5 Must-Have Australian Experiences
by Elizabeth Hansen
Photos by Adams/Hansen Photography

I remember a moment shortly after I agreed to write the first-ever Frommer’s Australia. I looked at a map of this huge country and was nearly overwhelmed by panic.

“Where do I begin? How can I cover it all in only 400 pages? Have I just signed on to do the impossible?”

I started my research in Sydney and over a period of many months made my way around and through the middle of the island continent. Along the way, I fell in love with the country’s sun-drenched beaches, the dream-like wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, and the rust-colored earth and vivid blue sky of the Red Centre.

Realizing that very few travelers would have the opportunity to search every nook and cranny the way I was, I looked for highlights that warranted the attention of overseas visitors.

My goal was then and still is to make Australia doable for travelers with limited time. To that end, I’ve created a shortlist of the country’s top experiences, along with a few suggestions on how best to enjoy them.

#1: Savor Sydney
It’s no surprise that Sydney has been voted “Best City” by the readers of numerous magazines. The best time to visit is August through December when rain is least likely to fall.

The Rocks is one of my favorite neighborhoods. The Rendezvous Stafford Hotel (www.rendezvoushotels.com) is a good choice for those who appreciate a bit more space and en suite kitchens. Some of the Stafford’s rooms offer Opera House views, but The Quay Grand Suites Sydney (www.mirvachotels.com.au) is the closest hotel to this famous landmark.

The first thing I do in Sydney is hotfoot it over to the Sydney Opera House (www.sydneyoperahouse.com). “The House,” as she’s known locally, is a gathering point for the community. To feel like a local, pick up a sandwich at nearby Quay Deli and enjoy it on the forecourt or around the back of the House with a harbor view. You can also eat in one of the half dozen Opera House restaurants. Opera Bar (www.operabar.com.au) is a very hot spot to eat, drink, and be merry, while the more elegant Guillaume at Bennelong (dinner only) was recently named to Condé Nast Traveler’s list of the World’s Top 50 New Restaurants.

Sydney’s harbor is her heart, and I like to jump on a JetCat or ferry at Circular Quay and head for the seaside suburb of Manly. Once there, I stretch my legs on the waterfront walk to Shelly Beach.

When I’m ready for museums, I go to Darling Harbor. At Sydney Aquarium, an acrylic viewing tunnel wends its way through an enormous tank, allowing visitors to get eye-to-eye with scary sharks and ethereal rays. At the National Maritime Museum, interactive displays tell the story of Australia’s social history.

#2: Great Barrier Reef
The world’s greatest living structure runs along the northeast coast of Australia. May through October are generally the best months.

The easiest way to get to the Reef is on one of the daytrip boats that depart daily from Cairns and Port Douglas in northern Queensland. The Quicksilver Wavepiercers (www.quicksilver-cruises.com), anchor at a platform over Agincourt Reef.

In addition to snorkeling, swimming, and watching fish through the windows of the underwater observatory, you can opt for a scenic helicopter flight, a scuba diving excursion, or a guided snorkel with a marine biologist.
In Cairns, the Hilton hotel (www.hilton.com) offers water views, balconies, and lots of amenities. Or, base yourself on the Northern Beaches, about 15 miles out of town. Here the Sebel Reef House (www.reefhouse.com.au) in Palm Cove is my idea of boutique-hotel heaven.

If you want to be able to snorkel right off the beach in front of your room, head for Lizard, Green, Orpheus, or Heron islands. Of these, Lizard Island (www.lizardisland.com.au) is a great choice for honeymoons. The accommodations are very comfortable, the food is excellent, and children under ten years of age are not allowed. Heron Island (www.heronisland.com) offers a wider range of lodging and welcomes families. The World-Heritage listed coral cay is a breeding ground for sea turtles and a nesting site for a wide variety of birds.

#3: Wildlife
Ever since Sydney the Qantas koala appeared in ads for the airline, Australia’s unique wildlife has been a major reason travelers venture down under. Kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, wombats, and a host of other marsupials fascinate us. We also seem to have a keen interest in danger: saltwater crocs, sharks, and snakes always draw big crowds. And where else can you see the ostrich-like emu, huge flocks of colorful native parrots, and a parade of tiny fairy penguins?

If a quick g’day will satisfy your interest in Aussie animals, take Sydney Day Tours’ half-day excursion to Koala Park (www.koalaparksanctuary.com.au). This place is home to dozens of koalas, plus dingos, native birds, and the other usual suspects. Koala holding isn’t allowed, but you can pose next to one and have your picture taken. If you long to linger with Australia’s wildlife, head for Kangaroo Island in South Australia where you’ll find them “at home” in their natural habitat. The animals thrive here because the island is unspoiled, there are few introduced predators, and wildlife corridors allow them to move around safely.

Spend one day learning about the island on a 4WD excursion with Adventure Charters of Kangaroo Island (www.adventurecharters.com.au). After that, rent a car and explore on your own. Wanderers Rest (www.wanderersrest.com.au) is a pretty little guesthouse in American River. November to March are the best months to visit.

#4: Food And Wine
In the time since Paul Hogan first offered to “slip a shrimp on the barby for you,” Australia’s interest in good food has skyrocketed. Likewise, the country’s wines are now winning prizes world-wide.

Rockpool, in The Rocks area of Sydney, is an excellent place to do some sampling. Owner Neil Perry is the country’s best-known chef/restaurateur. Be sure to book well ahead (www.rockpool.com.au).
Nearby, the Australian Wine Centre (www.wine.ptylimited.com) is the best place in the country to purchase wine to send home.

Most restaurants in Australia serve meals we Yanks would easily recognize. However, a special few offer an opportunity to try “bush tucker” — dishes made from indigenous ingredients. For instance, the Red Ochre Grill’s menu includes emu paté, kangaroo sirloin, peppered crocodile and prawns, and wattle seed chicken with macadamia curry. (www.redochregrill.com.au).

#5: The Outback
Two reasons motivate me to travel from the temperate green rim to the center of the country. First, I love the vast expanses of dry, reddish-brown earth, punctuated by white-barked gum trees against a backdrop of cobalt sky. Second, the Aboriginal people fascinate me and this is where they live.

Ayers Rock, called “Uluru” by Aborigines, is featured in numerous ads, but what you can’t see in those pictures is the spiritual aura which surrounds it. My favorite thing to do is to walk around its base. This would take about two hours if I didn’t stop to admire ancient cave art and to listen to the wind whispering through the ghost gums. The Liru Walk is another great experience because a local Aboriginal elder who shares their traditional creation stories dating back thousands of years leads it. The walk starts at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre.

Accommodation in this area is limited to a few options contained in the Ayers Rock Resort safely situated 12 miles from the sensitive environment of the Rock (www.ayersrockresort.com.au). Sails in the Desert Hotel offers the most amenities. Don’t miss is the Sounds of Silence dinner: a barbecue buffet in a remote location with didgeridoo entertainment and time for stargazing. April through September are the best months.
Elizabeth Hansen is the travel editor of Ranch & Coast. When not traveling, she and photographer husband Richard Adams are at home in La Jolla.

Downtown Oasis
Smack dab in the middle of downtown’s urban renaissance has sprung Hotel Solamar, Kimtpon Hotels’ newest addition to the hotel landscape in San Diego’s (no longer up-and-coming, it has indeed arrived) East Village. A boutique hotel reminiscent of those that line Manhattan avenues, Solamar opened in April and has already become the stomping ground for the uber-chic. Décor is cutting-edge contemporary — down to flat-screen TVs in each guest room. The Jsix Restaurant, adjacent to the hotel, entices with globally influenced California cuisine; the rooftop Jbar and lap-pool are equally inviting. Best of all, PetCo Park is a scant block away — many rooms even offer a partial view of games in progress.

Though the hotel itself does not operate its own spa, it has established a relationship with the nearby SpaTiki, located a few blocks — a mere pedicab’s ride — away across from San Diego’s Convention Center. Guests can indulge either in SpaTiki’s slightly funky, tropical-themed location or make arrangements for treatments to come to them in their hotel room or in one of many covered cabanas aside Solamar’s rooftop pool. (Solamar: 877/230-0300, www.hotelsolamar.com; Spa Tiki: 619/231-4363, www.spatiki.com) — Marie Larrabee

Top Honors For Local Spa
For the second consecutive year, The Spa at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara has earned the elusive Four-Star Spa Award from the Mobil Travel Guide. Each spa that was considered underwent rigorous inspections under the Mobil Travel Guide guidelines, focusing on travelers’ needs and expectations. All totaled, the judges evaluated 450 different attributes of their experience.

The Spa was the only one in San Diego to receive the award.(800/332-3442) — Lynn Marston

A Trip To Fantasy Land
There’s no question that as the Indian casinos keep opening, each one strives to be sexier and more sophisticated than the last. The newest is the spectacular Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, owned by the Cabazon band of Mission Indians. Unlike many earlier casinos, this one is beautifully tasteful, sumptuously appointed, and designed to delight the whole family.

Begin your stay at the 12-story hotel in its rooftop bar and lounge, offering the best view of the desert and surrounding mountains anywhere. You can sip a cool one from indoors or outdoors while you watch those below frolic in the 100-foot-long swimming pool and in the beach volleyball court.

Or, you might want to take the kids to the resort’s 24-lane bowling alley and video arcade. Or take them across the street to visit the new Cabazon Cultural Museum. Perhaps you’ll want to take in a concert in the resort’s own Special Events Center. The culturally fascinating annual pow-wow takes place in November there.

Food options for the family are excellent and varied. The Fresh Grill Buffet offers stations of ethnic cuisine sure to please everyone’s palate. And the Bistro, with its welcoming fireplace inside and alfresco dining patio outside, has a marvelous sushi bar, Kobe beef hamburgers, seared scallops, and more to bring a smile to you face.

At some point, you might want to take a bit of time to spend with Lady Luck. With more than 95,000 square feet of Las Vegas-style gaming, the beautiful casino can tempt you with 2,000 slot machines, 29 types of table games and a 750-seat Bingo Palace. This resort is definitely a place where fantasies become reality. (800/827-2946, www.fantasyspringsresort.com) — Shana K. Wilson

From The Ground Up, Way Up
The construction of Premier Jet’s aviation business center has taken wing and the company will soar to new heights as it revitalizes McClellan-Palomar Airport.

North County political and business leaders, meanwhile, hail the facility as the cornerstone of Palomar Airport's renovation.

Premier Jet, a fixed-based operator formerly known as the Palomar Airport Center, broke ground April 14 at a “Steel in the Sky” event celebrating the construction of more than 200,000 square feet of new hangar and office spaces. The $33 million facility will include 19 first-class hangars from 3,000 to 15,000 square feet in size and 14 luxury offices starting at 1,500 square feet. The new aviation business center is projected to open by first quarter 2006.

Premier Jet’s construction is part of a partnership between private businesses and local and federal agencies. The company will have 52 portable hangars and 28 tie-downs for smaller, fixed-wing aircraft. Premier Jet’s plans coincide with the County of San Diego’s renovation of the north side of the main runway, which will result in a total of more than 100 new small aircraft tie-downs. The renovation will also include new parking facilities, new taxiways and runways, new stormwater systems, and enhanced customs services. (760/930-0123) — Ana Kessler