Glam Girl Goes to: Australia

When Audi invited journalist Dorothy Tene Redmond to take a seven-day adventure through Australia, she jumped at the chance. Here’s what happens when a city girl is let loose in the Australian outback!

Day 1:
My 17+ hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, was relatively painless due to great wine and a cache of Amy Winehouse, Bebel Gilberto and Dwele cds to keep me occupied. Upon arrival a fleet of Audi A6 and Q7’s were waiting to greet our press group. We were whisked away to the fabulous Park Hyatt  hotel for an overnight stay with spectacular views of the famous Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
Day 2:
Our adventure started before dawn with a private flight to Kununurra, the heart of the Australian outback. I hopped into a red A6 and set off for our first destination, the Emma Gorge Resort. I had to keep singing the hook from Beyonce’s Irreplaceable (“To the left, to the left…”) to remind my driving partner to stay on the proper side of the road. 
Day 3: My third day in Australia was my first real taste of the Outback. We faced a full day of driving under the most extreme conditions. There would be no gas stations, bathrooms, or restaurants for convenient pit stops. Not to mention Australia’s winter was coming to a close, and temperatures reached the 100-degree mark daily.

There are no speed limits in the outback because the road conditions – pavement to red dirt to gravel to water – will police you. We crossed several rivers and streams, and to my utter amazement, our vehicles took them all in stride.

Our arrival at Mt. Elizabeth marked the first night of camping outback style. There was an abundance of
wildlife, such as peacocks, cattle and kangaroos, to keep us company from dusk ‘til dawn.

Day 4
My day started with a cricket in my shower and kangaroo dung outside my tent. The ‘roos had infiltrated our camp while we slept and left us little bundles of joy to step over as we prepared for our second day of driving, which included a tour of Aboriginal rock art. My favorite moment was when a cow mistook our car for a playmate and continuously darted back and forth across the road while we attempted a river crossing. Our day concluded with dinner and camping at Windjana Gorge, home to the crocodile walk.
Day 5:
Ok, let’s talk about the crocodiles.... I don’t like them. I took the more cautious route of viewing their den during daylight hours as opposed to the rest of the group, who went at night. I cut my visit short due to the promise of civilization that awaited us at the end of the day’s drive. Internet access, indoor plumbing and five-star service served as our motivation as we headed to the Cable Beach Resort in Broome. Bye bye tent living!

Day 6:
Broome is a small town nestled in a stunning backdrop of vast red desert and azure blue sea alongside a pure white beach. Broome was founded as a pearling port over a century ago, and, as a result, has become a melting pot of many nationalities. The pearl industry still remains a vital part of Broome.

I took a quick tour of town and quickly found their main shopping district, referred to as China Town. This marked my first encounter with the Aboriginal natives, who assumed I was an American singer and stared in amazement as I walked from store to store. Never one to disappoint, I played the role of pop star to the hilt, posing and signing autographs before heading back to the resort to watch the reverse sunset over the Indian Ocean.
Day 7:

I started my day with a casual camel ride along the shores of the India Ocean on Cable Beach. The beautiful white sand is punctuated with rock pools where octopus and other creatures wait for the tide to take them back to the deep. After my ride and a quick bite to eat, my group departed for the airport and another overnight stay in Sydney. My last moments were spent trolling the harbor for one-of-a-kind mementos. Although I had never traveled so far to visit an English-speaking environment, but I truly enjoyed my journey. For those seeking adventure, a trip down under will certainly create memories that last a lifetime. Good day, mate!

Check out my adventure in Ambassador Magazine :