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It almost seems strange that Yanchep is not more popular. It is only 45 minutes drive north from Perth and I could never understand why more people did not go there. Sure it does not offer some of the more glitzy things that you might want in a holiday, but it is lovely and quiet and the beaches are spectacular.

The why I thought is because it is a natural progression for tourists to go south for the cooler weather, often sheltered beaches etc. and the towns and cities further south have consequently developed more and have more to offer the tourist. Hence, a quiet Yanchep.

On top of that the highway leading north, the Brand Highway, does not even go through Yanchep, so really it all comes to a bit of a dead end. Still I can imagine that in time to come there will be more development in the area and it will become more popular, probably as an upmarket quiet getaway for Perth residents.

Mandurah is coastal city 72kms south of Perth. The growth rate in Mandurah during 2008 was 5.9%. Now that is fast! What has been happening that has certainly made Mandurah a town to go to, is the fact that there has been some very clever planning to make this city one that retains its atmosphere, enjoys the lifestyle, but keeps on offering more.

In the planning of Mandurah a lot of emphasis has been put on water activities and investments. There is now a new world class marina and several canal systems which allow access to the sea. These systems are always a big attraction for the water loving Australian.

Mandurah seems to offer it all: recreation boating, swimming, fishing, water skiing, crabbing; all being supported with various annual events.

Because it is such close proximity to Perth one would have to wonder when the two will meet. Perth has, in latter years, grown at a rapid rate as well.

Because it is only 72kms to Perth, even if you could not get employment in Mandurah, it is not too far to travel to Perth. It all seems the idyllic lifestyle.

Bunbury is in a rather unusual situation in that it is has water on three sides of the township. As could possibly be expected in this area, there is a natural attraction for dolphins to laze around waiting to be noticed. They are abundant in this area and often found in Koombana Bay.

Also in abundance are the native birds, tourtoise and wildlife. You do not have to travel far to see any of these attractions and if you live there you will get to make many acquaintances with the local animals.

There is so much coastline that you do not have to go very far to be able to throw in a line. As with most coastal towns and cities the fishing is excellent.

In Spring time the countryside changes as the wild flowers of the west come out in abundance. Western Australia is known for its wild flowers and there are some truly magnificent sites to see.

If you are into walking, you won't be disappointed in the number of parks that you can walk through or ride through.

Bunbury is a great destination for either summer holidays for for weekends away from Perth. Many Perth residents will slip down to Bunbury for a long weekend.

Busselton is a fast growing tourist town. Residents from Perth and rural W.A. gravitate to Busselton, especially if they have small children, for their summer holidays as it offers safe swimming conditions as well spectacular surfing conditions on the surf beaches and at the cape.

The region is well known for its wineries and this industry offers seasonal employment during the picking season. Good rainfall also provides excellent pastures for the beef and dairy cattle raising in the area

This is the last coastal town if you are taking the coast road to Albany or beyond.

Because of its sheltered situation Busselton also provides safe boating and fishing for those who follow that sport. Very good sports facilities are there for those that like to other activities.

Kalgoorlie has a uniqueness all of its own. Situated in what seems to be the middle of nowhere this gold rich city is Western Australia's largest inland city. When gold was discovered in 1893 Kalgoorlie became a dominant city in the forming of Western Australia. Today the city is still mining gold and is still a very rich town.

Tourism also plays a very strong role in the city. Tourists flock to Kalgoorlie at all times of the year to view the enormous gold mining holes and to also see some exquisite historic buildings that are still used today.

Kalgoorlie is also a very important step in going east by road. Travellers often stop over here before heading across the Great Victoria Desert and the east. As expected in a strong mining town, services are very good and the city has to virtually stand alone as it is over 700km from Perth. It also services the a large rural area surrounding the township.

Earnings are high in Kalgoorlie and because of this there is an attraction for young families and with this comes very good facilities for bringing up children. There are lots of parks, childrens attractions, bike tracks and good support of child care centres.

As long as you love the dry, dry west then this town could suit you. This is a Gold Mining town from years gone by. In fact the first gold was found in 1892 and has been found ever since. There are still very wealthy mines in the area today. Gemstone fossicking permits can be obtained and a happy day can be had fossicking for the likes of Moss Opalite, Gold Lace Agate and Moss Agate.

Noresman is the last good sized stop off before travelling east across the Nullabor. There are all sorts of services available to travellers who need to have their gear in tip top shape to travel the 1200 kms east to the next resonably sized two of Ceduna.

There is a lot of accommodation for travellers in Noresman and many other services provided by the locals.

An interesting piece of art are the Norseman Feral Metal Camels. In such rugged outback terrains camels do a wonderful job and are seen on a regular basis.

Albany is city of variety in so many ways. Wildlife and wildflowers are amazing, there are stunning ocean views with so many bays, islands and inlets.

This is a city where you want to live if you were into nature and/or outdoor living. There are protected bays, ocean beaches, diving, whalewatching, nature drives and endless parklands, and the area is awash with history.

If you look at the area on a map you will see the layout and understand how there can be so many interesting things to do.

It has a very strong tourist visitation rate and tourists can drive down the coastline from Perth, or they can take the Albany Highway and drive through the country. Many people go one way and return the other.

Fishing is king and if you want to go somewhere where you are guaranteed to catch fish, then this is the place to go.

Esperance is a town that often gets left out of people's travels because it is off the beaten track. It is small, pristine clean, the beaches are magnificent and with the whitest of sand.

If you are driving west you either have to drop down from Norseman some 200kms and then circle the coast around towards Perth, or you drive back up north and head across through Kalgoorlie. In saying all that, I do know retirees who have said that they would love to live there because it is such a lovely town.

Although it has a certain amount of tourism, it basically services the wheat, sheep, cattle farming, fishing and forestry industries. It has a port servicing these industries.

The famous Pink Lake is only a short distance out of town and is quite a stunning site at certain times of the day.

The first time I ever crossed the Nullarbor Plain was in a mini, with every spare space packed with gear, AND the Nullabor was unsealed at the time. Some of the pot holes were so big that the mini could disappear in them if you were not careful. Not only that, when driving at night some of those male kangaroos stood taller than the car!

When we hit Eucla, just on the western side the SA border, it was 9pm at night and we could not get any accommodation. A hint, even today if you want accommodation on the trip across the Nullabor, book it ahead. Let's face it, not many people stay more than one night in Eucla.

It is a small town, no amend that to tiny town!

There are some stunning things to see in Eucla though and one of them is a clear view of the Great Australian Bight. As you cross the Nullabor you can look out and see the Bight because everything is so flat but there is virtually no access to it at that stage.

What it does have at night though is a crowd of people celebrating because they have either made it from the west, or they are heading out the next day to cover the 700 odd kms to Norseman.

Enjoy it as you pass through.

Toowoomba is a lovely city. I didn't know what to expect when we decided to visit. I was taken with the size of it as I had not expected it to be so big, but when you think about the area that it services it really is not that suprising. There is a mixture of the old and the new in Toowoomba. There seems to be something for everyone in Toowoomba.

It is one of the main towns on the inland New England Highway heading north from Victoria.

Toowoomba really has everything that you would wish for in a town. It is situated high up in the mountains, 97 kms from the coast and has commanding views which are really quite stunning.

Fine dining is becoming very popular in Toowoomba and many restaurants have received accolades in the various restaurant awards.

It is a town of parks and space. Wonderful parkland areas have natural bushland with mature trees and these are all very much a feature of the city called the Garden City. In September they have a Carnival of Flowers which attracts so many visitors that you have to book early to get accommodation.

The Cobb & Co Museum is a must to put on your list if you are going into Toowoomba. Cobb & Co transportation played such a big part in the building and servicing of Australia through its formative years.

Rainbow Beach is a popular camping town. Very laid back and is the support town for the very popular 'free' camping beaches of Rainbow Beach and Double Island Point. I say free because you just go and camp amongst the sand dunes but you do actually pay a small service fee to the ranger.

Rainbow Beach township is small and the residents lead a fairly relaxed sort of lifestyle. There really is not much in town and fishing, boating and camping are the main attractions to the area. Most other services for Rainbow Beach come from Gympie, some 90 kms inland.

Everyone who goes up the beaches to camp are driving 4WD so there is also strong support for that service in the area. Vechicles need digging out now and then, they need underbody washing when they come off the beach, and campers need to be able to get their supplies from the township.

Needless to say the summer is very busy, with Christmas being the peak season. In fact if you are going up the beach for Christmas or Easter you really need to go a few days early to pitch your tent because it has become that popular. There is vehicle access down to the beach but when campers are taking all their belongings up they usually go through Tewantin, onto the barge and drive up the beach from there.

Bundaberg is a town that is off the main highway north. It is a strong sugar cane growing area and the cane and the distillery are very strong support for the city. Bundabery Rum has been made here for 120 years. You can visit the factory 7 days a week.

Bundaberg is an older city and very interesting in its architecture.

The beaches on the coast from Bundaberg are opposite the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef and more open to the rigours of the ocean. The beaches are fantastic and Bargara is proving to be a very popular place. Quite modern as it has not been long since the new developments and very much the resort style living.

Turtles, whales and soft coral are all there for the viewing if you go on any of the dives out of Bargara.

It is becoming a popular holiday area and it is only about 3 1/2 hours drive from Brisbane. From here you can also access Lady Elliot Island.

One might ask why you would want to go to Normanton and I would have to agree if you were going there to live. It is just so far from everything! Normanton is situated on the banks of the Normanton River.

This is Barra Country. Down south you fish for bream, in Normanton you fish for barramundi. There are so many you don't even need to get in a boat. You can fish off the banks or off the jetty. For great fishing though, you can grab a boat and make a real day of it.

Oh, did I mention it is CROC COUNTRY!

Normanton is another town that is isolated and they need to make there own fun. There are many events throughout the year from fishing competitions to rodeo riding.

What keeps the area going is the mining and fishing industries. Being on the shores of Gulf Of Carpentaria, Karumba, 72km west of Normanton, there are fishing fleets and prawn trawlers working virtually all year round.

Being so far away from anywhere else, both these towns have a very laid back lifestyle.

Most tourists drive with their caravans and 4WD. Many a southern Australian goes there for the winter and enjoys months of seafood eating.

Port Douglas is remembered by all that go there. For many years the locals tried to keep it a secret, but the secret is out now. Many a film star takes a break in Port Douglas. I guess they don't feel like they will get mobbed walking down the street because there aren't that many people to mob them!

It is a very popular town and it seems like everyone who goes north goes there to have a look. The locals are exceptionally friendly and it is the most laid back happy place you can think of.

There is all sorts of accommodation, from caravan parks to five star hotels. It is a seasonal place, basically from April to October. During that time there is alot of employment, but the other 5 months it is quite slow. Things don't pick up until the rainy season has finished and the southerners start going north in their droves.

The beach nearby is called Four Mile Beach so that tells you about it. The beaches are still protected by the Great Barrier Reef so there is no surf to speak of.

North of Port Douglas the roads start dropping to a lower grade, and at times are even washed away.

What a place to be. If you love the water you could not wish for more. Airlie Beach runs along the foreshore and is backed by mountains overlooking the offshore islands. This is true holiday mode. It is packed with visitors nearly all year round as it is the access way to the Great Barrier Reef islands where thousands of visitors stay each and every year.

It is just a fun place 24/7. It is like being in a huge holiday resort each and every day of the week.

There is some beautiful real estate to be had in this area, and no it is not cheap. But if you can afford it, good luck to you. Many people own holiday units in this area and let them out when they are not using them.

The growth in Airlie Beach has meant that there is a lot of casual employment going on, a lot of backpackers moving through who pick up jobs to get them to their next destination. You will meet people from all walks of life and so many countries if you stay long enough in Airlie Beach.

Working on the islands is another thing altogether. It is not easy to get jobs there, but if you are persistant and can wait out the time til they come up you will most likely get something.

Water sports of all kinds are the thing: snorkeling, diving, sailing, boating, fishing, wind surfing, you name it, you can do it here. Well almost, there is no surf due to the fact that it is inside the Great Barrier Reef.

Townsville is a town that prospers no matter what. Magnetic Island off the coast is a huge tourist attraction for the area. The foreshore has been developed to take the best advantage of views out over the bay to the island. Nestled behind the Great Barrier Reef there are no surf beaches but there is ample opportunity to snorkel, dive and the fishing is great.

Magnetic Island is a popular spot for the locals to pop across and do something different. The island is populated with over 2000 koalas and is home to many unique bird life. It truly is a nature lovers dream to come and visit and enjoy the local surrounds.

This tropical town is a favourite amongst Queenslanders and a popular holiday destination.

An attraction of visiting Townsville is to travel west 135 km to Charters Towers, a city full of history from the gold mining years.

Residents in Townsville have to put up with the hot tropical summer but once that has passed the rest of the year is idyllic.

Mackay is a town that has grown out of the need for exporting rural products, sugar from the largest sugar cane producing area of Australia and the nearby product of coat in the Bowen Basin. The diversity in this region helps keep the region on a reasonably even keel economically and now tourism is becoming more and more popular in the area.

Is that because of the 'grey army'? Come April when the tropical rains have eased there is a constant flow of the 'grey army' heading north with their caravans. And you can not blame them. The whole coastal area around Mackay is almost seething with fish AND the ever so popular prawns. You can walk out from the beach with a net, hook it round and you will get more than you will need for a feed. True! For the best areas check out the beach areas around Sarina.

Not only that, the weather through April - August is PERFECT!

If you are considering living there, go for a holiday and check it out.

There were two things that struck me quite strongly when I drove into Maryborough and they were the fact that it is an old style Australian city with the raised wooden houses and that it is so flat.

The reason being of course, is that it is up river from the river mouth of the Mary River which is prone to flooding.

Being in Maryborough is like stepping back in time. There are so many historic buildings and exceptionally wide streets that you almost expect to see the horse and cart coming towards you.

First settled in 1842 the town grew because it became a safe port and exported wool. In the following years Walkers turned it into a strong industrial town building large ships and a variety of other equipment used for industry up and down the coast of Australia.

Because of its background Maryborough is steeped in family history. It is a very close knit town.

Maryborough supports a large farming area and the services it offers are vital to the survival of the area.

From the mouth of the Mary River you can go out into the protected waters behind Fraser Island - great for fishing.

Maroochydore is an interesting city in that it has so many positive aspects to offer residents and holidays alike. It virtually has everything that anyone could want. It is the business hub of the Sunshine Coast so there is a lot of employment in the area and it is growing at a rapid rate.

The Maroochy River runs along the boundary of the city and there are lovely parks and children playgrounds which are very popular. There is also a great set up at the local pools next to the park.

There is an assortment of home, units and townhouses available for living and there is a strong influence from the holiday sector.

It is busy by coastal standards, but relatively speaking it just ticks along at a nice pace.

For entertainment there is fishing, boating, golf, putt putt, various sports, windsurfing, jet boat riding and of course swimming and surfing.

Cooroy is situated about 30 mins drive in behind Noosa. It is sort of crossroads where the coast road comes out and meets the highway leading north and south. It is quite a pretty town, a little bit laid back, but nestles in the hinterland quietly and provides the local community and the through traffic with what they need. It is considered the last town of the Sunshine Coast area and from here those going north have quite long drives in between townships.

Quite a few people in this area live on acreage and it is a very community minded town. There are a lot of activities that go on and the community knits very well together.

Locals consider themselves very lucky because they can jump on the highway and go northto Gympie and the coast, south to Brisbane or into the beaches, all with quick access.