Adventurous Australia

Adventure tourism in Australia offers a wide variety of activities like rockclimbing, surfing and sail boarding, skiing and snowboarding, skydiving, scuba diving; parasailing, bungee jumping, snorkeling and exploring the outback are some of the most common adventurous activities enjoyed by thousands of visitors visiting Australia each year. Among all kinds of adventure tourism in Australia, the most loved ones are the water activities as the Australian country boasts of an extensive stretch of coastline. Swimming, among all other water sports is the most common in Australia as there are many beaches like Bondi, Broulee, Mossy Point, Tomakin, Surf and the beaches at Durras. Another brilliant place for adventure tourism in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef which is considered to be the Mecca for people interested in scuba diving. One can take long walks off the beaches and dive into the coral world or take charter boats which move further inwards into the sea.

Gold Coast is one of the most popular destinations of adventure tourism in Australia as it offers activities on air, land and in sea. If one likes land activities, then one can drive a Subaru WRX or any other car then one can visit any of the race tracks in Gold Coast. One can even ride the Bungee Rocket, located in Surfers Paradise and enjoy the thrilling experience of being a bullet himself. One can even enjoy a safari through forests, farms, waterfalls and 14 rivers. One can even enjoy mountain-biking at the mountains and valleys of Hinterland, Mount Tamborine and other mountainous areas of Gold Coast. One can take pleasure in the helicopter tours of the Gold Coast which allow the tourists to take

some of the most spectacular photographs of the region. Surfers Paradise is truly a paradise for people who enjoy bungee-jumping, tandem jump of free fall, skydiving and similar activities. One can enjoy in the waters of Gold Coast where special buses are available which operate on land as well as sea. One can also have a ride on motorboats which can jump up to 50 knots in the seas or enjoy doing snorkeling. One can even try Kayaking at the Gold Coast seas and search for the dolphins at their natural habitat. White water rafting is excellent for people who enjoy adventure tourism.

Leave your safe life behind - Australia has vast deserts, snow-capped mountains, sea-sculpted coastlines and ancient rainforest to feel alive in. Ride a Harley from Sydney to Melbourne or take a helicopter between Victorias powdered slopes. See the Simpson Desert on camelback or soar over Canberra in a hot-air balloon. Hike the Great Ocean Walk alongside the wild Southern Ocean or squeeze through limestone caves in the Margaret River. Hike, bike, horse-ride or hang-glide. Winch your way down a mountain with just intense focus and thick rope. In Australia, theres no excuse not to get amongst it.

These are the top most places for Adventures Activities in Australia.

Horse ride in the Blue Mountains, NSW Saddle up and smell the Australian bush on a horse-riding adventure in the Megalong Valley, part of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains. With over 2,000 acres of trails and horses for every level of skill and confidence, you can go for a reign-gripping or relaxing pace. Do a scenic two-hour trek to the valley ridge, join a half-day tour to Cox's River or do an overnight ride through the epic wilderness. For full bushy credentials, spend a week in the valleys jackaroo school, where youll learn to muster cattle, shear sheep and crack a stockwhip . Hike the Alpine Track, NSW Lace up your hiking boots and gather your stamina. This tough long-distance trail follows the crest of the Australian Alps across three states and four national parks. It travels 65km, from Walhalla in Victoria to Tharwa just south of Canberra. Wind up and down the Baw Baw Plateau and the Bogong High Plains in Victoria. Traverse the rugged peaks of Kosciuszko National Park and rocky Namadgi National Park near Canberra. Camp in the wilderness or in camping grounds, historic huts or alpine resorts close to the track. Do day treks or combine shorter sections. The end-to-end walk takes 50 to 60 days and is strictly for the intrepid traveler. Ski Mount Hotham, VIC There are no end of white-knuckle winter thrills at Mount Hotham. Challenge yourself on the steep ski runs around Marys Slide, Blue Ribbon or Heavenly Valley. Or test your skills on the gentle beginner slopes of the Summit, Big D Playground and Milky Way. If youre a snowboarder, there are gullies, bowls, hits, berms, lips and open stashes slick enough to make stunt skiers jealous.

 Hang-glide in the Gold Coast Hinterland, QLD Soar like you do in your dreams on a tandem hang-glide or paraglide in Canungra, in the lush Gold Coast Hinterland. This is one of the most popular places in Australia to fly the skies, both for its mountains to launch-off and gorgeous scenery. In a 20-minute flight you can swoop over the Gold Coasts skyscrapers and glittering beaches, Gondwanan rainforest, the Great Dividing Range, Border Ranges and Brisbane. At 3,000 feet above the ground and 1,000 feet above Mt Tamborine, the experience is one of pure exhilaration.

Cave and abseil in the Margaret River, WA Just a short distance south of the Margaret Rivers wineries are the Leeuwin Naturaliste caves - an ancient, underground network of limestone caves. While most visitors see the public caves on designated boardwalks, local caving companies cater to those seeking a greater challenge. Abseil down through the forest floor into wild caves only accessible by rope. Or don a helmet and head torch and squeeze through tight tunnels and caverns.

Take a camel trek through the Simpson Desert, NT Explore Australias vast, remote desert centre in the tradition of the Afghan cameleers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. As well as riding, youll be walking up to six hours a day, while the stoic, regal camels carry your gear. Youll help shepherd the camels in the morning and evening while they feed, and under the supervision of the cameleers, help to saddle and load the equipment. Experience the timeless, multi-coloured desert scapes and camp at night under a sky ablaze with stars. Do a one week walking trek or be Lawrence of Australia on a six-week tour.

It is this fear of uncertainty and excitement which makes adventure tourism special and Australia as a favorite destination for adventure tourism.

Gujarat Tourism

Current Scenario : Visitors: From January to May 2012, the total numbers of visitors were 101 lakh, of which 78 lakh were domestic tourists within Gujarat, 20 lakh were tourists from India, 1.4 lakh were NRIs and 0.8 lakh were foreigners. There has been a significant increase in the number of tourists after the Amitabh Bachchan campaign, which was first aired in September 2010. As an effect of this campaign, the number of visitors jumped from 170.11 lakh in 2009-10 to 198.11 lakh in 2010-11 and to 223.57 lakh in 2011-12. Gujarat has achieved average tourist growth of 15.71 per cent in the last

two years. Gujarat now attracts 27 lakh more tourists every year, which is almost five per cent of Gujarats population.
Amenities/ Infrastructure:-

As compared to 2,536 hotels in 2010, the number has increased to 2,961 in 2012, adding more than 8,000 rooms in the last two years. A number of high-end hotels have come up in Gujarat, and almost all prominent chains have shown interest in setting up projects in Gujarat. In Dwarka, almost 35 new hotels are coming up. The Taj hotel at Sasan was reopened owing to the increased traffic in the last two years.

 Huge investments are also happening in places like Surat, Ahmedabad, Kutch, Somnath, Saputara and Junagadh. According to an estimate by Gujarat Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation (GITCO), Gujarat needs another 40,000 rooms in the next five years, out of which 12,000 are star category rooms.

Adventurous Gujarat

Gujarat is on the global map with Adventure and Sports Tourism with Proactive Governance promoting the growth of the Sector. Integrated development of Tourism infrastructure facilities is being materialized. It has deserts to beaches and hills to pilgrimage places, rural to urban development and rich cultural, traditional and heritage of decade. Gujarat celebrates more than 2000 Fairs and Festivals like Navratri Mahotsav, Patangotsav, Sharadotsav and Rannotsava apart from, mahashivratri melas, modhera sun temple festival, etc. and places many destinations on Tourism charts. Gujarat promotes Aero Sports like water sports, rock climbing, paragliding, wildlife sanctuaries and more. It offers infrastructure for medical tourism and religious tourism with touring opportunities to trek adventure tourism.

 Water sports at Narmada Dam Canal reservoir situated between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is set for tourist attraction near Dharampur. This will include rover boats, scooter boats, jet boats and also offer kayaking and canoeing with proposals for diving sports. Aero Sports and Submarine Tourism at Dwarka are forthcoming project vision.

The beaches in Gujarat and rural areas are being transformed for recreation and tourist attractions. Water Sports, Sun bathing, Star gazing, Bird watching, exploring marine life, cruise surfs and meditation are other recreational areas where people rejuvenate their lives.

Religious places and Tourist destinations in Gujarat have a unique traditional Getaway engaging in cultural and Spiritual experience. Many places have heritage background with scenic beauty, camel rides and traditional

accommodation in tents and huts, enjoying nature

Adventure Sports & Activities Some of the common adventure sports and activities that one can enjoy in Gujarat are listed below : Surfing

There are various beaches in Gujarat like Ahmedpur Mandvi beach, Chorwad beach, Dumas beach etc. that offers surfing facility. Out of all these, Ahmedpur Mandvi beach is the best and is mostly preferred by tourist for surfing. Skiing

The best way of experiencing adventure and also getting wet is by skiing on the lovely Ahmedpur Mandvi beach.

 WaterScooter

What about breaking all traffic rules and riding a scooter at top speed on the water. His you can experience at the lovely Ahmedpur Mandvi beach, where this adventurous activity is available. Trekking

Exploring the wildlife beauties of Satpura range and that too on foot is quite an adventurous experience. There are various trekking routes which you can take up in your journey. JeepSafari

Watching the Asiatic lion in the Gir forest national park via the jeep safari is quit an experience, which one cant afford to miss. There are various other adventure activities like boating on the Saputara Lake, swimming in the Chorwad beach etc., which would never leave you short of adventures..

 Future Strategies for growth

To give a boost to private investment in tourism, TCGL and IL&FS have formed a 50:50 joint venture company Gujarat Tourism Opportunity Ltd (GUJTOP). This company is the sole entity to identify, consult, conduct research and feasibility reports, create project cost estimation, release tenders and finalise the bid winners for the tourism related projects. It has currently identified 39 projects to be developed across six categories. These include 11 Beach Tourism projects (including resorts and water sports development), six projects for Business Tourism (comprising convention centres and three four star category hotels), seven Ecotourism projects, three Religious Tourism projects, one Rural Tourism project and 11 projects for development of wayside amenities. The projects will be developed on a PPP model.

According to Sanjay Joshi, Vice President, IL&FS and Director, GUJTOP, We have recognised 39 bankable projects which are financially and commercially viable. The bidders have to submit a simple document providing the last two years of financial audited statement, project brief and description on their previous capabilities in similar development and expertise in the area. Further on, were also planning to introduce a single window clearance mechanism for the licensing of these projects and a project management consultancy cell, Almost Rs 50,000 crore has been spent on to develop different sectors in Gujarat and additionally Rs 1200 crore has been spent on developing electricity, water and road infrastructure in the state. In 2005 Gujarat had 60 lakh tourists and the figure in March 2010 touched 1.75 crore visitor mark. Tourism in the state has observed an average growth rate of 10 per cent and want to accelerate it further.