South Coast
The coastal towns south of Sydney, strung together by the Princes Hwy, are far less tourist than their northern counterparts. While industry dominates many of the larger towns such as Wollongong and Bega, the smaller coastal towns in between are some of New South Wales’ undiscovered treasures. With a string of beautiful beaches on one side and mountainous escarpment on the other, the South Coast is certainly worth a visit. Cool winters cause the area to be particularly deserted between June and August; the windy coastline retains a certain charm.
Related Travel Information
Outback Coast And Gascoyne Region
With its safe swimming, spectacular diving and snorkeling, and lively marine life, the Outback Coast stretches from Shark Bay and its dolphins in the south to the whale sharks and corals of the Ningaloo Marine Park in the north. Though the region sees plenty of visitors year-round, winter is peak season, when caravanning Perthites park themselves along the sunny coast to wait out the cold weather down south.
Of the major coastal destinations between Perth and Exmouth, only Geraldton and Carnarvon are actually along Hwy 1. Kalbarri, Shark Bay, and Exmouth all require sig¬nificant detours. The routes
Gold Coast
Gorgeous beaches, thumping nightclubs, excellent theme parks, and plenty of accommodations make the Gold Coast Australia's premier holiday destination. The region's permanent population of 390,000 triples to 1.2 million every summer as Australian and foreign tourists flock to the sun, sand, and parties. The term "Gold Coast" has a few possible origins, each of which addresses the its lure. Tourist officials say it's for the stretches of golden sand beaches; cynics point to high rises and tacky tinsel glitter; realists note the high concentration of visitors in their golden years, mainly in the towns north and south of pulsing
The Northeastof Tasmania
Tasmania's Northeast is blessed with a sunny disposition. Folks here grow up listening to Melbourne radio, drinking Boag's beer, and disdaining the political antics of the South. The midlands offer wool, the north coast wine, and the sun-coast water, all a gently civilized counterpoint to the state's famed wilderness. The priceless coastal pockets of Mount William, Freycinet, and Maria Island National Parks are worlds away from the mountainous World Heritage Areas of the south and west. In the middle of miles of flatness, Ben Lomond rises to survey the entire region; its ski slopes provide a bit of
North Coast of Queensland
The northern Queensland coast sits at the junction of the tropical far north, the rugged frontier of the outback, and the civilized cities of the southern coastline. Waving fields and smoking mills represent the region's greatest industry, sugar cane. Towns-ville, Queensland's second largest city, is the economic and residential center of the area. Off its shores, Magnetic Island offers solitude and koalas in the wild. Between here and Mission Beach, white beaches glow next to crystalline water, across which the Great Barrier Reef beckons. The miles inland hide swaths of rainforest populated by birds, bugs, and bouncing
Midlands And Batayia Coast
Renowned as much for the seas of bright color that blanket the region during the autumn wildflower season as for its beautiful coast, this region depends on fishing, agriculture, and tourism to earn its keep. The Branch Hwy marches north from Perth a few dozen kilometers inland from the coastline of the Indian Ocean, while the wheat-growing Midlands extend for hundreds of kilometers to the east. The Batavia Coast stretches from just north of the Pinnacles up as far as the red cliffs of Kalbarri, and takes its name from the most famous of the many shipwrecks
