Capricorn and Whitsunday Coasts

From the Tropic of Capricorn, the Bruce Highway worms its way north through sugar cane fields and along the tropical coast. Between Rockhampton and Towns-ville, some oceanside towns have morphed into backpacker havens like Airlie Beach, while others, such as Mackay, still grimace at the sight of sandals and an unwashed t-shirt. The isolated Eungella National Park, within easy reach of Mackay, rewards its few intrepid visitors with tumbling waterfalls and elusive platypuses. The offshore islands vary in size and flavor, each with its own beaches and maze-like walking trails. Great Keppel Island, almost within sight of Rockhampton's shore, lacks roads entirely; the ferry lets passengers off on the beach. Much farther north off Airlie Beach, the Whitsundays are a blizzard of islands with rare, non-figurative Aborigine art and the astoundingly pure Whitehaven Beach. All along the coast, there's plenty to see under the water as well, with the Great Barrier Reef close at hand.

Featured Destinations from Australia

St. George's Hal

St. George's Hall The building on Hay Street has been demolished, but the portico was allowed to remain as a reminder of the grandeur of Perth’s first purpose-built theatre, constructed in 1879.

Australia : Western Australia

Western Australia To say that Western Australia is immense is something of an understatement. The water pipes that stretch from Perth to Kalgoorlie are the length of England. The state boundaries enclose an area three-and-a-half times the size of Texas and could contain the Netherlands 70 times over. You can drive

Australia : South Australia

South Australia South Australia exists in a state of sublime schizophrenia. Alongside vast kilometers of harshest, most uncompromising terrain on the continent, peaceful vineyards sleep lazily and a sophisticated city basks under a steady sun. Capital Adelaide is a stately, serene oasis, well-fed and well-watered by some of the best cuisine

Australia’s PBL holds up following Packer death

Australia’s PBL holds up following Packer death Australia’s Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd is expected to continue to pursue growth through its casino business, with little likelihood of a quick-fire break-up of the news-to-gaming group following the death of media mogul Kerry Packer. Shares in PBL eased just 2% yesterday after the

Australia : Sydney

Sydney Sometimes elegant, sometimes wacked-out, and always amazing, Sydney pulses with energy and swaggers with the self-assurance that comes from being one of the world's great cities. This is where it all goes down, where most international travelers first touch Australian soil and find themselves in a cosmopolitan whirlwind set against

Asian Area

Asian Area As one walks north along Beaufort Street, one finds that the Asian community has taken over this area. Shops here are selling Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean products, especially food, and some items are surprisingly cheap. Around Beaufort Street

Australia : South West

SOUTH WEST The Indian Ocean coast of Southwest Australia is experiencing a boom in both tour¬ism and year-round residency. This winery region features a mild climate of wet win¬ters and dry summers, the world's greatest variety of wildflowers, and beautiful dunes. And it's primed for visitors. Many of the hostels, caravan

Australia : The Pilbara

THE PILBARA Red dust and iron ore are the stuff the Pilbara is made of. Miles of flat, hot coastal plain are populated by a handful of mining and port towns. The region has a tropical climate: wet in the summer, dry in the winter, and hot year-round. The dramatic Hammersley

The Super Pit, Kalgoorlie

The Super Pit, Kalgoorlie The Kalgoorlie-Boulder Super Pit is definitely one of the goldfields outstanding attractions. Although really nothing more than a hole in the ground, it is nevertheless a huge and expensive one by any standards. During the past 100 years this goldfield has produced over 1000 tonnes of precious

Leeman

Leeman Located 88 km south of Dongara and 295 km north of Perth, Leeman is a typical sleepy little fishing villages which, with the inevitability of all charming and unspoilt places, is in the process of changing into a tourist destination and a commuting zone for miners working for Western Titanium