Morpeth was once covered in rainforest and is now a historic and charming town on the Hunter River. In 1833 a road was built from here to Maitland by convict labour. Morpeth became the main port for the Hunter Valley and surrounding areas between 1832 and 1890 it was a thriving Town. Then in 1857 the Railways of New South Wales reached Maitland thus killing the river ports of Morpeth. Today Morpeth is a tourist industry that's rising in popularity by its own right. I love this place as unlike 'The Rocks" in Sydney it does have an authentic feel as if you have stepped through a time machine and are back in the 1800's even earlier if you so wish the only thing that spoils this is us in our 21st century attire. An experience you must partake in while here in Morpeth take a trip across the Morpeth Bridge! (*crosses fingers for you that this day council is not working on it yet again*) It is Heritage listed and is great being a one lane bridge with the old original wooden planks, makes for an experience not soon forgotten. Why oh why Maitland Council has not done what we have done here at Gosford thanks to Council for the railways is beyond me- build a new bridge further up river leave the old intact for posterity and everyone's happy!
I have not, as yet mentioned Canberra or Queensland another 2 states I have travelled to on many occasions. These 2 states are fascinating states in their own rights. Queensland is famous for its glorious beaches, tourist parks of which there are many and varied. There are too many Rain-forests and National Parks for me to detail and list here so please pick up information from any Tourist Information Centre in Queensland. Canberra on the other hand was created as the nation's capital to put an end to State rivalry. New South Wales and Victoria both felt that the new nation's capital should have been in their state. The Australian Capital Territory, approximately equally placed between Sydney and Melbourne was carved out of New South Wales and is administered by the Federal Government. Canberra is noted for its wide, tree lined streets and a number of beautifully constructed buildings, of which Parliament House, the Library and the Mint are just a few. Take a cruise on Lake Burley Griffin, a man made lake, or go to the observatory at Mount Stronglow. Unfortunately, Canberra's love of being closely surrounded by the bush was one of the reasons for the devastating fires of 2003, where over 200 homes were destroyed. (And now the Victorian Bush-fires follows in the footsteps of Canberra, 7th Febraury, 2009 'Black Satrurday')
I recommend if you are going to pay Australia a visit then do it between the months of April and October. Between November and March this country can be extremely hot, in fact unbearable in some places and your trip can become exhausting just from the heat that can spoil your entire day as you no longer are enjoying your adventure. It is vitally important if you are travelling to areas that are isolated to let someone know when and where you are going and when you will be back. If you know no one in the area you're travelling call in at the local Police Station or find a Park Ranger - rescues are far quicker if known beforehand where you were going and when you were due back. I have read a lot about the dangers of Australia from other areas of the world and these people know nothing of this country. Otherwise they would have told you what I have informed you of above. It is important that you travel in a vehicle that has been checked over by one of our motor mechanics. Do not take an unsound car on long trips as your car is your safety harness and in some cases your haven from Australia's weather that can turn nasty in a blink of an eye. It would be very wise of you to do a crash course in First Aid and take along with you a comprehensive First Aid kit. You should also have basic knowledge on how to do repairs if your car breaks down. And it is vital that you have some tools with you as you can break down in very isolated areas. In most cases if people had had tools with them they could have at least limped to the next garage after doing a bandaid repair. The most important thing you will need on long isolated trips is WATER take more than is necessary and I always return to my father's motto "take whatever you want 'cause what you don't use you can always bring back but what you didn't take you can't grab out in never-never land". Remember also you will need sun-hats, (fly-nets for some areas) shirts with sleeves, sturdy boots, sun lotion (and plenty of it) and long trousers are a must in some of our areas.
The above are only a few of the great many magnificent places awaiting visitors to 'downunder', so what you waiting for? Every State and city in the nation has its own highlights, many of them off the beaten track of the tourist operators. I am hoping to one day soon add other states to here.
