Australia & NZ Archives

Australia’s Deadliest Creepy Crawlies

saltwater-crocodile

When most people think of Australian wildlife, cuddly koalas and bouncing kangaroos are the first animals that come to mind. One of the Land Down Under’s worst kept secrets, though, is that it is also home to some of the world’s deadliest animals. Don’t worry too much, though. If you’re staying in a Sydney accommodation or in another major city, you are no more likely to come face to face with one of Australia’s deadliest creepy crawlies than you are likely to see a kangaroo hopping down the road. If you’re in the bush or the outback, though, watch out….

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Drive the Great Ocean Road-Victoria-Australia

The Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Rd, Victoria

The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s most scenic routes. It runs for 243 km (almost 151 miles) along the south east coast of Australia and joins two cities, Torquay (just south of Geelong) and Allansford (just east of Warrnambool). Why was it built? Before the road was built, there was only a rough track and travel was difficult and took a very long time. Although the idea for such a road began in the 1880’s, it was finally built to provide work for thousands of soldiers returning from WWI and as a permanent memorial to those who were…

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Church-Port Arthur Australia

Most people know that convicts were sent to Australia…but how much do you really know? Here’s our guide to Port Arthur – the penitentiary where the very worst of male convicts ended their days. Where is Port Arthur? Port Arthur is on the island of Tasmania, off the south east coast of Australia. As if that wasn’t remote enough, it is situated on the south east corner of the island, about 75km from Hobart. When Port Arthur was built, Tasmania was still called “Van Diemen’s Land”. The first European to explore Tasmania was a Dutchman called Abel Tasman. He called…

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The Sydney Opera House – All you Need to Know

Sydney-Opera-House

The Sydney Opera House is instantly recognizable and is one of the most famous man-made structures in the world. And even more so since Oprah came to Australia for a visit and stopped by for a visit. But how much do you know about it? Let’s take a closer look at this fascinating building. What is it? That’s not a trick question! The Opera House isn’t just one venue. It comprises six altogether. The two larger sets of ‘shells’ contain the two largest which are – The Opera Theater – which has 1,507 seats and is the Sydney home of…

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The Ferrari Drive Experience

Recently Paula and I had  the most amazing experience. Anyone who has finally fulfilled a life long dream will appreciate just how I felt, because this has been something I have wanted to do forever! We headed off  to Sydney to experience the Ferrari drive which is operated by the Prancing Horse Company in Marrickville. Having arrived a day early to make sure we arrived at the Prancing Horse by 8am the next morning, we stayed overnight at the Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport (see review) and ordered room service for breakfast as we wanted to head of early.  The traffic…

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Well I have to say that I am very pleased with the standard of the Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport Hotel and thoroughly recommend this hotel when you have a stop over in Sydney. It is simply minutes from the airport and there is a shuttle provided to and from both the domestic and international terminals for $6.00 per person. I booked this hotel through HotelClub.com and it was self rated at 5 stars. I would say it is probably in keeping with a 4 star hotel. The check in service is quick and the staff friendly and efficient. The room…

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Leaving Brisbane for Sydney Day 1 of our trip to the US

When I booked this trip to the US through Expedia.com, I didn’t notice that the first leg was from Brisbane to Sydney.  That’s not a problem of course, it just adds an extra dimension to the trip. My granddaughter Ayla and her boyfriend Tim took us to Brisbane Airport to catch the 8:45pm flight to Sydney. Check in with Qantas didn’t take too long and the young man behind the counter was friendly and helpful.  We reached the gate in plenty of time, and of course the flight was delayed. Why am I not surprised. After a very smooth flight…

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Soaring Above Southbank on the Wheel of Brisbane

Today Ayla (grandaughter) and I went into Southbank. I haven’t been there for many years so it was quite a surprise to see the changes that have been made over the years. After strolling along the boardwalk and taking a photo of Ayla in front of the Thai Temple we headed to the new attraction, the Wheel of Brisbane. The wheel is just as the name implies a ferris wheel with 42 closed in gondola’s each holding up to 6 adults and 2 children. Each capsule is air conditioned thank goodness, as the morning we went on it was a…

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Your guide to Port Arthur (Tasmania) Australia

Most people know that convicts were sent to Australia…but how much do you really know?  Here’s our guide to Port Arthur – the penitentiary where the very worst of male convicts ended their days. Where is Port Arthur? Port Arthur is on the island of Tasmania, off the south east coast of Australia.  As if that wasn’t remote enough, it is situated on the south east corner of the island, about 75km from Hobart. When Port Arthur was built, Tasmania was still called “Van Diemen’s Land”.  The first European to explore Tasmania was a Dutchman called Abel Tasman.  He called…

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