With the world becoming more and more environmentally aware, travelers are also becoming more interested in seeing how other countries tackle the difficult challenges that come with finding ways to be more environmentally sensitive. New South Wales’ second largest city is proudly taking a leadership role in developing ways for their citizens’ to lessen their ecological footprint.
Futureworld Eco-Technology Centre is a pioneer in sustainable technologies. The organization has a six-and-a-half hectare site that houses their Eco-Technology Exhibition Centre. Exhibits focus on renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction, water conservation, and waste reduction, and exhibits are fully interactive. Highlights include full-scale wind turbine blades and a power generation unit, a water wave tank demonstrating wave energy, a model of a solar powered ferry, a waste minimization and recycling facility and a miniature eco-house demonstrating ways to make your home more environmentally friendly. The exhibits are located both indoors and out.
In addition to being so environmentally progressive, Wollongong has much to offer tourists. While in the area, you might be interested in stopping by the Wollongong Science Centre and Planetarium. Here, families can enjoy star and laser shows in the planetarium and view the sky in the observatory. Popular exhibits focus on archaeology, energy, and Antarctica, and the centre also runs several science themed shows at their theatre.
As would be expected in such an environmentally friendly city, Wollongong is home to many parks. MacCabe Park is located inside the city, and features a playground, war memorial, and amphitheatre. Greenhouse Park was formerly a waste dump, but since 1992 has been under restoration to create a green corridor within the city. Sitting next to the wetlands of Tom Thumb Lagoon, the park is a great example of land reclamation.
If you’re looking for a unique way to explore the Australian Outback, how about visiting a commercial opal field and staying overnight in an underground hotel? This might sound like a trip not for the faint of heart, but in reality the White Cliffs area can be enjoyed by just about everyone. Although it is considered the Outback, White Cliffs and the neighboring Broken Hill are only about a day’s drive from both Sydney and Melbourne, making it relatively easy to visit. If you prefer traveling by air, helicopter flights to the area are also available.
The tourist appeal of White Cliffs comes mainly from the fact that the majority of the town’s residents live underground in houses carved out of the sandstone rock so prevalent in the area. Called ‘dugouts,’ these homes require no heating or air conditioning and maintain a very comfortable twenty-two degrees Celsius through summer and winter. Residents dig their homes into the rock using a jackhammer and a wheelbarrow to remove the debris. Once hollowed out they are normally sealed and painted white. There are two accommodations where visitors can stay underground, at the Underground Motel or PJs Underground Bed and Breakfast. The Underground Motel includes an underground restaurant and bar.
White Cliffs was Australia’s first commercial opal mine. Opals are a unique gemstone that have become Australia’s trademark. A visit to White Cliffs should include a mine tour where visitors can even try their hand at finding opal remnants in the mine’s tailings. Several local shops sell quality Australian opals, and there are also several artists in the area who sell beautiful jewelry, photographs, and paintings. Far away from the city lights, the stars here are clearly visible in the wide open skies, so bring a constellation map along for your stay.
As the world’s largest exporter of coal, it may be somewhat surprising that this cozy little Australian city is such a favorite with tourists. Located in the Port Stephens region, Newcastle is only a two-and-a-half hour drive north from Sydney. If you prefer, a train also connects Sydney and Newcastle and can be a great way to travel. A ferry takes visitors from Newcastle to the very popular Stockton Beach, located just across the harbor.
With five beaches as well as its famed Ocean Baths, Newcastle is a swimmer’s paradise. The Ocean Baths were created in 1922 in the art deco style, and remain very popular to this day. Canoe pool is appropriate for young swimmers, and was once decorated on the bottom with a relief map of the world. Bathers Way is a five kilometer walking track that connects the lighthouse at Nobby’s Headland to the Merewether Ocean Baths.
Perhaps the area’s most significant landmark, Nobby’s Headland was at one time an island. Now, however, it has been connected to the mainland via a breakwall that today can be traversed to reach the lighthouse on the island. The Foreshore promenade extends from the Nobby’s Headland and is a popular coastal walk. Inside the city, you can choose from a variety of experiences. The Beaumont Street area is upscale and trendy, while the Darby street area has funky pubs and an innercity vibe. The city is home to the Civic Theatre, built in the 1920s, as well as the Newcastle Region Art Gallery. The Honeysuckle Market is a popular shopping destination. If you are looking to see signature Australian wildlife such as kangaroos, wombats, or koala bears, try visiting the Blackbutt Reserve, where you can enjoy many walking tracks and picnic sites.
