11 Feb 09 Help the Victorian Bushfire Appeal

The 2009 Victorian Bushfire Fund to assist individuals and communities affected by devastating bushfires in Victoria has been launched by the Premier John Brumby in partnership with Red Cross and the Federal Government.

Make your donation through the Red Cross Website
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01 Jan 09 Book your 2009 Holiday

Happy New Year!  Hope you all enjoy the fireworks along the Sydney Harbour as we did.  Remember to book some holidays around Sydney or throughout New South Wales in 2009.

30 Dec 08 Happy New Year 2009

The best place to celebrate new year 2009.

The world-famous fireworks displays can be seen all the way from Gladesville Bridge to the Heads of Sydney Harbour, with fireworks barges located between Point Piper in the east and Cockatoo Island in the west.

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30 Dec 08 Eden

Eden is located (475km) 6 hours south of Sydney, 7 hours from Melbourne and 3 hours from Canberra and is just 61km south of Bega on N.S.W.’s Sapphire Coast. It is the last main town and Seaport before the Victorian Border and home to 3,000 people.  Eden is situated on the deep harbor of Twofold Bay (third deepest natural harbor in the world) and it overlooks Snug Cove.

The area (which includes Ben Boyd National Park, Nadgee Nature Reserve and Womboyn Lake) is one of phenomenal beauty.  Brightest blue waters of lagoons, oceans and lakes are separated by white sands; bushland reaches out towards the mountains and the small and pretty town, surrounded by National Park and woodland, is a tranquil place to be.  The area was originally inhabited by the Thawa Aborigines.  The first white settlement was established by John Raine when he started the first on shore whaling station in the deep Twofold Bay in 1828.  In days gone by, the sounds of a siren blasting meant that a passing whale had been spotted.  Whales still pass by from late September to November, but now they are watched with wonder and not hunted.  The whales are migrating south to the Antarctic.  Humpbacks, sometimes with calves, Orcas and Blue Whales can often be spotted feeding in the waters around Eden.

In 1949 a tuna canning operation was started in Eden.  Commercial fishing is still one of the town’s main industries, as well as the income that tourists bring when they come to enjoy the surroundings and dip their own line into the water.

Apart from whale watching, fishing and beautiful walks, Eden has many shops, sporting facilities, restaurants and licensed clubs for visitors to enjoy.  Eden is a fine place to stay.

23 Dec 08 Byron Bay Accommodation

There is a choice of over 300 places to stay in Byron Bay.  Accommodation ranges from budget camp sites to luxury resort style accommodation, but most places are cheaper out of peak season.

Backpackers are a way of life in Byron and many well run hostels cater for their needs.  Over a dozen camp and caravan sites are available where it is possible to wake up right next to the breaking waves on the beach.  Beachside Cabins should be booked well in advance in peak season.

Byron has many B and B’s some around town, some out of town.  There are motels and hotels, guesthouses and holiday homes, cottages, apartments, condominiums, units, home stay and resort style accommodation set in magnificent gardens.

There is never a shortage of things to do, people to talk to, places to eat or things to do in Byron.  It is good to come here and stay a while.

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19 Dec 08 Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is a region with golden beaches, beautiful rainforest and friendly country towns which stretch from Scott’s Head to Red Rock, and inland into the mountains of the Great Dividing Range.  Located between Sydney (550 km North East) and Brisbane, it provides the perfect setting for an ideal holiday.  The main center is the city of Coffs Harbour which is home to 65,000 people and growing.  Prior to 1788 The Gumbaingirr Aborigines populated the area and it is thought that the first white settlers were convicts that had escaped and taken refuge on Muttonbird Island, in 1791.  Timber cutters began to open up the area 50 years later and Coffs Harbour was given its name in 1847 by John Korff who was a navel architect and shipbuilder who had sheltered in the bay during a gale.

In our modern times, Coffs Harbour offers accommodation and activities for all visitors.  It boasts a beautiful and unspoilt sub-tropical environment with pristine rainforest sweeping down to long stretches of perfect beach.  The climate is rated amongst the very best in Australia, with average summer temperatures around 26 degrees Centigrade and an average winter temperature of 18 degrees Centigrade.  The towns are rich in history and culture, and the people are friendly and relaxed.  It is difficult not to be happy in Coffs Harbour.

01 Dec 08 Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains consist of over 1 million hectares of mainly eucalypt forested vegetation on a sandstone plateau.  It is not hard to stand looking across the vast expanse of land and imagine the Aborigines of years gone by, wandering about the land and going about their business.  Currently over 3 million people every year visit the area of outstanding beauty.  Both national and international visitors alike find the amazing views of sheer cliff faces, deep gullies and swamps, all shimmering in a blue haze in the sunlight, quite inspiring, refreshing and irresistible.

The Blue Mountains National Park is a World Heritage region and takes just over an hour to drive in a westerly direction, from Sydney (only 9o minutes from the airport).  It is part of the Great Dividing Range, yet the Blue Mountains peak at just 1000 meters.  The first explorers to successfully conquer the challenge that the mountains presented, opened up the area in 1813.  One of the first towns established was Blackheath.  The largest town in the mountains now, is Katoomba which grew when the Coal Mine opened there in 1879.  Leura is a pretty little town with sweeping views, and Mt. Victoria is the highest point at 1064 meters above sea level.  The area retains its historic charm.

Many Sydney residents love to escape to the Blue Mountains for short breaks; the exhilarating fresh air and relaxed atmosphere is often a contrast to the busy city life that they are accustomed too.  The region supports a vast diversity of plant and animal life; many rare and ancient communities are hidden away in deep inaccessible gorges.  Over 140 kilometers of walking track, including The Grand Canyon Track, make exploring a pleasure.

One popular place to visit is Echo Point, where you shout, then pause to listen for the echo to come back.  Here the view of the famous Three Sisters, with Mt Solitary in the background, is an experience that is hard to forget.  Also very memorable are the historic stone staircases of the Federal Pass track, and The Jenolyn Caves, a ride on Sky rail or Sceniscender, The Blue Gum Forest (which was saved from destruction in the 1930’s by bushwalkers), and perhaps the most amazing memory will be the warm, hospitable, friendly, and relaxed atmosphere of the surroundings and the people in the small towns.

01 Dec 08 Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is a region with golden beaches, beautiful rainforest and friendly country towns which stretch from Scott’s Head to Red Rock, and inland into the mountains of the Great Dividing Range.  Located between Sydney (550 km North East) and Brisbane, it provides the perfect setting for an ideal holiday.  The main center is the city of Coffs Harbour which is home to 65,000 people and growing.  Prior to 1788 The Gumbaingirr Aborigines populated the area and it is thought that the first white settlers were convicts that had escaped and taken refuge on Muttonbird Island, in 1791.  Timber cutters began to open up the area 50 years later and Coffs Harbour was given its name in 1847 by John Korff who was a navel architect and shipbuilder who had sheltered in the bay during a gale.

In our modern times, Coffs Harbour offers accommodation and activities for all visitors.  It boasts a beautiful and unspoilt sub-tropical environment with pristine rainforest sweeping down to long stretches of perfect beach.  The climate is rated amongst the very best in Australia, with average summer temperatures around 26 degrees Centigrade and an average winter temperature of 18 degrees Centigrade.  The towns are rich in history and culture, and the people are friendly and relaxed.  It is difficult not to be happy in Coffs Harbour.

22 Nov 08 Byron Bay

The Byron Bay Shire is the most easterly point on Australia’s mainland.  There are several small towns and villages in the shire which together make up a population of 31,000.  However, most roads lead to Byron Bay which is the largest town in the area, and this particular place attracts over one and a half million visitors each year.  Byron Bay is Australia’s third most popular tourist destination.

Byron Bay is 180 kilometers south of Brisbane (just over 2 hours drive, or 45 minutes drive from the Gold Coast) and 800 kilometers north of Sydney.  Daily coaches and trains run from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne (transfer at Casino if catching the train).  Coach transfers to Byron also connect flights from Ballina or the Gold Coast airports.

Byron Bay is known for its relaxed and alternative lifestyle.  30% of residents live in rural areas, many earning a living from home based businesses such as production of arts and crafts, or tropical fruit farms, macadamia farms, vegetable crops or sugar cane crops.  Many artists, actors, writers, musicians and filmmakers make Byron their home, making it rich in culture and character.  The main street in Byron Bay town is Jonson Street, this leads into Bangalow Road and these two streets are a jostling centre of small shops (surf shops a specialty) cafes, restaurants and places to stay.  The place is always a buzz of activity, with an easygoing and carefree feel.

A significant piece of the Byron Landscape is Cape Byron Lighthouse.  Its beacon twinkles at night and in the daytime it is the background to the floating hang – gliders who catch the air currents off of the cape if the wind is in the right direction.  Visitors often have the treat of watching the dolphins play in the sea just off of shore; or witness the humpback whales passing by as they travel north in July and August and return in September or October.  In the average winter temperatures of 22 degrees, and summer temperatures of around 27 degrees Centigrade, it is fun to stroll along the beach or sit and watch the surfers take on the waves.  Cape Byron walking track opens out all of the ocean views before your eyes.  Or many bush walking tracks, some through sup-tropical rainforest, are marked out in the National Parks in the Hinterland.  Byron Bay also has brilliant markets where much of the locally produced merchandise is for sale.  Byron Bay is a great place just to ‘hang out’.

Byron Bay is green, is gold, is soaked in blue and is fun.

22 Nov 08 New South Wales

New South Wales, as well as being one of the most well known tourist attractions in the world is a lively place to study and live. Sydney is a free-spirited and vibrant city, built around one of the world’s most beautiful harbors, with more than 70 sparkling beaches in easy reach of its cosmopolitan heart.
Enjoy its legendary beauty, its laid-back outdoor lifestyle and icons such as the Sydney Opera House, the graceful span of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the golden sands of Bondi.

The center is surprisingly compact and served by an efficient public transport service - so it’s easy to pack a lot into a day.

Most visitors start off exploring the Rocks, the harborside quarter where Sydney began. Today, it’s an area of narrow lanes, boutiques, historic cottages, top hotels and restaurants, historic pubs and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Another area not to be missed is the entertainment center of Darling Harbour, with its museums, eateries, pubs and clubs. It has one of the world’s largest aquariums. Watch out for the three-meter-long sharks as you walk through tunnels moulded into the giant tanks.

Elsewhere you’ll find great nightlife - in Kings Cross and the trendy suburb of Paddington, also known for its stately Victorian houses and glamorous boutiques.

Then there are the food emporiums of Chinatown, the vivid street life and inexpensive eateries of inner-city Newtown, and fabulous shopping in the city centre.

Less than two hours by car or train west of Sydney, the Blue Mountains National Park is Australia’s latest World Heritage site - a spectacular area of dramatic canyons and caves, sheer-cliffed valleys, pretty stone and timber towns, and world-class guesthouses

Northern Rivers and Tropical New South Wales is an area of natural wonderland on the most northern stretch of coast in New South Wales. Its beauty lies in its unspoilt beaches, volcanic mountains, lush countryside and World Heritage listed national parks.