5 Weird things to do in Australia, that you need a car for
Fallen in love with Australia yet? Well, I have... completely and utterly. Australia is beautiful, unexpected and like nothing, I have ever experienced before. I have gathered a few of my favorite small memories and experiences out of the ordinary that I want to share with my fellow travelers who might be traveling Down-under soon. It isn't the most famous places in the world but all places that have given me memories I treasure.
1. The Big Merino, Goulburn, New South Wales.
When you travel around Australia you have to have a to-do list of weird things you need to do while staying down-under. One of them is stopping by Goulburn to catch a glimpse of the New South Wales icon the Big Merino, or Rambo as it is nicknamed. A 15.2 meters big sheep made of concrete standing in the middle of a parking lot. While making a pit-stop here and looking at one of Australia's ‘Big Things’ walk across the street and have a cup of coffee and a snack/breakfast at the Trappers Bakery. They do amazing sourdough and cappuccino and a good pit-stop on your way from Sydney to Canberra, Albury or Victoria.
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| The Big Merino, NSW |
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| The Big Merino, NSW |
If continuing southwards stop by HMAS Otway in Holbrook and check out the huge submarine located in the middle of the city and stroll along and read about why the city changed the name after the war and how the submarine ended up in this little town far away from the ocean.
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| HMAS Otway, Holbrook |
2. Mount Tamborine, Gold Coast, Queensland.
Tamborine Mountain is a small mountain part of the Gold Coast hinterland. It is beautiful and green and located in a stunning piece of nature close to the Gold Coast. You get here by car and the roads here are winding, narrow and very steep.
The name is Aboriginal after the Aborigines that lived here for many years pre-colonization. It is the English version of the Aboriginal word 'Jambreen'
meaning 'wild lime' and referring to the finger lime trees growing all across the mountain and hinterland. The cities here are charming and with an urban twist of hip. We came here to do some of the beautiful and wild naturalistic rain-forest walking trails are filled with kangaroos and special birds and the occasional waterfalls.
There are quite a lot of different trails in the area so check out the map and find one for your fitness level and excitement stage. Ideas could be Curtis Falls rain-forest track, the Knoll or the Cedar Creek which all takes you through daring and untouched nature and encountering small wildlife.
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| Mount Tamborine, Queensland |
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| Mount Tamborine, Queensland |
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| Mount Tamborine, Queensland |
3. Tyagarah Tea Tree Lake, Byron, New South Wales
Most people hit up the Byron Bay area because of its reputation for naked swimming and being hippie and fun. While on the hunt for rejuvenation for the mind and soul why not do a little for your body and jump in your car and drive to the Tyagarah Tea Tree around 15 min outside Byron in the town of Lennox. It is isolated, private and a natural playground for people who wants to be one with nature.
The lake, in itself, seems a little intimidating, with water in a deep almost blood colored shade. The reason for this surreal color is the Tea Tree plants growing on the shores of the lake. This is why it is said to have healing powers. The oil from the trees drips down into the water and provides the lake with its shades of red. I don’t know why, but I expected it to be warm but on the contrary, it was freezing. One thing to be aware of though. There are multiple entries to the lake and this place is known by locals as a place for men to meet up with other men for a quickie and men who like to show off their junk. So don’t freak out if you see a few naked men while revitalizing yourself, and otherwise keeps your eyes on the water.
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| Tyagarah Mature Reserve, NSW |
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| Tyagarah Mature Reserve, NSW |
4. Flying Fox Colonies, Cairns, Queensland.
Ever wondered how much noise an entire tree of flying foxed makes? I can tell you it is a lot, and a colony makes even more noise.
The chattering of the flying foxes can be heard no matter where you are in the area. If you like animals, this is an extraordinary encounter. You can sit in and hear them communicate, and even though it isn’t words you can tell these foxes are having a complex discussion.
You have the option of being in the audience when they do their the spectacular fly-outs and visit the camps in the daytime and observe their daytime behavior.
We saw them at the Cairns Library around dusk where they a lot of them were leaving for the night and it was a quite impressive and spectacular sight.
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| Cairns, Queensland |
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| Cairns, Queensland |
5. Granite Gorge Nature Park, Mareeba, Queensland
The wild rock wallabies are the cutest small creatures in the world. They are adorable and curious and the size of baby kangaroos. Here you can meet them in their natural habitat. They are semi-wild and the park offers opportunities to hand feed them in specific areas.
Besides the Wallabies, you experience astonishing landscape stretching as far as the eye can see. The landscape is unique with spectacular views of the volcanic rock terrain created by volcanic activity over thousands of years. The park is quite naturalistic and wild and you have plenty of options for doing different treks in the Granite Gorge depending on your adventure level and rock-hopping abilities. It is a lot of fun and exercise in beautiful surroundings where you can easily spend half a day animal spotting and nature enjoying. Bring food and have a picnic or even a tent for an overnight experience.
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| Granite George, Queensland |
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| Granite George, Queensland |
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| Granite George, Queensland |
So pack your car and start driving out into the vast eternity of the Australian countryside where only you set the limits and where dreams and memories are created. Remember to fuel up and put on your favorite tune. Enjoy and see you there.
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| The Big Merino, Golburn, NSW |
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| Mt. Tamborine, Queensland |
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| Tyagarah, NSW |
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| Granite George, Queensland |
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