
want to eat out.
Most of the Noosa’s sunbathing, dining, shopping, and socializing takes place
on trendy Hastings Street, Noosa Heads, and the adjacent Main Beach. The
commercial strip of Noosa Junction is a 1-minute drive; a 3-minute drive west
along the river takes you to low-key Noosaville, where Australian families rent
holiday apartments. Giving Noosa a run for its money is the newly spruced up
Mooloolaba, about 30km (18 miles) south, which has a better beach and about
90 great restaurants.
A short drive away, in the hinterland, mountain towns like Maleny, Montville,
and Mapleton lead the way to the stunning beauty of the Glass House Mountains,
a dramatic series of 13 volcanic plugs.