After some hours of drive and three toilet stops, I finally reached Coober Pedy from Port Augusta. I found few drunken aboriginal men laid on the dusty road and on foot were some mine-workers. I wondered if it was the end of the world or at least that’s what the city looked like. I started counting the trees and found only 4. Okay, let’s try shops, I thought and found only 10. I seriously didn’t know anything about the terrain until I met another traveler, Randy Walt, who accompanied me till I was in Coober Pedy. He was a free travel guide for me.

According to Randy’s research, eighty five percent of the population lives underground after some nuclear fallout. Most of the houses, cathedrals, inns, and stores are built underground. However, a small aboriginal community lives on the land of Coober Pedy. We met one of them who helped us with fixing the damaged wheel of my car. He said “When a white men lives in a hole, we call it Coober Pedy.” They believe underground is a place of dead.

This land was discovered when a 14-year-old kid found an opal here. This is the only reason of Coober Pedy’s existence.

Randy told me about the two things this place is known for. Opals and films. The backdrop in all the scenes of Mad Max 3 was a part of Coober Pedy. Also most of the scenes of Pitch Black, Kangaroo Jack, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert were shot here. I looked at the surrounding desert area and nodded to avoid eye contact with him because I hadn’t seen any of these movies.

We went to the tourist center to get some info on the accommodation and entertainment in Coober Pedy. However, it turned out that Randy knew much more than the newly hired tourist officer.

Coober Pedy is known around the world as the biggest opal mining town. Till date, high quality opals are found in the mines here. We found the pizza corners sold opals, so did the chemists, and all the hotels. I was quite astonished to find that the churches didn’t. We went underground to check out the opal mining museum and the houses of local residents. The museum didn’t interest me. However, the sights of houses were quite astounding. The rooms were very, very small and had a couple of beds with a table. I guess people here have never heard about claustrophobia.

“Let’s have a look at the opal mines here. If we are lucky enough, maybe we find something”. Though this place didn’t seem anywhere close to lucky, I went with him to explore the opal mines. We borrowed two dusty yellow-hued mining helmets with a tiny but bright light on top of it. After about an hour of walk in the murky tunnels we came out of the mines, unlucky. We did see some parts of the walls glittering and maybe few opals are still stuck there. But I desperately wanted to get out of that suffocating caves and the yellow helmet.

Coober Pedy was an underground settlement with a population of just around 2000 out of which over 1200 were males. The temperature here is generally hot throughout the year except winter nights. In summer, the temperature rises up to 50 C. However, it’s comparatively cooler underground. This region receives small amount of rainfall. So, even in the winter months, the town seems quite arid and dusty.

The hotels and inns were quite nicely built and one was really exquisite. We had a scrumptious pizza in an suffocating café. Water is quite expensive here, so I opted for a beer. Later, while Randy spent time flirting with the underground girls (all of them wearing neon clothes) in the world’s only bar below the earth, I retired early to our cave. I had planned to wake up at 4 am next morning and keep moving to explore the other parts of Australia. Before sleeping, I noted about the description of Coober Pedy in my travel diary, as I always do. I wouldn’t describe this place as beautiful and attractive. In fact, the movie ‘2012’ would have done better if it would have been shot here. However, it was an unusual experience exploring the underground city. Though not so fascinating, it was quite interesting (except the tunnel-like mines).

Coober Pedy is about 845 kilometers from Adelaide and 685 kilometers away from Alice Springs on Stuart Highway.

This isn’t another tedious travel article with heaps of superfluous information and unwanted pictures. I have mentioned the details in a Q&A format that will help you to pick you need.

Where is the Shark Bay located?

It is positioned at the westernmost tip of Australia. It is around 850 kilometers north from the capital of Western Australia, Perth.

Why is it named ‘Shark Bay’?

An English voyager and pirate, William Dampier, was sailing through western coast of Australia in 1699. He watched numerous dolphins swimming besides his vessel and misinterpreted them as sharks. Hence, he named this bay as Shark Bay.

How and where can I touch the dolphins?

As mentioned above, the water is affluent in aquatic life and the lovely fishes swimming elegantly in the water are dolphins, not sharks. Although these adorable creatures can be found everywhere in Shark Bay, Monkey Mia is the place where you can actually  touch and feed them.

I heard about dugongs, what are they anyway?

Dugong is a marine herbivorous creature with forelimbs acclimatized as flippers and doesn’t have hind limbs. Highest population of dugongs in the world can be found is Shark Bay. There are over 10,000 dugongs here.

And what about Stromatolites?

A simple definition of stromatolites: A laminated piece of rock formed due to the growth of bluish green algae. This rock comprises of fossils of aquatic creatures that inhabited here 3500 million years ago.

I am quite fond of Whales. Is there any in Shark Bay?

Shark bay is a relaxing location of the migrating humpback whales. In 1960, there were around 800 whales in this region. Fortunately, the number increased to around 2500 in 2009.

Can I swim with the sharks?

It seems you are quite an adventurous traveler. However, don’t try to swim with the sharks found near Shark Bay because those are the ‘man-eating’ ones. Ningaloo Reef toward northern coast is a place where you can swim with the world’s largest shark: Whale Shark.

How can I reach the Shark Bay?

First, drive on the Brand Highway till you reach Geraldton, then take the North-West Coastal Highway and take a left turn from Overlander to reach Denham. A drive from Perth to Denham will take approximately 10 hours. If it suits your budget, fly to Monkey Mia or Denham, which will save many hours.

Okay. Catching a flight is a better option. But what is Denham?

It’s a pearling port and a chief population centre of Shark Bay. Visitors coming to watch the magnificence of Shark Bay halts at Denham. It’s wise to book your accommodation well in advance because the hotels here are quite crammed during vacations.

It’s decided. I am visiting Shark Bay next year.

What’s the best time to get here?

Summer months are tremendously hot. To have a pleasurable time, visit Shark Bay in winter months of June to October. During these days, the temperature here is around 22-26 C and gentler, lighter breeze gushes through the coast.

What other adventures can I try?

Diving is permitted here, so you can obviously try diving, snorkeling, and swimming. Or opt to hire a small boat and watch the spectacular marine life. Windsurfing is another famous adventure here.

What is the overall climate here?
Winters are mild and summers are hot. The average temperature of Shark Bay is 26.5 C and average rainfall is 228mm.

Wander Salamanca Place

It is located on the cobblestone square of Hobart’s waterfront. You will find active Salamanca Markets with full of potters, painters, etc. This is the green market with different flowers, fruits and vegetables. The galleries, theatres, restaurants and shops of 1830 make this place a site seeing. Drink coffee and take pleasure of breeze under the sun umbrellas will make you feel pleasurable.

Mount Wellington

The view of South Arm, Bruny Island, and Tasman Peninsula from the top of Mount Wellington is an adventurous experience. The pre historic Pipeline Track also known as Wellington Range can be seen while riding a horse. There is a Octopus Tree which is the tallest tree in the forest is on the Climb Sphinx Rock. The bike and a four wheeler ride on this mountain is a thrilling experience. It is 1,270 meters above sea level at a distance of 20 minutes from Hobart.

Oldest parish of Hobart

The beautiful cottage of fishermen in the Battery Point and the grand old mansions staying in this small village is an unforgettable experience. The name Battery point was given to this place after 1818 when battery of guns was put on the point. St.George’s Anglican Church, Arthur Circus Cottages and Van Diemen’s Land Folk Museum are the attractions of this village.

Kettering and Richmond

It is one of the oldest jail and oldest Bridge and is a picturesque area. It is located towards the north east side of Hobart at 30 minutes time duration. The ghost tour and the lantern light are the picnic spots on the banks of the Coal River. The craft and art galleries are must watch. Going way back to Hobart where many wineries on the Coal Valley are located to get the wine experience. Town of Kettering and seaside make a look of painting from the south of Hobart.

Blue water Classic

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race starts on Boxing Day of Australia from Sydney to Hobart. The distance of the race is 630 miles and organizes under the co-operation of Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. Initially the race was just to get a cruise experience for the tourists and planned by Peter Luke. The idea to make it a race was given by Captain John Illingworth was a regular visitor and a British Royal Navy Officer. The first inaugural race was organized in the year 1945. It is one of the top yacht races in the world attracting people all around the world. It celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2004. Rolex is the naming sponsors of the yacht race from the year 2002 so it renamed as Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race the naming sponsorship will be continued up till 2010.

How to get there

Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Blue are the airlines connected with Hobart and main areas of Australia. There are no direct international flights to Hobart as Hobart International Airport is located 17 kilometers away from Hobart. All the airlines operate from Tasmania. There are many bus companies which operate between Tasmania and Hobart these are Redline Coaches, Tassie Link etc you will get them at Hobart Bus Terminal easily while Hobart Coaches provide regular services from Richmond, New Norfolk and Kingston and they connect the south of Hobart to D’Entrecasteaux Channel to Cygnet.

Where to stay

There are hotels in and outside neighboring areas of Hobart; you will easily get good hotels in Hobart with luxurious facilities and comforts. They are five stars to two stars from high rage to low range. Lodges are also available for tourists in Hobart. Many hotels have beautiful picturesque site views from balconies. There are hotels to nearby airports.  To see Hobart the visit should be of two or three days short which is sufficient to see the sites and village. Best time to visit Hobart is from November to March. You will see sunshine of few hours in Hobart as compare to other major cities of Australia. The area rarely gets snowfall as the Mount Wellington can be seen covered with snow sometimes in winter season. In the modern time the city has hardly received snowfall as they occur once in 15 years. The currency here is Australian dollar which is equal to $ 91.15 the rates are fluctuating. There are many branches of major banks near the Elizabeth St Mall with many suburban branches. ATMs are also available in many parts of Hobart. Traveler’s cheques are also accepted in five star hotels.

There are many entertainment activities in Hobart like Bars, Pubs, Restaurants, shopping places, sites and much more. There are 35 much watch sites in Hobart which include historical, industrial, military, archeological, parks, gardens, museums, galleries, heritage, roosty atmosphere and festivals. Hobart is one of the best watch experiences of Australia.

The cloud forest developed on the peaks of this island’s mountains can be spotted from many miles away making it distinct from other atolls. This small piece of land embraces around 242 species of vegetation out of which 16 are rare, scarce, quite vulnerable, and cannot be found on any other parts of the world.

Likewise, the bird population here is quite distinct and affluent. It has around 130 genuses of birds. Other than Ball’s Pyramid, the petrel can be found only on Lord Howe Island. Half of the world population of shearwater is conserved by this island. Many other significant genus of birds like Sooty Tern, Masked Booby, White-bellied storm Petrel, Grey Ternlet, Noddy, Kermadec Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, and black winged Petrel are found here.

Many of the coastal regions of this island are covered by freshwater prawns and freshwater crabs. More than 480 species of fishes have been noticed in the water surrounding this land.

Irrespective of the number of species of vegetation, plants, and animals, tourists are enticed by the serenity, magnificent exquisiteness, and exceptional ambiance offered by the Lord Howe Island.

The length of Lord Howe is 6 miles and the broadest point is 1 mile. To preserve the ambiance and exquisiteness only 350 inhabitants and 400 tourists are allowed on the island at any specific given time. The lifestyle of the people here is effortless and unsophisticated. There is no traffic as there are hardly any cars in this area. The chief mode of transportation is bicycle and on feet. And intentionally, no mobile reception is available.

Due to tiny population you ca easily avail a house, small bungalow, or a tiny lodge. Adventurers can involve in activities like hiking, diving, , surfing, swimming, scuba-diving, etc.

This place filled with translucent turquoise tarns, golden shores, and outstanding coral reefs also has a couple of murky volcanic mountains, and tropical forest that envelop most part of this island.

You can reach Lord Howe within two hours from Sydney in a plane. The best time to visit this place is from December to March. These summer months create an ambiance favorable for any tourist arriving for vacationing.

Canberra not only exhibits a spectacular array of eye-soothing natural vegetation, but also opens its arms for exploring the rich legendary past, ethnic culture and traditions and lifestyle. Canberra remains to be the esteemed political seat of Government of Australia and one can sneak a peak into its political past and modern democracy as Government sites such as Old Parliament House, Parliament House and other prominent government agencies find a safe haven here. In addition to all this, Canberra also basks the glory of nestling social and cultural institutions of nation’s significance, few of them namely are Australian War Memorial, National Museum of Australia, National Library of Australia and National Gallery of Australia. Similarly, Canberra also possesses most of the prominent national monuments and institutions. Virtually, Canberra is a tourist paradise as it proffers anything and everything for its lovable tourists.

Art and historic buffs can appease their senses with the venerated heritage sites, whereas fun lovers can indulge in exciting and sporty events. Get into the National Institute of Sport and Science for checking in-depth descriptions about the nationally acclaimed sportspersons. Get informative and crispy insights in National Science and Technology Centre at Questacon. After an educational outing, it’s time to chill-out in the stunning marvel. Step in the plush verdure and enjoy the one of the world’s planned cities applauded lakes, indigenous vicinity of bush land and amusing parklands. Past all the fun and frolic, it’s the time for gulping healthy brunch. Downside the verdant surroundings are Canberra’s finesse hotels and restaurants, move there to savor the delighting taste of delicacies. And, enjoy in the hip bars and get choosy in the swanky boutiques. Also, become a part of Canberra in its fun celebrations and festive events.