Australia's National Landscapes Archives

August 30, 2019

The Face of Australia 2000 Travel ~ Karen Hardy Hodgson. Featured this month as Hour Detroit Magazine?s Faces of Detroit 2019

Australia 2000 Travel weaves a touch of Aussie magic into every Bespoke Luxury Journey, handcrafted for the discerning traveler seeking to explore Australia, New Zealand, and remote South Pacific islands from a unique perspective.

Australia 2000 Travel was established in 1992 by fifth-generation Australian Karen Hardy Hodgson, whose mission is to help travelers discover the South Pacific through a local’s eyes; experience the vibrancy of immersive travel during stress-free journeys tailored to include each person’s specific interests and desires; and take travelers beyond the beaten path, where lifelong memories of wonder are created.

Australia 2000 Travel stands alone with recognition by Tourism Australia as Michigan’s only Premier Aussie Specialist, by Tourism New Zealand as one of Fewer Than Ten North American 100% Pure New Zealand Life-Time Gold Specialists, by elite Luxperience as one of the Top Two-Hundred-Fifty Travel Designers in the World, and by Hour Detroit as Detroit’s Best Travel Agency.

https://www.hourdetroit.com/faces-of-detroit/australia-2000-travel-karen-hardy-hodgson/

June 8, 2011

Australia’s Capital Cities

SYDNEY

Since 1996 readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines have voted Sydney, the World?s Best City for sixteen years in succession.? Whether you visit for one day or a week, we’re sure that you’ll enjoy this cosmopolitan city with its impressive harbor foreshores, glamorous homes and coastlines dotted with jagged sandstone cliffs and golden beaches. With its Mediterranean climate, arcade shopping, restaurants, parks, gardens, museums, the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge – you will find Sydney a gem.

ADELAIDE

The wine and festival capital of Australia, Adelaide in South Australia is one of the most vibrant, stylish and innovative cities you’ll ever visit. With rolling hills, pristine beaches, a lively nightlife, galleries, cafes, pubs, bookshops, fashion houses, antique stores, cellar doors and National Parks (all within Adelaide’s boundaries!), it’s a city you’ll want to come back to time and time again…

BRISBANE

Brisbane, capital city of Queensland is Australia’s third largest city. It has been built around the Brisbane River that snakes its way through the downtown. Be sure to check out the Botanic Gardens and the unique Customs House that have become part of Brisbane’s heritage icons.

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June 8, 2011

Australian Islands

ORPHEUS ISLAND

Orpheus Island is a true Great Barrier Reef island, located fifty miles north of Townsville, one hundred and twenty? miles south of Cairns and fifteen? miles offshore. ?It is fringed by sheltered bays and seven unspoiled sandy beaches, wreathed in spectacular coral gardens and invigorated with native flora and fauna. While snorkeling guests will view giant clams in their natural environment and? look for over a thousand species of tropical fish and more than three hundred varieties of reef coral in the underwater gardens surrounding the island.

The entire island, 3380 acres was declared a National Park in 1960.? ?Guests are likely to see echidnas and bandicoots, harmless brown and green tree snakes and green tree frogs in the rainforest, woodland and around the resort.? Many native birds can be found on the island including the orange-footed scrub fowl, brilliant yellow-bellied sunbirds, friar birds, boobook owls, sulfur crested cockatoos, ospreys, spangled drongo, brahminy kite, reef heron and rainbow lorikeets.

KANGAROO ISLAND

One of Australias true wilderness areas, Kangaroo Island is a place of rugged cliffs, roaring surf, pristine beaches, vivid blue ocean waters, dramatic caves, beautiful bush land, national parks and home to an abundance of wildlife.?Its natures paradise with unique flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world.

To derive the greatest pleasure and value from any visit to KI we always suggest?exploring the island with one of our specialist guides who know just where to find the timid Aussie wildlife and where best to observe the?spectacular scenery along the South Coast.

LIZARD ISLAND

Situated right on the famed Great Barrier Reef, Lizard Island is an exclusive island; with 24 soft white beaches and fringed with coral reefs. Guests are limited to just 80 at any one time. This is an island where you can enjoy a wide choice of activities or simply take a break and luxuriate in the peace and solitude of the islands delightful natural environment.

LORD HOWE ISLAND

After flying over 370 miles of empty ocean from Sydney you will be in awe as you approach the breathtaking World Heritage listed Lord Howe Island, formed when a volcano erupted 6 million years ago. Snorkeling on the most southern coral reef in the world that teems with marine life of over 500 species of fish and 90 species of coral is a popular past time. World-class bush walks through the natural forests of spectacular Banyan trees and Kentia palm range from easy level-ground walks to challenging hikes to the peak of Mt Gower. In order to maintain the islands pristine environment and uniqueness the number of visitors is limited to 400 at any time.

MARIA ISLAND

Get off the beaten path on an award winning four day guided walk on historic Maria Island where peak hour traffic is a line of little blue penguins emerging from the sea.

During your four day hike you?ll see world-rated fossil cliffs and tread softly through a refuge of rare wildlife and plants.? You?ll trace the history from the era of convicts back to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana.? The entire island is a national park, surrounded by pristine beaches and secluded coves.

Maria Island is a wildlife haven for mammals, birds and marine creatures and home to many rare and endangered species found nowhere else on earth.? The meeting of the warm and cold ocean currents surrounding the island provides a rich source of food for bait fish, seals and sea birds.?? The island lies on one of the great whale migration paths.? Maria Island has long been a prized destination for the keen birdwatcher with 11 of Tasmania?s 12 endemics and over 130 recorded species.? There are almost too many animals to take in.? Rare Tasmanian mammals that hop, climb trees, burrow underground or even lay eggs, seals and dolphins splashing happily in the sea are all to be found during your adventure on? Maria Island.

June 8, 2011

Australian Beaches

The Australian coastline is approximately the same length as the circumference of planet Earth. Along this vast coastline you will find endless idyllic beaches.

BONDI BEACH

Sydney, Beaches, Bondi, Surfing at Bondi Copyrighted Image Tourism Australia

Bondi Beach in Sydney is one of Australia’s most famous beaches and one of the worlds most well known. It is quintessentially Australian; you will find bronzed bodies and lifeguards ensuring the safety of the many that flock to Bondi to surf in the local waters.

CABLE BEACH

With 15 miles of turquoise Indian Ocean and dazzling white sands Cable Beach, in Broome, Western Australia is one of the worlds most beautiful beaches. Surely there cannot be a more enchanting means of watching the huge red sun sink below the horizon on the Indian Ocean than when riding a camel on Cable Beach at sunset.

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WHITEHAVEN BEACH

With its whiter than white silica sands and crystal clear water Whitehaven Beach is one of Australias most beautiful beaches. It is the ideal Australian beach in the Whitsundays to enjoy a secluded champagne picnic on the beach, swim in the sparkling water and if you are particularly lucky to be visited by the hungry goannas. Perhaps climb Hill Inlet to see a school of stingrays below in the azure water of their breeding ground. Exquisite Whitehaven Beach can only be reached by boat or your privately chartered light aircraft.

[Read more…]

June 8, 2011

Australia’s National Parks

Victoria

Port Campbell, Dreamtime 2013, Melbourne, Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road ~ Copyrighted Image Tourism Australia

Between 1918 and 1932 the spectacular Great Ocean Road was constructed using the labor of Australian soldiers newly returned from the First World War. While traveling along this dramatic winding road you will pass through Port Campbell National Park and discover The Twelve Apostles, rock structures soaring from the swirling waters of the Southern Ocean and one of Australias most recognized natural features. If you would rather not drive this demanding road we have the perfect guide for you who will show you the awesome sights, fill you with the local history, stand with you on cliffs that are over 200 feet tall while you gaze at rock stacks up to 130 feet tall. Along the way he will introduce you to the locals.

Northern Territory

NT, Aboriginal, Rock Art ~ Copyrighted Image Tourism Australia

Kakadu National Park, located 160 miles east of Darwin, in Australias Northern Territory is the largest National Park in Australia and has been awarded a World Heritage listing. Adjacent to Kakadu National Park lies a vast subtropical savannah that has been described as a national treasure trove depicting ancient human occupation and a pristine wilderness area hosting myriad ecosystems and wildlife inhabitants. The Aboriginal association with the land is constantly on display in Kakadu National Park where richly descriptive rock paintings from 50,000 years ago depict events of the distant past. Let us send you to this ancient area where your hosts, Max Davidson’s passionate devotion to the area and its people has developed into a relationship of trust and respect with the traditional owners. Their association has resulted in an unchallengeable, in-depth knowledge of the history and traditions of the area.

[Read more…]

June 8, 2011

Australian Outback

ARKAROOLA – SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Yellow Footed Wallaby at Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Arkaroola, Flinders Ranges Copyrighted Image Tourism Australia

Arkaroola is a 380 square miles privately owned wildlife sanctuary in the rugged Northern Flinders Ranges just to the east of the Gammon Ranges National Park in South Australia. The surrounding area includes spectacular arid zone mountain terrain, picturesque gorges, water holes and wildlife unique to the area. It is a truly fascinating region with dramatic, ancient hills where some of the rocks are estimated to be older 1,000 million years and marine fossils are being found from 600 million years ago giving proof to the fact that our Outback was once an inland sea.

BROKEN HILL – NEW SOUTH WALES

Broken Hill, NSW, Copyrighted Image Tourism Australia

People used to say that you would find Broken Hill beyond the Darling River on the edge of the sundown, as if there was nowhere further to travel in Australia.

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Perhaps it was the feeling of being confronted by an unspeakably vast space that looked like an inland sea rolling into the sunset. The desolate landscape surrounding Broken Hill is like driving towards a painting of soft mauve and sage hues. Is it any wonder the city has become known as a Mecca for artists? It is there that the magnificent clear blue skies and the magic light are much loved by film makers from Mad Max 2 to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

It is in Broken Hill that the big red kangaroos will run one hundred and twenty five miles in a night chasing a thunderstorm, and the unique Sturt Desert Peas bloom in dark red soils. The Tower Mulloch heaps around Broken Hill represent billions of dollars spent on mining that drove the economy of a fledgling nation. In this historic city it is easy to be reminded of the struggles of the pioneers. What greater adventure can there be than to travel to the Australian Outback via the Indian Pacific train where our special guide will meet you at railway station when you arrive in Broken Hill. You will be taken on a journey through the national parks to discover the Outback and the opal mining area of White Cliffs. There will be time to noodle for opals as you walk around in the old field At Lightening Ridge you will discover the true meaning of the word remote Here people live in houses built under the ground to escape the extreme heat of the Aussie sun.

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June 8, 2011

Australian Wildlife

KOALAS

Koala, Queensland ~ Photo Credit to Tourism Australia

Often referred to as koala ?bears? they are not bears at all but rather marsupials.? These cuddly, gentle creatures live in Eastern Australia rarely leaving their beloved eucalyptus trees.? When not nuzzled up in the crook of a gumtree sleeping for up to 18 hours a day, these adorable creatures get their nutrition and moisture from the two and a half pounds of gum leaves eaten each day.? Younger females give birth to one offspring per year while older females only reproduce every two or three years.? After giving birth, Joeys (baby koalas) while blind and furless, measuring only 2 inches long, make the extraordinary journey to the mother?s pouch.? From the safety of its mother?s pouch a Joey drinks milk for 6-7 months until it can tolerate the delicacy of koalas? favorite food, gum leaves.

KANGAROOS

When you think of Australia you may naturally think of our iconic kangaroo.? Belonging to the Macropus family that literally means ?big foot? these nocturnal, timid creatures make their homes in Eastern Australia. Possessing very powerful hind legs and large feet kangaroos can leap 30 feet in a single bound and run more than 30 miles per hour.? If threatened kangaroos pound their feet as a warning to predators. They use their tail as a means of balance giving them the ability to station themselves while boxing with their front legs and to raise up their hind legs delivering powerful thrusts.? While most people know that baby kangaroos (Joeys) are cradled safely in their mother?s pouch many don?t know that if the mother feels in danger she will throw her joey out of the pouch to provide a chance to for it to survive.? Did you know that kangaroo mothers produce two types of milk, one for a newborn and one for the baby as it grows?? Females also have the remarkable ability to shut down their reproductive system completely in times of drought.? When the joey is about 4 months old it will leave its mother?s pouch making short outings to graze on grass and shrubs.? Around 10 months the joey is mature enough to leave its mother?s pouch to head out into the world.? Kangaroos have few natural threats other than dingos (wild dogs) and humans.

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The Face of Australia 2000 Travel ~ Karen Hardy Hodgson. Featured this month as Hour Detroit Magazine?s Faces of Detroit 2019