Swan Valley – Australia Travel and Tour Information

Archive for June, 2008

The Perth with so much to do is nothing but is a travelers sought after place. You are going to come back here because there is so much to explore and you would always get something new. The city is well connected with the means of transport and one can get in by air, road, boat and train. The many hotels and the scenic destinations would be a unique experience for the visitors.

Perth is the capital of Western Australia that is the largest state in Australia. It was Captain James Stirling who founded the city of Perth as a part of the Swan River Colony and marveled at its beauty. Perth is on the banks of the Swan River and near to the Kings Park and is known as the most isolated state capitals in the world. The city is a beautiful mix of both the natural and man made beauty. The travelers come from different parts of the world to this scenic destination. The tourism infrastructure caters to the needs of the guests be it hotels, transport or the attractions.

Perth has 119 km of white sand beach that stretches from Lancelin in the north to Mandurah in the south. Here there are some of the best beaches in the world that offer superb views to mesmerize the visitor like the Cottesloe Beach. Those travelers who wish to get to the country side that would take away from the hustle and bustle of the city its here. The picturesque location the refreshing times are all waiting for you. The Swan Valley is 30 minutes from the city and is just suitable for biking, river cruises, and weekend breaks. The other country destinations include Chittering valley, Perth Hill that has the many natural wonders and is ideal for picnic and hiking. The Avon Valley has the scenic beauty, the fields, and the rural charm that would be a treat for any visitor.

The many activities that give ample choices for the adventure lover from water based activities that include surfing, boating, fishing to bungee jumping. The city also offers various options where one can go for picnic, water ski, parasail, or just stroll away on the sun kissed beaches. The many festivals of Perth are also the time to be around to witness the celebrations and the life of the region. The Festival of Perth in February, the Spring in the Valley Festival in November, the Western Australian Wildflower Festival in October at the King’s Park are popular.

The city also offers the many shopping venues for the shoppers. The designer shops, the chain stores that highlight the blend of Aborigines, Asian, African, and European are many. The wide array of restaurants offers a range of cuisines for the global experience. The nightlife options have the superb setting for the night lovers and are found in Northbridge, Perth City, Subiaco, Leederville, and Cottesloe. Now after shopping or a day full of activities don’t miss out the sunset reflecting on the glass scrappers.

The Perth Hotels cater to the needs of the guests for a comfortable stay. Here the travelers would get the accommodation that suits their style and budget. The luxury hotels, the resorts, apartments, budget, and discount hotels all are here. One can reserve the hotels online and avoid last minute hassles for a memorable vacation.

The travelers who emphasize more on style and luxury the 5 star hotels and resorts offer impeccable services and modern amenities. On the other hand those who want accommodation that is good value for money there are the budget or the discount hotels. The hotels in Perth are located near to the tourist attractions and also near to the business district. The hotels cater to the needs of both the business and the leisure travelers for a memorable stay.

The hotels in Perth are located in areas like the Airport, Burswood, Cbd, East Perth, Northbridge, Perth City, Perth Hills, South Perth, West Perth and others. So those who are coming to this scenic destination there are a wide variety of accommodation options.

Australia is the forth-largest wine exporting country in the world. Most of Australia’s wine production occurs in the southern regions of Australia. Four Australian States contain major wine growing regions, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. In Western Australia, you can find the Margaret River region, the Swan Valley region and the Great Southern region. Margaret River is home to Brookland Valley Wines, Swan Valley is home to Houghton Wines and Great Southern is home to the Porongorup Winery.

In New South Wales, you can find famous wine regions such as the Hunter Valley wine region, the Mudgee wine region and the extensive Riverina wine region. Because Hunter Valley is in such close proximity to the large city of Sydney, it is a major tourist stop for wine lovers and it is home to many great wineries, including Rosemount while Mudgee is home to Frog Rock Wines and Riverina is home to West End Estate Wines.

In Victoria, there are several high producing wine regions. Some Victorian wine regions include Alpine Valley, Henty, Goulburn Valley, Grampians, Heathcote, Mornington Peninsula, Pyrenees, Rutherglen, King Valley and Yarra Valley. Since Yarra Valley is in such close proximity to Melbourne, it probably receives the most visitors to its wineries in Victoria. However, Yarra Valley is a comparatively new wine region that is barely coming up to par with the other wine regions in Victoria. Recently, though, wines from Yarra Valley have begun to win some medals in national competitions.

In South Australia, you will find the most famous and notorious wine regions of Australia. Some of the major wine regions of South Australia include Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Valley, Padthaway, Riverland and Wrottenbully.

Penfolds Winery is in Barossa Valley. The great 1955 vintage of Penfold’s Grange was submitted to competitions beginning in 1962 and over the years has won more than 50 gold medals. The vintage of 1971 won first prize in Shiraz at the Wine Olympics in Paris. The 1990 vintage was named ‘Red Wine of the Year’ by the Wine Spectator magazine in 1995, which later rated the 1998 vintage 99 points out of a possible 100.

Penfolds alone would make Barossa Valley and South Australia a notable wine region, but it is not the only winery of note in the area. Other notable wineries in Barossa Valley include Yalumba, Jacob’s Creek, Peter Lehman and Seppelt as well as 14 other wineries. In McLaren Valley, you will find 30 wineries including D’Arenberg. In Adelaide Hills, you will find 33 wineries including Tillbrook Estate and Abbey Rock. In Coonawarra, you will find 14 wineries including Wynns Coonawarra Estate and Penley Estate.

Although most vineyards and wineries in Australia are located in the above-mentioned states, Queensland and the island of Tasmania have endeavored to begin wine industries in recent years as well. Queensland already has established over 100 vineyards and Tasmania has produced medal winning Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

Are you ready to meet a kangoroo or a koala? Are you ready to touch the beauty of pure nature? If so, be ready for a trip to Australia. Moreover, a visit to Australia does not only mean a country but also a continent. A continent that presents a new culture: Australian Aboriginal culture. A country that is a whole continent to itself, Australia is popular with its natural beauty. It is the world’s smallest continent that is also a major tourist destination. What makes the country such an important and popular tourist destination is that it owns a diverse and untouched landscape.

Australia is divided into the States and territories and these make up the Commonwealth of Australia. These are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory. Canberra is the national capital of Australia. Sydney is the largest city. Other major cities of Australia are Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide, Hobart.

Places to visit in Australian Capital Territory:

Australian Capital Territory is a small one. However, it houses wildlife parks, national parks, nature reserves, bushlands and more. It is is home to the capital city, Canberra. Canberra offers museums, galleries and government buildings. The Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia and Questacon, The Australian National Botanic Gardens, Namadgi National Park are places to visit. Also, this territory is close to the Snowy Mountains.Â

Places to visit in South Australia:

The capital city is Adelaide and the city is an attractive one. Adelaide is popular with wining and dining. There are charming national parks here. Simpson Desert, Lake Eyre National Park, Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges National Park, The Murray River are natural beauties of the state. The vineyards and wineries of South Australia are special and famous for producing wines of international quality. The Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra have reputation for being the state’s prized wine-growing regions. Among the attractions of South Australia there are Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, Limestone Coast and more.

Places to visit in Victoria:

Victoria is located in the south-eastern corner of Australia. The capital of Victoria is Melbourne. It is a cosmopolitan city.The Australian Tennis Open is famous all around the world. The popular places of Melbourne are The Immigration Museum, Melbourne Aquarium, Gold Treasury Museum, Old Melbourne Gaol (Jail), National Gallery of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens, Treasury Gardens, Scienceworks. Among the attractions of Victoria there are The Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula, Tasman Sea Coastline, The High Country, Sovereign Hill, The Macedon Ranges and much more.

Places to visit in Queensland:

It is a very popular travel destination located in Australia’s north east. It offers tropical rainforests, beaches and islands. Some of the attractions of Quuensland are The Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas, Daintree, Cape Tribulation, The Gold Coast, The Sunshine Coast, Fraser Island. Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville are the cities of Queensland.

Places to visit in New South Wales:

New South Wales is located in the eastern part of Australia. Sydney is the largest city of Australia and the capital of New South Wales. Sydney is regarded as one of the most stunning cities in the world. The Sydney Harbour and Opera House are must see places. Central Coast, Hunter, Blue Mountains, Snowy Mountains, Illawarra, The Hunter Valley Wine Country, Port Macquarie, The Murray, Outback New South Wales, Lord Howe Island are among places to visit.

Places to visit in Northern Territory:

The Northern Territory is located in the northern part of Australia. The territory houses national parks and Australian Aboriginal culture. The travellers can visit these attractions: Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land, Jim Jim Falls, Darwin Crocodile Farm, Alice Springs, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Devil’s Marbles Conservation Park. Among the cities and towns of this territory there are Tennant Creek and Darwin.

Places to visit in Western Australia:

It is it is located in the western region of Australia. Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Kings Park, Perth Mint, Perth Cultural Center and the beaches are popular places of the city. Perth owns great weather. The attractions of this area are The Swan Valley, Rottnest Island, Rockingham, Shark Bay World Heritage and Marine Park, South Coast, Fremantle. Western Australia’s Diving and Marine Life is popular and people from all over the world come here to dive and swim with whale sharks.

Places to visit in Tasmania:

Tasmania is the island state of Australia. It is for the travellers who are in search of wilderness and hiking. Tasmania’s capital is Hobart. Purest air and purest nature call travellers. The Tasman Peninsula, The East Coast of Tasmania, Huon Valley and Bruny Island, Mount Field National Park, Cradle Mountain, Launceston & Tamar Valley, Freycinet, St Helens, Huon DEntrecasteaux Bruny are among the attractions.

In Australia the number of activities and adventure is countless. Here are some examples: hiking, bushwalking, diving, fishing, skiing, trekking, hot ballooning, climbing, sky diving etc.Australian flora and fauna is completely unique. There are animals which are the icons of Australia such as the kangaroo and the koala. A visit to Australia means seeing these animals.

Before visiting Australia, one would like to get more information. Sometimes only reading may not a satisfy. For this reason travelovideo.com presents videos about Australia so that one can watch these and get more information.

The Western Australia capital of Perth offers so much to the holiday maker. There are historical monuments, great shopping and dining and nightlife all in a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. But to get the most out of your Perth Holiday, you need to get out of the city and pay a visit to some of the enchanting nearby attractions. Here’s the skivvy on three of those delights: Sunset Coast, Swan Valley and Rottnest Island. One of the joys of visiting Perth is the proximity of some fine beaches to the city centre. The most luminous beach area is known as the Sunset Coast, a long strip of clean sand.

The whole area is perfect for swimming, walking and cycling, as well as al fresco dining or just relaxing in beach front cafes. As the name suggests, a special time of day to enjoy this area is sunset, when you can view the sun dipping down into the Indian Ocean in a blaze of orange. It makes for the perfect romantic moment.

Among the beaches of choice for safe swimming are Cottesloe Beach, Swanbourne Beach, which is a nudist beach, and City Beach, North Beach, and Sorrento Beach, which are popular family beaches.

Another great Perth side trip is to Swan Valley, especially for wine buffs. Just 20 minutes from downtown Perth, Swan Valley is one of Western Australia’s oldest wine producing regions and home to over 40 vineyards. Many have been in the same families for generations since the founders arrived from Europe.

Wine buffs will be particularly intrigued by the singular, fortified wines produced here. These include Muscats, Ports and some liqueur wines offered direct from the cellar door.

If beer is your tipple, you can visit the several boutique and micro breweries in the region. More than 20 locally brewed beers are on offer including ales and stout. Other than the many imbibing options, Swan Valley also offers a number of great restaurants.

Nature lovers will enjoy a visit to Swan Valley’s Whiteman Park, a conservation area covering more than 4000 hectares of protected bushland and wetland. Flora in the the park includes Banksias, Melaleucas, Wattles and Grass Trees.

Another treat for nature lovers is the small island of Rottnest, accessible via a short ferry trip from Perth City, Fremantle or Hillarys. It’s home to the small marsupials known as Quokka.

Known locally as “Rotto”, Rottnest Island has a chequered history having been used as a prison colony, farm, governor’s residence and military training zone over the years. No cars are allowed on the island but it can get busy with locals especially during school holidays.

Other than relaxing and enjoying nature, Rottnest Island is also a great place for activities such as cycling, swimming, sunbathing, and especially, snorkelling and scuba diving. The waters are clean and the seabed is home to coral reefs and shipwrecks.