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<h3 class="GI-B">The Outdoors</h3>
<p>Australia has a national park around every corner, preserving all types of landscapes—from rainforest to desert, mountain
to coast. The <strong>MacDonnell Ranges</strong> <!-- (p. 304) --> have some of the continent’s best hiking, and just next door is the spectacular <strong>Kings Canyon </strong> <!-- (p. 308) -->. Up the track, the write-home-to-mum lookouts of <strong>Nitmiluk</strong> (Katherine Gorge; p. 291) are equaled by the spectacular waterfalls of <strong>Litchfield</strong> <!-- (p. 285) -->. In Queensland, lush rainforest complements the nearby reef from the tip of <strong>Cape York </strong> <!-- (p. 444) --> all the way down to <strong>Eungella </strong> <!-- (p. 393) -->. Further south, visitors flock to the watersports at <strong>Surfers Paradise </strong> <!-- (p. 345) -->, and the world’s best surfers catch a break off the Gold Coast’s <strong>Coolangatta and Tweed Heads </strong> <!-- (p. 341) -->. To see more pros in action, head to <strong>Bells Beach </strong> <!-- (p. 620) --> in Torquay, Victoria, every Easter for the Rip Curl Pro Classic. The <strong>Blue Mountains </strong> <!-- (p. 162) --> of New South Wales <strong></strong> attract avid abseilers, and in winter, <strong>Kosciuszko </strong> <!-- (p. 240) --> becomes a haven for skiers. There are also a number of beautiful North Coast hinterland parks, such as <strong>Mount Warning </strong> <!-- (p. 217) -->, which offer bushwalks for all skill levels. <strong>Wilsons Promontory </strong> <!-- (p. 671) --> is a gorgeous stretch of southern coast and part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Tasmania is Australia’s hiking mecca,
and the <strong>Overland Track </strong> <!-- (p. 552) --> is one of the best bushwalks in the world. South Australia’s <strong>Flinders Ranges </strong> <!-- (p. 509) --> cater to the truly hardcore, while Western Australia showcases a number of marine species, including the whales and
dolphins that call <strong>Bunbury </strong> <!-- (p. 704) --> and <strong>Monkey Mia </strong> <!-- (p. 740) --> home. Travelers to the region can also explore the off-the-beaten-track paradise of <strong>Kangaroo Island </strong> <!-- (p. 481) -->, located close to the coast of South Australia.</p>
2009-01-26T21:17:34+00:00
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The Outdoors
2673
2
1900
2009-07-30T21:40:05+00:00