Australia Travel Tips
Sydney with Kids
Are you traveling with kids? A valuable learning experience for the whole family, it sometimes comes with its own special difficultires. One such difficulty is finding kid friendly venues for a feed. Sydney is a city of fabulous places to eat, and there is no reason not to experience them just because you are a party of 2.5 instead of 2.
Nearly 1400 general public diners who have visited a number of restaurants with their kids have made their voices heard and have created a list of the top 20 …
Date: May 27th, 2007 |
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Oz Survival Guide To Food- Ketchup
It goes without saying that The Aussies are a saucy bunch, however, for your own safety, there are a few things you need to know about their management, preferences and presentation of the local food and condiments. First in yet another series of Survival Guides.
First off- Ketchup- they don’t really have it. They have a similar substance called Tomato Sauce. (say it with the snobby tomahhhhto) Tomahhto Sauce, while it is different- it is basically Ketchup without the thickeners and the sugar. Not bad….most times. (You can get Ketchup in grocery stores if you …
Date: April 12th, 2007 |
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Flight Centre, Travel Around Australia and the World
The Following is a Sponsored Review: 
I adore Flight Centre. Considered a top employer, I know a few of the folks that work there, in fact I play soccer with two of their talented travel specialists. Soccer aside, I’ve personally used Flight Centre on at least two occasions to help me out with last minute international flights.
While I consider myself fairly savvy with finding affordable airfares, with their Low Price Promise, they were able to beat the lowest price I was able to find with searching the Internet on my own. To top it off, their agent Edwina Brodie contacted me when there had been an airline related itinerary change. She worked to ensure I was aware of the change and to make sure there was minimal interruption to my holiday plans. Now talk about service!
A convenient Internet search and book option allows you to compare and choose from the best available fares on most major airlines in Australia. In fact, it allows you to mix and match airlines for round-trip travel to make sure you get the best possible price and schedule.
Hot Flight Deals, Flight Search Options, Rail, Hire Cars, and Specialist travel are some of their easy to use options. The Rail and Specialist Travel sections really set them apart and make their agency unique from other websites. In addition to Australian train travel, you can book Eurail, Asian, and other Global Rail deals as well. The Specialist travel section includes options like Group Travel, Business Travel, and Working/Volunteering Travel.
Date: March 19th, 2007 |
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Arrival into Australia- What you need to know about Customs
You did it! You booked your ticket, survived the flight, and are here! You are excited and ready to meet a person who actually uses G’day as part of their everyday speech. All Right…you are still in the Airport… but here’s a few tips on how to get yourself and your luggage out as smoothly as possible. Ready, Set, Que.
Duty Free- If you haven’t managed to be tempted by cheap booze, silk and perfume at one of the outlets in your home country or on the plane, Australia gives you one more chance…..As you arrive, there is a huge Duty Free Store before you even make it to Immigration. Ask about the quantity limits.
Immigration- this line is an interesting place to observe humanity in it’s disheveled, disorientated and unwashed glory. The line does generally move pretty quickly. You will need your passport (with appropriate Visa already in place) and the arrival card that was supplied to you on board your plane. Australian and New Zealand Passport Holders to the left, all Others to the right. You MAY NOT!!!!! use a cell phone in this area. You will be severely scolded if you try.
Date: February 18th, 2007 |
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Kangaroo Island, South Australia. How to Get There
If you are going to fly all the way to Australia, do try and make some time to see Kangaroo Island. It may not be on the main tourist path but it is well worth your hard earned Travel time and dollars. Everyone I know that has gone there completely agrees. The island is an amazing piece of the Australian wilderness, with over a third of the landmass reserved as conservation purposes. But How to get there?
By Air- REX- Regional Express, operated by Qantas, operates from Adelaide to Kingscote Airport (KGC) 13 17 13 or 08 8553 2938.
Date: December 21st, 2006 |
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Accomodation Options in Australia- Caravan Parks
If you are traveling or planning to travel around Australia, an extremely reliable, often overlooked and great budget option for accommodation are the local caravan parks. I would be so bold as to say 95% of Australian towns have a local caravan park. I know many of you are groaning with visions of hippies in combi vans in a run down circle- but fear not! The parks I have stayed at have all been well run, clean, organized, and come fully loaded with amenities.
Accommodation options: The Parks I have stayed at have featured, most importantly for those of you non campers, Cabins or stationary caravans. These often times are far better than a motel room- they usually have more than one bedroom- accommodating large groups, a bathroom, sitting area, kitchen and a fridge. I have experienced prices from $65- $85. They also offer the namesake- Caravan or Winnebago style sites- that come with power and water for around the $25-$35 range, and finally the trusty tent sites with and without power- $8-$18 ish. If you are traveling during popular events without having booked accommodation in advance- the tent sites can be a god send! Cheap and there always seems to be room for one more.
Amenities:
The kitchens: have featured the very popular Aussie Gas Grill, communal fridges and a washing up area. If you are going to use the grill make sure you are prepared to clean it afterwards. These are a flat grill type of cooking surface- the grease hangs around if you don’t clean up after yourself. This will not endear you to your neighbors. A wet kitchen type towel, some water and a pair of tongs does wonders. Sponges will melt.
Date: April 15th, 2007 |
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Driving Australia, Survival Tips #1
The last couple of weeks have seen me hitting the roads of New South Wales, so I thought I’d share a couple of observations to help a few of you first timers out there. While I do enjoy a good road trip and certainly enjoy getting out to see this country, there are a few things of which you should be aware. First in a series to come.
General Road Conditions: The weather being mostly temperate, the roads of Australia are basically in pretty good shape. The paving is generally smooth and the gravel roads are generally grated to allow for decent, if not great, travel. I’ve definitely driven on worse. That said, I find them unnecessarily winding. This is the source of much debate from the passengers in my car and myself as to whether winding roads/major interstates are more fun to drive on or just plain dangerous. I will point to the fact that the government here can’t figure out why they have so many accidents, maybe it is because there is a 90 degree turn on a major interstate that is two lanes wide that trucks have to navigate at high speed????? (an exaggeration of course, the turn was only 87.5 degrees with a round-about just after….) While the road rules are basically the same, driving is FAR more challenging here than in North America and most parts of Europe.
Passing: There are very few of what would be considered major highways. I regularly get annoyed trying to get out of Sydney on what is considered the M1 as I sit at a stop light. On some of the smaller motorways, there are only two lanes. Occasionally the RTA (Highway Authority) will add a third lane on the outside of the highway for slower traffic to move into so others may pass. This third lane will generally end with little to no warning and the slower traffic has to merge back into the original lane. Keep very aware during this maneuver. Passing and no-passing zones are marked with the international broken or unbroken center line.
Date: March 20th, 2007 |
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Sydney Explorer- Save Your Money
Getting around a strange city in a way that is cheap and easy is always a god send for travellers. The Sydney Explorer is not one of those. I paid the $32 (you can get a week pass for that) and took the ride one Saturday when I felt like playing tourist. I’m a fan of bus tours to some extent. Occasionally it is nice to sit back and let someone else worry about traffic while they tell you the history and interesting facts of the area. Expecting this to be the case- I was sorely disappointed in the State Transit run Explorer.
The ticket is expensive and they don’t really tell you anything about what you are seeing- little to no information on the buildings, history, architecture, bits of interest etc. It is essentially a very expensive shuttle service. I would not recommend this service to anyone visiting me.
Date: February 28th, 2007 |
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Arrival into Australia- What you need to know for the flight
(Actual picture of someone on my flight. Never a good look is that?) Hi Guys- Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile, but I ended up on a crazy emergency trip back to the States (exceptionally good reason to buy GOOD travel insurance!). Apologies over, I’m fresh off the plane and back in OZ. I know you are excited- you are finally doing it- you are going to AUSTRALIA! But be aware… if you want to start you trip on the best possible foot, there are a few things you can do to make the transition a bit easier.
This is a very long flight no matter where in the world you are coming from. My last trip did remind me of a few things that should help you arrive fresh and ready to really enjoy that first day here and avoid jet lag all together. (Writers side-note…This stuff works. I am now only 7 hours off my flight from the States and am going great guns here at work for you people)
Date: February 18th, 2007 |
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Kangaroo Island, South Australia. General Overview
2 hours south of Adelaide, Kangaroo Island is a venerable ecological utopia. The third largest island in Australia, 12 K from the mainland, it has managed to have an ecologically independent growth from even the mainland of OZ. As witnessed by many of the indigenous animals, most species have evolved just a little differently. This is a trully magical place that should be cherished.
The island, since European in habitation, has been used for sheep farming, Eucalyptus Oil distilling, and ecological conservation. New industries have popped up as sheep farming has become more and more unsustainable. Lavender farming, honey production, new wineries, and ecotourism are some of the major ones. The ferry or airplane ride over is fairly expensive, but it keeps crowds small which protects this truly unique place. It is probably the best place to see a large number of the Australian animals in natural and efficient way.
Date: December 18th, 2006 |
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