Jo Stewart

Jo Stewarthttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/about/contributors/jo-stewartJo Stewarthttps://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/oceania/australia/how-to-journey-responsibly-around-australiaTips for a low-impact journey Down Under. Total fire bans, quarantine laws, respecting Indigenous communities, and preparing for your road trip.2018-08-21T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/oceania/australia/how-to-journey-responsibly-around-australiahttps://www.worldnomads.com<p>While many of us travel to escape obligations, journeying around Australia comes with responsibilities. In exchange for traveling in a responsible way, you’ll not only get to experience the very best of Australia – you’ll leave it in great shape for the next generation, too.</p> <ul> <li><a href="#fire"> Total Fire Bans </a></li> <li><a href="#swim"> Where Not to Swim </a></li> <li><a href="#quarantine"> Respecting Quarantine Laws </a></li> <li><a href="#indigenous"> Indigenous Communities and Respect </a></li> <li><a href="#roadtrip"> Road Trip Preparation </a></li> <li><a href="#wildlife"> Respecting Native Wildlife and the Environment </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="fire">Total Fire Bans</h2> <p>An Australian summer will do wonders for your tan (as long as you slip, slop, slap), but during bushfire season that dry heat turns the country into a tinderbox. Knowing when a Total Fire Ban is declared is essential. Displayed on local government websites, news bulletins, and highway signage, Total Fire Bans mean exactly what they say - you cannot light a fire. While that campfire might seem like a great idea, always check if you’re allowed to start a fire before sparking up. Even throwing a cigarette butt out of a car window is illegal, and can have catastrophic results including endangering lives, wildlife, and homes. If you build a campfire, (only where allowed or in the cooler months) always extinguish it properly with water, and bury the embers with soil or sand.</p> <h2 id="swim">Where Not to Swim</h2> <p>On a blistering hot day, the rivers, beaches <g class="gr_ gr_925 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="925" data-gr-id="925">and</g> billabongs of Australia are unbelievably tempting but think before jumping in. From crocodiles to strong currents and submerged rocks, hidden dangers lurk in Australia’s waterways. Always swim between the yellow and red flags at patrolled beaches, and never swim when you’ve been on the booze. Read the signs – many rivers and lakes look serene but hide strong currents. Don’t put a foot into any body of water in <a href="/explore/oceania/australia/top-destinations-to-explore-in-queensland">Far North Queensland</a> or the <a href="/explore/oceania/australia/top-places-to-go-in-the-northern-territory">Northern Territory</a> without first asking a local, a ranger or reading signs – Australia’s 200,000-plus population of saltwater crocodiles live here but can be avoided by swimming where it’s safe.  </p> <h2 id="quarantine">Respecting Quarantine Laws</h2> <p>Think that apple in your backpack is no big deal? Think again. As an island nation, Australia has some of the strictest quarantine laws in the world. Designed to protect the country’s biodiversity, quarantine laws are enforced with fines and confiscation of materials. Avoid being fined by carefully reading your arrivals card and declaring anything you’re unsure about (such as plant materials and food). Beyond airports and state borders, many national parks ask hikers to wash their boots to avoid cross-contamination between ecosystems. Many states have even installed vehicle wash-down bays and boot cleaning stations to stop invasive species from entering the park.</p> <h2 id="indigenous">Indigenous Communities and Respect</h2> <p>From the seafaring saltwater people of the north to the inland communities of the Central Desert, hundreds of Indigenous tribes and language groups make up modern-day Australia. As always, travel with an open mind, a curious nature, and generous spirit, and you’ll be in a good place to learn about Australia’s rich Indigenous culture.</p> <p>Whenever you encounter Indigenous communities, always seek permission before taking photos of people, rock art, and sacred sites. Support Indigenous talent by buying art directly from artists or from galleries that pay artists a fair price for their work. Find Indigenous-owned tour operators to learn from Indigenous guides. Sidestep that cheap, mass-produced souvenir boomerang, probably made in a factory overseas, and buy the real deal from an Indigenous artisan instead.</p> <h2 id="roadtrip">Road Trip Preparation</h2> <p>One of the best ways to experience Australia is on a road trip, but many visitors underestimate Australia’s size, the distances between destinations, and the rough terrain, and end up having a less-than-ideal time. The best way to ensure road trip success is to be prepared.</p> <p>There are huge areas of Australia have no internet and phone coverage, so your smartphone will often be rendered useless. Go old school and carry paper maps as a backup. Always tell someone about your travel plans, so they can alert the authorities if you don’t turn up when you’re meant to. If you’re going off-road, into the desert or camping in remote bushland, consider hiring a satellite phone to stay in touch.</p> <p>Huge distances between towns means accessing fuel and fresh water can be difficult in the <a href="/explore/oceania/australia/top-outback-pubs-to-see-around-australia">Outback</a>. Avoid being stranded by the side of the road by carrying ample water and fuel to get you through your trip. Crossing the Nullarbor Plain in a banged up, old hatchback you bought off a guy in a pub isn’t wise. Avoid becoming the subject of a cautionary tale on the evening news and hire an all-terrain vehicle well-suited to travel on unsealed roads. <strong> </strong></p> <h2 id="wildlife">Respecting Native Wildlife and the Environment</h2> <p>Leaving a place in the same (if not better) state than you found it is recommended for traveling anywhere. Australia’s native animals are a drawcard for visitors, and they deserve to be treated like the animal royalty they are. Even though koalas and wombats look cuddly, they are easily stressed by human interaction so should only be admired in the wild, and not picked up.</p> <p>When driving in rural areas, be wary of <a href="/explore/oceania/australia/where-to-see-unique-species-of-australian-wildlife">native wildlife</a> which often wanders onto roads. Kangaroos are most active at dawn and dusk, so avoid being on the road at those times or stay extra vigilant.</p> <p>Foraging for food might be all the rage in culinary circles, but picking Australian native plants without a license is illegal in most states. Even something as innocent as picking wildflowers can interrupt nature’s regeneration cycle.</p> <p>Fishing without a permit is illegal in many states, so, before throwing in a line, check the local laws and always follow size and bag limits for your catch.</p> <p>Never remove seashells or coral as a souvenir; make a bigger impact and pick up some litter instead. Australia will thank you for it.</p>Getty Images/John Crux Photography 0

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/oceania/australia/top-outback-pubs-to-see-around-australiaJo Stewart tells us about eight standout Outback pubs worth visiting around Australia.2018-08-21T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/oceania/australia/top-outback-pubs-to-see-around-australiahttps://www.worldnomads.com<p>Much more than a place to sink a few beers, an Outback pub is the beating heart of the community. Here are eight standout Outback pubs worth visiting around <a href="/travel-insurance/destinations/australia">Australia</a>. They are often many miles apart, so make sure you've <a href="/travel-safety/oceania/australia/driving-across-australia">read up on driving safely in remote Outback roads</a>.</p> <ul> <li><a href="#birdsville"> Birdsville Hotel, Queensland </a></li> <li><a href="#palace"> Palace Hotel, New South Wales </a></li> <li><a href="#william"> William Creek Hotel, South Australia </a></li> <li><a href="#lions"> Lions Den Hotel, Queensland </a></li> <li><a href="#western"> Western Star Hotel, Queensland </a></li> <li><a href="#daly"> Daly Waters Pub, Northern Territory </a></li> <li><a href="#white"> White Cliffs Hotel, New South Wales </a></li> <li><a href="#betoota"> Betoota Pub, Queensland </a></li> <li><a href="#whimcreek"> Whim Creek Hotel, Western Australia </a></li> </ul> <h2 id="birdsville">Birdsville Hotel, Queensland</h2> <p>On the edge of the Simpson Desert, in a remote corner of Outback Queensland, the <a href="https://birdsvillehotel.com.au/">Birdsville Hotel</a> has welcomed travelers since 1884. A place that revels in its legendary status as a pub that has endured the <a href="/travel-wiser/survival/how-to-stay-safe-and-hydrated">highest recorded temperature</a> in Queensland (a sizzling 121.1°F or 49.5°C), here you can expect to encounter leather-clad bikers, caked in red dust, alongside well-dressed retirees ticking another Outback pub off their list.</p> <p>In the Front Bar, an eclectic mishmash of memorabilia catalogues the pub’s history of attracting explorers, wayfarers, wanderers, rovers and larrikins, with the Hat Wall paying tribute to long serving Birdsville locals. Grab a beer, sit on the veranda and watch small planes take off from the airport across from the pub. There’s no airport bar like it anywhere else in the world!</p> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/Explore/australia/road-to-birdsville-queensland-jo-stewart.jpg" alt="The remote road to Birdsville, Queensland." /> <figcaption>The remote road to Birdsville, Queensland. Photo credit: Jo Stewart</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="palace">Palace Hotel, New South Wales</h2> <p><a href="http://www.thepalacehotelbrokenhill.com.au/" target="_blank">This enduring institution</a> has been a fixture, in the remote New South Wales mining town of Broken Hill, since the late 1800s. Originally a coffee house, the Palace Hotel’s kitsch murals provided the perfect backdrop to camp 1994 road movie <em>The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. </em>Over the years, the pub has evolved into a welcoming, inclusive space, even hosting events for Broken Heel, an annual drag festival which celebrates the film that put the pub on the map again. As the only town in Australia where the rowdy coin toss game of two-up can legally be played all year round, this is a top spot to watch the game typically only played on Anzac Day.</p> <h2 id="william">William Creek Hotel, South Australia</h2> <p>Around 100 miles (160km) from the opal mining town of Coober Pedy, and halfway along the rugged Oodnadatta Track, South Australia’s <a href="http://www.williamcreekhotel.com/" target="_blank">William Creek Hotel</a> is not just a pub but also a one-stop-shop service center. A place to eat, drink, buy fuel, book a scenic flight, pick up souvenirs and more, this simple pub is a hub for travelers who find themselves in the remote outpost famously home to a population of six people and one dog. Under the rusty corrugated iron roof, you’ll find cool ales, hot meals and a place to leave your mark by planting a sticker on the wall or hanging a hat from the ceiling.   </p> <h2 id="lions">Lions Den Hotel, Queensland</h2> <p>With walls plastered with bumper stickers, memorabilia, newspaper articles and graffiti, this longstanding <a href="https://lionsdenhotel.net.au/" target="_blank">Far North Queensland roadhouse</a> serves beer and pizza with a side serve of dry Australian humor. A magnet for travelers drawn to the region for fishing, camping and off-roading, this is the type of place you’ll hear laconic drinkers spinning tall tales of miraculous escapes from giant crocodiles and epic battles with the one that got away.</p> <h2 id="western">Western Star Hotel, Queensland</h2> <p>Located in Queensland’s Channel Country, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Windorah is a popular stopping point for travelers driving to Birdsville from Longreach, Charleville and beyond, Windorah’s <a href="http://www.westernstarhotel.com.au/index.php">Western Star Hotel</a> has all the hallmarks of a good bush pub with wood-paneled interiors, ceiling fans circulating in tempo, XXXX brand beer and a dart board that has seen better days.  There is nothing more True Blue Aussie than sitting on a pub veranda, with a beer in hand, as flocks of cockatoos fly overhead.</p> <h2 id="daly">Daly Waters Pub, Northern Territory</h2> <p>Bring your sense of humor to this one-of-a-kind watering hole found 560 miles (901km) north of Alice Springs. Sitting just off the Stuart Highway, <a href="http://www.dalywaterspub.com/">this pub</a> shows zero restraint when it comes to interior decoration. Bras hang from the ceiling, flip-flops are strung up in the beer garden and stickers cover every square inch of the bar. Find a spot at the bar, order a cold beer and ask the publican about the pub’s chequered past – since the 1930s, the pub has seen brawls, murders, robberies and cattle stampedes.</p> <h2 id="white">White Cliffs Hotel, New South Wales</h2> <p>In the parched opal-mining town of White Cliffs, beyond the unsealed roads and grassless cricket pitch you’ll find hundreds of hardy locals living in unique subterranean homes designed to provide relief from scorching temperatures. One of the few above-ground buildings in town, the <a href="https://whitecliffshotel.com.au/">White Cliffs Hotel</a> has been quenching thirsts for more than 125 years. A classic pub that serves beers and simple pub meals without fanfare, here visitors can try throwing coins into the upturned umbrella fixed to the ceiling – an inspired way to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.  </p> <h2 id="betoota">Betoota Pub, Queensland</h2> <p>Driving in Queensland’s Diamantina Shire means traveling on long, bumpy stretches of unsealed road with nothing on the horizon but red earth, feral cattle and the odd dead tree. That is, until you reach the ghost town of Betoota. Once a busy outpost, Betoota’s population plunged to zero after the death of the local publican in 2004. You won’t be able to get a beer, but an obligatory stop at the spooky, abandoned Betoota Pub is a must in a place with few other options to break up the trip. Stand at the eerily silent bar, close your eyes and listen to clinking glasses of the ghosts of drinkers past.</p> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/Explore/australia/betoota-sign-jo-stewart.jpg" alt="A road sign reading Welcome to Betoota in remote Western Australia." /> <figcaption>Welcome to Betoota. Photo credit: Jo Stewart</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="whimcreek">Whim Creek Hotel, Western Australia</h2> <p><em>(Note: the Whim Creek Hotel closed in 2019 for renovations and has not reopened as of late 2023.)</em> Opened during the mining boom that transformed the remote Pilbara region during the late 1800s, the Whim Creek Hotel’s fortunes have swung as wildly as that of the miners who traveled great distances to strike it rich in the copper mining business. Reportedly once home to a beer-drinking camel and a resident ghost, this grand old dame has survived cyclones and financial ruin, but has been given new life after being bought by two local Aboriginal corporations that reinvest profits into community health, education, and welfare projects. Simple rooms and free camping spots offer comfort for road-weary travelers. Order a meal and you get a free shower – a good incentive to try the award-winning Barra Burger.</p>Jo Stewart 0 The iconic Birdsville Hotel pub in Queensland, Australia.