If taking a road trip is a great Australian dream, then driving from Darwin to Alice Springs through some of the nation’s most spectacular country in a camper complete with all the mod-cons, is the ideal way to make it come true.

We decided to take a week off, chill out and explore the heart of our vast brown land, it was a holiday unlike any other – jam packed with amazing experiences, breathtaking landscapes and colourful characters.

Our home for the next six days would be a beloved Maui motorhome. For a couple of 30-somethings it was perhaps an unusual choice for a holiday, but we were free, independent and able to go wherever the wind took us.

Our only restriction was off-road driving as we had the luxury model camper complete with toilet, shower and mini-bar style fridge, rather than the go-anywhere model.

And we had a plan. We’d tackle the 1500 kilometres of highway from Darwin to Alice, nicknamed ‘the track’ by locals, and visit some of the lesser known attractions along the way.

So with miles of open road in front of us, we were eager to put our van to the test in the arid surrounds of Central Australia  and seeing the sights that we’d heard so much about - Devils Marbles, Daly Waters Pub, Barrow Creek and the Devils Pebbles were all on the agenda.

2009 Best Spa and Health Retreat Experience

-  Travelling In Australia

Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa has been recognised for innovative architecture, site and location, friendly hospitality, outstanding accommodation and facilities, world-class spa, authentic Aboriginal cultural tourism and Ecotourism… pure experiential travel!

It has also earned the gay-welcoming badge of Rainbow Tourism Accreditation, extending a warm invitation to gay and lesbian visitors to Far North Queensland.

A frequently asked question is "When is the best time to go to Tasmania for fine weather?"

Find yourself in Tasmania in springtime...with fewer visitors, you can find your own beach, with your own kangaroos and penguins, and be awakened daily by raucous cockatoos!

TAS Less Travelled

I haven’t seen a fraction of the diversity claimed by the Tourism Tasmania brochures, though I have seen enough to know this is the island of inspiration.

Roads Less Travelled are of most interest to me, so that could account for my disinterest in Cradle Mountain, Devonport and even Launceston, the second largest city behind the capital Hobart.

The real reason could be because I repeat the East Coast Escape itinerary every time I visit.  I’m drawn to the personable locals, to the sweet berries and sparkling wines, to the uninhabited beaches, and just about everything else down to the 7^th hole at the Swansea GC looking out to the Dolphin Sands.  Who cares about keeping score with such a distraction.