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

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CHAPTER 2 . PLANNING AN AFFORDABLE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA
means lists every site, but it does contain
many sites off the dive-tourist
trail (many not on the Great Barrier
Reef), so divers in search of new territory
may find it handy. It also contains
a lot of background such as dive operators
and associations, a chapter on
Australian diving law, the nearest
hyperbaric chambers, and travel tips.
Order from the publisher, Oceans
Enterprises (& 03/5182 5108; www.
oceans.com.au). It costs A$36 (US$23)
plus postage.
BUSHWALKING (HIKING)
With so much unique scenery and so
many rare animals and plants, it is not
surprising Australia is full of national
parks crisscrossed with hiking trails.
You’re never far from a park with a
bushwalk, whether it’s an easy stroll or
a 6-day odyssey on the Cape-to-Cape
trail in Western Australia.
The best place to get information
about bushwalking is the National
Parks & Wildlife Service, or its equivalent
in each state. A good Australian
bushwalking Web page is at www.
bushwalking.org.au.
• Environmental Protection Agency
(QLD Parks & Wildlife Service;
& 07/3227 7111; www.epa.qld.
gov.au).
• NSW National Parks & Wildlife
Service (& 02/9585 6444 administration;
www.npws.nsw.gov.au).
It has a visitor information center
at 110 George St., The Rocks, Sydney
(& 02/9247 5033).
• Parks & Wildlife Commission of
the Northern Territory (& 08/
8999 5511; www.nt.gov.au/ipe/
pwcnt/). The Northern Territory
Tourist Commission (see “Exploring
the Red Centre” in chapter 7) is
the official dispenser of information
on parks and wildlife matters.
• Parks Victoria (& 13 19 63;
www.parkweb.vic.gov.au).
• South Australian Department
for Environment and Heritage
(& 08/8204 1910; www.denr.sa.
gov.au).
• Tasmania Parks and Wildlife
Service (& 1300 135 513; www.
dpiwe.tas.gov.au) has comprehensive
information on Tasmania’s
many national parks.
• Western Australian Department
of Conservation and Land Management
(CALM; & 08/9334
0333; www.calm.wa.gov.au).
Some parks charge an entry fee,
which can be from around A$6 to
A$18 (US$3.90–US$12).
MORE ACTIVE VACATIONS
FROM A TO Z
ABSEILING Rappelling is another
name for this sport that involves backing
down vertical cliff faces on a rope
and harness. The rugged, beautiful
Blue Mountains near Sydney are Australia’s
abseiling capital. You can also
do it in the Margaret River region of
Western Australia, as mighty breakers
crash on the cliffs below, or in the city
heart of Brisbane on riverside cliffs.
BIKING Much of Australia’s countryside
is flat and ideal for cycling, as
Aussies call biking, but consider the
heat and vast distances before setting
out. There are plenty of biking trails.
The rainforest hills behind Cairns
hosted the world mountain-biking
championships in 1996, and Sydney’s
Blue Mountains have good mountainbiking
trails. On Rottnest Island off
Perth, it’s the only mode of transport.
All major towns and most resort centers
rent regular bikes and mountain bikes.
If you’re interested in taking an
extended trip, you may find a copy
of Cycling Australia: Bicycle Touring
Throughout the Sunny Continent, by
Australian Ian Duckworth (Motorbooks,
1996) useful. This 224-page
guide outlines short trips and eight long
trips with maps and route descriptions.
Any bookstore can order it, or it is available
from the Adventurous Traveler
Bookstore (& 800/282-3963 in the