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| SPOTLIGHT | | You
can say the land of white sand and cool beaches. Best place for scuba diving.
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| Magnetic Island is the only island on the North
Queensland Coast with a delightful blend of untouched National Park, a resident
population of about 2,500 and a variety of holiday resorts.
Although in the
Tropics, the Townsville area is in a rain shadow which makes it the sunniest city
on the Queensland coast (Magnetic Island averages over 320 days of sunshine per
year). Just twenty minutes by fast "Cat" across Cleveland Bay from Townsville
and you could be in what many consider Paradise !
More than half of the
Island's 5,184 hectares is National Park, with Mt.Cook in the centre rising to
497 metres. Huge granite boulders are softened by tall Hoop pines, eucalypt forest
and small patches of rainforest.
Where the rocky headlands meet the sea
many secluded beaches have been formed, some may only be reached on foot or by
boat.
There are 24 kms. of walking track through the park with many spectacular
lookouts. The National Park is a haven for wildlife, like rock wallabies, possums,
koalas and a wide variety of bird-life.
Not only is there an excellent
passenger ferry service, with up to 14 return trips daily, but also a passenger
& vehicular ferry (up to 7 return trips daily).
The range of activities
available on the Island is both wide and varied. Whether young or old, seeking
active pursuits or relaxation, there is a selection for everyone.
To
really see the Island you need to stay a few days at the very least, laze under
a coconut palm on the warm golden sand and relax - then plunge into cool, clear,
blue water. If you come only for a day, then you will probably be planning your
next holiday here.
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Magnetic Island is located just off the coast from
Townsville and is home to Australia's largest colony of koalas. The National park
on Magnetic Island is home to a huge range of wildlife. The Island features many
snug bays and harbors with a plethora of quiet beaches making it a favourite with
cruising yachtsmen and tourists alike. The hills and landscape are adorned with
granite boulders and rocky outcrops presented in stunning formations. Magnetic
Island accommodation ranges from beachfront and backpacker accommodation through
to holiday homes and luxury resorts.
Holiday apartments and resorts are
dotted around the island and regular ferry services for both tourists and vehicles
operate to and from Townsville. Some of the most popular accommodation in the
area includes such properties as Magnetic Island International resort and the
Nelly Bay resort being among the most sought after.
Your Magnetic Island
holiday will be remembered for the terrific accommodation, the fabulous beaches,
the bays, the wildlife and the wonderful holiday atmosphere that exists all year
round. Magnetic Island is a destination like no other and is a must see for travelers
in the region. Magnetic Island waits with a Queensland holiday to suit any family.
Many Magnetic Island holiday accommodation packages and specials are available
from this website. Don't hesitate to ring our office on our Freecall number 1800
815 378 or email us for all of your Cairns holiday enquiries.
Magnetic
Island is located just 8 kilometres off Townsville, Queensland's northern capital
where all the facilities one would expect of a modern city are available. Yet
just a 20 minute ferry ride away another world awaits. Magnetic Island's relaxed
tropical lifestyle, quiet secluded beaches, natural unspoilt beauty, abundant
wildlife and easy access to the Great Barrier Reef - offer an experience unique
in Australia's Tropics.
Magnetic Island is located just 8 kilometres
off Townsville, Queensland's northern capital where all the facilities one would
expect of a modern city are available. Yet just a 20 minute ferry ride away another
world awaits. Magnetic Island's relaxed tropical lifestyle, quiet secluded beaches,
natural unspoilt beauty, abundant wildlife and easy access to the Great Barrier
Reef - offer an experience unique in Australia's Tropics.
Magnetic Island
is also unique in that access from the Australian mainland is effortless, affordable
and convenient.
All transport services to Magnetic Island depart from Townsville
- the "Capital" of North Queensland.
A modern tropical city, Townsville
is the main hub of commerce, government administration and communications for
the region, so whether you are travelling from overseas or from within Australia,
transport options are many and varied. | |
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Bondi Beach Guide |  |
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 Traveller
Information Bondi Beach | Bondi
Beach Australia is located along the shores of Sydney, Australia. One of the more
famous and popular beaches in Australia, Bondi offers an array of fun activities,
suitable for every budget and every age. From the ancient days of Aboriginal fishing,
people have been flocking to Bondi Beach Australia for its warm waters and clean,
sandy beaches. Transportation the beach is convenient and frequent, and tourists
will find this to be an excellent beach in Australia
When dining, Bondi
Beach offers plenty of café and restaurant options throughout the day. Campbell
Parade is a main strip of shops and restaurants in the town, and visitors will
find everything from a quick bite, to sit down dining options. When in Bondi Beach,
and generally throughout most of Australia, tourists will often see "BYO" on the
side of a restaurant, or on the restaurant's menu. This means Bring Your Own Alcohol,
and generally most patrons do. Some restaurants charge a very moderate corkage
fee, but this is not the norm.
Traveling to Bondi Beach is generally
very convenient from any central location in Sydney. Buses travel from Bondi Junction
in Sydney right to Bondi Beach Australia just about every ten minutes, until around
midnight. Since parking at the beach itself is quite crowded and difficult, the
bus is actually the main mode of transport for tourists and locals alike. You
will experience much less hassle if you leave your car behind. There are also
trains running from Bondi Junction to the beach about every ten minutes, so you'll
be sure to have a convenient lift to Bondi.
As an extremely popular
beach in Australia, Bondi Beach is a great place to visit if you plan to spend
any amount of time in Sydney. Be sure to bring plenty of sun block along as the
sun can be quite intense in all temperatures. Bondi Beach Australia offers a fun,
warm way to kick back and enjoy a day at the beach.
Sydney’s most
famous beach, Bondi, is easily reached by taking the city bus from the foot of
Oxford Street. If you’re planning a day at Bondi, I suggest an early start.
You can enjoy breakfast at any of the cafes that line the street across from the
beach. (There all seemed fairly comparable in price, quality and menu offerings,
so just pick one that has open tables outdoors and admire the scenery going by.)
These cafes are a good choice for lunch, too. On Bondi’s long, crescent
of white sand, certain areas are cordoned off for surfers, other for swimmers.
Families, youths and gays seemed to each have their own areas, as well. Wherever
your spot is, you’ll get to see the famous Aussie lifesavers at work. If
you get tired of Bondi, take a walk over the hill at the south end to the prettier,
more cloistered (and gayer) Tamarama Beach. The walkway, which takes you over
cliffs and past some stunning rock formations, continues beyond Tamarama to Bronte
and Coogee Beaches. | | |
| How
to Reach Bondi Beach? | | Bondi Beach
can be reached from the centre of Sydney on bus numbers 380, 382 and 389 (you
must change buses at Bondi Junction). You can also get the train to Bondi Junction,
and then either walk or catch a bus onto Bondi Beach. | |
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Life Savers at Bondi Beach | Surf
lifesavers are what made Bondi famous and there's a bronze sculpture of one outside
the Bondi Pavilion. The surf lifesaving movement began in 1906 with the founding
of the Bondi Surf Life Bathers' Lifesaving Club in response to the drownings that
accompanied the increasing popularity of swimming. From the beginning of the colony,
swimming was harshly discouraged as an unsuitable bare-fleshed activity. However,
by the 1890s swimming in the ocean had become the latest fad, and a Pacific Islander
introduced the concept of catching waves or bodysurfing that was to become an
enduring national craze. Although "wowsers" (teetotal puritanical types)
attempted to put a stop to it, by 1903 all-day swimming was every Sydneysider's
natural right.
The bronzed and muscled surf lifesavers - of both sexes
- in their distinctive red and yellow caps are a highly photographed, world-famous
Australian image. Surf lifesavers (members of what are now called Surf Life Saving
Clubs, abbreviated to SLSC) are volunteers working the beach at weekends, so come
then to watch their exploits such as whizzing out in the rescue boats for some
practise manoeuvres - or look out for a surf carnival; lifeguards, on the other
hand, are employed by the council and work all week during swimming season (year-round
at Bondi). | | |
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Bondi Beach | Surfing
is part of the Bondi legend, the big waves ensuring that there's always a pack
of damp young things hanging around, bristling with surfboards. However, the beach
is carefully delineated, with surfers using the southern end. There are two sets
of flags for swimmers and boogie-boarders, with families congregating at the northern
end near the sheltered saltwater pool (free), and everybody else using the middle
flags. The beach is netted and there hasn't been a shark attack for over forty
years. If the sea is too rough, or if you want to swim laps, a seawater swimming
pool at the southern end of the beach under the Bondi Icebergs Club building on
Notts Avenue costs $1.
Topless bathing is allowed at Bondi - a long
way from conditions right up to the late 1960s when stern beach inspectors were
constantly on the lookout for indecent exposure. In fact, so blasé are
the attitudes now that every January an irreverent sunset nude surfing competition
is held, watched by TV cameras and a huge crowd offering a wry commentary. |
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Australia Beach Guide |
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| Lady Elliot Island |
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Lady Elliot Island is the most southerly island within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Bird watchers also flock here to observe 57 species of birds. A fully equipped dive centre on the island caters for all interests and abilities - offering resort dives for the beginner through to advanced dives for the qualified. Dive courses are also offered. |
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| Holloways Beach |
Holloways Beach is growing in stature with the establishment of a resort on the waterfront. A very nice restaurant and café make Holloways a pleasant beach in all circumstances.
To access Holloways Beach, follow the Captain Cook Highway north until you reach the roundabout with the sign HOLLOWAYS BEACH. |
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| Tamarama Beach |
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Take extreme caution when swimming at Tamarama Beach. While only 80m long, Tamarama has a great wave climate. Tamarama is considered the most dangerous patrolled beach in New South Wales, with more rescues per thousand bathers than any other of Sydney's beaches. |
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| Whitehaven beach |
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Whitehaven beach is a pristine stretch of pure white sand, situated on the eastern side of the uninhabited Whitsunday Island. Fringed by crystal clear water and lush tropical rainforests, the 99% pure silica (quartz) beach extends for over 7 kms. A sawmill to process this timber once operated on Sawmill Beach in Cid Harbour. |
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| Chinaman's Beach |
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Chinaman's Beach, in Sydney Harbour's Lower North Shore region, is a gorgeous, peaceful beach, close to busy Balmoral. Popular with families and children of all ages, Sydney's Chinaman's Beach has excellent facilities for water sports. |
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| Dunk Island |
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Mission Beach Dunk Island Connections is an owner operated coach transfer service for the North Queensland region. Taking scenic routes between Port Douglas, Cairns, Mission Beach, Dunk Island and Bedarra Island, our air conditioned coaches operate 7 days per week, 364 days per year. |
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| Bronte Beach |
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Bronte Beach: This Beach is just walk away distance from the Famous Bondi Beach. Bronte Beach has Considerable Less Traffic than its native beach. Bronte Beach is Bit Smaller in size considering other Beaches here. The Sydney shoreline encompasses over 200 miles of white sandy beaches, exhibiting a variety of atmospheres from cosmopolitan Bondi Beach to majestic Cronulla. |
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| Coogee Beach |
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Coogee Beach is one of the smaller, more intimate beaches in Sydney, yet in the summer it can get as crowded as any. Maybe not as famous as Bondi Beach, but a large number of eastern suburbs beach lovers prefer it to the more popular, high-profile Bondi. |
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