Copyright 2006 Tracey Anderson

Homeownership in Australia is at an all-time high. The Mortgage Industry Association of Australia reports that Australia’s homeownership rate of 70 percent is among the highest in the world. It’s clear that more Australians are buying homes, in part due to the nation’s economic strength and prosperity, as well as the affordable housing market. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average value of a recently purchased home was $200,000 for first-time homebuyers, and $280,000 for changeover buyers. And if you’re a first-time home-buyer, you may be eligible for a non-means-tested, First Home Owner Grant.

Several other resources are available, including the Defence HomeOwner Scheme, which offers interest subsidies for members and ex-members of the Australian Defence Force wishing to purchase their own home. There are several steps involved in getting a mortgage, and it starts before you even have your new home picked out. Selecting a mortgage lender is the earliest, and perhaps the most important step of all. It will ultimately determine both the price range you will be focusing on, the features of a home you will be looking for as well as the all-important location factor. By doing extra research in the preliminary stage, you are more likely to find a home in your desired location (especially in cities with competitive real-estate markets like Sydney) because having a definite price in mind will focus your house-hunting efforts.

Choosing a lender that will work with you, and provide you with the best rates and fees possible will help you determine how much you can afford to spend on your new home. Often, this step is best done with the help of online research tools and leading independent mortgage resources.

Once you have selected a lender, they will work with you to pre-qualify you for a loan, and determine how much you can afford to spend. The pre-qualification is not the same thing as approval, but rather, a guideline that gives you a dollar amount that you should qualify for given the information you provided. Only after these two steps is it time to go out and start house-hunting.

When you have found the home of your dreams, your lender or broker will be able to give you advice on the next steps. After making your offer, the process of actually obtaining your loan should be straightforward and speedy, especially if you have already been pre-qualified. By doing some extra research in the preliminary stage of property searching and by taking advantage of current developments in today’s booming market (such as the First Home Owner Grant), you can move into your home sooner, with less hassle and with a better mortgage.

About the Author

Tracey Anderson is a mortgage broker with 16 years experience in the Australian mortgage industry. She currently works with a number of broker networks, including, Mortgage Mall as an expert industry analyst. For more resources and information about the Australian mortgage industry, visit http://www.mortgagemall.com.au

Stunning Katherine Gorge, the major attraction of Nitmiluk National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia, is an absolute must see. Katherine Gorge shows that the most impressive experiences in the Australian Outback don’t cost an arm and a leg, don’t have to be shared with a kazillion other tourists, and they don’t require any special preparations.

The 180,353 hectare Nitmiluk National Park is typical rugged Australian Outback country: red rocks and escarpments, and dry bushland with pockets of rainforest along streams and water holes. Wherever there is water the area is teeming with wildlife: lizards, insects, birds, turtles, and even harmless freshwater crocodiles.

On top of the natural beauty, flora and fauna Nitmiluk offers insights into Aboriginal history and Aboriginal culture. The rock art you see here is up to 7000 years old. The traditional owners, the Jawoyn Aboriginal people, only regained the title to their lands in 1998. They gave the area its name: Nitmiluk - meaning Cicada Place.

The main attraction of Nitmiluk National Park is Katherine Gorge itself.

No visit to the Australian Outback is complete without a flight, cruise, canoe trip or hike up the spectacular 12 km Katherine Gorge, winding its way between red sandstone cliffs up to 70 metres high.

23 million years it took the Katherine River to form this natural wonder… An amazing region that can be discovered and enjoyed in many ways.

For those with little time there is the usual array of boat tours and scenic flights to choose from. Both can be recommended and will reward you with impressive views and spectacular photos to take home.

However, Katherine Gorge is also one of the big tourist attractions in Australia where it is very easy to get away from the tourists…

Here are some suggestions on how to do just that:

Go hiking along Katherine Gorge

The shortest track at Katherine Gorge is a 400 m steep climb near the Visitor Centre and boat ramp. It will take you to a magnificent spot overlooking the start of the gorge. Many of the Katherine Gorge promotional pictures are taken from here (and nearly every visitor to the park will come up here to take a photo…).

But for those who want to get away from the masses and explore the gorge further there are another 100 km (!) of marked walking trails winding through the park, including serious full day and over night hikes. You won’t see many tourists on these.

For example you can walk along the rim of the gorge to Smith’s Rock, which marks a huge fork in the river. This full day hike offers breathtaking views and opportunities to duck down to the gorge itself for a swim. Other trails take you to scenic outlooks (Windolf Walk), secluded swimming spots (Southern or Northern Rockhole) or simply beautiful places well worth visiting (Lily Pond and Butterfly Gorge, which really is filled with butterflies…).

The king of all walks is the Jatbula trail, a three to five day hike to Edith Falls (now called Leilyn), the popular lake and waterfall in the north western part of Nitmiluk National Park. The hike spans 66 km and leads away from Katherine Gorge, through scenic rocky country to spring fed creeks, waterfalls, wetlands and pockets of rainforest. It is well marked and not technically difficult in any way. Above all it offers stunning scenery. However, it IS a five day walk and requires fitness and preparation.

Go canoeing in Katherine Gorge

Canoeing is my favourite way to see Katherine Gorge. The days in the Australian Outback are hot! If you’re in a canoe you just slide over the side, cool off and climb back in… But there is another reason:

You often read that thirteen individual gorges make up the Katherine Gorge. They are actually sections of one and the same gorge that become separated by rock bars and boulders when the water level drops during the dry season. Tour boats have to stop at these rock bars, canoeists don’t. A canoe is the only way to explore the whole length and the most spectacular parts of the gorge.

If you choose to go on an overnight trip you will often find that you have the more distant parts of the gorge entirely to yourself. No other people, no tour boat engines, no shouting and splashing. Wildlife doesn’t take much notice of a canoe quietly moving along the still waters here and you will see a lot.

One and two person canoes can be rented for half a day, a full day or over one or more nights. The rental of the canoe includes waterproof containers for your food, sleeping bag, camera, tent, change of clothes, whatever you wish to take. No special preparations or equipment are needed.

An overnight canoe trip in Katherine Gorge definitely gets my vote as the number one experience in the Australian Outback!

You can find more helpful information about Katherine Gorge on the author’s website.

About the Author

B. Bradtke is the founder and editor of the Outback Australia Travel Guide, a website specializing in off beat travel away fom the tourist crowds. Visit her site to find more travel advice for big attractions like Kakadu National Park or Katherine Gorge, up and coming regions like the Western Australia Kimberley, and ideas for travel in the Australian Outback.

Australia, the land DownUnder, has become a major and exciting force in international wines. Australian wine is taking the world by storm, due to the quality of the grape stock combined with the skill and experience of its winemakers. This enables it to produce a superb and wide range of Australian wine styles.

This island continent features wines as varied as its terrain. Most people know of Australian Shiraz ? that fruit-forward wine now known and enjoyed around the world. These fabulous ?fruit bombs? represent but a small part of the overall Australian winemaking scene.

Australia is sometimes described as the perfect wine producing country. It has a land mass as great as the United States or Western Europe, with a diverse climate from cold to cool to warm, and a wide variety of soil types, including the famous Coonawarra terra rossa. These natural advantages coupled with the irrepressible free-spirited character of the Australian people, has encouraged Australian winemakers to build on the great traditions of winemaking, to create delicious wines of stunning quality, diversity and uniqueness.

Wines from Australia are usually denoted by their grape variety. Aside from Shiraz, Australia also produces fine Chardonnay, Semillon, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and plenty of Cab-Shiraz blends plus some distinct Aussie wines. And don?t forget the Australian sparking whites and reds ? just the wines to keep your taste buds tingling.

Delicious concentrated ripe fruit, harvested at the peak of perfection is easier to obtain in Australia than almost anywhere else in the world. Australian wines are a delight on your palette with their different aromas, flavours and taste sensations crafted from each of the different grapes, blends and regions.

Go and visit DownUnder, you won?t be disappointed. If you don’t have the time just now, you can take a Wine Tour around this amazing country through the AussieWinesOnline website and experience the people, places and those incomparable Aussie wines.