The beach: Port Douglas (Queensland)
A two-hour flight from Brisbane took me above the Tropic of Capricorn to Cairns, gateway to two World Heritage locations:
the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Forest. A short drive along the heartbreakingly rugged coastal road (and numerous roundabouts), led to Port Douglas.Its beautiful Four Mile Beach (left) may seem deserted, but is teeming with life: tiny crabs; visitors riding the hardened wet sand on bicycles, or strolling or jogging; kite-flyers, and people generally enjoying the idyllic conditions. (Don’t forget sun screen). I had a three day weekend, but you'll need more time if planning to explore the kaleidoscopic Reef and the lush Daintree.
The beach: Noosa Heads (Queensland)
A two hour drive north up the Sunshine Coast (less, if there are no roadworks) found me at Noosa Heads and Sunshine Beach for another three day weekend. Though not fringed by palm trees like Port Douglas, the beaches and dunes are magnificent.
Writing now, I feel the sun’s warmth on my skin, and remember families playing ball games, a bird-man suspended from a motorized kite, surfers, and dogs frolicking in the water. Noosa’s short main street is a microcosm of city pleasures (all sampled): scrumptious restaurants, cafes, boutiques and art galleries.
The snow: Falls Creek (Victoria)
Just for variety and to show overseas visitors how extreme August/September can be in Oz: why not go snowboarding? This excursion involved flights from Brisbane to Sydney (1 hour), then Sydney to Albury, New South Wales (1 hour in a smaller plane).
An alternative snowfield awaits under two hours flight from Brisbane via Canberra. The Snowy Mountains (New South Wales) with its mighty hydro-electric dam, is one of the nominated wonders of the modern world. Though I’m not one for the cold, I can appreciate the novelty of fresh snow crunching underfoot and coolness against sun toasted skin during the northern hemisphere’s summer. Why not come downunder and see for yourself...
Writing now, I feel the sun’s warmth on my skin, and remember families playing ball games, a bird-man suspended from a motorized kite, surfers, and dogs frolicking in the water. Noosa’s short main street is a microcosm of city pleasures (all sampled): scrumptious restaurants, cafes, boutiques and art galleries.
The snow: Falls Creek (Victoria)
Just for variety and to show overseas visitors how extreme August/September can be in Oz: why not go snowboarding? This excursion involved flights from Brisbane to Sydney (1 hour), then Sydney to Albury, New South Wales (1 hour in a smaller plane).
An alternative snowfield awaits under two hours flight from Brisbane via Canberra. The Snowy Mountains (New South Wales) with its mighty hydro-electric dam, is one of the nominated wonders of the modern world. Though I’m not one for the cold, I can appreciate the novelty of fresh snow crunching underfoot and coolness against sun toasted skin during the northern hemisphere’s summer. Why not come downunder and see for yourself...
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