As I sat down to begin drafting this piece from my cosy little cabin, “Waimarie,” the sun was peeking through the ominous storm clouds as it began to set over the ocean, casting this vibrant, golden light across the palm trees before me. My feet were up and my muscles aching in a way that reminded me that it was only the day before I hiked Mt Gower (and survived), and my cheeks and jaw sore from positively smiling so much.

I was so happy to finally be on Lord Howe Island, feeling alive and feeling really inspired.

Lord Howe Island represents the way the world is supposed to be.

It takes just a two-hour flight from mainland Australia (Sydney or Brisbane) to discover a volcanic island of picturesque crescent lagoons teeming with diverse life, palm-tree shaded streets and incredible mountains rising from the sea.

n Lord Howe Island, shoes are optional, the mode of transport is a bicycle, and the universal language is a wave combined with a smile found on the face of every person you cross paths with. Mobile reception here doesn’t exist and connecting to WIFI is the last thing you think about when you a pristine, untouched beach to yourself for hours.

This is Australia’s best kept secret. A world treasure and by far the one of the most stunning treasures of them all — A real Holiday destination.

Only 11 kilometres long and 2.8 kilometres at its widest, Lord Howe is PARADISE and for the most part you will feel like you have stepped back in time to a place where birdsongs fill the cleanest of air and time slows to still.

After years of dreaming to visit Lord Howe Island, there is really no way to prepare yourself – places like this aren’t supposed to exist anymore. And despite the fact that Lord Howe Island is a PART of my native Australia; I felt worlds from “home.”

Sir David Attenborough once said Lord Howe Island is  “so extraordinary it is almost unbelievable… Few islands, surely, can be so accessible, so remarkable, yet so unspoiled.”

And as always, Sir David Attenborough is right. 

Breathtaking natural beauty that constantly changes with every hour of the day.

The mood is complex and unpredictable, as are all good places at mercy to the elements of Mother Nature, but let me tell you this place is a breath of fresh air in a busy, modern world.  It could be best described as the sunshine on ANY overcast and bleak day to the 400 souls whom reside here and me; who loves wild and remote places of this beautiful planet.

With a romantic old-world appeal, this untouched utopia remains relativity in this natural state, unlike many remote islands over the last 200 years which resulted in destruction of the native fauna. With diverse and abundant sea marine and bird life, the charm and beauty of Lord Howe is due to the protected distance from established human settlement and in a fast-paced world of technology and high-rises, Lord Howe remains untouched. There has been a lot to preserve and treasure this jewel in the Tasman Ocean to ensure there is a balanced living in harmony with the natural environment.

Lord Howe Island is characterized by white-sandy beaches, subtropical forests and water so clear and blue it’s hard to believe it’s real. Whether it be swimming, snorkeling, diving, golf, cycling, hiking, mountains, bushwalking, photography, fishing or a sunset Australian BBQ- Lord Howe offers something for everyone.

The locals will embrace you with open arms, you won’t see anyone walking around glued to their phones and I can promise you will find real conversation and a real connection that will make you never want to leave.

THINGS NOT TO MISS:

CHALLENGE YOURSELF ON THE MOUNT GOWER HIKE.

From the air, sea or land the mountains of Lorde Howe dominate the landscape, as Mt Gower and Lidgbird stand guard protecting all below.

Mount Gower is the islands greatest challenge – a 875 metre mountain only to be tackled under supervision by a local guide and not for the faint hearted or those scared of heights. However if you are fit and up for a challenge and the adventure then I can promise you this experience is not something you want to miss.

Following in the footsteps of his Father and Grandfather, you will want to be guided to the Summit of Mount Gower by Jack Shick, the most passionate and experienced guide on the Island (having summited over 2000 times now).

The 14 kilometer round trip day hike is one of Australia’s best and takes approximately 8.5 hours to enjoy and complete. Beginning with a “rock-hop” along the edge of the mountain which turns through the forest of Lidgbird, the “Lower Road”  has been rung with rope along the edge of the cliff for a helmet-adorned traverse – Just try not to think about the 100m drop straight into the ocean, but get lost staring back at magnificently beautiful island.

The steep and tricky ascent begins past the morning tea break resting spot where rope is used to haul climbers into the heavens. And the summit provides one of the best and most rewarding views in the world.

Come rain or shine, standing atop Gower’s iconic peak, amongst its misty forest inhabiting the islands famous woodhen’s, as well as trees, ferns, mosses and orchids seen nowhere else on the planet, you will realize that this is a truly special and unforgettable hike.

CATCH THE SUNRISE FROM MALABAR:

I hope you have gathered by now that Lord Howe is the kind of place that “strangers” very easily become friends and you can find yourself having a BBQ watching the sunset one evening and hiking with your new friends for sunrise the next morning.

There are two ways to complete the Malabar hike on Lord Howe and I can recommend beginning the climb from Old Settlement Beach. First you will reach Kims Lookout and stop to admire the sweeping views before traversing the ridge between Kims and Malabar (two peaks).

Reaching Malabar in about an hour,  you are greeted with a spectacular view of the island and 360 degrees of pure paradise.

From here you can admire the mountains of oceanic basalt rising from the floor of the ocean to tower 875 meters above one of the most stunning shorelines’ in the world. With the Admiralty Islands to your immediate left and Balls Pyramid towering in the distant blue, it is a sight to behold.

As you descend the south ridge of Malabar be sure to stop in a Neds beach and have a swim, snorkel or feed the fish with healthy fish food that can be purchased by a $2 coin donation alongside the “honesty box” snorkel hire at the top end of the beach.

Did I mention this place is PARADISE?  All of this before a morning coffee? As always, it is worth waking up for!!

If you’re not up for the challenge of the Mount Gower hike, then this hike and view is for you. And if you have completed the Mount Gower hike this vista is yet another picturesque view of the island, that comes with fresh perspectives of your hiking achievements.

GO EXPLORING THE DEEP BLUE.

The moods of the sea dominate life on Lord Howe, nowhere else is the sea so full of life and the coral reef which encloses Lord Howe is a beautiful lagoon; home to fascinating marine animals. Globally unique, containing thousands of tropical, subtropical and temperate species (including some endemic that are found nowhere else) the marine environment is pristine.

Pro dive LHI will take you out for unforgettable day/s exploring the blue. I have been fortunate enough to have dived various sites around the world, and Australia, over the last 12 years, but having only recently recovered from quite a bad chest infection I was nervous to get back in the water. The team at Pro Dive literally welcomed me with kind open arms and had me in the water for some of the most exquisite diving I have been privileged to.

Explore the deep blue alongside dolphins, turtles, Galapagos whalers and Ballina Angelfish.

If you’re not an experienced diver that is okay, Pro dive and their amazing team run Open Water Divers course and I encourage you to open yourself up to the underwater world. What a place to learn how to dive – I can’t promise you won’t be hooked!

If diving is not something that is possible for you then don’t fear there are Glass Bottom Boat tours with Lord Howe Environmental Tours or you can go snorkeling Old Settlement beach, where you literally walk off the beach and into the bay and of a high tide can be co-existing with the beautiful, local sea turtles (from September – April)

I don’t know how to conclude a story about  a destination that completely captured my heart, and maybe it’s just that.  

Have you ever found yourself in a place and felt so completely at home and at ease that would could live there?

Perhaps that is why I changed my flight last minute and stayed a few extra days to soak it all in.

The Lord Howe Island life could be the life for me.

A special thank you Sharon and Waimarie appartments for hosting me for the first few nights of my stay. A true little cabin oasis that I really cannot wait to stay at again one day. The type of place I could see myself re-visiting for the rest of my life with attention to detail that is next to none.

And Jack and Cindy Shick, from Sea to Summit Expeditions for inviting me into your home and spare room/ family space and sharing moments of kindness with me that I will cherish forever.

Lisa and Az from Pro Dive, thank you for everything all the fun, enthusiasm, encouragement and knowledge imparted – I simply cannot wait to return (fingers crossed for the shoot-out) and can’t wait to explore Balls Pyramid when I do.

Kyla, for stopping me in the street, a stranger who is now a dear friend. Thank you for the adevntures beautiful soul.

Lord Howe Island, I love you. X

Melissa Findley is an Queensland, Australia based travel photographer. Working with brands such as The Intrepid Foundation, Canon Australia and a number of different tourism boards across the globe, Melissa has spent the past few years relentlessly chasing her dreams, wherever they take her. Follow here adventures on Instagram, Facebook and her website. 

A version of this article appeared on her blog. 

The post 37 Photos That Will Inspire You to Visit Australia’s Lord Howe Island appeared first on Resource Travel.

I am captivated by the world’s oldest living culture, which has co-existed with nature for tens of thousands of years, enduring the raw land and some of the harshest elements in Australia.

I love to learn, and over the years (and visits) I have been fascinated with learning what I can about the Aboriginal peoples and their Countries in The Northern Territory.

It is an honour to hear the creation stories and to experience the essence of the land and country. One of my favourite things I’ve learned is about the six seasons of the year and how aboriginal people use the life cycle of the plants and animals to tell the change in seasons, what is coming and how to then migrate with the stars. The laws of the land means to know what nature is doing; a sentiment I feel deeply connected to.

On this recent trip to The Northern Territory I was fortunate enough to travel with one of my best friends Anne and a friend I made briefly in Dunedin (New Zealand) last year Carmen – two incredible and inspiring photographers/ women. We hit the road, a non-stop ten-day adventure in our amazing motorhome from Britz  (which we cutely named “Willy Wilbert”) writing new stories and creating new memories.

We travelled from Darwin to Alice Springs and everywhere in-between, moving each night across to the land, under the stars of the best night sky I have ever seen.

 I’ve said it before but I have honestly never seen a place as incredibly diverse as The Northern Territory – it really has something for everyone. In just 10 days, we would experience all kinds of weather, from warm and sunny to chilly. Packing for this adventure during winter saw one side of the suitcase filled with summery attire for the Top End , the other packed with winter woollies for the Red Centre.

We began our journey in the ever-so-stunning Litchfield National Park. A return visit for me, driving past the familiar and impressive sight of hundreds of termite mounds (some up to 100 years old) standing proud in the wide swathe of the empty ground.

On our first stop we took a refreshing early morning dip in the crystal clear waters of Florence Falls. Set inside a pocket of monsoon forest, we swam as the mighty two-tiered waterfall plunged into the pool below. It’s never easy to get up well before the sun and drive to your destination, but it all quickly fades away when you are standing atop the viewing platform above the falls with a panoramic view of an open valley and the waterhole quiet below. We enjoyed having the morning to ourselves before more floating-noodle-bearing visitors began to arrive (if you have been to the NT you will get this reference) and as we sat in the sun to dry off, we admired the new comers reaction to the energy in the air pounding off the falls.

After a lazy picnic lunch in the sun, we found ourselves at the base of best-known and most popular attraction in Litchfield National Park, Wangi Falls. It was my first visit to Wagni and although many other travelers accompanied us, I was so impressed with the lush forest and large lunge pool. It was a beautiful place to float the afternoon away and sit right underneath the rushing water.

Each morning began the same, it’s really nice to have a little bit of routine when you see each rising sun in a new location. After a delicious breakfast of coconut and berry warm oats, topped with almond butter and granola, we had the energy to explore. Making the most of the Top End’s waterfalls and chasing that summery feeling, we found ourselves at the upper pools of Edith Falls. A morning well spent diving underneath, floating on our backs and drying out on the warm rocks surrounding this picturesque waterhole.

 We had a hard time moving on, but knowing there was more unexplored Territory waiting ahead we hit the road and arrived at the ancient stone country of Nitmiluk National Park. Comprising of a system of 13 immense gorges, carved over the millennia by the Katherine River, Katherine Gorge is more than a location of beautiful landscapes and escarpment. The gorges hold great cultural value for the Jawoyn people, for the traditional owners as Nitmiluk refers to a cicada dreaming place – the place where the spirits of creation abide.

We watched as the golden light illuminated the land and felt alive sitting at the top of the Baruwei Lookout, retreating to our camper as the blue hour faded and stars begun to sparkle. It was an early night, as we rose to see the first light on the dawn cruise through two of the impressive gorges.

Within half an hour of Nitmiluk we found ourselves swimming in the natural pools of Katherine Hot Springs. Here we met some local children on school holidays and spent the afternoon in the thermal pools chatting away with some new friends about life, travel and everything in-between.

One of the best observations I’ve made on the road is the sense of freedom in many ways, but specifically in terms of communicating with strangers regardless of their age or lifestyle. In our daily life how often are we guilty of bypassing people in the street, on the bus, during a morning/afternoon walk or on the beach and not acknowledge one another? On the road we let go of those reservations and talk to the strangers in front of us – or in this case – whilst floating in the hot spring. It’s really an interesting way of learning about the local “secret” spots, where others have been, where they are travelling next and how they found themselves there in the first place.

Some of the best conversations I have ever had have been fleeting interactions, yet profound moments, on the road and in some cases lifelong friendships have been made.

And so another day began with another natural wonder. We actually decided to stop, take a rest and blissfully spend the entire day submerged in a stunning oasis known as Bitter Springs. Hidden away amongst endless palms and tropical woodlands, Bitter Springs are crystal clear spring-fed thermal pools with an ideal temperature of 32 degrees Celsius – the perfect way to spend the day unwinding. We actually couldn’t believe a magical place like this exists.

Swapping our summer attire for winter woollies we headed further south. Our next stop was the quirky Daly Waters Pub – the original outback pub, iconic to the region and literally in the middle of nowhere. We traded our home cooked motor home meal for the night and enjoyed a pub-style (vegan) dish, a glass of wine (for me) and an evening on the dance floor with the grey nomads, dancing and singing our hearts out to all the classic covers that Lou Bradley was playing.

I’ve been itching at the chance to go back to the ever-evolving scene of Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) and the 502km drive from Daly Waters to these stunning geological treasures was completely worth it. Located in the traditional country of the Warumungu, Kaytetye, Alyawarra and Warlpiri people, they call the Devils Marbles Karlu Karlu, which literally translates to ‘round boulders’. Stories of their creation tell a spiritual connection that is echoed throughout the landscape.

I had left a piece of my heart here when I worked on a job for Australian Traveller Magazine back in 2014. I vividly recalled this otherworldly landscape of huge granite boulders, defying gravity, balancing precariously on one another, casting long shadows across a wide, shallow valley.

After watching the sunset and the pink sky linger for what felt like hours, we ate our dinner around a shared campfire and spent a night under the stars. Staying out late we watched the land come alive in a different way as the impressive outback chandelier night sky took our breath away.

Our next stop was the final destination, Alice Springs, but our journey was far from over. We were treated to exquisite outback winter weather and had a chance to revisit some old favourites in the West MacDonnell Ranges.  A calm sunrise spent at Ormiston Gorge flying the drone with views of Mt Sonder and Mparntwe, the traditional land of the Arrernte People. Making our way back to Alice we stopped off at one of my favourite places to take a dip in the NT, Ellery Creek Big Hole. Surrounded by high red cliffs and the sandy Ellery Creek, this stunning waterhole, formed by massive floods over thousands of years cuts through a gorge in the West MacDonnell Ranges. We admired the beauty from dry land, Carmen was the only one brave enough to submerge in the freezing (but refreshing) waters; an action that speaks volumes of her infectious zest for life and willingness to step outside of her comfort zone.

What followed that afternoon left me in tears of happiness and was one of the best afternoons I have ever had at work. The legendary owner of The Kangaroo Sanctuary, Brolga actually called out in front of a crowd of people

“Hey you, crying girl, want to come and cuddle Yaru”
“ummmmm me, cuddle a baby kangaroo?! YES PLEASE!”

We were lucky enough to walk through The Kangaroo Sanctuary at sunset – cuddling some rescued little cuties, feeding them and learning about history of the land. The Kangaroo Sanctuary was established in 2011 with 188 acres for rescued orphaned baby kangaroos (and adult kangaroos) and with a mission to educate and encourage people to rescue and care for kangaroos in the NT and Australia wide.

Sometimes, well most of the time, I have to pinch myself how much I love my job, but an afternoon spent at The Kangaroo Sanctuary is a highlight for any animal lover.

We woke up quite early the following morning, still floating on a high from the Kangaroo Sanctuary and soon to be floating high through the sky with Outback Ballooning. A golden morning spent spotting kangaroos hopping below and soaring through the cool air, as the mind disappeared into the layers of the raw earth below.

Our final destination was a special request of mine, I wanted return and stand before the night sky at the sacred Rainbow Valley. Arriving mid afternoon we frolicked through the red dirt, settling on a location to marvel as the sandstone bands began to change through every colour of the rainbow, from ochre red to orange and purple and then illuminate under the grand night sky.
The Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve is on the traditional lands of the Upper Southern Arrernte people and is known to them as Wurre. It is a truly special place I feel grateful to revisit and share, wishing upon many shooting stars dashing across the expansive sky.

Some thing I really love about being on the road – and even revisiting places – is how the land changes through the seasons, but mostly I just really enjoy sharing the experiences with like-hearted people. Enjoying living through my friend’s eyes as they light up with wonder witnessing the unique beauty of the outback for the first time.

I love the open road, the playlists and sing-alongs, spending each night sleeping in a new destination and waking to witness the rising sun. There is something magical about the Australian Outback, I feel connected with the power of this country and immersed in the wonderfully rich, ancient intricacies of the Indigenous culture. From marvelling at distant skies, being silenced by the outback sounds, to watching in amazement as the transformation of colours of the land highlight the stunning beauty of this remarkable, diverse region. It was an absolute pleasure to share a piece of my heart with one of my best friends Anne and to have the beautiful Carmen  along for the journey. Creating a strong bond and memories of a lifetime, sharing a common interest for all things around working hard and making sacrifices in the name of adventure. Celebrating all the decisions and all the roads that ultimately lead us to these very moments.

That is what life is all about.

A version of this article originally appeared on Mellisa Findley’s travel blog.

The post Three Girlfriends on a 10-Day Roadtrip Through the Australian Outback appeared first on Resource Travel.

I think it is safe to say that I have a fascination /or obsession with the underwater world. The breathtaking beauty of the Great Barrier Reef just blows me away. It is the only living structure on our planet which can be seen from outer space, the biggest single structure made up by living organisms and the first coral reef ecosystem to be awarded World Heritage Status. Right here in my backyard! Just a half-day drive from the place I am lucky enough to call home and I was ready to return for a new adventure.

I’ve never hidden my utter love for Australia and my passion for sharing this incredibly rich and diverse land. My connection with it is ineffable.

I have an ever-expanding urge to capture and showcase the beauty of Australia and I love using photography to connect others with the natural world and actively seek the peace that comes from spending time in the great outdoors. An insatiable desire to use my art to share and connect with others and to hopefully impart a sense of wonder to See Australia and to see it now!

And there is no better way to really immerse yourself like hitting the open road with a clear mind and willingness to discover.

We landed in Mackay, with an itinerary that saw us driving the length of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, stopping at the local regions to explore. We picked up our home on wheels for the week (which later was renamed to Lenni) and set out straight towards the sub-tropical rainforest, for an afternoon spent by the enchanting Araluen Cascades at Finch Hatton Gorge.

Hayley Anderson (my new travel companion) lives 10 minutes away from me at home and we have mutual friends, but we’d never met until the morning of this job. Funny to think that we were essentially strangers who were about to spend the week road tripping and working together in such an intimate space, but the moment she walked into my life I felt a great sense of familiarity. It really wasn’t long before we were sharing everything – meals and our life’s stories- singing along to music blasting through the stereo and laughing so hard we were literally crying.

I think the best connections are made on the road. They can be immediately palpable. There is that feeling like you have known someone forever and it is almost as if real “time” becomes irrelevant. Aligning with one another in a unique way, being stripped away from your usual, while physically experiencing new, contrasting environments. You begin collecting moments together.

We rose on our second day and drove to Cape Hillsborough, just 45 minutes outside of Mackay.  The National Park is known for it’s windswept shore and jagged coastline, providing a backdrop for one of Australia’s top wildlife encounters.

Arriving to the beach in almost total darkness you can begin to make out the silhouettes lining the shore. As the sun begins to rise, the mob of Kangaroos and Wallabies emerge for their morning feast, foraging for seaweed and mangrove seed pods.

An encounter that is pretty popular with tourists – an iconic Australian experience and a view that is absolutely worth waking up for.

*Please remember if you are planning to do this, that these animals are wild and should be treated as so. Please do not feed them.

From here we hit the road heading down towards Yeppoon, stoping only to have a roadside breakfast of peanut butter oats and a quick tour of the Sarina Sugar Shed. We arrived at our destination just in time to enjoy the golden glow of sunset in the picturesque Byfield State Forest. A place I would definitely love to see more of to spend more time exploring the sand dunes, rainforest edged creeks and those rugged mountains.

We had to keep moving, for the next day was the beginning of our taste of the island life.

Great Keppel Island is an undiscovered treasure, with 17 pristine beaches of unspoiled bushland and pockets of fringing reef. We spent a quiet day relaxing here with our local guide Geoff, showing off all the highlights and even taking us out on his personal boat.

On our third day we rose for sunrise and a female Emu greeted us in the caravan park. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her strolling past out van as I was coming back from dish duty. Some of the staff members later told us she had been visiting for the last 20 years and her name was Ernie. Definitely a unique experience to wake up to and I say this all the time, but Australia is seriously so incredible. Where else could you be casually sharing a meal with an Emu walking past? Just amazing!

We set out early, with full bellies and ready for another mini road-trip to Agnes Waters – the home of the famous 1770 sunset. I’ve been fortunate enough to see a few of these places before and I was really looking forward to getting back to the beaches here. When we arrived we had a quick bite to eat at Getaway cafe we were told by some locals a few good spots to check out before the sun set. Hayley and I headed straight for the Paperbark forest, which is an easily accessed trail off the side of the road that was absolutely and unexpectedly magical. We arrived at the perfect time of day as butterflies swirled around us and the sun was twinkling through the thick wetland of hundreds of paperbark tree trunks and majestic green cabbage palm frongs.

After checking out a few of the other beaches we headed for 1770 foreshore to take in the last light of the day in one of only a few places on the east coast of Australia where you can enjoy the sunset over the ocean. We twirled around, frolicking in the calm water and spent an evening in Lenni eating pizza with a glass of red wine under the incredible night sky.

Day Four was perhaps the trip highlight for both Hayley and I, as we were completely taken away with the charming beauty of Lady Musgrave Island.

Wallaginji means “beautiful reef” and Lady Musgrave Island couldn’t be more perfectly described. A vast, calm turquoise lagoon and island paradise unique to the entire Great Barrier Reef as the only coral island with a navigable lagoon of its kind. Set on 3000 acres of living reef in a protected Green Zone, Lady Musgrave offers an abundance of marine life and a lifetime experience to get up close and personal with the locals turtles. We travelled with Lady Musgrave Experience and truly couldn’t recommend the experience enough! The staff we amazing and there was ample time to explore the 8km island, enjoy a glass bottom boat tour, a delicious feast and spend hours of snorkeling (or diving) the remarkable reef. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face that afternoon, feeling truly lucky to experience a moment with Hayley and the turtles below.

The next day we rose to the sound of birds and a stunning 360-degree pink sky – my favorite. I literally rolled out of Lenni at Agnes Water Beach Park and straight onto the beach with my camera in hand and observed as the surfers and morning yogis went about their daily routine. We decided to treat ourselves to a morning picnic breakfast on the cliff top over looking a secret bay, before getting under the waves and playing with my water housing.

We couldn’t leave 1770 without getting on board one of the most popular tourist experiences of the town: the 1770 LARC! Tour. We had the sunset cruise on the amphibious vessel and enjoyed the owner Neil’s infectious passion and knowledge of the surrounding Round Hill Creek and Eurimbula National Park coastline with magnificent evening views.

Waking up in Bundaberg, we devoured a drool-worthy and very notable breakfast of (vegan) sweet potato pancakes with cinnamon and homemade gelato before heading out for a day experience the pure magic of Lady Elliot Island; a place I have been waiting to visit for years. Just north of Fraser Island and home to the mantra ray, Lady Elliot is regarded as one of the best snorkelling destinations of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, with an amazing array of colorful coral and marine life. Another place I need to add to the list to return to stay and explore longer. I would seriously love the chance to spend the night, see the Milky Way from this remote location and swim with the manta rays.

Waiting for us upon return was the most exquisite evening picnic at Sandcastles on the Beach hosted by Nourish café. We couldn’t have felt more treated, sitting down ocean side with candles and fairy lights to one of the best picnics I’ve had in a long time. Truly a beautiful way to end a perfect day and a huge week on the road.

Day eight began and it was our last day of adventure. Before leaving Bundy, which I think is secretly the food hub of Australia, we were treated to a lazy breakfast in a refurbished Windmill that was absolutely delicious and the perfect send off. But not before a visit to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery and a Blend Your Own Rum Experience. We uncovered the secrets of Australia’s favorite rum, learnd about the story behind the iconic drink and even got to create our own signature blend of rum. I’m not much of a rum drinker to be completely honest, but my grandfather is going to be really stoked when I gift him 2 x bottles of “Melissa’s Blend” Bundaberg Rum.

All good things must come to an end and so we embarked on the journey home.  Driving back to Brisbane, we very sadly parted with Lenni before returning to the Gold Coast. Home with an ever-heightened love and appreciation for this incredible land, so many new memories and clarity that allows a deeper sense of self with the lingering connection to country.

We all know the benefits of being out in nature, but there is something about road-trips that give a sense of absolute freedom. You get the chance to do some genuine bonding with (new) friends, while appreciating the wonder of each new destination. You can stop at any point you like, or make that detour if you see something that sparks your eye. You can head down that unbeaten path, because actually, why not? And you can take the chance to go as fast or slow as you want, because all you have is time. Time and a desire to see and fall in love with this beautiful world.

With a plethora of jaw-dropping vistas to marvel at and so much variety in the Australian landscape, why not leave behind the worries of every day life, hire a van and hit the road?

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Have you ever considered embarking on a road trip in Queensland? I’d love to know where you want to hit the road and what you would see!

Friendly reminder: Pack light, collect more. Limit your phone time, talk to the locals and actively seek their advice and take lots of photos. Enjoy those moments that inevitably become lasting memories.

Whilst sharing my love for Australia, I pay my deep respect for the true custodians of this beautiful land, their elders past, present & future.

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A version of this blog post originally appeared on Melissa Findley’s website. 

Follow Melissa Findley on her Instagram and Facebook. 

Follow Haley Anderson on her website, and Instagram.

The post Two Girlfriends’ 8-Day Roadtrip Along Australia’s Southern Great Barrier Reef appeared first on Resource Travel.

Luckily for us who think this would be an amazing way to enjoy a night out in the wilderness, Bubble Tent Australia has set-up a glamping experience in New South Wales where bubble tents overlook the Capertee Valley.   

The company was founded with the idea of recreating an otherworldly stargazing experience on Lake Tekapo in New Zealand.

To be able to replicate… well dare we say it, IMPROVE on our Lake Takepo experience, is what we’re here for. We are introducing a concept which allows you and your special plus one to experience something you’ve never experienced before, sleeping under the stars in a clear and inflatable bubble tent in superior comfort and convienence in the remoteness of the country.

Inside each tent you’ll find a bed, chairs, and even a telescope to look at the night sky.  Outside, there is a campfire pit, a daybed, and a hammock and even a bathtub.  As of now, food isn’t provided.  So far, there are only three tents total on the thousand acre property, which all but guarantees a remote and private experience. 

The idea is pretty original, and the photos have us anxious to visit the Capertee Valley and set up shop in this paradise for a few days. The only negative? We may never want to sleep under a roof again. 

For more information and availability, visit the Bubble Tent Australia website. 

The post In Australia, You Can Sleep In a Bubble Tent…And It Looks Awesome appeared first on Resource Travel.

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In 2016, more than 2.3 million people descended on the metropolis for the 23-night festival, and while final numbers for the just completed 2017 Vivid aren’t available, it’s safe to say the attendance should easily surpass that.

For the last couple of years, I have watched Vivid from afar, staring in awe at the images that are shared on social media by my photography friends. And every year, it seems that Lauren Bath is always at the forefront of the photos that are shared, and this year was no different.

Having had this festival on my bucket list for years, I sat down with Bath to check out her incredible photos and talk about what it is like to be in the middle of one of the most impressive art shows in the world.

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Resource Travel: What exactly is Vivid Sydney? Most of us who watch it from afar just know it for its vibrant light shows. But surely there is much more to it than that. 

According to the Vivid website, Vivid is a festival of light, music and ideas but to me, it is so much more. Vivid is a delightful time to be alive! The city of Sydney transforms into a Disneyland of color, good vibes and inspiration. Everyone ventures outdoors to enjoy the event and it is a verifiable photographers paradise as there are light installations EVERYWHERE! From the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge to tiny laneways and new precincts, Sydney is literally alight from 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM daily.

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How long have you been attending Vivid Sydney? Can you describe your impression the first time you attended?

I’ve been personally attending Vivid for five years running, each time working for Destination New South Wales to promote the event to my social media audience. The event is now at the point that it doesn’t actually need any more promotion as so many people are in love with Vivid, but I still love to talk about it and convince those that still haven’t made it to come!

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You always seem to be adventuring with your best friend and business partner Jewels to some far off exotic land. But this is a much more urban cosmopolitan adventure. Which ones do you prefer and why? What are the pros and cons of the off the grid adventures vs. the city based ones?

Jewels and I basically love to travel together and it doesn’t matter where we go, we always find something to love! I think when you travel with friends this is one of the incredible side effects.

 

Jewels and I are so in tune with our shooting now that we have a flawless system and we collaborate on lots of ideas. Our nickname for this collaboration is “JewLau”, the first three letters of our first names combined. Together we enjoy shooting any destination.

 

The pros of any natural landscape destination is that landscapes are so easy to shoot but we both enjoy the challenge of more urban environments and love to shoot food and lifestyle content now.

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You recently underwent a camera system change. How did that affect the way you shot Vivid?

Yes, I have recently moved over to the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, which is a mirrorless/ micro four-thirds camera. The biggest change that I’ve noticed is my ability to carry more gear further as it is so much lighter than my last camera system. During Vivid this year I shot exclusively on the system for the first time ever and I LOVED not having to cart a heavy camera bag around Sydney, as the working days are long and the weight definitely takes its toll, especially after multiple days.

Jewels and I have both been enjoying the Live Composite feature on the camera and Olympus is the only system that has the technology. Basically you set up your frame and your exposure and then let Live Composite do the rest. Any time there is any new light on the exposure it is added on, basically the same effect as stacking numerous images in Photoshop only we can do it in-camera in a single exposure. It’s perfect for a light festival.

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If you had to name your absolute favorite moment of Vivid, what would it be?

For me it would be putting the camera down on the last night and sitting and enjoying my favourite installation “Tidal” without the distraction of my camera. Because I had so many nights in Sydney this year I had all the images I needed and gave myself that luxury to simply enjoy. It was heaven!

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What tips can you give to Vivid newbies?

I’d definitely advise newbies to plan your night in advance. The Vivid website is great and so are the social channels. Be prepared for cold or wet weather and pack your bag carefully with all the equipment you’ll need and spare camera batteries.

It’s also a good idea to carry a small amount of cash money as there are heaps of cool food vendors in the city should you need a snack. But above all, just come into it with an open mind and be ready to experience just one of the many cool things that make Sydney one of the most unique cities in the world. 

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Keep an eye out for the dates of Vivid Sydney 2018 on the festival’s website.

Follow Lauren Bath on her endless adventures on her website and Instagram. 

Lauren covered the event with her friends Sera Wright, Jewels Zee and Garry Norris. Below are some of our favorite photos from them. See the caption for the photographer’s name. 

Photo by Jewels Zee

Photo by Jewels Zee

Photo by Jewels Zee

Photo by Jewels Zee

Photo by Jewels Zee

Photo by Sera Wright

Photo by Sera Wright

Photo by Sera Wright

Photo by Sera Wright

Photo by Sera Wright

Photo by Garry Norris

Photo by Garry Norris

The post See the Festival That Transforms Sydney Into a Vivid Light Show appeared first on Resource Travel.

Camel Rock.

When I lived in Sydney many years ago, I wasn’t as passionate about photography as I have grown to be in recent years. Since then, and especially since relocating to Tasmania, photography has become the biggest single passion in my life. I love sharing images and stories about adventures I go on with my partner and friends, which hopefully inspire others to get out and explore as much as they can. Part of the reason for this NSW trip was also to attend an astro- photography workshop run by two of Australia’s leading landscape and night photographers, @tscharke and @jaydidphoto. As my love for photography has grown, so has my thirst for knowledge. My New Years resolution to myself was to continue to learn as much as I possibly can from other photographers whose images have inspired me to get to where I am today. I want to continue to grow and expand my own photography skills, step outside of my previous comfort zone for post processing and editing, and learn as many techniques as possible to continue honing and improving on my own personal photography style.

The Icons – Sydney Opera House & Harbour Bridge.

The South Coast of NSW has amazing scenery and is heaven for landscape photographers. After landing in Sydney and spending the first night shooting in many locations around Sydney Harbour with one of my absolute favourite and incredibly talented Instagrammers, @_danieltran_, the first leg of our road trip took us as far south as Narooma where we based ourselves for the astro photography workshop for the next few days. Narooma is a great launching point for amazing locations like Camel Rock and Horse Head Rock which are located an easy 30 minute drive away near Bermagui. The photography potential at these locations, particularly for sunrises and astro photography is endless. I personally love photographing and capturing water in motion, giving a sense of movement and time in my images, and the ocean here suits that perfectly. One of my most memorable moments ever in photography happened at Camel Rock during one of the sunsets – a perfect rainbow appeared over the rock structure as I was trying to capture the motion of the ocean. I cannot express the emotion in words that I felt when I realised I had captured the rainbow, Camel Rock and the incredible ocean swell we were seeing that afternoon. It still gets my heart racing just thinking about the feeling I had inside myself over the next 15 minutes or so as I captured the rainbow in this almost perfect scene from as many angles as possible. I am sure many of you have experienced the feeling I had in those moments, and these feelings are partly why I love photography so much.

The Milky Way at Bombo Quarry.

After spending four amazing days and nights around Narooma and Bermagui with a great group of photographers, it was time for @lake_of_tranquility and I to make our way back up the coast. First stop was Kiama, home of the awesome Bombo Quarry. This was my first ever visit to this location, and it absolutely blew me away. The ocean swell around the massive hexagonal basalt columns in this part of the coastline just needs to be seen to be believed. Over the next couple of days we made multiple visits here firstly to scope out the location, and then return visits for both astro and sunrise shoots. When you stand anywhere near the water whenever there is even a reasonable ocean swell, you can hear the thunderous roars as the waves smash against the rocks. During the night session we were incredibly lucky to be joined by @stephenmcasey who made the effort to drive the 90 minute trip south from Sydney to join us in the middle of the night. This is one of the great things about Instagram – the amazing community of people. Over the next couple of hours Stephen gave us a guided tour of Bombo Quarry and showed us some great places to shoot from, which we would never have found on our own in the pitch black darkness of the night. The next morning we returned and witnessed a beautiful sunrise while being mesmerised by the power of the ocean swell.

Circular Quay lit up during Vivid Sydney.

One location I have been wanting to photograph for many years now is the Sea Cliff Bridge which connects the coastline between Coledale and Coalcliff, just north of Wollongong. I am not sure there could have had better conditions for the shots I personally wanted to capture – the light trails of the traffic crossing the bridge just before the sun rises. I walked away from this location very happy and continued the journey back to Sydney, ready for a great night of shooting Vivid Sydney, the annual light festival which brings the city of Sydney to life and offers endless photographic opportunities. All around the harbour and throughout many other locations, light and art installations shine brightly into the night, with the main show being on the Harbour Bridge and the iconic Sydney Opera House. To all the great photographers and local Instagrammers who joined us for a rather wet and rainy night of photography, thank you and I still believe you are all just as crazy as I am for being out in those conditions.

Sea Cliff Bridge.

Photography has become what seems like an endless and incredibly fun journey, which has given me so many incredible experiences, as well as meeting so many amazing people along the way. I feel very lucky that I have been able to generate an income from photography through tourism and social media marketing campaigns. I want to continue pushing my own limits and learn as much as I possibly can from as many people as possible, while refining and developing my own style of content. I want to continue to share amazing stories of great locations which are accessible to many people, go on adventures with my partner and friends and continue meeting people who feel the same way about photography as I do. My camera has given me a way to express the world around me the way I see it and hopefully give inspiration to many people to want to experience that for themselves. I can’t wait to continue this journey, to grow as a photographer and to share some amazing adventures with anyone who wants to follow along with me.

Bombo Quarry at sunrise.

Horse Head Rock

Coledale Rock Shelf.

Vivid Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Downtown Sydney.

The post 11 Photos That Will Inspire You to Road Trip Through New South Wales, Australia appeared first on Resource Travel.

From the Sydney Harbor Bridge to the Royal Botanic Gardens, each year artists transform this iconic city into a vibrant display of colors. While harsh weather has damaged some of the pieces in recent days, filmmaker Matthew Vandeputte was lucky enough to be on site before the storms hit.

Vandeputte’s “Swoosh” video is an interesting tour around the Sydney festival. The handheld camera movements bring viewers right into the action, making us feel as if it is us who are walking through the colorful light sculptures.

Vandeputte’s phenomenal work is getting a huge boost in attention since he was recently featured on the Instagram blog.

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It’s storming in Sydney, Australia, which means limited access to the spectacle that is Vivid Sydney, an annual three-week light and music festival. (Think city-as-giant-kaleidoscope.) But Matthew Vandeputte (@matjoez) aims to fulfill “your Vivid needs” with his time-lapse photography. “It’s nothing more than a hobby that got way, way out of hand,” the 26-year-old, who is based in Sydney but now travels around the world making pictures, says of his work. “I saw a video at film school and it blew my mind. It showed mountains and stars and clouds and my mind just fell open.” This year, that “hobby” landed Matthew in an empty Sydney Opera House, spending the night with a small group of photographers who got to capture Vivid straight through to sunrise. Matthew doesn’t need massive light installations to get inspired though. “It’s a bit of an addiction. I go out every few days. Even to places I’ve shot before. Every sunrise, every sunset is different.” To see more from the festival, check out #vividsydney. Video by @matjoez

A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) on Jun 5, 2016 at 10:57am PDT

The post See The Vibrant Colors of Vivid Sydney in 60 Seconds appeared first on Resource Travel.

Passengers on board a 14-day cruise around the Australian Abrolhos Islands were treated to the unexpected on the fourth day of their Geraldton to Broome Island Adventure Cruise, organised by Eco Abrolhos. “Truly amazing to witness this act of nature,” said one customer. “Thank you for taking us here to view this.”

Those aren’t exactly words you would expect from someone who just witnessed a mass feeding frenzy of 70 tiger sharks on a humpback whale. However, as the drone footage posted on the company’s Facebook page captured, one has to admit that it was indeed an amazing site to witness, as nature takes its course. Furthermore, according to Eco Abrolhos, the whale was already deceased prior to the feeding frenzy.

The post Feeding Frenzy At Shark Bay: Drone Film Captures 70 Tiger Sharks Feasting on Humpback Whale appeared first on Resource Travel.

The Sunshine Coast is located 100km north of Brisbane and is the third most populated area in the eastern state of Queensland, but you wouldn’t know it from the remote tranquility that Vandeputte shows. Once again, the filmmaker uses time-lapse, slow motion, and aerial footage to bring his viewers on a tour along the near perfect coastline that attracts over 3.2 million visitors a year.

In the years I have been covering Vandeputte’s work, I have noticed a shift in his filmmaking style that has really translated into cleaner and more cinematic short films. Part of this is due to the fact that he isn’t solely using time-lapse video to tell his stories. I asked Vandeputte about this maturity to his style.

I’ve always wanted to do more than ‘just’ timelapse. I feel like aerial photography and slow motion footage add different views and emotions that timelapse can’t. As technology becomes more accessible and affordable it becomes easier to create that extra layer of footage. For instance, my drone fits in a backpack which goes on my front side while I carry all my timelapse gear on my back. What I’m currently waiting for is a camera that fits in my bag that’ll allow me to add slow motion. It’s not just gear of course, you need to make sure that you’re not ‘spreading it too thin’. I’d hate to waste a shoot because I’m trying to focus on too many things. Currently I try and shoot stills, timelapses, aerial (photos and videos), snapchats and vlogs at the same time. This is only possible because I’ve become very efficient at covering all these things on their own. The time is coming though where I will have to rely on an extra pair of hands and eyes

And what about that beautiful rainbow that makes an almost perfectly timed entrance?

From where we were standing, we couldn’t see the rainbow. I only spotted it after I sent Bruce (that’s what I call my drone) airborne. I very calmly stated to the Tourism Australia rep and the other shooters “There’s a rainbow over Rainbow beach”(fitting name for it, yes?). But inside I was filled with excitement. I tried to keep my cool though. After landing the drone and when the golden light had vanished it really sunk in. What started that morning as a very grey and rainy day turned out to be one of the best ones yet.

Vandeputte was kind enough to provide Resource Travel with exclusive images and screenshots from his trip to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.

The post Tranquil Film Shows the Tropical and Rainbow Filled Sunshine Coast of Australia appeared first on Resource Travel.

With a background in journalism, it was a summer job spent in the water, photographing dolphins off Moreton Island, Australia, that sparked Burns’ passion for photography. Her photos from Morocco, taken while on a writing assignment for Lonely Planet, were picked up by the guidebook behemoth, which led to a string of freelance assignments for Lonely Planet around Europe. She returned to Australia and set up her own landscape gallery on Hayman Island, which she owned and managed for six years. Today, she works as a freelance photographer for her company, The Wandering Lens, and is currently working on projects in France.

Keep up to date with Lisa’s work on The Wandering Lens, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Lisa Michele Burns

What was your career path – how did you go from aspiring photographer to professional?

The moment that kick-started my career was when I travelled as a writer with Lonely Planet to Marrakech, Morocco. They ended up using my images in an online photo feature and I then did a variety of freelance assignments as a photographer around Europe for the Lonely Planet website. I didn’t feel completely professional until I opened my own landscape gallery in 2009, then I felt like a proper grown up because I actually had to learn fast about the business side of being a photographer, the not so fun part! I photographed landscapes, weddings, events, portraits and had my gallery of landscape prints and photo souvenirs open 7 days a week on Hayman Island, a luxury five-star resort on the Great Barrier Reef. After six years of working every single day of the year, including Christmas (boo!), I now work freelance with my company The Wandering Lens and am travelling the world partnering with tourism boards and travel brands to promote destinations through photographs.

What is your favourite piece of photography equipment?

My underwater housing. Taking photos underwater has changed the way I see the world and being able to put my Nikon D800 camera inside the housing ensures I can take high-quality images in the water without worrying about it getting wet.

Lisa Michele Burns

What is your favourite photography rule to break? 

I’ve never been one to follow rules in photography but that’s because I didn’t learn any as I’ve had no formal training. Learning how to use your camera in a way that creates the images you want is what it’s all about, cameras can do so many things so get creative and see what works for you. Ditching the tripod is probably my favourite ‘rule’ to break, climb a tree, lay on the ground, get wet…don’t be afraid to get dirty for a great photo!

How would you describe your style?

Colourful and warm. I love working with landscapes in the golden hours when the light is warm and the colours are rich. When it comes to my underwater photography I get a little addicted to the split-level style, capturing the underwater world and the scenery above the water level in the same image.

Lisa Michele Burns

What inspires you as a photographer? Within or outside the photography world.

Landscapes and light are what keep me reaching for my camera. I’ve never really been a city or street photographer, I’m much more inspired by beaches, mountains, lakes, the ocean…pretty much anything outdoors. I recently saw the Northern Lights for the first time in Sweden and that has definitely inspired me to seek out colder destinations for photography alongside my wanderlust for tropical islands!

Lisa Michele Burns

Which photographers influenced you? How did they influence your approach?

When I started out in photography it was the iconic photographers that shot Lonely Planet and National Geographic covers that I idolised…I used to picture my photo on the cover and if I couldn’t see it, then I’d just keep trying until I got one half as good. Now I’m influenced by the places I visit, I try to look at maps before I visit to plan which locations I think would be great for sunrise, sunset and then which ones would look great from the water for my The World from The Water project.

Lisa Michele Burns

What motivates you to keep taking photos?

It’s a big world and I’m yet to photograph most of it! Knowing that there will always destinations I haven’t seen keeps me going. Social media has been a huge game changer in motivation too. Following amazing travel accounts on Instagram makes me feel like I’m missing out so I’m constantly trying to plan new adventures because they’re popping up on my feed every single day!

Lisa Michele Burns

Lisa Michele Burns

Lisa Michele Burns

The post Insight from a Wandering Lens: Interview with Lisa Michele Burns appeared first on Resource Travel.

Little did I know, Northern NSW is home to one of the most scenic drives in Australia. Waterfall Way is a scenic route that winds through rolling countryside, country towns and ancient rainforests via several jaw-dropping waterfalls. It’s an ideal four-day road trip from Brisbane or Sydney, with the end point of the route, Coffs Harbour, in approximately the middle of the two capitals.

Tenterfield

After leaving Brisbane, we made our way through Southern Queensland Country, stopping for country hospitality at a bakery in Warwick followed by a quick visit to wineries and distilleries in the Granite Belt, outside Stanthorpe. Even with several leisurely stops along the way, we easily made it across the border to the historic town of Tenterfield by dusk. Tenterfield’s claim to fame may be the 1980s pop song “The Tenterfield Saddler”, but the town played a much more important role in history. It was in this humble country town that Sir Henry Parkes gave his speech that inspired the movement towards Australia’s federation, which would happen in 1901.

We arrived in the evening and left before lunch the next day, so  I spent the morning walking up and down the town’s main street. I started with a flat white in the cafe at the Sir Henry Parkes School of the Arts, where I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the coffee. The halls are lined with portraits of every Australia Prime Minister, and I realised just how many of them I couldn’t recognise – and some, I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard of.

The Australian school curriculum doesn’t stress learning names & faces of our leaders like the US school system does. Everyone knows the first Prime Minister and the last few (easy, when they’ve chopped and changed so often in recent years), but in between only the ones who really make a name for themselves get remembered. For example, Gough Whitlam, in the 1970s, who was controversially dismissed by Australia’s Governor-General during the height of Australia’s constitutional crisis, which means he basically was sacked from the top job by the Queen of England. More disturbing still was the case of Harold Holt, who simply vanished after a morning swim in the ocean in the 1960s. We literally lost a Prime Minister. The rest of our leaders? I’d eat my hat if an Australian primary school student could name one of them.

I wasn’t sure whether to be perplexed by my, and presumably most young Australians, gaping knowledge of our own political history, or comforted that I spent most of my schooling learning more about world history and politics. I promptly forgot about this dilemma entirely when I stumbled across a bakery – one of many excellent country bakery stops on the trip.

Wollomombi Falls

We weren’t technically on Waterfall Way yet, until we hit our first waterfall in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, two hours outside of Tenterfield. At 290 metres (950 ft), Wollomombi Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in Australia, but the gorge in which it sits is so ridiculously enormous that it is difficult to grasp the scale of the falls. The falls vary between “a trickle and a thunder”, and unfortunately, we were there on a trickle day. From our position at the lookout on the opposite side of the gorge, it really did look like not much more than a trickle, but when I zoomed in with a zoom lens, I could see that the “trickle” was actually pretty powerful as it was!

Ebor Falls

After the somewhat disappointing “trickle” at Wollomombi Falls, I was thrilled to see powerful, gushing falls at Ebor Falls, 40 km down the road. The falls here are beautiful, but so is the surrounding wilderness, which is part of Guy Fawkes River National Park.

Dorrigo

Our next stop, Dorrigo, is exactly what I think of when I picture a rural Australian town. The roads are quiet, wide and dusty. There’s a grand old pub on the largest intersection, with a verandah on the second floor perfect for surveying the town with a beer in hand. The main street was quiet and lined with interesting shops, such as an eclectic antiques store and, my favourite,  the Red Dirt Distillery. I chatted to the owner, who makes one of the only Australian potato vodkas, using an unusual local potato variety. We tried the vodka and a few liqueurs, and needless to say, I did not leave empty handed.

Mt Christopherson Retreat

We spent the next couple of nights based at Mt Christopherson Retreat, just outside Dorrigo. It’s a contender for the most peaceful place on Earth in my books, without the pretension or forced relaxation feel of luxury resorts. It’s a simple but very comfortable lodge, with wide verandahs and a view over the treetops. In the evenings, it was quiet, apart from the occasional “moo” from a distant cow. In the mornings, wallabies hopped around the property.

Dangar Falls

Set in World Heritage Listed Dorrigo National Park, Dangar Falls was my favourite of the trip. Unfortunately, the tiny viewing platform was being taken up by a couple flying a remote control drone most of the time, but I did manage to worm my way in to have a peek and take a few photos.

Bellingen

Bellingen is the mountains’ answer to Byron Bay. Like Byron, this tiny New South Wales town has an irresistible laidback vibe, which is somewhat hampered by the scores of daytrippers rushing to unwind. Unlike Bryon, most of the crowds seemed to be local, since there are no beaches or bars luring international tourists like flies to honey. It was a sweet spot to grab lunch and stretch our legs after the drive to Dorrigo National Park, before heading back to Mt Christopherson.

Crystal Showers Falls

I really wanted to get closer to the waterfalls, but so far on the trip I’d been stuck on viewing platforms on the opposite side of a gorge. This was great for getting a sense of the entire scene and even better for capturing it with a camera, but I wanted to feel the trembling earth under the thunder of the falls and feel the spray on my skin. My wish was granted at Crystal Showers, in Dorrigo National Park.

Naturally, I forgot to charge my camera the night before we visited Crystal Showers, so I was armed with only my iPhone 4. I took a deep breath, and made my mantra “the best camera is the one you have with you,” on the walk to the falls.

The track to the waterfall is a pleasant 2.5 km walk through the cool, fresh rainforest. The air in the rainforest is so fresh that you could bottle it and sell it to China. When I reached the falls, I took the suspension bridge first. Hanging in front of the falls, it’s a great spot to get as close as you can to the facade of the falls, with the added benefit of getting at eye level with the rainforest canopy. Afterwards, I headed down a second track which weaves behind the falls itself. This was the calm place I was looking for.

Dorrigo Skywalk

In the same national park as Crystal Showers is the Dorrigo Skywalk. It wasn’t a waterfall, but it was still one of the highlights of my trip. The wooden skywalk is a 30-metre walkway over the rainforest canopy, with a lookout at the end.

It was our last nature stop on Waterfall Way, and it capped off the trip perfectly. After taking the inland route from Brisbane, we decided to drive to Coffs Harbour on the coast, to take the coastal route for the long drive back to Brisbane. In a few days, I saw more of New South Wales that I’d seen in the previous twenty years. It was a good reminder, not just of Australia’s abundant natural beauty and  how many wonderful places get overlooked by major travel media, but of how much beauty and wonder you can squeeze into a few days if you drive in a new direction.

The post Waterfall Way: Australia’s Most Underrated Road Trip appeared first on Resource Travel.

Enter the Brighton bathing boxes. This rainbow row of 82 brightly-painted beach shacks on Dendy Beach is a Melbourne icon, plastered on postcards, art prints and tour guides all over the city.

Brighton, the affluent bayside suburb where you’ll find Dendy Beach, is about a twenty-minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD or an easy train ride along the Sandringham line. Even on the most miserable days, there will be queues of tourists waiting to get their photo with one particular bathing box, painted like the Australian flag.

The water might not be warm and the sand is coarse with broken shells but the bathing boxes are a sight for sore eyes. Each bathing box is beautifully maintained, each one brighter than the last. They’re privately owned, so while you can’t go inside, you can photograph them and, if you’re lucky, steal a glimpse inside if an owner is using their bathing box on the day. Some bathing boxes are used as storage sheds for surfboards and swimming gear, others are set up as kiosks for summer barbeques with friends and some are fitted out like the perfect summer beach pad, complete with a couch, magazines and a stereo.

Some bathing boxes date back as early as 1862, and most rarely change ownership. Many of the colourful beach shacks have been in the same families for generations and, not surprisingly, most owners are reluctant to sell. An auction makes the news and the competition is fierce.You can’t live in the bathing boxes, but they’ll still set you back around $200,000 AUD. The record sale price is $260,000 from 2008, but when they were first made available at public auctions in the 1990s you could pick one up for as little as $60,000. Still expensive, but a relatively small price to pay for such a treasured slice of Victorian history.

You can see more images of the Brighton Bathing Boxes in the original post on The Wanderbug.

The post Before Street Art: Melbourne’s Historic Rainbow Beach Shacks appeared first on Resource Travel.

Photo: Dan Proud

“I’m drawn to the remote wide open spaces, the dusty and desolate – I love these places.”

Photo: Dan Proud

Photo: Dan Proud

Photo: Dan Proud

The post Ethereal Aerial Film Captures Australia’s Majestic Pilbara appeared first on Resource Travel.

The post Film Shows The Beautiful And Sun Drenched Paradise Of Noosa, Australia appeared first on Resource Travel.

Red, dusty and dry Australia is magnificent but there is so much more to wild Australia than cracked plains and desert dunes.

Tropical North Queensland and the Whitsundays are some of the best places in Australia to experience the country’s unadulterated natural splendor of an entirely different kind. Exploring the region is a chance to catch a glimpse of what the world looked like hundreds of millions of years ago and see species that exist nowhere else in the world. For a photographer, it’s a feast of blue and green in a million more shades than I had dreamed existed.

Whitehaven Beach

The best beach in Australia is on the largest of the 74 islands in the Whitsundays archipelago, just off the coast of Airlie Beach. This isn’t biased opinion from a Queensland native – Whitehaven Beach is an uncontested national favorite. Whitsunday Island, like many other islands in the group, is uninhabited and delightfully undeveloped, so we visited on a day trip with Cruise Whitsundays. There are no lifeguards, no snack kiosks and no crowds. Once we hopped off the boat and waded up to the beach, there was nothing except for what nature intended.

Whitehaven Beach is the proverbial black sheep of the Whitsundays Island, precisely because it is so white. Unlike its brothers and sisters, the sand on Whitehaven is made of silica, washed up over millions of years by unusual ocean currents. The result is a beach that is a blindingly bright white, yet doesn’t heat up in the sun. The water surrounding Whitehaven seems to sparkle with a thousand more shades of blue than usual. The water around the islands is dusted with a fine sediment which scatters sunlight for a remarkable effect.

The Whitsunday Islands are part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and are managed in partnership with the descendants of the Ngaro people, the traditional owners of the land. It’s the cleanest beach in Australia and among the most fiercely protected in the world, making it a great spot for landscape photography.

Green Island

On Green Island, you can snorkel the Great Barrier Reef right from the beach. The coral cay sits within the Great Barrier Reef, and is so shallow,  you can spend a day snorkeling the reef unsupervised. As we approached Green Island, I had to pinch myself. It’s exactly the way I always imagined a tropical island should look: a dense clump of rainforest fringed by a white, sandy beach, dunked in the middle of clear, warm waters. After disembarking from the boat, I stood on the jetty and could see nothing but shades of bright, clear blue, all the way to the horizon.

I think the natural beauty of Green Island and its surroundings are unparalleled, but when it comes to snorkelling there are better parts of the reef for seeing a greater diversity of wildlife, such as the Outer Reef Station. When my snorkelling is coming with a side of Green Island, however, I’ll sacrifice a few extra fish.

Port Douglas

Port Douglas is a popular holiday town and wedding destination, an hour’s drive north of Cairns. It’s smaller, quieter and more sophisticated than Cairns, with the price tag to match. If you’re not staying in town, Port Douglas is a worthy detour on the drive up to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, even if just to see Four Mile Beach from Flagstaff Hill. Four Mile Beach would be the poster child for the entire region if it wasn’t also home to the Great Barrier Reef and the oldest living rainforest in the world. Anywhere else, Four Mile Beach would be plastered on every postcard,  website, banner and billboard.

St Mary’s by the Sea, one of the region’s most in-demand wedding venues

Four Mile Beach from Flagstaff Hill

Despite living in Australia my entire life, when I stood at the top of Flagstaff Hill, I could have sworn I’d left the country – had a few gum trees not given the game away.  Four Mile Beach sweeps along the coast, surrounded by mountains blanketed in dense rainforest, dusted by low-lying clouds. Once again, I was struck by Tropical North Queensland’s predominant color scheme of rich blues and greens. There is hardly room for anything else in this part of Queensland.

The Daintree Rainforest

Australia has a reputation as being home to some of the deadliest creatures in the world, but the greatest danger I faced while traveling through Tropical North Queensland was, believe it or not, a plant. I was in the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest living rainforest in the world, discovering that you don’t survive for 100-180 million years without having a few self-defense mechanisms.

Our Daintree Eco Guide’s first rule for the rainforest was simple: Don’t touch anything.

It is good common sense in general in the wild, but it’s particularly important in the Daintree because the walking paths are dotted with the rainforest’s most dangerous plant, the Stinging Tree.  The serrated edges of the pretty, heart-shaped leaves are covered with fine hairs made of silica, the chief compound in glass and are laced with venom. There is no antidote.

As our guide explained, “At first you’ll think you’re gonna die. Then you’ll wish you were gonna die.”

Ecologist Marina Hurley spent three years studying the tree and described the pain to Australian Geographic as “The worst kind of pain you can imagine – like being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time.” The agony has killed horses and workmen, the latter drinking themselves to death or facing their own rifle. Some will go into anaphylactic shock. There have been reports of the stinging sensation continuing for up to two years. The Aboriginal name for the plant is Gympie-Gympie, which means “devil-like.”

Fortunately, with a little awareness the Stinging Tree, and any other potential dangers, are easily avoided. I didn’t feel unsafe, but rather, in total awe of the power, ferocity and beauty of nature.

Cape Tribulation

Cape Tribulation is the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage Listed locations collide. It’s the site where the world’s biggest natural structure meets the world’s oldest rainforest, as the Great Barrier Reef meets the Daintree Rainforest.

When Captain James Cook discovered Cape Tribulation in 1770, he scraped and badly damaged his ship, The Endeavour, on a reef near the Cape. Frustrated with the rugged terrain, he named the Cape accordingly. Evidently, his mood didn’t improve before he named the surrounding mountains; Mt Sorrow and Mt Disappointment.

I had a more fortunate experience, under very different circumstances. My first glimpse of Cape Tribulation was from the Mt Alexandra Lookout, where you can appreciate the full impact of the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest rush to meet each other in a riot of blues and greens.

Even after a week of being spoiled with a rich color palette of blues and green, this view over Cape Tribulation was one of my favorites to photograph. Looking over the ancient Daintree feels like looking back in time, without a single scrap of evidence of human interference. From the second I set eyes on Cape Tribulation, I had a new visual definition of Australia.

My exploration of the paradise that is the Queensland coastline left me in awe. Never had I seen such lush and colorful landscapes, and to have them exist in the island country known mainly for it’s dry and dusty outback made me realize that you should never judge a book by it’s cover, especially when traveling.

See more from Genevieve Hassall on her website, Instagram, and Facebook. 

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