Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast

Australia’s Gold Coast is a major destination for holiday makers. With a long beautiful stretch of sand at its feet, the Gold Coast towers above in the form of huge hotels and apartments buildings reminicent of the Florida or Spanish coastlines.

It’s a mecca for surfers and swimmers as there are good waves and no seasonal restrictions on swimming like in Northern Queensland. In season the Gold Coast is jam packed, and places to stay are more pricey. In the off season you can get good deals for ocean view places right on the beach.

Inland from the populous coast of Northern Queensland lies the tablelands. This area consists of prime farmland and cattle and dairy ranches. They grow a lot of sugarcane, bananas and other tropical fruit here. A drive through this magnificent country is rewarded with fantastic views, waterfalls, rainforests with ancient trees, beautiful lakes and interesting towns such as Kuranda, Mareeba, Atherton, Herberton, Millaa Millaa. The tablelands rise above the coastline and much of it is over 1000 meters elevation. This means it’s always a bit cooler, making it a good escape from the warmer, wetter Queensland coastline.

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Australia’s ancient geologic formations provide an opportunity for visitors to try their luck hunting for gemstones. Coober Pedy is famous for it’s opal mines, huge underground pits where brilliantly colorful opals are found. Elsewhere in Australia there are more opal mines, gold mines and gemfields where sapphires are plentiful.

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Darwin is a hot sticky town at the Top End, or northernmost part of the Northern Territory. It’s the gateway to Kakadu National Park and for some heading to Indonesia. There’s not much in Darwin to encourage a long stay, and seeing how uncomfortable it is there, averaging 31 degrees Celsius, few tourists or even backpackers hang out there.

You could try cooling off at a beach if it wasn’t for the crocs, stingers (poisonous jellyfish), and baking heat. Or you could cool off in a bar, along with the biggest beer guzzlers in Australia – and that’s saying a lot! Darwiners down 230 liters per person annually!

Darwin is a good place to delve into Aboriginal culture. You could start at Darwin’s Museum of Arts and Sciences, and even pick up some art at local galleries. Then venture out to one of the 4,000 ancient Aborigine Rock Painting sites in Kakadu National Park.

Kakadu National Park is where Crocodile Dundee was filmed, and you’ll be awed by the natural beauty of the area’s mountains, rivers, lakes and forests, abundant with wildlife.

Located in the geographical center of Australia, Alice Springs is a remote outpost of civilization. Surrounded by harsh, beautiful wilderness, Alice is a most unusual tourist destination. There’s not much in town to capture your interest or imagination, but step outside town and visit the MacDonnell Range and you’ll be fascinated by nature’s wonders, including gorges, waterholes and an assortment of wildlife.

And of course you can’t visit Alice Springs without venturing to Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, a long 460 km trek from Alice. Uluru is a most sacred place for Aborigines. The view of this extraordinary red rock is spellbinding, especially during sunrise and sunset. You can walk around the rock or climb to the top for some breathtaking scenery.

You can stay nearby at Yulara, a recent tourist town that sprung up to serve the needs of the 250,000 travelers who visit Uluru every year.