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QLD non metro - Travel Australia

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The Birdsville Races

September 1st 2006 08:32

The famous race meeting in Queensland in Australia was held today and will continue tomorrow. The event sees a huge influx of people into the town of Birdsville which, for the most part of the year, remains a town populated by only 120 people.

It is a very remote town and if you are considering heading to the races, you should plan ahead. The races are a fine attraction and you'll join 10 000 others who head to the town for the event, but be aware that the town is one with limited resources - though they are boosted for the weekend.

The races at Birdville began in 1882 and despite the occasional change in the format in the race and the amount of prize money, the race continues to be a pull for many people. There are six races on each of the days, with the main race, the XXXX Gold Birdsville Cup taking place on the Saturday, with a booty of $25 000 on offer.

If you are going to the races expect to camp. There is a caravan park in the town although you are allowed to camp outside of the town at no charge.

This sort of trip would be for those wanting to take part in a long standing tradition. Expect some Aussie characters and to have a laugh in a setting you can only find in the Australian centre.

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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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4wd holidaying in Queensland

August 10th 2006 12:28

Could easily be a photo from the Birdsville Track, but isn't

I thought I would stick to a driving holiday theme, so today I will talk 4 Wheel Drive holidays. Although I hate 4WDs being driven in the city, the terrain of large parts of Australia are best negotiated with a vehicle that will reduce you getting stuck somewhere. It really is quite an industry in itself, the old 4WD touring industry. Queensland is one state that accommodates these types of driving holidays.

The Queensland Holidays website: http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au suggests 34 routes you can take to experience the sunny state (although I will say now the website designer has stuffed up, only allowing you to view 5 routes). They vary in length and will suit however long you want to spend.

One very popular trip is Brisbane to Birdsville. A couple of my mates actually took to the Birdsville track on motorcycles – with not overly successful results, but a 4WD would probably be a better option. Anyway, it is a 6 day trip of around 1800 kms and takes in The Birdsville Track, the Strzelecki Track and the Simpson Desert National Park. The website recommends you take a whole lot of supplies and notify all the authorities. Breakdowns and getting lost is semi-frequent.

You also can’t go past Fraser Island for your 4WD holiday. They are the mandated vehicle for the island and a perfect way to explore the huge stretches of white sand.

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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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Movie World on the Gold Coast

August 2nd 2006 10:34

New Superman ride

When I went to Movie World, a number of years ago now, I had a strong sense it was more fun park than a park of thrills. Its key demographic was obviously children who liked cartoon characters and movie images. This was fair enough, but it lacked something for those who go to theme parks for the ride. Dreamworld was a lot better, with more of a focus on the rides and less on the themes!

I think they have gotten more of a balance at the park now. Since the introduction of the very awesome Lethal Weapon hanging rollercoaster around seven years ago, the park has added a few more adrenaline pumping attractions that mean you can take the kids for the Police Academy Stunt Show, Shrek 4D and Looney Tunes Village , but you can also go knowing you will enjoy the day as well. Newer rides include Superman Escape and the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster to add to Batman Adventure and Wild West Falls for your water connection mean a pretty good selection of thrills. Of course if your kids are more adventurous types they’ll want to go on the exciting rides too and once they’ve got a taste for it, the aspiring actors dressed up as Marvin the Martian just won’t cut it anymore.

Movie World is on Queensland’s Gold Coast and has been a favourite destination of tourists for many a year. It makes up one of the four major theme parks in the area and promises of a Gold Coast holiday to your children will end up in pleas for multiple days to be spent enjoying rides. Individual tickets are priced at $62 for adults and $40 for children, but of course packages are available including multiple theme park tickets.

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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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Hamilton Island and the Great Barrier Reef

June 26th 2006 08:22

Hamilton Island is in the Whitsundays, which is between the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast. It is one of only seven islands in the region with resort facilities and is probably the most developed.

With daily flights to island from a number of the capital cities, Hamilton Island is a popular jumping off point to explore the Great Barrier Reef by chartered boat or merely as a destination to relax in fantastic surrounds and bask in the warm northern Australia sun. The waters are pristine and the sand white, so you’ll find yourself wanting to just relax and take it easy. With so many activities on offer though, you’d be wasting your trip by just relaxing on the beach.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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Wintersun Rock & Roll Festival

June 15th 2006 10:23

No Not the Viking Power Metal Band

Yesterday I mentioned the rock and roll nostalgia festival Wintersun as it is held every year in Coolangatta. Though it is over this year – running for 10 days in early June, I thought it would be a good time to highlight it and give you plenty of time to plan your trip for next year.

In 2007, Wintersun will be on from Friday 1st June to Monday June 11th in the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta area. The festival focuses on hot rods and classic cars with a series of events including a number of shows, poker run, street cruises and social meetings. The other major emphasis is on rock and roll music with over 100 bands involved in the event. These bands play in various places around town, including at free events on the streets or in the pubs and clubs. For those who like to get out on the floor there are a number of workshops to help you learn to dance swing, rocknroll and rockabilly.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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Coolangatta

June 14th 2006 12:59

I thought seeing as though the State of Origin Rugby League game was played tonight in Brisbane, I should play on that in some way. What better way to do this than look at the Tweed River.

Due to the fact Queensland won this evening, let’s look at Coolangatta. Coolangatta is on the Queensland side of the Tweed River, on the East Coast of Australia. It is close to the famous (or infamous) Gold Coast, 100 kms south of Brisbane and 900 kms north of Sydney. You have the choice of flying into Coolangatta airport or Brisbane airport, depending on how you are flying or who you are flying with.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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P&O Cruise sees virus spread

June 9th 2006 06:27

Star Princess was the victim of fire

Not all your travel experiences are going to be pleasant. Just look at the folk who got off the P&O Cruise today where a virus went round the boat infecting 60 people. People infected by this virus had to be quarantined. While some of the passengers handled the disturbance to their trip quite well, others are infuriated and some said they’d experienced it before. There are risks on any holiday I suppose, but when you spend a lot of money you really don’t want this sort of inconvenience. With the nature of a cruise holiday I suppose this sort of thing can easily happen – like a cold goes through a work place, but even worse because you spend 24 hours a day with people on a cruise. In 2003, 600 people were infected with a virus on the Aurora cruise liner. I suppose it is one of those incidences you could say “you’ve got more chance being hit by a car outside your home” but it does seem to happen frequently enough you may want to reconsider going on a cruise.

It was just a couple of days into the 10 day trip along the Queensland coast that people fell ill on mass. Free medical treatment was given to infected passengers, but I doubt this outweighs the ruining of your holiday! Add to these incidents, the death of a woman a few years ago on a cruise ship under suspicious circumstances and the fire that started on the Star Princess in March and you have a string of negatives that may make you think twice about a cruise. Personally though, I believe only paranoia or a bad experience would stop you going on one.

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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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Fraser Island

May 23rd 2006 10:48

I had to write about somewhere in a warmer climate than I am today. It is bloody cold here in Sydney right now and it isn’t even winter. I do prefer the colder weather normally, but tonight of dreaming of sunny weather.

Seventy-Five Mile Beach - pic from www.ga.gov.au

Fraser Island is off the coast from Hervey Bay, about 300 kms north of Brisbane. That’s what I am talking about, much closer to the equator than Sydney town. It is the largest sand Island in the world and is protected under a World Heritage Listing. It is in rare company, with few Australian locations having this honour. It is all about the sand dunes on Fraser Island. Okay that’s a lie – it also has s huge straight stretch of beach aptly called Seventy-Five Mile Beach and beautiful dense rainforest.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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Glasshouse Mountains Queensland

May 12th 2006 03:23

I think we’re lucky in Australia that despite having some issues with logging – Tasmania comes to mind, we have genuinely realised our bush and forest areas are something of an asset we should hold on to. If anything, it is fire that wipes out most of our forest and that is largely part of a natural cycle of regeneration.

Australians and overseas visitors alike, enjoy getting out amongst the bush for exercise and for some fantastic views alike. The Glasshouse Mountains near Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is perfect for both purposes. Located just 70 kms from Brisbane, the Glasshouse Mountains offers bush walks ranging in difficulty so it is good for all walkers and climbers.
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Posted By: Glen - Category: QLD non metro

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