Adventurous Aussies

Australia does have it’s share of dangerous wildlife, from man eating crocodiles and sharks, poisonous snakes and spiders to cute cuddly looking Koalas and kangaroos.

So lets set the record straight I have lived in Australia all my life, I have travel round this great big country and I have never seen a shark apart from at an aquarium and I live on the coast, I never been bitten by a snake or a spider and I have been camping and walking in many national parks.
I have seen crocodiles in the wild and in zoos and have not been eaten alive.

I have seen many Koalas and kangaroos, and the majority of them have not been in zoos but in the wild and I have not been bitten or scratched by them either.

If you would to analyse the statistics of snake bite in Australia the following would be the results:

* Men get bitten way more than women.
* Many people get bitten trying to catch or kill snakes.
* Snake bites often happen when people tread on the snake
* People often get bitten after consuming Alcohol.

So if you don’t try and catch or kill snakes, where sensible shoes and limit the amount of alcohol you consume when you are camping or bushwalking chances are you won’t get bitten. The other suggestion I could make when bushwalking is make a bit of noise when you walk and chances are you will never see a snake.

As for spiders to avoid being bitten don’t try and catch them, shake your shoes, socks and clothing before you wear it, especially if you have left it on the ground.

All I can say about sharks is avoid going swimming at dawn or dusk, and you have a greater chance of dying in a car accident then ever being bitten by a shark.

To avoid being eaten by crocodiles, don’t swim in areas that you know they live, don’t try and catch, wrestle or feed them and you should be safe.

Koalas and Kangaroos can hurt you, they scratch , bite and in the case of kangaroos they can kick. So it is would be a good idea to look and not touch unless they are in petting zoos and you know they are tame.

To avoid the dangers of our Aussie wildlife it is probably a great idea to look and appreciate it’s uniqueness and beauty but don’t touch or try and catch it.

Sydney is the capital of New South Wales, and the oldest settlement in Australia.

It has a population of about 4 million people, and is built around a huge harbour that boasts many attractions.

So if you visit Sydney these are what I would consider the must sights:

* Sydney Opera House: The Sydney Opera House, situated on Sydney Harbour at Bennelong Point,and is considered an icon of Australia

* Sydney Harbour bridge: The bridge is the largest steel arch bridge in the world being 134 metres high, 49 metres wide with a curve of 503 metres.

* Queen Victoria Markets: The Queen Victoria Markets was restored during the 1970’s and is now home to a huge array of boutiques and designer stores.

* The Rocks: The place where white men first established a settlement in 1788 and is the oldest area of Sydney.

* Darling Harbour: Home to the Sydney Aquarium, Imax theatre, Chinese gardens of friendship and fabulous cafes and shops

* St. Andrews Cathedral: The oldest Cathedral in Australia built in around 1874

* Sydney Tower: Sydney Tower has an observation deck 305 metres high above the city, and also a restaurant

* Botany Bay National Park: Captain Cook’s landing place in 1770 and a vantage point for whale watching.

* Luna Park: Carnival rides, clowns and fairy floss, but it is a venue for circus performances, concerts and stage shows.

* Taronga Zoo: The first public zoo in NSW officially opened in Sydney in 1884, and offers unique photo opportunities with Australian animals.

* Botanic Gardens: Located next to the Opera House and on Sydney Harbour and gardens were the first area of cultivated land on the Australian continent.

Ten things to do and see in and around Melbourne

1. Federation Square, in the heart of Melbourne and is home to many attractions including the Ian Potter Gallery of Contemprary Australian Art, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the SBS studios, as well as many fine restuarants and bars. It also has a large TV screen where people gather to watch special events like the World Cup or Olympics.

2. Melbourne observation deck. Located on level 55 of The Rialto, one of Melbourne’s tallest and recognisable office building and provides great views over the city.

3. Melbourne Zoo is the oldest in Zoo in Australia, it has an amazing Elephant enclosure and Butterfly house where you can get up close and personal with hundreds of butterflies.
It is home to lots of Australian native animals and approximately 350 other animal species from around the globe.

5. Royal Botanic Gardens is home to 12,000 different species of plants and a natural sanctuary for native birdlife.

6. The Melbourne Cricket Ground or the ‘G’ is the cricketing sporting landmark of this Melbourne.

7. Melbourne Aquarium takes visitors on an exploration of the great southern ocean. With over 10,000 aquatic species on display.

8. The Melbourne Museum is the largest museum in the southern hemisphere is spread across six levels and is the home to the famous race horse Pharlap.

9. Penguin Parade at Phillip Island, walk through the Visitor Centre’s “Penguin World” and learn of the life of the Little Penguin and the watch as the Little Penguins return to the island at dusk.

!0. Dandenongs Tour, that includes wineries in the Yarra Valley, a ride on Puffing Billy an original steam locomotive and a visit to Healesville Sanctuary with its vast collection of Australian wildlife.

Australia has such a diverse range of wonders including many world
heritage listed sites such as Uluru,the Great Barrier Reef and the
Tasmanian Wilderness to amazing architecture like the Sydney
Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The following list is what I
would consider the 12 wonders of Australia. So If time and money are no object then check them all out.
Uluru
Olgas (Kata Tjuta)
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Great barrier Reef
12 Apostles
Pinnacles
Bungle Bungles
Kangaroo Island
Tasmanian Wilderness
Fraser Island
Kakadu National Park

Australia has a vast array of adventure travel recreation activities, from swimming with dolphins, diving with sharks, jet boat riding in Sydney Harbour, skydiving in the Gold Coast or abseiling in the Grampians.There is a whole range of Adventure travel that includes activities on land, in the air or on the water that happen in every state and territory in Australia.

The aim of Adventure travel is to get the heart pumping, blood flowing and the adrenalin coursing through your veins, while having fun in a safe controlled activity and experience things that other people only dream.
If you live in Australia or are holidaying in Australia and want to experience Adventure travel every capital city in each state or territory has tour operators who specialize in these fun and some time extreme adventures that cater for a wide range of people in different age groups and budgets.

Each Adventure outing or holiday is supervised by qualified guides, who are experts in there field and all equipment is supplied. Some adventure travel specialists cater for family groups, and are a much less extreme option and offer the kids a taste of adventure with very minimal risk and great excitement, like whale watching on the NSW Coast, Warrnambool in Victoria or Albany in Western Australia. Other kid friendly adventures holidays include a family cruise to Antarctica, horse riding in the Snowy Mountains, canoeing in Kangaroo Valley or 4 wheel driving through the desert to visit Uluru as the sun is setting.
If you are planning to visit Australia or just extending your knowledge of your home country, take time to enjoy our sandy beaches, dusty deserts, blue skies, clear waters and marvel at the vast array of marine life living on the Barrier Reef the most extensive reef system in the world.

Take time out from sight seeing to enjoy our unique wildlife, like kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, koalas and platypuses. Australia also has such a diverse range of people and cultures, nestled amongst our very unique wildlife and vast countryside.
However it will make the travel experience all that more enjoyable and memorable if you and maybe the family indulge yourselves in an adventure holiday experience while exploring Australia.

What to pack to go Backpacking/ travelling round australia

You will need your passport, ticket and travellers cheques, your driving licence, a certified copy of your birth certicate and marriage certificate. Photocopy all of these several times and put one in the bottom of your back pack and leave a copy at home with folks, just in case.

To go back packing you need a backpack so choose a backpack that feels comfortable and is right for your height, weight etc.
These days they have great backpacks that have wheels with a handle for wheeling through airports, and zip off daypacks that aree idea to take on sigtseeing tours.

i suggest a first aid pack consisting of pain killers such as panadol or asprin, crepe bandage, bandaids, Antiseptic spray and Insect repellant - I’d recommend RID, or Aerogaurd. Australia is know for big mosquitos and heaps of flies.

Australia is devided into two climate zones the tropical zone in the far north and the temperate zone in the south.The far north has average temeratures of 19 - 35 degrees C and the South has average temperatures of 9 - 30 degrees.
The coldest it will ever get in Australia is -8 degrees c, so you will never need heavy duty winter clothing.

So what clothes should you consider packing if you are going to travel ropund Australia
- at least one short sleeve shirt and one long sleeve shirt, just incase you go on a job interview or asked out to a club or something.
- A couple of t-shirts both long and short sleeve in a sorted colours
- jeans and a nice pair of long legged trousers that will go nicely with the shirts.
- shorts and or skirts that go with the T-shirts and or shirts
- a pair of pyjamas or sleep shirt
- At least one sarong which are great for bathroom dashes, towels and swimmer throw overs.
- several sets of underwear and socks
- swimmers or bathers and remember to cover up the Australian sun burns
- sunglasses that are UV polaroid
- wide brimmed hat or or legionaires hat
- I sugest a pair of hiking boots that can double as respectable shoes with a bit of polish if needed, a pair of flat sandals and a pair of rubber thongs for the beach and taking a shower in so you don’t get foot fungus.
- A light weight wind and water proof jacket

Tip: In Queensland particularly, “mossie coils” are an essential for camping and any time spent outdoors from dusk.

Toiletries:
shampoo/conditioner
travel towel - one only for shower and beach
toiletry organizer bag
ear buds
soap (bar or liquid)
shower shoes