Oz Travel-Bytes #6 |
(Sept 2000) |
| Greetings from the Olympic country While Sydney basks in the international limelight of the Olympics and the Aussie dollar suffers at the hands of a strangled Asian economy, Perth is humming along nicely. International Travellers are given the opportunity to experience the True Australia, from the outback beauty of the Kimberley to the breathtaking experience of the Humpback whale close up. From the pounding surf of Margaret River to the dizzy heights of the world's largest monocline, Mount Augustus, Western Australia is the place to start and finish your journey down under. Phew…… now that I have convinced you of where our loyalties lie perhaps we can begin our " Olympic Edition" of Travel Bytes. Have a Whale of a Time... As I mentioned in the last edition it is now Whale season and this means sharing in the wonder of experiencing the worlds 5th largest animal, the Humpback
Whale (Metaptera Novaengliae) in person. Humpbacks average 14 to 15 metres in length and weigh as much as 11
elephants or 600 full-grown men. WOW. Humpbacks have a stocky body with a broad head and long flippers up to one third of the total body length. The dorsal fin is small, often sitting on a "hump" in the back. They migrate from Antarctica to the sub-tropical waters of Australia to give birth and mate during winter and spring. Consequently whale watchers are most likely to see this species in the coastal waters of eastern and western Australia. Humpbacks frequently perform spectacular aerial leaps, often raise their tail flukes before diving and 'sing' long complex songs during the breeding season. Individuals can be identified from the colour pattern under the tail. The animal has been protected in Aussie waters since 1963 and is recovering from over whaling comfortably with a growth rate of about 13% each year. More than 3000 humpbacks migrate between Antarctica and Australia each year. Whale watching can be done for as little as $30.00 for a 2-hour cruise from Perth.
(Tours
that include Whale Watching opportunities here) While on the subject of whales, did you know that the Dolphin is categorised as a
whale, or toothed whale? One of the more fascinating and gregarious animals on our coastline is the Bottlenose
Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus). These animals have a relatively short, stubby beak with 21 to 29 pairs of teeth in each jaw. Their mouths curve up in a permanent smile which is natural, but locals will tell you it's from the abundance of fish and mates in the waters of our "World Heritage "area, Monkey Mia in Shark Bay. Unfortunately, they are also the most common stranded cetacean in Australia, usually singly or in small groups. The Shark Bay area is located 800kms north of Perth. It was listed as a World Heritage area in 1991 because of its amazing flora, fauna and geological features. Shark
Bay's marine environment is just as amazing as its terrestrial areas with a wide variety of marine habitats from coral reef to the most extensive range of seagrass beds in the entire world. The bay is home to many species of marine fish, and is a meeting zone for the northern and southern species. The Bottlenose dolphins are famous at Monkey Mia, frequently coming in to the beach to be fed by travellers almost every day. These and up to 3000 dolphins have been the subject of an extensive study on dolphin behaviour since 1982 by members of the Shark Bay Dolphin research group. Shark Bay also supports one of the best protected populations of dugongs in the world (estimated at 10,000 individuals) and is the home to numerous sea turtles, sea snakes and sea birds, not to mention the good ol' Humpback!!! Of course there are many species of sharks found in the area as well including mako, whaler, hammerhead and tiger sharks. This and many other fascinating areas can be discovered on
a 4-day tour departing Perth to Monkey Mia for as little as $375.00 including all meals and accommodation.
(Tours
that include Monkey Mia here) Keep heading North and it is hard to go past one of the newest towns in Australia, founded in 1967, Exmouth with the Ningaloo Reef on its doorstep is one of the great diving destinations in the country. Indeed the Navy Pier dive is one of the top 10 dive sites in Australia with over 35 metres of visibility. Here visitors can swim with schools of huge groper (to 1500lbs), moray eel and many other aquatic masterpieces. The area is already famous for its game fishing due to the proximity of the continental shelf only minutes away. Many travellers will take advantage of the dive courses available in this area and spend a week diving and experiencing this reef with its abundance of marine beauty. Courses start from as little as $300.00 for an open water PADI licence. Nestled on the Eastern side of the North west cape Exmouth has two backpackers, seven caravan parks, two hotels and several lodges. Budgets priced meals are available from a pizza bar, fish and chip shop, Chinese restaurant and a local cafe. No trip to Exmouth would be complete without a visit to Cape Range National Park, forty-two kilometres from Exmouth. The stark limestone ranges, gorges and sparkling blue ocean make for spectacular viewing. Tours to Exmouth operate most days from Perth for 5 Days one way with a two-day return option. Priced as low as $475.00 one way, including all meals and accommodation with an experienced guide this is one of the best ways to experience the southern west coast.
(Tours
that include Ningaloo Reef here) Travel up the coast a few hundred kilometres (well
1,800 or so) and you will run into one of the pearls of Western Australia, Broome, and gateway to the Kimberley region. I think Broome is a fascinating place for a few reasons. Firstly as a beautiful destination full of activity and unique Australian splendour, but also for the fascinating history. Many people will visit there and make the mistake of not researching the town a bit and getting a whole lot more from their visit. Broome at the turn of the last century was as well known on the streets of London as any Australian city. Ships from all over the world called into this tropical port to take on cargo's of pearl shell. The main extractors of this shell were the Asian community who prospered along the crowded foreshores of Broome. The Japanese in particular were determined to make a name for themselves as divers amongst the many visiting fleets, and this name came with a fatally expensive cost. Most of the Japanese came from a place called 'Wakayama' in the south east corner of Honshu,
Japan's main Island. This town is renowned for its fishermen, so when as many as 30 or 40 men a year began dying of a mystery illness, which we today know as
'the bends', it was pride that became the main reason for continuing this perilous career. On the 26th April 1908 near La Grange Mission, forty one luggers were sunk and forty men died. There is a memorial for these and many others in the Japanese cemetery at the top of Anne St. A visit here is one of the few ways to get an insight into this fascinating past as a lot of the original buildings were made by fortune hunters who made their money and deserted the area, leaving the flimsy houses to perish very quickly. Still, today Broome is one of the major producers of fine Pearls and this industry along with tourism and mining support a town of over 11000 people. There are many other activities in Broome such as camel safaris and diving trips as well as a very well catered for backpacker scene, not to mention the Kimberley region to the East. (*
see last edition). Tours from Perth to Broome start at $950.00 peak season for 8 days all meals and accommodation.
(Tours that
include Broome here) I will not go into the Kimberley in this edition but if you have any questions about this amazing area you should give us a bell on the web site and we will do our best to answer them. Remember that it is situated in the tropics and therefore has a limited season at which to best see the area. This season finishes around the middle November when the rains come and create some of the larger river systems on the planet. October will be amazing so get on it NOW. Kakadu National Park is one of the 11 world heritage areas in Australia and at 19,986 sq km's is the 13th largest park in the world. It is home to the Gagadju people of the Top End who are one of many fascinating indigenous groups of the area. The name Kakadu comes from an anthropologist named Baldwin Spencer who in 1914 was the first white man to document and study this ancient group. As there was never a written language he would write them down as the Kakadu people in his diary. It was in the early 1960's when we were becoming aware of how important this area was to all people that they used his notes for information, and the park was named Kakadu from there. This wondrous area is also best seen on season and it too is going through its peak right now, with Jim-Jim and Twin Falls wide open. Jim-Jim is Australia's highest waterfall at over 210 metres. Tours to Kakadu peak season need to be done in a 4WD and start at around $330.00 plus park entrance fees. (Tours that include Kakadu here) Hope you got a bit from this one. Remember to have a good look through the website which is always being updated and improved. If you have any tips on how we can improve it give us a quick note. I hope your country does well at the Olympics...but not as well as Australia! :) Cheers Pete, Kev, Paul & Scotty |
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