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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| May 7 2007, 5:39 PM EDT | heidianna | 493 words added |
| Apr 18 2007, 12:41 PM EDT | heidianna |
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Australia's playground
The beach is so ingrained in Australian culture that we prefer to escape to the sea over any other destination. Any excuse will do – an extended family holiday, a spur-of-the-moment frolic in the waves, a meal at a coast-side café, a deep sea dive, a whale cruise or simple afternoon escape to build sand castles.
Scattered along the coastline are World Heritagegemslike Queensland’s Fraser Island, the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, on the western most point is Shark Bay, while offshore, Lord Howe is surely one of the world’s most beautiful islands.
Each Australian beach provides a gatewayto an array of different experiences – from simple hamlets to sophisticated cities; humble beach shacks to stunning architectural masterpieces; rich hinterlands to red deserts; sand-sculpture competitions to operatic performances; Indigenous centers to alternative villages; surf schools to world competitions – your choice; your experience; your beach.
You too can become part of the great Australian beach journeyby joining the thousands traveling in their campervans, towing their caravans or hitching their tents along the world’s longest route – Highway One – a 24,000km road that circles the entire continent, ducking and weaving for a large part, along the coastline.
Our beaches aren’t just places to enjoy the water and sun.Many are located right next to the bush so you can have a bush and beach experience in one. You’ll see native wildlife and marine life at our beaches.
Tasmania may not have beaches in the stereotypical Aussie image- sunbaked and fringed with perfect surf but our island state has beaches that are wilder and more elemental, with vast pristine and deserted stretches of clean white sand.
You can head to sea and cruise our coastlinedropping into secluded coves and bays that are accessible only by boat or you can catch a ride with the thousands of Sydney commuters whose ferry ride each day is on the world’s most beautiful harbor.
Why not swim with tropical fishwhile marveling at the explosion of color hidden beneath the sea, or enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience and swim with gentle but massive whale sharks or cavort with friendly dolphins.
Dive our reefs and waterwaysand you too will discover our hidden treasures of shipwrecks, relics and reefs.
Watch kangaroos, colorful birds and other wildlife make the beach their playground at dusk.
Experience Aussie surfing culture at its strongest in Victoria’s surfing capital, Torquay, 60 miles from Melbourne, home to the world’s most famous surf spot – Bells Beach and Jan Juc – where surfies from all over the world gather to ride huge swells. Torquay is also the headquarters of many of the world’s most famous surf companies, including Rip Curl, Piping Hot and Quiksilver – be sure to visit its Surfworld Museum.
Enjoy endless walks along endless beacheswith names like Ninety Mile Beach, Eighty Mile Beach and Seventy Mile Beach or stroll the sensational white sand beaches at Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria, the southernmost point of mainland Australia.
