Archives for June, 2008
Posted on Jun 21, 2008 under Sydney |
Sydney offers every category of accommodation – from backpacker hostels to international standard deluxe hotels (A$300-plus per night).
Sydney’s large and diverse accommodation industry caters for all budgets. At the upper end there’s the luxurious Park Hyatt Sydney, set right on the water’s edge, and the Westin Sydney, occupying the classic old post office building in Martin Place. At the lower-priced end, the ever popular Y on the Park, offers budget rooms with a near-city location. There are also many economical, self-catering apartments and reasonably priced guest guesthouses and hostels are plentiful. Bed-and-breakfasts are numerous, especially in outer suburbs and rural areas close to the city.
Sydney’s major hotel areas are around the city centre, Darling Harbour and Pyrmont, Circular Quay, Central Railway, and the inner eastern suburbs. Most hotels have in-room internet connections or wireless areas for laptops, and all backpacker hostels have computers for pay-as-you-go net surfing and email checking.
It’s worth looking on the internet for special deals, both in advance bookings and last-minute rate reductions. By all means use the sites that compare and present hotels together, but if you have a good idea of the place you wish to stay, go directly to their website and look for a ‘specials’ button. You can often get better deals this way. But be aware that there are popular times of the year, such as around new Year and January, when hotels are fully booked, so forward booking at this time of year is essential.
Although Sydney’s CBD is only 7km from the international airport, there are times when a stay at an airport hotel is necessary. Fortunately there are three good options: Hotel Formule 1 Sydney Airport is a good budget option; Ibis Hotel Sydney Airport offers mid-range value, and Airport Sydney International Inn is only a few minutes from the airport, in the quieter suburb of Arncliffe.
Posted on Jun 21, 2008 under Brisbane |
With its languid subtropical air, bustling city centre, and riverside charm, Brisbane is one of the worlds most livable cities. Australia’s third largest city, with 1.5 million inhabitants, is the capital of the northern state of Queensland. The CBD has a collection of tall office towers and the CBD shopping precinct centres around the Queen Street Mall. Once Australia’s most monocultural city, today Asian residents and travellers are energising this increasingly important Pacific Rim city. Inner-city suburbs have many dining options for locals and visitors alike. A CityCat ferry ride is a good way to explore the city and riverside suburbs. Be sure to take a tour to Mt Coot-tha, just 20-minutes drive west of the CBD, to get a good perspective on the city and surrounds. Brisbane’s main attractions, include the magnifident Botanic Gardens in the city centre, the Roma Street Parklands, Queensland Performing Arts Complex, South Bank, and the Queensland Art Gallery.
The city’s inner-city suburbs, such as Paddington and Milton, with their distinctive timber buildings, offer fabulous specialty shopping, great old pubs, and excellent restaurants, while multicultural Fortitude Valley is great for dining and nightlife. You can board Brisbane Citysights Tours for a trip around the city and hop off at most of the city’s main attractions. Later you can relax on one of the River City Cruises or CityCat Ferries and learn about the city’s history and landmarks along the river. A daily ticket, which can be purchased at train stations or on buses and ferries will let you ride the ferries, buses and trains all day for a set price according to zone. The city’s bus system joins central Brisbane with the inner suburbs, while a limited rail system serves the outer suburbs. Both the Sunshine Coast to the north and the Gold Coast to the south are served by a rail line.
An hour’s drive south of Brisbane is the Gold Coast. Australia’s glitzy holiday paradise with miles of sandy beaches, vibrant nightlife and . The low-key Sunshine Coast, two hour’s drive north of the CBD is another beachside holiday district with laid-back Noosa Heads as the prime destination.
Brisbane International Airport, 14km (9 miles) northeast of Brisbane, with rail, bus and taxi links to the city.
Posted on Jun 21, 2008 under Northern Territory |
Swaying palms, monsoon vine forests, dancing birds, crocodiles in the waterways, ancient cultures, ecologically significant areas - it sounds so exotic, it’s hard to believe we’re talking about Australia - but we are. The Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory has all of this and more.
Environment
One of the best things about exploring this part of the continent is the landscape. It’s so dramatic it never fails to make a lasting impression and the number of places to go and things to do is almost endless.
Picture a sunny day in July, floating on a li-lo down the spectacular Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk). Or bushwalking with a guide through World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park and 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture, not to mention the 275 species of birds, the 1000 different plants or the reptiles and other animals that call it home. You won’t ever have seen anything as amazing as the pillars of the Lost City in the Gulf Region, a helicopter will drop your tour group into this natural wonder.
Climate
Forget about winter chills, the Top End is blue skies and sunshine. Holidaying in the Top End in the tropical summer is like walking into another world. From November to April the skies are alight with Nature’s light shows and waterfalls thunder in applause. Gone are the narrow waterways of the dry season and in their place a single sheet of water stretches to the horizon. The monsoonal rain falls mainly in the late afternoon and overnight, so you can still spend your days touring. The appeal of this time of the year is fast becoming well known but as yet it is not reflected in prices; off season rates apply and they make this time of year even more appealing. Did you know that the temperatures from November to April in the Top End are almost the same as those in Singapore, Bali and Cairns?
Culture
There are so many things to see in The Top End, it’s hard to list them all in a small space. Aboriginal art, history and culture are featured on the Tiwi Islands and at Manyallaluk, and ancient Arnhem Land offers a special experience. Wildlife is easy to find roaming free in the National Parks and it’s also well displayed at the Territory Wildlife Park and the Darwin Crocodile Farm. The jumping crocodiles on the Adelaide River are something you have to see to believe. Litchfield National Park is just 105km by sealed road from Darwin and is largely untouched wilderness with spring-fed waterfalls that flow all year. A day or two relaxing there will really rejuvenate you.
The Top End is Australia’s tropical north and a region that gives its visitors an experience with a difference. Being closer to Asia than any Australian capital city, it has a distinct Asian flavour, especially in Darwin. One other thing that tops of its appeal is - you don’t need vaccinations. Just about all the locals speak English. Well there may be a few words that trick you like - “it’s only 310 km down the track” (the ‘track’ is the local slang for the Stuart Highway), or “would you like a white or a blue can?” - that means a can of Carlton or Fosters beer. You may be able to tell by now that the locals are pretty relaxed and friendly, so rest assured you will be welcomed and given a great holiday.
National Parks
There are many national and nature parks in the Top End. Although fees may apply for some camping sites, there is no entry fee for visitors to Kakadu National Park.
A two hour drive from Darwin is all it takes to reach the heart of a World Heritage region - Kakadu National Park. Its vast expanse is studded with natural jewels like Ubirr and Nourlangie Rock, Yellow Waters, Jim Jim and Twin Falls. Litchfield National Park is located even closer to Darwin, with waterfalls, nature walks and colourful, ever-present wildlife. The beauty of the Top End extends further south into the Katherine region and Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park, featuring the magnificent Katherine Gorge, made famous in the Australian movie Jedda.
Australia’s tropical north, the Top End, offers year round attractions that are truly memorable and inspiring.
Posted on Jun 20, 2008 under Perth |
Perth, Western Australia’s capital city, fronting the meandering Swan River, is the state’s economic and cultural base. Perth’s people are easygoing and the city, with its inner city parks, natural ambience and feel. The Swan River offers a range of water sports, including sailing, sailboarding and parasailing, and the 50 km of riverside pathways allow forfor walking and cycling access.
Kings Park, a mix of bushland, botanic gardens, walkways and lawns has lots of alkways and is perfect for picnicking, while the view from Kings Park of the Perth cityscape and river is sublime.
Perth beaches, nineteen in all, are close to the city centre and some, live Scarborough Beach are great for surfing.
Shopping in Perth is a favourite past time and there are department and chain stores as well as designer fashion outlets catering for all tastes. And restaurants in Perth feature fresh local produce, fine wines and, quite often, a superb setting, that encourages visitors and locals alike to enjoy the city’s mild climate.
Perth has excellent cultural institutions on the Western Australia Museum and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Other Perth attractions that are worthwhile include the Western Australia Museum and the Art Gallery of Western Australia, both set in the cultural suburb of Northbridge. The Museum highlights the state’s natural systems and Aboriginal past and includes Megamouth, a huge shark. At the Art Gallery on the weekends, an arts and crafts market is held in the Cultural Centre Mall.
The city edge Kings Park is a great place to get a good feel for the Western Australian natural vegetation. When you visit the park you will learn about the region’s distinctive flora and picnic on the lawns overlooking the city and the Swan River. And you can learn about Australian fauna at the Perth Zoo, where the Butterfly House and native animal displays share pride of place.
The Western Australia Museum highlights the state’s natural systems and Aboriginal past and includes Megamouth, a huge shark. At the Art Gallery of Western Australia on the weekends, an arts and crafts market is held in the Cultural Centre Mall.
Take a ferry from the Barrack Street Jetty to Fremantle and view the mansions of Peppermint Grove and Mosman Park on your way to the historic port city where you can board and old tram for a tour of the city’s sights.
Posted on Jun 19, 2008 under Sydney |
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the second most visited Sydney attraction - after the Sydney Opera House. This is a bridge located on the Sydney Harbour, connecting the Central Business District (Sydney CBD) on the coast with the residential north sydney suburbs. The bridge offers a beautiful panoramic view of Sydney.
The Bridge was built over a period of eight years, from 1924 to 1932. Since its inception is has been regarded as one of the most beautiful harbours in the world and is the largest in the world. Dr. Bradfield was the one who designed the bridge and the English company Drom Long and Co. were responsible for its construction, which cost a little more than 4 billion pounds. The bridge was designed with 8 dedicated lanes for vehicles, two train lines and a path for cyclists and pedestrians. Do you know how many cars pass by here every day? No less than 161 thousand. Impressive!
The Sydney Harbour Bridge was built with steel arches and is the main highlight with the New Years Eve fireworks display. If you are able to travel to Sydney during this time of the year you will get the opportunity to take many excellent pictures of boats and the sea which are illuminated by fireworks. It’s really beautiful!
You can also enjoy an unforgettable experience doing the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. Climb to the summit of the bridge and get to know what it feels like to be 134 meters above the Sydney Harbour. If you are not afraid of heights it will be a fascinating ride. Choose to do the Bridge Climb during the daytime or night. Both climbs last about 3 ½ hours. Do not miss the opportunity to take dramatic panoramic pictures of the city including the Sydney Opera House, sea, mountains and the city port. You will feel like you are on top of the world!
Posted on Jun 19, 2008 under Central Australia |
The word desert usually conjures up images of drifting sand dunes, not much vegetation or wildlife, the occasional oasis and camel safaris with cameleers in flowing robes. Well that might be true of the Sahara Desert in Africa, but when it comes to the Simpson Desert in Central Australia, you are in for a big surprise. The sand dunes are where vegetation thrives and includes a mix of spinifex grass, iron wood and bloodwood trees and after rain, a widespread carpet of wildflowers.
Interspersed among the dunes are striking rocky landmarks like Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley. Also living peacefully in this region, an area far larger than most European countries, is a range of well adapted animals including wild camels, inquisitive emus and dingos. Safaris do venture into the Simpson but they are most likely to be in a modern, air-conditioned, 4WD vehicles with holidaymakers sharing an unforgettable adventure with a specialist tour leader.
Various Aboriginal communities dot the landscape at Santa Teresa, Titjikala and Apatula. Aborigines are maintaining the integrity of their cultures, while keeping a firm eye on the future through regional council self-determination. Access to Aboriginal communities is limited, so check with the Central Lands Council, in Alice Springs, if you are planning to pass through a community to see if access is possible.
Kulgera Pioneer Museum and Animal Park
Historical homestead collection set on 4.5 hectares, 19km from the NT/South Australian border. Walk through restored and refurbished, early original Kulgera cattle station homestead plus a range of collections - early implements, vintage motors and many miscellaneous curios of Territory heritage. Easy access for photos and videos of emus and kangaroos. Souvenirs and crafts for sale. Easy parking. Developed and owned by Territorians. French, German and Japanese translated information sheets are available. It is open daily from 8am to 5pm. Entry fee applies.
Simpson Desert Tours
Spend half a day to eight days in the Simpson with Aboriginal guides and tour through their land. Discover rock art and engraving, find fossils, enjoy sunset at Rainbow Valley and hear the Dreamtime stories. Other tours can show you the most popular features of the Simpson Desert in a day.
Self-touring
If you are self-driving, the Simpson Desert loop is an excellent way to experience the region. It takes you from Alice Springs through Old Andado, Mount Dare Station, Bundooma Siding and then back to Alice Springs. Along the way you can stop off at Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley. The loop’s road surface is dirt but not difficult, although a 4WD vehicle is required. All roads in the Simpson Desert are dirt and most are categorised ‘minor’, and thus little annual maintenance is carried out by the Dep artment of Transport and Works - caution is advised. Make sure when you head into this region you are well equipped with supplies and safety equipment, and please register your journey with the Police before you depart.
Posted on Jun 19, 2008 under Northern Territory |
One of the major towns in the Top End, Katherine is just 330km south of Darwin. It is a delightful town on the edge of spectacular wilderness regions and a part of the Top End not to be missed.
Katherine is a bustling community of 10,000 people which services an area the size of the state of Victoria. The community includes RAAF Base Tindal and has a multi-cultural mix which enhances its ‘outback’ image. Katherine Gorge, just 30km from Katherine’s town centre, is the major natural attraction in the area. The town itself has many places of interest including the historic Springvale Homestead, the River Corridor, Hot Springs and various museums and historic buildings. Katherine School of the Air, Edith Falls and the Cutta Cutta and Tindal Caves also attract many visitors every year.
Nitmiluk National Park, encompassing Katherine Gorge and Edith Falls, is one of the Territory’s most scenic natural attractions. Katherine Gorge is actually a system of 13 separate gorges, each separated by rapids. Viewed from above, the gorges are a deep fissure carved into the ochre sandstone. The sheer red cliffs that stand guard either side of the Katherine River change colour throughout the course of the day. At dawn and dusk, they glow intense shimmering shades of orange and red. There are a multitude of ways to explore the Gorge system. Boat tours reach as far as the fifth gorge, while the more adventurous can hire canoes and explore all the gorges. For a breathtaking view, scenic flights are available in a fixed wing aircraft or by helicopter.
Whichever way you choose, Katherine Gorge is an all-encompassing treat for the senses. Nitmiluk National Park features over 100 kilometres of marked walking trails. It’s the ideal way to quietly discover the surrounding countryside and its eucalyptus, unusual bush flowers and perhaps even a kangaroo or two. Once the Katherine River winds its way slowly out of the gorge, it is transformed into a gentle, tree-lined watercourse. Popular with locals, they regularly vote for the Low Level Bridge and Weir as one of their favourite places.
In addition to its own wealth of natural attractions and activities, Katherine and its surrounding regions represent the cross-roads of the Outback. Positioned as it is between four areas of outstanding beauty and environmental significance, it offers the perfect base for exploring north to Darwin, Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, east to the Gulf region, west to the Victoria River District and thence the Kimberley and south to Alice Springs, Central Australia and Ayers Rock.
Posted on Jun 18, 2008 under Adelaide |
From its establishment in 1836, Adelaide’s development has been based on the state of South Australia’s agriculture, mining and manufacturing. The city today retains much of its colonial architecture and has an air of solidity with its grid-like street plan making it an easy city to get around. Set on the edge of a desert the Mediterranean climate and dryland vegetation set the city apart form other Australian capitals. For long the city was known as the “City of Churches”, because of a city skyline dominated by spires. Adelaide is today reinventing itself as a vibrant state capital, shifting emphasis from manufacturing to services and acting a support base for South Australia’s resurgent mining industry.
Adelaide has a well deserved reputation as a city of culture which stems from its long-time hosting of the biennial Adelaide Arts Festival, a gathering of world-renown performers, artists and writers which bring the city a large number of visitors from other Australian states and overseas. The theatres of the Adelaide Festival Centre, close to the Torrens River, are the city’s cultural hub.
The popular seaside suburb of Glenelg, reached by a vintage tram that which runs from the city centre, has lots of great budget accommodation options, trendy alfresco dining and specialty shopping. The Adelaide Hills, 30-minutes drive from the city, is part of the Mt Lofty Ranges, and has walkways through conservation parks, arts and crafts shops and the pretty town of Hahndorf. The nearby Barossa Valley is Australia’s premier quality wine-making district.
Other Adelaide attractions that are worthwhile include the South Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of South Australia. Both of these allow for a new understanding and enlightenment about the state’s natural systems and Aboriginal past and the art produced in times gone by. The Art Gallery collection is one of the finest in Australia and the Gallery itself is a glorious heritage building set on North Terrace. The gallery holds the most balanced collection of Australian art in the country, and in particular, the finest of all collections of nineteenth-century Australian art. The charming Adelaide Botanical Gardens, with its artificial lakes and rainforest conservatory, is another delightful Adelaide attraction. And the Adelaide Zoo serves as a good introduction the fauna of Australia. With around 1600 introduced and native mammals, birds and reptiles. The zoo is a popular attraction.
The Flinders Ranges National Park is a great place to get a good feel for the South Australian natural environment. When you visit the park you will learn about the region’s distinctive geology and it is a great adventure for the entire family.
Posted on Jun 17, 2008 under Sydney |
In the late 50’s, Danish architect Joern Utzon won the prestigious Pritzker Prize (the equivalent of the Nobel in the architecture category) by the unique design of this building: the Sydney Opera House. The jury described it as “one of the most symbolic buildings of the twentieth century, a masterpiece, an image of great beauty… a symbol not only of a city, but of an entire country.”
His project had not been chosen among the five finalists (out of 233 that were submitted), but a well-known architect, Eero Saarinen, was on the jury for the Sydney Opera House commission and had seen the conceptual drawings of Utzon’s future Opera House. Curiously, its creator, Utzon left the project in 1966 by serious disagreements with the government of New South Wales and by the fierce complaints it received from the Australian population, who believed the building was too modernist and abstract. The original idea proved too expensive to implement, and had to be three Australian architects who complete the work in 1973, when it was opened with the opera War and Peace. Its original creator never returned to Australia to visit.
Utzon found it curious that Sydney in itself is an acknowledgment of modernist architecture, because this city can be described as the New York in the Southern Hemisphere, displayed by its skyscrapers, its modernity, its environment and its vitality.
Describing how the concept for the construction came about, he said the idea arose with an orange skin which opened its segments. The shell of an orange shaped their domes; in this web of Swedes tiles that form the roof of the building and that give this forceful contrast in the Sydney Harbour. A concrete base covered with granite, covered with white coating with ceramic tiles make up the rest of this unique monument. And that perfectly recognizable silhouette, like a boat with wind to the sails was deployed, which seems to vary depending on the point from where it is observed, and with the lights of the day and night, play with their volumes, with their facades, with its staircases and windows.
The Sydney Opera House is currently one of the most active travel destinations in the world. Inside it is home to several rooms dedicated to music, with a capacity for 2900 people, and a theatre, with 1547 seats.
Seven “New” Wonders of the World Nominee
The Sydney Opera House was nominated as a candidate for New Wonder of the World in 2007, alongside other world famous monuments like the Taj Mahal, the nabatea city of Petra, the Alhambra in Granada, the famous ruins of Stonehenge, the city of Timbouctú in Mali, the moais of Easter Island, the pyramids of Giza in Cairo, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Acropolis of Athens, the Coliseum in Rome, the Statue of Liberty in New York, Eiffel Tower in Paris, St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Castle Neuchswastein in Germany, and St. Sophia in Istanbul.
Posted on Jun 17, 2008 under Sydney |
Cosmopolitan, diverse, energetic and easygoing, Sydney has colonial heritage, dazzling modern buildings and a free-wheeling lifestyle. Its iconic, glorious sheltered harbour and its sunny, subtropical climate help make it a major tourist destination. It is clean, unpolluted and relatively safe, and its not surprising that it is most often voted as one of the world’s most liveable cities.
But, far from being the clichéd sun, sand, surf and sport scene you might expect, Sydney also has world-class museums and galleries as well as a roster of shops that include branches of world-renowned stores such as Tiffany and Cartier. The cuisine is excellent – Sydney is now one of the modern food capitals of the world. And some of the finest wines on earth come from Australia’s many vineyards. After dark you can take in an opera or ballet at the Sydney Opera House, see a first-class theatrical production, dance the night away in a classy pub, take in the sparkling vistas from a vantage point such as Sydney Tower, or spend the evening sampling local beer in a historic sandstone hotel at Sydney’s birthplace, The Rocks.
A vibrant world business capital, Sydney has a commercial buzz that permeates the CBD. The city embraces people of all races and nationalities and, although this doesn’t make it a multicultural utopia, you certainly get the feeling that you are visiting an international destination. An Asian presence is strong, and you’ll overhear conversations in any number of European languages.
The pace in Sydney is faster than in other parts of Australia, so the nasally Australian English, with its distinctive colloquialisms, is delivered double time. The often-heard expressions ‘No worries, mate’ and ‘She’ll be right’ say much about the attitudes here. Come to Sydney with an open mind, meet them halfway, take Sydney as it comes, and you’re bound to have a relaxing, good time.