THE LAND OF OZ Australia is just about our favorite country in the world...   ...the people are friendly, the scenery spectacular and the diversity of the country is fabulous. You will not get bored when you visit Australia. If the authorities didn't insist you have a round trip ticket to take you back out of the country, a betting person would wager lots of people would stay, never to leave Australia. U.S. Citizens: Passports are required for international air travel to all destinations outside the USA. U.S. residents and most citizens are required to have a visa in addition to a valid passport to enter Australia. We spent two weeks in Australia on our honeymoon a few years ago and added on New Zealand for good measure. Sydney was our base to explore the area including the Hunter's Valley, one of the premier wine regions in all of Australia. Seeing the Opera House, taking a cruise of Sydney Harbor, strolling the "Rocks" area near the harbor and visiting Lord Nelson's Pub & Hotel (a must) plus the wonderful restaurants there managed to consume our time in Sydney. The rest of the time, we did the "adventure tour" routine in northern Queensland, using Cairns (pronounced "cans" by the Aussies, as in beer cans) to SCUBA dive on the Great Barrier Reef, take the spectacular train ride to Kuranda, survive white water rafting (Class 3 on average), practice nude sunbathing, go hiking and touring the outback, most of which accounted for our second week and went as fast as a cold Foster's beer. The beaches in northern Queensland, especially between Cairns and Port Douglas, are virtually deserted, one of the better concentrations of free beach choices we've seen and serve as wonderful places to drop your drawers for a swim and sun your buns, which we did on several occasions. Certain seasons, it's best to swim in and around the jellyfish nets, which are numerous and protect beachgoers. Beaches and the surrounding mountains and coastal plains are terrific in so many places, you'll have trouble picking one. Be warned, however: technically, beach nudity is illegal in Queensland, but law enforcement may be inconsistent depending on the whims of the local or county mounties. Just use a bit of caution and check with the locals before you sun your buns. Conventional beach tourism centers include Brisbane, the Gold Coast north of Brisbane and the fabulous offshore islands that run parallel to Australia's east coast, where the Great Barrier Reef is located. The offshore islands provide good opportunities for nude beach exploring, too. Aussies seem to have a healthy respect for one another, each other's beliefs and seem to take a live and let live approach to life. Acceptance of nudity is refreshingly open with lots of places to visit throughout the country......with several locations near metropolitan centers counting nude beaches within their city limits. Without trying to cover the entire country in one resort report, we'll describe an example of resorts that cater to nudists or are near nude beaches. Plus, resorts are located near major tourism centers, so you'll have plenty of conventional touring to enjoy. The resorts mentioned are examples, but contact us for more information about other choices in Australia if you're on the look out for nude beaches elsewhere your travels may take you. Australia is the size of the USA so you'll have lots to see and do. A recent addition to the nudist scene is the White Cockatoo Resort in far northern Australia, north of Cairns and Port Douglas at Mossman, the Gateway to the Daintree tourist region in Queensland. The White Cockatoo is a resort style property with a 3 Star AAA Tourism rating made up of 23 fully self contained chalets set within 5 acres of lush, tropical gardens with all usual resort facilities including a huge pool and 8 person spa. Eighteen of the chalets are reserved for nudists from October 1 - May 1, with 5 chalets in a separate private area reserved for non-nudists. From the October 1- May 1, the White Cockatoo is the only nudist resort in the tropics of far North Queensland, Australia and the only nudist resort of its type in Australia. NOTE: From May 1 to October 1, the property is a fully "clothes only" resort. The owners, Tony and Lenore, have spent years in the hospitality industry and bring a wonderful wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to their nude venture. The resort serves singles, couples, families, backpackers, seniors and groups of all sizes. There is a large free form pool suitable for use year round. The pool has a built in plunge pool and an 8 person spa for the adults. Right next to the pool is a covered BBQ plus an entertainment pavilion which is located in the Non-Nude area with a BBQ there as well. Clothed Only year round. There is an indoor entertainment area with a well stocked bar that is open 7 days a week from 10am til late with Happy Hour daily from 5 - 6pm where you can join other guests for discounted drinks and a few games. A free library, pool table, magazines, brochures, tour desk and board games are all available in this area for guests use. FACILITIES Additional White Cockatoo facilities include : Guest laundry with washing machines, dryers, wash tubs, and irons. Tour Desk with information on available tours with free pick ups which can booked on your behalf for no charge. Ample covered parking in a quiet secure environment. For International Travellers FREE Transfers are Available Cairns/ Cairns Airport / Port Douglas / Daintree / Cape Tribulation to The White Cockatoo and return. Minimum 3 night stay for free transfers. NOTE: Visitors have reported mixed reviews about White Cockatoo so please consider this description of facilities as only a sample and not necessarily a recommendation nor a denial of the resort. NUDE TOURS In addition to great facilities, you can enjoy numerous nude tours off site. They include: NUDE sailing out of Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef for sunning, diving and snorkeling NUDE 4WD Land Rover safaris & rainforest hikes NUDE Daintree River cruises NUDE Daintree coast and reef fishing plus custom-designed tours can easily be arranged. NUDE BEACHES Here are suggested websites for some good references to nude beaches (official and unofficial) in Australia. The two most popular tourist regions where nude beaches are located are Queensland and New South Wales, referenced below: AUSTRALIA nude Beaches NUDE BEAHCES in New South Wales NUDE BEACHES in QUEENSLAND MORE ADDITIONS TO NUDE RECREATION IN AUSTRALIA Taylorwood - The Only Nudist Resort in the Whitsundays, Queensland. Taylorwood is nestled in 30 acres of secluded park and bushland and is the next stop south of The White Cockatoo for genuine nudists. Greenwich Lodge Homestay - Michael & Jean Naturist B&B / Homestay in Northern NSW, Australia Mai Tai Resort - Mai Tai has been in operation since 2003 and is located on 5 acres, surrounded by rainforest with magical views. Only 10 minutes north of Port Douglas (north of Cairns). Mai Tai is an adults only boutique resort. Contact: Anthony Roxburgh maitairesort@bigpond.com http://www.maitai-resort.com.au Contact Castaways Travel for more information on these new NUDE recreation opportunities in Australia.   U.S. Citizens: Passports are required for international air travel to all destinations outside the USA. U.S. residents and most citizens are required to have a visa in addition to a valid passport to enter Australia. Nude beaches and nudist resorts. Most nude beaches (and population) are on the eastern coast generally between Melbourne/Sydney in the south up to Brisbane and then Cairns further north, even to Port Douglas, a far northern city in Queensland, a great jumping off point for the Great Barrier Reef. Most of the nudist facilities and beaches are in Queensland, which is the state in the far northeast section of the country. Actually, the eastern seaboard is a great big beach, running from south to north, up the whole coastline. The western part of Australia, where Perth lies, is bordered by the Indian Ocean, which can be cool to cold, much like the Mediterranean. Perth, the largest city on the western coast, also boasts nude beaches nearby. By law, all Australian coastal beaches are public. But, like elsewhere in the world, make sure you check with local customs and nude beach etiquette to avoid surprises. BRISBANE-Central north part of Australia's east coast, near the famous Gold Coast (sort of the Miami Beach of Australia, but better). On the east coast near Brisbane, the NUDE Olympics are held annually usually in March. For more details about all the nude beaches in the area, nude Olympics and more, click on the Link above for Australia Nude Beaches. _____ A pretty town, Mossman has its seaside 'suburbs' in Wonga Beach and Port Douglas and its towering backdrop is Mt Demi, which also stands guard over the stunningly beautiful Mossman Gorge, a site to see for sure. Mossman, a town of about 2,000, is the gateway to the true wet tropics, "The Daintree," where you can cruise on the crocodile-infested river which makes its way through the rainforest to the sea...an adventure you ought to try if you visit the area. Other rivers around Cairns and Port Douglas also offer great white water rafting.....A voice from experience: Wear your helmet and your life vest if you try white water rafting. If it's rained recently, you can be in for a real ride. Mossman and the White Cockatoo are about 45 miles north of Cairns, the closest international airport. Port Douglas as well as Cairns are great jumping off spots to visit the Great Barrier Reef, several miles off the eastern coast of Queensland, where the reef is at its closest to shore. Transportation Brisbane, Cairns and, of course Sydney, are gateways for international airlines, providing easy access to the country directly from world class destinations. These major cities are served daily by frequent flights from other tourist centers such as Canberra, Melbourne, Townsville and other Australian destinations. Bear in mind, you MUST have a visa and passport to enter Australia plus an onward bound airline ticket. Australia as a country is world class fun for locals and visitors alike...we suppose the country only wants us as visitors, because lots of us would move there pronto if we could, overloading the infrastructure as well as potentially dislocating portions of the native-born job force. Visa procedures used to require you to surrender your valid passport to the "authorities" for sometimes weeks at a time. Now, travel visas are issued electronically by the Australian government offices. Several of our clients we've recently sent to Australia were issued the visas, but note there is no "paper" document issued. We demanded and got a FAX copy of a receipt evidencing such payment and all trips have gone without a hitch. The visa is called an ETA, Electronic Travel Authority, and is entered into the airline flight record. We do all of that for you, so just make sure you have a valid and in force passport. We usually recommend the passport be valid for 6 months beyond the end of your stay in Australia. So much for the housekeeping.....just go and have fun. Non-stop flights are available on Qantas, United Airlines and Air New Zealand (from the U.S.). The flight is loooong (12-14 hours and longer, depending on your destination city) so it might be advisable to take a break and stop over in Hawaii to cut up the trip. We have done that and lived to tell about it. The longest flight we were on was a non-stop from Hong Kong to San Francisco--felt like a week in the air. A cool bonus: Not only do you get to cross the international date line, but you also cross from the northern to the southern hemisphere.....so you'll have bragging rights upon your return. A final word about flying to Australia....you will lose an average of two (2) calendar days flying there from the western hemisphere. But you will gain it back flying east going home. From trips flying back from Hong Kong or Australia, for example, we left at noon locally and arrived back in the USA about 3 PM, the same day, having flown through numerous time zones and date lines. World Map Australia Map   Without trying to re-invent the wheel with a country-wide summary of nude and resort services in Australia, suffice it to say this world-class destination has the best of everything, so take advantage of the country and see as much of it as you can. Try to commit at least 10 days to two weeks if you can just to the country's east coast. NOTE: The nudist resorts in Australia generally are pretty basic with most properties providing recreation, some accommodations, camping, activities and swimming pools. Do not expect Caribbean or Mexico types of large resorts with "all inclusive" plans The resorts featured in this report are located near city centers where you can rent a car, shop for groceries, visit bars, restaurants and scratch your adventure travel itch.   In Australia, you will find lots of varied cuisine from beef, chicken and fish dishes to exotic fare that reflects Australia's proximity to its Pacific island neighbors. Or course, not to be missed are the fabulous pubs, cafes and bistros that serve some of the best beer your will ever taste.   Room rates at the White Cockatoo range from USD $70-$100/night with prices subject to change without notice and subject to seasonal variations. Small charge for extra persons in chalet. All rates mentioned are not guaranteed, may vary by season and are subject to change without notice.   From infants to seniors you'll find everywhere. Australia is a family-oriented country so there will be kids around most places and on the nude beaches.   What a hard choice to make.......split your time between the (cooler) mountains or fun in the sun at the beach.....it's your choice. We believe the intangible ingredient to a great visit is not the beach, the hotel or the restaurant...it's the terrific treatment you receive from the Aussies. Everyone seems to smile easily and genuinely, so you will enjoy just about anywhere you visit in the land of OZ. Just be a responsible tourist, make friends easily, respect their country, buy your mate a beer and just listen to them talk. Life hardly gets any better. TIPS Wear LOTS of sun screen...not tanning lotion. The sun is incredibly strong there. Wear a hat all the time when the sun is out. Check for jellyfish warnings before leaping into the water Check the local surf advisories for rip tides or red flag conditions where swimming may be deemed too dangerous. Be friendly with everyone you meet and you will form terrific, lasting memories. Drive on the left---enough said---and don't drink and drive at the same time! If you tour the outback and uplands from the coast, look for the incredible insect and termite earthen mounds you'll see in the countryside. Some are 5-10 feet tall.....busy little buggers Don't expect to see kangeroos in the cities...they're out in the country!! While fun loving and spirited, the natives of OZ are really quite cosmopolitan and sophisticated so they will enjoy your company. Consider a stop on the way over or back in Hawaii or New Zealand, where we've also visited. It breaks up the trip.....advisable only if you have time. If you're on a do-it-yourself itinerary with a rental car (which is how we saw New Zealand and much of Australia), suggest you buy pre-paid hotel vouchers here in the states so you will have the flexibility to stay at many, many locations. We bought Flag Hotel Vouchers on a pre-paid basis before we departed the USA. You get a choice of several categories of hotels which you can select and prepay before you depart. (We used the same type of system for a trip to Scotland where we stayed in farm houses, castles and conventional hotels....great fun if you're adventurous). If you use prepaid vouchers during high season with lots of other tourists competing with you for overnight accommodations, plan ahead, call the hotels early and make your decisions ahead of time. Best not to "show up"and say "I'm here" and expect a room. Watch a little local TV. Even the news announcers are funny Accommodations All chalets at The White Cockatoo are fully self contained with a full size modern kitchen for self catering. The resort supplies tea, coffee and milk at no charge. Air conditioning, color TV, telephone, internet access and a private bathroom are standard in all chalets. All guests need bring is food and sunblock. Chalets are spacious and have various bed layouts and capacities up to 6 people in comfort. Activities Make a "water wish," you can do all there is to do in the water in Australia. Here's a partial list of things to do: Nude, sailing, nude sunbathing, nude snorkeling, SCUBA diving, deep sea and bill fishing, nude surfing, trains rides, 4 wheel adventures to the rain forests, beaches and the outback, champagne nude cruises at dusk, cozying up by the fireplace at night in the hills, white water rafting, nude windsurfing, speed cruises out to the Great Barrier Reef, visiting butterfly farms, bar hopping in town and up and down the beaches, darts, pool, hot tubbing, sampling local restaurants, dancing at night, game room games, big screen television, craft markets, nude hiking over 20 acres at The Lodge, horse back riding, golfing, tennis, touring historical villages, visiting zoos to gape at the local wallabies, kangeroos, kowala, kookaburras and more. Think you can fit it all in???? One of our personal favorites (yeah, it's a tourist thing) was the heart-in-your-throat train ride from Cairns up to the Aboriginal village of Kuranda. The rail line is built along the edge of the mountain range with lots of switchbacks, leading up to Kuranda. The train ride is the reason to go, with a stop along the cliff for one of the top 10 Kodak moment in the world. The town of Kuranda is fun to explore. There was a local theater established there to showcase local actors and talent, craft shops, restaurants and a butterfly farm to top it off.. We'll never forget first time we saw our first Aborigini....we had mental images of the local natives in the outback in a loin cloth roasting a side of beef over an open pit fire.....wrong! We ambled in to a local watering hole (pub) for a cold Foster's "beah" where a good deal of hollering was going on....we looked in where my first glimpse of the local native was an Aborigini dressed in cowboy boots and jeans, banging away at the PacMan machine. So much for stereotypes!   Here are a few highlights for great stops to make for more of a classic tourist itinerary: Sydney, of course, and make sure you take a city tour so you will enjoy the highlights and get yourself oriented. Of course, see the famous opera house and a tour of the bay will get you started. Try to follow it up with fish and chips at Doyles at several locations around the bay. Stroll around the "Rocks," which is right in front of Sydney's harbor. The Rocks used to house criminals but nowadays, famous shops, boutiques, bistros and restaurants dot the area. Sydney's version of Seattle's Space Needle is known as Sydney Tower so stop in for a birds-eye view of paradise. Nude beaches around Sydney include Lady Bay, Cobblers Beach and Obelisk. Not to be missed, if you're a beer drinker, is the Lord Nelson's Pub & Hotel, located right in downtown Sydney. A local watering hole for over 200 years, you'll rub shoulders with city workers to attorneys, from secretaries to bankers, to folks from the docks to regulars from the outback. We spent an entire afternoon there being passed from new friend to new friend, who all asked us to say something to them in "Texan." Hey, for a free beer, I'll recite the Declaration of Independence for them. The Hunter Valley north of Sydney, is one of the most famous wine making regions in Australia. A fun way to spend the day. We spent a day tour there, but can't seem to recall the afternoon tour portion, after downing some form of an Aussie version of "white lightning!" Geeeez....couldn't see or talk after the "tasting!" Thank god we took the tour bus and left the driving to someone else. The stuff was called PURPLE DEATH. Here's the description taken from the warning label: "Purple Death: An unusual "Rough As Guts" Wine that has the distinctive bouquet of horse-shit and old tram tickets. It is best drunk with the teeth clenched to prevent the ingestion of any foreign bodies. "Connoisseurs will savor the slight tannin taste of old coffee grounds and burnt cat fur. Possessors of a cultivated palate will admire the initial assault on the taste buds which comes from the careful and loving blending of animal manure and perished jock straps strained through an old miners sock. The maturing in small pigs bladders gives it a very definite nose. "Marketed under the Saviour Brand (9 out of 10 people who drink it for the first time exclaim " Jee-eus Chri-i-ist".) "Caution: Keep away from naked flames (both old and new)." Visit Rosco Club with Jim & Patsy, the social co-ordinators of the club. See www.roscoclub.org. Rosco Club is situated in the Hunter Valley of NSW (New South Wales). They have some great beach BBQs and great hospitality. You pass right by Rosco Club when you travel from Sydney to the Hunter Valley wineries. Their legal nude beach nearby is Birdie Beach. Near Sydney is also the Blue Mountains, said to be seen with a bluish tint due to the vapor exuded by the eucalyptus trees in the forest. Near there is a nudist resort called River Island Nature Retreat. South of Sydney is the Royal National Park and Werrong Beach is a legal nude beach, reachable by public transportation, about 120 miles away. Near Sydney is an established nudist resort is River Island Nature Retreat and Samurai Beach, a legal nude beach, about 130-140 miles from Sydney. Canberra, to see the capital....somewhat sterile and new, it's the designated as the headquarters for the country. Skip it if you're pressed for time. In the area is River Valley Resort near the historical tourist town of Echuca, 2 hours north of Melbourne (www.rivervalley.com.au) Sunland Holiday Village is near Adelaide ( www.nha.com.au/sunland.htm) Adelaide is a good reason to leave Sydney, if only to explore the nude beaches on the way. In the general area and on the way, there are nude beaches that include: Pelican Point Resort, Point Impossible near Melbourne, Maslin Beach near Adelaide and throw in a visit to Pilwarren Naturist Resort. Brisbane, the stopping off point to the Gold Coast, where most of the famous nude beaches plus glitz, gambling and glamor are located. Melbourne, Sydney's cosmopolitan competition, in the far south of the nation, is worth a visit. Alice Springs and Ayers Rock in the center of the country. Remember, the distance is like traveling from Washington, D.C. to Kansas so it's not a quick drive for sure. And Sydney to Cairns is like traveling between New York to Miami, only in reverse. Cairns....stay there most of the time if you enjoy a beach and nudist experience.....there's lots to do and see. A small city, really more of a large town, you can use Cairns as a great center of operations to see lots of the country, its local nude beaches and launch an exploration up to Port Douglas, north of Cairns. This coastal drive is pretty and we made our own nude beach along the way to catch some afternoon rays. Queensland also includes the famous Alexandria Bay at Noosa Heads where nude beachgoing has been the norm for years. An adults only/couples only nudist resort called Taylorwood in located in Queensland, too. Darwin, capital of the Northern Territories, includes the Top End Naturist Recreation Retreat and the Casuarina nude beach there. For the best nudist quality time, Queensland's got it hands down. More of the country's nudist resorts and nudist B&Bs are there than anywhere else in Australia.   Australia is a long way from most countries, so take plenty of time to see the country. Don't try to cram too much in a week, for example, and don't stay just one week.....you won't do justice to yourself or the country.       The country is BIG and spread out. Don't expect to drive from city to city fast and see lots of man-made sights in between. The total population is only about 20 million compared to 300 million in the USA. Maybe that's why everyone is glad to see you. Population centers are few and far between in the outback.       Negatives are few and far between when judging Australia.       Only superlatives come to mind when day dreaming about Australia.       The sun is INTENSE so wear sunscreen all the time you're outdoors.   There are no nudist "all inclusive" resorts in Australia similar to Grand Lido Braco, Hidden Beach, Hedonism or Desire.   It depends. The farther you go north, any time of year, the hotter it gets. North of Brisbane all the way up to Townsville, Cairns and Port Douglas, the weather is mostly subtropical the entire year, but can be subject to seasonal stormy weather. Since Australia is the largest continent south of the Equator, all seasons are reversed, compared to most of us who live in the northern climates. Just think of New York, Tokyo, London or Paris weather in December. Ugh. The weather in Australia in the far south where Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney are located, have a similar winter during July. Think of Miami during a winter in the USA.....Cairns' weather would be similar year round to Miami's. So, if you plan to have fun in the sun, stick with the Cairns and northern area year round. Temperatures can be HOT during their summer. The peak travel season in Australia is basically around Christmas and New Years.... not only due to the holiday season but also because of the moderate temperatures nation-wide. October to April are good months for Sydney and all points south. We traveled in January and February all up and down Australia's east coast and never experienced rain once.   Wish Australia was closer to all the countries. But, then the mystery about Australia wouldn't be as pervasive as it is. The Bottom Line: GO!, if you ever get a chance during your lifetime. You will thank yourself for visiting Australia. SPECIAL THANKS to Rick & Julie from The Lodge who contributed mightily to the contents of this report. Plus, thanks to Nude & Natural "N" Magazine contributors Dr. LES Rootsey, David Lay Flurrie and Peter Stekel for their in-depth reporting and back ground stories about nudist travel in Australia, issue 19.2. Copies available from the Naturist Society, Box 132-NN, Oshkosh, WI 54903. E Mail: naturist@naturistsociety.com   • View the Photo Album We have our Australia photo section up now. We took all of these photos, but you can contribute to this section as well. All you have to do is go to our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.   • View the Trip Reports We have our first customer contributed report for Australia and we would love to have yours. You can contribute to this section - all you have to do is go to our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.

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