Activities

There is a lot of activities to do in Australia. If you want to do free activities, there are many walks around - check out the sights page as well

Shark Expeditions

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Whitewater rafting

Tully River - I went in October which was warm. There were too many flies on Tully River and they really do bite. The rafting takes 5 hours and halfway through, you stop for a barbecue lunch. The instructor I had was helpful with me when she made sure I understood her and spoke to me clearly. The cost was $149. Do not go there unless you have plenty of insect repellant sprays or cream (if they really work!)
Web www.ragingthunder.com.au Email sales@ragingthunder.com.au

Bushwalking

There is a lot of bushwalking tracks around Australia. In Sydney, there is the Spit to Manly taking four hours, including stopping for food, rests and photo shoots. Plenty of scenery on the way, along with beaches, including some that were previously nude beaches. From Spit Junction, you would be going through Clontarf Beach, then Reef Beach (formerly nude) then 40 Baskets. You do not need to go on a tour - go along with your friends. You can start at either Spit Junction under the bridge or Manly Beach. If you wish to extend the walk, extend it to Shelley Beach. To go to Spit Junction, catch buses from Wynyard: there is a few going there. To go to Manly, catch buses from QVB. Check information notices at bus shelters or read bus destinations. On Magnetic Island, there is plenty of walking tracks

Body boarding/surfing

This is similar to river boarding, but is done in the sea instead. If the waves are rough, it�s hard. Body boarding, like surfing, is a game of patience. You need to wait for waves. I was going to try this in Coogee, but the waves were too rough that I was too scared to try! I tried it in Collaroy, and it was great - I felt a wave push me towards the beach and it was great! You need to be patient with the waves as sometimes the waves are not great and not frequent. Do not go out to the sea on your own - be with friends

BridgeClimb, Sydney

The total visit, including the Climb, takes 3.5 hours. I was told about the Climb and then tested for alcohol, before signing a declaration form. We met the Auslan interpreter, who introduced herself to us. BridgeSuits were given to us before we were shown how to use the equipment. There was a practice climbing on a replica section of the Bridge. Walking along the Bridge is not continuous, as stops are frequent for photo shoots and Climb Leader commentary. Photo stops include photo shoots with the city in the background, and the Opera House as well, occurring about five times. It was about 24 degrees C that day and we were lucky not to be wearing anything under the suit! The interpreter was very helpful, using sign language and making sure we understood what she said during training and commentaries. When the tour was over, we looked at the photos and the interpreter told us what the person was saying. It was very helpful. For further information about BridgeClimb, visit the site below or email below

Web www.bridgeclimb.com Email admin@bridgeclimb.com

Horseriding

If you love horses, some hostels in the countryside may provide horseriding. If you are staying at Karoonda Park in a YHA hostel, you may wish to try this for $20. At the start, there is talking about controlling the horse. Unfortunately, it wasn't clear. After we set off, one person told me what to do when the horse stopped and as I did not hear it going to toilet, she told me what was happening.

Swimming

Saltwater swimming pools can be found in many beaches if you don't want to swim in the sea. There are also chlorinated indoor and outdoor pools in towns. In Sydney, there is a Cook and Philip Leisure park - go swimming here and relax in the spa which is in the city near St Marys church for $4 for unlimited time. Every hour or half hour, try catching waves! There is an outdoor pool in Penrith, an hour by train from Sydney. In Winton, it costs only $1

Beach walks

Given the fact that most towns and suburbs in Australia are settled around the beach, it is not common to find a beach close by. There are many walks around the coast such as the Coogee-Bondi walk in Sydney which takes you through Gordons Bay, Clovelly Beach, Bronte Beach and Tamarama which is supposedly a gay beach. There is a graveyard on the way - this is Waverly graveyard. Walk to around the middle of the graveyard and look for the large Irish monument commemorating 1798 photos

Skateboarding

This activity is very popular, mostly among the young but there are also older people doing this. Many cities have skateboarding parks with ramps, with some close to the beach (Bondi in Sydney). Some hostels hire out skateboards such as Sydney Beachouse in Collaroy, Sydney

Surfing

Surfing is one of the popular activities in Australia. There are many schools offering lessons. Prices vary from place to place, for example, Sydney is around $40 for 2 hours while the same amount buys you around 4 hours in Byron Bay. Other packages are surf safaris which takes you from one city to another over a period of five days, with stops at surfing spots. Hostels may provide surfboards for hire such as Byron Bay Bunkhouse in Byron Bay. I went with Kool Katz in Byron Bay. The instructor did not seem to be great and I found he does not have the patience. It was very hard to follow him. Out in the water, he helps you for a while and then goes off surfing on his own, leaving you on your own. This is not great

Skating

This is popular in Centennial Park. There is a hire shop nearby where you can hire by the hour or check out shops in Clovelly (Sydney) for better deals to hire for the day. Or you may go to a skating rink at Petersham for a few hours. There is a game of musical chairs played which can be fun. Skate parks are common around Australia - try your skills there!

Sea kayaking

It's similar to canoeing with the difference that it is done by a two-person team. Such activites are available in many places in Australia, for example, in Horsehoe Bay, north Magnetic Island, kayak for a total of about two hours and have a breakfast in a little cove. The instructor talked about the history of Magnetic Island. The cost is about $35 not including bus

Cycling

Bicycles can be hired for a few hours or all day in many places. Some places are easy to cycle around such as Melbourne and Adelaide cities which are quite flat, others are very hard especially around Magnetic Island due to its hilly roads, particularly the sandy road on the west coast of this island. Very few hostels hire out bikes but there are bike shops in some cities. On Magnetic Island, a bike can be hired for around $15 for half day (Arkies)

Sailing

Sailing is popular around the Whitsunday Islands, off Airlie Beach. Trips may be as short as a day up to a few days. The cost depends on who you go with, how many in the group, the length of time and also whether you have booked a package including Fraser Island. It cost me $379 for the package not including reef tax and extras. I went with Tallarook: I was to go on Gypsy but it was cancelled due to insufficient numbers. I went on Freedom. The guy who was in charge of scuba diving was very helpful. When he briefed everyone, I could not follow but after he finished, he spoke to me on a one-to-one basis on the essentials. When we played card games, he let me know what was going on The Whitsunday Islands: to get there, you should have a sailing trip departing from Airlie Beach. We sailed to Hook Island Passage which is between Hook and Whitsunday Island. One of the best spots here is Whitehaven Beach which has a quite accurate name: the sand is really soft when you walk into the sea, and looking above from Tongue Point, you would call it heaven as the sea is so clear and blue and the sand is so white and soft. Luncheon Bay was our spot for snorkelling and scuba diving. There is an amazing colourful world under the sea. We stopped between Hayman and Black Island for the sunset: there was an optional ride to the beach on Black Island. Unfortunately, due to the clouds, the sunset wasn't a good one. Raven's Cove was our next place for more diving. Snorkelling was our other activity while we waited for our turn. This spot is not great as it is not as colourful as the last spot. photos

Snorkelling

You do not need any experience for this as long as you can swim. If you have your own snorkel and mask that covers your nose, there may be no cost. If you want to go in certain places that can only be reached by boat, you may do scuba diving instead. If you don't want to dive, you can still go snorkelling but you need to check the cost. If you don't have your snorkel and mask, you can get a set for around $40 up to over $110. You may get a discount if you are doing a diving course with that company provided they sell them in their shop. Best places for snorkelling are at the Great Barrier Reef - you could go with a diving group off Airlie Beach or anywhere along the east coast

Scuba diving

Airlie Beach - after paying for the course, I was given a book and asked to read the first three modules. On the first day of the course, we had a class. The instructor went through each module and we had tests after each one. What the instructor was saying was the same as the book - he often explained things that were not in it. If you understand the book, you need not worry about missing much. However, you can always ask the instructor if you are not sure. After lunch, we had skills practice in the outdoor swimming pool. This is done in a group session though we may do some skills on a one-to-one basis. For our homework, we were to read two remaining modules. On the next day, it was the same but the swimming pool skills were first and tests and modules were after lunch. We had tests for each module and the final test. All those who have passed were to meet up at night to go out on the boat. There is always briefings held on the boat before each dive. As I was down with a cold, I could not be part of it, so I don't know if I would have understood them or not. The next two days were on the boat, where we had four dives to complete with skills. As I came down with a cold that time, I was far behind. For my first dive, I had a one-to-one dive. Pro Dive: $450. I had Stephen Howarth. If you love swimming and are a quick learner, you would be OK with him, otherwise don't go with him, as he does not have the patience. The price is for 4 training dives plus two free dives. Free beer may be served in Magnums afterwards
Web www.prodivewhitsundays.com Email info@prodivewhitsundays.com

Safari driving

Fraser Island: drive around Fraser Island on a 4WD truck slowly due to its sandy roads. I booked this with sailing; if you book this separately, it would be over $100. You may go with a group or on a guided group. With Fraser Escape, there were 11 in the group; briefings are held for about an hour before you go off to the supermarket Basin Lake was our first stop for a swim. The water is cold and black in the middle - there is a big drop in the middle. This lake is a half hour walk from Central Station. Lake McKenzie is another spot for swimming and sunbathing. Drive to Eurong village and beach, drive along the beach. Camping grounds are here if you want to stay overnight. Drive further up to Lake Wabby where you can see catfish and small fish. The visibility is poor here so snorkelling is not recommeded here. Walk up the large dune and find yourself in a desert. Stop by Happy Valley and go floating down Eli Creek. Continue north for the Maheno shipwreck. If there is water around, you might see seaslugs. The Pinnacles is nearby: its coloured sands can be seen here and cannot be removed. Stop by Dundubara to wash up your stuff and head off to Indian Heads to camp overnight. There is a desert here as well: watch the sunset and the moonlight reflecting on the ocean. Watch for sunrise here if you are up early and whales in the sea. Swim in the nearby freezing Champagne Pools with some small fishes: you might find yourself getting stuck on the way up. During your stay here, you might see dingos but do not feed them. Look for whales between Indian Heads and Champagne Pools photos

Sheep shearing

Give it a try in cattle farms. I tried this in Namoi Hills Cattle Farm in Dingo. You may be afraid of hurting the sheep considering they get many cuts from the experienced shearers, but according to them, the sheep do not feel anything. However, you have to be careful around the neck area photos

Australia

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