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A Cruise Through Australasia: The Journey of a Lifetime

May 20th, 2011 by admin
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Everyone loves the idea of a vacation: beautiful beaches, exotic food, the chance to get away from it all. What’s not to love? The planning, of course! Especially when attempting to visit multiple countries, the prospect of booking the flights and finding the right hotels leaves many travelers feeling overwhelmed. That feeling is intensified by the endless stream of airport shuttles, bus rides, and packing and unpacking at each new hotel once the trip begins. It’s enough to leave someone needing a vacation after all that vacationing. This is exactly why cruises have become so popular. While cruises are available all over the world, their benefits are amplified for savvy travelers looking to experience the beauty of Australasia.

Australasia usually refers to a large area of the Pacific Ocean that includes Australia, New Zealand, and many of the islands in the South Pacific. It is an idyllic and popular vacation destination famous for its temperate climate, gorgeous beaches and “away from it all” location. From Australia and New Zealand to smaller nations such as Fiji and Samoa, each island boasts such breathtaking views and its own distinctive culture, it would be almost impossible to narrow down a list of which to visit. Attempting to fly to each island, however, would be time consuming and expensive. That’s what makes a cruise the perfect way to explore Australasia. Travelers board in Australia and relax in luxury while waiting to visit each exciting port of call.

Another attractive feature of a cruise through Australasia is the uniqueness of each port. New Zealand offers something for everyone from the streets of Auckland to the picture perfect beauty of Fiordland National Park. Likewise, Australia offers the wildlife and rustic terrain most associate with the continent, but the port in Sydney also offers a cosmopolitan city with great restaurants, shopping, and entertainment options. At the other end of the spectrum are the islands of the South Pacific. Vanuatu is as remote as Sydney is urban. It offers the beautiful beaches visitors would expect of the area, but also a fascinating island culture unlike anywhere else in the world.

With its clear turquoise water and pristine white sand beaches, Fiji is frequently listed as one of the most beautiful places in the world. The list of ports continues with Tahiti, Samoa, French Polynesia, and more, each with a breathtaking landscape and unique culture formed by the region’s remoteness and history of colonization.

With so many diverse places to explore, travelers have the option of shorter cruises that focus on a small area, such as Australia and New Zealand or longer cruises that sail through the entire region and allow passengers to experience many different locations. Even on the longer cruises, passengers are no doubt less than eager to leave paradise and return home. With its gorgeous landscapes, exciting ports of call, and luxurious onboard amenities, a cruise through Australasia is sure to remind travelers that the old cliché really is true. Getting there is half the fun.

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A Holiday in Australia

May 19th, 2011 by admin
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A holiday in Australia, country and continent in the Southern Hemisphere, offers adventure, relaxation and a truly uniquely fantastic experience. The land is vast and one holiday is not enough time to see all that the land has to offer. In the southeastern portion of the country, the largest and most exciting cities are located. As far as weather goes, the weather patterns may be changeable because these are coastal cities, but the overall climate provides mild winters and warm, dry summers. The region has national parks and many seaside sites and activities as well as numerous places of interest within the cities. Those wanting a holiday can find more than enough places to see, beyond their expectations, right in the Melbourne and Sydney areas.

Melbourne

Melbourne in Victoria Province has a good mix of cultures bringing many fabulous, well-known restaurants and cafes, an eclectic mix of festivals, and fine performances of the arts. People come into the city for sporting events held in Australia’s largest stadium, Melbourne Cricket Ground. Shopping opportunities in Melbourne are found in outlet malls and upscale boutiques.

Victoria’s nature and wildlife near Melbourne is not to be missed. Those on holiday can take a leisurely road trip on the Great Ocean Road and see spectacular scenery, Bells Beach, the Twelve Apostles, the seaside birds and animals. Mornington Peninsula offers scenic views of beaches and the ocean. Then, Philip’s Island is home to the Little Penguins as well as the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Sydney

The capital city of New South Wales, Sydney provides a holiday like no other. The two most recognizable landmarks are the Sidney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. People can visit other sites in the city as well such as the Sydney Tower with its spire that rises higher than any other structure in the city and its shopping center at the base, the Royal Botanical Gardens as well as the other two botanical gardens in the city, and the area beaches. The amusement park, Luna Park Sidney, has roller coasters and other rides.

The region’s wildlife and natural beauty is easy to find. Australian animals live at Sidney Wildlife World, and then there is the Taronga Zoo. People can hire boats at reasonable rates to go whale watching. A holiday road trip into the Blue Mountains offers scenic view of the Blue Mountains and lovely valleys below them. Then, the many trails for exploring through the wilderness area are just off the Greater Blue Mountains Drive.

A Holiday in Victoria or New South Wales

Whether trip planners choose a holiday in Melbourne or Sidney they cannot go wrong. They can choose a holiday in town, shopping and attending sporting or cultural events in the evenings, and they can venture out to discover the hinterland and mountains, the beaches, and the ocean. Several road trip options for a day or a week can be the ultimate Australian adventure. A holiday in Southeastern Australia provides many choices of great places to go.

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Western Australia: Experience the Extraordinary

April 7th, 2011 by admin
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For an extraordinary holiday, you need to go to an extraordinary destination. And nowhere encapsulates that more than Western Australia.   Home to emerald lagoons teeming with brilliant coral and vibrant tropical fish, it’s one of the few places on earth you can swim alongside whale sharks, the biggest fish in the ocean. For the more adventurous the surf in Margaret River is a firm favourite with the world’s elite pro-surfers, and is home to first-class waves not to mention gourmet boltholes and boutique wineries to relax in after a morning in the ocean. Or if exploring the waterfalls and blood-red gorges of the outback is more up your street, the Kimberley is a must.

In our live WebTV show Simon Reeve will be on hand to talk all about  his exploits with camping in Western Australia under the vast star filled sky; getting up-close-and-personal with nature in an adventure not-to-be-missed- camping in Western Australia’s national parks.

Joining Simon is Susan D’Arcy who will be able to offer tips for those of you who like to enjoy some luxury with your Australian adventure.  From unwinding in beachside spas, to hunting out truffles and sampling a glass or two of Margaret River’s finest  Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay overlooking the lush vines.

Watch Adventurer Simon Reeve and Susan D’Arcy share the endless travel adventures of Western Australia.

For more information visit www.westernaustralia.com

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Family holidays in Western Australia

June 30th, 2010 by admin
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Ningaloo Reef SnorkellingIt’s every parent’s nightmare isn’t it?  Picking a holiday destination that is going to appeal to all parties.  Dad is a sport mad cricket fan, mum just wants to be somewhere warm and the kids need to be entertained.

There are options available that can appeal to all of the above.  With the hotly contested Ashes series Down Under  this year, what better time to combine the cricket with time on sun-kissed beaches or spotting Australia’s famous wildlife.

Whilst you may think you know Australia, there is actually a diamond waiting on the west coast to delight all members of your brood. Western Australia is a veritable feast of stunning landscape and whatever your budget you are sure to find something to suit your holiday style. Whether it is swimming with the world’s biggest fish, the whale shark, at Ningaloo Reef, sampling some of the fine food and wine in Margaret River, camping in the Kimberley outback, one of the world’s last wildernesses or watching the Ashes at Perth’s famous cricket ground, the WACA, you’ll wonder why you never went there before.

Log on to this live webTV show with David Gower and adventure travel journalist Richard Madden to find out why a visit to Western Australia this year will set your family’s pulse racing both on and off the playing field.

For more information visit www.westernaustralia.com

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UK Students without University places heading to Australia

March 7th, 2010 by admin
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The possibility of tens of thousands of young people missing out on a university place in the autumn combined with grim employment statistics could see a dramatic increase in the number of young Brits heading Down Under on an Australian Working Holiday Visa.

According to new figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, more than 200,000 would-be students in the UK are expected to be unable to obtain a university place this year, and new graduates face a challenging jobs market.

Last year, similar circumstances in the Republic of Ireland saw a 33 per cent increase in young Irish taking a Australian working holiday, 22,788 for the year ending June 30, 2009 from 17,120 the previous year.

The UK is the largest country of origin for Australian Working Holiday visas, and last year a record-breaking 40,182 young people from the UK were granted this visa – a 15 per cent increase on the previous year.

Australian Visa Bureau Director Guy Bradley said: “Anecdotally we have seen an increase in Britons seeking to improve their employability and life skills through work experience overseas, specifically through the Australian Working Holiday programme.  We believe this will continue and that the year ending 2010 will be another record breaking year.

The Australian Working Holiday Visa allows young people aged 18 to 30 the opportunity to live and work in Australia for up to 12 months, as well as the ability to study for up to four months. There is also the potential for UK young people to further extend their visa by another 12 months, making the trip up to 24 months long.

The basic requirements for an Australian Working Holiday visa is that applicants must be between 18 and 30 years old, hold a valid passport with at least one year until renewal, and enough funds to support themselves for an initial period when they arrive in Australia. There is also a health and character requirement, as applicants must not have any substantial criminal convictions or medical issues.

Young people can take a free online assessment to determine their eligibility for the Australian Working Holiday Visa by visiting http://www.visabureau.com/australia/assessment/workingholida… or the Australian Visa Bureau website.

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Future Music Festival 2010 in Sydney

February 5th, 2010 by admin
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Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse will be hosting the Future Music Festival on Saturday March 6th.

Described as “a ten-hour sonic boom that travels Australia at the speed of sound”, the festival also stops off in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide during late February and early March.  The Sydney date is one of the most eagerly anticipated, having picked up a best festival award in last year’s Sony inthemix poll.

Confirmed artists for this year’s bill include rave legends The Prodigy, Scottish indie giants Franz Ferdinand and Australia’s very own Empire of the Sun.  The Future Music Festival also has a reputation for attracting big-name DJs from around the globe, with Sven Vath, John Digweed, Erick Morillo and David Guetta also scheduled to appear this time round.

Although standard tickets for the event have now sold out, a limited number of VIP and first-class options are still available.

VIP tickets are priced at AU$195.85 (£107), while first-class packages cost $295.85.

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