Australia Attractions

Charming little seaside town on the most spectacular bay

Great spot for a summer Friday evening drink with all the CBD crowd with spectacular view of the harbour.

Hiked this huge red rock, which is sacred to the native aboriginal people, in the middle of nowhere, twice. Flew in once. Other time drove across the outback in a landcruiser on dirt "highways," with not another vehicle (or person) in sight for hundreds of miles. Since there is so little, if any, light "pollution" in the sky at night it is a prime spot for stargazing.

A surprising find is this remote city in Western Australia, which is a State something like 5 times the size of Texas! I had an amazing time scuba diving with whale sharks and hunting for colored easter eggs that were hidden in a sunken warship on Easter morning 2000.

Awesome and scenic entertainment district along the river in Melbourne, my home away from home. Pubs, oyster bar, asian and italian restaurants, 1st class casino, movie theatre, and the walking bridge. Nearby don't miss the Royal Botanic Gardens, Aquarium, Shrine of Remembrance, Queen Victoria Market, shopping downtown and Toorak, catching a game of "footy" at the MGC, breakfast on the bay, dining on the Dinner Tram, check out their versions of little italy, greece and vietnam. Day trips to the vineyards of Yarra Valley or Peninsula, Fairy Penguins, Healsville Animal Sanctuary, Ballarat gold rush town. Great climate, friendly folks, great public transit, perfect coffee, culinary delights.

Its the best!

Just doing this as a test, but the entire trip was incredible.

Great hike on South Head with views across to Manly. That's followed up with a rewarding beer at the pub in Watson's Bay, overlooking the harbour and city.

Australia's most famous beach - what more is there to say? Cafes, Pubs and Shopping as well. Don't miss the massive skateboarding bowl - amazing.

Brilliant view of the Opera House framed by the Harbour Bridge. Nice cafes up the road for a break too!

Walk over the Sydney Harbour Bridge - it's free, the view is amazing and there's fun on both ends! Kirrabilli cafes on one end and The Rocks - a famous tourist area - on the other. Don't miss it!

The Rocks was saved from demolition in the 70's by conservationists. It's part of the original white settlement and has a lot of history, fun and food! You can see from my pic that the new looms behind the old. Convict built architecture and old laneways help you imagine what life was like here a couple hundred years ago... (I'm sure it smells better now tho!)

An overnight on the reef at a fantastic price. While the sail out isn’t for the faint-hearted or the queasy, this is one of the best deals to the reef. Taking only 11 guests, Vagabond ensures you get personal attention. The itinerary is largely determined by the passengers, and you can dive as much as you want, as long as you stick to your dive tables. Due to the boat’s intimacy, by the end of the first day I was playing a Pictionary-like game with the other guests and the crew. In the morning, you can wake up early for a sunrise dive, or just lounge on the deck with a cup of hot coffee in your hands.

The most inexpensive way to get to the outer reef. Although the boat is like a fat man chugging, and lunch is a simple affair of sandwiches and chicken drumsticks, the reef sites are just as good as the ones visited by the high-speed yachts. We swam next to turtles, watched corals sparkle in the sunlight, and snorkeled among a host of reef fish. As an extra treat, the crew puts the boom net out and challenges guests to hold on while the boat chugs forward. I choose to watch these zealous guests from the top deck, struggling to hold on to their bathing suit bottoms as their bums were exposed, much to the delight of the laughing crew.

As one of Cairns oldest reef operators, TUSA knows how to do it right. TUSA’s permits allow them to choose from 20 different reefs (convenient in changing weather conditions), and a sparkling new boat gets you to the reef in record time. The super-professional crew stands with you at the top of the boat’s broad set of stairs, and like Cinderella you are gently fitted with your fins before delicately descending into the water. A bonus is a marine biology presentation during lunch, so you can identify some of the creatures you’re looking at.