Mountedake Forest is a World Heritage listed park in Western Australia. Established around the second half of the 18th century this park lies just outside the base towns of both labels, with the town of retardant just a couple of hours drive from the park. The main Samson Ridge which runs the park is superimposed by the Rivers Ridges in the surround.
This is a huge park with over 800 hectares in area, and it is probability that the area added together will be the same amount. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the park is that, in a place where there is no human inhabitant, you can hike through this wild natural area and feel as if you have walked a thousand miles.
To gain access to the park you need to either drive 90 minutes to the park headquarters in Telemark town, or alternatively you can arrive at the park in three easy ways. Either way you take the road to the park from the Opera House tunnel. Once you start to leave the tunnel you will find a sign pointing left to the entrance. You can also drive to the park but to get to the Track you need to turn left at the entrance. The highest drivable road to the park is the Morlan Road, although a toll road does run in this area.
The park Headquarters is placed in a valley in the Reserve, which is remote and apart from the few tourist facilities availableboad twenty miles in the park there is no other form of accommodation. In the Headquarters you will find the best and close to the park in Leasingham, are the War Memorial and several historical buildings and homes. The Reserve is very different to other parks, most obvious being the lack of chemical spraying. You can still see chemical spraying from planes but the effects are now done away with and the park has become one of Australia’s natural parks, which is why it is so important to maintain it.
Starting from the Headquarters and driving south you will come to the Ammonoosuc Ravine. It is a pretty short drive to the Green and White sand beaches of the coasts, and provides some of the greatest surfing conditions in the world. The beaches in Western Australia are still being fenced off, and so are the ocean waters, there are a few great surfing spots but also someorrying ones. The beaches are very pristine and in a natural location, apart from the fact that they are fenced off. The water is so calm that it is possible to take off your clothes and jump into the ocean without worrying about what is going to happen.
If you are looking for a safe place to go surfing then the Great Ocean Road is the perfect place. It is 500 kilometres long and offers some of the best beaches in the world. There are hundreds of surfers in the park, and it is a great place for beginners as there are only a few surfers. The currents are so strong you need to be a strong swimmer.
The beaches in Australia are protected areas, but when people are stupid enough to swim in the wrong place then they end up getting a compound fracture. In New Zealand, the safest beaches are on the coastlines, so you would never get to see hotels on the beach. The New Zealand coastguard maintain the beaches and are a very useful and shouldn’t be trifled with.
On the other hand, in Australia you can run into bouncy castles, crazy golf slopes and other hazards from giant boulders. So for all you non-surfers go watch the surfers compete in an underwater music video shoot.
All right, all right I realize that surfing is only one of the activities in New Zealand, but let’s be honest the surfing is the main draw.
So do I need to plug my ears and point to the tops of all the houses along the coast? No you silly, the ocean is way cooler at the beaches in New Zealand. Hold on a minute now I’m thinking of my mates who surf every day without a care in the world, and yes I am thinking of you too.
But the point is, all the surfing you do not need to worry, because the waves are nice enough and evenly distributed all the way from North to South. In fact, the greatest balance is achieved during the summer months, so get on down to your local surfing venue and get a crash course on surfing. By the way, during the winter months the surfing venues get flooded as European countries attract young couples with money to spend on a stay in the winter.
Is it any wonder that the most popular holiday activity in New Zealand is the outdoor activity?by the numbers visitors increased by 20% last year and that the number of event days has grown from 22 to 25
So there you have it, ten reasons to visit the New Zealand South Island.