Getting sand between your toes is unlike any other sensation. Along with massaging and tickling, the feeling also evokes myriad memories and heightens anticipation of more beach-fun to come. More ice-cream dripping onto hands smeared with gritty sunscreen. More tropical-theme towels and frisbees. More air perfumed with seaweed and ozone, sizzling snags and fryer-fresh fish and chips.

Is your first board ride now a family legend, or is the sand-spraying catch-of-the-day you took behind the ice-box stumps last summer becoming one, the story taking on the ever-rosier hue of time with each retelling? Perhaps you get a kick out of people-watching amid massed sun-worshippers or throwing a ball into the wash for your dog. Or maybe wintry spray and crashing waves attract and walking for hours on a beach with only your thoughts for company makes your spirit soar.

Beaches are an integral part of being Australian. Leading actors in our childhoods, adolescence and adult lives, they can be distractingly close or frustratingly far but rarely slip from our consciousness. And compiling a list of great Australian beaches would be far less challenging and controversial if we didn't have as many beaches as there are reasons for going to them.

Sometimes half the fun of beach outings is the journey and none compares with riding Sydney's Manly Ferry. Locals might well argue - no correspondence, please! - that any of a dozen other suburban beaches are better, but cruising past Sydney Harbour Bridge and across yacht-dotted waters, then strolling from harbour to ocean through a corridor of eateries called the Corso - gelato is compulsory - makes Manly a joy.

The fact that this pine-fringed crescent of white sand sweeps one and a half kilometres up the coast is an added bonus!

While locals, tourists and centrefold-perfect lifesavers mingle on Manly, wildlife encounters of a very different kind put another beach in this roundup of greats.

Mon Repos, 15 minutes' drive from Queensland's Bundaberg, is eastern Australia's main marine turtle-nesting site, with endangered loggerheads among the animals which come ashore under cover of darkness. From November to late March, ranger-guided evening groups (bookings essential) can watch turtles lumber up the beach, dig holes and lay hundreds of slippery eggs and/or see hatchlings emerge from buried nests and scamper towards the relative safety of the wash. Wonder burns in your eyes long after the sun rises on Mon Repos.

Like wonder, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but your every sense would need to be switched off to resist Whitehaven Beach's allure. Accessible only by boat or air from Queensland's mainland and Whitsunday Island resorts, Whitehaven is a seven-kilometre-long ribbon of white sand (hence the name) lapped by water that darkens from transparent aquamarine at the shore to inky blue.

In the peak winter season you must share this much-photographed beach with fellow admirers from yachts, square riggers, motor boats, helicopters and sea planes, but expecting it to yourself would be greedy!

To revel in being totally alone and feel as though you are the last person on earth, head south to Victoria's Ninety Mile Beach, which separates the Gippsland Lakes from Bass Strait.

One of the world's longest beaches, this straight string of sand has few vehicular access points so you can often walk for hours without seeing another soul, adding human footprints to a shore decorated with the three-toed prints of oyster catchers and many other birds. Ninety Mile Beach is a wonderful spot to fish for salmon, mullet, flathead and gummy sharks, spot dolphins and the whales which cruise the coast in winter. And to swim - but only between the flags as strong rips run along its length.

Safe swimming, shady Norfolk Island pines, terraced sand, rocks for paddling around, old jetties and a boat ramp make Mothers' Beach, on the Mornington Peninsula, one of the best beaches within cooee of Melbourne. Add a kiosk for emergency rations, a yacht club restaurant for after-sun meals and a pub for after-dinner drinks and you have a great spot for anyone - not just mothers - to spend family time when the temperature rises.

But when it comes to cooling off on a stinking hot summer's day there is nowhere better than Rottnest Island, off Fremantle, Western Australia. The only problem is deciding on which of its protected bays and beaches to enjoy.

All the cliches ever written about beaches could have been inspired by a visit to Rottnest because sunshine paints these waters in such vibrant hues they look like they were created with Photoshop! A snorkel and mask let you into the equally colourful underwater world.

If you decide to drive to Rottnest across the Nullarbor, take a 21-kilometre detour south off the Eyre Highway at Penong, South Australia. Famous with surfers, Cactus Beach is a wonderful place to stretch your legs on a board or sit with your back to fantastic white dunes and watch experienced riders pit their skills against some of Australia's best left-and right-hand breaks.

It is another challenging drive north from Western Australia's Broome to Cape Levique atop the Dampier Peninsula, but dont hesitate to make this journey, as the Cape Levique beaches are breathtakingly beautiful, with baby-powder sand and turquoise sea spreading out from red rock that glows in the sun. Accommodation from camping to stilted safari 'tents' is also available at the aboriginal-owned-and-operated Kooljaman Resort.

What makes these Kimberley beaches arguably Australia's best, however, is what they lack - stingers (jellyfish) and crowds. Crocs are rare too but have been sighted.

The part-unsealed, part-sand 4WD road is scheduled to be surfaced by 2011 and easier access will undoubtedly change Cape Levique, so now is a great time to grab a towel and your bathers and head to this remote Australian beach!

Find out more

Manly Beach, NSW: www.visitmanly.com.au/html/beaches.html
Manly Ferry: www.sydneyferries.info/timetables/manly-ferry.htm
Mon Repos, Qld: www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/mon-repos/index.html
Whitehaven Beach, Qld: www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/rtn2/whitsundays/places_to_visit/whitehaven-beach.cfm
Ninety Mile Beach, VIC: www.visitvictoria.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.F67F91F4-2CFF-4200-A53CD925197CD9BD/
Mothers' Beach, Mornington, VIC: www.mornington-commerce.asn.au
Rottnest Island, WA: www.rottnestisland.com
Cactus Beach, SA: www.nullarbornet.com.au/towns/cactusBeach.html
Cape Levique, WA: www.kimberleyaustralia.com/kooljaman-resort.html

 

Half way through 2008, Mick Corner decided to fulfill his life-long dream of a white Christmas. His son, Brad, had been travelling and working in Canada, his daughter, Cindy, was still at high school and his wife, Natasha, had worked long hours all year running her own beauty salon. Mick decided they'd had a good year financially and since, in his words, he "couldn't take it with him", the expense of this overseas adventure would be more than repaid in the years to come with a store of irreplaceable family memories.

And great memories are exactly what the Corner family created with a wonderful Canadian adventure in the snow during Christmas 2008. Starting in Whistler, where Brad had been working as a ski-lift operator, the Corners hit the slopes with a little sledding, a lot of tumbling and even more laughter. The next highlight was boarding the overnight Via Rail Snow Train in Vancouver and waking amidst the snow-covered Canadian Rockies. From Jasper the family travelled down the Icefields Parkway to Banff where they stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a fairy tale hotel built by the Canadian Pacific Railway company in 1890. Here the Corners skated, hiked and admired exquisite ice sculptures featured in the local Ice Magic Festival.

At this time of the year, Australians traditionally flock to the beach and lie prostrate on an oversized towel, (hopefully) slathered in sun screen and covered with a large floppy hat. You could call this annual pilgrimage to the sea the epitome of the Aussie Christmas break. But in other parts of the world the months of January and February are synonymous with more than sun - in fact in the Northern Hemisphere it's fun in the snow which rates highest. To get your thinking started on some fun adventures for this time next year, read on and enjoy a virtual tour of some wintry highlights in Canada, Finland and Italy.

If Canada is your destination, apart from following in the footsteps of the Corner family in the Rockies in British Columbia and Alberta, why not venture further east to explore some other wonderfully chilly adventures in centres such as Winnipeg or Quebec City.

Festival du Voyageur

Formerly a three-day event, founded in 1969 by a group of Saint-Boniface entrepreneurs and held in Winnipeg's French Quarter, the Festival du Voyageur has evolved into a 10-day province-wide celebration of sights, sounds, snow and spirit. Dubbed "The World's Largest Kitchen Party", it celebrates the history of the fur traders who established the Red River Colony and the ever-growing French-Canadian community in Western Canada.

Hotel de Glace (Ice Hotel)

Spend a night in the Ice Hotel outside Quebec City. After a briefing by the hotel guides, have an icy drink in the ice bar in your ice glass and try out the hot tub. Then retire to your room and check out your home for the night - a bed with a solid ice base and a wooden bedspring with a mattress on top. When evening comes, a cosy arctic sleeping bag will be delivered to your room. The ambient bedroom temperature will remain between -3C and -5C, regardless of the outside temperature.

For travellers who have a love affair with Europe, why not make Finland your destination for an icy interlude? This Scandinavian country is the fifth largest in Europe, with a population of just five million, so there is plenty of wilderness to enjoy. But winter days are short, so it's good to be organised before you arrive.

Avantouinti

Swimming in a hole that has been cut in the ice, or avantouinti, is not for the faint-hearted! But it is claimed that ice swimming relaxes and refreshes the body while improving stress tolerance levels and enhancing blood circulation. In Helsinki you can experience ice swimming at Rastila sauna, judged by visitors to be the best winter adventure of all.

Santa Claus' village

If you travel early enough, you may also wish to visit Santa Claus' Village in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, which is actually easier than it sounds. Situated only two kilometres from an international airport, just inside the Artic Circle, visitors can enjoy snowmobile trips before visiting Santa's Log Cabin - a great trip for those travelling with grandchildren. It's open all year round, but undoubtedly most fun as the excitement builds in December.

Ice fishing

Another interesting Finnish pursuit is ice fishing; an activity which involves rugging up in heavy outdoor gear and carving a hole in the ice and hoping the fish bite quickly - although there's a coffee break for slow starters. Should you be lucky enough to land a big one, the chef at the local lodge will cook your catch and you can enjoy the fruits of your labour in warmer surroundings, perhaps with a fine wine in front of an open fire.

Last stop, Italy. Apart from the significantly lower airfares and accommodation costs, one compelling reason to visit Italy in winter is the opportunity to mingle with locals at one of the many Mercatino di natali or Christmas markets. Held in many major cities such as Naples, Trieste, Verona and Trento, they are also to be found in tiny towns across the nation.

Carnevale

Many tourists travel to Venice in summer in search of golden days and languid trips in a water bus, or vaporetto, on the famous canals. But those who go in February are in for an entirely different Venetian experience - the famed Carnevale which takes over this ancient town for the entire month. Carnevale is held in the final days before Lent, so dates vary from year to year. It dates back to the mid-13^th century, when the tradition of wearing masks began allowing nobles to mix unrecognised with those more lowly-born. It also meant those who misbehaved were rarely discovered! Many of the events associated with Carnevale are expensive, but just wandering the ancient streets and enjoying the fantastic costumes or the gondola parade offers an unforgettable experience.

Chocoholics delight

If a slightly more specific festival is your wish, why not consider the Cioccola TO - Turin's amazing celebration of chocolate, held annually when chocolate vendors set up shop to woo visitors with flavours from spicy to dark to milk to alcoholic. Running for about ten days, with many other cultural events scheduled, this is a wonderful way to meet new friends who like chocolate as much as you do.

Downhill torches

Or for those who enjoy a more active winter break, why not visit Cortina d'Ampezzo, high up in the north-eastern corner of Italy and join the skiers' torchlight parade on Christmas Eve - the ultimate way to go?

And for the romantic at heart, Italy in February surely has to be the perfect destination. Any nation which declares Valentines Day a national holiday must be made for those in love... or looking for it.

Find out more

Some great sites for those wanting a "cool" New Year:

www.icehotel-canada.com

www.festivalvoyageur.mb.ca

www.bestofhelsinki.fi/2009

www.santaclausvillage.info

 

Some people have never made New Year's resolutions. Others gave up on them ages ago. But there are those of us who hang in there, year after year. Why do we do it?

One thing to appreciate is that we are part of a very long tradition. In ancient Rome, Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances, after whom January was named, was invoked at the start of every single year.

With two faces, one on the back of his head and the other on the front, Janus was believed to be ideally positioned to review the past year and look forward to the new one. On New Year's Eve, the Romans exchanged gifts, including coins imprinted with the god's head, as they petitioned for forgiveness for the previous year's offences and promised to lift their game in the next.

Ever since then, the beginning of a new year, with its prospect of a clean slate, has proved irresistible timing for the many people around the world who favour resolutions. Different locations make for different emphases - as 2009 clicked over into 2010 there were probably few resolutioners who determined to try harder to keep the camels out of the yurt - but the themes are universal.

Improved health is high on the list. Many people aim for increased balance in their life. Some would like to attend the gym more consistently and/ or lose weight - January and February are boom times for the get-fit and weight-loss industries. Reducing or ceasing alcohol intake is often high on the agenda, especially after the excesses of the festive season. And quitting smoking is the preoccupation of many smokers as they face another year of puffing. In fact, surveys suggest that 4 out of 5 of the approximately 30 per cent of Australian men and 27 per cent of Australian women who smoke would like to stop. No wonder Quit lines run hot over the summer holidays.

Work practices are another preoccupation. Many people think seriously about finding or changing jobs, working smarter, leaving the office on time or leaving work at work. Employment patterns of course impact considerably on wider lifestyle issues and these are the frequent theme of resolutions.

Some people commit to spending more time with the family, whether that be their kids or their ageing parents. Others determine to find a new hobby or resurrect an old one, or get better organised so they can pursue leisure activities. As we settle down to watch the Australian Open, we can feel particularly smug if those tennis lessons are already underway. A new year can also provoke memories of past travels and stimulate the desire for further adventures.

Relationships always figure heavily in the resolution stakes, with people resolving to find a mate - or to lose one - or be more patient and communicative with the one they've got.

Money is a keen concern and most of us believe we could be better money managers. It's likely that if you are a resolutioner, you would have pledged to limit spending or reduce debt this year. Or you might be aiming to upgrade or downsize or even step into the housing market for the first time.

Finally, some people use the New Year as a time to pledge to help others. This might involve financial outlay or time commitment, if, for example, you volunteer at home or abroad. And increasingly, particularly in the wake of Copenhagen, many people have decided to make this the year they go into bat for the environment.

As we all know, resolutions are easy to make, but follow-through is a different story. It's why so many of us are habitual offenders, making and breaking the same promises year in and year out. Maybe the time has come to stick to just one resolution - that this year things will be different.

Here are four tips to help change bad habits into good ones:

1. Clarify your goals

If you leave goals amorphous and general, it's hard to be sure if you are achieving them or not. Spell things out for yourself. For example, "By the end of this year, I will be free of my credit card debt". Then determine, in detail, the steps, timelines and changes in spending behavior you will need to make to achieve this objective.

2. Be realistic in your planning

Think small, because small is beautiful. As the saying goes, "When you have to eat an elephant, start with the tail". Small, measurable, achievable mini-goals which are moving in the general direction of your ultimate objective make most sense. Commit to attending one Pilates session a week rather than opting for an intensive program that you will have trouble fitting into your schedule.

3. Success breeds success

Don't succumb to self reproach. Change usually involves slippage. If you let yourself down, it doesn't mean you are back to square one, just that old habits are reminding you that they die hard. It's important that you make the time to congratulate yourself on the small steps you have taken in the right direction. Or even better, find an audience for your achievements - people who will support and encourage you or are on the same mission themselves.

4. Know when to seek help

For smokers, for example, who are determined to stop, research suggests that professional assistance can be beneficial. As Professor John Low, of the University of Iowa College of Public Health reports, "A person who receives phone counselling during the quitting process is twice as likely to stay smoke-free as someone who tries to quit on their own".

Maybe this year, now that the fireworks have fizzled and the champagne corks have popped, it's time to turn those resolutions into revolutions.

FIND OUT MORE

Quitline Smokers Helpline (national)

Ph 13 7848

To investigate how to be healthier and more accepting of your body, Google 'No diet day'.

 

When 2009's Christmas turkey is history, and you are fully occupied in repressing memories of your New Year's party behaviour, you might find yourself wallowing in post-Yule apathy. Many people experience a tinsel-generated inertia, fuelled by remorse for all the food, drink and money they have consumed. Next year, they think, it will be different. The first day of 2011 will dawn on a new me - fitter, healthier and bursting with life.

You might have made promises and commitments to yourself and others, promises that involve rejection of smoking and/or alcohol, and commitments to exercise. You might even do it - for a while. Old habits die hard and as the leftover Christmas cake moulders in the tin, so do many good intentions. You can look at these promises as nasty things that tyrannise you and make you feel guilty, or you can see them for what they really are: calls to changes that you know are needed. You made these pledges because you identified a problem in your lifestyle. The problem hasn't evaporated, just your will. Such commitments are not your enemy, they are your fitness motivators - and they're free.

Consider the following list of things that you might want to change and begin planning a happier, healthier and fuller life.

Physical activity

Physical activity is a no-brainer. You know that it is promotes healthier hearts and lungs, strengthens and tightens muscle, and leads to a generally improved appearance. Weight-bearing exercise helps achieve weight loss and building bone strength. Yet research demonstrates another less obvious advantage to physical activity. It has been shown to help depression and other psychological problems. If it has so many benefits, it is worth the effort. Initial enthusiasm will wane so put as many safeguards into place as possible:

• Do choose an exercise type that you enjoy. The chances for maintaining the activity are greater when you don't regard it as a necessary evil.
• Do establish a time/place/frequency pattern that is sustainable.
• Do try to build some reward. Use the time for creative thinking, or upload your favourite music or radio documentary, pop on the earphones and enjoy the space.
• Do make it fun: join a fitness group or dance to the radio for 45 minutes three times a week.
• Do include balance-promoting exercise such as Tai Chi
• Don't start at a rate that you can't sustain or which might cause injuries such as stress fractures.

Dietary issues

Another clear case for action! The old adage, 'you are what you eat', might be a little hard, but if you keep loading up on fatty or sugary food, it will show. The 10-day miracle diets make you feel as though you are doing something positive, but they are temporary fixes and will come back to bite you as the weight rebounds, as it inevitably will. Instead of 'dieting' try to create a more intelligent eating plan:

• Do think about which foods you like that are also healthy and work with those.
• Do match your eating plan to your lifestyle. If cooking isn't your thing, or if constant weighing of portions drives you crazy find quick, easily prepared foods.
• Do limit alcohol consumption
• Do occasionally treat yourself.
• Don't starve yourself - the body will simply slow its metabolic rate and conserve energy.

Rejecting the tobacco demon

Smoking is hard to give up, but give up you must. Research indicates that if you quit before you're thirty you reduce lung cancer risk by 90 percent. This reduction slips slowly away as the quitting age rises, but quitting always diminishes risk. Chances are that you have tried to give up before, so you know what didn't work at all, and what gave you some help. Patches? Motivational tapes? Nicotine gum? They all have their success stories and all have their failures, because we all have individual responses. Find your quitting trigger and work it. There is too much at stake.

• Do push through the withdrawal phase with positive thoughts of a better, longer life.
• Do seek help wherever and whenever you can. You don't have to be a lone martyr.

Sun

The sun has had some very bad press in the past few decades, and rightly so, as our status of skin cancer capital of the world will attest. Unfortunately, its benefits are largely ignored as we rush for the sunscreen. We need at least 15 minutes sun exposure three times a week to get sufficient vitamin D, a vitamin found in very few foods (fish oils are good sources). Calcium is only able to be absorbed into bone in the presence of this vitamin, so it is vital that we get regular doses as we age. Insufficient sun exposure has also been implicated in some mood disorders. So make this year the one when you manage your sun intake sensibly.

• Do wear a hat when in the sun.
• Do avoid exposure between 11am and 3pm in summer. Although that's when the sun is best for Vitamin D manufacture in your skin, you are better staying out for a little longer earlier or later in the day.
• Do be aware that sun exposure must be direct, so although it might stream through your windows, it's not stimulating your skin to produce the vitamin.

Relationships

Foster relationships. Research tells us that if you have strong relationships, both familial and friendship, you have a better chance of living longer and in better health. These are terrific outcomes, but there is also the less egocentric result: we will enrich the lives of others.

• Do consider joining an interest-based group or a charity.
• Do call friends and family regularly.
• Do visit those who you know are lonely.
• Do mend fences where they have been broken by harsh words or misadventure.
• Don't focus on an old bitterness or resentment - such things damage us. If you can't fix what has been broken, move on and away from it.

You are worth caring for, and the above suggestions work directly towards your continued wellbeing. Life is too short to let ingrained habits, behaviours and thinking come between you and good health in 2010 and beyond.

Find out more:

Quitline: 131 848

Government health initiative and related websites: www.health.gov.au

 

Against the backdrop of Byron Bay and the far north coast of new South Wales, Steven Snow, chef and owner of the award- winning seafood restaurant Fins, shares his recipes, an unforgettable blend of healthy and decadent flavours with a Portuguese, Asian and, of course, local Byron influence. He also offers a unique insight into the challenges of running a fine dining regional restaurant in one of the most pristine and sort-after destinations on the tourist map of Australia, including how to deal with guests running around naked in your restaurant and what to do when snakes, sand flies, rats, and mangoes impinge on the dining experience. Dinner party tricks that allow your night to be spent with guests instead of being the hired help without pay or conversation! Fins is now located at Salt Village in Kingscliff. Steven cooks at Fins, travels the world as a guest chef, and writes for news papers and magazines, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for food, Pinot Noir, surfing, yoga and meditation.

Dont forget that Snowy's cookbook 'Byron Cooking and eating' makes a great Christmas gift. Be sure to Pick one up at all leading bookstores.

 

Portuguese-style mussels with chorizo tomato sauce

40 black mussels

125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil

1/2 brown onion, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

4 fresh bay leaves

200 g (7 oz) chorizo sausage, cut into 2 mm

(1/16 inch) slices

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) white wine

250 g (9 oz/1 cup) tomato sauce

steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Serves 4

Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards. Discard any broken mussels, or open ones that don't close when tapped on the work surface. Rinse well and drain.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and chorizo and cook, stirring regularly, for 4 minutes, or until the onion is lightly golden. Add the mussels and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the wine. Bring to a boil, then add the tomato sauce.

Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and steam, shaking the pan occasionally, for a further 5 minutes, or until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Serve the mussels and sauce in large bowls with steamed jasmine rice on the side.

 

Celebrate Australia Day with the great Aussie holiday

While many Australians traditionally celebrate Australia Day with barbeques and beach trips, this year, why not consider teaming up with friends for that other great Australian tradition - the road trip.

There is no better way to celebrate Australia than to travel across the country and see for yourself the historic regional sites and visit the communities that have helped shape Australia's identity.

From Ned Kelly's haunts to Pro Hart's gallery to outback races, there are enough attractions in regional communities to satisfy history buffs, cultural enthusiasts and sporting fanatics alike.

The Caravan, RV & Accommodation Industry of Australia (CRVA) website www.welovethiscountry.com.au is a great resource to find quality caravan holiday park accommodation in these regional areas, and contains a number of tips for travellers who plan to hit the road over January.

History lessons

Australia's famous bushranger Ned Kelly is remembered as both outlaw and folk hero by the general public today, thanks greatly in part to his defiance of colonial authorities in Victoria and New South Wales in the late 1870s.

Travellers can follow Ned Kelly's trail and learn more about his life in the notorious Kelly Gang when visiting historical towns such as Jerilderie in New South Wales. This is where the Kelly Gang held up the Royal Mail Hotel in 1879 and Ned Kelly wrote the now famous Jerilderie Letter, which outlines his desires for justice for his family and poor Irish settlers in Victoria's north-east.

Other Kelly locations of interest include Eurora in north-east Victoria, where the gang held up the local bank in 1878 and Old Melbourne Gaol in Russell Street, Melbourne, where Ned Kelly was executed in 1880.

CRVA chief executive officer Ben Yates suggests that travellers following Ned Kelly's trail through regional New South Wales and Victoria remember to plan for long distances between historic locations and ensure drivers stop regularly along the way.

"While there may be specific destinations that travellers want to see, make the most of the journey by stopping in outback towns and see what regional Australia has to offer", he says.

"Stopping regularly not only helps combat driver fatigue, but it can also enable travellers to discover some fantastic Australian locations".

Cultural delights

It's not all history and stunning scenery in the outback, however. For lovers of Australian art, Broken Hill in central New South Wales is a must-see, thanks greatly to the Pro Hart Gallery.

Kevin Charles 'Pro' Hart is considered by many to be the father of the Australian Outback painting movement, with his work often depicting scenes of everyday rural life.

In Broken Hill, visitors can enjoy not only Pro Hart's works, but also see his collection featuring other well-known Australian artists such as Sydney Nolan and Brett Whiteley. Broken Hill also boasts Thankakali Aboriginal Arts and Crafts Centre, which contains a number of art galleries featuring work from Indigenous artists.

Film buffs will also enjoy nearby Silverton, which has been the setting for well-known Australian films including Mad Max II, Young Einstein, Dirty Deeds and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

For accommodation in this region, CRVA recommends visiting their website www.welovethiscountry.com.au which offers easy to use search tools allowing people to find a particular holiday park as well as locating parks by the desired destination.

Sporting mad

One of the major Australian sporting events for the year falls in January when The Australian Open kicks off in Melbourne on January 18.

Sport isn't just limited to the city, however. The Carrathool Races, held in early February, are an excellent example of bush race meetings, with the event causing the small community of only 100 burst at the seams with more than 2,500 race lovers attending each year.

Australia Day, celebrated on January 26, is a big event in many regional towns, with Blackall in Queensland and Hay, Bourke and Richmond in New South Wales among the many towns throwing Australia Day celebrations.

From cabins to camping and caravan sites, caravan holiday parks offer a wide range of accommodation options for travellers seeking to visit these areas over Australia Day.

CRVA CEO Ben Yates suggests travellers heading to areas where popular events are being held call ahead to make a booking prior to leaving home.

"If you are visiting areas that hold popular events or during peak season, it always pays to book ahead and avoid disappointment", he says.

For more information about caravanning and camping, or to find a caravan holiday park, visit the CRVA website at www.welovethiscountry.com.au and while you're there, sign up for the free bi-monthly VIP Club newsletter, which lets you know about upcoming festivals and events from all parts of Australia.

 

WIN a Wilson prize pack thanks to Apia, The Guide to the Good Life and Wilson

Now that the tennis is in full swing and summer is here, it's a good time to get active. Apia recently sponsored the Medibank International in Sydney and have teamed up with The Guide to the Good Life team and Wilson.

We are serving up two prize packs for two lucky winners. Each winner will receive one Wilson high performance Tennis racket, a racket case, 4 official Medibank International tennis balls and a tennis bag.

All you need to do is answer this question and provide your contact number:

"Which woman won the Medibank International Womens Singles in 2010?"

Click Here to fill the Competition Entry form for your chance to win.

Entries close at 11:59pm on the 5th of February 2010. Winners will be notified on the 8th of February 2010.