Australia Travel News

Australia, the Beach paradise

2009-04-11T23:29:00.000+03:00

Australia, the Beach paradise: Australia’s coastline stretches almost 50,000 kilometres and is linked by over 10,000 beaches, more than any other country in the world. More than 85 per cent of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the coast, making it an integral part of our laid-back lifestyle.

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Crocodile Dundees in Australia

2009-02-20T22:41:00.000+02:00

Mick had been on the road for four days and had two more days to go before he reached home in Perth. When he wasn't driving he was unloading stuff, or sleeping while his co-driver Marty took over.

I was travelling across the Kimberley in Western Australia by road train – a 160ft-plus, three-trailer, 64-wheel truck, which might as well have been a locomotive as far as the kangaroo was concerned.

I met the tattooed "truckies" in Alice Springs, and with personalities bigger than their beer bellies, wearing shorts, "thongs" and singlets, Marty and Mick were every bit the Crocodile Dundees of the road. They spoke of "sheilas" and warned me: "There's no dunny stop, so if you're coming with us, you'll have to pee in a bottle." As a farmer's daughter I can take most things in my stride, but aiming into a bottle seemed a tricky proposition.

Australia voted top holiday spot despite global slump

2009-02-11T12:55:00.001+02:00

SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Australia has been voted the most coveted destination by travelers in a global survey that also showed two-thirds of people were reviewing their holiday plans because of the global economic crisis.

Asia Pacific was named the number-one region for those intending to travel overseas this year and next in the survey, commissioned by credit card firm Visa and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and which polled over 5,500 people.

Nearly half picked Australia, which is expecting the number of foreign visitors to fall to their lowest level in two decades this year, as a place to visit, a likely boost for a multi-million dollar tourist campaign launched late last year.

Australia may lift Fiji PM's travel ban

2009-01-22T23:39:00.000+02:00

Australia is considering lifting travel bans on Fiji's interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama so he can attend a special Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in Papua New Guinea.

Leaders from PIF's 16 member states, including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, will next week fly into PNG's capital Port Moresby to discuss the fate of Fiji's membership.

The easiest way for Bainimarama to arrive in Port Moresby is a flight via Brisbane, but Australia's current bans restrict the self-imposed leader from all travel in the country, including transfers.

Australia surrounded by SARS, bird flu 'ring of fire'

2009-01-06T19:17:00.001+02:00

AUSTRALIA risks being caught unawares by outbreaks of SARS, bird flu and other diseases in what a study describes as a "ring of fire" of disease hotspots.
The study, conducted by Dr Peter Daszak of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine in New York, constructed an earthquake zone map to predict where new outbreaks of diseases such as foot-and-mouth, avian influenza and SARS are most likely to occur.

It found that Australia is effectively under siege from its northern Asian neighbours.

The risk map shows that Australia is surrounded to the north by countries that are some of the hottest of the hot-spots, Dr Daszak said.

Australia continues its visa sanctions for Fiji

2008-12-21T16:53:00.000+02:00

Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Fiji would continue to have limitations placed on their access to Australian visas until the militant government demonstrates democratic policies.

Smith also warned that expelling New Zealand's Acting High Commissioner Caroline McDonald would considerably work against the progress to a fair and lawful society. Ms McDonald is waiting a pending decision from the Fijian military regarding her future, because the New Zealand government has refused a New Zealand visa for the son of the secretary to the Commodore. The New Zealand government has stood by its decision in spite of the threats.

Yesterday, the Fiji Under-20s touch football team withdrew from the World Championship in New Zealand because of the impositions of the visa sanctions, and earlier this month after some struggle, the Fiji Under-20s soccer team only just managed to get transit visas for New Zealand. The national netball coach is also considering dropping her star shooter from February's junior team tour because of her connections with the military.

Eats meets west

2008-09-02T10:46:00.000+03:00

Kylie Kwong is Australia's best known chef of Chinese background. Born in Sydney to Australian-born parents, she was first taken to China 13 years ago with her then boss, chef/ restaurateur Neil Perry. In 2005, she made her first trip to her ancestral village and since then she has returned to china 15 times.

Australia waiting for 60,000 more World Youth Day visa applications

2008-07-04T20:34:00.000+03:00

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) expect another 20,000 people to apply for a visa for Australia, or Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), in order to be eligible for entry to Australia. Officials also expect another 4,000 to come from New Zealand, where citizens are not required to apply for an Australian travel visa.

People from more than 170 countries are expected to attend the event, and all will need an Australian tourist and visitor visa before arriving in the country. World Youth Day sees young people from all continents gathering together in the presence of the Pope.

Although the numbers are 60,000 people below the estimated target, officials remain confident that the turn-out will be impressive, reports the news provider. An extra 36 flights are still arranged to cope with the influx of tourists. However, Youth Day pilgrims are being warned that without an Australia travel visa, they could miss out on the festivities.

Inflation key to housing rally

2008-06-25T11:20:00.000+03:00

Investors are needed to fund a big expansion in stock to cope with Victoria's rapidly increasing population, which is growing at 1.6%, or 82,430 people, a year. Australia's population increased 1.59%, or by 331,872 people, last year, but the country is reportedly experiencing a construction shortfall of 30,000 new houses a year.

"This kind of population growth will support the housing market, but it means that we're facing a long-term under-supply problem regardless of what may look like an over-supply in today's softening (conditions)."

Mr Lawless said buyers, particularly second or third-home owners with strong cash reserves, were well positioned to buy investment properties in the today's environment of flat price growth and oversupply.

Tourists flocking to Australia cause extra flights to be scheduled

2008-06-11T10:40:00.001+03:00

Sydney Airport Corporation said 36 extra flights, including one charter flight, have been scheduled for the event, at which organisers expect to attract 125,000 people on Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visas. Danny Casey, the Chief Operating Officer, said every flight in the lead up to the event is fully booked.

"World Youth Day is bringing international visitors into Sydney in droves. Sydney is going to come alive this winter with 125,000 young people from more than 170 nations arriving here to celebrate their faith with 100,000 young people from all over Australia," he told the World Youth Day official website. Christopher Brown, the Tourism and Transport Forum Managing Director, said bars, restaurants and hotels are expected to benefit from the tourism boom caused by young people travelling to Australia for the event.

Lacuna Coil Reschedules Australian Tour

2008-05-25T23:28:00.000+03:00

"Hello to all of our Australian friends! Please accept our most sincere apologies for taking so long to give you an official statement regarding our planned tour of Australia this June.Due to matters completely beyond our control, the tour has unfortunately been cancelled. However, we are thrilled to announce that we will be coming back to Australia this coming February to perform at the SOUNDWAVE 2009 FESTIVAL! We love Australia, and can't wait to rock with all of our amazing friends down under again!"

Tourism in Australia Facing Major Challenges

2008-05-14T12:16:00.000+03:00

Climate change poses the biggest long-term challenge to tourism in Australia, but an increasingly competitive global market is providing more immediate problems, says a tourist industry expert.

"Climate change has the potential to impact on Australia's unique natural environment and affect consumers' travel destinations, so it is important that the industry work with government to develop a comprehensive, measurable response," Tourism and Transport Forum's (TTF) National Manager Caroline Wilkie told The Epoch Times.

The threat of climate change is causing many in the tourism industry to seriously reconsider their business operations according to the latest industry survey, Tourism Futures, taken in the lead-up to the Tourism Futures conference on June 2–4.

Australia's Perth Has Highest Hotel Occupancy Outside U.S.

2008-05-06T11:23:00.000+03:00

May 6 (Bloomberg) -- Six Australian cities are among the 20 destinations with the highest hotel occupancy rates outside the U.S. last year, with Perth claiming the top spot, according to a report by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Perth had an occupancy rate of 85.1 percent, Deloitte said in a report released today. Next on the list, which tracks 7,800 hotels in 165 cities outside the U.S., was Panama with 84.7 percent followed by Dubai at 84.5 percent. Brisbane came in fourth with 84.3 percent. The other Australian cities in the top 20 were Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Cairns.

Travel alerts on Australia

2008-04-23T16:01:00.001+03:00

Three near-misses with crocodiles in as many weeks in the "Top End" of the Northern Territory prompted a crocodile conservationist to call for a territory-wide public awareness campaign about the ancient beasts for locals and tourists alike. Before heading into the bush, get advice from wildlife officials or tour operators who know the area.

Australia's travel industry provided work for some 482,800 people

2008-04-18T19:44:00.001+03:00

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released figures showing that the country's tourism industry is worth some £85bn (£40bn) to its economy.

Gross value in the tourism industry increased by 7.9% in 2006-07, which was the highest growth rate since 1998-99, according to the figures.

Demand from within Australia increased by 6.8% to reach a value of $63bn, while international consumption of the country's tourism product climbed 9.8% to $22bn.

Australia Travel Market is targeting Kiwis wanting to go to Australia

2008-04-12T10:47:00.001+03:00

Kiwi entrepreneur Dave Simmons this week launched the new approach for New Zealand travellers heading across the Tasman.

After 15 years' working in the travel industry in Britain, Simmons has returned with his family to New Zealand, bringing what he says is the unique "meta-search" business model.

A less-techy sounding name for meta-searching is "price comparison".

"From a consumer perspective, it's like going to a shopping mall and going to all the shops to compare prices on a pair of shoes, or on a suitcase that might be in three different shops," says Simmons. "Instead of going to all the shops - and getting the prices - we do that for you."

U.S., Australia sign open skies agreement

2008-04-01T23:37:00.000+03:00

The U.S. and Australia on Monday inked an open skies aviation agreement eliminating restrictions on air travel between the two allies that would lead to lower fares, officials said.
Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd witnessed the signing of the agreement at the U.S. Department of Transport in Washington, hailing it as a "new era" in trans-Pacific aviation links.
"Its aim is to make it easier and cheaper for even more people to make the air journey across the Pacific to add more strands to our ties," he said.

A need for travel authors from Australia

2008-03-24T10:40:00.002+02:00

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2007 was a record year for international tourism to Australia

2008-03-20T13:54:00.001+02:00

The official figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that international tourist arrivals to Australia increased by two per cent in 2007, reaching 5.6 million visitors. Australia's status as one of the world's most popular destinations was further cemented by the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Report, where the country was voted in the top four out of 130 countries in the category of most competitive destinations in the world.

Australia's warm sunny climate, astonishing natural surroundings and easy-going lifestyle are all aspects that have fed to its popularity amongst travellers worldwide, and this tourism demand has been well served by the streamlined Australian travel visa service. The Australian ETA visa currently stands as the most efficient method to gain access to the country, granting eligible citizens immediate access to an Australian travel visa.

Where I've Been: Australia

2008-03-16T12:45:00.000+02:00

An example of the extra mile that Aussies go was seen by us at the ¡§post¡¨ (post office) in Lakes Entrance. We wanted to mail some souvenirs home and were greeted by the most pleasant staff. They helped with a box and directions. When we returned, they had a bag of goodies for us, including calendars and books. What a way to show us the Aussie hospitality.

Our greatest enjoyment was our time with our family. We were able to visit many cities, historical sites and churches, and enjoyed the scenic views. We also compiled a blog that allowed our family, friends and others to enjoy our trip, too. It was a great way to capture and share our thoughts and pictures.

New international resort in Townsville, Australia

2008-03-11T11:48:00.000+02:00

Plans for the site include 120 condominium apartments with a total letting pool of 160 keys to be managed by Outrigger, together with 24 private residence units over the upper three levels of the building that will include exclusive access and a private residents' club facility.

Resort facilities will include a lagoon-style pool and extensive landscaping, 24-hour reception and tour desk, fitness room, private boardroom and breakfast area, along with ground floor restaurant and retail outlets to complement the thriving alfresco dining precinct along Palmer Street.

Queen Elizabeth 2's last ever visit to Perth

2008-03-05T23:26:00.000+02:00

Fremantle on Wednesday 5 March, 2008, will forever be a part of the history books thanks to Queen Elizabeth 2. The boat not the monarch, that is. As she left Victoria Quay at 7pm, she bade farewell to Australia for the last time ever before the 70 327 tonne liner heads to Dubai to become a floating hotel.

The name of the QE2 has almost become synonymous with luxury travel in its 41 years of service and the thousands of people who turned up in Fremantle wanted to get a glimpse of it for a last time.

It's also a special occasion for the crew and Captain Ian McNaught. "It is a very special cruise," he confirms, "it's tinged with a little bit of sadness. It is our farewell cruise, and it's a big celebration as well, though. We've got a lot to celebrate: 40 years of history, [and] many, many happy visits to Australia."

On Australia’s first people

2008-03-03T18:27:00.000+02:00

Think of Aboriginals, and what comes to mind is either exotica or what the media often highlights: a society dogged by alcoholism, child abuse, drug addiction, a lower than average life expectancy, and anything else equally negative.

Two years ago, at the Australian Museum, Sydney, this view was swept aside by one of the more compelling exhibitions, and also one of the least patronised. “Indigenous Australians: Australia’s first peoples” ran for over half a year. The themes — spirituality, cultural heritage, the land, family, health and social justice — were chosen in consultation with Indigenous Australians and the museum’s audience groups.

Queen Victoria's difficult berth a terminal issue

2008-02-27T11:51:00.000+02:00

Carnival Australia's chief executive, Ann Sherry, said if Brisbane were to make the most of the booming growth in cruise travel another terminal had to be built on the Bay side of the Gateway Bridge.

Yesterday as passengers on P&O's Oriana disembarked at the Portside Wharf in the northern Brisbane suburb of Hamilton to a modern facility, those on Queen Victoria were greeted with vistas of the grain berth silos and a bustling port.

Indian consulate in Australia opens Visa Services Centre

2008-02-23T17:44:00.001+02:00

SYDNEY: The plush new India Passport and Visa Services Centre opened by the Indian consulate here on Thursday will provide welcome relief to those who have sweated in long queues to get an Indian passport, visa or Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card.

The burgeoning demand for Indian visas in Australia made it necessary for the High Commission and consulates to outsource the receipt and delivery of passports, visas and OCI cards to a private company, VFS Global, a subsidiary of the Kuoni Travel Group's India branch.