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.
If you are looking to relive the old west, but with a twist, a visit to Queensland’s Western Downs should definitely be on your Australian vacation itinerary. Located in southwestern Queensland, about 140 kilometers from Brisbane, the region is dominated by rolling hills of farmland where you can expect to see wide fields of crops such as cotton and wheat, wineries, and ranches raising cows, pigs, or sheep. It is rural Australia at its best, and can offer visitors a very affordable vacation package.
The area is easily explored by following a few of the major highways that run through the region, particularly the Warrego Highway from Brisbane, the Leichhardt Highway and the Great Inland Way. This network of highways will take you through the major towns, national parks, and historic places in the Western Downs. Highlights of the Great Inland Way include Roma, the town where oil and gas was first discovered in Australia, Hebel, where Ned Kelly and his band of bushrangers hid out from the law, and the Nindigully Pub, one of Australia’s oldest pubs. The Warrego Highway takes travelers across the Darling Downs towards Charleville, a bustling Outback town, and is one of the oldest highways in Australia. If learning more about Australia’s first pilgrims interests you, you’ll find the Leichhardt Highway a great option with its many historical villages and country towns. Highlights in the area include the Carnarvon Gorge National Park, the town of Chinchilla, which is the melon capital of Australia, and the Miles Historical Village in the Murilla Shire. St. George is home to the Nindigully Pub, and is also a place to view uniquely carved emu eggs.
Visitors will find that accommodations are varied throughout the region and include motels, farm stays, and even country pubs! Roma is considered the service centre of the region, and makes a great place to stay while exploring the Western Downs.
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.
