COOLANGATTA - QUEENSLAND

Located on the southern border of Queensland Coolangatta is my favourite part of Australias holiday capital the Gold Coast. Coolangatta is close enough to all of the Gold Coasts favourite tourist attractions but far enough away to still maintain a little bit of a country feel.

Coolangatta Beach and Greenmount beach form a continuous beautiful relatively safe northern facing surf beach where all members of the family can enjoy a day at the beach. The area is backed by some foreshore greenery with picnic tables and there is even a local market operating along the foreshore on the second Sunday of the month.

A walking track along the beach takes you east to a small rocky elevated headland which gives fine views of the coast as well as seats and picnic tables. Further along eastern side of the headland is Duranbah Beach which is famous for its surf. Behind the beach is the foreshore of Point Danger, which was named by Captain Cook. A lighthouse sits upon which the hill and nearby is a memorial to Captain Cook. There are picnic spots and a walk along the cliff-edge. There are magical views of the coastline here from Surfers Paradise to the north to Byron Bay in the south and Dolphins can even be sometimes seen out to sea. I love this part of Coolangatta and recommend that you take the time to walk to the area. It is especially nice in the mornings just after sunrise.

To the west of Coolangatta Beach is Kirra Point which is the district's most notable surfing area. The surf offers challenges for the expert, and smaller waves closer to shore are suitable for beginners who can hire a board for the day. Surfing is not my thing but I still enjoy watching surfers on the waves.

The town of Coolangatta is charming and it shares its shopping and business districts with its New South Wales border town, Tweed Heads. There is more than enough shopping attractions and restaurants in the area to satisfy the most ardent shopper.

All the Gold Coast theme parks lie to the north and are an easy day trip from Coolangatta. These parks include the water slide park Wet and Wild, Warner Brothers Movieworld, Theme park Dreamworld and the magical Sea World. More local and only a short drive to the north is Currumbin, made famous by the excellent Currumbin Sanctuary which claims to be the home of the world's largest captive collection of Australian native animals, including 1400 species of mammals, reptiles and birds. Noted for the rainbow lorikeets that descend twice daily at feeding time, it also features an array of wildlife including rare and endangered species, such as the southern cassowary, tree kangaroos, the Tasmanian devil and the bilby, as well as kangaroos, wallabies, snakes, freshwater crocodiles, koalas, emus, and waterbirds.

Also close by are the Olsen Bird gardens which are located in a subtropical rainforest valley. The gardens contain numerous exotic and indigenous birds, as well as deer and emus.

To the south of Coolangatta are the outstanding beaches of the New South Wales north coast. The towns of Kingscliff, Byron Bay, and Ballina all feature outstanding natural attractions.

I love this part of Australia and hope that one day you too will enjoy the outstanding attractions it has to offer.

Bruny Island - Tasmania

Like much of Tasmania the beauty of Bruny Island is really a secret to the rest of the world. Bruny Island is located off the coast of Tasmania and is accessible by ferry from Kettering around 40km from Hobart. The ferry ride itself features some beautiful scenery and is a very pleasant 25min cruise. The island itself is sparsely populated and is perfect for a quiet vacation away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Despite its quiet demeanor there is lots to do on the island. You can take a walk along the coastal track at Adventure Bay or the beach at Cloudy Bay. The lighthouse at Cape Bruny is the second oldest in Australia and tours can be arranged for small parties. The beaches are simply beautiful although I must admit the water temperature even in summer is cold and I couldn't face it without wearing a wetsuit.

If history interests you a visit to the Bligh Museum at Adventure Bay is a must. The museum was constructed in 1954 from 26,000 hand made bricks brought from the convict built kiln at Variety Bay, North Bruny. The museum houses artefacts and documents from the voyages of discovery of Cook, Bligh, Furneaux, Flinders, and D'Entrecasteaux (After whom Bruny was named).

Labillardiere State Reserve has a wide variety of southern Tasmanian native flora and fauna. Wildlife which can be seen on the island includes muttonbirds and fairy penguins. I love watching the fairy penguins come in and we spent a lovely evening watching both the muttonbirds and fairy penguins come ashore. As an added bonus the local ranger gave an informative speech and was most happy to answer all questions on these lovable characters.

The highlight of my visit to the island was a cruise upon the 'Albatross' a custom built eco cruiser. The scenery is absolutely spectacular, the crew friendly and informative and the wildlife amazing. This was an incredible adventure and I would recommend to anyone. The cruise for just about everything, from herbal sea sickness tablets to weatherproof clothing. Although I must advise that even though weather proof clothing is provided you should dress well as it was cold out on the ocean.

In short if you are down in Tasmania go to Bruny Island.