NATURE ADVENTURES IN OUR OWN BACKYARD: SMH TRAVELLER

YES, EUROPE HAS ITS CHARMS BUT THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL ADVENTURES CAN BE FOUND IN OUR OWN BACKYARD, WRITES NINA KARNIKOWSKI.

If you’ve been jealously watching your friends’ overseas jaunts on social media, inwardly cursing them for having the finances or time to do the thing you wish you were, fear not. There is a way to turn this envy – along with our weak Australian dollar and current cost of living pressures – into a positive: holiday at home.

We tend to overlook domestic travel, but it can help us widen our aperture for awe, leaving us better able to take in the magic in our own backyard. It can help us understand and more fully appreciate our own culture and extraordinarily diverse landscapes, which ultimately leads us to better custodianship. Not to mention the added benefit of lowering our carbon footprint.

While our wide brown land may not boast the urban cultures of Europe or Asia, we more than compensate with grand geographical wonders and unpeopled, unmodified beauty. Famous paintings in the Louvre or iconic structures like the Taj Mahal that you might glimpse over the shoulders of 15 or 150 other tourists, can pale in comparison with the 20,000-year-old artworks decorating the rock walls of Kakadu and the complexity of the landscape surrounding them.

Meanwhile, the burnished cliffs of Western Australia’s Cape Leveque, or the otherworldly stalactites and stalagmites found in Victoria’s Buchan Caves, are as arresting as landscapes we might seek out in Namibia or Turkey.

Below, we’ve rounded up a batch of these tantalising places and experiences you can only have in Australia.

You’ll find a mix of natural wonders and active experiences, charming towns and mysterious places abundant with Indigenous art and wisdom – from the bush to the beach, and everywhere between.

This list is proof that ours is mostly a continent of wild and empty places, that reminds us there’s always something older and greater than ourselves to acknowledge that can give our bodies and brains the space required to be restored. And it’s this, during discombobulating times, that is perhaps the ultimate gift of travelling on our island home.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Camp at Cape Leveque, Dampier Peninsula, The Kimberley
Good for Adventure seekers who appreciate isolation.
Worth staying home for because Flaming crimson cliffs set against the turquoise Indian Ocean? Cape Leveque is Australia at its unpeopled best. Europe’s architectural delights will fade from mind after a day spent snorkelling and fishing, then stargazing from bed.
Don’t miss A bush tucker tour with Bardi man Brian Lee. See brianleetagalong.com
Make it happen Visit during the dry season, April to October. Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm offers safari tents and shacks, a 30-minute drive across the peninsula. See visitbroome.com.au

Hike in the Pinnacles Desert, Nambung National Park
Good for Wilderness lovers and photographers.
Worth staying home for because You’d be hard-pressed to find a more surreal landscape than these thousands of limestone pillars, formed up to 500,000 years ago, rising from the golden desert sands.
Don’t miss Picnicking at nearby Nilgen lookout with views of the surrounding sand dunes and ocean.
Make it happen Visit year-round, at sunrise or sunset for enhanced otherworldliness. Camp inside Nambung National Park, stay in nearby Cervantes town, or drive two hours to Perth. See westernaustralia.com

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Hot-air balloon over Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
Good for An alternative to ballooning in Turkey’s Cappadocia region.
Worth staying home for because The tranquility of drifting silently over the West MacDonnell Ranges at sunrise is obvious, and the reliable desert weather makes for one of the lowest ballooning cancellation rates in the world.
Don’t miss Desert Song Festival each September, when singers and musicians from across Central Australia and the world perform and run workshops over 10 days. See desertsong.com.au
Make it happen For ballooning, accommodation and tour bookings, see northernterritory.com

Canoe at Edith Falls, Nitmiluk National Park
Good for Adventurers who might travel to New Zealand or Alaska for paddling.
Worth staying home for because You canoe past spectacular waterfalls in an ancient sandstone gorge and hike through surrounding bushland and enjoy dips in natural swimming holes.
Don’t miss A soak in Katherine hot springs on the banks of the Katherine River.
Make it happen The most comfortable hiking months are May to September. Camp in Nitmiluk campground or go luxe at Cicada Lodge; see cicadalodge.com.au

See old and new art in Darwin
Good for Who needs the Met? Darwin’s galleries are where it’s at for art enthusiasts.
Worth staying home for because With its impressive street murals, galleries and museums, Darwin’s art scene shows how ancient Indigenous stories are being expressed today. Check out Laundry Gallery, set in a reimagined 1970s laundromat. See laundrygallery.com.au
Don’t miss Taking the 2.5-hour boat trip to Wurrumiyanga community on Bathurst Island, one of the two major Tiwi Islands, to visit art centres including Tiwi Designs.
Make it happen See northernterritory.com

QUEENSLAND

Explore Paronella Park, Mena Creek
Good for Seekers of the unexpected.
Worth staying home for because Discovering an abandoned Spanish castle in the North Queensland rainforest is as quirky as it comes. Built by Spanish immigrant Jose Paronella in the 1930s, the moss-covered riverfront castle is a reminder of the power of vision and determination.
Don’t miss The evening tour, when the castle comes alive with music and lights.
Make it happen Camping and cabins available on-site. See paronellapark.com.au

Escape to Magnetic Island
Good for Those saving Tahiti for another year.
Worth staying home for because When you have slow island life mixed with 23 coral-fringed bays and beaches, hikes past snoozing koalas, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and a thriving food scene, why would you go further afield?
Don’t miss Hiring a topless Jeep (ideally a hot pink one) so you can zip around the island.
Make it happen Maggie is a 20-minute ferry ride from Townsville. Accommodation options include villas, cabins and glamping. See thisismagneticisland.com.au

Hinterland adventure in Kin Kin, Noosa
Good for A country escape close to the coast.
Worth staying home for because With its lush farmlands and rainforest hikes, heritage-listed buildings and artisanal markets, Kin Kin is also just a 40-minute drive from Noosa main beach. Pick up some of the region’s best produce from local farms, including Eastwell Farms and Tagigan Road Produce.
Don’t miss Kayaking the Noosa Everglades, a 30-minute drive away.
Make it happen Mayan Farm, set on 40 hectares and built from rammed earth and recycled timber, is a great stay option. See kinkinqld.com.au

NSW

Climb Australia’s largest granite rock formation in Bald Rock National Park
Good for Feeling humbled by nature.
Worth staying home for because Australia’s largest exposed granite rock is a natural wonder few know about. Hike through eucalyptus forests teeming with birdlife and up open granite slopes to the summit, for panoramic views and massive teetering boulders.
Don’t miss A swimming hole splash.
Make it happen Spring means great weather and wildflower season. Stay in nearby Tenterfield, or for full immersion camp in Bald Rock campground. See nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

Stargaze in Warrumbungle National Park
Good for Experiencing the Grand Canyon, Australia-style.
Worth staying home for because The hikes around “the Grand Canyon of Australia” are one thing, passing towering spires and jagged rock formations, but this is also Australia’s only Dark Sky Park with some of the country’s best stargazing.
Don’t miss An evening stargazing session at Milroy Observatory, six kilometres east of the Warrumbungles, with comet-discoverer Donna Burton. See milroyobservatory.com.au
Make it happen For campground options and more, see visitnsw.com

Be a (sophisticated) beach bum in Brunswick Heads
Good for A slice of Italian seaside life.
Worth staying home for because Brunswick Heads offers the laid-back vibes and great surf of Byron Bay (a 20-minute drive away), but with art deco architecture, a charming stretch of river to boat, kayak and paddleboard along plus Torakina beach that transports straight to the Amalfi.
Don’t miss Brunswick’s excellent restaurants including La Casita for modern Mexican and Trouble San for riverside Japanese. See lacasita.com.au
Make it happen Stay at The Sails Motel, see thesailsmotel.com.au

VICTORIA

View rock art in the Grampians National Park
Good for Art lovers craving outdoor immersion.
Worth staying home for because There are few better places in the world to get an insight into ancient culture through art than Australia, and what most don’t realise is that you don’t have to travel north to find it. The Grampians (Gariwerd) is home to more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s Aboriginal rock art, since the area is of deep spiritual significance to the local Djab Wurrung and Jadawadjali people.
Don’t miss Driving one of the most scenic roads in Australia, the 65-kilometre stretch between nearby Dunkeld and Halls Gap.
Make it happen See visitgrampians.com.au for accommodation options including cabins, farm stays and glamping.

Explore Buchan Caves, East Gippsland
Good for Indiana Jones types.
Worth staying home for because This series of 350-plus limestone caves, dating back almost 400 million years, rivals anything you’d see in China or New Zealand. Two caves are open to visitors: Royal Cave, known for its calcite-rimmed pools and Fairy Cave, filled with stalactites and stalagmites which meet to form spectacular pillars and waterfall-like structures.
Don’t miss A rafting expedition along the Snowy River, leaving from Buchan.
Make it happen Buchan Caves Reserve has campsites, cabins and walking trails. Cave tours run every day except Christmas Day. See visitgippsland.com.au

TASMANIA

Visit “Australia’s Noah’s Ark”, Maria Island
Good for A Galapagos alternative.
Worth staying home for because Maria Island is a haven for native birds, wombats, kangaroos and more. Since it’s car-free, you can hike, bike, beach comb and wildlife watch without being disturbed.
Don’t miss The four-day Maria Island Walk, stopping at exclusive bush camps along the way. Runs October to April, see mariaislandwalk.com
Make it happen Maria is 30 minutes off Tasmania’s east coast by ferry. See encountermaria.com.au

Meet Tasmanian devils at Cradle Mountain
Good for Conservation lovers.
Worth staying home for because There’s nowhere else in the world you can learn about the behaviour, conservation efforts and challenges facing these quirky carnivorous marsupials in their natural habitat. This sanctuary, set at the entrance to World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain National Park, is also home to native spotted-tail and eastern quolls.
Don’t miss The after dark feeding tour. See devilsatcradle.com
Make it happen Cradle Mountain Lodge, just 100 metres from the edge of the national park, is the perfect base. See cradlemountainlodge.com.au

Walk with Indigenous guides in larapuna, the Bay of Fires
Good for Active history buffs.
Worth staying home for because Indigenous-owned and operated tourism experiences are rare and important and Wukalina Walk is one of the best. Four days guided by passionate palawa guides, learning about lutruwita’s harrowing history and important cultural practices that must be protected and revived.
Don’t miss A summer stay in the architect-designed krakani lumi camp, which mimics the traditional bark huts of Tasmania’s First Nations people.
Make it happen See wukalinawalk.com.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Sleep underground in Coober Pedy
Good for Weird and wonderful hotel lovers.
Worth staying home for because Dugouts, ex-mines or purpose-dug underground homes, are where most Coober Pedy residents live to avoid summer temperatures that nudge 50 degrees. Travellers can experience underground hotels, restaurants, bars, museums and churches, along with lunar-like landscapes and an outback lifestyle like no other.
Don’t miss Coober Pedy is also the “opal capital of the world”, so stock up.
Make it happen Visit during the cooler months, April to October. See cooberpedy.com

Beachcomb in Chinaman Wells, Yorke Peninsula
Good for Amalfi-grade coastal beauty.
Worth staying home for because There’s no road between the sea and the stretch of homes in this sleepy holiday town, once a vital water source for Chinese miners during the 19th century. Expect serenity, striking sunrises, and Storm Boy pelican moments.
Don’t miss Driving 90 minutes down the coast to Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, for empty beaches and dramatic cliffs.
Make it happen Love and Mutiny, a pink refurbished 1950s fisherman’s shack with panoramic sea views, is a gorgeous accommodation option. See southaustralia.com

Sandboard in Little Sahara, Kangaroo Island
Good for A proxy for sandboarding dunes in Namibia or the United Arab Emirates.
Worth staying home for because Few know Kangaroo Island is home to this desert oasis, with sand dunes up to 70 metres high, where you can sandboard and sled against a backdrop of rolling farmland and native flora.
Don’t miss Kangaroo Island was declared a bee sanctuary in 1885; catch a tour with Kangaroo Island Living Honey. See kilivinghoney.com.au
Make it happen See tourkangarooisland.com.au

FIVE CLASSIC STAY-AT-HOME EXPERIENCES

Dining under the stars in Uluru, Northern Territory
There are many enchanting ways to experience Uluru – hiking the circumference at sunrise, or standing beside the glowing rock-face at sunset among them. But it’s arguably when you can barely see the ancient monolith at all, during dinner under the stars at Longitude 131’s Table 131 dinner, that it’s at its most enchanting. See longitude131.com.au

Restoring coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef
To date, as much as half of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral cover has been lost. If you’d like to help safeguard the future of the remaining 50 per cent, why not work some citizen science into your next visit, via programs including Eye on the Reef or Coral Watch. See coralwatch.org

Taking an Aboriginal cultural tour in the Daintree
The magic of the World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park is taken to the next level by Aboriginal tour company Walkabout Adventures. Kuku Yalanji man Juan Walker teaches guests important lessons about the interdependence of everything in this ecosystem, and about always giving back to the land as you take. See walkaboutadventures.com.au

Swimming with whale sharks in Ningaloo, Western Australia
Each year hundreds of gigantic whale sharks gather in Ningaloo, one of the only places in the world where they do this reliably every year. Swimming adjacent to the spotted gentle giants may come with a hefty price tag (from $250 a person) but it’s infinitely worth it. See ningaloodiscovery.com.au

Discovering rock art in Kakadu
Kakadu’s waterfalls are spectacular, sure, but it’s the area’s rock art that’s truly worth staying home for. This is the largest protected collection of rock art in the world, with more than 5000 registered art sites. Famous sites include Ubirr and Nourlangie, but art pops up in the most unexpected places, so leave plenty of time for exploring. See kakadutourism.com

This story first appeared in print, below, and online here.