PULL-OUT MAP

Discover

AustraliaExperience the best of Australia

#p51#p117

#p167

#p207

#p261

#p297 Sydney &the Blue

Mountains

Brisbane& the

East CoastBeaches

TropicalNorth Queensland

Melbourne & theGreat Ocean Road

Darwin,Uluru & theRed Centre

Perth & theWest Coast

Experience the best of AustraliaNow it’s even easier to plan the perfect trip

Must-see sights and all the best experiences

HIGHLIGHTSGreat trip ideas to make your planning easy

ITINERARIESGet advice from people who know the place

LOCAL EXPERTS

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Surf the Gold Coast beaches

Drive the Great Ocean Road

Snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef

Watch the sunrise over Uluru

Discover this and more inside…

3RD EDITION

Choose Lonely Planet because…Our job is to make amazing travel experiences happen. We visit the places we write about each and every edition. We never take freebies for positive coverage, so you can always rely on us to tell it like it is.

Published Jan 2014First Published Mar 2010

USA $27.99UK £18.99

I SBN 978 -1 -74220 -560 -1

9 781742 205601

99725

AustraliaD

iscover

PULL-OUTMAP

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This edition written and researched by

Charles Rawlings-Way,Brett Atkinson, Lindsay Brown, Jayne D’Arcy, Anthony Ham, Shawn Low, Virginia Maxwell,

Tom Spurling, Steve Waters, Meg Worby

Experience the best of Australia

Discover

Australia

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#p51#p117

#p167

#p207

#p261

#p297Sydney & the

Blue Mountains

Brisbane & theEast Coast Beaches

TropicalNorth Queensland

Melbourne & theGreat Ocean Road

Darwin,Uluru & theRed Centre

Perth & theWest Coast

Sydney & the Sydney & the Blue MountainsBlue MountainsHighlights 54

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Harbour

Blue Mountains

Bondi Beach

Brisbane & the Brisbane & the East Coast BeachesEast Coast BeachesHighlights 120

Byron Bay

Noosa

Brisbane

Fraser Island

Gold Coast

Tropical North Tropical North QueenslandQueenslandHighlights 170

Great Barrier Reef

Whitsunday Islands

Daintree Rainforest

Cairns & Northern Reef Islands

Southern Reef Islands

Darwin, Uluru Darwin, Uluru & the Red Centre& the Red CentreHighlights 264

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Kakadu National Park

Mindil Beach Sunset Market

Litchfi eld National Park

Alice Springs Desert Park

Perth & the Perth & the West CoastWest CoastHighlights 300

Perth

Fremantle

Margaret River

Valley of the Giants

Monkey Mia

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ContentsContents

Sydney & Sydney & the Blue the Blue Mountains 51Mountains 51Highlights ..................... 54Best… ............................ 56Walking Tour .................58Sydney .......................... 60Around Sydney .......... 104Royal National Park ...104Hawkesbury River ......105Hunter Valley ..............105

Blue Mountains .......... 107Glenbrook to Blackheath ..................108Mt Victoria & Hartley ...109Jenolan Caves ............. 113Bells Line of Road ........115

Brisbane & the East Brisbane & the East Coast Beaches 117Coast Beaches 117Highlights ....................120Best… ...........................122Itineraries ....................124Byron Bay ....................126Far North Coast Hinterland ................... 131Bangalow..................... 131Nimbin ......................... 131

Gold Coast ..................132Surfers Paradise & Broadbeach ................132Burleigh Heads ...........135Springbrook National Park .............. 137Coolangatta ................ 137

This Is Australia .............6Australia Map .................8Australia’s Top 25Highlights ......................10Australia’s Top Itineraries ......................32Month by Month ......... 42What’s New .................. 46Get Inspired ..................47Need to Know .............. 48

Melbourne & Melbourne & the Great Ocean the Great Ocean RoadRoadHighlights 210

Federation Square

Queen Victoria Market

Great Ocean Road

Melbourne Street Art

Eating & Drinking in Melbourne

Discover AustraliaDiscover AustraliaPlan Your TripPlan Your Trip

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ContentsContents

Brisbane ......................139Moreton Bay ...............153North Stradbroke Island ...........................153Moreton Island ...........154

Noosa & the Sunshine Coast ..........155Noosa .......................... 157Eumundi ......................158Glass House Mountains ...................159

Fraser Island & the Fraser Coast.........159Fraser Island ...............159Rainbow Beach ...........163Hervey Bay ..................164

Tropical North Tropical North Queensland 167Queensland 167Highlights ....................170Best… ........................... 172Itineraries .................... 174Great Barrier Reef ..... 176Southern Reef Islands ......................... 176Agnes Water & Town of 1770 ............... 177Whitsunday Islands.... 179Mission Beach ............185Cairns ..........................188Islands off Cairns .......196

Daintree Rainforest ... 197Atherton Tableland .... 197Chillagoe .....................200Port Douglas ..............200Mossman .................... 203

Itineraries ................... 268Darwin ......................... 270Litchfield National Park ............. 280

Around Darwin ...........281Kakadu National Park ..............281Ubirr & Around .......... 283Jabiru .......................... 283Nourlangie ................. 283Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park .. 284Jim Jim Falls & Twin Falls .................... 284Cooinda & Yellow Water .......................... 285

Alice Springs ............. 286Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park .............290Kata Tjuta (The Olgas).................. 291Uluru (Ayers Rock) .... 292Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort)........................ 293

Perth & the Perth & the West Coast 297West Coast 297Highlights ...................300Best… .......................... 302Itineraries ...................304Perth............................306Ningaloo Marine Park .. 317

Fremantle ....................319Around Perth ............. 326Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) ............... 326

Lizard Island ............... 204Daintree Village ......... 204Cape Tribulation ........ 205

Melbourne & Melbourne & the Great the Great Ocean Road 207Ocean Road 207Highlights ....................210Best… ...........................212Itineraries ....................214Melbourne ...................216Yarra Valley Wineries ...246

Phillip Island .............. 247Great Ocean Road ..... 249Torquay ...................... 250Torquay to Anglesea ....252Anglesea..................... 253Lorne .......................... 253Apollo Bay .................. 255Port Fairy .................... 256Cape Otway ............... 256Port Campbell National Park ............. 256Port Campbell ............257Port Campbell to Warrnambool ............. 258

Gippsland ................... 258Wilsons Promontory National Park ............. 258

Darwin, Darwin, Uluru & the Uluru & the Red Centre 261Red Centre 261Highlights ...................264Best… .......................... 266

Discover AustraliaDiscover Australia

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Australia Today ......... 356History ........................ 358Family Travel ..............366Aboriginal Australia ..................... 368Environment ...............372Food & Wine ................374Sport ............................377Australia Outdoors ... 379

Directory ...................384Accommodation ........ 384Customs Regulations ................ 385Climate ....................... 385Discount Cards .......... 385Electricity ................... 386Food ............................ 386Gay & Lesbian Travellers .................... 386Health ......................... 386Insurance ................... 388Internet Access ......... 388Legal Matters............. 389Money ......................... 390Opening Hours ...........391Public Holidays ...........391Safe Travel ................. 392Telephone .................. 393Time ............................ 394Tourist Information ... 394Travellers with Disabilities.................. 394Visas ........................... 395Women Travellers ..... 396

Transport ....................396Getting There & Away ........................... 396Getting Around .......... 396

Behind the Scenes....403Index ............................404How to Use This Book .............................414Our Writers ..................416

The Southwest .......... 328Margaret River Wine Region ............... 328Cape Naturaliste ........ 330

South Coast ................331Walpole & Nornalup ...331Denmark..................... 332Walpole-Nornalup National Park ............. 333Karri Forest Explorer ... 334Albany ......................... 334Around Albany ........... 336Esperance .................. 336Monkey Mia ................ 338

Shark Bay ................... 339Denham ...................... 339François Péron National Park ............. 340

Best of Best of the Rest 341the Rest 341Canberra ..................... 342Adelaide, Kangaroo Island & the Barossa Valley ....344Adelaide ..................... 344Kangaroo Island ........ 345Flinders Chase National Park ............. 346Barossa Valley ........... 347

Tasmania & Port Arthur .................349Hobart ........................ 349Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park...352Port Arthur................. 352

Survival GuideSurvival GuideIn FocusIn Focus

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This Is Australia This Is Australia

The temptation

is to hit the open road and

explore …

Island, country, continent…Australia is a big ’un which-ever way you spin it. The essence of the place is diversity: deserts, coral reefs, tall forests, snow-cloaked mountains and multicultural melting-pot cities.

Most Australians live along the coast, and most of these folks live in cities. In fact, Australia is the 18th-most urbanised country in the world, with around 70% of Australians living in its 10 larg-est towns. It follows that the cities here are a whole lotta fun! Sydney, the sun-kissed Harbour City, is a glamorous collusion of beaches, boutiques and bars; Melbourne is all arts, alleyways and Aussie Rules football; Brisbane is a subtropical patchwork of urban villages on the way up. Whichever city you’re wheeling into, you’ll never go want-ing for an offbeat theatre production, a rockin’ live band, lofty art gallery opening or sweaty music festival mosh pit.

Hungry? Australia’s celebrated chefs fuse together European techniques and fresh Pacific Rim ingredients. ‘Mod Oz’ (or Modern Australian) is what the locals call it, and seafood plays a starring role: from succulent Moreton Bay bugs to delicate King George whiting, there’s a lot of variety in the ocean’s bounty. And, of course, beer in hand, you’ll still find beef, lamb and chicken sizzling on tradi-tional Aussie barbecues. Not into beer? From Barossa Valley shiraz to Hunter Valley semillon, Australian wines are world-beaters. Need a caffeine hit? These days there are espresso coffee machines in pubs and petrol stations, and baristas stationed at downtown coffee carts – you’re never far from a double-shot, day or night.

There’s a heck of a lot of tarmac across this wide brown land. The temptation is to hit the open road and explore, but remember that Australia is reeeally big! An outback road trip will require some serious planning and the luxury of time. Alternatively, state capitals and regional centres are well connected by airlines: with a little ground work you can cover a good chunk of the country in just a few weeks.

Outback road near Alice Springs (p286)PETER WALTON PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES ©

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