Visiting the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders in the world, was a dream come through for me. This magnificent attraction, along the Queensland coastline in Australia, was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO as a unique place for protecting some endangered species of wildlife.

My adventure to the Great Barrier Reef included learning about this one-of-a-kind tourist attraction. As the largest reef system worldwide, the Marine Park extends over 1,800 miles and it can be seen from outer space. It comprises of over 3,000 individual reefs and coral cays and more than 1,500 species of fish and a wide range of marine animals and wildlife.

No vacation to Australia is complete without a visit to the famous Great Barrier Reef. For my trip from the USA to Australia I left nothing to chance, therefore, I got travel insurance cover for the non-refundable portion. My journey included traveling from Sydney to the northeastern beach town of Cairns, which is about miles 45 kilometers from the Outer Reef.

The day tour was from 9:00 am to 5 pm and I spent 5 hours at the Marine World on the Outer Reef. The 90-minute trip on the fast, stable, spacious and air conditioned motor catamaran was comfortable. The tour package offered many options for swimmers and non-swimmers to experience and learn about the Great Barrier Reef at an affordable price. It included snorkeling equipment, presentation by On Board Marine Biologist, glass bottom boat and semi-submersible tours and refreshments and lunch.

As a newbie to water sports, one of the best ways to see the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef was by snorkeling. After getting some useful tips on how to use the snorkeling equipment, I was fitted with a mask, fins and snorkel. I was then ready to begin the guided tour and experience the amazing underwater life at the Outer Reef. By using the stairs provided, it was extremely easy getting into the water from the snorkel platform at the sheltered coral lagoon. The water clarity was of the highest quality, which made for excellent visibility and I was able to look at the bottom of the lagoon to see the breathtaking view. It included different colours, shapes, textures and movements of the array of corals and marine life.

One of the highlights of the snorkeling trip was swimming alongside Wally the Giant Maori Wrasse and taking pictures with my underwater camera. It was also good to have floating rest stations that were strategically placed at points so that I could take a break from my snorkeling activities.

On the 30 minute semi-submersible tour, while sitting about 1 meter underwater, I was able to see the colorful coral gardens as well as schools of fish, including reef fish, red bass, angel fish and Jump Headed Parrot fish. I even saw Minke whales and friendly reef sharks. Another way I was able to experience the colors and beauty of marine life in the Outer Reef was by taking the 30 minute glass bottom boat tour.

My adventurous trip to the Great Barrier Reef was an amazing one filled with fun, excitement, information and wonderful close-up views of a diverse range of coral reefs and marine wildlife. Overall, I would recommend this once-in-a life-time experience to everyone.

About the author: Dominic Godwinson, global finance and travel insurance expert and travel enthusiast. Dominic writes about various topics related to finances.

 BIG4 Holiday Parks across Queensland are offering travellers a ‘Pay 4, Stay 6’ accommodation incentive to visit the beautiful sunshine-state for their next holiday.

 Visit any of the 23 participating BIG4 Queensland Parks listed below, between 14 March and 10 June 2011, for a great break that won’t be forgotten.

 Choose from a diverse range of BIG4 Holiday Parks designed to suit every travelling style whether it is a family holiday, a road trip with a group of friends or a romantic weekend away with someone special. And with destinations from the Gold and Sunshine Coasts right up to Rockhampton and Cooktown, there’s a holiday to suit everyone.

 Each unique Park is located close to tourist hotspots and all showcase a wide range of accommodation options including modern ‘city-style’ cabins big enough for the whole family as well as grassy ensuite sites where you can pitch a tent for the ultimate outdoor holiday.

 The Park facilities on offer also ensure the kids are kept well entertained and parents relaxed. From adventure playgrounds and giant jumping pillows to outdoor entertainment areas and spa pools, BIG4 Holiday Parks offer a unique holiday experience that suits both the modern and the traditional traveller.

 To take up this offer, simply browse the participating parks at big4.com.au, choose an accommodation or site option that best suits your needs, enter the promotional code ‘QLDONSALE’ and enjoy your Queensland adventure.

 Participating parks include:

 BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort, Airlie Beach

BIG4 Airlie Cove Resort and Van Park, Airlie Beach

BIG4 Atherton Woodlands Tourist Park, Atherton

BIG4 Brisbane Northside Caravan Village, Brisbane

Brisbane Gateway Resort, Brisbane

BIG4 Cane Village Holiday Park, Bundaberg

BIG4 Cairns Crystal Cascades Holiday Park, Cairns

Aussie Outback Oasis Cabin and Van Village, Charters Towers

Cooktown Holiday Park, Cooktown

Ashmore Palms Holiday Village, Gold Coast

NRMA Treasure Island Holiday Park, Gold Coast

BIG4 Point Vernon Holiday Park, Hervey Bay

Fraser Lodge Holiday Park, Hervey Bay

BIG4 Innisfail Mango Tree Holiday Park, Innisfail

BIG4 Kingaroy Holiday Park, Kingaroy

BIG4 Port Douglas Glengarry Holiday Park, Port Douglas

Discovery Holiday Parks – Rockhampton, Rockhampton

BIG4 Forest Glen Resort, Sunshine Coast

BIG4 Maroochy Palms Holiday Village, Sunshine Coast

BIG4 Toowoomba Garden City, Toowoomba

BIG4 Townsville Woodlands Holiday Park, Townsville

Kahler’s Oasis Caravan Park, Warwick

BIG4 Capricorn Palms Holiday Village, Yeppoon

 The offer is available on selected types of accommodation and sites and is subject to availability at each park (availability and options will differ from park to park).

About BIG4 Holiday Parks

BIG4 Holiday Parks is a Franchise Group comprising more than 180 holiday parks across Australia. The group provides a range of high-quality accommodation options from powered ensuite sites for caravan and motorhomes to luxury cabins. With a consistently high standard across all its parks, BIG4 has also set the standard within local holiday park experiences and is the recognised industry leader. BIG4 Holiday Parks’ BIG4 Club has over 170,000 members who enjoy significant discounts on accommodation bookings as well as ongoing benefits and discounts with BIG4’s partner organisations. Being a BIG4 Member means you’ll not only get savings on BIG4 accommodation, but also access a whole host of other holiday benefits thanks to BIG4’s Local Member Benefits program. BIG4 Holiday Parks recently signed a master licensing agreement with North America’s Kampgrounds of America (the leading campground operator in Nth America and Canada) for the Australian, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and East Timor markets. BIG4 is a proud supporter of The Humour Foundation’s Clown Doctors™, a philanthropic organisation committed to bringing a little cheer to children and their families’ undergoing treatment in Australian hospitals.

For more information on BIG4 Holiday Parks visit big4.com.au

Last time we were there we met up with friends who live in Sydney and whom we met at Ayers Rock Resort about 10 years ago. They took us on several drives along the coast and inland mainly in southern Sydney. We also drove through the Royal National Park which is the first recognised National Park in the world.

Things To Do In Sydney

There are many things to do in Sydney, everyone that visits should see the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. There are also plenty more things to do in Sydney like the walking around the ‘Rocks’, go on a harbour cruise, visit Taronga Zoo and Luna Park.

Sydney Tower Skywalk

If you want the best view of Sydney try the Skywalk on top of Sydney Tower only 260 metres above ground level. Of course you will be wearing Skysuits and harnesses for your own safety. What A View!!

Star City Casino Sydney

The Star City Entertainment Centre has everything you need, accommodation, dining, beautiful views, casino, nightlife, special events and theatre shows.

Star City is on one of the world’s most beautiful harbours, great for a night out with friends or a date. Also you can enjoy the high stakes action, Star City’s gaming rooms are as spectacular as their location. If you want to play casino poker online visit  pokersites.com the best online casino poker review www.pokersites.com/country/australia

 Sightseeing and Adventuring in Sydney

Sydney Sightseeing and AdventuresIf you are visiting Sydney and looking for more adventure how about an amazing full throttle jet boat ride in the harbour. See the unique harbour views while going flat out sliding and aplashing in all directions. Many cruises on the harbour can be enjoyed as well as sea plane flights over the sydney Australia beaches and other locations, aerobatic flights, sky diving, rock climbing in the Blue Mountains, drive a racing car around Eastern Creek race track, Harley rides, hot air ballooning and so much more. Enjoy your Sydney experience, make your trip to Sydney one to remember.

Map of Sydney
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For anyone deciding to travel to Australia, I think it must be compulsory to be given one of those maps that shows Europe fitting inside the country with room to spare.  I think the size of Australia is one of the most shocking aspects to tourists that come here with only a few weeks to explore as they quickly realize that it’s not all fun and games when trying to see as many of those iconic sights scattered about.    It takes planning to make the most of your time down under, which is why size matters immensely in Australia.

The Dilemma:  Flying versus Driving

I met a traveler the other day that had literally 5.5 days to spare, and he for some reason thought he was about to do the driving trip from Sydney to Cairns in that amount of time.  After being smacked back into reality, he then decided to take a cheap flight to Brisbane and start from there.  It was a much more reasonable plan that would allow him to actually see some sights along the way.

In some cases, such as this, catching a flight within Australia is necessary, but the problem is that – in my mind – the journey is one of the best parts.  There’s nothing like driving to the Outback and seeing the towns get smaller and  more spread out, and what about the curvy and jungle-encased roads of tropical north Queensland?  It’s the scenery that you really get to see when driving in Australia.

 It’s not only the scenery you miss when flying over driving; it’s the little fun bits in between.  Take, for instance, Granite Gorge.  Granite Gorge is a nature park near Mareeba (about an hour’s drive from Cairns) that tempts tourists to visit with the promise of seeing and feeding rock wallabies.  Adorable? Yes, and definitely worth it in my opinion.  However, chances are you will not make it to fun little places like this from the main cities unless you are self-driving.

It’s About Being Realistic

As in the driving example above, it’s about being realistic about your options.  If you are dead-set on driving through Australia and are on limited time, you will definitely be better off trying to narrow your focus by choosing one region or one state.  By doing so, you’ll get to really know that area as opposed to grazing over the surface.

On the other hand, flying from major city to major city and hitting all the big named places can be just as amazing.  I guess it all comes down to your personal travel preferences.  Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

• Your trip length.
• Your willingness to drive in a foreign country.
• The likelihood you’ll return to Australia.
• Your budget.
• Your love, or hate, of flying.

 All of these points should be considered when planning a trip down under, but I often feel that distance from one location to the next isn’t stressed enough.  Let’s face it, Australia is pretty gigantic.  And, I think it’s safe to say that this is one place where size really does matter.

About:  Brooke Schoenman is the expert author for WhyGo Australia, an online travel guide with life. 

She currently resides in Sydney, Australia and tweets about her Aussie life daily.

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Plan your own exciting holiday

www.travel-australia-planning-guide.com/travel-in-australia.html

This was an amazing adventure, one of our favourite towns was Birdsville. Birsville is a small outback town with a population of about 120 residents and is ready for the many travellers that pass through this very unique town regularly.

The Birdsville Hotel is a very famous outback pub, that is a must visit when you go to Birdsville. The have several motel rooms for accommodation, great meals and of course beer.

The edge the Simpson Desert is near Birdsville. Another must see is ‘Big Red’ the first and highest sand dune of the Simpson Desert, which is a challenge to conquer. Which we did and view is amazing.

The Birdsville Working Museum is well worth a look, it displays an amazing collection of all things old and Australian. From household products, toys, farming, coins, stamps just about everying and anything you can think of is there.

The Birdsville Races are held annually and thousands of people flock to these famous unique races. for more information about the races and Birdsville have a look at this website www.birdsvilleraces.com

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Start planning your road trip adventure.

www.travel-australia-planning-guide.com/road-trip-planner.html

The water has made a 1300 kllometre journey from Queensland to Lake Eyre  in South Australia. This time the water has reached a depth of 2 metres and will be most likely all dried up by October.

The Lake Eyre Yacht Club are known as the strangest Yacht Club in the world, they only get the sail when Lake Eyre fills and they have about 50 members from all over the world, some will travel from Scotland and United States for this very unique yachting regatta.

They expect at least 60 to 100 yachts to take part, many people have travelled thousands of kilometres across Australia. They are camping on the banks of the lake to experience the amazing sight of the yachts, the beauty and uniqueness of another of Australia’s natural wonders.

For More Information
http://www.sail-world.com/cruising/index.cfm?nid=54354&rid=11
by Tim Dornin, Independent Weekly/Sail-World

About Lake Eyre http://teachit.acreekps.vic.edu.au/cyberfair2002/LakeEyre.htm

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Start planning your road trip adventure.

www.travel-australia-planning-guide.com/road-trip-planner.html

There are many styles of maps and guides, they come in books like an atlas, folded maps usually of each state or territory or of more detailed areas like 4WD maps or topography.

Local tourist maps and local guides can be picked up from a Tourist Information Centre, Tourist or Holiday Park or other accommodation.

If you are 4WD driving it is worth getting the detailed maps that are available, sometimes they come with the information pack when you buy a National Park permit. They will also be available at camping stores or map stores online.

A Guide book is an invaluable tool when you are camping and travelling as they will give you information for the towns attractions, acommodation or area that you are visiting.

There are three types of guides that can be used to help you when camping and travelling.

Free Guide Books are usually available from Information Centres which are usually in every town or your place of accommodation. The maps show the town and local area, attractions shops etc.

Most tourist information websites have the same information, so you can search for a town, region, area, state or territory in most cases there will be a tourism site. They should have the most reliable and up to date information as they would be updated regularly with local events, attractions and local news. For example this is Australia’s Tourism website www.australia.com

Accommodation Guide Books sometimes can be bought that covers camping accommodation like Caravan, Holiday, Tourist parks or they may cover camping sites as well as hotels, motels, B&Bs, holiday houses, resorts etc.

4WD Guide Books can be purchased from bookshops or online, they give you itineraries and instructions to travel in particular areas for example ‘the Kimberley’ or the ‘Outback’. Usually these are made for 4WD trips, where you need a lot more detail in maps and instructions as there are fewer signposts for directions available. Also a lot more care has to be taken and safety becomes an issue so this type of guide will include a lot of vehicle and personal safety and communication information.

Next time you are planning a holiday or trip take the time to check out road maps and travel guides as they it will make your planning easier. While you are travelling you will have all the information you need for an Aussie Adventure.

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Start planning your road trip adventure.

www.travel-australia-planning-guide.com/road-trip-planner.html

Driving the Stuart Highway can be done is 3 ways – express, scenic or extremely scenic.

The Express itinerary could be done in 5 days travelling about an average 550 kilometres per day, this would usually be done if you are in a hurry or you have travelled this highway many times.

Use this Street Directory Map to follow the itineraries for a guide.

This itinerary example starts from the south leaving from Port Augusta SA

• Port Augusta to Coober Pedy 542 kilometres
• Coober Pedy to Alice Springs 690 kilometres
• Alice Springs to Tennant Creek 531 kilometres
• Tennant Creek to Mataranka 547 kilometres
• Mataranka to Darwin 422 kilometres

The Scenic itinerary takes about 2 – 3 weeks

• Day 1 – Starting at Port Augusta SA to Coober Pedy SA
• Day 3 – Coober Pedy to Ayers Rock Resort  or other Accommodation – Visit Uluru -Ayers Rock and the Olgas
• Day 5 – Drive to Alice Springs stay for 3 days and visit area
• Day 8 – Alice Springs to Tennant Creek – Visit Devils Marble (has camp ground)  Explore Tennant Creek
• Day 10 – Tennant Creek to Mataranka – Visit Daly Waters Pub (has campground)
• Day 11 – Mataranka to Katherine
• Day 13 – Katherine to Darwin
• Day 14 – Visit Darwin, Kakadu N.P.,  Litchfield N.P. and many other attractions around the area – you can easily stay a week to a month.

The Extreme Scenic Itinerary could take 2 months or more.

• Starting at Port Augusta you can visit Woomera, Flinders Ranges and Lake Eyre and then return to the Stuart Highway
• Then travel to Coober Pedy and stay for several days exploring this very unique opal mining town
• From Coober Pedy travel north to Ayers Rock Resort or another accommodation like Curtain Springs. There is plenty to in this area, visit Uluru, the Olgas etc- if you have a 4WD vehicle you can drive to Alice Springs via the Mereenie Loop and stay at Kings Canyon and Palm Valley. Tours are available if you don’t have a 4WD.
• Alice Springs has many attractions & experiences to enjoy, you can drive to Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge and other natural attractions. You can easily spend several weeks in the area.
• Leave Alice Springs and head north to Devils Marbles and Tennant Creek and stay a night or 2
• Leave Tennant Creek and drive to Daly Waters Pub, stay in the campground or basic accommodation. Enjoy this unique pub, beefnreef meal is available everynight.
• From Daly Waters drive to Mataranka and enjoy the thermal springs and the Barra Jumping show and more. Stay 2 or 3 nights
• Drive to Katherine, explore and cruise Katherine Gorge, stay 2 or 3 days
• North of Katherine there is an amazing amount of activities to and places to see. Just a few of them is Berry Springs, Howard Springs, Litchfield National Park, Darwin, Adelaide River, Kakadu National Park. This Top End area could easily keep you busy for a month.

The Stuart Highway or Explorers Way is an exciting drive with plenty to see & do, although there is some long drives with not a lot see in some areas in the Outback. The amazing things you do see well and truly makes up for it. These itineraries are only examples, please check ahead for your accommodation prior to leaving or along the way.

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Travel with us on our exciting family adventure travel holiday driving on the Stuart Highway Australia.

http://www.travel-australia-planning-guide.com/family-adventure-travel.html

Thousands of people and hundreds of boats celebrated her home coming around the Sydney Harbour including the Prime Minister of Australia.

www.jessicawatson.com.au

The Big Things are man made structures and sculptures and are usually built to promote a particular product or thing that the town is well known for. The very first Big Thing was The ‘Big Banana’ in 1964.

Here is a few of the ‘Big Things’

The very first ‘Big Thing’ was the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, Queensland. It is 5 metres high and 11 metres long and is now over 40 years old.

The ‘Big Croc’ in Normanton, Queensland

Big Golden Guitar in Tamworth, NSW

A Really Big Ram at Wagin, WA

Big Murray Cod at Swan Hill Victoria

Kadimakara  – Giant Lizard Of Dreamtime – Far North Queensland

For More information about Kadimakara in Mareeba Far Nth Qld

Here are some of the other Big Things

New South Wales

Victoria

Tasmania

Western Australia

Northern Territory

• Big Boxing Crocodile Humpty Doo
• Big Stockwhip Acacia
• Big Stubbie Larrimah

Australian Capital Territory

• Giant Mushroom Belconnen

When you are travelling Australia look out for the Big Things. Many holiday photos have been taken with the Big Things in the backdrop. On your next holiday see how many you can find and be sure to take a photo.