Avalook at Australia News

Issue Number 16, 6 August 2000

---

ISSN 1443-0797

Editors: Eric Lindsay and Jean Weber
info@avalook.com.au

In this issue...

Qantas special deals for Australian domestic travel
Aboriginal Australia websites
Get tourist visas for Australia online
More info on Cape York: An Adventurer's Guide
Cars and motoring in Australia
Australian Automobile Association (AAA)
Consistent Australian road rules and vehicle standards
Camping at Uluru / Ayers Rock
Kangaroo Island's new research facility
Other people's travels: Swiss tourist rides a bicycle around Australia
Subscription information

---

Qantas special deals for Australian domestic travel

Check the "Red E-Deals section of the Qantas site for the latest deals:

http://www.qantas.com.au/

Top

---

Aboriginal Australia websites

Two of the many sites run by Aboriginal Australians.

http://www.aboriginalaustralia.com

Nice site, quick loading. Lots of interesting information. You can buy art and music from the site, or book any of the tours available.

I recommend taking Aboriginal tours in many parts of Australia, as you will often get quite a different perspective on the land, as well as learning about the original inhabitants.

Desert discovery tours are also available from a site I mentioned in issue 4,

http://www.aboriginalart.com.au

This site, run by the Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre in Alice Springs, has changed since I wrote about it. It's worth a look.

Top

---

Get tourist visas for Australia online

The former Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) Liaison Manager for North and South America, Guy Krenn, has announced the launch of a website where Australia bound travelers can apply for and receive a short term tourism or business Australian visa online.

http://www.evisas.com/

This could be very useful for people booking travel over the internet, rather than through a travel agent, because usually you get an electronic tourist visa through the travel agent along with your tickets.

Top

---

More info on Cape York: An Adventurer's Guide

Mail just in from Viv Moon, regarding the book, Cape York: An Adventurer's Guide, by Ron and Viv Moon, 7th Ed, Kakirra Adventure, 1999, Paperback, ISBN 0958826471, considered by many travellers as the best guidebook to the region.

She says, "The book can be purchased direct from us, as detailed below. It is also available at outlets such as the Croc Shop in Cooktown, and many of the roadhouses along the way. One of our major distributors in Queensland is Hema Maps, and I'm sure the book would also be available in a number of the book shops in Cairns.

"We also do similar guide books on the Kimberley region of Western Australia (3rd edition), and we are about to publish the 2nd edition of our Flinders Ranges - An Adventurer's Guide.

"Our guide books are very comprehensive and full of good, gutsy information for the traveller. They may not be glossy, but the books are around 280 pages of all you need to know to tour each region."

Ron & Viv Moon, Kakirra Adventure Publications
PO Box 1112, Pearcedale, Vic 3912, Australia
ronmoon@netspace.net.au
viv.moon@guidebooks.com.au
http://www.guidebooks.com.au

Top

---

Cars and motoring in Australia

Now part of our Land Transportation page.

Top

---

Australian Automobile Association (AAA)

Now part of our Land Transportation page.

Top

---

Consistent Australian road rules and vehicle standards

At long last, the road rules and vehicle standards in all Australian states are going to be the same, instead of varying in confusing and sometimes dangerous ways. The changes to traffic rules in each State and Territory will vary according to how existing rules match the new national rules.

For further information, contact your local road or transport authority.

Top

---

Camping at Uluru / Ayers Rock

Moved to http://www.avalook.com.au/nt/index.htm.

Top

---

Kangaroo Island's new research facility

Kangaroo Island is in South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its reputation as one of Australia's top ecotourism sites depends on the ecological research done there. That research received a huge boost from Adelaide University's announcement on June 5 of a plan to create a new field research centre in the heart of the island's most important national park.

Wildlife research has taken place on Kangaroo Island since around 1900, when enlightened conservationists proposed that its uncleared western end should be set aside as a refuge for species that might become extinct on the mainland.

They secured Flinders Chase as a reserve, and introduced a wide range of fauna, including koalas, platypus and Cape Barren geese. The animals thrived, and the Chase is now the largest intact piece of coastal woodland, mallee and heath vegetation remaining in South Australia, and a key biological reference area.

It is also the site of the Rocky River Field Research Centre, where studies have included research on the Western Grey Kangaroo, Tammar Wallaby, Short-beaked Echidna, platypus, koala, New Zealand Fur Seal, Australian Sea Lion, Rosenberg's Goanna, Cape Barren Goose, Southern Stone Curlew and more.

The centre was established 40 years ago, but time has run out for the old buildings. 90,000 tourists now visit the park annually. The number grows each year and to accommodate them, the Rocky River precinct is being redeveloped. That means demolishing the old centre.

Adelaide University has announced plans to build a new field research station called the Flinders-Baudin Research and Education Centre. The University is working closely with National Parks and Wildlife SA, who are partners in the design, construction and management of the Centre.

National Parks and Wildlife SA are upgrading access roads, reticulated services and other infrastructure. The Centre will be closely integrated with the new visitors' centre being built there, and it will cater for university and school students as well as volunteers and community groups.

(The above is taken from a press release.)

Top

---

Other people's travels: Swiss tourist rides a bicycle around Australia

Patrice Terebus has travelled around most of Australia on his mountain bike. A sales rep from Switzerland, Patrice spent one month in Cairns for the 1996 World Championships (mountain bike riding), then returned in December 1999 for a full tour of the country.

You can read all about his trip on his website:

http://www.australia-bike-raid-2000.com/english/index.html

or if you prefer the French version:

http://www.australia-bike-raid-2000.com/

Top

---

© Copyright 2000 Eric Lindsay and Jean Weber. All rights reserved.

This newsletter is available as e-mailed ASCII text.

You may forward this newsletter (in whole or in part) to friends and colleagues, as long as you retain this copyright and subscription information, and do not charge any fee.

Subscription information

This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. All the e-mail addresses in our database have been submitted to us for inclusion.

To subscribe, use signup box at left.

To unsubscribe, follow instructions at the end of each newsletter you receive.

The subscribe and unsubscribe addresses are handled automatically by a computer, and are not seen by humans.

To contact a human, send e-mail to: info@avalook.com.au

Privacy Statement

We do not sell, rent or give our mailing list to anyone.

---