5 Great Driving Routes Of Australia

Heading on an travel adventure in the land Down Under soon or in the coming months? There are so many driving routes you can explore in Australia; so you will be totally spoilt for choice. You will come across ancient discoveries, charming heritage towns and villages, wonderful scenery and very interesting travel experiences!

For some of the best driving routes you can take in Australia, please read on for more...

The Savannah Way

The long but rewarding Savannah Way is a magical way to explore the diverse beauty of Australia's Northern Territory. It stretches from Cairns to Broome at over 3,000km. You will be travelling along the Australia Highway 1. One of the most astounding features of the route that you will see here is the diversity of the landscape. You will come across strange rock formations, hot water springs and cliff gorges, together with some magnificent flora and fauna totally unique to this part of Australia!

It is recommended that you take in the Savannah Way throughout the dry season from April to September. The starting point is Cairns, and going along Highway 1 you will pass along the Atherton Tablelands. This is the Queensland Gulf region, and you will come across the wonderful Innot Hot Springs here. After this you will come across Borroloola along the MacArthur River. Another marvellous attraction in this area is Cape Crawford, known as the lost city, with some unique rock formations, and Mataranka Nature Reserve, which is home to some wonderful thermal springs.

Indeed the Savannah Way Route is home to some marvellous National Parks, such as Nitmiluk National Park and Gregory National Park, which covered over 13,000 sq km, and also Keep River National Park. From here you will be travelling into Western Australia through the Kimberley Region and this will bring you to the historic city of Broome, which was a major pearling location through the decades. The white warm sands of Cable Beach are welcoming after a long journey from Cairns.

The Great Ocean Road

If you are in the Melbourne, a trip along the Great Ocean Road is a must! This driving route stretches for over 270 km and is widely regarded as one of the most scenic driving tours in the world, featuring stunning viewing points over the Victoria coastline. The Great Ocean Road begins in Torquay outside Melbourne, and travels to Warrnambool. To get to Torquay, take the Surf coast for 95km from Melbourne, and if you fancy it, hit the waves with your surfboard.

As you leave Torquay you will be hitting the Great Ocean Road. There are sea views on one side of you together with rich green landscapes of the Otway Mountain Ranges on the other. There are plenty of look out points along the route, so take your time, stop and enjoy the views. The primary attractions to watch out for along this route is the magnificent Twelve Apostles, which are a fine collection of wonderful limestone rock formations that lie off the coastline in the sea. These are positioned on the route between Princetown and Campbell so keep an eye out for them! Why not park off here, head down to the beach and see these magnificent rock structures for yourself! You will come across some of the wonderful coves and secluded beaches of the Great Ocean Road so find your very own one!

Pacific Coast Drive From Sydney

If you are based in the Sydney and would like to take in a scenic driving route, then why not take in the Pacific Coast Drive, along the east coast of Australia. Popular with surfers, this route stretches for 950km and travels along the Number 1 Australian Highway, of which this part hugs the Pacific Coastline. As you leave Sydney, head for the Central Coast and travel north to Newcastle, and perhaps drop off at the Brisbane Waters National Park.

Along the way you will come across Lake Macquarie, and you can indulge in some watersports here! What is on offer here range from wind surfing to water sailing so enjoy all of these! After stopping off here, you will come across Nelson Bay, and you could take in the Hunter Valley, a prominent wine-producing region of Australia. Further north is Myall Lake National Park. Coffs Harbour is your next pot of call, and you will come across Kempsey and Hat Head National Park. Coffs Harbour is around 580km from Sydney, and one of the biggest attractions here is the Big Banana. Here, you can enjoy waterslides together with ice-skating.

From Coffs Harbour, travel north on the coastal road and you will reach the Iluka Nature Reserve. You could stop off here or travel to Murwillumbah, and then onto Ballina where you could take in a river cruise. Failing that, you could head on straight to Byron Bay, which is one of the most popular surfing destinations in Australia, and 175km south of Brisbane. After more stunning seascapes along this route, you will come to Brisbane in Queensland.

Explorer Highway Driving Tour

This impressive route will take you from Adelaide to Darwin. You are definitely guaranteed wonderful and diverse scenery and some magnificent attractions! It is also known as the Stuart Highway. The Explorer Highway is over 3,200km in length, so be prepared for this wonderful journey by stocking up with adequate water and supplies! You could do this route in around a week, but you could also spend longer at it!

Again, this route is along a section of the Highway 1 that runs from north to south Australia through Alice Springs. One striking feature of this route is the change in landscape. You will begin in the rolling lush green country areas of Adelaide, heading through the steep vineyards of South Australia, the vast red sand area of the Simpson Desert. When you reach the Northern Territory, and in particular Darwin, you will be astounded by the lush tropical rainforest areas.

Some of the magical highlights of the Explorer Highway include Nitmiluk National Park, Cutta Cutta Caves, the imposing MacDonnell Ranges, and the marvellous Litchfield National Park. The town of Alice Springs, located in the dead centre point of Australia. Whilst here, it is worth checking out the truly spectacular Ayers Rock National Park. At Tennant Creek you will come across the weird and wonderful Devil Marbles, huge boulder and rock formations, deeply immersed in local Aboriginal culture.

Goldfields Region Tour From Melbourne

Travel in the footsteps of the men and women who travelled from near and far to Australia's very own Gold rush in the 19th Century and thereafter. If you are based in Melbourne, you can do this very route by taking the Goldfields Tourist Route. Just follow the golden 'G' signs and you are on your way! All of the main heritage centres, towns and attractions are denoted by said signpost.

The main locations along the route are Ballarat, Creswick, Castlemaine, Bendigo and Ararat. From Melbourne take the Western Freeway and head for Ballarat, a travelling distance of just under 120km. Sovereign Hill Museum is a good place to drop off at and discover for yourself how prospectors lived during these times. The costumes and drama are perfectly recreated. The gold mines at Bendigo are well worth checking out too. The Museum at Central Deborah Gold Mine will allow the visitor to relive times past as a gold prospector.

This route can be achieved as part of a day trip from Melbourne or you could stay for longer by exploring the quaint villages and towns along the region. The choice is yours!

Brooke have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Green Plumbing - Rain And Grey Water Harvesting, Solar Hot Water Systems - Melbourne, Australia

With increasing climatic condition change and prolonged drought conditions in Ausralia, many people are trying to save water and energy on the dryest inhabited continent on earth.
The buildings in which we live, work and play, protect us from the elements but also shape the environment around us. The construction and operation of buildings requires a huge input of resources. The location of buildings and what resources are used affects the ecosystem in a number of ways. As the environmental impact of buildings becomes more apparent people are looking for ways that can significantly decrease this impact and make their homes and offices healthier to live and work in.

Some of the biggest long-term challenges facing our nation are securing sustainable water and power suppliers for our future and reducing the production of greenhouse gases to limit the impact of climate change.

We live on the driest inhabited continent on earth, yet are one of the highest per capita consumers of water. Melbourne is experiencing the lowest level of water supply in many years. Yet we each consume, on average, 400 litres of water every day.

Many people assume that we are in a current state of drought and that when the drought breaks we will have adequate amounts of water to go back to using it like we have in the past. However, this is not the full story. Australia has always had little rainfall and as our population increases so will pressure on water and power. We can all make an individual difference that will assist this nation in its endeavours.

Strategies that can be employed include installing rain water tanks, grey water irrigation systems, solar hot water systems, solar heating and other water and energy conserving means. To assist, the State Governments have included rebates for water saving devices in their strategies.

Sustainable Plumbing P/L is a Melbourne leader in the field of green plumbing and works with other partners such as specialist sustainable landscape architects and designers to achieve aesthetic design with these sustainable water and solar strategies

Wina have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Paving - What You Need to Know Before Starting a Paving Project!

Paving

Paving is described by Wikipedia as 'a stone or tile structure, the paving, which can serve as a floor or external feature... can be made of flagstones which are used for things like paving gardens.

History

Paving has been used for thousands of years. In fact, some roads and paths built by the Romans with tightly fitting pavers over a base aggregate, two thousand years ago still form the base for modern roads in parts of Europe. If nothing else, this tells us that they're durable!

Today

Whilst we spend a lot of time and money on being creative on the inside of our houses, it won't have the same impact if we neglect the exterior.

The outside of the house is what people see first. The idea that 'first impressions count' is a valid one. If your property has not been maintained and/or improved on the outside via considered landscaping, then it will detract from all your efforts on the inside. People will have that negative first impression which will be hard to overcome.

Likewise, people spend a lot of time in their yards, children are encouraged to get outside and do something physical rather than sitting in front of the PC. You're more likely to enjoy spending time outside or entertaining, if the backyard looks good.

Paved Areas

A big part of any landscaping or improvement is paving, be it a paved driveway, a paved edging to an existing driveway, a paved path, edging along garden beds, or a paved patio.

We have found that a lot of people are finding that maintaining a large lawn area is, not only time consuming, but more difficult with water restrictions. One way of cutting down on their lawn area is to have a paving feature which adds a bit of character to the yard as well as reducing the time and work involved in upkeep.

By utilising one of a range of paving styles, you are able to create a unique paved area that will lift your yard. Your landscape advisor should be able to show you a range of styles from which to choose and suggest what would work best for what you are hoping to achieve.

Questions to Ask

Before beginning any paving project you need to answer a few questions, whether it be a paved driveway, a driveway border, a paving path, garden edging, a paved patio or bbq area. How big is the area to be paved? What colour scheme are you after? What is the existing surface and how will you need to prepare it for the paving? Do you need to allow for water run off? What about weed control? These are all important questions which need to be answered. Your paving professional will be able to help you answer these and other more technical questions.

Paving versus Concrete

If comparing pavers to concrete, consider that concrete can crack, breakup and stain, becoming unsightly and lowering the value of your home. Pavers, on the other hand, have a greater weight distribution and, should they ever crack or become stained, are so much easier to replace, with minimum cost to you.

Landscape Melbourne

Ultimately, to balance a quality product and service at a competitive price, your best option is to obtain a high standard of design by hiring a contractor. A side benefit of using a paving professional such as Landscape Melbourne, is that they will usually get a trade discount on the pavers which they pass on to you. This allows you to get a high quality finish with the expertise to know that the job is down well - a great scenario if you're too busy or don't feel confident in doing the job yourself.

Alladin have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Garden Designs With a Swimming Pool

Having a pool in your backyard can be a great recreational avenue for the whole family. Match a beautiful garden to a good swimming pool design and you got yourself a great place to host formal as well as family parties. Since you require no permits to build a swimming pool in your backyard, you can employ any good contractor to build one for you.

A good swimming pool design requires a lot of planning. First, you have to settle on the shape of the pool area. It does not have to be a mundane rectangular shape. You can try out ellipse, circular of free curve styles of swimming pool designs by simply using a long enough piece of rope or garden pipe. Once you have settled on the shape, the next step is the size and distance of the pool. Depending on the maximum number of people you will entertain in the pool and the area that you will require for the garden, you will have to choose the dimensions. The distance of the swimming pool design from your house also matters from the aesthetics point of view. The last step in planning for a pool involves what accessories you will be putting around the pool area. These accessories will require space and so must be integrated into the overall pool and garden design. With all these plans ready you are can now start building your pool.

One secret to having a hassle free garden design Melbourne is to use whatever elements you already have in your backyard to enhance the appeal of the pool area. This can include trees, shrubs and even rock formations. If flowers are natural to your neck of woods, then use this natural element to surround the pool area, if vines are the natural part of your backyard then grow them over the fences and walkway to your pool. Trees are another great beautifier. Remember to plant only those trees that go well with your swimming pool design. This includes trees that do not shed leaves such as Coast Banksia, Yellow Gum and Black She-Oak. Another great garden design Melbourne is to use rocks to decorate the pool surroundings. Large and medium size boulders when used to make rock steps leading up to the pool or by themselves can serve as a unit of the beauty of the garden.

To get a good knowledge of the plants that will survive in the unpredictable climate of Melbourne, you can pay a visit to The Royal Botanic Gardens or to any of the other local community gardens and parks. The trees and shrubs that you find there will definitely live longer than any other type of species in your backyard, as they are indigenous to the city. If you do not want to personally build a garden into your swimming pool design, then you can approach a garden design Melbourne based contractor or landscaper. These people are well versed in the aspects of beautifying a swimming pool area with gardens. Although employing a garden design Melbourne contractor is expensive, the different types of landscape they can provide your pool area with is worth every penny you will spend.


Alladin have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au

Melbourne Landscaping

Melbourne is a large temperate-climate city in southern Victoria, Australia with the same latitude as Athens, Algiers, Seoul and Auckland, 37° 48' south. Its climate is similar to Christchurch in New Zealand and Tel Aviv in Israel.

The city has notoriously fickle weather with '4 seasons in one day'. These radical changes are one of the biggest influences on plant selection on Melbourne landscaping. With a Summer temperature average of 24.8°C and winter average of 14.9°C and an average yearly rainfall of only 650mm plant selection is quite different to Sydney or Brisbane.

The best way to know what plants would work and what wouldn't is to visit a few of the many public gardens throughout Melbourne, beginning with the Royal Botanic Gardens

The temperate climate of Melbourne lends itself to a very wide range of plants. For this reason the possibilities in gardening are enormous. The Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens has display gardens representing plant communities as diverse as the wet tropics to the arid Californian desert. In fact, the climate, geography and landscape of California and Victoria have a lot in common with temperate coast, heath, inland deserts, and mountains.

Many colourful deciduous plants of the Northern Hemisphere such as elms, oaks as well as conifers prosper in Melbourne gardens where they may be difficult to grow elsewhere in Australia.

At the same time in the right microclimate it is possible to grow large-leafed tropical plants and vines such as gingers, heliconias, bromeliads, cycads, cordylines, strelitzias and some palms such as Kentia and Livistona. Just remember though that most of these are thirst species and the almost constant water restrictions of many Australian cities make them impractical in most situations.

Alternatively, arid landscaping or Australian natives gardens can be beautiful, attract wildlife and require little maintenance. Some suggestions are:

Trees

Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia)

Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon)

Black She-Oak (Allocasurina littoralis)

Shrubs

Grevillea (Grevillea 'Ivanhoe')

Hop Bush (Dodonea viscosa)

Native Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa)

Scarlet or Lemon Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)

Common Emu Bush (Eremophila glabra)

Mat Rush (Lomandra longifolia)

Baeckia (Baeckia virgata)

Lemon Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)

Of course you can add exotics to these water frugal plants, using such things as rosemary, lavender, aloes, agave, yuccas and trees like crepe myrtle.

With increasing water shortages Melbourne landscapers and landscape architects are increasingly designing with water conservation in mind with their plant selections and techniques.

Some good ideas for Melbourne landscaping include installing a rainwater tank, recycling your grey water from your shower and washing machine and adding plenty of organic compost, manure and mulch to your gardens. You see, a beautiful, unirrigated garden in a drying climate is possible with some new approaches.

Jasmine have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for landscaping melbourne and great passion and knowledge for landscape design melbourne and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here acmaintenance.com.au