Only in Australia...

Looking for something different?  How about these unique experiences found only in Australia: 

Visit our oldest ancestors

UNESCO has four natural criteria for World Heritage Listing: exceptional natural beauty; significant geological processes; natural habitats for conservation; and evidence of major evolutionary development.  And Western Australia’s Shark Bay is one of the very few places in the world that meets all four of these.   Here in the hypersaline Hamelin Pools dwell the oldest living things on earth - the stromatolites.  Admittedly not much to look at, these living fossils are direct descendants of the oldest form of photosynthetic life on earth, and can be traced back 3.5 billion years! The stromatolites in Hamelin Pool were discovered in 1956 and were the first living examples found of structures built by cyanobacteria – as such they have helped scientists unravel the history of complex life on earth.  
 
The Shark Bay area is also home to the world’s only major populations of Burrowing Bettong, Rufous Hare Wallabies, Banded Hare Wallabies, Western Barred Bandicoots and Shark Bay Mice. Around one eighth of the world’s Dugongs are also found here, along with 11 species of endemic birds and eight species of endemic reptiles. 

A self-drive holiday is the ideal way to explore this fascinating part of Western Australia at leisure. Find out more »   

Sit in the world’s largest classroom

Australia’s vast and remote outback can mean a bit of a trek to the nearest school, so in 1951 the world’s first School of the Air was established in Alice Springs.  Still operating today (although with satellite technology now replacing the original radio communications), Australia currently boasts 16 air schools covering a staggering area of 1.3 million km2.  The Alice Springs School of the Air Visitors Centre is one of the many schools around Australia that offers visitors a chance to listen in on “live” lessons during school hours. Here you can also learn about the history and technology of this unique style of learning.

You can incorporate a visit to the School of the Air as part of an ‘Alice and Uluru’ 4 day package. Find out more »

View the rainforest and reef side-by-side

Travel to the only place on earth where two World Heritage-Listed areas meet, the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, which come together at Cape Tribulation.  Located 110kms north of Cairns in Northern Queensland, Cape Tribulation was named by Captain Cook when he ran into difficulties on the reef in this area. The Daintree Rainforest is the most ancient in the world, dating back 135 million years, and is home to 20 percent of Australia’s bird species and around 60 percent of its butterfly species. This awe-inspiring forest sits by the water, beneath which lies the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef. The Reef spans 2600km of the Queensland coast and is the largest living organism on the planet. It can be enjoyed from numerous angles, including diving trips, snorkelling excursions, glass-bottomed boats and sight-seeing flights, but however you choose to explore this natural icon it’s an unforgettable experience!

We can arrange a number of excursions as part of your stay in Queensland to take in both the rainforest and the reef. Find out more » 

Enjoy an epic rail journey  

Australia’s vast Nullarbor Plain is home to the world’s longest straight stretch of railway track. But this 487kms long section, that does not deviate from its course as it cuts straight through the blistering desert, is only a fraction of the overall route that runs from Perth to Sydney, crossing the country from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.  The aptly named Indian-Pacific rail journey takes 3 nights to complete and covers 4352km. What better way to see Australia’s diverse countryside, from the treeless plains of Western Australia to the lush mountains of New South Wales, stopping off en route to explore remote outback towns and cosmopolitan cities. 

The Indian-Pacific can be travelled in full between Perth and Sydney, or in shorter sections. Find out more »    

Drive along the world's largest war memorial 

Renowned for its stunning scenery, you may not be aware that the Great Ocean Road is also the largest war memorial in the world. The road was dedicated to the memory of soldiers that were lost in World War I, and was constructed by hand by returning war veterans.  Work commenced in 1919 and was completed 13 years later, leaving a lasting reminder that has been enjoyed by millions of visitors over the past 77 years. Scenic highlights include the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge, whilst Sausage Gully, Shrapnel Gully and Artillery Rocks were actually named after corresponding parts of Anzac Cove at Gallipoli.

Take your own journey along this incredible monument with us. Find out more »