Archive for the “Australasia” Category

Travelling around Australia Solo

solo travel australiaHeading Down Under on your own? Australia is one of the easiest countries to navigate solo – with plenty of accommodation and activities that make it easy to make new friends – or just enjoy your own company. Meanwhile, if your day-to-day routine has got you wound up, it might be the perfect time for a solo getaway to recharge those waning batteries.

There’s plenty to be said about the solo adventure – here are some ways to really make the most of your trip:

  • Indulge – travelling by yourself doesn’t have to have to be about staying in hostels and dorms. If you have the budget to spend, there’s much to be said about splurging on your own hotel room. It doesn’t have to be a five star luxury – even the modest double bed can feel like decadence.
  • Be spontaneous - on your own, you have no obligation to communicate decisions and itineraries – you’re free to go on a whim. Make the most of those occasions when something takes your fancy and you can do that “about face” in the middle of the street.
  • Be open-minded – one of the best things about travelling alone is seeing the world unfiltered, without the influences of a travel mate. We spend so much of our time within our circles that we may be conditioned to think and believe a certain way. Solo travel offers greater independence and the chance to learn more about yourself as you learn more about the world.

Great ideas for the solo Australian holiday

Townsville - the perfect coastal getaway, Townsville is a great destination for singles looking for a relaxing time to enjoy the surf and sun. Magnetic Island offers a unique natural sanctuary as over half the island is a National Park. Try out your favourite water sports – what better way to spend your holiday than kayaking amongst Townsville’s brilliant waters? You can find Townsville accommodation that caters for singles as well as families.

Darwin
– if you’re looking to meet fellow travellers and make new friends, Darwin is one of the best destinations for single travellers. Backpackers mingle with locals in the many pubs and night spots while the Mindil Beach markets are a spectacle to marvel at. You can also join a tour to visit nearby Kakadu and other nearby national parks.

Brisbane – enjoy a night out on the town in style. Brisbane has a number of great entertainment venues and vibrant hot spots. You’ll enjoy the many singles’ events and travel groups where you can meet fellow travellers. Or just spend a day wandering aimlessly through the eclectic streets of the city.

Author Bio:
This article is supplied by Quickbeds.com. With no booking fees and great rates – you’ll have no trouble finding cheap accommodation – Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne – Australia awaits you.

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Where is Sydney?

Sydney Opera House

Photo by pareeerica

Sydney is an incredible place. There’s nothing quite like Sydney anywhere on Earth. It’s also a great place to live, and the lifestyle is the true Australian lifestyle, the real deal. Sydneysiders love the place as a big, sprawling, beautiful place with a lot of charm, and endless things to do and see. This isn’t like the mega cities of the northern hemisphere, or American cities with their huge populations. It’s a city of about 4 million people, spread over an area of about 50 x 50 miles. It’s a beach city, a bush city, and an international city. Grab some travel insurance and come and check it out.

Sydney as a place to live

Everyone has their favorite places in Sydney. This is a very diverse city, with cultures from all over the world. Sydney picks things up very quickly, and if you want to find anything from anywhere, particularly China, you can just stroll down to Chinatown. These are cultural assets, and most Australians have rapidly developed a real taste for the cosmopolitan side of Sydney.

The famous places in Sydney are places where people live and love. In the city itself, you can see a huge range of human situations which can make you laugh like a horse. Sydney is a hedonistic place, and the combination of the climate, the social environment and a fairly typical Australian liking for the best of the good life does the rest.

Sydney Harbour BridgeSydney is the New York of Australia, its biggest, oldest city, and a combination of the Australian cultural traditions and the huge energies of a big city with its own inner life is unique. Every region is rather houseproud, and prefers its area to the other areas.

The regions are like worlds. Exploring Sydney, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were travelling around the world, seeing a range of people from literally everywhere on Earth. If you want Tibetan food, African music, or German beer, you’ll find it. The different areas of Sydney all have their own natures:

The Northern Beaches: The coastal north, expensive but beautiful.

The North Shore: The older northern suburbs. The “silvertails” according to the rest of Sydney.

The City: The CBD is the place where it all converges, several miles of a strange menagerie of architecture from the ultra modern to the almost colonial. Includes Chinatown, Darling Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and Australia’s best and arguably most eclectic shopping.

Darlinghurst and Paddington: The Oxford Street scene, famous for the Gay Mardi Gras.

Eastern Sydney: A wealthy older zone, with beautiful homes and many famous Australian places.

Bondi: The famous beach area, and a great example of the endless Australian fascination with being on the water.

The South: The southern beaches area, a distinct region with a beach and surfing culture of its own.

The Inner West: The trendy zone, also the student area, a fun place by any standards.

The South West and West: A big inland part of the city, from the incredible Blue Mountains to the multicultural south western suburbs.

All these areas have their own special places. Take your time, get some cheap travel insurance online, and have fun!

Sydney (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Sydney

One Great Reason to Visit Sydney

One great reason to visit this travel destination is most certainly to view its claim to fame, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Sydney, Australia

For More Information

  • Wikipedia
  • Sydney – Official Site
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    Where is Alice Springs?

    Alice Springs is the little, desert town located bang in the center of great, big Australia. It’s more-or-less half way between Adelaide to the south and Darwin to the north, making it an ideal travel destination to break the long journey in either direction. Alice Springs draws travellers from all over the world as a base to explore the beautiful red centre. The nearby sites include Alice Springs Desert Park, Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Larapinta Trail, the Flying Doctor Service and further afield, Uluru and Kings Canyon.

    Today, on the 10 July, Alice Springs is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the annual ‘Camel Racing Cup’ which draws town folks and tourists from all over to watch the spectacle and have a lot of fun! The first Camel Race was run in 1970 in the dry Todd River Bed as a bet between two mates, Noel Fullerton and Keith Mooney-Smith. Since then, the race is held annually including a festival atmosphere with stalls, entertainers, rides, food and drink stalls, live music and Camel Cup souvenirs. No Australian race would be without ‘Fashions on the Field’ and this is distinctly ‘central Australian’ in flavour.

    A Town like Mparntwe: A Guide to the Dreaming Tracks and Sites of Alice Springs

    Map

    TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Alice Springs

    One Great Reason to Visit Alice Springs

    One great reason to visit this travel destination during July is to witness the camel racing spectacle which draws people in from all over.

    Camel Cup, Alice Springs, Australia

    For More Information

  • Wikipedia
  • Official Alice Springs Site
  • Official Camel Racing Site
  • You Might Also Enjoy The Following Travel Destinations

  • Kakadu, Australia
  • Flinders Ranges, Australia
  • Broome, Australia
  • Cairns, Australia
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    Where is the Gold Coast?

    Dolphins at Seaworld

    The Gold Coast, with a 35km strip of golden beaches, is situated on the east coast of Australia in the southern region of Queensland and almost bordering New South Wales. It’s not my choice travel destination but during May we had a short family holiday there to spoil the children with a visit to the theme parks. Why I say it’s not my choice destination is largely for the commercialism. It would have to be the most commercialised areas in Australia, with towering hotels and apartment blocks lining the coast for miles. I would hope readers of my blog would recognise that I prefer remote landscapes and towns steeped in history and culture.

    It was Mother’s Day and we left a chilly Melbourne on a 6.30am flight, to arrive at Coolangatta to a beautiful, mild morning and off came the jumpers! The hire car was organised and off we went. We enjoyed a Mother’s Day brunch at nearby Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary before we spent the rest of the day exploring the sanctuary.

    The week on the Gold Coast was then filled with three days at each of the following theme parks: Seaworld, Movie World and Wet ‘n’ Wild. The children had a fabulous time. I think their favourite was Wet ‘n’ Wild. I was the ‘bag lady’ and happy to sun myself in the glorious 28C Autumn sun!

    Sunset from Marina Mirage

    My choice day was a trip out to Mt Warning, the highest easterly peak where day break is first enjoyed. The rainforest of the lower slopes are beautiful and full of plant-life we don’t see in the southern states. We continued to travel south through the rolling hills of the hinterland and crossed the border into New South Wales to visit Nimbin, the hippy capital of Australia. The children’s eyes were wide here! We headed back to the coast with a brief stop at the Byron Bay lighthouse (the most easterly point of mainland Australia) and returned to Currumbin by night fall.

    The week was made complete by meeting face-to-face one of my favourite, fellow Aussie bloggers, Linda, and the creator of ‘Journey Jottings‘. We met at the Marina Mirage and exchanged many travel tales over coffee as the sun set.

    Lonely Planet Queensland

    Map

    TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Gold Coast

    One Great Reason to Visit the Gold Goast

    One great reason to visit this travel destination is for the expanse of golden beaches as far as they eye can see. Oh, and it’s Queensland “Beautiful One Day, Perfect The Next”!

    Gold Coast Tourism Travel Video

    For More Information

  • Wikipedia
  • Official Queensland Tourism
  • You Might Also Enjoy The Following Travel Destinations

  • Byron Bay, Australia
  • Cairns, Australia
  • Wilsons Promontory, Australia
  • Esperance, Australia
  • Broome, Australia

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