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WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Monkey Mia
Though tourism has unfortunately blighted this extraordinary place, to some extent it is still one of the great wildlife experiences Australia has to offer.
Local fisherman years ago befriended a number of wild dolphins in the region, unintentionally coaxing them back to home waters with the odd hand-out and taming them somewhat. Over time the dolphins reached a point where they happily came into shore and tentatively approached locals bathing or paddling by the beach, with the result that a bond of sorts formed between the mammals and the local people--even to this day, when a new pup is sighted, the local school holds a contest to choose a name to bestow upon the new arrival.
When I visited the place back in the 80's it was an incredible experience that was still relatively untouched by commercial considerations, with visitor numbers still relatively low. The experience of seeing these wild creatures coming to shore to freely mix with humans was both wondrous and humbling, and what had initially been planned as a one day visit was extended to five, with my girlfriend and I camping behind some dunes nearby during our stay. Back then everyone was allowed to wade into the water to mingle with the dolphins and to offer them a few morsels of fish sold nearby--the amount is quite restricted, as the powers that be do not want the dolphins becoming dependant on handouts. All that was asked of visitors was that they refrain from touching and lunging at the dolphins, which unfortunately was ignored by many.
No doubt this kind of behaviour contributed to the later restrictions placed on access, as it's my understanding these days that people are not allowed to mingle with the dolphins now but are restricted to standing in the shallows and watching while the rangers do the feeding--or select an individual from the crowd to participate. The crowds are now larger, there are hotel developments nearby, and it has lost some of it's feeing of wilderness, but still, how many places on earth can you find where wild dolphins come of their own free will to mingle with humans?
Don't just restrict your visit to Monkey Mia though if you come to Shark Bay. The region is world heritage listed, and in amongst the many islands and bays reside dugongs (our version of manatees) green turtles, and, during the right time of year, humpback whales.
The Kimberley
The last untouched wilderness region of Australia, remote, harsh, and beyond the reach of all but the hardiest of travelers. Some choose to explore the Kimberley from the sea, cruising the stunning coastline and islands around King sound and the Buccaneer archipelago. Others four-wheel drive in, their reward being the spectacular Bungle-Bungle ranges, Geike gorge and Wolfe creek crater, the world's second largest. Lake Argyle, a man-made lake in the area which has four times the volume of Sydney harbour, adds a watery luster to the region, as do many cascades like Mitchell falls, especially when the rains hit and turn them into absolute torrents. Aboriginal rock art also abounds in the area. All in all it's one hell of a place to head to if you want get off the beaten track and explore a part of Australia still relatively untouched by tourism - or civilization for that matter.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Kakadu
Seen all that wonderful footage in Crocodile Dundee? Most of it was shot in Kakadu. It's surely one of the most beautiful regions of Australia and a must see. Much of Australia tends to fall into two seasons through the year, Summer and winter, with small buffer seasons of Spring and Autumn in between. Kakadu is different, and has to be one of the most environmentally and seasonally diverse areas in Australia - according to aboriginal culture, it actually has six distinct seasons. Though there can be a bit of driving involved Kakadu offers a stunning mix of aboriginal culture, wildlife, and scenery that is almost unparalleled. When to come is debatable, though many will say the park comes to life after the rains, with water cascading down from the escarpment. Only problem is it makes the roads practically impassible.
While you're here, remember to take a boat tour to view the big 'salty's, the crocs that populate the waters. It's really quite intriguing to meander amongst them in a flat bottomed aluminum boat with sides less than two feet out of the water and be told by the guide that these huge reptiles are capable of leaping half their length out of the water. Hmmmm, two feet of boat, twenty feet of crocodile - what's the math on that?
Katherine gorge
Doesn't often rate a mention in many 'must see' lists but I guarantee you, after a visit to Katherine gorge you will place it in your own personal top-10 list of scenic highlights of Australia. For those paying a short visit to Australia it would probably be too far out of the way to merit a visit on its own terms, but if you happen to be driving in the territory and heading to Darwin and/or Kakadu it would be near criminal to bypass the opportunity to visit the gorge.
Katherine gorge is actually not one single gorge but a water-filled series of them stretching out through the arid region for miles. Though they are accessible for much of the year the best time to visit is a few months after the rainy season, when the gorges are filled with water and at their best for paddling, negating the need to walk and scramble between some of the gorges.
There are two ways of seeing the gorges, the most common being the large tourist boats that ferry people through, or by canoe. No prizes for guessing my preferred option. The canoes are available for hire at very reasonable prices and the recommended plan of attack is to give yourself two, and perhaps even three, days to paddle out and back through the gorge. The waters are smooth, practically glassy, so you don't have to worry about white-water concerns, and the trip is as peaceful and serene as one could imagine, paddling gently along through soaring canyons and under overhangs, occasionally sighting some of Australia's many diverse species of parrots or small fresh water alligators - even the odd snake! One of the funnier moments I recall from my own visit was sighting a brown snake (quite venomous) in the water which tried it's absolute hardest to come ashore in our canoe, despite the panicked flaying of paddles in its direction to discourage the attempt! There's also numerous aboriginal rock paintings along the way, though a number can only be seen easily when the waters are high.
Unless you're built like Arnie don't attempt this alone as the canoes aren't that light, and trying to carry one alone for the short walk between some of the gorges could be a bit arduous. Aside from that the trip is not too physically taxing.
There are various points along the gorges where you can pull in to camp for the evening but remember, there is no firewood and ripping down the few trees in the gorge to burn is pretty disrespectful and downright moronic, so if you want a night light for your camp bring one in.
Uluru (ayres rock)
The rock. The physical, cultural and spiritual heart of Australia, located close to the center of the Australian continent. It's a truly inspirational place, especially for photographers, some of whom devote years of study trying to capture it in all it's various moods and colours. A lot of people ask me what's the big deal, why go to so much trouble to travel into the interior just to see an oversized rock, and all I can say in response is that it's much more than that.
Physically it's enormous, you just don't get a real idea of how huge it is until you get a close up view if it. What's deceptive about Uluru is that as you approach from a distance you'd swear you must be getting close, and yet mile after mile clicks by and it still don't seem to be any nearer. When you finally arrive and stare up at the rock it's massive dimensions are just about overwhelming. For Americans familiar with Stone mountain in Georgia Uluru stands at about twice the height and (I think) something like eight times the volume. But what accentuates its size even further is the table-flat sparse landscape around it--nothing else is there (bar nearby Kata Tjuta) to distract one away from the rock's magnitude.
There are many attractions to Uluru aside from its sheer scale, much of it to do with its sacred status with the local aboriginal people. Rock paintings abound, and Uluru has many sacred areas of particular significance to the Anangu people. Though there are guided tours people are (or at least were when I was there) allowed to wander around by themselves, and it is worth bearing in mind that some of the areas and caves at the base of Uluru are not only sacred but gender-specific, so please respect these areas if you happen to be of the wrong sex. The maps available will point out where you can and can't go.
As for the question of climbing Uluru, the Anangu don't actually forbid you to climb the rock but ask you to respect their beliefs by refraining from doing so. Personally I don't think visitors should have a guilt trip thrown on them by leaving it to their consciences to decide, but as things stand today I would personally choose not to make the climb out of respect for those beliefs, though I have to admit at the same time that I climbed the rock many years ago before this issue came to light.
If you do decide to make the climb, be very aware that it requires a reasonable degree of fitness, and is probably tougher for the body on the descent, rather than the ascent. Don't underestimate it as people die occasionally on Uluru from heart attacks, while others have fallen to their deaths as well. And be patient….the line of people snaking their way up the path and chain can be painfully slow, it's the usual case of the lowest common denominator (or in this case the slowest) dictating the pace for everyone else.
Don't overlook nearby Kata Tjuta (Olga's) while in the area, many people in fact actually prefer it to Uluru. Kata Tjuta is actually the rocky remains of a huge monolith which was, in its day (or should I say eon?) even larger than Uluru. Through some fatal flaws in its structure and the erosive effects of time the rock has worn down into it's present state, an enormous skeletal remnant of huge rocks and canyons.
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