Ultimate Dream Experience Winner 2016: The Kimberley

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And the winner of the Ultimate Dream Experience in Australian Traveller’s 2016 People’s Choice Awards is… The Kimberley

Why you love it… Driven by good looks, the exotic allure of a far-flung location, and copious opportunities for adventure, the Kimberley has well and truly stolen your hearts as Ultimate Dream Destination for the second year running.

Here at AT, we’ve taken in its breathtaking turquoise waters; flown over its vast rugged landscapes by helicopter; passed through its gorges by boat; driven its adventure-filled trails by 4WD; swum in its remote waterholes ; and walked its scenic tracks. And yet we still have so much more to explore.

Our hot tip… One of the country’s most epic road trips is the Kimberley’s Gibb River Road; be sure to have plenty of time up your sleeve to do it properly and add Bell Gorge to your list of must-stops.

If you love this, your next dream experience should be… the South Australian outback. With outstanding natural wonders such as Ikara (Wilpena Pound) and the Flinders Ranges, and outback road trips that take in everything from the sparkling coast to rolling vineyards and stark desert, adventurous activities abound. The South Australian outback is an extraordinary proposition.

You also love… Broome, WA / Darwin, NT / Uluru, NT / Great Barrier Reef, Qld

 

 

With so many worthy finalists nominated by our very own AT readers, don’t miss out on finding out where all these amazing places are!

•Best Accommodation Finalists

•Best Getaways Finalists

•Best Experiences Finalists

 

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This geological wonder is hiding in the heart of Victoria

    Michael Turtle Michael Turtle
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    Mythical, historical and most of all, spectacularly beautiful, Buchan Caves demands you take your time – and a tour. 

    In the pools of water, so still they could be mirrors, the reflections of the stalactites make these limestone towers seem even taller. Almost 400 million years ago, an underground river carved through the rock to create the Buchan Caves. Now, artworks created by dripping water adorn these subterranean galleries: stalactites hanging from the ceiling, pillars connecting some to the ground, even curtain-like wave formations clinging to the stone.

    Caves House
    Visit the caves for the day or stay onsite in the campground or at the self-contained Caves House. (Image: Ben Savage)

    “This is called the Fairy Cave because it’s full of fairy dust,” a guide tells visitors as they enter a cavern glittering with “calcite that’s solidified into thousands of tiny little diamond shapes”.  Buchan Caves is Victoria’s largest cave system, but Fairy Cave is a highlight and, along with nearby Royal Cave, is accessible only by tour. Naturally cold, naturally dark, these caverns deep below the surface light up as the local experts tell their stories. 

    couple walking in cave
    You’ll need to book a guided tour to see the caves. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the hundreds of caves, some can be easily accessed from the surface. For instance, a casual stroll along the FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk, as kangaroos watch on from beneath acacia trees, leads into the 400-metre-long Federal Cave and its natural steps of white limestone. A slightly longer track, the Granite Pools Walk heads through soaring forest down into moss-covered gullies where the calls of lyrebirds trill through the leaves. 

    A quick history lesson on Buchan Caves 

    Buchan Caves
    Buchan Caves are a must-visit attraction in Gippsland. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the geology and the nature are millennia of history. This part of East Gippsland connects the high country to the coast and was long a place of refuge for the local Gunaikurnai people on seasonal migrations to the mountains. Archaeological studies show humans lived here up to 18,000 years ago, with artefacts such as small stone tools found around the site. But not too far into the caverns – oh no! The Gunaikurnai didn’t dare venture deep into the dark at Buchan Caves, telling stories they were inhabited by gnome-like nyols (small grey-skinned creatures that could steal memories). 

    Buchan Caves Hotel
    The Buchan Caves Hotel was rebuilt after burning down in 2014. (Image: Jess Shapiro)

    By the early 1900s, more people had started to hear about these incredible caves and so the Moon family set up home at the site and started to run tours below ground for intrepid visitors. More than a century later, their historic residence is available as accommodation, with the three-bedroom house sleeping up to eight people and now equipped with modern amenities the Moons could only have dreamt of. 

    But whether you stay overnight or just spend the day here, it’s worth taking your time to explore more than just the main caves, to get a deeper understanding of one of Victoria’s fascinating geological attractions.