2024 Australia – October

2025-12-20

2024 Australia – October – Tamborine National Park

Tamborine National Park is a protected area located in southeastern Queensland, Australia, within the Gold Coast hinterland approximately 70 kilometres south of Brisbane. The park is situated on and around Tamborine Mountain, an elevated plateau rising sharply above the surrounding lowlands of the Gold Coast and Logan regions. It consists of several non-contiguous sections that protect rainforest gullies, escarpments, creeks, and remnant volcanic landscapes. The park forms part of the broader Scenic Rim and is closely associated with subtropical rainforest environments, high rainfall, and relatively cool temperatures compared to the adjacent coastal plain. Land use within the park is restricted to conservation, research, and low-impact recreation, while surrounding areas include residential settlements, agriculture, and tourism infrastructure.

2025-12-20

2024 Australia – October – Sydney to Condobolin

The region extending from Sydney to Condobolin spans a broad transect of New South Wales from the coastal metropolitan zone across the Great Dividing Range and the Central Tablelands into the semi-arid interior of the Lachlan River catchment. This corridor represents a major environmental and geographical transition, moving from humid coastal landscapes through elevated plateaus and mountain ranges into the flat plains of the western slopes and plains. Sydney marks the eastern urban and economic core, while Condobolin functions as a regional service town within the Central West, surrounded by agricultural land and riverine environments. Climatic conditions shift progressively inland from temperate coastal influences to increasingly continental and semi-arid regimes, with lower rainfall, greater temperature variability, and higher evaporation rates.

2025-12-202025-12-20

2024 Australia – October – Trip to Batemans Bay

The region extending from Sydney to Batemans Bay covers a significant section of the southeastern coastline of New South Wales, Australia. It spans the transition from the metropolitan Sydney Basin through the Illawarra and South Coast regions to the lower Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla areas. The landscape is characterized by strong contrasts between urbanized coastal plains, steep escarpments, forested plateaus, river valleys, and an increasingly rural and natural coastal environment toward the south. The Tasman Sea defines the eastern boundary, while inland areas rise toward the Great Dividing Range. Climatically, the region experiences temperate to warm-temperate coastal conditions, with rainfall influenced by onshore weather systems and orographic effects along the escarpment and hinterland ranges.

2025-12-20

2024 Australia – October – Stanwell Park to Wollongong

Stanwell Park is a coastal village in New South Wales, Australia, located approximately 50 kilometres south of central Sydney and immediately north of Wollongong. It lies within the Illawarra region at the base of the Illawarra Escarpment, between steep sandstone cliffs and the Tasman Sea. The settlement occupies a narrow coastal plain with direct access to Stanwell Park Beach and is framed by forested slopes rising sharply inland. Stanwell Park is known for its strong relationship to coastal processes, escarpment landscapes, and wind-exposed headlands, which have made it a focal point for outdoor recreation and nature-based activities. Despite its proximity to major urban centres, the village retains a relatively low-density, residential character closely integrated with surrounding national park environments.

2025-12-20

2024 Australia – October – Springbrook National Park

Springbrook National Park is a protected area located in southeastern Queensland, Australia, within the Gold Coast hinterland approximately 100 kilometres south of Brisbane. The park occupies elevated terrain on the eastern edge of the McPherson Range and forms part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Springbrook is characterized by high plateaus, steep escarpments, deep valleys, and extensive rainforest cover, with elevations reaching over 900 metres above sea level. The area experiences high annual rainfall and frequent cloud cover, creating cool, humid conditions that support diverse subtropical and temperate ecosystems. Human settlement within the park is absent, and land use is dedicated to conservation, research, and low-impact recreation.

2025-12-20

2024 Australia – October – Southport

Southport is a coastal suburb and major commercial center of the Gold Coast in southeastern Queensland, Australia. It is located on the southern shores of Moreton Bay and along the Broadwater, approximately 70 kilometres south of Brisbane. Southport functions as the administrative and civic hub of the City of Gold Coast and combines urban, residential, recreational, and maritime land uses. The area is characterized by a mix of high-density development, institutional facilities, waterfront parks, and transport infrastructure. Its sheltered Broadwater frontage contrasts with the exposed ocean beaches further south, giving Southport a distinct coastal setting shaped by estuarine and marine processes.

2025-12-202025-12-20

2024 Australia – October – Border Ranges National Park

Border Ranges National Park is a protected area located in northeastern New South Wales, Australia, along the border with Queensland. It forms part of the Great Dividing Range and lies within the hinterland region between the Richmond and Tweed river catchments. The park covers rugged mountainous terrain characterized by steep escarpments, deeply incised valleys, elevated plateaus, and dense forest cover. It is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area and represents one of the largest remaining tracts of subtropical rainforest in the country. Human settlement within the park is absent, and land use is strictly focused on conservation, scientific research, and low-impact recreation.

2025-12-20

2024 Australia – October – Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is a major coastal region in southeastern Queensland, Australia, located approximately 70 kilometres south of Brisbane along the Coral Sea. It extends from the New South Wales border in the south to the southern suburbs of Brisbane in the north and encompasses a diverse range of landscapes, including sandy ocean beaches, coastal dunes, estuarine waterways, lowland plains, and mountainous hinterland areas. The region is one of Australia’s most significant urban and tourism centers, with a population exceeding half a million residents and a strong emphasis on coastal living, recreation, and service-based industries. Climatically, the Gold Coast experiences a humid subtropical climate characterized by warm summers, mild winters, and seasonally variable rainfall, influenced by both maritime conditions and orographic effects from the hinterland ranges.