Because of the great distances, there is no way to explore the Outback in a few days. However, those who don’t have much time should start their trip in Alice Springs, as there are many well-known tourist attractions near this city. If you want to see more than the famous Uluru, you should make time to visit the whole national park where Uluru can be found, Alice Springs Desert Park.

Undoubtedly the greatest tourist attraction on the Australian continent is Uluru (Ayers Rock), and Alice Springs sees so many tourists because Uluru is relatively close to it. However, many tourists fail to make a correct estimate about the distances in the Australian Outback: ‘close’ means Uluru is 450 km away from Alice Springs.

Those who make the trip from Alice Springs to Uluru should visit the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. Kata Tjuta is really close to Uluru: one must drive only 50 km. The third important tourist attraction is Wattarka – Kings Canyon. This is a national park little bit further away, at 300 km from Uluru.

Besides the top three tourist attractions, there are a lot more to see. One place to visit is the West MacDonnell Ranges, and the East MacDonnell Ranges. Palm Valley, Hermannsburg, Chambers Pillar are also beautiful places in the Alice Springs area.

Those who choose to drive all the way from Alice Spring to Darwin must prepare for a really long journey. Those who find inspiring the endless horizon, great open space and ever changing landscape will enjoy the trip. However, a lot of people are unhappy about the journey, saying that the drive is too monotonous, with few tourist attractions on the way.

One beautiful place on the way to Darwin is Devils Marbles, 393 km north of Alice Springs. 600 km from Devils Marbles there is Mataranka, and from here it is only 105 km to Katherine George, one of the greatest places in Australia. Darwin itself is a tourist attraction, and there are several national parks in the north of Australia: Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park are the favorite.

Those who choose to drive south from Alice Springs to Adelaide, will reach an opal mining town called Coober Pedy. This town is very different from other Australian tourist attractions: some people love it, others hate it.

For those who are looking for real adventure, there is the Outback of the Australian Outback, the Kimberley region in the remote north-west territory. This is the place where most of time 4WD jeeps are the only means of transportation. Among the must see thing there is the Great Northern Highway from Broome to Kununura, the Gibb River Road, and countless waterfalls, rock pools, secret fishing spots, national parks and one of the world’s top 5 beaches.

Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including many European countries by car. To book a car rental Montenegro, or learn more about cheap car hire worldwide, visit www.zencarhire.com

An outpouring of lava from nearby Mount Warning – many millenia ago – created Tamborine Mountain’s lush, forested plateau which is approximately 8 km long by 5 km wide and now sits 600 metres above sea level.

The many attractions of Mount Tamborine and its charming villages include craft and antique shops, cafes and restaurants and numerous galleries which attract thousands of tourists every season.

The area is also known for its award-winning wineries with many offering tours, free tastings and affordable meals in beautiful surroundings. If you enjoy walking, nine National Parks within the Tamborine Mountain region await you. Shady walking tracks lead through magnificent subtropical rainforest and past breathtaking waterfalls, natural swimming holes and rock pools. Sun dappled picnic, BBQ and rest areas pepper the way and spectacular lookouts offer stunning views towards the ocean as well as to the West over the hinterland.

The Rainforest Discovery Skywalk is one of the latest Tamborine Mountain attractions and was completed in early 2009. Set on 30-acres of awe-inspiring rainforest and alongside a tumbling creek, the Skywalk consists of an eco walking trail that leads to a 40m-long platform set 30m above the rainforest canopy. A short drive away, another popular attraction are the Glow-worm Caves that offer guided underground sightseeing tours through two spectacular man made caves filled with thousands of glow worms.

The rich volcanic soil of the area supports a diversity of horticulture which can be enjoyed on nature walks as well as by visiting the local Botanic Gardens. The bounty of many Tamborine Mountain residents’ gardens is also on display at several roadside stalls that abound with kiwi fruit, rhubarb, avocados and macadamia nuts quaintly displayed around an ‘Honesty Box’.

This small plateau also thrives with animal and bird life. Platypus, green tree frogs, scrub turkeys, wallabies and of course koalas form part of the Mountain’s varied range of wildlife and in the morning, the calls of lorikeets, kookaburras and lyrebirds can be heard.

The state of Queensland is known as Australia’s Sunshine State and on Tamborine Mountain, you can enjoy abundant sunshine year-round but without the heat and humidity that the more northerly parts of Queensland often endure.

The surfing beaches, shopping malls, theme parks (including Warner Brothers and Sea World) plus many other Gold Coast attractions are a comfortable 40-minute drive from Mount Tamborine while Brisbane is one hour away, making the Mountain the ideal ‘base-camp’ location from which to explore south-east Queensland.

The nearest international airport is Brisbane’s, however national travellers often opt for Coolangatta (Gold Coast) airport, a mere 45-minute drive from Tamborine Mountain.

Whether you are parents-to-be seeking a tranquil Babymoon destination, a newly engaged couple looking for that perfect Honeymoon location or if you are simply looking for the best Tamborine retreat you will delight in the serene privacy of Mount Tamborine’s Witches Falls Cottages.

Witches Falls Cottages offer an idyllic retreat to nature and consist of very private cottages tucked away along rainforest pathways in one of Tamborine Mountain’s and perhaps even Australia’s most secluded and peaceful locations.