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Hurtling down a river, twisting and turning through lush rainforest, hanging on for dear life around sharp rock edges, water stinging your face and cooling your fear.
This is whitewater rafting, and it's not exclusive to Chile, Zimbabee or New Zealand.
Tully, its gorge well known to whitewater rafting enthusiasts, rests at the foot of Mt Makay and Mt Tyson, overlooked by The Tully Sugar Mill. With over 45 rapids, it's known to adventure seekers and nature lovers alike.
At the entrance to the main street of Tully, in Banyan Park, the giant ‘Golden Gumboot’ welcomes visitors to town. With a green tree frog climbing its heights, the gumboot monument stands in recognition of Tully’s claim to fame as Australia’s wettest town - with an annual rainfall of over 4000mm.
The lush, green hills invite rainforest walks through the Misty Mountain Trails. Streams, waterfalls and natural swimming pools, like Alligator's Nest, are dotted throughout and, despite its name, crocodiles won't join you for a swim here.
Tully is an easy daytrip from Cairns or Mission Beach, and worth it for adventure seekers, frog lovers or those with a penchant for sugar mills...
Reclining around a silver pole, ‘lady boys’ bat their false lashes, beckon with oddly long fingers and occasionally tear into the crowd to coax unsuspecting tourists into an expensive photo opportunity.
Bangla Road, Patong Beach swarms with the weird and the wonderful, from Japanese honeymooners in matching, striped sailor outfits to European men in Speedos and large geckos competing for shoulder space with monkeys. And that’s before midnight.
Sitting at a bar on a street facing bench ensures a night of endless entertainment, wholly made up of the parade of passers-by. The constant attempts by hawkers to peddle their wares, a cause of infuriation for many visitors, can be lessoned by a simple, ‘no thanks’, repeated a couple of times. Or, the experience can be a highlight once a few friendly words are exchanged.
Patong Beach, its soft sand concealed by thousands of umbrellas, is best observed from a comfortable, padded beach chair. Although they will cost you (THB70 – 100), the service once seated is worth it, along with front row seats of turquoise water, sporting action and a constant cast of colourful characters.
The one thing I wondered about were the trays of seafood, held high in the sun by their sellers, for hours at a time. We bought beer, fruit, dresses and fake tattoos on the beach, but hot, raw prawns seemed a little destructive.
Anybody ever been tempted?
El Arish:
What does a North Queensland town, named after an Egyptian city with a population of 232, have to offer tourists?
To be honest, not much.
But, it is worth a short detour off the Bruce Hwy, or a 20 minute drive from Mission Beach, to vist the El Arish Tavern.
Built in 1927, the tavern is authentic old world at its best - but with added comforts and touch-ups, keeping within its unique style. (Cyclone Larry in 2006 caused some damage, hence the much needed restoration).
Beer drinkers sit on stools made of twisted branches and tables formed of tree-stumps, gazing across the road at the historic train station.
Inside, pub memorabilia literally drips from the walls and ceilings, with old bikes, tools, signs and photos clamouring for space.
The restaurant serves up steak and seafood and the locals give it the thumbs up - the best reason of all to go.
Melbourne is full of cosy cafes, mysterious laneways and hidden bars to wile away an afternoon in - drinking, eating and people watching.
But Acland Street, St Kilda, combines loopy Luna Park and beach-side markets, with Melbourne's signature loves of good food, trendy restuarants and cutting edge fashion
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Sex? Beer? Travel?
After conducting a random survey into the daily thoughts of others, the following were the most common, in order of frequency
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Grey, cold and starting to snow, New York showed us the bite in her tail on our last day. Having had tantalising glimpses of Central Park through double decker bus windows, or from across the street as Bloomingdales beckoned, we'd decided to save indepth exploration until our last day, to fully enjoy and relax among the acres of parkland and frolicking squirrels.
Naturally, the weather had been superb, although chilly, with the sun shining brightly every day for eight days. Yes, it was snowing, but not enough to create pictures of glowing, white splendour. The soft flakes simply melted into slippery mush that seeped into our non-waterproof shoes and created crusted patterns on the bottom of our jeans
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The 'glitter strip' of Surfers Paradise is loaded with designer brands (think Gucci and Louis Vuitton), their exclusive, shiny stores standing out among cheap T-shirt shops and duty free windows full of kangaroo toys and sheep skin rugs.
Pacific Fair, in Broadbeach, has long been the jewel in the Gold Coast's shopping crown, with major chain stores such as Target and Myer and specialty shops ranging from Sportsgirl to Australian Geographic
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Byron Bay Bluesfest, 9 - 13 April 2009
John Butler Trio and Ben Harper head a long list of acts at this year's Bluesfest at Byron Bay. With international food stalls and enough space to chill out on the grass among the bongo drums, the Bluesfest is an Easter weekend tradition for many and an exciting new experience for first timers
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We're all bombarded with dire news of the world's economy, so where does that leave die-hard travellers desperate to embark on a new adventure? Especially if your income no longer supports such expensive jaunts?
Cheer up, travel is possible on the smallest of budgets, and, without expectations of five-star accommodation and flights on the premier airlines, a whole new world of travel opens up - if you're open to it. Best of all - views are free! All you need is a cheap, fold up camping chair to be comfy and enjoy...(and maybe a special on your favourite wine at the bottle -o
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Comment by The Travelling Fairy Dancer
on An Afternoon in Central Park
Travel Magic