August 2015 - Salamanda Travel Blog

Top Places to Relax in Australia While Travelling

After all the heart-stopping adventures like jumping off a building in Cairns or nearly being eaten alive by mega crocs in Darwin (Cage of Death, anyone?), or after a three-day camping trip in a festival in the Splendour—when you can’t even move any of your tired joints—that’s when you know you need to take a break. Perhaps you are burnt out to ashes, looking for a change of scenery to recharge your spirit and start fresh.

Whatever your reason may be or even when you have no reason at all, it’s always a good idea to have a getaway. These aren’t your usual trip to the spa; from day trips to month-long vacations, here are some of the top destinations to relax in Australia you can drive in a campervan to.

Relax in Australia

In the water

The water has a such a sweet tranquillity that it’s always one of the first things that come to mind when looking for a respite. One of the many things that Australia is famous for are its expansive beaches and coastal cities. In the east coast, three of the country’s major states (Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria) are bordered by cool aquatic respites. If you happen to be in the Gold Coast, you’re lucky because in just a few minutes, you’re greeted by pristine surf beaches or quite, lazy waters. If we were to choose one, we’d go to the Whitsunday Islands on a cruise to see its 74 wonderful islands including the Daydream Island, Hamilton Island and South Molle Island.

Camping fun

If you thought that the Northern Territory was about Red Centre Way adventures in the desert like rides in four-wheel drives, bush-walking or the Uluru, that’s where you most definitely are wrong. The arid lands may present you with these escapades but if you are looking for a more place to go, try the Bamurru Plains in the world-renowned Kakadu National Park. If you want to renew your affinity with the environment, here, you’ll be camping alongside breathtaking natural scenery . Go glamping (glamorous camping) in the expansive and exotic landscape. Here’s how you can glamp up your motorhome.

Wherever you go, you’ll be able to relax in the way you want to with a campervan. Stylish, well-maintained and high-quality, our vehicles, here in Salamanda Travel, will help you find that respite you have been looking for.

Staying in a hotel

For those who just want to keep to themselves and not even go outside, there’s something for you too. The emergence of a new way of relaxing has been the houses (in this case hotels) down for months on end. Staycation, as people call it, is simply getting respite from the outside and experiencing the luxuries of a quality hotel. Australia doesn’t top the destination charts for nothing; and one of the reasons this is is because of the plenty stunning and comfortable accommodations it offers. In Sydney, the Meriton Serviced Apartments always tops the lists with its excellent locations and, spectacular service and top-notch luxuries.

Fine food and dining

Those who like to eat when they’re stressed will disagree that food can’t relax you. Some of the best food (yes, we know they could get weird sometimes) are in Australia. From barbies on the grill to good old Vegemite flavoured everything (the main factory is found in Todd Road, Port Melbourne), have your fill of the most satisfying. Hop on to Queensland for a traditional Lamington from Kytons Bakery, some Tim Tams from every part of Australia, the “Coat of Arms” pizza from The Australian Hotel in The Rocks. The pizza’s ingredients are a combination of kangaroo and emu. Also, they also have crocs on the menu. Take that!

Wine wanderings

Here in Australia, we are proud of our wine because wine not (get it?). On a more serious note, our wines will change you from becoming beer-indulged bellies to sophisticated wine-drinking (and wine-loving) men and women. The Barossa Valley found 60 kilometres northeast of Adelaide in South Australia is one of our most famous and most iconic wine regions in the country. With 80 cellar doors and 150 wineries, who wouldn’t want to have even just a sip of the most exquisite wines. Plus, the views are great, green and generally amazing!

Ready to relax? Call Salamanda Travel today on +61 (0)7 3265 9265 or call our worldwide toll free numbers.

7 Adventures In Australia You Need To Do In Your Life

It’s one thing to keep scrolling through your Instagram feed—double-tapping photos worthy of your elusive “heart” before moving on to the next—while it’s another to be driving outside being immersed in adventures so enlivening, stopping only for the wonderful experience that surely ensue. Following the latter, the pictures we painted in our minds now become alive, more vivid, as we are enthralled with all the realness. Suddenly we are awake, ready to rev our engines and drive to the next great adventures that were once only seen in glossy magazine pages or through pixels from our mobile devices.

We have some suggestions to help you get started. With a campervan rental from Salamanda Travel, we’ll drive around Australia in seven (awesome) adventures. Allow us to tease you with some of the most popular attractions and activities from the states and territories Down Under.

Adventures in Australia

Bungy Jumping in Cairns

There’s probably a study somewhere that supports the claim that bungy jumping actually makes your heart stop even just for a millisecond. Even if that is real, we can’t stop ourselves from taking on this adrenaline-inducing mountain-jumping activity! In Cairns, however, you need not to climb a mountain for a drop. Drive up to the Tropical North Queensland along Smithfield for a 50 metre dive (on air)! While you’re on the road, you might also want to consider the Great Barrier Reef, because, you know, it’s the GREAT BARRIER REEF!

Hot Air Ballooning over Byron Bay

There’s something about experiencing something from a different perspective. Some will argue that because it’s Byron Bay, basically a body of water, the rational thing to do would be to go for a dip. While you can always do this, you can also experience one of the most famous coastal areas of New South Wales (over even Australia) while in one of the sunrise flights on a hot air balloon. See the awe-inspiring views above One thing we can assure you is that the entire experience is way better that those found in the post cards.

Swim with Seals in Kangaroo Island

The Kangaroo Island (no to be mistaken by the Valley found in Queensland) may imply that it is only home to Australia’s most beloved living icon, the kangaroo but it’s not. While the fact that it does have a large of number of the boxers, the third largest island in Australia also has plenty other species of animals living in its terrain. One aquatic mammal that we know you’ve always wanted to see up close (and swim with) are seals. And yes, there is a whole area dedicated for their protection and conservation, the Seal Bay Discovery Park along the sandy beach and dune area. Now, we’re excited too!

A Seal in Kangaroo Island. Photo from Flickr

Craze over the Cage of Death in Darwin

This is the only place where danger is worth the thrill! In Darwin, you can get up close and personal with the largest of all living reptiles in the world and the one of the most deadliest (gulp) reptiles in Australia! Swim (while you are in the so called “Cage of Death”) with the largest Saltwater crocs. If you’re asking us why we’d recommended something we also dub to be very dangerous, it’s all for fun. And fret not, the cages are fool-proof and tested thoroughly!

White Water Rafting in Franklin River in Tasmania

Tasmania is known for its calm and collected cool but if you’re in for a cool heart-pounding adventure,we have it here too! Drive with your campervan from Salamanda Travel to Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park by the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage to unleash your wild side. Feel the water splash around you while you raft through the rapids and experience a thrill you’ll be itching to repeat all your life!

Great Ocean Road of Victoria

It seems like we are cheating a little bit here but, if we are, why not? The Great Ocean Road spans 243 kilometres of breathtaking coastlines and it encompasses some major cities such as Apollo Bay, Lorne, Torquay, Port Campbell and Peterborough. Here, we can also see some of the best destinations (some of them iconic and well-loved) like the Grampians National Park, the Great Otway National Park, the Twelve Apostles and Port Campbell National Park. So really, if you’re looking for a place where you can have more adventures all rolled into one scenic road trip, drive up to Victoria.

Grampians National Park. Photo from Flickr

Rockin’ at Wave Rock, Western Australia

If you think that the Wave Rock is nothing but a giant rock formation, well this alienistic monolith actually gives you more than meets the eye. Upon driving to Wave Rock Road, you’ll see that you are able to enjoy what you left behind in the city—cafes, a number of restaurants, museums and even gardens of Salmon Gum in Hyden. The granite cliff that is the Rock is 15 metres high and 110 metres long. If you’re looking to stay here for the night (and you should), you may do so at the Wave Rock Kiosk and Caravan Park.

I don’t know about you but I’ll ahead and rent a campervan now. I’m gonna go and have fun in all of the adventures in Australia! If you wanna tag along, give us a call or visit our website www.salamandatravel.com. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to learn more Australian destinations!

The 10 Most Australian Animals Ever

Even if you are not exactly a digital native, you might have seen photos or heard rumours of the dangers of Australia—well, the animals Down Under. We’re not denying the fact that there are some pretty scary ones like sharks, snakes, jellyfish, crocodiles and *gulps* spiders. Still, needless to say though, we’ve got some smackingly awesome (and friendly) ones too.

Don’t believe us? Here are ten of the most Australian animals, some of the top zoos and national and natural parks you can find them!

Wallaby. If you thought Australia was all about kangaroos, then you’ve been wronged. Although a wallaby may look like the most famous mammal in the country which is the kangaroo, you’ll see some striking differences upon close inspection. The easiest way to distinguished them are through their size. The wallaby is smaller and its legs are shorter—making it more proportionate to the other parts of its body. Another thing you’ll notice is that the wallaby’s fur coating is brighter. Drive a campervan to Flinders Rangers in South Australia or in Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park.

Kangaroo. Perhaps the most popular marsupial (pouched mammal) in the world, the kangaroo has always been one of the most iconic things (not just animals in Australia). The Kangaroo is endemic in Australia; there are 55 different species and about 35 million are found in the country. The males of these large footed creatures are known for boxing with other males to win the heart of the females in breeding. To find the kangaroos in Australia Flinders Ranges, in Kangaroo Islands, Anglesea in Victoria and in the Grampians.

Koala. Koalas, often also referred to as Koala Bears because of their semblance to the toys, are native in Australia. These cuddly herbivorous marsupials get their daily fluid intake from mint leaves and are active only two hours per day—sleeping for up to 18 hours. they are often found tucked in tree forks or dozing off at nooks. When travelling to Australia, drive to the coasts of Queensland in Victoria and in South Australia for wild Koalas.

Quokka. One thing’s for sure: the quokka may very well be awarded as the most adorable animal in the world. Another marsupial belonging to the macropods family, quokkas are friendly herbivores who like to take photos. We mean to say that the cat-sized furballs have increasingly jumped into the bandwagon of selfie-loving millennials. Find them in Western Australia particularly on Rottnest Island near Perth or Bald Island in Albany.

Echidna. Gamers will recognize an echidna to be what Knuckles, Sonic the Hedgehog’s first nemesis, is. In real life, echidnas aren’t red; they are brown, have a long beak of a mouth, have spikes shooting out of their bodies and eat ants—thus the name spiny anteaters. They are part of the monotreme family which means they are mammals that lay eggs. Another fun fact is that they are the oldest living mammals today which means they are well protected and conserved. If you’d like to see one, make Southern Queensland part of your self-drive holiday itinerary.

Platypus. The platypus is another monotreme that does not fall short on looking weird. The strange semi-aquatic creature looks like a crossover between a duck and a beaver with a bill-like mouth, webbed feet and a tail like that of the dam building animals. They may look harmless but male platypuses are able to secrete venom from their ankle spurs for defense and to assert dominance. The duck-billed platypus, as it is otherwise known is found in eastern Australian and mostly in Tasmania.

Tasmanian Devil. If this doesn’t scream Australian, we don’t know what does; it already has Tasmania on its name so you surely won’t be lost. The Tasmanian devil shares some characteristics with its Looney Tunes hit cartoons counterpart; they are both “specifically carnivorous in nature, [with a] voracious appetite, surly disposition” and “crazed behaviour”. Their main difference, however, lies in the appearance; the real life Tasmanian devil dons and black fur coat with a white line across the top of its front legs.

Australian Dingo. The dingo may look like a regular village dog but the main difference lies on the ecology. Dingos are free-ranging; roaming around mainland Australia is varying terrains such as grasslands, desert, tropical regions and woodlands. Dingos can be domesticated but they still have a penchant for hunting small animals like ground-dwelling birds, sheep, wallabies and even kangaroos. Fancy spotting one? Try a quick drive to the Australia Zoo!

Saltwater Crocodile. Steve Irwin likes a challenge and to challenge a saltwater crocodile he does. In fact, this is one of his favourite animals and where he got his daughter’s name, Bindi, from. The estuarine croc is the largest species of all living reptiles with sizes reaching up to six metres. They are considered to be the most dangerous animals in Australia and that is exactly the reason why more people would like to see them. For a thrilling Outback adventure with them, they could be found in of the zoos across Australia in the north.

Great White Shark. The Great White Shark, like the Saltwater Crocodile, may not be natural in Australia but they certainly are one of the most wanted animals in terms of tourism. People flock for heart-stopping thrillers and this is exactly what a Shark Cage Diving Experience provides! The most famous destinations are found in South Australia’s Port Lincoln so you better wait no longer for your dose of adventures!

Travel one by one in Australia’s top destinations to see all of the most Aussie animals you can find with Salamanda Travel! Got a suggestion or comment or are you looking for the latest updates on our blog? Like and follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts today. If you need a vehicle for a self-drive holiday, you may click here!