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Its the annual summer break, the kids are on school holidays and are bored.  Most of the fantastic beach resorts are booked out so where do you go for a few days with the family or friends, thats not too far from home?  We suggest you head inland, hike the mountains, float along the river…

There are some great discounted hotel special deals still available on our ‘last minute hotel deals‘ for hotel bookings inside 28 days. 

BLUE MOUNTAINS - A short 2 hours drive west from Sydney.  Drop in at the Glenbrook Visitor Information  Centre for some local tourist information on walking guides, maps etc.  There are a range of B&B, Country House style and motel accommodations to choose from in the area.

FAMILY – Stay with the family at the Leisure Inn Spires Blue Mountains in a 2 bedroom apartment (rates around $200 per night) for up to 6 people.

FRIENDS – York Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains is on the edge of the magnificent world Heritage listed Blue Mountains and offers a timeless mountain resort atmosphere.  Rooms around $220 per night.

 

VICTORIAN GOLDFIELDS – Located in the geographical centre of Victoria, Bendigo is a comfortable 90 minutes drive from Melbourne.  V/Line are offering some fantastic family rail deals with free travel for up to 4 kids during off peak periods.  

FAMILY –  Quest Apartments Bendigo feature a solar heated pool and BBQ area.  Spacious 2 bedroom apartment for a family or 4 around $185 per night.

FRIENDS – Relax at the Quality Inn Colonial Bendigo with a swim, spa, sauna in the indoor leisure centre, BBQ or cappuccino on the pool deck.  Standard room around $120 per night.

 

ADELAIDE HILLS - From Adelaide you only need to drive around 90 minutes to find yourself in the fabulous wine district of the Barossa Valley.  

FAMILY – Kooringal Homestead Barossa Valley is a secluded homestead B&B overlooking the water of the Barossa Reservoir, featuring a courtyard and bush gardens where kangaroos can sometimes be seen at dusk.  2 bedroom family suite for 4 around $220 per night.

FRIENDS – Barossa Weintal Resort features deluxe accommodation, fine dining, bistro & alfresco doning, Tavern Bar, pokies and a bottle shop.  Deluxe rooms around $125 per night.

 

 

TASMANIA – Huon Bush Retreats at Ranelagh in the Huon Valley is a perfect place to relax, explore and experience the natural wonders of the area.  Drive carefully as the last section of road is unsealed!

FAMILY – A 2 bedroom cabin offers a full kitchen, amazing ‘outdoor bath’ and are located on a cliff-top where you can spot the local wildlife from your private verandah.  Around $300 per night, sleeps 6.

FRIENDS  - Deluxe Tepee rooms are best suited to couples, and environmentally designed to blend into the natural surroundings with minimal impact.   Around $95 per night.

 

If your time or budget does not permit an overnight stay, you can also take a sightseeing tour from your major city to most of these regions.

 

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	I decided to take my niece and nephew (ages five and eight) for the September school holidays. My plan was to pack up the car and ship over to Tassie with a rough itinerary. I had booked all the accommodation but I figured the rest would fall into place. My friends, and even my sister, pointed out that whilst my intentions were good I would seriously pay for my naviety. As it turns out, Tassie made its way into my Top 5 Best Holidays list, even with the kids. Provided the sugar and sleep doses were measured properly, everything really did fall into place. Was it me, am I the perfect aunt? Maybe, but more likely it’s because Tasmania is the perfect place to holiday with children. Yes, its natural beauty and abundance of wildlife is impressive, but it was the little things that really brought a smile to our faces. Like the short driving distances between sites, enough to quash the infuriating “are we there yet?” question, and hands on activities such as berry picking and hiking along the muddy paths of Cradle Mountain. Tassie is a cinch to do with kids. It’s fun and rewarding, sometimes messy but educational too… and it hasn’t put me off taking the niece and nephew on another holiday! I departed from Melbourne (read my itinerary for some ideas for your Tassie family trip) but you can fly/drive from anywhere in Australia. There’s also the rugged west and scenic east coast of Tassie to explore too – Stix Valley, Freycinet National Park (Wine Glass Bay), Port Arthur and Hobart…but that’s a whole other holiday! Warm regards Shelley Cardwell Marketing Manager	My 5 Day Tassie Itinerary Day 1 – Kids arrive in Melbourne. I take them to the Docklands Ice Skating Rink before departing for Devonport on the Spirit of Tasmania. Day 2 – After arriving in Devonport, we walk the Bluff and visit the Tiagarra Aboriginal Culture Centre. We buy supplies for self-catering and reach Cradle Mountain by early afternoon. We do two short walks from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre (my niece wanted to find some fairies along The Enchanted Stroll track) and learn all about the intriguing Tassie Devil at the Devils@Cradle sanctuary.  Stay: Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village Day 3 – A highlight of the trip, our 8km walk in the National Park takes in views of Cradle Mountain, Crater lake, waterfalls and lots of wombat sightings! Day 4 – We’re sad to leave the peaceful surrounds of Cradle Mountain. We drive to Tasmazia, the world’s largest maze, and then it’s onto the Mole Creek Karst National Park for a tour of the majestic Marakoopa Cave with its underground streams, glow-worms and cathedral style accoustics. We’re in Launceston by dinnertime.  Stay: The Sebel Launceston Day 5 – We spend the morning exploring Launceston before driving to Beauty Point to visit Platypus House & Seahorse World. The charismatic echidnas prove to be a big hit. We finish the day in Devonport to board the boat home.   Tasmania for Adults Not just for kids, Tassie has some great adult experiences too, from Award Winning Restaurants in Hotels to the oldest wine producing region in Australia. Click here to read on…

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With the value of the Australian Dollar at an all-time high against the US Greenback, plus the release of the latest Qantas ‘Escape to the States’ airfares, NOW is the time to plan your holiday to the USA.  The discounted airfares are for travel from Australia during November 2008, which is heading towards the US winter, but the weather is still pleasant for travelling around sunny California.  As always conditions apply and they are only on sale for a limited time so check the fine print.

When I think USA, my fondest memories are of course of Disneyland.  No matter what age, this place has a secret way of making you feel like a kid again.  There are hotels for less than US$60 per night like the  Alamo Inn and Suites or the Quality Inn and Suites Anaheim, or choose your own Anaheim Hotel.

I have been a Disney freak since my teens, so it’s Disney all the way and the Disney Resorts for me.  The standard rooms at Disneyland Paradise Pier are around USD$240 per night, at the Disneyland Hotel around USD$260 per night and around USD$360 per night at the newer Disney’s Grand Californian.

This place has to be seen to be believed!  The complex is themed around the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 1900’s.  The exterior reflects a lodge building from the National Parks around Yellowstone and Yosemite; the reception area is based on the interior of the Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco; the central lobby is like a giant’s living room with massive fireplace, lounges and rocking chairs.  Then of course there are a myriad of restaurants, cafes, swimming pool and spa, although I plan to spend most of my time at Disneyland and the newer Disney’s California Adventure Park. 

Zippity doo dah…….

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A lot has changed in Bali since the mid 1980’s when a group of South Australian university students formed the band REDGUM and entertained us with the catchy song “I’ve been to Bali too!”  Bali was the destination of choice for cheap package holidays marketed at backpackers, students and footy clubs.  The most basic accommodation could be found in central Kuta and was really just a place to recover from the previous nights’ club hopping down Legian Street.

Those hotels, clubs and bars are all still to be found, but the new wave of accommodation in Bali is the development of Villas.  They are generally located in the quieter, more upmarket areas of Seminyak, Jimbaran Bay or Sanur.  For complete relaxation and serenity there are also a couple up in the hills of Ubud.  For around the same price as a good hotel, you can enjoy the luxury of a private villa set in tropical garden settings with your own private swimming pool.  Most are air conditioned, have spacious living and dining rooms and large terraces for outdoor relaxation.  They are generally built from local materials such as wood, bamboo and stone with high roofs, and decorated in contemporary Balinese style. 

For a romantic escape, head to the hills of Ubud and check out the Santi Mandala Villa and Spa. The resort is surrounded by rice fields and tropical gardens and facilities include restaurant, swimming pool with sunken bar and jacuzzi. They have a fabulous ‘Plunge Pool Villa’ for 2 adults for around $130 per night including full American Breakfast daily. You can have your breakfast served on your private balcony and soak up the sunrise over the Panaraga Giri River. Along with the standard international facilities like airconditioning, cable TV and room service it of course has its own private plunge pool.

If you have a large family or are on holiday with a group of friends, the Sentosa Private Villas and Spa in Legian is the ultimate in 5 star Modern Bali Chic!  There are 38 luxuriously appointed villas with landscaped gardens and private pools with sundeck and reclining loungers – so much more than just a hotel room!  All the villas feature gourmet kitchens, king-size bedrooms, flat screen TV and DVD player, satellite channels and internet access in case you must communicate with the outside world.  There is also the Blossom Restaurant and Bar, Luxe Lounge Spa with steam room and gym, a 35m natural rock pool with sundeck and even a kids play room.  The top of the range Villa is a 5 bedroom Presidential Pool Villa and costs around $1400 per night.  When you split that between 10 adults and factor in the full daily breakfast and the features the Villas offer, it is very reasonably priced.

Now, to rustle up 9 friends to come to Bali with me…there are some great holiday packages around.

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If you are into art, theatre, sport, shopping, gardens, architecture anything really – Melbourne is the place to be.  And now there is a FREE Tourist Shuttle to get you around town to all these attractions.

The Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle is a FREE bus network, servicing major attractions in and around the city of Melbourne.  With 11 stops you can hop on and hop off at your leisure throughout the day.  The service runs every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day from 9.30am until 4.30pm.  With shuttles every 15 – 20 minutes you can stop to take a quick photo, or spend some time exploring the area before hopping on the next shuttle.

The main stops and attractions are:-

1.      Arts Precinct – The Arts Centre; Performing Arts Museum; NGV International; Malthouse Theatre; ACCA Australian Centre for Contemporary Art

2.      Federation Square – Melbourne Visitor Centre; Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia; ACMI Australian Centre for the Moving Image; Champions: Australian Racing Museum and Hall of Fame; National Design Centre; Birrarung Marr; ArtPlay kids’ playground

3.      Exhibition Street – theatre district; Fitzroy Gardens; Chinatown

4.      Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens – IMAX Theatre; Royal Exhibition Building; Old Melbourne Goal

5.      Lygon Street – heart of Melbourne’s Italian community, restaurants and cafes

6.      University of Melbourne – Ian Potter Museum of Art

7.      Queen Victoria Market – Flagstaff Gardens

8.      William Street – legal precinct, Supreme Court; County Court; Immigration Museum

9.      Southbank and Southgate – riverside chic, Crown Entertainment Complex; Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre; Eureka Skydeck 88 and The Edge

10.  Sports and Entertainment Precinct – Melbourne Park including Rod Laver Arena; Olympic Park; Melbourne Cricket Ground (The G!) and Yarra Park

11.  The Shrine and Royal Botanic Gardens – King’s Domain; Sidney Myer Music Bowl; Government House

At the end of the day you have seen all the major of sites of Melbourne for FREE!  What a great day out!  Additional charges may apply to enter venues.

Need a place to stay in Melbourne? – view our range of hotels here.