Land is a tremendous source of national pride for Australians, so it follows that the government has designated over 28 million hectares of land as national parkland. From the great sandy beaches of the east coast to the mountains of the southwest, Oz offers a dramatic landscape, much of which is accessible to campers, climbers, and bushwalkers of all levels.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s most popular attractions. The longest coral formation in the world, it is actually a series of many reefs that stretches more than 2500km along the eastern coast of Queensland, from the Tropic of Capricorn to Papua New Guinea. There are strict national marine park rules against removing any living creatures from the sea (including sedentary corals); there are hefty fines for removing any piece of a coral reef.
Most national parks require visitors to pay modest fees; day passes are normally $6-12 per vehicle (more for week passes), while Parks Passes allow you to make unlimited visits to selected parks within a given period of time. Some state parks require camping permits (usually around $5-10), which can be obtained from the local ranger station. The list below contains contact information for each state’s parks service, most of which provide free publications on state and national protected areas. For direct links to individual parks across Australia, visit www.ea.gov.au/pa/contacts.html.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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