Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
Loving the outback
Take a great Aussie road trip to one of these places to show your support for our country folk
Support our country folk by taking a road trip to one of these areas
there are many places to go bush to help our droughtaffected people. Here are more. Or check what’s near to you and have a fab weekend away. WINTON, QLD The birthplace of both the song Waltzing Matilda and Qantas, Winton is a destination every Australian should visit at least once in their life. The newly rebuilt Waltzing Matilda Centre has been designed to highlight the significance of the song through an interactive experience. The centre also houses an art gallery and the Qantilda Museum, which showcases the rich history of the area. For those wishing to go further back in time, visit the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum – featuring the world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils – and don’t miss the museum’s latest attraction, Dinosaur Canyon, which recreates life during the Cretaceous Period. experiencewinton.com.au
PARKES, NSW
This famed country town in Central NSW should need no introduction, with its world-famous CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope – better known as ‘The Dish’ – and popular annual Parkes Elvis Festival that attracts visitors from across the globe. Beyond those two attractions, there’s a load of other great things to see and do. The Henry Parkes
Centre is a state-of-the-art culture and tourism complex that’s comprised of several museums and exhibitions. Visit the Wiradjuri Amphitheatre to learn about the region’s traditional landowners and go back to the dawn of time at the Big Fish Fossil Hut. visitparkes.com.au
SALE, VIC
Victoria’s Sale, in the heart of Gippsland, is steeped in history. Starting out in the 1800s as an important water and railways link for Victoria and Southern NSW, it has thrived ever since. The Port of Sale was once the main steamer port in the region, but has been redeveloped into a tourist-friendly boardwalk precinct with a visitor centre, performing arts centre, restaurants, museums and river cruises leaving from the port twice a day. Nearby, Ninety Mile Beach is popular for swimming, fishing and sunbathing. visitvictoria.com/ regions/ Gippsland/destinations/sale
EYRE PENINSULA, SA
Best known for seafood and marine life, from seals to Great Whites, the Eyre Peninsula also features stunning bushland just inland from its famous crystal waters. The Gawler Ranges are a rugged, sunburnt place formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. Home to countless flora and fauna, the ranges are a great place to experience stunning rock formations and beautiful Lake Gairdner – a dry salt lake ringed by ancient hills. To the west, the Eyre Peninsula opens up into the Nullarbor Plain – one of the few great tracts of unspoilt wilderness in the world, highlighting how remote and grand parts of this country really are. exploreeyrepeninsula.com.au
TAMWORTH, NSW
This regional centre in Northern NSW is the birthplace and home of Australian country music, and remains a hub for both musicians and visitors interested in the genre. As you enter Tamworth, you’re greeted by the legendary big Golden Guitar on the Newell Highway. The attached visitors centre is a tourist destination in itself, with a range of exhibitions including the Gallery of Stars Wax Museum. The major event every year, of course, is the Tamworth Country Music Festival, which runs in late January and brings in an enormous range of talent, from massive stars such as Kasey Chambers to the newest up-and-comers. destinationtamworth.com.au