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Visit the remarkable rock

Experience — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:56:58 +0000

Rising from the broad desert plain in the deep centre of Australia, Uluru / Ayers Rock is Australia’s most recognisable natural icon and one of one of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders.

There are many remarkable things about Uluru (Ayers Rock), the huge monolith 465km southwest of Alice Springs in Australia’s Red Centre.

But perhaps the most remarkable is how few people have ever visited it. Maybe because it’s a long way to go from most population centres and people think there’s little to do once you get there. Think again. A trip to Uluru, and the neighbouring Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), represents one of the world’s most memorable walking holidays. Firstly, there’s the opportunity to walk around the rock (some 9.4km – our tip: start early in the day), which is possibly the oldest walking track on the planet. This walk showcases why Uluru has been given World Heritage status, for both ecological and cultural reasons.

Many also decide to ignore the wishes of the Anangu people and climb the rock, which rises 348m above the surrounding countryside. Guided tours enable visitors to grasp the ancestral creation theories offered by the traditional owners, and the scientific model or “erosion over millions of years” put forward by western science.

“To get the best out of this world icon, don’t just fly straight into nearby Yulara. The longer the drive to get there, the more remarkable it is.”
– David Whitley

Make no mistake: close up, Uluru is powerful, awe-inspiring and intimidating. From a distance, Uluru famously changes colour, anything from blue or violet to glowing red. There are numerous places to watch the sun rise or set over this remarkable pebble (a term coined by explorer Ernest Giles in 1872). You’ll typically be standing on a rise, surrounded by lush vegetation and the famous red earth of the Red Centre.

The Olgas provide further excellent walking opportunities, and the night sky at Uluru, undimmed by the lights of civilisation, is spectacular nearly every evening. Various “dinner in the desert” options are available, some with guided astronomy tours.
Quite apart from on foot, there are various options to see Uluru from the air, but the cheapest way to do this is to insist on a window seat when flying in to Alice.

Did you know?
Only a small portion of Uluru is on the surface. The rock, which is made of arkose (a course-grained sandstone) is at least 2.5km thick. Some report a light source emanating from it at various times of the year. Most likely this can be explained scientifically, but the ancestral owners believe there’s a hollow below ground which houses an energy source they call “Tjukurpa”, or the Dreamtime.

How to get there
You can fly direct to Ayers Rock Airport daily from Perth, Sydney, Cairns and Alice Springs, plus, four times a week from Melbourne. Or you can fly into Alice Springs and drive to Uluru, but plan to take your time to make this drive – it is a long way.
Best time to go
It is obviously very hot during the summer months. Check out the websites below for temperatures during the year.

Further information
Useful websites:

www.deh.gov.au/parks/uluru/
The Department of the Environment and Heritage site for Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park. Must-visit site before you visit!

www.ayersrockresort.com.au
Accommodation site for Yulara, the resort facing Uluru.

[Via - australiantraveller.com]

Swim with dolphins

Experience — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:35:11 +0000

Dolphins are one of the earth’s most fascinating and curious creatures, and if you’ve ever wanted to get up close and personal with these majestic marine creatures swimming with dolphins is an exhilarating experience that you will never forget.

There are two options for swimming with dolphins – a captive dolphin swim experience or a wild dolphin interaction. Captive facilities range from centres offering dolphin-assisted therapy programs and public dolphin swims, to resorts and theme parks. Most captive dolphins are bottlenose dolphins, which when in the wild, are typically very shy and wary of humans. Captive dolphins are trained to perform stunts, and to interact with humans.

Swimming with wild dolphins means you meet them in their environment. Unlike captive dolphins who have no choice but to interact with human beings whether they want to or not, wild dolphins can choose if they want to stick around and swim with you, and if they don’t have the freedom to simply disappear into the deep blue sea which makes it all the more special when they do decide to stay. Wild dolphins actually do come to swim with people, and its the most ‘real’ and special way to experience swimming with dolphins.

There are only about 15 spots in the world where you can swim with wild dolphins. Some of the best places where you can swim with wild dolphins are: Kaikoura in New Zealand, Oahu and Kona in Hawaii, Bimini in the Bahamas, Red Sea in Egypt, Ponta Do Ouro in Mozambique, and Perth in Australia.

Swimming with these intelligent creatures as they frolic in their natural environment is an amazing experience, and one you won’t forget in a hurry.

Carve up the ski slopes in Aspen

Experience — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:41:49 +0000

Aspen Colorado is one of the world’s largest and most famous ski resorts. Nestled in the higher ranges of the Rocky Mountains, its exquisite natural beauty, snow capped mountains, ski resorts, forests, festivals, Victorian architecture, celebrities, and historical background make Aspen a place that must be experienced.

Aspen is know as the winter playground for the rich and famous. Celebrities such as Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Goldie Hawn, Kevin Costner, and Mariah Carey are known for their residences in the Aspen area. So if your strolling around this ski resort or carving up the slopes you might just catch a glimpse or even crash into someone famous.

However Aspen is more than just a glitzy playground for the elite. Aspen boasts fabulous landscapes, naturally exquisite beauty, a rich cultural heritage, every snow and ice sport imaginable and some of the best soft powder in the United States. Aspen Mountain towers above the town of Aspen, with a top elevation of 11,215 feet (3,148 meters) and a vertical drop of 3269 feet (996 meters). Aspen has four world class mountains cut with 76 trails from easy slopes to hair-raising double black diamonds, providing something for every level of skier.

In the warmer seasons, outdoor enthusiasts can participate in hot-air ballooning, river rafting, fly-fishing, horseback riding and many other activities. There are also a variety of cultural events held in Aspen throughout the year.

Whether you go to Aspen to carve up the ski slopes, or just go to admire the natural landscapes and cultural aspects of Aspen Colorado, its an experience you wont forget.

Drive the Big Sur Coast Highway

Experience — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:40:13 +0000

For the ultimate scenic drive in the United States, follow Route One through the Big Sur area and take in the California coast the way it is meant to be experienced. The Big Sur Coast Highway with its bends and curves hugs the rugged and awesomely beautiful California coastline for 72 miles (144km), providing access to austere, windswept cypress trees, rolling fog, sheer rocky cliffs and the crashing surf of the Pacific Ocean.

Along the route you’ll experience views of rugged canyons and steep sea cliffs, granite shorelines, majestic redwood forests and pristine coastline. Your also likely to spot sea lions and other marine life playing in the coves. Other attractions along the way include Bixby Bridge, Carmel Mission and Basilica, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Point Lobos State Reserve, and Big Sur’s Henry Miller Memorial Library.

You can drive the Big Sur Coast Highway in a few hours, but if possible plan to stay longer in the area. Spend some time at one of the coastal resorts or camping areas, play on the patches of sandy beach that dot the coastline, or swim in one of the secluded coves. Relax at one of the fine restaurant with a delicious meal and great view, or picnic on one of the beaches.

Big Sur is arguably the best way to appreciate the natural wonders of the western coast. And with crashing waves, rolling fog, sheer rocky cliffs, and hair-raising turns and dips, the drive down the Big Sur Coast Highway is an unforgettable experience.

Surf the Pipeline in Hawaii

Experience — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:58:40 +0000

Endless sun, pristine beaches, and monster waves. Hawaii, the home of surfing, is America’s surfing Mecca, and one of the premiere surfing destinations the world over.

Hawaii has great surf most places, but if you want to call yourself a world class surfer you have to make it on the North Shore of Oahu. The North Shore covers almost 20 miles (32 kilometres) of beautiful open sandy beaches, including legendary beaches like Sunset Beach, Ehukai Beach, and Pupukea Beach, and where you will find the world famous Banzai Pipeline. A spot where the shallow water and coral shelf combine to create powerful tubular waves that resemble pipes, thus giving the place its name. For sheer adrenaline, power, beauty and danger, Pipeline has no equal. Surfing the Pipeline is an invigorating experience, but you’ll have to wait in line to ride some of the incredibly huge waves that break on these shores. And if the surf’s up, beware! The Pipeline at full strength is unforgiving, even for the pros.

If you’ve never surfed before and associate beaches with tanning and people watching, you might be inspired by the daredevils who tempt fate to take on these enormous masses of moving water. It might look difficult, however after a few lessons find a quieter beach with smaller surf and you’ll be able to check surfing in Hawaii off your list of things to experience in life.

On the other hand if you’re up for surfing action, but aren’t up for tackling the big Hawaiian waves yourself, head there in December to watch the spectacle of surfing when the best surfers in the world battle it out at Pipe Masters.

Experienced and beginner surfers alike lose themselves in the ebb and flow of the waves that crash against the shores of the Hawaiian Islands. More than just the dizzying feeling you get as you climb out of the rolling waters, the experience of surfing in Hawaii brings your soul closer to the islands. Surfing in Hawaii is an athletic, spiritual and cultural activity, which combine to create a quintessential Hawaiian experience.

Cruise the desert in a Hummer

Experience — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:25:14 +0000

Experience the Arizona desert in the ultimate off road mode of transport – the mighty Hummer. Desert Storm Hummer Tours take you to the middle of the historic Goldfield Mountains in the Sonoran Desert near Scottsdale, Arizona to experience breathtaking desert landscapes, fascinating rock formations, and exciting off-road action in the military-turned-civilian high performance Hummer vehicle. At elevations of nearly 4,000 feet (1,220 metres), the tour guides will point out the desert’s flora and fauna and explain the history and geology of the area, as you four-wheel through narrow, chiselled trails. They can also teach you some survival skills such as eating cactus or catching local wildlife.

If a day tour is not adventurous enough for you, try the night-vision-assisted tour through the Sonoran desert after dark. Your will be issued with night-vision monoculars, while guides wearing military night-vision goggles drive an eight-mile desert trail without headlights, looking for coyote, bobcats, rattlesnakes and other critters. Hunting the desert floor with black Ultra-violet lights will illuminate tarantulas and scorpions, and thermal-image scopes are also passed around, allowing the eye to capture all warm-blooded wildlife within 500 feet (150 metres). Coyote, fox, great horn owl, bats, rattlesnake, tarantula, wild pig and scorpion are out there waiting to be spotted.

Cruising the matchless beauty of the Sonoran Desert in a Hummer day or night is an unforgettable experience for adventurers of any age.