The Outback may not immediately come to mind as a great place to take children, but in reality it has much to offer to families and can also be an affordable but exciting roadtrip. Many kids love following the dinosaur trail, and seeing these massive creatures brought to life is enough to awe the most imaginative of minds. For many kids, reliving life in the old west is a dream come true, so visiting a station and learning how to do ranch chores and ride horses is a fun and exciting way to enjoy the region. It can also be great for burning off all the excess energy that kids seem to pack with them! If a stay at a station isn’t quite what you are looking for, try a visit to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, where visitors can learn about the past through interactive displays, and also a show that includes working dogs, horses, mules, and authentic Outback stockmen.
The Min Min Encounter, in Boulia, gives visitors a show unlike any other, complete with fibre optics and special effects. It tells the true story of the Min Min light, a ghostly light that residents of the area have claimed to have seen for more than seventy years. If traveling with smaller children, the Tambo Teddies workshop may be more appropriate. Here you can watch the famous teddy bears being made from scratch. The Bilbies Centre in Charleville is home to Queensland’s most endangered species, a loveable little marsupial that is being bred at the centre as part of the effort to save the animals.
Older children will enjoy the Cosmos Centre and Observatory in Charleville, where they can enjoy films about the universe and at nighttime view the skies up close. The Qantas Founders Outback Museum in Longreach is an aviation museum full of interactive displays that are sure to please children of all ages.
Most visitors to Australia dream of exploring the outback but find themselves quite daunted by its treacherous reputation. Luckily, there are now many Australian vacation packages that make visiting the Queensland Outback easy, and with the comfort of luxury travel as well.
Because it was once part of a huge inland sea, the Outback is particularly rich in dinosaur fossils. Vacationers looking to experience Australia’s ancient past will want to head out on the Dinosaur Trail, a tour of the area that hits all the major prehistoric attractions. Visit museums in Hughenden, Richmond, and Winton, as well as the Riversleigh Fossil Centre in Mount Isa. The Lark Quarry Trackways is home to the largest fossilized dinosaur stampede. In certain areas you can even dig for your own fossils or, if you are interested in a truly unique experience, join an organized dig.
Another outback must is a visit to a local pub. Long known for their quirky atmosphere and colorful regulars, these pubs have been immortalized in movies and popular culture and are a great way to really get to understand the local culture of the Outback. Another fantastic way to enjoy Outback culture is on a station stay. Similar to a dude ranch, these stations raise cattle and sheep, and offer visitors a chance to try their hand at such chores as sheep shearing, mustering, and fencing. Most offer extensive horse-back riding as well, allowing visitors to explore the land in a unique way.
Those who enjoy four-wheel-driving and fishing will find an abundance of possibilities in the Outback. The area is home to more than twenty national parks, giving visitors an excellent opportunity to explore the outdoors. Alternatively, the area can be toured simply for its heritage attractions. In any case, making the trek into the Outback has never been easier and once there, visitors will be sure to find a unique Australian vacation experience.
Since Australia’s predominant language is English, you might think it unnecessary to brush up on any languages before heading off on your Australian vacation. However, you might want to have a handle on some common Australian slang. We’ve all heard “put the meat on the barbie” however there are many words and expressions that will go right over visitors’ heads and might even come across as downright scary!
The general term “tucker” refers to all food, and “bush tucker” refers to eating foods that are native to Australia, including plants, herbs, birds, and animals. If your waiter asks if you’d like some bugs don’t fear, he’s just offering you some tasty shellfish. Likewise, don’t be alarmed if someone refers to your tomato sauce as dead horse. Damper is traditional Australian bread. A snag refers to sausage, chook to chicken while smoko is the morning or afternoon tea.
If you’re having a session then you are drinking at the local pub, and restaurants that are BYO usually mean that you can bring your own alcohol, or grog. A slab is a carton of beer while a stubby is an individual bottle, and beware if someone wants you to shout because you’ll be buying the house a round of drinks!
If someone suggests you are having a whinge then you are whining too much, however someone who is dinkum is considered honest and sincere. Calling someone a ratbag is just a friendly swipe, however calling someone a yobbo means they are loud and obnoxious. A galah is an Australian parrot, and anyone compared to this bird is considered to be an idiot. If you are “mad as a cut snake” then you’re very angry.
Australians refer to their flip-flops, not their underwear, as thongs. Mexicans are those who live below the Queensland border, and banana benders are Queenslanders. A cocky is a farmer, a digger a soldier or war veteran, and an ankle-biter is a small child.
