Five alternative experiences Down Under
Escape to Esperance
Those who find the time and means to travel 740km (460 miles) southeast of Perth to the coastal town of Esperance are well rewarded with magnificent white sandy beaches and gloriously turquoise waters. It really is picture-postcard stuff. Surf, scuba-dive, kite-surf or swim, smug in the knowledge that you are enjoying a destination few tourists to the country know about.
Fill up on bushtucker
While the term 'bush tucker' evokes images of wriggling bugs and kangaroos' unmentionables, the Australian bush offers a wealth of far more palatable cuisine. Sample the best the outback has to offer, sans mouthful of live grubs, at Ocre restaurant in Cairns. Their bush ingredients include quandong (wild peach), warrigal greens, bunya nuts and the kakadu plum.
Discover Tasmania
Poor old Tasmania gets bypassed by many a traveller, but the southeastern island features some of Australia's most stunning scenery. The Bay of Fires on the northeast coast - a stretch of powdery coastline backed up against untamed woodlands and striking granite - is an undisputable highlight. The northern section dips into Mount William National Park, while the south is a protected conservation area; both amply catering for birdwatchers and surfers alike.
Spend the night in jail
A night in the Old Jail in Mount Gambier, South Australia, is as close to being banged up as World Travel Guide would like to get. The building and rooms are much the same as when it was a working prison, but while this really is completely devoid of all creature comforts, spending a night here is certainly a unique (and cheap) experience.
Learn Aboriginal traditions
Visit the world's oldest rainforest - the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland - and witness the ways of the Wujal Wujal people, an Aboriginal community thought to have a population of less than 400. Learn about foraging for bush tucker and fishing for barramundi amid the ancient and varied scenery.
22 September 2009
Fresh ideas are just one click away...
Travel Deals
-
Finland Family holidays There is something about the snow in Finland that makes you wonder if the locals sneak out at night and spray it with a coat of brilliant white paint – it
-
Finland Activity & adventure holidays Finnish Lapland has enormous areas of untouched wilderness and mile upon mile of wild rolling fells. This vast open countryside, sparkling in the winter sunshine, just begs to be explored by
-
Orlando Adrenaline Whether you’re enjoying the hair-raising delights of the world’s only flying rollercoaster called Manta at SeaWorld or racing through the Everglades on an airboat in search of alligators, one thing’s for
-
Cambodia Luxury holidays Today Cambodia is symbolised by awesome Angkor Wat, the largest man-made religious structure in the world. However, Cambodia is also home to some of the finest boutique hotels in the world
-
Laos Inspire Me When the French colonised Indochina they had a saying: "The Vietnamese grow the rice, the Cambodians watch the rice grow, and the Lao people listen to the rice grow." This is
-
Vietnam Cultural breaks Vietnam is a country with a rich and varied history that is now firmly focused on her bright future. This is why it has become one of the hottest destinations for
-
Money tips for travelling abroad Advertising Feature
