TNT Down Under 693

August 6-12 2012 Issue 693 tntdownunder.com

INAPPY W AP-H

A SN NORTHERN TERRITORY ADVENTURE

GREEN + SERENE Peaced out in southern India

SLOW BURNER We chat to Kiwi reggae group Katchafire

D E K C O L B C CRO

cage of death ’s in w r a D es in ngry crocodil u h f o s e h c hin in Dangling wit + NEWS & SPORT WHAT’S ON FILM REVIEWS TRAVELLERS’ TIPS

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ALEX HARMON DEPUTY EDITOR alex@tntdownunder.com

DEPUTY EDITOR’S LETTER You’ve all heard the saying, “in Oz there’s more culture in a tub of Yoplait.” That may be true when you’re pub crawling on George Street Sydney, but head to the Northern Territory and you’ll soon eat those words. It’s home to the world’s oldest continuous culture. This week we kick off our month long celebration of all things NT. We also go to India, and dissect the people who have defied death.

THIS WEEK OZ DIARY

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CHATROOM

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FILM

14

TRAVEL

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COMPETITION

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NEWS

40

OPINION

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SPORT

44

LISTINGS NSW

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LISTINGS QUEENSLAND

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LISTINGS VICTORIA

52

LISTINGS TASMANIA

55

LISTINGS NT

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LISTINGS WA

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LISTINGS SA

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LISTINGS NEW ZEALAND

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WORK

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TRIVIAL PURSUITS

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FEATURES RED DIRT DISTRICT

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Everything you’ll ever need to know about the Northern Territory

STAYIN’ ALIVE

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We reveal the lucky people who have beat the odds and cheated death

WHAT A CROC

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We go face to face with deadly saltwater crocodiles in the heart of Darwin

GOD’S COUNTRY

34

Kerala, India: a peaceful paradise of winding backwaters and tea plantations

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OZDIARY

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EDITORIAL Global Editor Carol Driver Deputy editor Alex Harmon Contributors Caroline Eden, Leigh Livingstone, Alasdair Morton, Becky Wicks Interns James Besanvalle, Priyal Dadhania, Caitlin Stanway

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Design and production manager Lisa Ferron SALES Account manager Justin Steinlauf Sales executive Steph Southcombe MARKETING & EVENTS Business development manager Tom Wheeler DISTRIBUTION Lee Sutherland ACCOUNTS Financial controller Trish Bailey Accountant Hannah Waters

TNT MULTIMEDIA LTD CEO Kevin Ellis Chairman Ken Hurst PUBLISHER TNT Multimedia Limited PRINTED BY Rural Press NEWS AAP PICTURES Getty Images | Thinkstock | AAP | TNT Images | Tourism Australia | Tourism Victoria | Tourism New South Wales | Tourism NT | Tourism Queensland | Tourism Tasmania | South Australia Tourism | Tourism Western Australia | Tourism New Zealand | Tourism Fiji | TNT Magazine , 126 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, Sydney, NSW 2008 tntdownunder.com General enquiries Phone 02 8332 7500 Fax 02 9690 1314 Email enquiries@tntdownunder.com SALES ENQUIRIES

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WHERE TO GET TNT

MAIN EVENT DARWIN FESTIVAL DARWIN

It’s the dry season in Darwin but for three weeks appetites will be whet with a festival of music, theatre, comedy, dance, food and art. Highlights include country music legend Kenny Rogers; Washington and Kate Miller-Heidke in a killer double bill at the Amphitheatre; hiphop stars Hermitude and so much more. We also recommend you catch a film under the stars at the Deckchair Cinema. Check out the event planner for all the free events too.

August 9-26 Various, Darwin, Northern Territory

darwinfestival.org.au

CITY 2 SURF SYDNEY

AIRLIE BEACH RACE WEEK

PYRAMID FUN RUN

If you’re out and about in Sydney this Sunday keep your eyes peeled for the 80,000 runners competing in the annual 14km run. The race kicks off at Hyde Park and winds up at Bondi Beach.

Expect crowds, funny outfits and road closures.

This event was created 23 years ago to promote a Hog’s Breath Cafe in the area and it’s still going strong. Combining short bay and long distance races around the adjacent island, it finishes with a regatta and a fun race. Also live music and street parties.

It began 53 years ago in a local pub when two cane farmers had an ‘argument’ after work.

They decided to settle the score with a race to the peak of the nearby Walsh’s Pyramid – a massive mountain. Now it’s a fun-run and you can join in too.

Aug 12 Sydney, NSW city2surf.com.au

Aug 10-15 Airlie Beach, QLD airliebeachraceweek.com.au

Aug 11 Gordonvale (near Cairns) QLD pyramidrace.com

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Photo: Mat McHugh

TNT Magazine is printed on paper from sustainable forests.

There is no business connection between the proprietors of this magazine and TNT Ltd, the worldwide transportation group. Copyright here and abroad of all original materials is held by TNT Magazine. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden, except with permission of the publishers. Registered by Australia Post.

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Northern exposure From jumping crocs to one of the oldest cultures in the world, the Northern Territory will delight as much as it will terrify WORDS ALEX HARMON

First things first, the Northern Territory is wild, from the croc-infested waters to the eagles over-head. But for all its massive expanse, a mere 230,000 people live up there.

But because so much goes on in that part of Australia, we have decided to dedicate a whole month to exploring the Northern Territory. From the bright lights and watering holes in Darwin to the natural beauty found in Litchfield’s swimming holes.

Darwin, the NT’s capital, is a multicultural city with a taste of Asia, as Indonesia is on its back door. The city has a reputation as a hard drinking town, and although this is a little out of date – you won’t see anyone drinking the famously massive “Darwin Stubbies” – that’s not to say the locals don’t like their brew. There’s no doubt 6

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the heat makes you crave a cold beer like nothing else.

In the NT you can expect to hear some of the oldest languages in the world as some residents still speak in their native tongue. English could be their third or fourth language.

Kakadu National Park, Katherine Gorge, Arnhem Land, and of course, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Red centre all deserve photographing.

Just remember to be patient as there are scores of tourists vying for the same dazzling Facebook photos.

On the crossroads of the south, north, east and west, Katherine is your last stop before venturing into the great red unknown that links Darwin and Alice Springs. Crossing from Broome and the Kimberly you’ll hit Katherine. The main reason to visit

this place is Katherine Gorge. This is one of the NT’s “Big Three” along with Kakadu and Uluru.

Speaking of Uluru, it’s probably the NT’s most iconic landmark. You’ve seen it on a thousand postcards, tea towels and profile pictures. But guess what, you haven’t seen it until you’ve seen it in the (rocky) flesh.

At sunset, The Rock changes from a series of deep, dark reds through to an unusual grey. Many people don’t realise this spectacle is just as amazing in reverse at sunrise. Trust us, it’s worth getting up early to view.

And even though most backpackers will say “you had me at Uluru,” you should turn the page for 34 more reasons why you shouldn’t leave Australia without visiting the pictureperfect Northern Territory.

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WYCLIFFE WELL

BALLOONING

ARNHEM LAND

It claims more UFO sightings (per capita) than anywhere in Oz. The local roadhouse/ campsite pays homage to all things alien and boasts a vast collection of beers. Get pissed with ET.

Take an early morning hot air balloon flight over the Western MacDonnell Ranges, near Alice Springs. The ranges spread out like the spine of a giant sleeping beast. Breathtaking.

Arnhem Land is Aboriginalowned and is a vast, barelytouched area with stunning scenery and few people.

Visit with a permit only, but well worth it.

DESERTED ROADS

TAKE PART IN AN ABORIGINAL CORROBEREE Get painted up in charcoal and gather around the campfire in a traditional Corroberee ceremony. You’ll learn the songs and dances past down through time.

OUTBACK PUBS Grab a coldie, sidle up to a local and take in the ambience of bars like nowhere else.

DEVIL’S MARBLES Lean against, push or jump inside these fantastic rock formations for some photographic tomfoolery.

In some sections of the NT, you can go hours without seeing another vehicle. Stop by a road sign and take the popular “I’m in the middle of nowhere” photo.

CROCS These toothsome terrors are one of the coolest things you can see in the NT. Head to Kakadu and see them on their terms. Get even closer by watching the jumping crocs on the Adelaide River, or by entering Darwin’s Cage of Death..

RED DUST The film of red dust which settles on everything you own will quickly show you why the middle of Australia is often called the Red Centre.

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The TNT Golden Backpack Awards recognise those companies who make backpacking around Australia and New Zealand that extra bit special.

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KATHERINE GORGE

KINGS CANYON

A welcome oasis on the road between Alice Springs and Darwin, Katherine Gorge is a series of interconnected gorges which can be hiked, kayaked or seen by helicopter.

The highlight of Wattarka NP, it’s a spectacular, 300m deep crack in the land. Check out the Lost City, a formation of hundreds of domed rocks, like a Star Wars-style settlement.

BUSHCAMPING RULES

KATA TJUTA

You won’t have seen stars like it. When you’re out in the bush there are rules to follow, but the best advice is: the more you eat, the more room in the esky for beer.

These domed orange rocks are more significant (and therefore sacred) to the Anangu people of the region than Uluru. A highlight is a trek through the Valley of the Winds.

EATING KANGAROO TAIL

ULURU

It is as disgusting as it sounds, but when in Rome...

Chucked on the campfire to roast, then shaved of its hair, the tail is very fatty and oily. Just like KFC then....

The big red rock star is the reason to get yourself to the middle. No amount of photos can prepare you for the sheer mystery and majesty of Australia’s biggest icon.

ALICE SPRINGS DESERT PARK

ELLERY CREEK BIG HOLE No matter how much you want to cool off from the sweltering heat, the water here is ice cold (due to the heavy tri-quartzite rock). We defy you to stay in longer than a minute.

ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES

WILD CAMELS

A friendly, welcome break, south of Darwin. This pub is home to a real Hollywood superstar – Charlie the buffalo – who Crocodile Dundee put to sleep by the side of an outback road.

There are thousands of wild camels roaming free in the Territory. Slow the car to get a pic, but don’t get too close – they might get the hump. Arf.

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The NT is dotted with Aboriginal communities, which you can visit on your travels. Hermannsburg is home to the country’s best-known Aboriginal artist, Albert Namatjira.

ADELAIDE RIVER ROADHOUSE

Not much point in visiting a nature park in the middle of the bush? Wrong. This park helps describe and interpret the area’s plants and wildlife in fascinating detail.

KAKADU NATIONAL PARK Arguably Australia’s most spectacular national park, with billion-year-old rock formations, stunning waterfalls, scary crocs, and ancient Aboriginal art...

REDNECKS

TENNANT CREEK

With mullets, cut-off shirts, and beer bellies, some of the locals can look a bit redneck.

But make the effort to talk and you may have the most memorable conversations of your trip.

A settlement that began when a cart carrying beer to workers broke down, nowadays it’s a major town on the Stuart Highway, and a good place to stop for a true flavour of the Outback.

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ALICE SPRINGS DESERT PARK

GOING, GOING GHAN

THE ‘GREEN’ SEASON

Jump aboard one of Australia’s most famous trains, which cuts the continent in half linking Darwin with Adelaide, stopping at Katherine Gorge and Alice Springs along the way. Just sit back and watch the endless Outback trundle past, olde worlde style.

The friendlier term for the Wet Season in the Top End (Nov-April), when it rains... a lot. It’s not so bad though. Flowers bloom and the numerous waterfalls flow at full power..

THE BARKLY HIGHWAY

Not much point in visiting a nature park in the middle of the bush? Wrong. This park helps describe and interpret the area’s plants and wildlife in fascinating detail.

ABORIGINAL LEGENDS Almost every rock formation, mountain range or gorge has an Aboriginal Dreamtime legend attached.

GOSSE BLUFF CRATER A massive 140 million-year-old comet crater near the Western MacDonnell Ranges. Created by an asteroid crash a thousand times more powerful than Hiroshima, you can see the ripples in the surrounding landscape.

GHOST GUMS

PALM VALLEY

These beautiful, albino white trees dot the landscape, giving it an eerie, barren feel. Rub your hands on the trunk to get a white powdery residue as a natural sunblock. Gerrin!.

Due to its accessibility by 4WD only, Palm Valley is not on every itinerary.

But with ancient cabbage palms, a striking gorge and the odd poisonous snake, it’s not to be missed.

The main road to Queensland is one of the country’s most dangerous.

Rough, potholed, with wandering roos and roadtrains, it’s an adventure alright. n

LAST YEAR’S NORTHERN TERRITORY WINNERS...

Best h hostel: Toddy’s Backpackers Best to tour/activity: The Rock Ro Tour Best b backpacker night: The Rock Ro Bar

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CHATROOM

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Katchafire The eight-piece reggae group are back from the US where they played iconic venues such as House Of Blues. We chat to lead singer Logan Bell ahead of the Aussie tour INTERVIEW ALEX HARMON

way with our schedule, we have to be creative on the road, we can’t take a break. We like to write on the road, it definitely adds to it. You have all the emotion of missing home. And when you’re touring, there’s pressures, there’s dramas.

And they make for creative expression.

Do you party a lot on tour?

Oh well we’ve been together ten years plus now, so the boys are getting soft these days. The other day, it was 5.30pm and we were in the green room and it was really quiet and most of us were drinking tea and watching the news. But when we do it up, though, we do it up big.

How has fame changed your life?

I like to think I am still the same person I was before fame came along, I still hang out with the same people I did in highschool. I feel like my family and my wife keeps me fairly grounded.

“We’ve been together over ten years, the boys are getting soft” Looking forward to the Aussie tour?

It’s our biggest tour of Australia yet, we’ve been coming out there for several years plus. But this time we’re pushing deeper into rural Australia and the in between towns. We’re excited to get back there and catch up with our friends.

Any highlights from your US tour?

I just got home, the highlight, wow, I guess Canada was pretty amazing. It’s a great vibe over there, super hot. California is always nice too, it feels like home, we go there so often that we’re getting quite comfy over there.

You have a massive following in Hawaii Yeah we really do. Seven years ago, we toured there for the first time and were totally blown away that we had a huge fan base there. The Hawaiians love reggae music, it’s probably the most played genre on commercial radio stations over there. We are lucky enough to have heavy rotation on the big radio stations over there. It’s spread to the mainland now too which is great.

Obviously we also have the strong Polynesian roots with that part of the world too.

Do they understand your accent?

Yeah they always comment on it, I don’t know if

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they understand it but they love it actually.

Tell me about the documentary you made of your Brazil tour We just thought it was a good opportunity to document us going to a country for the first time, especially one as interesting as Brazil. So we visited a couple of favelas and went into the ghettos and researched their way of life. We also went into a performing arts school that has 100,000 applicants every year but only takes 100 people. These young kids work really hard to be where they are. I think it’s really interesting to show our fans, and the rest of the world, a little bit more about who were are off the stage. And it was just an awesome backdrop to show our story. It is being released with our re-release of On the Road Again. Its going to be available on our YouTube channel as well.

You’re known as the hardest touring band. How often are you on the road?

When we’re touring we try and be as productive as we can with our time. You have to be when you’re away from home for half of the year.

Are you more creative on the road?

Yeah definitely, it’s kind of naturally evolved that

Still pull out the Bob Marley covers?

Every now and then, we’ll pull out some 60s or 70s Marley. We love playing the classic tunes.

How would you describe your sound?

We have a lot of flavours that we chuck in the pot, like elements of jazz and soul, there’s funk and we kind of put our own sort of feel on it.

Eight people in a band, is there a lot of ego?

I think the best way to describe it is: we’re a family. And a family goes through ups and downs, but we support each other through thick and thin. And I think that strengthens our dynamic and helps us through the years. A lot of bands, for whatever reasons, their egos clash, and they don’t make it.

Any tips for travellers in New Zealand?

You definitely have to boogie board down the sand dunes at Hokianga Harbour. At the top of the tip of the north island. It’s a straight drop from the top of the sand dunes into the water.

Catch Katchafire in Brisbane (Aug 31), Cairns (Sept 1), Byron Bay (Sept 9), Perth (Sept 14), Melbourne (Sept 21) and Sydney (Sept 22). katchafire.co.nz

FILMREVIEW

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A haircut is the universal sign for being on the rebound, right R-Patz?

COSMOPOLIS FILM review by Leigh Livingstone STARRING: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Paul Giamatti / MA / 108mins

STEP UP 4 FILM review by James Besanvalle STARRING: Ryan Guzman, Peter Gallagher, Kathryn McCormick | PG | 99mins

Open a book of clichés, close your eyes and randomly pick one – it was probably in this movie. Dirty Dancing meets Oceans Eleven in this flash mob inspired dance movie. Emily (McCormick) struggles to “break the rules” (urgh!) until she meets Sean (Guzman). Impressive dancing, terrible plot, mediocre acting but the 3D aspect salvages some entertainment value.

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This complex adaptation of a Don DeLillo novel can be summed up perfectly by a comment from star actor, Robert Pattinson. While on promotional duties for the film in Cannes, he admitted that he still didn’t know what Cosmopolis was about.

The narrative follows a day in the life of billionaire investment banker, Eric Packer (Pattinson) as he travels in his gadget-packed limousine across New York to get a haircut. Due to a Presidential visit and an anti-capitalist riot, traffic is crawling, so Packer’s bodyguard can walk alongside the car and usher various characters inside to do business with his villainous boss.

It is hard to think of Pattinson playing anything other than ‘wooden vampire’, so he does a fairly decent job of trying to break away from that typecasting with graphic sex scenes and random violent action. However, it’s not enough to entertain, the dialogue is extremely heavy and makes up about 90 per cent of the film. Sometimes it is so obscure that it is hard to follow what is happening and who exactly the people are that start to devolve his character and unravel his day.

There seems to be a deeper social message hidden by Director David Cronenberg in every scene. If you can be bothered working for your entertainment, then go and see it in the cinema, you’ll probably need to go twice to get the hang of it.

GOOD FOR: Pattinson pervs and socio-lame-o’s

Official

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tour and night night FREE king a when boo at Ocean Bunyip Gre . . Visit www r… u to d a Ro rs.com bunyiptou

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Neighbours Tour A. Official Neighbours tour WITH STAR MEETING. $50 Departs Mon-Fri.

Neighbours Tour B. Official Neighbours Ultimate tour with “EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO EXTERNAL SETS”. $68 Departs Sat & Sun. Official and World famous Neighbours night! Meet and take plenty of photos with the Stars and Rock out to Dr Karl* or Paul Robinson* with the band Waiting room. $40 Monday nights from 7pm @ the Elephant & Wheelbarrow, St Kilda. *On selected night.

Bookings essential! Book online, at reception, travel agent or call:

03 9629 5866 *Unscheduled filming in Ramsay St will result in no public access with limited photo opportunities.

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NEWSFOCUS

Die another day A few weeks ago a US teen was speared through the head with a harpoon, this prompted us to look at the worst accidents survived WORDS CAROL DRIVER

"It's a striking injury. It’s not everyday someone is brought in and speaking with three feet of a spear protruding [from their head],” Yasser Lopez’s doctor George Garcia said, in something of an understatement. In June, Lopez, 16, had been mucking around with a speargun when it accidentally went off, shooting a metal spear into the front of his skull, an inch above his eye, through his brain, out the back of his head. He had been swimming at the time in Florida, touching the weapon’s trigger by mistake as he loaded the gun. Lopez lost consciousness and his friend passed out in shock, before coming to and raising the alarm.

Arriving at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital, Lopez was fully awake. Doctors had to use rebar cutters and vise grips from the fire department to remove 18 inches from the shaft protruding from the teen’s head so they could X-ray him (pictured on left). Surgeons then spent three hours taking out the harpoon from Lopez, who is now in a serious but stable condition.

“It’s a miracle the spear missed all the main blood vessels of the brain,” neurosurgeon Ross Bullock said. “The most important thing is to resist that temptation to pull that thing out.

“The amazing thing is the boy is able to speak a little now.

He is saying short sentences, he’s out of bed, he’s able to make his needs felt. His words are easy to understand.”

Amazingly enough, Lopez is expect to make a full recovery after staying in hospital for the next few months.

“Where he is right now is really a modern miracle,” Dr Anders Cohen, chief of neurosurgery and spine surgery at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, said. “He had a lot of good factors ... a perfect storm – he got very lucky.”

It’s the latest in a long line of gruesome, life-threatening incidents where the victim manages to cheat death by, in many cases, just inches. Here, TNT looks at some of the most shocking incidents from which people have walked away.

However, her adrenaline turned to fear as the cord snapped in two, plunging the Australian 111 metres nose-first into the crocodile-infested water. She was forced to swim, the rope around her feet, as the cord had got stuck in debris.

Langworthy broke her collarbone and suffered bruising.

“I think it’s definitely a miracle that I survived,” she said.

Supratim Dutta, Car crash Supratim Dutta defied the odds and survived after he was impaled by a five-foot-long, two-inch thick, iron bar. The rod shot through the upper half of his body and pierced out of his back when the then 23-year-old was involved in a car crash in India in 2008. He underwent six hours of surgery at the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre. Professor Biplab Mishra said: “He was in excruciating pain with blood oozing out from both the entry and exit wounds.” Dutta survived to tell the tale – the rod had missed his vital organs.

Michael Holmes, Skydiving Michael Holmes was spinning out of control as he plummeted towards the ground after skydiving 12,000ft. The then 25-year-old skydiving champion, from Jersey, had leapt from a plane above Lake Taupo, New Zealand, only to have both his parachutes fail. He recorded a farewell message on his camera before crashing into a tangle of bushes and branches at 80mph. His skydive buddy found him bleeding and unconscious with a shattered ankle and punctured lung, but alive. “I should be dead, absolutely,” he said in 2007.

Erin Langworthy, Bungee jumping Tourists cheered as Erin Langworthy, then 22, jumped head-first from the Victoria Falls Bridge into the Zambezi River on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia this year.

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When baths go wrong: Yi Zhao removing pipework from his eye

Yi Zhao, Having a bath When Yi Zhao arrived at hospital with a tap and 16 inches of pipework stuck in his eye, he was expecting doctors to help.

However, the patient, who had slipped in the bath, impaling his left eye on the tap at home, was forced to pull it out himself. Firefighters had rushed Zhao, then 57, to casualty, only for surgeons to take three hours to send for a plumber to remove it. “I felt I could stand the pain, and it wouldn’t be a problem. It didn’t look too complicated,” said Zhao, of Chongqing, central China, in 2009. He made his decision after studying the X-ray with his good eye.

‘Ahmad’, Being a hero

Nicholas Holderman, Falling down One-year-old Nicholas Holderman was left with keys embedded in his eye and brain after falling on to them while toddling around at home. Hearing him cry, the boy’s parents saw the metal had punctured his eyelid, but didn’t dare to pull it out, calling paramedics to their house in Kentucky, America, instead. The first responders were pretty horrified.

“Not something I ever want to see again,” Boyle County firefighter Chris Coffman, who was first on the scene, said.

However, Holderman had to be flown to hospital, where it took an experienced surgeon 30 minutes to remove the key.

The baby experienced no brain damage or sight loss. “It was pretty horrifying,” Coffman added.

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‘LIFE IS GOOD’ SURVIVING BEING CUT IN TWO It might seem impossible, but the human body can survive being cut in half. Two cases prove this theory.

Peng Shulin and Truman Duncan both lived after being sliced across their waists.

Shulin was cut in two by a truck in 1995. It took a team of 20 doctors to save his life, sealing his torso, leaving him 2ft 6in tall. He amazed medical professionals at the China Rehabilitation Research Center in Beijing, walking again with the use of specially made bionic legs.

Truman Duncan was swept underneath a train and cut in two in 2006. Despite losing both legs and a kidney, the then 34-year-old called for an ambulance on his mobile phone – telling them, “I think I’m cut in two” – survived a 45-minute wait, and then persevered through 23 surgeries. Two years later he was mobile, using a wheelchair. “Life is good,” he said.

Photos: Jackson Memorial Hospital, Getty Images

An X-ray of 15-year-old ‘Ahmad’ reveals how he cheated death after being stabbed in the head while trying to stop his friend’s phone being stolen. The attacker lodged a fiveinch blade into the front of the victim’s skull during the incident. The attack on the victim, known only as ‘Ahmad’, removed five per cent of his total brain matter. Surgeons said if anyone had tried to remove the knife, the boy would have died. A 17-year-old was jailed over the incident, which happened outside a supermarket in Walworth, south London, in 2008.

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‘MAD MONDAY’ at BIRDEES

Photos: Jackson Memorial Hospital, Getty Images

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HOTSHOTS

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WINNER MONTHLY WINNER HEAT RISES Brittany Olsen, 23, Canada

WE SAY: “This golden shot was a standout this month, and even though it wasn’t taken in Australia, we had to let it win.

Brittany took this in on holiday in Turkey – you can almost feel the heat through the shot.

Because of the wide lens she has been able to capture three points of interest. Lovely stuff!”

RUNNER-UP

MONTHLY RUNNER-UP BIKER’S DELIGHT Marianne van der Kooy, 23, The Netherlands

WE SAY: “We love the ultra-bright pink colours, in what would otherwise be a dark and gloomy shot. We also love the story behind it, Marianne told us she was on motorbike ride with her couch-surf host in Western Australia. She ended up checking out this amazing sunset over Woody Lake, Esperance. Brilliant.”

HOT TIPS: Wide angles In sports photography, for instance, the common perception is to zoom in to get as much action as possible into one tight frame. In some cases, this isn’t possible: perhaps you are too close to your subject of you don’t have the right equipment. When using your wide-angle lens, the trick is to be creative so that your subject doesn’t become a tiny dot in the frame. Finally, get the accessory photographers love to hate: a tripod.

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THREE DAYS CAR HIRE Photos were judged by the TNT editorial team at their own discretion. Send high-res (300 dpi) jpegs with name, age, nationality and a description, to: alex@tntdownunder.com Monthly winner Brittany wins three days car hire from Travellers Auto Barn. While the monthly runner-up Marianne wins a Great Barrier Reef snorkelling adventure and cruise with Awesome Oz.

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ON THE ROAD WITH TRAVEL

TALK BRITTANY OLSEN 23, CANADA

The holy trail WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN IN OZ?

YOU ASKED FOR IT...

WE ANSWER YOUR TRAVEL QUESTIONS

So far I’ve been to Brisbane, Caloundra, The Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Sydney and Melbourne.

WHAT MADE YOU COME TO OZ?

have ten days and really want to see Q Ithe Great Ocean Road, and do some wine tours from Adelaide, will I have time?

Nathan Morgan, USA days is plenty of time, in fact you A Ten could easily make it by car all the way to Adelaide with time to spare. Factor in at least two days for the Great Ocean Road; linger longer if the weather is good. Be sure to check out a couple of Otway waterfalls and the Loch Ard Gorge on the way. Continue along the coast to Mt Gambier; its Blue Lake turns an impossibly brilliant turquoise over summer. Nearby is the Coonawarra, one of Australia’s greatest wine regions. A unique, intensively-vined stretch of red soil over porous limestone, it makes magnificently ripe cabernet sauvignons, with Balnaves knocking out an especially good one. Heading back to Melbourne, drop in to the beautiful Grampians for some hiking and visit the nearby Pyrenees wine region, which specializes in the great Aussie shiraz. Try it out at Summerfield Winery in Moonambel.

Q

Where is the best place to see dolphins in Australia? Melissa Stoke, Ireland

no doubt that coming face-to-face A There’s with one of the ocean’s most intelligent,

FAVOURITE PLACE? Byron Bay, I had the best experience

and playful, creatures and looking it in the eye is something that every traveller should experience.

And luckily, there’s plenty of places to give it a go while Down Under. Indeed, if you spend long enough in the surf just about anywhere in Oz, you’ll probably see some. One spot where it’s easy to jump on a boat and go swimming with them is off Adelaide’s Glenelg Beach. Also great are Rockingham and Bunbury, just south of Perth, while one of the best places to see, if not swim with, dolphins, is Monkey Mia, about halfway up the west coast. If you’re in Sydney then a roadtrip to Port Stephens is ideal. In two-and-a-half hours you can be swimming with pods of dolphins in Nelson Bay. Also, if underwater animal encounters are your thing, consider swimming with seals – they tend to be more sociable and hang around for longer. South Australia’s Baird Bay is a good place to try it.

learning to surf and watching the dolphins and whales swimming.

CHECKING IN VILLA MARINE CAIRNS These self-contained beach villas are located 50m from the beach. There’s a free bus shuttle from the airport, free BBQ, cheap beers at the yacht club, nearby kite surfing on offer, OVERVIEW

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To visit some of my family and of course learn to surf!

and is the closest point to the Skyrail. Could you ask for more?

ROOMS Self-contained apartments with kitchen, utensils for cooking, TV, private bathroom. Very clean and modern.

BILL PLEASE Villas from $89 a night, twin share.

Yorkeys Knob, QLD, villamarine.com.au

DONE ANYTHING YOU WOULDN’T DO AT HOME?

The only thing would be wearing shorts and a T-shirt in winter!

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO NEXT?

I really want to go to the west coast.

Especially Shark Bay and Broome.

Mostly for the beaches and I want to swim with Whale Sharks!

BIGGEST SURPRISE? How similar it is to the UK. MET ANY AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS?

I love all the animals here! I still get really excited seeing wild kangaroos, even if they are everywhere.

CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS AUSTRALIA EXPERIENCE

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Each month our fave interview WINS a four-day Conservation Volunteers Australia experience. Email: travel@tntdownunder.com.

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TRAVELLERSTALE

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Photos: Joanna Hutchinson

KICKIN’ BACK ON KEPPEL

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Spending her days on a yacht, English traveller JO HUTCHINSON describes the serenity, the beauty, and the beasts...

Gradually my eyes flutter open revealing a mast tip gently bobbing back and forth in a cloudless blue sky, visible through a skylight positioned perfectly above my head. Ah, I relax happily, horizontal in my cushioned cabin at the bow of a slowly rocking boat anchored just off Great Keppel Island. The start of another tough day in paradise for me.

Heaving myself out of my cocoon of warmth I wander down to the main room at the stern of the boat where Greg the skipper is already idly making coffee. “Morning”, I greet him cheerfully, and he looks up smiling at me peacefully. Having spent most of his life on the water, Greg’s character matches that of his lifestyle: tranquil and slow. We take our steaming coffee mugs and wander up onto the deck. We sit there sipping them in the morning sunshine, surveying today’s playground, rising proudly in front of us: Great Keppel Island.

Feeling suitably awake it’s time to stretch our legs on the land, so we TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

hop into the dinghy and motor over to the nearest stretch of sandy bliss.

Meandering slowly from one end to the other and back again, the bright colours, fresh breeze and cool lapping of the sea slowly awaken every sense.

Pausing to perch on some rocks, we are lost in our gaze over the postcard view before us. The glittering sea with its sprinkling of yachts, topped by smoky mountains floating mysteriously on the horizon.

“Tough life,” we mutter to each other smiling, then we amble back slowly towards the dinghy.

On our way back to the boat we spot life ahead. It’s a couple appearing on the deck of a nearby yacht. Feeling sociable we motor over to say G’day.

They invite us aboard for more coffee and biscuits, how could we refuse?

And so the morning is whiled away, exchanging tall tales and relevant local nautical knowledge, as well as the usual where did you come from? Where are you off to next?

Back on our vessel we rack the fridge for inspiration for lunch and then it’s time to get down to work. After a cup of tea of course.

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I start to pull out the rolled up charts one by one until, “AAAAAH” I squeal, jumping away from the dropped roll. There scutters the cause of my fear – the only creature capable of surviving a nuclear Holocaust – a cockroach. Just thinking about these putrid creatures makes me shudder.

Greg, realising the cause of my alarm, hunts for some bug spray and aims it at this black filth-on-legs. We watch the life leak out of it, evidenced by the decrease in energy of its jerky movements. Crunch! Greg stamps on it and shovels it into the sea.

With mounting apprehension our attention drifts back to the remaining charts still stuffed in that dark shelf of terror. Greg chucks me another spray can of cockroach doom and together we go to battle.

At last the war is won and we fumigate the room, escaping onto the deck with a well deserved coffee, carefully ensuring our fates are not similarly dictated by the fumes.

Having entertained enough excitement for one day, the blanket of serenity is pulled back over our minds as we watch the growing collection of dinghies gently making their way from their respective yachts to the shore.

Knowing smiles sneak up on our faces, indicating the dawning of our favourite time of day. The one which begs to be spent sat around a campfire with a glass of red in hand watching the sun inch its way into the sea.

Life is tough on Great Keppel Island.

WRITE TO TNT AND

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Send us your scary, funny or embarrassing travel tale (preferably about Australia or New Zealand) and if published you’ll win a $250 travel voucher redeemable on Oz Experience passes (ozexperience.com), ATA NT camping trips (adventuretours.com.au) and with Wayward Bus (waywardbus.com. au). Email your stories (700 words max), to travel@tntdownunder.com

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Traditional British Pub Live music in the outdoor beer gardens and DJ till late Brisbanes best craft beer venue (SFBU TUFBLT BOE QVC OPTI t &YUFOTJWF XJOF MJTU &BHMF 4USFFU #SJTCBOF 2-% P XXX QJHOXIJTUMF DPN BV

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HOW TO ENTER

Go to tntdowunder.com and click on the WIN page. See webpage for terms and conditions. Winners will be selected at random.

UNLEASH THE ADVENTURE! WIN A KAKADU OR ULURU TRIP FOR TWO To celebrate our special Northern Territory month in which we will be exploring the various attractions of this stunning section of Australia, we’re giving our readers the chance to win a couple of epic tours.

TNT has teamed up with Adventure Tours Australia and Mulgas Adventures to offer you a Northern Territory prize of a lifetime. Kakadu and Uluru are both boxes you need to tick off on your NT wish list. And with these tours you’ll be able to get snap happy while experienced guides make sure the NT’s (rather snap-happy residents themselves) are kept at bay.

So if you’ve burnt a hole in your wallet (and your liver) in Darwin’s pubs and you’re looking for some adventure

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that isn’t on Mitchell Street, we’re here to rescue you.

We’re offering two lucky readers and a friend the following prize: GRAND PRIZE WIN a 3 day 4wd Kakadu and Litchfield trip for 2 from Adventure Tours. This prize includes: Three day touring with an experienced guide. Two nights bush camping. Cruise the Mary River, r discover ancient rock art at Ubirr, take a relaxing swim at Maguk (Barramundi Gorge), see the famous Twin and Jim Jim falls, and visit the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre.Accommodation transfers. Quality meals.Crocodile wrestling is optional!. Total value $1,175.

RUNNER UP PRIZE WIN a 3 day Mulgas adventure Uluru Tour for 2, plus 2 nights dorm accommodation at Annie’s place.

This prize includes: Visit to Kings Canyon for one of the most stunning walks along the North & South walls. Swim in the majestic Garden of Eden. Overnight bush camp cook up feast Curtain Springs. Hiking through the Valley of the Winds at Kata Tjuta. Uluru base walk and a visit to the cultural centre. Total value $780.

Terms & conditions apply. Visit tntdownunder.com for all entry details.

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Darwin NORTHERN TERRITORY

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Dicing with death Hang out with deadly saltwater crocs in the heart of Darwin but remember danger, like fashion, is in the eye of the beholder WORDS BECKY WICKS

Once when I was drunk in a shopping centre I went to buy a pair of Crocs. They were pink and came with free studs in the shape of hearts. My friend Paul, although just as pissed as me recoiled in horror when I asked for his opinion (they’re cute, right?) and quickly marched me off in the opposite direction. There was actually more fear on his face at that moment, than there was when we were both underwater in a cage facing real crocs at Darwin’s Crocosaurus Cove.

The thought of me purchasing a total fashion tragedy while shit-faced should probably not have been more frightening than an encounter with Chopper, the five and a half metre saltwater crocodile who lives to terrify smug tourists in Darwin’s ultimate urban wildlife experience – the Cage of Death – but it didn’t seem to be very deadly on our visit. As we slapped our fists on the Perspex walls to the point of bruising just to get his attention we turned to each other and shrugged. Perhaps Chopper was having an off-day.

Crocosaurus Cove is one of Darwin’s leading tourist attractions and if you’re wandering round the city in search of something to do that doesn’t involve throwing back beer in a pub just to escape the insufferable heat, you won’t miss it. Slap bang in the heart of Mitchell Street it definitely looks interesting on the outside. Photos of crocs with clashing jaws reign supreme over the blood-coloured entrance and they instilled enough fear into Paul to warrant him grabbing my arm as we handed over our cash.

“It looks like a fun house, where no one comes out alive,” Paul said, ominously. I think he’s read too many Stephen King novels because it doesn’t really.

Call me cynical but it just looks like a museum for tourists. A very clever one mind you, because there aren’t many people who’d pass up the opportunity to spend some time getting up close and personal with the beasts who’ve helped to carve Australia’s reputation as home to the most dangerous creatures on the planet.

Posters boast things like “World’s largest display of Australian Reptiles” and “Australia’s first and only crocodile dive experience, the Cage of Death” making you feel that if you don’t at least attempt to lower yourself into a turquoise

vat of croc infested waters, you’re missing out and should be ashamed of yourself. Personally I agreed to enter the cage not because I’m particularly interested in crocodiles, but because I wanted to see Paul piss his swim-shorts if one launched at him from the other side of a window. After all, what are friends for?

Snap out of it Once inside, we were led towards the viewing platform to see the crocs we’d soon be facing from the Cage of Death.

“Just this morning, we had an attack,” the guy winked as he pointed the way to the changing room. Emerging in my bikini and waiting for Paul I stood gazing down over the crocodiles. The Crocosaurus Cove is a gargantuan threestorey building offering views of these snapping monsters from three different levels over a humongous 200,000 litre aquarium. Impressively it’s set on 5,000 square metres and takes up almost an entire block, so naturally, as I looked

Shoot first, talk later Gotta love Perspex

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What a lovely handbag you have

over the attraction I couldn’t help but picture a shard from a meteorite crashing down and penetrating the tanks, releasing the crocs onto the street, whereby they’d stand

more concerned that I was letting on. I eyed Chopper, the enormous scaly bulk of him just three metres away, lying like a prehistoric sculpture on the bottom of the tank. Would

“

I eyed Chopper, the enormous scaly bulk of him, lying like a prehistoric sculpture

”

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I’m in a glass case of emotion

Photos: Crocosaurus Cove, Tourism Top End

in toxic, mutating alien slime and go about devouring the entire city of Darwin.

Before I could get too deeply into my B-grade horror film fantasy Paul emerged looking worried and some two minutes later, after a set of brief instructions that went something like, “keep the mask on if you want to see what’s going on,” we were lowered into the first of three enclosures by the mechanical monorail. Nervously I clutched the railing as my feet, then my calves, then my thighs, then my waist was submerged. Hmm. Maybe I was

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lll#VYkZcijgZidjgh#Xdb#Vj Valid for travel until 31 March 2013. Itineraries may vary and/or attractions substituted due to seasonal conditions, (including opening and closing of Twin Falls and other natural attractions) Traditional Owner and national park requirements. All activities are included in total tour price unless otherwise stated. National Park fees comprise AUD$37.50 including AUD$25 entry into Kakadu National Park and AUD$12.50 Twin Falls boat transfer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (seasonal). Please refer to our full Terms and Conditions at www.adventuretours.com.au before booking this tour. Adventure Tours Australia Group Pty Ltd ABN 60 068 242 535.

he lunge at us? Would he break the Perspex? There’s always room for a tragedy with something like this, right? No matter how safe they say it is, there’s always room for that front-page making brush with death whereby the Perspex shatters and we’re pulled from our watery would-be graves with seconds to spare.

As my head hit the water and I was fully submerged, I glanced at Paul and braced myself. Five minutes in each should give us plenty of time to get scared out of our wits, dodge death and score some enviable photos for Facebook, right? It seems Chopper had other ideas.

In spite of our fears we wanted snapping jaws, swiping claws, vicious clashing. We wanted to look Chopper in the beady eye and say “Ha ha, there’s nothing but a wall between you and your lunch, sucker, come and get it!” But even as we started waving cockily in his direction, Chopper didn’t even blink. To be frank, he ignored us completely.

How rude.

“Is he dead?” Paul asked as we rose to the surface for a chat. The Cage of Death is the only cage in the world that brings you face to face with some of the largest saltwater crocodiles in captivity, so naturally, if we didn’t make headlines for the cage breaking, we were at least expecting some sort of memorable encounter, or the chance to see a scaly croc hand swiping at us menacingly up close.

With crossed fingers we allowed the monorail to lower us into the second enclosure and unfortunately history repeated itself, as it did in the third and final watery croc pit.

What a croc of shit.

Anyone for a human kebab?

Croc blocked Denzel, Houdini and Bess, who actually sound like citizens of a retirement village simply stared at us with bored expressions as we tried to look at juicy as possible. Perhaps they were fired up after the morning “attack” that by our turn they were simply over it. Talk about a croc block. We should have got there earlier, when they were still hungry.

Slightly disillusioned with the crocs and the Cage of Death, we dried off and went to gawp at Olive Pythons, Western Bearded Dragons and Northern Blue Tongue Lizards instead. At one point, an employee came out with a baby crocodile so we were able to hold it, although with an elastic band around its stapler-sized mouth it wasn’t exactly scary either. You can hold a baby crocodile any time between 9.30am and 6pm every day here and the crocs range in age from three months to eighty years old, so you can also see hatchlings fresh from their slimy little eggs.

A photographer captured our not-so-snap-happy Cage of Death experience on camera so before we left, Paul and I chose a few photos to remind ourselves of how we didn’t almost die.

“I still think Crocs shoes are scarier,” Paul said as we carried our sopping wet swimmers We head to the red out into the Darwin centre to explore sunshine and headed for Uluru and more the pub.

I’ve got to admit, he’s probably right. ❚

Crocs always get the last laugh

NEXT WEEK

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Damage and details: Crocosaurus Cove is open daily from 9:00am – 6:00pm. 58 Mitchell Street, Darwin. A one person/single cage will set you back $150 (includes full day entry). A two person/double cage costs $110 (includes full day entry). See: crocosauruscove.com

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HAD YOUR FILL OF DARWIN? TAKE A TOUR OF KAKADU + LITCHFIELD

It’s pretty easy to book a day trip to the national parks of Kakadu and Litchfield from Darwin. So if you’ve got some time, you could do worse than hop on board a bus with a group of randoms for some fine Australian scenery appreciation. Most tours will include a cruise along the famous Yellow Waters, and if you’re lucky you might catch some crocs that don’t look dead.

Nourlangie Rock will impress you with its ancient Aboriginal rock art and a few snaps will convince your mum you did more than hit up the pubs. Birds, bees, dazzling blue skies and waterfalls will all make you

breathe words like “Oh wow, I fucking love Australia”, but in Kakadu slather on the mozzie repellent unless you want legs that resemble two pepperoni pizzas.

Adventure Tours do a three day tour out of Darwin where you can explore Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. Swim beneath waterfalls, search for crocs and admire ancient aboriginal culture and rock art. Stop in at the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre to learn about local Indigenous culture and of course curl up with your new friends as you camp under the stars. See adventuretours.com.au for more info or to book.

5 day Ultimate Package $499 The Rock to Darwin OR Darwin to The Rock - 5 day adventure

2 day Darwin express Tour

$190. Alice Springs to Darwin OR Darwin to Alice Springs FREE Overnight dorm accomodation and FREE sausage sizzle at Daly Waters Pub

3 day / 2 nights Mulga rock Tour $325+$25 $ 325+$25 park park par rk fee. ULURU, KATA TJUTA, Kings Canyon

W Ultimhen boo k rece ate or 3 ing the ive Da acco a FREE y tour, m n m o at A datioights n *see nnie’s Mulg P l a a’s c ondit ce io ns

Freecall 1800 359 089 www.mulgas.com.au

email:info@mulgas.com.au TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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Kerala INDIA

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God’s own country A peaceful paradise of winding backwaters and tea plantations, this southern state couldn’t be more different to the rest of India WORDS CAROLINE EDEN

Touching down in green and serene Kerala, after battling it out elsewhere in India, is a bit like passing through an invisible curtain to another world. Suddenly, all five senses are relieved from blasting car horns, the pungent whiff of shit and sandalwood and ever-present touts. Instead, there’s a perfect mix and match of chill-out beaches and picturesque rice paddies.

The pace of life switches down several notches and demands an exhalation of breath and a slacken of step. The difference doesn’t only lie in the scenery. In Kerala, 19 per cent of the population are Christian – many lower castes were converted by Portuguese and Dutch traders between the 16th and 19th centuries – so bright-white churches stand alongside mosques and temples. (Thanks also to its bountiful natural beauty, Kerala is known as ‘god’s own country’.)

Also, few people in Kerala speak Hindi, so there’s a different language to grapple with, Malayalam – even the name of which is tongue-twistingly tricky.

of Allepey. It has been built in the style of a kettuvalam, or rice barge. These were once used to transport grain, but now to carry an altogether more profitable cargo – sunbathing tourists.

We set off slowly, cruising just a small stretch of the 999km of backwaters that stream inland from the warm Arabian Sea. Lying back in the sun, I watch kingfishers fly past, fish leap out of the water, and the odd sea snake sidle by. Often compared to the American ‘bayou’, the Keralan backwaters are a maze of complex waterways that have a distinctly brackish scent and are rich with wildlife. They can also be disappointingly touristy in places.

While it’s brilliant that the boats are open on at least three sides – perfect for photographing village life – it also becomes quickly apparent just how busy the waterways are.

At any one time, there are a whopping 2000 kettuvallams plying the backwaters. This results in an occasional watery traffic jam. To keep passengers fed and watered, women

Keralan backwaters With all this in mind, I’m surprised to see the roads deserted a day after I arrive. An empty street anywhere in India is a strange sight indeed. A newspaper reports a 24-hour ‘worker’s strike’ is underway and that all of India is at a standstill. Roads are blocked by protesters, and nearly all shops are closed.

I sit patiently as the hours pass, hopping to my houseboat in time for an overnight cruise on the famous backwaters – a quintessentially Keralan experience. Suddenly, Abilaish, my guide, runs towards me, waving a sheet of paper. I examine him quizzically as he tapes it to the top left of the window screen. On it reads: ‘VIP – Airport Urgent.’ Looking extremely pleased with himself, he announces: “This, madam, will do the job. Now we go!”

We zip along Highway 47 pausing only to photograph a male elephant with foot-long tusks being transported on the back of an orange pick-up by his mahout (master). Finally, and excitedly, I board the thatched houseboat from the town

Take a rice barge on the backwaters

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Preparing for Kerala’s kathakali hawk raw king prawns from pink plastic buckets – that the onboard chef will cook up – and men wave Mango Munch ice lollies as they row by.

Kerala is the most educated and least corrupt state in India, but is also home to the largest number of heavy drinkers. Fittingly, the salty captain leans back from the helm and points up to a large palm tree. “Toddy tapper!” he shouts. I squint into the sun, and can just make out a man up

“

Elephant farts aside, it’s a perfect start to the day and I end it with a teeth-shattering sweet ginger tea

”

a tree. The captain makes the universal sign for drinking and then makes a thumbs up. The man up the tree is “collecting the sap,” which will ferment into a popular head-banging palm wine, drunk in vast quantities in Kerala. Toddy is so popular, it’s got its own subdivision in the labour department, which employs a staggering 50,000 people.

That night the cook whips up an excellent grilled fish curry, 36

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and as the countryside falls black, I am distracted only by the hum of the insects forcing me to continually spray ‘Mozz-Off’ repellent liberally on to my limbs.

Munnar The next day, in order to escape the heat of the plains, I head to the hill station of Munnar, famous for its emerald tea plantations. We’ve almost completed the uphill, five-hour drive from Allepey when I realise that at the edge of almost every hairpin bend, there is a little concrete hut with the word ‘toddy’ clearly painted in thick black letters on the wall.

I consider it for a moment, then say to Saji, the driver: “Stop here, please. Ek (one) minute!

“Madam, it is not for ladies,” Saji says, pointing at the rough rickshaw drivers queuing for a hit and some cheap grub. “I’ll be fine, back soon,” I reply. I stroll into the spit and sawdust ‘bar’, like the outlaw in a Western. The toddy-sipping men fall silent and stare. I ignore them and slip a hundred rupee note over the counter and receive a grubby glass of milky liquid in return.

I knock it back. It’s sweet, yeasty and slightly musky, and burns my throat as a couple of pieces of coconut husk catch in my back teeth. Saji laughs at me as I get back into the car.

I’m woozy, but from the heat more than the drink, and 10 minutes later, I’m fast asleep. Coming round, I see that the last few bendy roads to Munnar are strewn with flowers, but that the town itself is a cloudy and uninspiring time warp.

I decide to stay a few kilometres further down the road, at British County,a pretty guesthouse.

Painted blue, there are rattan chairs on a large balcony, and I plonk myself down to soak up the views of the misty Sayha mountains and the bright green tea plantations, watching for the odd brightly dressed woman inevitably balancing a huge bag of tea on her head. It’s blissful, and Rajeet the guesthouse manager proves an excellent cook. For lunch and dinner, I tuck into spicy tomato stews, beetroot curries, super-sweet pineapple and fresh juices.

The next morning, heralded by much trumpeting, I cross the road to ‘Dreamland Spices’ to try an elephant ride.

Ganga is female, 28 years old and appears to be suffering from wind. I heave myself gently on to her back and pat the thick spiky hair on her massive grey head, which is covered in morning dew. The mahout gives her a tap and we’re plodding gently through curious fruit shrubs and spices with names such as ‘cough potato’, ‘rough lemon’. Elephant farts aside, it’s a perfect start to the day and I end it with a teethshatteringly sweet ginger tea at a little café nearby.

Fort Cochin Upon leaving Munnar, I choose to finish my Keralan adventure in Fort Cochin, which I had heard nabs perfect scores for its shopping, bohemian vibe and bright-andbreezy seashore. It also boasts a 500-year-old colonial history, resulting in some curious, photogenic architecture.

I rise early to watch the huge Chinese fishing nets being hauled at 8am and then spend the rest of my day in the excellent Indigo bookshop – where bookworms can quite easily send their credit cards into meltdown. Keen for a final dose of cultural immersion, I head to the Greenix centre, just after sunset, to take in a traditional theatrical Kathakali show. Based on the Hindu epics, Kathakali performances have been staged for hundreds of years and are a must-do in Kerala.

I arrive early and grab a premium seat in the front row, from where I watch a rather rotund man, fat like Buddha, having his face painstakingly painted an apple green.

Soon, the lights are dimmed and the man reappears in full costume, complete with huge headdress. The audience erupts into laughter as the performers display emotions such as ‘love’, ‘fear’ and ‘disgust’ with semi-comical facial movements. The show is over in a flash and happy tourists pile into tuk-tuks headed for the seafood restaurants nearby.

In search of a drink, I manage to get some froth into my glass at the dimly lit XL bar. It is one of the few taverns in Fort Cochin and as a result is heaving with thirsty travellers.

Nursing my Kingfisher, I conclude that I understand why the mere mention of the word ‘Kerala’ is enough to send many an Indian misty-eyed. Sure it’s touristy, but this coastal state still packs a punch. It may be known as ‘god’s own country’ but also somehow manages to hit all the right notes for travellers, and locals, alike. ❚ Caroline travelled with Intrepid Travel, which offers a five-day short break in Kerala from $376pp twin share ($590pp single room), including two nights in a hotel, one night homestay and one night on a houseboat. Includes some meals, walking tours, sunset cruise, Kathakali dance show and cruise on the backwaters. Intrepid Travel can also arrange flights intrepidtravel.com

Finding skunk fish

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TRAVELWEEKENDER

Southern Belle This is the NSW South Coast in 48 hours WORDS CAITLIN STANWAY

DAY 1: There is no denying it's easy to get stuck in the whisky bars and vintage haunts of Sydney, but drag yourself just an hour south to NSW's Illawara Coast and you'll find yourself driving through untouched rainforests and pristine beaches toward the sort of total relaxation only seaside villages can offer.

8:00: Jump in the car, fill up the fuel, set the playlist and get on your way. Heading south on the Grand Pacific Drive (grandpacificdrive.com) start your South Coast roadtrip with a scenic cruise through the Royal National Park.

9:00: Just when you start to think there is no end to the dense bush of the park, you’ll emerge blinking and dazed atop Bald Hill. Head on down to Stanwell Park, a picturesque village nestled at the base of the hill. Stretch the legs along the beach and grab some brunch at the funky Ruby’s Kitchen Café famous for their coffee and friendly staff.

11:00 Back on the road, get cultural and stop into one of the tiny galleries spotted along the coast. A quick five minute drive will get you to Coalcliff where the PD Gallery and Roy Jewellery (pdartgalleryroyjewellery.com) pdartgalleryroyjewellery.com) awaits to amaze with its contemporary art and gems. Home to artist Pauline Denney and award winning jeweler Roy Wilson, pick yourself a keepsake (or save some drinking pennies and simply revel in the window shopping).

12:00 With all the scenery slowing down the pulse, get that heart racing and adrenalin pumping. Arriving in Wollongong, the South Coasts’s largest city, make your

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way to the Stuart Park, home to Sky Dive the Beach Sydney (skydivethebeach.com). That’s right, skydive! Try to ignore the panic and enjoy the paralyzing views of the Illawara coast from 14,000 ft. If you’re not too busy screaming and cursing, keep an eye out for breaching whales off the coast.

16:00: With a spinning head, splitting grin and shaky legs, make your way to The Illawara Brewery (thebrewery.net.au) for a few homegrown brews to calm the nerves. With eight local recipes to try, The Brewery is the perfect place to wind down and get set for a night out on the town.

19:00: After some blissful beers to get you back in your Zen state, drag yourself away from the pub and check into Wollongong Backpackers at Keiraleagh House (backpack. net.au). Dump your gear, freshen up and head out to the backyard for a BBQ and meet your fellow travellers. Relax with a drink on the Baliniese day beds, or hunker down around the fire pit on the chillier nights.

21:00: Grab the ID, hustle up your new friends and set off for a short walk to The Little Prince (thelittleprince.com.au). A tapas lounge and garden bar makes the small bar the perfect way to wrap up the day. Lounge with a signature cocktail or re-friend the local brews and let the DJ’s old school vinyl serenade you late into the night.

DAY 2: 9:00: If you enjoyed The Little Prince properly, you will be waking up in need of a damn good coffee. Hidden in North Wollongong, the little gem Ka-Fe, renown for its coffee and knowledgeable baristas. They'll make you a

Get high above Wollongong

Or go low with the surfers

freshly roasted cup that will get you buzzing and ready for another day of fun in the sun.

10:00: Back in the wheels, enjoy the drive to the lakeside town of Shellharbour. With the Tasman Sea to the east and Lake Illawara to the West, Shellharbour is a mecca for nature enthusiasts. Hire a bike and ride from Shell Harbour to Oaklands Flat. Drop in to the tourist centre (tourismshellharbour.com.au) and pick up a self-guided tour map and use some muscle power to enjoy the vast wetlands.

13:00 Give your legs a well-deserved rest and head 15 minutes down the road to Kiama, where the only muscle power you will need is to get from the car to the pub. The Kiama Inn Hotel (kiamainnhotel.com.au) will sort you out with all the much loved pub favorites.

15:00: No getaway is complete without a visit to a local winery, and the South Coast doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappoint. Gerringong is home to Crooked River Wines (crookedriverwines.com.au).

Pop into the seaside winery and sample any (or all, if your not the designated driver) of their staggering 40 wines.

18:00 When you feel yourself making the transition from tasting wine to just plain drinking it, arm yourself with your favourite drop and make your way to the tiny town of Gerroa. With rustic safari tents and surf shacks set along a pristine surf beach, The Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park is the perfect place to wind down. Set up camp then head to the beach to wrap up your roadtrip with a local vino, stunning sunset and enjoy the rare tranquility that is the South Coast.

And if all else fails, there's beer

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Move over Princess Beatrice

NELSON, WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT? UNITED KINGDOM

It was a case of hats off to London’s landmarks as statues were given a makeover with new headwear.

Twenty of the capital’s icons, including Lord Nelson and Sir Winston Churchill, received new hats created by top designers.

The project, called Hatwalk, is part of London Mayor Boris Johnson’s bid to encourage people to research and learn about sculptures of famous figures.

After 18 months of planning, the hats were placed overnight on statues including William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, Queen Victoria and the Duke of Wellington.

FIREWORK UP ARSE GAG BACKFIRES AUSTRALIA

A Darwin man who shot to fame after lighting a firecracker in his buttocks says his condition is not as bad as people thought.

Alex Bowden, 23, made headlines as far away as Alaska after police said he pulled the prank at a party on Saturday. There were concerns Bowden would need to be flown to a specialist burns unit in Adelaide because of his injuries.

But he said he’s not as injured as first thought. Bowden confirmed he had enjoyed a few beers before he put a spinning “flying bee” firework in his arse and had a friend light the fuse.

He said he burned his fingers and his buttock cheeks, but his genitals and back were fine.

“I just had a few beers with the boys and let off a few firecrackers,” he said.

“And I put one in my arse. I had a few

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Welly goes to Hollywood: The ‘Wellington Blown Away’ sign in New Zealand is finally erected. The windy city was originally planning to put up a ‘Wellywood’ sign in 2010 to promote the local film industry but canned the idea due to a public backlash

lads up from Queensland and I had to put on a good show.”

Bowden’s mother reportedly thought the situation with her son was funny.

QUEEN FULFILS BOND GIRL AMBITION

UNITED KINGDOM

The Queen asked to be a Bond girl in the Olympics opening cermony, according to its scriptwriter.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce was the writer for director Danny Boyle’s Opening ceremony, and revealed that the team were “stunned” when Her Majesty let it be known she would take part.

Her acting debut was prerecorded at Buckingham Palace and shows the

86-year-old monarch with two corgis at her feet turn to James Bond star Daniel Craig and say “good evening, Mr Bond.”

Stunt doubles of the duo then skydived into the Olympic stadium from a helicopter, before the Queen officially declared the Games open.

Frank, 52, who worked with Boyle previously on the British comedy film “Millions”, said: “The idea originally came from our designer Mark Tildesley.

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THIS WEEK

IN NUMBERS 15 “Wayne’s at the gate again”

Number of medals Team GB is expected to win.

Aus is up for 43. NZ and South Africa didn’t even make the top 15

SWIMMERS DIVE INTO 50 SHADES OF GREY AUSTRALIA

Australia’s women’s swimming team have revealed the secret behind their gold medal success – reading 50 Shades Of Grey to relax.

Alicia Coutts, Cate Campbell, Brittany Elmslie and Melanie Schlange are reading the erotic bestseller while they chill out at the Athlete’s Village in east London.

“Everyone has been talking about it. My manager said just forget about the sex bits and it’s actually a really good story,” Coutts admitted.

“Normally when I race I watch a series on my laptop, but I’ve just been so into this book, that I haven’t even got my DVDs out,” she added.

The swimmers took home gold for the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay last weekend.

Photos: Getty Images

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Their breast stroke has improved too

MAN FINED OVER ‘NO BALLS’ INSULT

Women be warned: workmen on building sites have developed a new code to alert each other to attractive women passing by.

Wolf-whistling is dying out, with offenders given warnings and being moved to other sites. But workers, who declined to be named, in New Zealand have said they instead use secret codes.

“We might yell something like, ‘Wayne’s at the gate’,” one said. Another said: “Anyone got a spanner?” was their code.

Another worker, with almost 18 months in Christchurch’s central city red zone, said: “I know there are a few women who miss those days, but I can assure them, they still get checked out.”

Telling a man he has “no balls” as an insult is a crime punishable with a fine because it hurts male pride, a court has ruled in a curious row between two cousins.

The case was brought to the supreme court by a lawyer named only as Vittorio against his cousin Alberto, a justice of the peace, for the phrase uttered during a heated courtroom exchange in the southern Italian city of Potenza.

Vittorio’s lawyer had argued the expression implied that his client was “worth less than other men because he did not have the attributes”.

A judge will now rule on the fine that Alberto should pay to Vittorio.

ITALY

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Years a Bangladeshi man spent missing. He was in exile in a Pakistani prison and presumed dead by his family

Number of participants, dressed in clown costumes, who entered the world’s largest cream pie fight in Dallas, Texas

NEW ALERT CODE AS WOLF-WHISTLES DIE NEW ZEALAND

Hours, one man waited on hold with Qantas to change his flight. He was on a mobile phone with international roaming

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK He looked me in my eyes and said, ‘No more. You are the light – you n’ are the lion’ The artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg says his new born-again name, Snoop Lion, came from a high priest during a visit to Jamaica

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OUR VIEW COMMENT: ALEX HARMON Email: alex@tntdownunder.com

The Hangover 3: currently filming on Fraser Island

“A dingo stole my memory,” pleads German victim Backpacker stands by mantra: what happens in Fraser stays in Fraser

» Agree or disagree? Is Justin telling us the whole story? alex@tntdownunder.com

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The only thing better than Great Britain winning two gold medals in one day is London Mayor getting stuck on a zip-wire in front of thousands.

The mishap happened as Boris Johnson visited the London Live event for the Olympics in Hackney, East London.

Boris, who was wearing a blue safety helmet and waving two Union Jack flags, waited for organisers to haul him the last 65 feet to the end of the ride. He joked: “I think the brakes got stuck.”

Before he could even get down, Twitter

The Labrador version “of Bill Clinton ” rejoiced. One comedian joked: “Boris Johnson stuck on a zip wire holding two GB flags is what most of us were expecting the opening ceremony to be more like.”

I’ve always been a fan of Boris, the floppy haired London Mayor who looks like a Labrador version of Bill Clinton, but now Bo-Jo has reached legendary status. Make room on the pedestal Wiggins.

Photos: Getty Images

Imagine waking up after a big night, not knowing where you are, or how you got there. Now imagine waking up after a big night to find a pack of dingoes eating your face. This more or less happened to one unfortunate backpacker.

The traveller, who wants to be known only as Justin, is a 23-year-old from southwest Germany. He has been travelling Australia on a working holiday and, like most backpackers, ended up on Fraser Island in Queensland. The sand island synonymous with dingoes. It’s also synonymous with the reckless driving of 4WD’s by unexperienced Europeans. Seriously this island is like Lord of the Flies for gap year kids.

Anyway, Justin and his mates spent the afternoon exploring Fraser. They had a BBQ, they consumed what Justin says was just a few drinks, and then they went to sleep.

“I was not crazy drunk,” Justin said. “I went to sleep inside the camp, and got up to go to the toilet. Then I lost orientation and I wasn’t on the campground.”

He claims he became lost and does not know how he came into contact with the dingoes or why they bit him on the arms and head. Although, according to newspaper reports, he smelt of food because “a steak fell on his hoodie while cooking.” Right.

After fending off the dingoes he managed to climb a tree, except the tree couldn’t hold his body weight and he fell to the ground. (Hang on, isn’t there a film that employs the same narrative? Something, something... swap dingoes for crocodiles.)

After this, Justin, who is in searing pain, still lost, smelling of raw meat and “not that drunk,” passes out! He slept, waking at dawn – with little memory of the night’s events.

Let’s give Justin the benefit of the doubt and say he took it easy with just a few glasses of fruity wine. He still managed to get lost, get attacked by wild dogs, have a few hours kip and wake with only vague memories of the night. Sure buddy, just a quiet night on Fraser.

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Thighs does matter

KIWI ATHLETE’S PIC GOES INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC VILLAGE LIFE

New Zealand cyclist Greg Henderson was the official photographer of a ‘quad off’ in the Games Village.

Henderson recorded the battle, between German cyclists Andre Greipel (above left) and Robert Forstemann, who was crowned victor. No medal for either, sadly.

Henderson sent the attractive pic worldwide, via Twitter, with the comment: “You thought Greipel has a big set of legs.

There was a quad off in the German camp today. Greipel lost.” It was picked up by international media and promptly shared by millions across the web. Thighs does matter, apparently.’

SA GOLDEN BOY UPSTAGED BY DAD OLYMPICS SWIMMING

An emotional interview featuring the father of 200m butterfly champion Chad Le Clos was one of the major highlights of the pool coverage.

Talking with BBC host Clare Balding immediately after his son’s triumph, South African Bert Le Clos, 55, was in tears as he watched footage of his offspring.

“He’s beautiful. What a beautiful boy. Sorry, sorry. He’s unbelievable. He’s committed like you cannot believe. He’s the most down-to-earth beautiful boy you will ever meet in your life. Look at him. I love you. He’s crying like me,” Le Clos said.

Then, after seeing himself on TV, he pulled his shirt over his stomach, saying: “Oh my God, every time I see myself. Is this live? Unbelievable. Thanks Great Britain.”

Later, Bert told media that Chad once played football, but had “funny” legs –”you know, flat-footed”– so it was decided he would be a swimmer instead.

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British summer? As if the sport wasn’t entertaining enough, dancers perform during the Women’s Beach Volleyball preliminary match between China and Greece on Day 5 of the London Games. Later that day it rained. Now that’s more like it...

AUSSIE SWIMMER BLAMES TWITTER

OLYMPICS SWIMMING Emily Seebohm, known as the ‘C-Bomb’, was no doubt uttering a few choice words in private after a latenight social media session apparently cost her gold in the 100m backstroke.

Seebohm revealed she had stayed up past her bedtime the night before her big race, replying to the Facebook messages and tweets of hundreds of wellwishers.

“I just felt like I didn’t really get off (social media) and get into my own mind,” she revealed after winning silver.

But fellow tweeter Breanna Tucker was having none of it. “How [was Twitter to blame]?” Tucker tweeted. “Was she tweeting from the pool?” Fair question.

BIG WEEK FOR ...

If nothing else goes New Zealand’s way, Valerie Adams and her shotput can usually be relied upon to give the country a golden glow. Adams, who trains with a men’s shotput, is the reigning Olympic, Commonwealth and World champ and will carry the hopes of a nation when she competes in Monday’s heats and (all going well) Tuesday’s final. Gold is not a fait accompli, however; Adams’ main rival, Belarusian Nadzeya Ostapchuk, beat the Kiwi’s best throw of the year four times last month, chalking up a top heave of 21.39m. Adams will definitely have to be on her game to win.

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QUOTES OF THE WEEK IIff y you’ve seen James Goodard, he is a hairy man. And if he is successful, I can say I k have shaved his back Team GB swimmer Simon Burnett reveals l the lengths he and the other swimmers go to help their mates perform in the pool

Alistair and Jonny Brownlee

PREVIEW Olympic games men’s triathlon Triathlon combines the best of three worlds and, like the heptathlon and decathlon, forces participants to be excellent at more than one pursuit.

The event is a huge deal, with one of either British brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee the red-hot favourite to power his way to hometown glory. If they fail, Team GB has recruited a Slovak, Richard Varga, the field’s best swimmer, as a backup to ensure that Hyde Park is the scene of a national party on Tuesday afternoon.

The Aussies and Kiwis, the two

best-performed nations since triathlon’s 2000 Olympic inclusion, will have other ideas, though. For the Aussies, Courtney Atkinson, Brad Kahlefeldt and Brendan Sexton will race their hearts out, while the New Zealanders feature Bevan Doherty (silver in Athens, bronze in Beijing), Kris Gemmel and Ryan Scissons.

Also keep an eye out for the defending champ, Canadian flagbearer Simon Whitfield. He’s no slouch, either.

Tuesday Aug 7, Channel Nine

I fee fe feel that we need more fat men at the modern Olympics, men like the pot-bellied monsters of the weightlifting and wrestling ESPN boxing columnist Steve Bunce thinks perhaps there’s too much of the body beautiful at the Games. Each to their own

M two-and-a-half-year My l could have won one ld old of those matches Former British badminton star and Olympic silver medallist Gail Emms wades into the badminton scandal.

That’s quite a talented toddler…

THE CHAT | The Midas touch

Photos: Getty Images

As usual, China’s cashing in this Olympics, Q improving their tally of gold on a daily basis.

What’s one of them medals worth, anyhow? young reader, those medals are priceless. How do A Why, you put a price on years’ worth of blood, sweat and tears; a limited social life; and the pride of an entire nation? If you were, however, to value the medals on the cost of their raw materials only, you’d discover that each first-place medal has little more than one per cent actual gold. The remaining metal is 92.5 per cent silver and 6.16 per cent copper and the entire thing is worth about $611. For the silver medal, the gold is replaced with more copper (it’s worth $284) and the bronze features 2.5 per cent zinc and 0.5 per cent tin, coming in at a whopping $4.75.

TV HIGHLIGHTS AUSTRALIAN RULES Adelaide vs Fremantle See the Crows take on the Dockers Saturday 2pm, Fox Footy

RUGBY LEAGUE Parramatta v Sydney Jinjie Gong

See the Eels take on the Roosters Saturday 5.30pm. Fox 2

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Designs on greatness Sporting technology continues to help lift athlete’s performances WORDS JAHN VANNISSELROY

Ever since 776BC, when the Greeks began using sports, through the newly formed Olympic Games, as a way of achieving social status, humans have continually strived to improve their on-field performances. Over the ensuing centuries, through new innovations and continued refinement, athletes have become faster, stronger and fitter, bringing us to the finely tuned physical specimens, the RollsRoyces of our species, we see at London 2012.

A new exhibition, Designed To Win, at London’s Design Museum, showcases sports’ major technological advances, some popular, others not so, that have allowed history’s sportsmen and women to achieve excellence in their fields.

Here, we’ve picked the highlights for you to consider – if you can draw yourself away from the TV for a few minutes.

LZR Racer, swimming Speedo's controversial line of swimming suits was launched in 2008 at that year's Beijing Olympics, where 94 per cent of all races were won by athletes donning the LZR Racer.

By August 2009, 93 world records had been broken by swimmers wearing it, prompting major investigations and allegations of “technological doping”. The suit provided the muscles with improved oxygen, and held the body in a more hydrodynamic position, while repelling water and increasing flexibility. Wow! But when swimmers started wearing two or more, smashing world records in the process, swimming governing body Fina stepped in and banned them.

Mongoose bat, cricket Attempts to change anything about the shape of a cricket bat have usually been met with hostility by the game’s fraternity. Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee infamously used an aluminum bat in a 1979 Test against England, nobody suspecting what he was up to until he managed to

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hit the ball. The strange noise created led umpires to inspect, and Lillee was forced to change his weapon. It was banned soon after. Bats remained orthodox until 2010, when the Mongoose was introduced, its blade 33 per cent shorter than a conventional one and its handle 43 per cent longer.

Australian Matthew Hayden scored 94 from only 43 balls using the bat in a 2010 IPL T20 match, and soon after, despite opposition from traditionalists, the games governing body declared the Mongoose legal for any form of cricket, from Tests down, worldwide. However, the majority of players reject the Mongoose, preferring to keep it old school.

Long putter, golf Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer hate them, but until recently, the long putter was rare in golf. However, when Keegan Bradley won the 2011 Open using one, the golfing world began to take notice. Ernie Els won the British Open using one this year, while runner-up Australian Adam Scott lost using his. The handle on the long putters are up to 130cm longer than a traditional putter and is used to anchor the club to the golfer’s chest as he or she shoots for the hole.

Golf currently allows the long putter, although some players refuse to buy into the new technology, instead beating their drums louder for it to be banned.

Oakley eyeshade, all sports Proper sports eyewear didn’t really exist before the Eighties, athletes instead having to choose between plastic, which offered extremely poor clarity, or sunglasses with real glass, which heightened the risk of shattering. In 1984, however, Oakley, started by American Jim Jannard in his garage and named after his dog, introduced the Eyeshade, eyewear that utilised Plutonite, a special polycarbonate blend, to maximise visibility while increasing impact protection. At London 2012, many athletes can be spotted using the company’s RadarLock

Lolo Jones

Clockwise: Oakley shades; Keegan Bradley's long putter; Michael Phelps' LZR razer suit

eyewear, an innovation that eliminates all optical distortion, provides more strength and offers more protection from the sun’s rays. Plus it makes them look pretty cool. The future (and present) has never been clearer.

Spaghetti-strung racquet, tennis The double-strung tennis racquet was first sighted in 1977, but was soon banned due to the excessive spin it generated.

Romanian Ilie Nastase used what became known as the ‘spaghetti-strung’ racquet to end the 57-match claycourt winning streak of Argentinian Guillermo Vilas, who was so confused by the spin, he threw a tantrum, storming off court and forfeiting the match. In 1978, the International Tennis Federation banned the spaghetti-strung racquet. It remains the only attempt to limit a technological advance in the sport.

Flex foot, Paralympics

Photos: Getty Images

Without the Flex Foot, we wouldn’t have seen Oscar Pistorius at London 2012, nor half the athletes at next week’s Paralympics. Pistorius’s carbon-fibre Cheetah version was so well designed, it’s hardly been changed since its 1996 invention. The latest prosthetic technology from Flex Foot will be showcased at the Paralympics. It features an interchangeable running sole, with layers of thermal cushioning and air pocket that wrap around the carbon-fibre blade. Previously, athletes had to cut regular shoes to fit, the homemade enterprises invariably failing at crucial times.

Timekeeping, all sports Imagine trying to use your naked eye to decide who won an Olympic race; it would be impossible. But until 1932, when Omega was made the Games official timekeeper, things were pretty much like that. Initially, just a stopwatch was

used (quite sophisticated for the time) but things quickly developed. By the Forties, electronic timers were used and the Fifties gave rise to photo-finish technology. By 1960, the live time of each competitor was superimposed on a large TV screen, leaving no margin for error. At London 2012, Omega used new Quantum timers capable of recording up to 16 competitors at once, to an accuracy of one-millionth of a second. If Omega says you’ve lost, or broken a world record, chances are extremely high that you have (main image).

Load and launch, basketball The NBA originally tried to ban Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan shoes for a lack of white (it didn’t work) but they scored a victory in 2010 against Athletic Propulsion Labs’s Load And Launch shoe. Each shoe features eight springs that store energy from downwards pressure and then release it on liftoff. But when tests revealed wearers could leap an extra 9cm in the air, the NBA outlawed the shoe, giving the company the ultimate seal of approval that their product worked.

Maybe the professionals can’t use Load And Launch, but it will change street ball for ever.

Helmets, Formula One When female F1 driver Maria De Villota crashed at 200mph in a test run at Cambridgeshire last month, not many gave her a chance of survival. However, it appears her helmet saved her life. They may look much the same as they did years ago, but the advancement of F1’s headgear is all below the surface. Head and neck trauma is high on the list of the FIA’s major concerns for drivers and, as such, just as much work goes into helmets as it does their cars. Modern-day helmets contain materials used in bulletproof vests, with impact-absorbing plastics and fireproofing also employed.

The visors are anti-fogging and have transparent layers that a driver can rip off if it becomes dirty.

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13 67 89, virginaustralia.com

IN FOCUS

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS Situated about a 90-minute drive (or an easy train journey) west from Sydney, the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains are a favourite escape for Sydneysiders. Once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced the spectacular blue-hazed beauty, dramatic cliffs and deep canyons of the region, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll come away refreshed and invigorated. Katoomba, a swift walk from the Three Sisters (pictured) is the main town, with a couple of lively, if slightly scuzzy, pubs to keep you entertained, as well as a giant cinema. One-street Leura, with its cute, boutique shops if also worth a look, while there are also plenty of stunning walks near Wentworth Falls and Blackheath.

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SYDNEY STAY Base Sydney 477 Kent St. CBD. 02 9267 7718 stayatbase.com Big Hostel 212 Elizabeth St. CBD. 02 9267 7718 bighostel.com Bounce Budget Hotel 28 Chalmers St. CBD. 02 9281 2222 bouncehotel.com.au Easy Go Backpackers 752 George St. CBD. 02 9211 0505, easygobackpackers.com.au City Resort Hostel 103-105 Palmer St. Woolloomooloo 02 9357 3333 cityresort.com.au Sydney Central YHA 11 Rawson Place. CBD. 02 9218 9000 Sydney Harbour YHA 110 Cumberland Street. The Rocks.

02 9261 1111 yha.com.au Westend Backpackers 412 Pitt St. CBD. 1800 013 186 nomadshostels.com

NSWLISTINGS

facebook/tntdownunder Boomerang Backpackers 141 William Street, Kings Cross.

02 8354 0488, boomerangbackpackers.com Dlux Hostel 30 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross.

1800 236 213 dluxbudgethotel.com.au Kangaroo Bak Pak 665 South Dowling St. Surry Hills.

02 9261 1111 Avalon Beach Hostel 59 Avalon Pde, Avalon Beach.

02 9918 9709, avalonbeach.com.au

Bay Rd, Coogee. 02 9315 8511, sydneybeachside.com.au

My Sydney Detour Unique city tours. mysydneydetour.com

Oxford Art Factory oxfordartfactory.com

Surfside Backpackers 186 Arden Street. Coogee.

02 9315 7888, surfsidebackpackers.com.au

Oceanworld Manly West Esplanade. oceanworld.com.au

Sydney Opera House sydneyoperahouse.com

Glebe Point YHA 262-264 Glebe Point Road. Glebe. 02 9692 8418, yha.com.au Boardrider Backpacker Rear 63, The Corso, Manly. 02 9977 3411 boardrider.com.au The Bunkhouse 35 Pine St, Manly. 1800 657 122, bunkhouse.com.au

The Annandale annandalehotel.com The Enmore enmoretheatre.com.au

Powerhouse Museum Darling Harbour. powerhousemuseum.com.au

The Metro metrotheatre.com.au

Skydive the Beach Wollongong. skydivethebeach.com

BLUE MTNS Blue Mountains YHA 207 Katoomba St, Katoomba.

02 4782 1416, yha.com.au

Sydney Olympic Park Darling Harbour. sydneyolympicpark.nsw.gov.au

CENTRAL COAST

Sydney Tower and Skytour 100 Market St, CBD. sydneyskytour.com.au

Bondi YHA 63 Fletcher Street. Tamarama. 02 9365 2088, yha.com.au

Manly Backpackers 24-28 Raglan St. Manly. 02 9977 3411 manlybackpackers.com.au

Lamrock Lodge 19 Lamrock Ave. Bondi. 02 9130 5063, lamrocklodge.com

Cammeray Gardens 66 Palmer St, North Sydney. 02 9954 9371 sydneyboardinghouse.com

Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbour. sydneyaquarium.com.au

Lochnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guesthouse 8 Gowrae Ave. Bondi.

02 9387 2162,

Wake Up! 509 Pitt St, CBD. 02 9288 7888, wakeup.com.au

Sydney Wildlife World Darling Harbour. sydneywildlifeworld.com.au

Aegean Coogee Lodge 40 Coogee Bay Rd. Coogee.

04 0817 6634, aegeancoogee.com.au Coogee Beach House 171 Arden St. Coogee. 02 9665 1162, coogeebeachhouse.com Coogee Beachside 178 Coogee

SYDNEY DO Manly Surf School Manly Beach.

02 9977 6977, manlysurfschool.com Maritime Museum Darling Harbour. anmm.gov.au

Newcastle Beach YHA 30 Pacific St, Newcastle.

02 4925 3544, yha.com.au

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Rocks. bridgeclimb.com

Skydive Central Coast Warnervale. skydivethecentralcoast.com.au

Taronga Zoo Mosman. zoo.nsw.gov.au

BYRON BAY

Waves Surf School wavessurfschool.com.au

SYDNEY MUSIC Hordern Pavillion playbillvenues.com

Terrigal Beach YHA 9 Ocean View Dr, Terrigal.

02 4384 1919, yha.com.au

Backpackers Holiday Village 116 Jonson St 1800 350 388, byronbaybackpackers.com.au Backpackers Inn 29 Shirley St

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49

QLDLISTINGS DON’T MISS

follow us on 1800 626 452, brisbanebackpackers.com.au Brisbane City Backpackers 380 Upper Roma St 1800 062 572, citybackpackers.com Bunk Backpackers Cnr Ann & Gipps Sts, 1800 682 865, bunkbrisbane.com.au The Deck 117 Harcourt Street, New Farm.

04 3377 7061 Tinbilly Travellers Cnr George and Herschel Sts. 1800 446 646, tinbilly.com

BURLESQUE ROYALE Zuri Bar, August 14th. $11.60 Watch BB. Le Buff strut her stuff and Paige La Belle give ‘em hell at this one night only burlesque inspired show.

Fortitude Valley

www.zuri.com.au

BRISBANE STAY Aussie Way Backpackers 34 Cricket St. 07 3369 0711, aussiewaybackpackers.com Banana Bender Backpackers 118 Petrie Terrace.

07 3367 1157, bananabenders.com

Base Brisbane Embassy 214 Elizabeth St. 07 3166 8000, stayatbase.com Base Brisbane Central 308 Edward St. 07 3211 2433, stayatbase.com Brisbane Backpackers Resort 110 Vulture St, West End.

BRISBANE DO Australia Zoo Glasshouse Mountains, Tourist Drive, Beerwah. 07 5436 2000, australiazoo.com.au Gallery of Modern Art 07 3840 7303, qag.qld.gov.au Riverlife Adventure Centre Kayaking & rock climbing. Lower River Terrace, Kangaroo Point.

07 3891 5766, riverlife.com.au Story Bridge Adventure Climb 170 Main St, Kangaroo Point.

1300 254 627,

storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au XXXX Ale House Brewery tours.

Cnr Black & Paten St, Milton.

07 3361 7597, xxxxalehouse.com.au

GOLD COAST Aquarius Backpackers 44 Queen St, Surfers Paradise.

1800 22 99 55, aquariusbackpackers.com.au Backpackers in Paradise 40 Peninsula Drive, Surfers Paradise.

1800 268 621, backpackersinparadise.com.au

@tnt_downunder Surfers Paradise Backpackers Resort 2837 Gold Coast Highway, Surfers. 1800 282 800, surfersparadisebackpackers.com.au Surfers Paradise YHA Mariners Cove, 70 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise.

07 5571 1776, yha.com.au Trekkers Backpackers 22 White St, Southport. 1800 100 004, trekkersbackpackers.com.au

GC DO Dreamworld Theme park. dreamworld.com.au

Coolangatta Kirra Beach YHA Pl, 230 Coolangatta Rd, Bilinga.

07 5536 76442, yha.com.au

Get Wet Surf School 07 5532 9907

Coolangatta Sands Hostel Cnr Griffiths & McLean Sts, Coolangatta. 07 5536 7472, coolangattasandshostel.com.au

Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World wetnwild.myfun.com.au

Gold Coast International BP 28 Hamilton Ave, Surfers. 1800 816 300, goldcoastbackpackers.com.au Islander Backpackers Resort 6 Beach Rd, Surfers Paradise.

1800 074 393, islander.com.au Sleeping Inn Surfers 26 Peninsular Dr, Surfers Paradise.

1800 817 832, sleepinginn.com.au

Seaworld seaworld.com.au

Warener Bros Movie World movieworld.com.au Zorb 07 5547 6300

SUNSHINE CST Mooloolaba Backpackers 75-77 Brisbane Rd, Mooloolaba.

1800 020 120 mooloolababackpackers.com

IN FOCUS

BIRDSVILLE The remote Queensland town of Birdsville’s annual claim to fame is the Birdsville Races, which will next be held from 31 August – 1 September, 2012. Folk flock from miles around to join in the fun. Indeed the 100 or so locals are normally joined by many thousands more for the dusty two-day horse racing event. If you like long drives, rum and meeting Australians (TNT doesn’t recommend all at once), it’s a very wild festival that very few travellers get to experience. You’ll find it about 1,600km west of Brisbane, just on the edge of the Simpson Desert. No problem

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Gold Coast

Famous for fun

AdventureGoldCoast.com

facebook.com/AdventureGoldCoast twitter.com/AdventureGoldCoast

QLDLISTINGS

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Nomads Noosa 44 Noosa Dr, Noosa Heads.

1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com

BOOK NOW

TOWN OF 1770

Halse Lodge YHA 2 Halse Lane, Noosa. 1800 242 567, halselodge.com.au

Beach end of Herbert St. 07 4786 3433 bowenbackpackers.net

TOWNSVILLE

RAINBOW BEACH

1770 Backpackers 6 Captain Cook Dr. 1800 121 770, the1770backpackers.com

Adventurers Resort 79 Palmer St. 1800 211 522, adventurersresort.com

Dingos Backpacker Adventure Resort 20 Spectrum St. 1800 111 126, dingosresort.com

1770 Undersea Adventures 1300 553 889, 1770underseaadventures.com

Adrenalin Dive Yongala diving.

07 4724 0600, adrenalindive.com.au

Pippies Beach House 22 Spectrum St. 1800 425 356, pippiesbeachhouse.com

AIRLIE BEACH airliebeach.com 259 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 677 119

Skydive Rainbow Beach 0418 218 358, skydiverainbowbeach.com

REGINA SPEKTOR

HERVEY BAY

Airlie Beach YHA 394 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 247 251, yha.com.au

Brisbane Convention Centre. Dec 6. $97.93 The amazingly talented New York virtuoso, Regina Spektor, is back for a much anticipated Australian tour kicking off in Brisbane.

Aussie Woolshed 181 Torquay Rd 07 4124 0677

Merivale St, South Bank

Backpackers by the Bay 12 Hermitage Dr. 1800 646 994, backpackersbythebay.com

ticketek.com.au

woolshedbackpackers.com Next at Hervey Bay 10 Bideford St. 1800 102 989, nextbackpackers.com.au Nomads Hervey Bay 408 The Esplanade.

1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com Palace Backpackers 184 Torquay, 1800 063 168, palaceadventures.com.au

FRASER ISLAND

BUNDABERG

Eurong Beach Resort 07 4120 1600, eurong.com.au

Federal Backpackers 221 Bourbong St. 07 4153 3711 federalbackpackers.com.au

Palace Adventures 184 Torquay St, Hervey Bay, 1800 063 168 palaceadventures.com.au

Northside Backpackers 12 Queen St. 07 4154 1166 Bundaberg Bondstore Distillery tours.

7/2+%23 7!.4%$ &RUIT AND 6EGETABLE PICKING JOBS AVAILABLE

s 4RANSPORT TO FROM WORK s &2%% COURTESY BUS PICK UP s ,AUNDRY FACILITIES s )NTERNET FACILITIES s 0LEASANT AND FRIENDLY STAFF s "ISTRO AVAILABLE AT "ANJO S TAVERN NEXT DOOR

6!2)%49 /& 7/2+ !6!),!",% 9%!2 2/5.$

"REEZY 4ROPICAL VERANDAHS CLEAN FRIENDLY #LOSE TO SHOPS BANKS OLYMPIC POOL

&EDERAL "ACKPACKERS "OURBONG 3T "UNDABERG 1LD

0HONE WWW FEDERALBACKPACKERS COM AU FEDERALBACKPACKERS HOTMAIL COM #OMPLIES WITH ALL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS QUANTITY DEPENDS ON SEASON

52

07 4131 2999 bundabergrum.com.au

@tnt_downunder

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Base Airlie Beach Resort 336 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com Magnums Whitsunday Village Resort 366 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 624 634 magnums.com.au

BOWEN Bowen Backpackers

Yongala Dive Yongala diving.

07 4783 1519, yongaladive.com.au

MAGNETIC ISL Base Magnetic Island 1 Nelly Bay Rd. 1800 24 22 73, stayatbase.com Bungalow Bay Backpackers Horseshoe Bay. 1800 285 577, bungalowbay. com.au Hotel Arcadia 7 Marine Pde, Arcadia Bay. 07 4778 5177 magnetic-island.com/arc-rsrt.htm Pleasure Divers 07 4778 5788

MISSION BEACH Absolute Backpackers 28 Wongaling Beach Road. 07 4068 8317, absolutebackpackers.com.au

Y PLACE TO BE! THE ONL

Backpacker Resort

Innisfail North Queensland 50 fruit pickers wanted NOW! Guys & girls s #ABLE TELEVISION GAMES ROOM SPORTING OVAL s !LL 4RANSPORT PROVIDED 30%#)!,)3).' ). !33)34).' 7)4( 3%#/.$ 9%!2 6)3! 7/2+

Phone: 07 4061 2284

WORKERS WANTED

WORKERS WANTED WORKERS WANTED WORKERS WANTED WORKERS WANTED WORKERS WANTED

AYR NORTH QUEENSLAND

AYR BACKPACKERS stay at Wilmington House Working Hostel of the Burdekin District

s /PEN AND AIRY 1UEENSLAND STYLE FOUR AND SIX BEDROOMS s )NTERNET #AFĂ? s 0OOL ""1S AND TROPICAL GARDENS s 4ABLE TENNIS AND &2%% POOL TABLE s ,OCKERS s #LEAN COMFORTABLE QUIET AND FRIENDLY s 4RANSPORT PROVIDED TO WORK s &IVE MINUTE WALK TO MAIN STREET SHOPPING AND FAST FOOD STORE s &REE PICK UP FROM !YR BUS TERMINAL AND RAILWAY STATION s 6IDEO AND 46 ROOMS s &IVE FULL KITCHEN FACILITIES

WORKERS WANTED Call Mick & Daphne 07 4783 5837

WORKERS WANTED WORKERS WANTED WORKERS WANTED WORKERS WANTED WORKERS WANTED

QLDLISTINGS Scotty’s Beach House 167 Reid Rd. 07 4068 8676, scottysbeachhouse.com.au

CAIRNS STAY Bohemia Central Cairns 100 Sheridan St. 1800 558 589, bohemiacentral.com.au Bohemia Resort Cairns 231 McLeod St. 1800 155 353, bohemiaresort.com.au Calypso Backpackers 5 Digger St. 1800 815 628, calypsobackpackers.com.au JJ’s Backpackers Hostel 11 Charles St. 07 4051 7642, jjsbackpackers.com NJoy Backpackers Hostel Harbour 141 Sheridan St. 1800 807 055, njoy.net.au

Pro Dive 07 4031 5255 prodivecairns.com Raging Thunder Adventures Whitewater rafting.

07 4030 7990, ragingthunder.com.au Skydive Cairns 07 4052 1822, skydivecairns.com.au

CAPE TRIB Crocodylus Village Lot 5, Buchanan Creek Rd, Cow Bay. 07 4098 9166, crocodyluscapetrib.com PK’s Jungle Village Cnr Avalon & Cape Trib Rd. 1800 232 333, pksjunglevillage.com.au

Nomads Beach House 239 Sheridan St. 1800 229 228, nomadshostels.com

CAIRNS DO AJ Hackett Bungy jumping & canyon swinging.

1800 622 888 cairns.ajhackett.com

.. .

E R E H Y L L A IN F E ’R U YO

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!

DA9 K F LG <AN= OAL@ 9MKLJ9 L9C= L@= HDMF?=$ D=9J VE PROFESSIONALS GREAT BARRIER REEF DI

INNISFAIL Innisfail Budget Backpackers Worker’s Hostel 125 Edith St. 07 4061 7833 Walkabout Motel & Backpackers 07 4061 2311

CAIRNS LAGOON

Our 5 Day PADI Open water course is the most popular way to do it.

Best Staff

We also specialise in Liveaboard dive trips and all levels of dive education.

Oceania

- Small dorms, doubles, twins and singles ess - Free breakfast and dinner everyday - Bus pick up on arrival - Swimming pool, social areas, WIFI - BBQ and quiz nights e!!

- Tour desks, discounts available! www.jjsbackpackers.com - A great social atmosphere!

Freecall (within Oz) 1800 666 336 - Owner operated Tel: + 617 4051 7642 11-13 Charles St Cairns QLD

www.prodivecairns.com SHOP: Cnr Shields & Grafton Sts, Cairns FREECALL: 1800 353 213 PHONE: +617 4031 5255 RES: info@prodivecairns.com TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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BOOK NOW

The Greenhouse Backpacker Level 6, 228 Flinders Lane.

1800 249 207, greenhousebackpacker.com.au

BOOK NOW

Habitat HQ 333 St Kilda Road, St Kilda. 1800 202 500, habitathq.com.au Home at the Mansion 66 Victoria Parade. 03 9663 4212, homemansion.com.au Home Travellers Motel 32 Carlisle St, St Kilda.

1800 008 718, hometravellersmotel.com.au Hotel Bakpak Melbourne 167 Franklin St. 1800 645 200, hotelbakpak.com

JINJA SAFARI The Hi-Fi. Aug 10. $39.50 Cath Jinja Safari, Opossom and the White Arrows in the Victoria leg of their Australiian tour together.

Swanston Street, Melbourn

MELBOURNE STAY All Nations Backpackers Hotel & Bar 2 Spencer St. 1800 222 238, allnations.com.au Base Melbourne 17 Carlisle St, St. Kilda. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com

moshtix.com.au Accommodation 21 Bromham Place, Richmond. 03 9427 9826, centralaccommodation.net Exford Hotel 199 Russell St. 03 9663 2697, exfordhotel.com.au Flinders Station Hotel 35 Elizabeth St. 03 9620 5100, flindersbackpackers.com.au

Central Melbourne

Melbourne Central YHA 562 Flinders St. 03 9621 2523, yha.com.au Nomads Melbourne 198 Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;beckett St. 1800 447 762, nomadshostels.com Space Hotel 380 Russell St. 1800 670 611, spacehotel.com.au The Spencer 475 Spencer St. 1800 638 108, hotelspencer.com

COMEDY COURT Red Violin. Sept 6. From $15.30 With the opportunity for the audience to use live voting pads, this unique comedy festival takes comedy and interactivity to the next level.

Bourke St, Melbourne Moving Image Federation Square.

03 8663 2200, acmi.net.au Melbourne Aquarium Cnr of Flinders St & King St. 03 9923 5999, melbourneaquarium.com.au

MELBOURNE DO Australian Centre for the

Melbourne Cricket Ground Brunton Av. 03 9657 8888 mcg.org.au

moshtix.com.au Melbourne Museum 11 Nicholson St, Carlton. 13 11 02 melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au National Gallery of Victoria Federation Square. ngv.vic.gov.au Old Melbourne Gaol 377 Russell St. 03 8663 7228,

Stay. Play.

Melbourne.

$20

Accommodation from $20 a night (subject to availability)

Maximum 4 bed dormitories with linen and towel FREE all you can eat breakfast (cereal, toast and juice), weekly meal, rice and pasta, tea and coffee FREE in room oversized locker with personal power point 5 minute walk to city Large bar with big screen (all major sporting events shown) Drink specials at the bar Public transport on doorstep

UC103

Unique value tour packages

Book Now 1800

631 288 urbancentral.com.au

334 CITY ROAD SOUTHBANK MELBOURNE VIC 3006 AUSTRALIA

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VICLISTINGS

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oldmelbournegaol.com.au

Bayplay Lodge 46 Canterbury Jetty Rd, Blairgowrie.

03 5988 0188, bayplay.com.au

Official Neighbours Tours 570 Flinders St. 03 9629 5866, neighbourstour.com.au

Sorrento Foreshore Reserve Nepean Hwy. 1800 850 600, mornpen.vic.gov.au

Skydive the Beach Melbourne 1300 798 843 skydivethebeachmelbourne.com

Sorrento YHA 3 Miranda St, Sorrento.

03 5984 4323, yha.com.au

MELB MUSIC Cherry Bar myspace.com/cherrybarmelbourne

Tortoise Head Lodge French Island.

03 5980 1234, tortoisehead.net

Corner Hotel cornerhotel.com East Brunswick Club eastbrunswickclub.com

BOOK NOW

Esplanade Hotel espy.com.au

SLASH

Northcote Social Club northcotesocialclub.com

Hisense Arena. Aug 26. $90.40 As the former lead guitarist of Guns n’ Roses, Slash is out to make a name for himself and this Australian tour is expected to do just that.

Palace Theatre palace.com.au

Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne

The Hi-Fi thehifi.com.au The Tote thetotehotel.com

GREAT OCEAN RD Anglesea Backpackers 40 Noble St, Anglesea.

03 5263 2664, angleseabackpackers.com.au Eco Beach YHA 5 Pascoe St.

03 5237 7899, yha.com.au Great Ocean Road Backpackers YHA 10 Erskine Av, Lorne.

03 5289 2508, yha.com.au Port Campbell Hostel 18 Tregea St, Port Campbell.

03 5598 6305, portcampbellhostel.com.au

DANDENONG Emerald Backpackers 03 5968 4086

ticketek.com.au

Surfside Backpackers Cnr Great Ocean Rd & Gambier St, Apollo Bay. 1800 357 263, surfsidebackpacker.com

MORNINGTON

MURRAY RIVER Echuca Gardens YHA 103 Av, Mitchell St, Echuca.

03 5480 6522, yha.com.au Mildura City Backpackers 50 Lemon Ave, Mildura.

03 5022 7922, milduracitybackpackers.com.au Oasis Backpackers 230 Deakin Av, Mildura.

04 0734 4251,

@tnt_downunder

milduraoasisbackpackers.com.au

GIPPSLAND Prom Country Backpackers 03 5682 2614 Rawsom Caravan Park Depot Rd, Rawson.

03 5165 3439, rawsoncaravanpark.com.au

PHILLIP ISLAND Amaroo Park YHA 97 Church St, Cowes.

03 5952 3620, yha.com.au The Island Accommodation 10-12 Phillip Island Tourist Road.

03 5956 6123 theislandaccommodation.com.au

GRAMPIANS Grampians YHA Eco Hostel Cnr Grampians & Buckler Rds, Halls Gap. 03 5356 4543, yha.com.au Tim’s Place 44 Grampians Road, Halls Gap. 03 5356 4288, timsplace.com.au

PROM QUEEN

WILSONS PROMONTORY This granite peninsula, about three hours from Melbourne, forms the southern-most tip of mainland Australia and also happens to be Victoria’s largest area of coastal wilderness. Sealed off during World War II so that commandos could happily practice blowing each other up without disturbing the locals, ‘the Prom’ is a great national park, packed with scenic walks, beautiful beaches and loads of animals, especially wombats and mobs of roos. For sublime views of the entire rugged coastline, try and stagger to the top of Mt Oberon.

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NTLISTINGS

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DARWIN STAY Banyan View Lodge Darwin 119 Mitchell St. 08 8981 8644, banyanviewlodge.com.au

KATHERINE STAY

DON’T MISS

BIG4 Katherine Holiday Park 20 Shadforth Road.

1800 501 984, big4.com.au

Elkes Backpackers 112 Mitchell St. 1800 808 365, elkesbackpackers.com.au

KATHERINE DO

Gecko Lodge 146 Mitchell St. 1800 811 250, geckolodge.com.au

Youth Shack 69 Mitchell St. 1300 793 302, youthshack.com.au

DARWIN DO Crocosaurus Cove Crocodile park and cage of death. 58 Mitchell St. 08 8981 7522, crocosauruscove.com Deckchair Cinema Jervois Rd, Darwin Waterfront.

08 8981 0700, deckchaircinema.com.au

ALICE DO Alice Springs Desert Park Larapinta Drive.

08 8951 8788, alicespringsdesertpark.com.au

Airborne Solutions Scenic helicopter flights.

08 8972 2345 airbornesolutions.com.au

Frogshollow Backpackers 27 Lindsay St. 1800 068 686, frogs-hollow.com.au

Melaleuca on Mitchell 52 Mitchell St. 1300 723 437, momdarwin.com

Toddy’s Resort 41 Gap Rd. 1800 027 027, toddys.com.au

Palm Court Kookaburra Backpackers Giles St. 1800 626 722

Darwin YHA 97 Mitchell St. 08 8981 5385, yha.com.au

Alice Springs Reptile Centre Meet and hold lizards.

9 Stuart Terrace.

08 8952 8900, reptilecentre.com.au

Nitmiluk Tours Gorge cruises and kayak hire. 1300 146 743 nitmiluktours.com.au

WASHINGTON + KATE MILLER-HEIDKE Darwin Botanic Gardens. Aug 19, $42 Two of Australia’s finest female artsists are heading to Darwin to promote their new sounds. Don’t miss out on this amazing double act.

Darwin Amphitheatre Fannie Bay Gaol Heritage prison. East Point Road, Fannie Bay. 08 8941 2260, nt.gov.au Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 19 Conacher St, Bullocky Point.

08 8999 8264, magnt.nt.gov.au

seatadvisor.com Oz Jet Boating Stokes Hill Wharf.

1300 135 595, ozjetboating.com.au Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise Adelaide River.

08 8978 9077, jumpingcrocodile.com.au Wave Lagoon Waterfront Precinct. waterfront.nt.gov.au

TENNANT CREEK Tourist Rest Leichardt St. 08 8962 2719, touristrest.com.au

ALICE SPRINGS Alice Springs YHA Cnr Parsons St & Leichhardt Tce. 08 8952 8855, yha.com.au

WORD FROM THE STREET

Outback Ballooning Hot air balloon rides.

1800 809 790, outbackballooning.com.au Royal Flying Doctor Service Base Museum and operations room.

Stuart Terrace. 08 8952 1129, flyingdoctor.net

Alice Lodge 4 Mueller St. 08 8953 1975, alicelodge.com.au

Annie’s Place 4 Traeger Ave. 1800 359 089, anniesplace.com.au

Haven Resort 3 Larapinta Drive.

1800 794 663, alicehaven.com.au

School of the Air Long-distance schooling museum.

80 Head St. 08 8951 6834, assoa.nt.edu.au The Rock Tour Uluru tours.

78 Todd St. 1800 246 345, therocktour.com.au

GO WILD

Tina Dahmen, Germany WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE NT? Alice Springs, West Macdonnell National Park, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park FAVOURITE PLACE? Anzac Hill, Alice Springs FAVOURITE NIGHT SPOT? Driving across the first bridge out of Alice Springs heading north during sunset. Amazing view over the MacDonnell Ranges MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE? Working on a cattle Station which is 650,000 acres big. Mustering with a helicopter, utes, dirt and quad bikes. Drafting, branding, castrating and tagging cattle

MACDONNELL RANGES Accessible from Alice Springs (west of the Springs at Simpsons Gap), you mustn’t miss the Ellery Creek Big Hole where you can swim in a stunning waterhole flanked by high red cliffs. If you really like it, you can even camp there for a small fee.

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57

WALISTINGS

@tnt_downunder

follow us on One World Backpackers 162 Aberdeen St, Northbridge.

1800 188 100, oneworldbackpackers.com.au Perth City YHA 300 Wellington St. 08 9287 3333, yha.com.au The Old Swan Barracks 6 Francis St. 08 9428 0000, theoldswanbarracks.com Underground Backpackers 268 Newcastle St, Northbridge.

08 9228 3755, undergroundbackpackers.com.au

DON’T MISS THE NORTH WEST FESTIVAL Port Hedland Turf Club. Aug 18. From $69.30 This first of its kind festival for the area is sure to entertain with some great Aussie talent like the Hilltop Hoods and an amazing landscape.

Sportsground, Port Hedland

PERTH STAY Billabong Backpackers Resort 381 Beaufort St. 08 9328 7720, billabongresort.com.au Britannia on William 253 William St, Northbridge.

08 9227 6000, perthbrittania.com

moshtix.com.au

Emperor’s Crown 85 Stirling St, Northbridge. 1800 991 553, emperorscrown.com.au Globe Backpackers & City Oasis Resort 561 Wellington St. 08 9321 4080, globebackpackers.com.au Ocean Beach Backpackers 1 Eric St, Cottlesloe. 08 9384 5111, oceanbeachbackpackers.com.au

The Witch’s Hat 148 Palmerston St. 08 9228 4228, witchshat.com

PERTH DO Aquarium of Western Australia 91 Southside Drive, Hillarys.

08 9447 7500, aqwa.com.au Kings Park & Botanic Garden bgpa.wa.gov.au

BOOK NOW WHEATUS Metropolis. Sept 20. $38.90 One hit wonders, Wheatus, are heading down under for their ‘Still a Teenage Dirtbag’ tour. Not sure what else they’re going to play...

Fremantle

moshtix.com.au

PERTH MUSIC Amplifier amplifiercapitol.com.au

Perth Mint 310 Hay St. 08 9421 7223, perthmint.com.au

Astor liveattheastor.com.au

Perth Zoo 20 Labouchere Road, South Perth. 08 9474 3551, perthzoo.wa.gov.au

The Bakery nowbaking.com.au

Mojo’s Bar mojosbar.com.au

The Rosemount Hotel rosemounthotel.com.au

FREO STAY Backpackers Inn Freo 11 Pakenham St. 08 9431 7065, backpackersinnfreo.com.au Old Firestation Backpackers 18 Phillimore St. 08 9430 5454, fremantleprison.com.au

THE BUNGLE BUNGLES Unbelievably unheard of until as recently as the 1980s, the World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park is not only one of the most spectacular geological wonders on Earth, but also one of Australia’s best kept secrets – think Uluru, without the crowds. Strolling into Piccaninny Creek is akin to stepping foot on an alien world. Heading across the eroded creek-bed, mystical beehive mounds rise into the air on all sides. Dating back 350 million years, these curious formations, with their coloured bands or orange, grey and black, are the world’s finest examples of sandstone cone karsts. But while the Bungles are what have brought the world’s attention to this rocky outpost of the Kimberley, they are just one of Purnululu’s draw cards. The trek into Cathedral Gorge takes you past ancient Aboriginal rock paintings as the cliffs loom high on either side, while Echidna Chasm, at times little more than a metre wide, is another must-see.

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TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

WALISTINGS Sundancer Backpackers Resort 80 High St. 08 9336 6080, sundancerbackpackers.com.au

270 Albany Hwy. 1800 004 321, metrohotels.com.au

FREO DO

WORD FROM THE STREET

MONKEY MIA

Fremantle Markets 08 9335 2515, fremantlemarkets.com.au

Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort 1800 653 611, monkeymia.com.au

Fremantle Prison 1 The Terrace.

08 9336 9200, backpackersinnfreo.com.au

NINGALOO REEF Blue Reef Backpackers 3 Truscott Crescent, Exmouth 1800 621 101, aspenparks.com.au

ROTTNEST ISL Rottnest Island YHA Kingstown Barracks. 08 9372 9780, yha.com.au

Ningaloo Club Coral Bay 08 9948 5100, ningalooclub.com

Rottnest Express 1300 Go Rotto rottnestexpress.com.au

Excape Backpackers YHA Murat Rd, Exmouth.

08 9949 1200, yha.com.au

MARGARET RIV

BROOME STAY

Margaret River Lodge YHA 220 Railway Tce. 08 9757 9532, yha.com.au

Julie Hardouin, France

Cable Beach Backpackers 12 Sanctuary Road.

1800 655 011, cablebeachbackpackers.com

ALBANY Albany Bayview Backpackers YHA 49 Duke St . 08 9842 3388, yha.com.au Cruize-Inn 122 Middleton Rd. 08 9842 9599, cruizeinn.com

BEST DAY IN OZ SO FAR? Snorkelling with manta rays in Coral Bay, WA. We saw dolphins, a jumping whale, gentle sharks and then met sea turtles MET ANY STRANGE PEOPLE? Tony, a crazy Kiwi guy who loved to jump on tables, scream all night and who also tried to steal my chocolate cake one night CRAZIEST EXPERIENCE? I took a nude shower in the middle of the bush between eucalyptus trees and a river!

Kimberley Club 62 Fredrick St 08 9192 3233, kimberleyklub.com

FREO DO Fremantle Markets 08 9335 2515,

Metro Inn Albany

Aspen Parks Begin your re today...

Darwin

u

nt e v d A n e p s A

Nt

Qld

Wa

Brisbane

Sa Perth

Nsw Sydney

Adelaide

Vic Melbourne Hobart

1355

Visit our website for great accommodation specials and online bookings

Holiday Parks with a difference Australia Wide Western Australia Woodman Point Holiday Park Coogee Beach Holiday Park Perth Vineyards Holiday Park Exmouth Cape Holiday Park Blue Reef Backpackers Pilbara Holiday Park Cooke Point Holiday Park

1800 244 133 1800 817 016 1800 679 992 1800 621 101 1800 621 101 1800 451 855 1800 459 999

South Australia Port Augusta BIG4 Holiday Park 1800 833 444 Myall Grove Holiday Park 1800 356 103 Victoria Boathaven Holiday Park Geelong Riverview Tourist Park Golden River Holiday Park Yarraby Holiday Park Ashley Gardens BIG4 Holiday Village

1800 352 982 1800 336 225 1800 621 262 1800 222 052 1800 061 444

New South Wales A Shady River Holiday Park Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inn Holiday Park Magic Murray Houseboats Murray River Holiday Park Wymah Valley Holiday Park Twofold Bay Beach Resort Wallamba River Holiday Park

1800 674 239 1800 356 801 1800 356 483 1800 357 215 1800 776 523 1800 631 006 1800 268 176

Queensland Island Gateway Holiday Park

1800 466 528

aspenparks.com.au TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

59

TASLISTINGS HOBART STAY Central City Backpackers 138 Collins St. 1800 811 507, centralbackpackers.com.au

LAUNCESTON DO

BOOK NOW

Cataract Gorge launcestoncataractgorge.com.au Centre for Beer Lovers Boag’s Brewery, 39 William St. 03 6332 6300, boags.com.au

Hobart Hostel 41 Barrack St. 1300 252 192, hobarthostel.com Montgomery’s YHA 9 Argyle St. 03 6231 2660, yha.com.au

Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery 2 Invermay Rd & 2 Wellington St. 03 6323 3777, qvmag.tas.gov.au

Narrara Backpackers 88 Goulburn St. 03 6234 8801, narrarabackpackers.com

Tasmania Zoo 1166 Ecclestone Rd. 03 6396 6100, tasmaniazoo.com.au

Pickled Frog 281 Liverpool St. 03 6234 7977, thepickledfrog.com

DEVONPORT

Transit Backpackers 251 Liverpool St. 03 6231 2400, transitbackpackers.com

FALLS FESTIVAL Marion Bay. Dec 29 - Jan 1. TBA With acts such as Coolio, Hilltop Hoods, The Vaccines and Hot Chip, this year’s Falls Festival promises to be a show-stopping event.

HOBART DO Cascade Brewery 140 Cascade Rd. 03 6224 1117 cascadebreweryco.com.au Mt Wellington Descent Bike tours. 03 6274 1880 mtwellingtondescent.com.au

Marion Bay

Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery 5 Argyle St. tmag.com.au

fallsfestival.com

PORT ARTHUR Port Arthur Historic Ghost Tours 1800 659 101, portarthur.org.au

Salamanca Markets Every Saturday, Salamanca Place. salamanca.com.au

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LAUNCESTON Arthouse Backpacker Hostel 20 Lindsay St. 1800 041 135, arthousehostel.com.au

Launceston Backpackers 103 Canning St. 03 6334 2327, launcestonbackpackers.com.au Lloyds Hotel 23 George St. 03 6331 9906, backpackersaccommodation.com.au

STROLL AROUND

Tasman Backpackers 114 Tasman St. 03 6423 2335, tasmanbackpackers.com.au

Mt Roland Budget Backpacker Rooms 1447 Claude Rd, Gowrie Park. 03 6491 1385

CRADLE DO Devils at Cradle Tassie devil sanctuary. 3950 Cradle Mountain Rd. 03 6492 1491. devilsatcradle.com Overland Track Six-day walk parks.tas.gov.au

FREYCINET Iluka Backpackers YHA Reserve Rd. 03 6257 0115, yha.com.au Freycinet National Park Brewery, Wineglass Bay camping. 03 6256 7000, wineglassbay.com

BICHENO Bicheno Backpackers 11 Morrison St. 03 6375 1651, bichenobackpackers.com Bicheno Penguin Tours 03 6375 1333, bichenopenguintours.com.au

CRADLE MTN Discovery Holiday Parks Cradle Mountain Rd. 1800 068 574, discoveryholidayparks.com.au

STRAHAN, Strahan YHA 43 Harvey St. 03 6471 7255, yha.com

STRAHAN DO Four Wheelers Henty Sand Dunes quadbike tours. 04 1950 8175, 4wheelers.com.au Water by Nature Extreme multiday whitewater rafting. 1800 111 142, franklinrivertasmania.com

WORD FROM THE STREET

Photo: Tourism Tasmania

Jason Hogberg, Canada

60

SALAMANCA MARKETS There’s only one place to be come Saturday morning in Hobart and that’s amongst the throngs of people checking out the arty stalls and tasty titbits of the Salamanca markets.

Kicking off under the glorious shadow of Mt Wellington at 7am, the Georgian building-lined Salamanca Place is busy until mid-afternoon.

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

MOST MEMORABLE DAY IN OZ? I would have to say skydiving, in Cairns. That was pretty fun FAVOURITE SPOT? I really liked Whitehaven Beach because it’s so beautiful. Nice sand, nice weather, really nice spot WEIRDEST EXPERIENCE When we were on Fraser Island a dingo stole my friend’s flip-flop. That was pretty strange WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN SO FAR? I’ve been all up and down the east coast from Melbourne to Cairns and now I am back in Sydney and staying at the Wake Up Hostel

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ADELAIDE STAY

DON’T MISS

Adelaide Backpackers Inn 112 Carrington St. 1800 24 77 25, adpi.com.au

Riba’s Underground 1811 William Creek Rd. 08 8672 5614, camp-underground.com.au

Adelaide Central YHA 135 Waymouth St. 08 8414 3010, yha.com.au

KANGAROO IS

Adelaide Travellers Inn 220 Hutt St. 08 8224 0753, adelaidebackpackers.com.au Annie’s Place 239 Franklin St. 1800 818 011, anniesplace.com.au Backpack Oz 144 Wakefield St. 1800 633 307, backpackoz.com.au Blue Galah Backpackers Lvl 1, 52-62, King William St. 08) 8231 9295, bluegalah.com.au Glenelg Beach Hostel 5-7 Moseley St. Glenelg. 1800 359 181, glenelgbeachhostel.com.au Hostel 109 109 Carrington St. 1800 099 318, hostel109.com My Place 257 Waymouth St. 1800 221 529, adelaidehostel.com.au Shakespeare Hostel 123 Waymouth St. 1800 556 889, shakeys.com.au

ADELAIDE DO Adelaide Oval Home to the Donald Bradman collection. War Memorial Drive.

08 8300 3800 cricketsa.com.au

1 Oliver St. 1800 633 891, radekadownunder.com.au

ANTHONY JESELNIK Arkaba Hotel. Sep 13. $41.90 Hilarious and controversial, this US comic has fast been making a name for himself with his edgy and often cringeworthy comedy.

Glen Osmond Road, Fullarton

Adelaide Zoo Frome Rd. 08 8267 3255, zoossa.com.au Haigh’s Chocolates Factory tours. 153 Greenhill Rd, Parkside 1800 819 757, haighschocolates.com.au Temptation Sailing Dolphin swimming, Glenelg.

04 1281 1838 dolphinboat.com.au

moshtix.com.au

BAROSSA VAL Barossa Backpackers 9 Basedow Road Tanunda.

08 8563 0198, barossabackpackers.com.au

COOBER PEDY Opal Cave Coober Pedy Hutchinson St. 08 8672 5028, opalcavecooberpedy.com.au Radeka Down Under

Port Elliot Beach House YHA 13 The Strand, Port Elliot. 08 8554 2785 yha.com.au

EYRE PENINSULA Coodlie Park Farmstay Flinders Highway, Port Kenny.

08 8687 0411 coodliepark.com

Kangaroo Island YHA 33 Middle Terrace, Penneshaw.

08 8553 1344 yha.com.au

Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience Sea lion and dolphin swims.

08 8626 5017 bairdbay.com

Vivonne Bay Lodge 66 Knofel Drive, Vivonne Bay 13 13 01 seaink.com.au

Calypso Star Charters Great white shark cage diving.

08 8682 3939, sharkcagediving.com.au

RIVERLAND Berri Backpackers Sturt Highway, Berri.

08 8582 3144, berribackpackers.com.au Harvest Trail Lodge Loxton.

08 8584 5646, harvesttrail.com.au Nomads on Murray Sturt Highway, Kingston on Murray.

1800 665 166, nomadsworld.com Riverland Backpackers Labour Hire Services 08 8583 0211

FLEURIEU PENIN

Nullarbor Traveller Tours across to Perth.

1800 816 858 the-traveller.com.au Port Lincoln Tourist Park 11 Hindmarsh St. 08 8621 4444, portlincolntouristpark.com.au Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions Great white shark cage diving.

08 8363 1788 rodneyfox.com.au

FLINDERS RANGES Angorichina Tourist Village 08 8648 4842, angorichinavillage.com.au Wilpena Pound Resort Wilpena Rd. 08 8648 0004, wilpenapound.com.au

IN FOCUS

Perfect for a two or three-day trip from Adelaide, this isle is a complete gem. The country’s third-largest island is a wild, windswept world of giant sand dunes, turquoise bays and ancient forests, perfect for exploring by quad bike or kayak. But most of all, it’s all about the wildlife, which is both abundant and easily visible. Koalas, kangaroos, penguins, seals and echidnas wander around happily and without fear, making for some great wildlife photos. Don’t miss Seal Bay, where you can take a ranger-guided walk right through thousands of sea lions.

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

Photo: SATC

KANGAROO ISLAND

61

VELLING TRA ON TO F

FIJILISTINGS

IJI?

NADI & WEST Aquarius Pacific Hotel +679 672 6000 Beach Escape Villas +679 672 4442, beachscape@ connect.com.fj Cathay Hotel +679 666 0566, fiji4less.com

mote ere.

Visit the re ds, Fiji.

- it s all th n la Is a w k , explore sa a Ya ay k , e iv el d Chill, snork

Horizon Backpackers +679 672 2832, horizonbeachfiji.com Nadi Bay Resort Hotel +679 672 3599, fijinadibayhotel.com

entures

dv Awesome A

rs

for backpacketravellers tive and alterna xperience the e

Nadi Down Town Backpackers Inn +679 670 0600, pacvalley@connect.com.fj Nadi Hotel +679 670 0000, ndht@connect.com.fj Nomads Skylodge Hotel +679 672 2200

o

who want t

Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel +679 666 1777, fiji4less.com

“real Fiji”

Smugglers Cove +679 672 6578, smugglers beachfiji.com Travellers Beach Resort +679 672 3322, beachvilla@connect.com.fj

ISLAND HOPPING PASSES

YASAWA ISLANDS

Complete freedom to explore the Yasawa Islands, including Beachcomber.

Choose from a 5, 7, 10, 12, 15 or 21 day pass.

Passes from $217

EASY FLEXIBLE PACKAGES Explore the real Fiji. From 5 to 11 nights.

Includes vessel transfers, accommodation, meals and activities. Packages from $586

ISLAND ESCAPES A bit like survivor but a lot more fun! Strand yourself on one island for 2, 4 or 6 nights. If you can stand nd the pain of coral lagoons and coconut palms then stay longer. Packages from $224

info@awesomefiji.com

www.awesomefiji.com

Prices are ex Denarau, Fiji, in Australian dollars and valid for travel to 31 March 2013.

62

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

Tabukula Beach Bungalows +679 650 0097, fiji4less.com The Uprising Beach Resort +679 345 2200, uprisingbeachresort.com Tsulu Luxury Backpackers & Apartments +679 345 0065, tsulu.com Vakaviti Motel & Dorm +679 650 0526, bulavakaviti@connect.com.fj Vilisite Place +679 650 1030

SUVA Colonial Lodge +679 92 75248, sailevukaga@yahoo.co.nz

Korovou Eco Tour Resort +679 666 6644 korovoultk@connect.com.fj

Raintree Lodge +679 332 0562, raintreelodge.com

Kuata Resort +679 666 6644

Royal Hotel +679 344 0024 royal@connect.com.fj

Long Beach Backpackers Resort +679 666 6644

South Seas Private Hotel +679 331 2296, fiji4less.com

Manta Ray Island +679 672 6351 mantarayisland@connect.com.fj

Tailevu Hotel +679 343 0028

Wayalailai Island Resort +679 672 1377 wayalailai@connect.com.fj White Sandy Beach Dive Resort +679 666 4066

MAMANUCA ISL Beachcomber Island Resort +679 666 1500, beachcomberfiji.com Bounty Island Resort +679 666 6999, fiji-bounty.com Rau Kini’s Hostel +679 672 1959, rtkinihostel@connect.com.fj The Funky Fish Beach Resort +679 628 2333, funkyfishresort.com

AAF3373 - Issue 674

For info and bookings see your travel centre or contact us: phone1800 007 129 or SKYPE awesomefiji

Seashell Cove Resort +679 670 6100, seashellresort.com

Leleuvia Island Resort +679 331 9567, eleen@leleuvia.com

Sunrise Lagoon Resort +679 666 6644

Daily departures for all packages and passes from Denarau Marina

Robinson Crusoe +679 629 1999, robinsoncrusoeislandfiji.com

Coconut Bay Resort +679 666 6644 coconutbay_fiji2002@yahoo.com

Octopus Resort +679 666 6337 reservations@octopusresort.com

Straight out of your tropical Island Fantasy.

Two island stays have always been extremely popular so we ve made it really easy for you with a matching of islands that we think make a great pair. Packages from $421

Rendezvous Dive Resort +679 628 4427, surfdivefiji.com

Lami Lodge Backpackers +679 336 2240, volau@connect.com.fj

Oarsmans Bay Lodge +679 672 2921, nacula@hotmail.com

5 days 4 nights 2 islands

Pacific Safaris Club +679 345 0498, safariclub@connect.com.fj

Awesome Adventures Fiji +679 675 0499, awesomefiji.com

Nabua Lodge +679 666 9173 nabualodge@connect.com.fj

GREAT PAIRS

Mango Bay Resort +679 653 00690, mangobayresortfiji.com

The Resort Walu Beach +679 665 1777, walubeach.com

CORAL COAST Beachouse +679 653 0500, fijibeachouse.com

NORTH VITI LEVU Bethams Cottage +679 669 4132, bethams.com.fj Macdonalds Beach Cottages +679 669 4633 Morrison’s Beach Cottagess +679 669 4516, tipple@connect.com.fj Safari Lodge Fijis +679 669 3333 safarilodge.com.fj Volivoli Beach Resort +679 669 4511, volivoli.com

VANUA LEVU Bayside Backpacker Cottage +679 885 3154, tripntour@connect.com.fj Hidden Paradise Guest House +678 885 0106 Naveria Heights Lodge +679 851 0157, justnaveria@connect.com.fj Savusavu Hot Springs +679 885 0195, hotspringshotel@connect.com.fjj

TAVEUNI Albert’s Sunrise +679 333 7555 Matava Resort +679 330 5222, matava.com

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NZLISTINGS

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BUS TOURS

Rent-A-Dent 0800 736 823, rentadent.co.nz

Kiwi Experience +64 9366 9830 kiwiexperience.com Magic Travellers Network +64 9358 5600, magicbus.co.nz Nakedbus.com 0900 62533, nakedbus.com

Rental Car Village +64 9376 9935, hire-vehicles.co.nz Spaceships 1300 139 091, spaceships.tv Standby Cars 1300 789 059, standbycars.com.au

NZ Travelpass 0800 339 966, travelpass.co.nz

Wicked Campers 1800 246 869, wickedcampers.com

Stray +64 9309 8772, straytravel.com

AUCKLAND

RENTAL FIRMS Ace Rental Cars 1800 140 026, acerentalcars.com.nz Backpacker Campervan & Car Rentals +800 200 80 801, backpackercampervans.com Bargain Rental Cars 0800 001 122, bargainrentals.com.nz

Airport Skyway Lodge Backpackers (BBH) 30 Kirkbride Road, Mangere. +64 9275 4443, skywaylodge.co.nz Auckland International Backpackers (BBH) 2 Churton St, Parnell. +64358 4584,

Darn Cheap Rentals 0800 447 363, exploremore.co.nz

Base Auckland 229 Queen St. 0800 227 369, stayatbase.com

Econo Campers +64 9275 9919, econocampers.co.nz

Bamber House (BBH) 22 View Rd, Mt Eden. +64 9623 4267, hostelbackpacker.com

Escape Rentals 1800 456 272, escaperentals.co.nz Explore More 1800 800 327, dcrentals.com.nz Jucy Rentals 0800 399 736, jucy.com.nz

The Fat Camel (Nomads) 38 Fort St. +64 9307 0181, nomadshostels.com

Nomads Capital 118 Wakefield St. 0508 666 237, nomadscapital.com

Base Discovery Lodge St. +64 Queenstown 49 Shotover St. +64 3441 1185, stayatbase.com

Nomads Auckland 16-20 Fort St. +64 9300 9999, nomadshostels.com

Rosemere Backpackers (BBH) 6 McDonald Cres. +64 4384 3041, backpackerswellington.co.nz

Bungi Backpackers (VIP, BBH) 15 Sydney St. 0800 728 286, bungibackpackers.co.nz

Oaklands Lodge (BBH) St. +64 5A Oaklands Rd, Mt Eden. +64 9638 6545, oaklands.co.nz

Rowena’s Backpackers (VIP) 115 Brougham St. 0800 80 1414

Cardrona Alpine Resort Between Queenstown and Wanaka. +64 3443 7341, cardrona.com

Queen Street Backpackers (VIP) 4 Fort St. +64 9373 3471, enquiries@qsb.co.nz Surf ‘n’ Snow Backpackers 102 Albert St. +64 9363 8889, surfandsnow.co.nz YHA Auckland City Cnr City Rd & Liverpool St. +64 9309 2802, yha.co.nz YHA Auckland International 5 Turner St. +64 9302 8200, yha.co.nz

WELLINGTON Base Wellington 21-23 Cambridge Tce. +64 4801 5666 stayatbase.com

Central City Backpackers 26 Lorne St. +64 9358 5685, backpacker.net.nz

Downtown Wellington Backpackers (BBH) 1 Bunny St. +64 4473 8482 db@downtownbackpackers.co.nz

City Garden Lodge 25 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell. +64 9302 0880

Lodge in the City (VIP) 152 Taranaki St. +64 4385 8560 lodgeinthecity.co.nz

Less clicking and more member savings on the new, faster yha.co.nz.

Backpacking just got easy as.

YHA Wellington City 292 Wakefield St. +64 4801 7280

CHRISTCHURCH

Flaming Kiwi Backpackers (BBH) 39 Robins Rd. +64 3442 5494, flamingkiwi@xtra.co.nz

Chester Street Backpackers (BBH) 148 Chester St East. +64 3377 1897, chesterst.co.nz

Hippo Lodge (BBH) 4 Anderson Hts. +64 3442 5785, hippolodge.co.nz

Foley Towers (BBH) 208 Kilmore St. +64 3366 9720, backpack.co.nz/foley

Nomads Queenstown 5-11 Church St. +64 3441 3922, nomadshostels.com

Jailhouse Accommodation (BBH) 338 Lincoln Rd. 0800 524 546, stay@kiwibasecamp.com

Peterpans Adventure Travel 27 Shotover St Queenstown. peterpans.com.au

The Old Countryhouse (BBH) 437 Gloucester St. +64 3381 5504, oldcountryhousenz.com

Pinewood Lodge (VIP) 48 Hamilton Rd. 0800 7463 9663, rgrieg@xtra.co.nz

Tranquil Lodge (BBH) 440 Manchester St. +64 3366 6500, tranquil-lodge.co.nz

Southern Laughter (BBH, VIP) 4 Isle St. 0800 728 448, southernlaughter.co.nz

Rucksacker Backpacker Hostel (BBH) 70 Bealey Ave. +64 3377 7931, rucksacker.com

QUEENSTOWN

WHEN YOU

JOIN YHA

YHA Queenstown Central 48A Shotover Street. +64 3442 7400, yha.co.nz YHA Queenstown Lakefront 8890 Lake Esplanade. +64 3442 8413, yha.co.nz

yha.co.nz

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

63

OZWORK

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Harvest the future Want to get out of the city and see the real Australia? Farm work could be just the ticket. And it could also earn you another visa...

There’s a reason why travellers do farm work – they’re desperate to extend their working holiday visas. You’ve probably heard the word by now that you can get a second year visa by doing three months of regional work.

But as many then realise, there’s a lot more benefits to farm work than simply putting off the flight home.

You get the chance to work outside, meaning you’re working on your tan, not just your job. Positions are generally fairly easy to find and the working days, while physical and tiring, are often relatively short.

But perhaps most appealing for the more dedicated see-the-world traveller-type is the chance to spend a few months really getting to know an area and its people which you might not otherwise have visited, thereby getting a glimpse of Australia that most city-based backpackers simply wouldn’t see or experience.

The crops you get to work with obviously vary massively depending where you are and what time of year it is, but the jobs currently available contain a pretty wide selection, with everything from cattle ranching and sheep herding to picking asparagus and cherries.

And the beauty of it is, “as long as you have got two arms and legs you’re good for farming and fruitpicking work,” explains Gary Locke from Work in South Australia.

Plus, if you pick the right farm you can rack up enough seasonal work to sort out your visa and complete your Australian rite of passage in one foul swoop.

“When it comes to apple and citrus farms, the work can easily go on for three months,” says Gary.

What are you waiting for? Get your hands dirty for a visa!

See tntdownunder.com for job listings.

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TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

B Confidential is Brisbane longest running gentlemen club with restaurant.

Its Unique approach to entertainment sets itself apart within this industry.

To be one our club dancers, you will need to be sexy, sociable and fun.

In return you get paid cash each day, a flexible roster so you still have time to travel and work in a safe fun environment.

Full training is provided from a management team with over 30 years experience, you will be made feel welcome by all the girls and staff.

We are looking for: Bright pleasant personality Team players Excellence in customer service Well spoken Willingness to learn Glamorous appearance desirable Why work for us?

Female owned and operated Safe and clean No cost to you to work here Low percentage of walk by traffic which means high targeted clientele (not many time wasters) Friendly staff with trained hostesses that help book you dancers Ongoing dance training and NLP tips for better sales Family owned and operated Job perks!

Discounted drinks on the job Cheap meals Second day pay days Free NLP sales training that will give you the tools for moving outside the industry Stage Tips are 100% yours Full makeover and photo shoot for free Flexible hours Discounted food shopping for staff Discounted shoes and clothing You are your own boss and can run it as a business Staff Christmas party

Available shifts : Tuesday - Thursday 12 noon-7pm & 6pm-1am Friday 12 noon -7pm & 6pm-3am Saturday 6pm-3am Apply in person during opening hours at 445 Upper Edward st Spring Hill (just up from central station) e: admin@confidentialclub.com.au www.confidentialclub.com.au/recruitment

MASSEUSES wanted work available...

We are a friendly establishment on Sydney’s Northern Beaches looking for ladies. We provide our customers with a relaxing and sensual massage only. (We do not offer sex.)

Many ladies like massaging because it is a quick and easy way to make good money and also because it is often fun and interesting (You will learn all you need to know about men !!!)

There is no experience necessary as we can \ZIQV aW] 8IQL LIQTa ÆM`QJTM [PQN\[ NMUITM management Please call ( 02 ) 9982 7997 Located in Dee Why on Sydney’s Northern Beaches

Try us just once and you will not be disappointed!

Call us now on

02 9212 1195 www.tiffanysgirls.com.au

Tiffany’s has Sydney’s largest selection of immaculately groomed, stunning girls who are specialists in the art of making a man feel totally at ease and relaxed. Easily found in a peaceful central location, spread over five large terraces, Tiffany’s boasts a number of beautifully appointed self-contained spas, double bedrooms and private waiting lounges.

Work with us:

Unlimited earning potential Shifts to suit Full training provided Quality accommodation provided 99 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW

TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

65

TOTALLYTRIVIAL

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MYTHBUSTERS CORK TEASE?

THIS WEEK’S QUIZ

HUNTER S THOMPSON

Q

happened to Hunter’s ashes?

Q 3.a) What Put in the ocean b) Made into a pill c) Eaten by a bat

d) Fired from a cannon

Q 4. Who was Thompson’s companion in

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? a) A 300-pound Samoan b) A hippo c) Sword-wielding Japanese d) A hitchhiker

Q 5. Who played Thompson in the movie

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? a) Christian Bale b) Johnny Depp c) Nic Cage d) Jack Nicholson

SUDOKU PUZZLE 2

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Q 9. What is the name given to Hunter’s style of journalism? a) Bongo b) Gonzo c) Drugged d) Gobby

5 1

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TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

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8

ANAGRAM-ARAMA

AUSSIE-ISM

6

6 2

a) The Curse of Lono b) Hell’s Angels c) The Rum Diary d) Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail

“DINKY DI”

2 2

What is the name of the current Q 8.movie based on Hunter’s work?

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8

9

a) Samuels b) Star c) Stockton d) Stone 7. How did Hunter die in 2005? a) He shot himself b) Drug overdose c) Shot from a cannon d) Cancer

ANSWERS: 1. c 2. a 3. d 4. a 5. b 6. c 7. a 8. c 9. b

Q

a) Ku Klux Klan b) The Manson Family c) Hell’s Angels d) The Bra Boys 2. Which mag did Hunter write for? a) Rolling Stone b) Playboy c) The New Yorker d) Readers Digest

does the “S” stand Q 6.forWhat in Hunter S Thompson?

OF THE

Why do Aussies wear cork hats? WEEK Finally a question with quite a simple answer. This one’s all about flies.

Massive bush flies, actually. Bushmen created the cork hat in an effort to stop these bush flies from bothering them. They get in your mouth, up your nose, in your eyes – anywhere, erm, moist... Starting to become obvious why, when faced with these pesky insects, you wouldn’t be too fussed about looking like a complete twat all the time? The bushmen discovered that bush flies hated covered areas and dark shady places, so the perfect portable solution came in the form of a line of bottle corks dangling from the brim of a hat. Now who’s for some wine?

This is Australian for someone who speaks the truth or is honest. “SHE came on to ME mate, dinky di”.

This term can also be interchanged with “true blue” which means the exact same thing. Strewth!

THIS WEEK IT’S...

THINGS YOU SEE IN BYRON BAY 1. PIN HOLDS 2. HIS PIPE 3. IS THE GHOUL 4. AS BEECH ANSWERS: 1. Dolphins 2. Hippies 3. Lighthouse 4. Beaches

Hunter became famous for writing Q 1.about which violent group?

MYTH

TM

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