| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 01/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 42 |
| Copyright: Other |
Exploring country life is just a walk in the park
National parks play host to wealth of sporting activities
National parks: product round-up by kerry webb
Australia has more than 500 national parks for its visitors to choose from.Each one is of significant natural or environmental importance and 13 of them are included in the World Heritage list – and deemed irreplaceable if they are damaged.
Their diversity is breathtaking, ranging from massive open deserts to rugged mountain ranges and dense rainforests. And the parks are not just confined to dry land either.
Probably the most famous park is the Great Barrier Reef Marine National Park, which is 1,243 miles long.
Other parks that are among Australia’s major attractions include Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, home to Ayers Rock and Kakadu National Park in Northern Territory.
However, there are lots of lesser-known parks that open up a host of opportunities for activities.
Travel Weekly examines 10 ways in which to make the most of Australia’s national parks.
Blue Mountains: perfect for rock climbers and abseilers
Wildlife safari in Kakadu National ParkKakadu covers an area of 3,730sq miles, with the main entrance to the park around 95 miles east of Darwin in Northern Territory. The park is swarming with wildlife. There are over 25 species of frog, 280 bird species and at least 4,500 kinds of insect. Crocodiles also reside in the many freshwater lakes and rivers while other reptiles include lizards, freshwater turtles and snakes. The park’s beautiful wetland setting is home to an abundance of birds from pelicans to eagles, cormorants and six species of kingfisher. Sample product: Australia Pacific Tours offers a four-day Kakadu and Litchfield Adventure. Holidaymakers get the opportunity to trek through savannah woodland, watching out for birdlife on their way, to the Jim Jim Falls where they can look out for crocodiles. Sightings of these species, however, are far more likely during the early-morning cruise on Yellow Waters. Prices start from £250, including camping accommodation for two nights and all meals during the four-day tour.
Wildlife safari in Kakadu National ParkKakadu covers an area of 3,730sq miles, with the main entrance to the park around 95 miles east of Darwin in Northern Territory.
The park is swarming with wildlife. There are over 25 species of frog, 280 bird species and at least 4,500 kinds of insect. Crocodiles also reside in the many freshwater lakes and rivers while other reptiles include lizards, freshwater turtles and snakes.
The park’s beautiful wetland setting is home to an abundance of birds from pelicans to eagles, cormorants and six species of kingfisher.
Sample product: Australia Pacific Tours offers a four-day Kakadu and Litchfield Adventure.
Holidaymakers get the opportunity to trek through savannah woodland, watching out for birdlife on their way, to the Jim Jim Falls where they can look out for crocodiles. Sightings of these species, however, are far more likely during the early-morning cruise on Yellow Waters.
Prices start from £250, including camping accommodation for two nights and all meals during the four-day tour.
Animal magic: the park has a range of wildlife, including crocodiles
Rock climbing in the Blue Mountains National Park
The foothills of these spectacular mountains begin 40 miles inland from Sydney and rise as high as 1,110 metres.
The range derives its name from the blue haze that settles on the mountain tops due to the oil given off by the eucalyptus trees that carpet the hills.
The national park has some spectacular scenery:highlights are the Three Sisters rock formations towering over the Jamison Valley, or Wentworth Falls that drop 300 metres to the valley floor. Serious walkers can hike for hours, or even days, in the park and the steep cliffs, rocky crags and gorges make this the perfect arena for rock climbers and abseilers.
There are several companies offering rock climbing in the village of Katoomba. The Australian School of Mountaineering is based here and offers introductory rock-climbing courses.
Sample product: Travel 2 includes a stay in the Blue Mountains within its 17-day Australia In-Style tour. Holidaymakers can book their rock-climbing excursions from the luxurious Lilianfels Hotel, where they spend two nights.
Feeding the dolphins in Shark Bay World Heritage and Marine Park
Shark Bay World Heritage and Marine Park in Western Australia is home to some fantastic beaches and historic little towns.
The area is best known for two things – the stromatolites, the world’s oldest living fossils at Hamelin Pool, and the dolphins at Monkey Mia.
Monkey Mia is 16 miles northeast of the tourist centre of Denham and it’s believed that dolphins have been visiting this bay since the 1960s.
They swim up to the shore in the knee-deep water where tourists, under supervision, can paddle and feed fish to the dolphins as they nudge against their legs.
In the winter months, these rare bottle-nosed dolphins visit daily, less frequently inthe summer, and mornings are the best time to go.
As many as 13 dolphins have visited on one occasion.
Nearby, the Dolphin Information Centre provides in-depth details on dolphins’ behaviour patterns.
Sample product: British Airways Holidays offers a four-day Great Escapes package that incorporates a stay at Monkey Mia with visits to The Pinnacles and surrounding desert and coast.
Prices start from £370 per person and include three nights accommodation, breakfasts and dinner.
Scenic flights in Bungle Bungle(Purnululu) National Park
The Bungle Bungle in the Kimberley region in Western Australia is a national park made up of thousands of huge beehive-shaped mounds striped in alternate bands of orange and black.
The black is lichen and the orange is silica protecting the soft white sandstone formations of the domes.
Cathedral Gorge is just one spectacular area that can be explored on foot, but because the region is so vast and since the rock formations are so fragile that it is forbidden to climb them, the best way to see the area is from the air.
Sample product: Explore Worldwide visits the Bungle Bungle National Park within its Wonders of the West tour and gives the option of taking a scenic flight. The 1hr journey costs £53 per person.
Cruise in Sydney Harbour National Park
Not many people know that Sydney’s famous harbour is part of a national park.
Under its protection are the pockets of bushland and several islands that are scattered around the harbour. Included is Fort Denison, a small fortified island dating back to the Crimea War, originally used to imprison troublesome convicts.
Just west of of Sydney Harbour Bridge is Goat Island. In the past this island has been used as a shipyard, quarantine station and more recently the set for the TV show Water Rats.
Clark Island, off Darling Point and Shark Island, off Rose Bay, are great picnic spots. Cruises around the harbour allow holidaymakers to view these isolated islands and get a different perspective of the famous Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Sample product: many operators include a harbour cruise in their itineraries. Distant Dreams’ Dream Journey explores Sydney from the water during a luncheon cruise with commentary. Titan Tours offers a Sundowner Cruise.
Sydney harbour: a protected national park
Dolphin friendly: visitors can feed these wondrous creatures at Monkey Mia
Jeep safari on Fraser Island
The unique thing about Queensland’s Fraser Island is that it is all sand – there is no soil at all.
In fact, it’s the world’s largest sand bar at 75 miles by nine miles, located just off Hervey Bay on the east coast.
Touring it by a four-wheel-drive is a challenge and while sometimes bumpy and slow, is a great way of exploring the beautiful natural surroundings.
The northern half of the island is protected as the Great Sandy National Park and is a haven for nature lovers. Much of it is made up of dense forests, surrounding more than 200 lakes around which are secluded golden beaches. Huge sand dunes feature amazing sculpted formations and give the feeling of being in an Arabian desert. Wildlife is plentiful.
Stunning pink pelicans strut along the beach but visitors should beware of the dingos that are renowned for helping themselves to picnics. The island is sparsely populated and although more than 20,000 vehicles pile onto it each year it remains wild.
There are no paved roads but a network of sandy tracks zig-zag across the island and vehicles can also be driven along the wide Pacific Ocean beach.
Sample product: Tradewinds has a Fraser Island three-day, two-night package in its 2000 brochure staying in the Kingfisher Bay Resort.
Prices start from £142 per person including transfers, twin-share accommodation, buffet breakfast and guided four-wheel-drive tour.
Aboriginal culture: a spiritual experience
Learn aboriginal culture in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
More commonly known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is one of Australia’s biggest drawcards, towering 348 metres from the surrounding red desert floor.
The national park, where the mighty rock sits, is owned by the local Aboriginal people, the Anangu. The area holds great spiritual and cultural importance for the Anangu and is evidence of how life began.
Aboriginal religious beliefs centre on the continuing existence of spirit beings that lived on earth during ‘Dreamtime’, which occurred before the arrival of humans. These spirits left signs to show they had passed and Ayers Rock is one of them, as are the nearby Olgas – huge boulders, considered by some to be more impressive than the Rock itself.
Sample product: AAT Kings offers a five-day Ayers Rock Experience tour from £370. Included is an Aboriginal cultural tour headed by a local Aboriginal guide. Guests tour the base of the Rock and see ancient rock paintings and sacred sites. Demonstrations of spear and boomerang throwing are given and guests learn about the food and medicine sources.
Bushwalking in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
Tasmania’s 16 national parks account for one-third of its territory and offer more than 622 miles of walking tracks.
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair is regarded as the ‘Jewel of the Tasmanian World Heritage Area’ with glacial lakes, ice-carved crags, forests and waterfalls around every corner.
Walks can be as easy or as challenging as you like and last anything from a few hours to a few weeks.
Walkers are almost inundated with information, campsites en route provide high-quality facilities and the tracks are well marked and in good condition.
Probably one of the best walks is the Overland Track – a five to eight-day walk through the heart of the park.
It starts and finishes with a ferry trip on Lake St Clair – Australia’s deepest lake. Parts of the route are high and exposed.
Sample product: Austravel offers a six-day walking tour of Cradle Mountain following the Overland Track.
The package costs £594 per person and includes accommodation in lodges en route, transport, activities, park fees and a guide.
Driving in Port Campbell National Park
This coastal park incorporates the highlights of the Great Ocean Road – the road that runs for 186 miles from Torquay to Warrnambool in Victoria.
The best way to see the sights is to hire a car, stopping frequently to admire many bizarre rock formations. There are many car parks and viewpoints along the way to take photographs and the road is well sign-posted.
Perhaps the most famous sight is known as the Twelve Apostles – a row of huge stone pillars that soar out of the water. London Bridge is another famous spectacle. This rock used to form an arch that joined to the land until it collapsed in 1990. Bay of Islands, further along the coast, comprises a heavy scattering of scenic islands.
Sample product: Gold Medal Holidays offers a three-day Great Ocean Road and Murray River tour from £315 per person based on twin share and including meals, transport and guided tours.
Twelve Apostles: a very famous tourist spot
Diving on the Great Barrier Reef Marine National Park
This World Heritage site is considered to be the best place in the world to learn to dive.
The reef is 243 miles long and stretches alongside Australia’s east coast.
The warm, clean waters have enabled 400 types of coral to thrive here. Masses of blues, greens and pinks converge to form a carpet over this underwater mountain range and adding more colour are a dazzling array of fish, crustaceans, sea urchins and sponges. The reef waters are also a breeding ground for humpback whales.
Scuba divers are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing which operator to dive with. Most dive schools operate from the main Queensland towns of either Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach or Port Douglas.
Sample product: Jetset offers a five-day Professional Association of Diving Instructors’learn-to-dive course costing from £218. Days one and two are spent in a classroom, followed by three days on board a boat where divers perform five dives before qualifying.
Early starters: the site is ideal for beginner divers
Long, long road: visitors can walk for hours, days or weeks
Bushwalking in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
Tasmania’s 16 national parks account for one-third of its territory and offer more than 622 miles of walking tracks.
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair is regarded as the ‘Jewel of the Tasmanian World Heritage Area’ with glacial lakes, ice-carved crags, forests and waterfalls around every corner.
Walks can be as easy or as challenging as you like and last anything from a few hours to a few weeks.
Walkers are almost inundated with information, campsites en route provide high-quality facilities and the tracks are well marked and in good condition.
Probably one of the best walks is the Overland Track – a five to eight-day walk through the heart of the park.
It starts and finishes with a ferry trip on Lake St Clair – Australia’s deepest lake. Parts of the route are high and exposed.
Sample product: Austravel offers a six-day walking tour of Cradle Mountain following the Overland Track.
The package costs £594 per person and includes accommodation in lodges en route, transport, activities, park fees and a guide.