Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

KE, a few suggestions from someone who has done a lot of that trip recently(June-July 08).

Flinders Ranges - good walks. Have plenty of water with you.

Nullabor Roadhouse - see if the whalesa are there, and if yes, take a plane flight over them. Best value for money plane trip in the country IMHO. We went in mid July - $90 PP - 35 minute flight - 70+ whales. And the plane drives through the roadhouse servo!

Esperance - lovely spot. Didn't spend much time there, but will next trip!

Margaret River - go into some of the caves, they are spectacular. Avoid if you don't like stairs!
- if you like wine, do some bus tours.
- great scenery everywhere.

Denham/Monkey Mia - the dolphin thing is overrated unless you have never seen dolphins before.
- a must do is the Ocean Park - just out of Denham. Sharks, fish, I could have
spent a whole day there, but couldn't get accommodation(bloody school holidays!).
http://www.oceanpark.com.au/

Broome - go to willie creek pearl farm - it is the best tour for pearls.
- fish off the rocky point near the peir - catch almost anything.
- book early for any other tours(camel rides, etc.) they fill up quick.
- go to the 2 Malcolm Douglas crocodile parks - excellent.
- hold on to your wallet - everything is mega expensive during tourist season.......

If you go via Halls Creek - shoot down to the Wolfe Creek Crater - watch the movie if you haven't already!

Kunnunurra - ord river cruise - MUST DO!
- ord river distilley - if you like rum - it's heaven!

Katherine - go to the thermal pools - or even better, go to Mataranka and go to the pools there.
- Cutta Cutta caves are worth a visit as well.

If you go to Alice Springs - go to the Desert Park - http://www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au/

QLD - depends on where you want to go and how much time you have, but I recommend places like Cairns, Mackay, Bundaberg(more rum!), Fraser Island, Gold coast for the theme parks.

NSW - do anything but the Newell Highway - it is the most boring drive in the universe.
- If you go down the coast - halfway between Grafton and Armidale is a place called Ebor - go to the waterfalls there, it is one of the best on the east coast.

If you end up in Sydney - go on the jet boat ride. Plan to get wet...
- go to the Aquarium. Excellent

If you stay in Warnambool - go to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village - do the night tour.
- the Otways Treetop walk is excellent.
- drive the great ocean road.

They are my suggestions for a good trip, but no matter how long you have, it is impossible to do everything, as it is a huge country with everything you can imagine and some things that you would never have imagined.
Have a great trip.

Oh, and the most important thing - DO NOT DRIVE IN THE DARK.....
The wildlife will get you - here is an example - and getting anything fixed out there takes a lot of time.
This was 2000Ks into my 14000K trip!

Quoting SMF - Margaret River - go into some of the caves, they are spectacular. Avoid if you don't like stairs!
- if you like wine, do some bus tours.
- great scenery everywhere.

I will show you guys around...
Hopefully the weather will be a little more accomodating than J & A G & B
had when they were here

Caves- yes over 300 in the region
Wineries - more than 60, been to all and know the best 20 or so!
Fishing can be fun unless you're Noely sorry nock

Ah SMF... there is a new way to get road kill

It all sounds too dangerous KE, you should stay home, and go to work..

Himzo (green with envy)

Your a deadly weapon C1..If I had one...

great camping all the way around the coast, and just go a bit slower on the speedo.....safer.....roo's are deadly weapons too , get the right bounce go right through the windscreen

So not only have you a broken windscreen, you've got a lively roo on your lap.....kids screamming and a bad situation

First aid medical kit.......and dont scrimp on it......even better if you know a nurse who will supply you with extra gear....take all you can get.....NEVER under estimate the vastness of WA....at the worst RFDS landing on the highway to pick you up.

The raw truth is that we deal with this situation endless times every terrorist season, so be prepared......med kit....CV radio, water, and fuel.

WARNING- You are not allowed to bring honey into WA.

Cos there sweet enough without it.
Is the AK okay.

What lil old me
Its not just roo eh jessy,
...great big bulls and cows

A roo though the windscreen is good reason not to try and stop
(If you break heavily the bonnet of your car becomes a nice ramp
to the front seat and they don't make good passengers,
seems they want to go the other way, so they like to get out ASAP)

I notice a lot of skid marks go to the otherside of the road before contact is made

...and yes thanks faye, I forgot to mention that

Duff - Will have to pick one up on the black market after the border
Or ebay ahead

hey old man, you know cattle rustling is still a jailable offence up here???

No " Oh sorry sir, it just walked out in front of me, so thought i would take its leg !!!!!! "

So GO SLOW, and indicate to on comming traffic about hazards .........

Go on bike. The roos are easier to dodge.

OHHHHHHHH make me laugh, poor souls on a bike......think its Europe...places so close .......and the roo's will syill have a go, just have to come a cross the buck

Thanks for all of the great suggestions - keep 'em comin'

B2B - Kalbarri is on the list, I just forgot to write it in
Faye - would love to meet everyone and will definately drop into the shop and drool. But more importantly I want everyone to meet Athena and start working on the swimming pool conversion plans.
SMF - Alice is a bit out of the way, but thanks for the suggestions. I've been to the MR caves and will probably take the kids back there now that they are a little older
Jessy - I do know a few nurses (I am one ) do you want anything?
Himzo - that's what I was trying to do!
Yes there will be a fishing trip or 2 - "it was this big "

For anyone that will listen, it is not just honey that you can't take into WA. All fruit and vegetables from the eastern states is evil. Even if you bought it ten minutes before you try and cross the border and even if it originally came from WA!!!!!!
My tip is to not take any fruit and vegetables across any border unless they were either a grape or sugarcane in a previous life(wine & rum - yum!!!)
Unless of course you cross the border on a remote 4WD track like the Tanami.

P.S. watch out for camels, they are more deadly than roos, emus are no fun either, they are so unpredicatable, and I even managed to run over the top of a fresh water croc on a river crossing.....he wasn't happy

Emu's just explode into a great big feather duster

With a landcruiser anyways

except when doing 50kph and trip over their toes,
or get bumped by a fender as they have a habit of running alongside