Archive for July, 2006
7 Great Reasons to Holiday in Bargain Basement Australia
By Graeme Lanham
Australia tops the list of holiday destinations for overseas visitors and is now even more popular due to the world economic recession and the weak Aussie dollar. Truth is, Australia is unlikely to be cheaper for international visitors than it is now.
Here are 7 ways you can save big dollars on your Aussie vacation.
1. The dirt cheap Australian dollar.
In August 2008 my wife and I enjoyed a European holiday. It was relatively cheap because the Australian dollar was almost par with the US dollar. Not any more! It is now worth less than 70c per US dollar.
It has become very expensive for Australians traveling overseas, but provides a bonanza for international travelers to Australia. Would you enjoy a cup of coffee for around $2US or a quality meal for less than $30US?
2. Cheap international flights.
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has unveiled his new V Australia Boeing 777 passenger jets to compete with Qantas on the Los Angeles to Sydney and Los Angeles to Brisbane routes. Melbourne will be added to this timetable in September.
The airline is offering return fares from $1100 (around $750US) for Australians traveling to the US. It has linked up with several US airlines for connections to a host of cities. With United Airlines already on this route and Delta entering the market, competition will be fierce, so compare your options for the best deal.
3. Cheap domestic flights.
Airfares between Australian capital cities are also highly competitive. Qantas has opposition from Jetstar, Virgin Blue, Ozjet, Skywest and Air North on the domestic routes. The Best Flights web page will give you the most competitive prices on the day you wish to travel for your departure and arrival cities.
Virgin Blue is currently offering a one way fare of $54 ($37US) between Sydney and Brisbane and $76 ($52US) between Sydney and Melbourne. How cheap is that?
4. Cheap domestic rail fares.
The best way to see and experience the Australian Outback is by rail. The main domestic carrier, Great Southern Rail (GSR) is offering special discounts for seniors, backpackers and international students on its Ghan and Indian Pacific services.
It is also offering a special free upgrade from Red Service sleeper to Gold Service sleeper on its Ghan service between Adelaide and Darwin. This offer is valid to 30 June 2009.
5. Cheap accommodation and meals.
Hotels are slashing prices like never before, making the current economic climate a hit for prospective holiday makers. An example is a deluxe king room at a 4 star hotel in Perth reduced from $300 to $190 ($130US) per night.
Check the Wotif web site for the best bargains including a planned month long half price hotel sale.
Looking for something cheaper? Check out the YHA Australia website for any special deals. If you are planning to stay in Melbourne, a new backpacker hostel, Urban Central, offers safe, clean budget accommodation at Southbank. This convenient location is just a 10 minute walk from the CBD.
6. Cheap tours.
Many of the large Australian tour operators, including AAT Kings and AP Touring are offering special deals to attract customers.
AAT Kings is offering 50% off the second passenger for its Northern Territory tours of 2 days or more and 25% off the second passenger for Australian tours of 10 days or more.
AP Touring is offering a saving of $400 per couple for an 11 day Kimberley cruise and $700 per couple for a 10 day Tasmanian tour.
7. Free city transport.
Most Australian cities offer discounted fares on buses, trams and trains, particularly if you buy a day pass or longer. If you are in Melbourne, ask for a metcard.
Both Melbourne and Perth offer FREE transport within the city.
Perth has an extensive system of CAT (central area transport) buses operating throughout the city and inner suburbs. The main stopping place is the central railway station in Wellington St.
Melbourne has 2 free public transport networks. The first is the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle. It takes you on a tour of the outer rim of the city and has 3 stops in both William St and Exhibition St. The second is the City Circle Tram and as its name suggests, this red and gold tram covers mainly the inner city streets.
The worst peacetime disaster in Australian history has shocked the nation. Australian travel writer Graeme Lanham will donate $10 from the sale of each copy of his Ebook Travel Tips Australia to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.
Available at: http://www.traveltipsaustralia.com
For a limited time,claim your 3 free travel reports, (value $57)
Rome Exhibition: Darwin 1809 - 2009, from 12 February to 3 May 2009
By Michele De Capitani
Those events are so important that they cannot passed unnoticed, and Rome, indeed, will celebrate the great biologist, geologist and zoologist with a special exhibition: Darwin 1809 - 2009, from the 12th February to the 3rd May at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, the widest interdisciplinary exhibitory space of the city. The event originates from an exhibition dedicated to Darwin organised by the American Museum of Natural History of New York, which has already been held in various cities all over the world. Now it is Italys turn (after Rome the exhibition will be held also in Milan), and for this occasion the exhibition will include some sections revealing Darwins relationship with Italy, how he was influenced by some Italian scientists, like Gian Battista Brocchi, and how his theory was considered in that country. The exhibition will also comprise many other sections, which will give visitors the possibility to go through the biography of the British scientist, focusing on the essential episodes that helped him to develop his famous theory.
The exhibition starts with a section describing the world before Darwin: through naturalistic illustrations of that time and skeletons of animals, visitors will understand the world view in Victorian times, and how world and nature were considered by scientists. We will find out that people did not think that there were connections between different species, and that those species could change in time. Hence we can understand the revolutionary significance of Darwins theory.
After this excursus on the culture of the time, the exhibition focuses on Darwin, his life and his studies. The section dedicated to Darwin as a young naturalist gives us the possibility to view objects of the time, as well as copies of species collected by Darwin and of his drawings and letters, which make us understand how the young student began to be keen on observing nature. But the main part of the exhibition is that dedicated to the journey that Darwin took around the world on the Beagle, and which, for around 5 years, from 1831 to 1836, gave him the possibility to observe and study a number of different species of animals, plants, insects and stones, giving him the main ideas to develop is theory. To make visitors experience that amazing journey, the exhibition will feature some notes and letters written by Darwin to its family and friends, which reveal how the scientist began to get near to the theory of evolution. Visitors will also have the possibility to see fossils and living animals (iguanas, armadillos and turtles), as well as reproductions of extinct animals, like the giant glyptodont, which will make them immerse themselves in the world that fascinated and inspired Darwin.
Other sections of the exhibition tell us how, after having come back from his journey, Darwin organised his writings to set up his theory, and how he decided to leave London and move to Down House, in a small village, where he finished his work on the origin of species, which is still at the basis of evolution studies. To understand the importance of that work and to show how Darwins studies are still useful in many branches of science, a section of the exhibition will be dedicated to nowadays knowledge about evolution.
Thanks to this extraordinary exhibition, Rome becomes the capital city of science. Do not miss this international exhibition, book now a cheap hotel in Rome.
Tickets: 12.50 euro, reduced 10.00
Date: 12th February 3rd May 2009
Location: Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, Italy
This article was written by Francesca Tessarolo with support from Youth Hostel in Rome for any information, please visit Bed and Breakfast in Rome or for travel information download your Free Pocket Guide to Rome.