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Archive for 2008

   
Top 10 Melbourne Hostels December 2008 Dec 14

These are the latest top ten Melbourne Hostels. They have been rated by travellers who have stayed in them but like everything else with a rating system they are subject to individuals opinions and may not be the experience that you were hoping or wanted. If you are looking to stay in Melbourne and want to book some hostel accommodation check out the full comparitive listing of Melbourne Hostels and then book secuerly online.

1. Freeman Lodge

88% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

Patrick (from Germany), December 2008:

This place is just like home. Had our 3-year old child with us and she loved it The only “problem” is the busy street in front of the lodge. The owner and his wife are the best! We would definetly come again!

 

Description:

The Freeman Lodge is a small clean and friendly hostel-guesthouse for travellers…

 

 

 

2. Lords Lodge Backpackers

85% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

PRAKDIS (from Malaysia), October 2008:

thanks to Pat for leaving the key for us as we arrived after 10pm

Description:

Our small,cozy Hostel is a relaxed and friendly place to stay, with personal and knowledgeable staff.It is a 135 year old mansio..

 

 

 

3. Urban Central

83% Customer Rating

 Latest Reviews

Alexander, (from Scotland), December 2008:

Loved it here - you would be lucky to find better anywhere…. has it all and moreLoved it here - you would be lucky to find better anywhere…. has it all and more…

 

 

Description:

The number 1 hostel in Melbourne for 2006 as voted by Hostelworld customers. Central to the city, beach and St Kilda ‘Urban’ is ..

 

 

 

4. Claremont Guesthouse

82% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

Martin (from England), December 2008:

Got upgraded to a private twin room with TV, fridge, phone for free! Great hostel/hotel very welcoming, not really for the party crowd as it is very relaxed and informal. Nice free breakfast, fast internet, good laundry facilities, very clean and comfortable. Highly recommended

 

Description:

Our refurbished historic 1886 Victorian building provides a unique accommodation experience…

 

 

 

5. Base St Kilda

82% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

olinorwell (from England), December 2008:

Definitely the place to be if you’re young, and in high spirits, the place is buzzing almost 24 hours a day. Those who are in Melbourne for other reasons may find this too noisy and full on. Can’t complain though, it’s a top hostel.

 

Description:

Situated just two blocks from the beach, this hostel has places to chill, places to have fun and more…

 

 

 

6. City Centre budget Hotel

82% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

bluenosergrl (from Canada), December 2008:

While the rooftop garden/kitchen/laundry was pretty sparse, the rooms were clean, the staff very helpful, and the bathrooms were good. (Although I much preferred the single shower bathrooms to the larger shared ones, as they appeared much newer/cleaner). Not a party spot, but a nice central point for Melbourne city central.

 

Description:

City Centre Budget Hotel, great location in the centre of Melbourne,specializingsin DOUBLE/TWIN/SINGLE ROOMS.

 

 

 

7. Cooee on St Kilda

82% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

Jason (from England), December 2008:

Very good hostel, really really clean. The rooms had security lockers and all the rooms had security cards so we felt our stuff was safe. People didn’t really interact within the hostel so if you were a single traveller it may be hard to meet people. Another point which isn’t the hostels fault but just a bit of info that the roads around the hostel have loads of hookers!

 

Description:

Cooee is ‘the Travellers Call’ for fun! Brand spanking new, contemporary, clean, friendly and secure accommodation in the heart ..

 

 

 

8. Central Melbourne Accommodation

81% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

faulkner (from England), July 2008:

Good place to stay if you’ve just arrived and need a base whilst starting a working holiday or study. Friendly and helpful staff who’ll guide you as you find your feet in Melbourne. Nice, quiet location close to trains and trams, so easy to get around.

 

Description:

Friendly budget accommodation with 30 beds, we’re more like a home than a hostel…

 

 

 

9. The Nunnery

81% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

caitlinl sparks (from Australia), December 2008:

If only all hostels were of this calibre. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. Sincere thanks to all the Nunnery staff.

 

Description:

Perfect for spoiling yourself but at a budget price, The Nunnery’s wide range of accommodation styles are spread over two buildi..

 

 

 

10. St Arnaud

81% Customer Rating

Latest Reviews

Celine (from China), November 2008:

Very Warm and Sweet family atmosphere and friendly staffs Here! I love it!

 

Description:

Our aim is to provide affordable, clean and comfortable accommodation for the budget conscious traveller…

Ratings and comments obtained from Hostelworld.

World Nomads Travel Scholarships Dec 09

 

World Nomads Travel Scholarships: Learn, Experience, Create

Are you a budding travel writer, travel photographer, video documentary filmmaker or podcaster?

Check out Worldnomads.com Travel Scholarships and you could learn the tricks of the trade from a professional, have an amazing travel experience and get the opportunity to share your experiences with the world.

 

World Nomads have created a Travel Scholarship program to provide passionate individuals the opportunity to further their skills through professional mentorship, in the fields of either travel writing, travel photography, video documentary filmmaking or podcasting.

They know that there is no better way than to learn on the job and no more valuable experience when it comes to learning than having a professional in that field guide you. We’re absolutely passionate about not only keeping our World Nomads travelling safely, but also about providing opportunities to get the most out of their travel experience. For some, that is a desire to combine their love of travel and a chosen career and we want the Travel Scholarships program to be a stepping stone to achieve that.

You could be filming in India, recording a podcast in Thailand or writing a story from a mountain in Nepal. We’ll continue to partner with the best travel companies, to provide amazing travel experiences and high quality mentors to help you learn and share your experiences with the world.

 

Read about current World Nomads Scholarships for details.

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Review of Snapfish Photo Printing and Storage Dec 09

When you are on holidays you end up taking a heap of digital photos.   The worst thing that can happen is that your camera gets stolen or you lose your card or it becomes corrupted.  So we have solved this problem for you by finding a secure and trustworthy site where you can upload your photos, so you have a backup copy. 

Snapfish is huge and operates throughout the world so they are going to take care of your photo’s.  They have more than 60 million members and a billion unique photos stored online. This is what Snapfish has to say about themselves.

Snapfish is a leading online photo service with more than 60 million members and one billion unique photos stored online. We enable our members to share, print and store their most important photo memories at the lowest prices-online or off. Snapfish offers professionally-developed digital camera prints, free online photo sharing, unlimited online photo storage, and a variety of personalised photo products, ranging from calendars, mugs and mousepads, to books, puzzles and teddy bears.

The best thing is that they also have one of the cheapest printing costs around at only 15* cents a print it is a bargain. Here is their latest special…
  Get 20 FREE digital prints from Snapfish, HP’s leading online photo service. At Snapfish you can share your photos with friends and family and store them online for FREE. Photos and photo gifts are printed in Australia to the highest quality and additional prints cost as little as 15¢.

Don’t just take our word for their good product, here is a couple of quotes from others endorsing Snapfish.

“Best Overall Photo Service: Snapfish delivered the best image quality plus the lowest price.”  - PC World, June 2005

 

“Once you weigh price, speed, ease-of-uploading, and a few other considerations, some services stood out from the pack-in particular, Snapfish… Overall, Snapfish sent the best images. Its prints all had good exposure, contrast, and detail.”  - MacWorld, July 2005

So try them out and see how they perform, even if you don’t order any photos it is a good idea to just keep a copy of them where others are responsible for looking after them.

The only downside that we found with Snapfish is that if you want to share your photos with others they need to sign up for an account and once you do, you are on their mailing list so they send out promotional stuff. But you always have the option to filter them out of your inbox and hey it is still free.

If you try them out and have something to say about Snapfish let everyone know and leave a comment.  

*Price accurate as of 9/12/08

Itchy Feet Travel Guide Update Dec 09

The Itchy Feet Travel Guide website for Australia has been updated with a new look website and more information for backpackers, flashpackers and gappackers. The main site has a fresh, brand new look that is easier to navigate because we have moved to a more powerful database system that allows easier searching of the site. We have added a stack of hostels that can now be reviewed by those who have stayed in them. And boy, do we have a few honest reviews from some of the travelling public!  It is a must for those who want to get the inside goss on what a hostel is really like before they stay there, so feel free to contribute your two cents.  We also have added a comparison section under the link “Hostels / Hotels” where travellers can see a list of hostels for a place and compare the price and availability for their own travel dates. All the information is updated by the hostels themselves so it is going to more accurate than the old way we used to operate where it was done by us.

We have ditched the old forum based section of the site and replaced it with a new blog style area. The beauty with this is that we have also added a “Make Money” option for travellers that want to contribute. There is more information on our site on how to make money as a travel writer so check it out.
We have also added a range of Adventure travel tours listed under a link “Adventure Tours”. This is great for creating a full itinerary where some of your tours can be booked in advance. 

After seeing our site, www.itchy-feet.com.au feel free to leave us a comment on what you would like to see or on how you think the site has developed.  We are constantly trying to improve the information so stay tuned.

Category: General  | Tags: ,  | One Comment
Lonely Planet Guide Books Dec 09

As a traveller a guide book is essential to finding the ins and outs of the place that you are visiting.  Lonely Planet Guide books have all that information and more.  They cover Hostel and Hotels reviews , things to see and do, getting in and out and more, specifically targeted to the budget conscious traveller. 

Lonely Planet also have launched a new look website with heaps more destination information Guides, Maps & More. The great thing about the new site is that they not only offer more travel advice and information for free but also secure direct purchase of their books. I know that this is starting to sound like I am going to offer a free set of steak knives but I’m not. I just recon the books that these guy put out caters the best for backpackers, flashpackers and gappackers or anyone else who travel on a travel budget.  

My next point is that if you don’t have the coin to splash out on the full book and lets face it who is going to visit all of the places covered in the book? But now you can just purchase the relevant sections from any book.  What a great way to save on packing space? You just download the relevant sections in PDF format and there is no waiting time for stuff to be sent to you.  Of course the only disadvantage is that you have to print it out, but who cares!

Of course there are other travel guides but if you are coming to Australia particularly the Lonely Planet Australia travel guide wont let you down. We rate them top notch. 

If you have something to share about Lonely Planet guide books or the Lonely Planet web site leave a comment and let the travel community know.

Review of Jetstar Airways Sep 10

Jetsar is the budget airline of Qantas but it is independently operated from the parent company. Jetstar started operating in Australia in May 2004 due to increased competition from budget airline VirginBlue.  The no frills approach to domestic travel was popular so Qantas birthed Jetstar Airlines to take a share of the budget flight market.  The competition between budget airlines has created great opportunities for bargains. Jetstar has had sales of 1 cent airfares, however getting one is difficult.  Apart from these kind of advertising gimmicks the general fares are good.

As with other budget airlines no food or drink is included in the ticket price however an in-flight service offers food and drinks for sale. Generally these prices are expensive for budget traveller.

Jetstar used to have no seat allocation and instead had a colour code system which worked on the check in time. This resulted in a mad scramble for seats,  however this system has fortunately been replaced with allocated seating.

Strict check in times apply and these have resulted in passengers being refused check in. Here is an excert from Jetstars conditions of carriage so you don’t get caught.

 Check In Deadline

For flights departing from a domestic terminal, check in will close 30 minutes before scheduled departure and for flights departing from an international terminal, 60 minutes before scheduled departure. You will not be able to check-in after these Check-In Deadlines. Arrival after these Check-In Deadlines may result in you forfeiting the entire fare paid. Once checked-in, you must be at the boarding gate for flights departing from a domestic terminal at least 25 minutes before the scheduled departure time and for flights departing from an international terminal at least 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

 

Jetstar now has JetSaver fares which is touted as a new Light fares system where the sale price does not allow any checked bags. Carry on baggage is permitted however limits, including size restrictions, will be strictly applied.

Jetstar’s Australian destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, and Perth. Non-metropolitan flight destinations include Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Launceston, Mackay, Newcastle, Rockhampton, Sunshine coast, Townsville and the Whitsunday’s.

Jetstar international flight destinations include Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand and more…

The planes operated by Jetstar are new and comfortable to fly in. The service is comparable to any other airline or even Qantas service. The downside to Jetstar when flying into Melbourne is that it lands at Avalon Airport which is close to Geelong not Melbourne. Obviously the airport fees for the budget airline are reduced but the inconvienince for travellers expecting to land in Melbourne off sets that relative gain for this destination.  The trip from Avalon is about 45 minutes back to the city, expensive if you take a taxi.  This minor gripe aside the cost advantage and quality of the service makes flying with Jetstar generally worth the fare.

Aussie Phrases Sep 04
Aussie phrases are used to indirectly describe something or someone. Here is a short list of some of the more common phrases which you may hear and what they mean.

  • He is a sandwich short of a picnic - Stupid
  • He has a few roos loose in the top paddock - Stupid, slow witted
  • A stubbie short of a six-pack - Stupid
  • Cold enough to freeze the nuts off a tractor - Cold
  • Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey - Cold
  • He couldn’t lie straight in bed - Liar, dishonest
  • It’s better than a poke in the eye with a hot stick - Better than nothing
  • Flat out like a lizard drinking - Busy
  • Ten foot tall and bullet proof - very well, feeling great
  • As useful as an ashtray on a motor bike - Useless
  • As useful as tits on a bull - Useless
  • Fair suck of the sav - A fair go
  • As bright as a two-watt bulb - Stupid
  • As mad as a cut snake - very mad, furious
  • Drive the porcelain bus - to vomit in the toilet
  • Wouldn’t know them from a bar of soap - a stranger, an unknown person
  • As useful as a one legged man in an arse kicking contest - Useless
  • Flash as a rat with a gold tooth - description of a showoff
  • Couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery - Useless
  • Couldn’t organise a root in a brothel - Useless
  • So slow he couldn’t get a job as a speed hump - Useless
  • You’ve been living in the top paddock - put on weight (not to be said to women)
  • www.itchy-feet.com.au

     

     

     

    Category: LOCAL CUSTOMS  | Tags: ,  | Leave a Comment
    Ozzie Slang Sep 04
    Slang words, are words, which are used to resemble English words, but have evolved into a kind of second language that Australian’s use every day. The list here is not exhaustive, however it will give you an idea of what to expect. A good rule of thumb is don’t try to use to many slang words in a sentence. If you are unsure of what the word means don’t use it either, in the wrong context you will seem like a try hard and will look very uncool!

     

     

     

     

    A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

    A

    Aggro- Aggressive
    Ankle biter- Infant
    Arvo- Afternoon
    Top

    B

    Battler- Someone who struggles financially blue collar worker lower class
    Beaut- good (also bewdy) bewdy good thing
    Bender - Big drinking session
    Berko - Go mad or crazy
    Biffo - Fight
    Big Bikkies - Lots of money
    Big smoke - City
    Bingle - car accident
    Bloke - Man
    Blotto - Drunk “I got blotto last night”
    Blow-in - Newcomer
    Blowie - Blowfly
    Bludger - Lazy person
    Blue - Fight
    Bluey - A redhead
    Boofhead - idiot, fool unliked person
    Booze - Alcohol usually beer
    Bottleo - (Bottle-ee-o) Bottleshop
    Brekkie - Breakfast
    Brown nose - some one who sucks up usually to the boss for some gain.
    Buckleys - No chance
    Bundy - Rum made in Budaberg QUeensland from cane sugar. Warning There is a fight in every bottle.
    Burl - give it a go. “I’ll give it a burl”.
    Bushed - Tired
    Buggered - Tired Stuffed
    Bust a gut - Work hard
    Top

    C

    Cabbie or Cabbage - Taxi Driver
    Cack - Laugh, someone who is funny to be scared to lose control. “They area Cack” “I Cacked myself”
    Chrissie - Christmas
    Chuck - Throw or be sick
    Chuck a u-ie - Make a U turn in a car.
    Chunder - to vomit
    Cobber - Mate or friend
    Country mile - a long distance
    Crash - to go to sleep. To stay at someone elses house. “I’ll crash at your place”
    Crock - not true, nonsense. “That’s a crock…”
    Cuppa - Cup of Tea
    Cushie - To have it easy
    Top

    D

    Dag - Fool, uncool person.
    Daks - Trousers
    Date - Rectum sphincter
    Deadset - Is that true
    Dipstick - Stupid person
    Doona - Duvet, blanket, quilt
    Drongo - Idiot (not commonly used any more)
    Duds - trousers
    Dunny - Toilet.
    Top

    E

    Earbashing - If someone talks continually to you that is an Earbashing.
    Esky - Insulated ice box used to keep food usually beer cold when outdoors
    Exie - Expensive “That is to Exie”
    Top

    F

    Fair Dinkum - The truth, honest. Can be used as a statement or a question depending on tone. “Are you fair dinkum?” or “Fair Dinkum he is an idiot!”
    Fair go - Give me a chance
    Fang - Eat, snack
    Feed - to eat or have a meal.
    Fess up - confess or own up
    Footie - Aussie Rules football or Rugby League or Union.
    Franger - Condom
    Furphy - Rumour or lie
    Top

    G

    G’day - Hello, a greating “G’day Mate”
    Garbo - Garbage collector
    Good nick - Good condition
    Green Can - VB beer
    Grog - Alcohol
    Guernsey - To be allowed to participate, to win approval.
    Gumby - Fool, idiot
    Gutser - to have an accident “to have a gutser”
    Top

    H

    Half your luck - Well done, congratulations
    Hard yards - work hard
    Heave - Vomit
    Hittin - to go drinking (beer) “Lets get on the hittin”

    Hooley Dooley - Wow
    Hoo roo - Goodbye
    Hoon - reckless driver
    Top

    I

    Idiot Box - Television
    Irrits - To be annoyed ” You give me the irrits”
    Top

    J

    Jocks - Underpants
    Joshin - joking
    Top

    K

    Kark it - Die or deep sleep “I karked it last night”
    Knock - criticise “Don’t knock it”
    Knuckle sandwich - a punch with a fist.
    Top

    L

    Larrikin - jovial, playful all round good guy.
    Lingo - Language
    Lippie - Lipstick
    Lush - An attractive woman
    Top

    M

    Maccas - Mcdonalds food chain
    Mate - Friend, used instead of someones name. COmmonly used with G’day as a greeting “G’day mate”
    Mates Rates - Discount for friends
    Moon tan - Pale skin
    Mozzie - Mosquito
    Top

    N

    Narky - Upset, angry, moody
    No worries - It’s fine, It’s OK
    Nude nut - Bald head (Don’t mention this to people who are bald)
    Top

    O

    Ocker - Common person, very Austarlian.
    Old Cheese - Mother
    Old Girl - Mother
    Old Lady - Wife
    Old Man - Father
    Olds / Oldies - Parents
    Onya - Good on you. “Onya mate”
    Top

    P

    Pash - Kiss
    Perve - lustful gaze
    Piccy - Picture
    Piker - Leave early from a party
    Plonk - Cheap wine
    Pokies - Poker Machines
    Pommie - English person
    Prezzie - a gift
    Pushie - bicycle
    Top

    Q

    Quids - money “I wouldn’t do it for quids”
    Top

    R

    Rack off - go away
    Rapt - very pleased
    Rellies - Relatives
    Ridgy didge - genuine honestly
    Rip snorter - excellent thing
    Ripper - great
    Rissole - hamburger meat
    Roo - Kangaroo
    Top

    S

    Sanger - Sandwich
    Servo - Service station, gas station
    Sheila - Female, woman “Have a look at that sheila”
    Shoot Through - Leave
    Shout - Round of drinks (beer)
    Slab - 24 cans of beer
    Snag - Sausage
    Sook - Cry baby
    Sparrows fart - Dawn
    Spewin - Upset, disapointed also vomit
    Spunk - Good looking
    Squiz - Have a look
    Strife - in trouble
    Struth - Exclamation of a point, wow
    Subbies - shorts or beer bottles
    Sunnies - Sunglasses
    Swill - to drink alcohol (beer) “Lets get on the swill” Top

    T

    Tantie - Tantrum
    Tassie - Tasmania
    Technicolour Yawn - To vomit
    Thongs - Rubber sandles, flip flops.
    Tinnie - Can of beer, small aluminum boat
    Togs - Swimsuit
    Trackie Dacks - Tracksuit pants
    Treadly - Bicycle
    Troppo - slightly mad
    Truckie - Truck driver
    True Blue - Genuine Australian
    Tub - Bath Shower or wash
    Tucker - Food
    Top

    U

    Undies - Underwear
    Unreal - excellent
    Top

    V

    Vege out - Relax
    Top

    W

    Walkabout - Disapear
    Whinge - Complain
    Whole kit and kaboodle - Got the lot everything
    Wog - Illness usually a cold.
    Woop Woop - Middle of nowhere
    Top

    X

    XXXX - Pronounced four-ex beer
    Top

    Y

    Yabber - Chat
    Yack - Chat or vomit
    Yarn - Tell a story
    Yobbo - uncouth loudmouth
    Top

    Z

    Zonked - Tired exhaused

    Drinking Ettiquette in Australia Sep 04

    Drinking for the Uninitiated

    THE SHOUTThe “Shout” is as Australian as fair dinkum and meat pies. To shout means to buy something for someone. It is most notably used in the context of drinking at the pub and requires a group of 2 or more people. The best number to have in a shout is 4, any more and the system tends to fail after a few beers, as no one can remember who shouted last. If you have more than 4 people break up into small more manageable groups.How the shout works.
    The first person in the shout buys a round. A round is one drink for every person in the group, which is collectively called a shout. When all the glasses are nearing empty in the group, the next person to shout gets the round. It is important to note that the shout occurs before glasses are empty. This maintains a drinking rhythm. The system continues until it returns to the start and so on until you are kicked out of the pub or fall down drunk, which ever comes first.

    Important points.
    If at some time you wish to leave the shout, you should have a good reason and “I’m tired” usually doesn’t cut it. You will invariably be called lots of names, “Slack bastard”, “piker”, and the list goes on. To get out of a shout you must shout before you leave!!! So do it when your turn comes up and make a quick exit.

    If you go to the pub with a new Australian friend and they say “Mate my shout” and get you a beer, you may think that this is very generous however it is not a “gimme”. You have just entered into a shout. It is your duty now to buy your new friend a drink. Sometimes it may be that friends are generous and will not allow you to shout them back, however an attempt must be made.

    A shout can apply to any alcoholic beverage, spirits, bottles, jugs etc.

    I’LL HAVE A …
    Now that you have the common shout under your belt buying beer in different parts of Australia is done in different ways. “I’ll have a beer”, can mean a number of things. Of course you will get beer but how much? Look at the following for a guide to ordering beer around Australia.

    “I’ll have a …”
    Beer in Queensland (QLD) and Victoria (VIC) you will get a 7 ounce (oz) glass. In New South Wales (NSW)you will get a 15 oz and the rest of the country a 10oz glass.
    Middy is terminology used only in NSW and South Australia (SA) It is 285ml or 10oz glass.
    Pint is a 425ml (15 oz) glass mainly SA and VIC.
    Butcher is 200ml or 7 oz in SA
    Pony is 140ml or 5 oz However you need not commit this to memory as any one who orders something this size really does not want a drink. If you start off a shout with this one…
    Pot is 285mL or 10 oz in QLD and VIC
    Schooner is 425 mL (15 oz) in NSW, VIC and 285 mL (10 oz) in SA.
    Glass is 200mL (7 oz) in QLD and VIC
    Handle 10 oz glass with a handle. You may be given one by asking for a pot a certain pubs. It is the same size however the advantage of a handle is that your hand does not heat the beer up. The colder the beer the better.
    Stubbie is a 375mL bottle.
    Tinny or Can is 375mL can.
    Darwin Stubbie 1.25litre bottle only found in NT
    Long neck 750mL bottle.

    THE BOTTLE SHOP
    Finally, the drive-thru bottle shop or “bot-le-o” which is an annex to a pub specifically for the purchase of take home alcohol. This is a mine field for the uninitiated. The problem occurs as it is usually busy and the drive through is for people who know what they want and know what they are doing. Don’t hold people up trying to decide, park your car and walk in. If you are more adventurous this is how it is done.
    A slab or carton or box is 24 cans or stubbies of beer. You must specify cans or stubbies, the best thing is to tell the person serving how much cash you are going to give them, this makes the transaction even speedier.

    It goes like this…
    “I’ll have a cold slab of VB stubs mate out of 50″
    This means that you wish to purchase 24 stubbies of Victoria Bitter (VB) in a box and you have a $50 note to give him for the purchase. The attendant will then go to fridge, get a carton of VB stubbies, go to the cash register and put the transaction through as though you gave him $50. He will then bring the change and the beer to you, take the $50, give you the change and the carton. You drive away. It’s that easy!

    Important abbreviations;
    VB: Victoria Bitter
    Crownies: Crown Larger
    Goldies: XXXX (Four ex)
    Red Rimmers: XXXX heavy beer.
    Heavy: Full strength beer
    Light or Mid Strength: Less alcohol percentage.
    The list goes on …
     


     


     

      


     

    Category: LOCAL CUSTOMS  | Tags:  | Leave a Comment
    101 Things to do in Australia Sep 04

    This is a list of the top 101 things to do in Australia. It is open to discussion and it is possible that some things have been left out but it is a good jumping off point. In travel it is the unexpected detours that sometimes provide us with the best travel experiences.

    This list is compiled in no particular order.

    1. Kakadu Situated in the Northern Territory Kakadu National park is the size of a small country and because of its remoteness in the far north of Australia the wilderness has been preserved.
    2. Great Barrier Reef - the largest coral reef in the world which stretches most of the coast line of Queensland. This is a divers paradise.
    3. Nigaloo - Situated in Western Australia this is where you can swim with the largest fish the whale shark.
    4. Ularu - (AKA Ayres Rock) a massive monolith in the middle of central Australia. One of the icons of Australia.
    5. Whitehaven Beach - In the Whitsundays Queensland has the whitest sand in the world.
    6. Stockmans Hall of Fame - Situated in Longreach central Queensland outlines the history of the Australian Bushman.
    7. Luna Park Sydney is a historical amusement park, in Sydney, New South Wales.
    8. Surf at Surfers Paradise - Surfers paradise highly comercialised strip along the southern coast of Queensland just over an hour south of Brisbane. Catch a wave on the beach breaks. Not the best surf in the world but a great place to visit.
    9. Gold Coast Theme Parks - There is Seaworld, Dreamworld, Warner Brothers Movie World, Wet and Wild water park and Whitewater World. More than a weeks worth of adventure.
    10. Cape Schank - on the southern tip of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. An extensive boardwalk to the cliffs and a lighthouse.
    11. Phillip Island - Home of the moto GP and fairy penguins. Take a night tour of the penguins returning to the beach nests after being out hunting all day.
    12. Sydney Opera House - An icon of Australia which is visited by million each year situated on Sydney Harbour.

    13. Sydney Harbour Bridge - Crossing Sydney Harbour and can be climbed by the intrepid traveller with tour guides.
    14. Melbourne Shopping - Visit Melbourne and some of the lesser known shopping spots by exploring the alleys and lane ways throughout the city.
    15. Great Ocean Road - Drive the length of the Great ocean road which stretches from Torquay towards the South Australian Boarder.
    16. Ride the Gahn - A train ride that travels the length of Australia through the Australian red centre from Adelaide to Darwin.
    17. Indian-Pacific - An even longer train ride stretching the breadth of the country from Perth to Sydney 3 day and night and 4352 km one of the worlds longest train journeys.
    18. 12 Apostles - well not quite 12 more like eight, located along the Great Ocean Road Victoria where columns of rock protrude from the sea along the cliffs.
    19. Devils Marbles - (aka Karlu Karlu by the local Aborigines) Rounded Rock formations thousands of years old in central Australia, 114 km from Tennant Creek, Northern Territory.
    20. Daintree Rain forest - Large rain forest in Far Northern Queensland, know for it untouched beauty.
    21. Cradle Mountain - A brilliant walking destination and scenic escarpment shaped somewhat like a cradle.
    22. Wave Rock - 330km east of Perth a naturally sculpted rock from wind and rain that is 15m high and 110 meters long forming a massive wave from rock.
    23. Rialto Tower Observation Deck - In the heart of Melbourne’s CBD is the Rialto with a 360 degree observation deck at 235 meters.
    24. Sydney Tower - If in Sydney for unrivalled views and a thrill on the Sky walk at 260 meters above the harbour.
    25. Whale Watching - Popular along the east coast particularly Hervey Bay Queensland during the migrating season.
    26. The Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways are 120km southwest of Winton in Central Queensland where dinosaur footprints have been uncovered. Up to 150 dinosaurs were gathered and than scattered by a larger predator. Up to 3000 foot prints have been preserved in the rock.
    27. Port Arthur - Historic Port Arthur the convict settlement in Tasmania.
    28. Christmas Island red crab migration where up to 120 million red crabs emerge from the forest to mate and lay eggs in the ocean each November/December.
    29. Whale World in Albany Western Australia where commercial whaling killed up to 850 whales each season and stopped in 1978 becoming a museum 2 years later.
    30. Puffing Billy - 40 km east of Melbourne in the Dandenong ranges a Steam Train named puffing billy resides.
    31. Rodeo - experience bull riding at its finest in Rockhampton the beef capital of Australia. Rodeos can be seen at the indoor area at the Great Western Hotel.
    32. Hobart - See the colonial architecture of the city and walk in the snow (in winter) at the top of Mt Wellington. Salamanca Markets…
    33. Fossick for Gems in the towns of Rubyvale and Emerald in Central Queensland.
    34. Lake Ayre - The largest lake in Australia (when there is water in it) is situated in the desert of central Australia 700km north of Adelaide, South Australia.
    35. The Henley-on-Todd Regatta (August) sees grown men and women running, carrying the hulls of boats along the dry, sandy Todd River situated near Tennant Creek.
    36. Catch a game of cricket or Aussie rules football at the MCG in Melbourne.
    37. Sail the tropical waters of the Whitsundays exploring inhabited and uninhabited islands and beaches with calm azure waters to frolic in.
    38. Mungo National Park is located in southwest NSW, 980km west of Sydney the rock has been eroded by thousands of years of wind and rain leaving a landscape described as “Lunar” the most prominent eroded rock is dubbed The Walls of China.
    39. Cape Byron, in northern NSW Byron Bay, is the most easterly point on Australia’s mainland so be the first to see the sunrise for the rest of Australia.
    40. Steep Point in Western Australia is the most westerly point so you can be the last person to watch the sun set over Australia.
    41. The Melbourne Cup, held at Flemington Race track is the race the race that stops a Nation on the first Tuesday in November at 3pm (EST) . No need to get into the track the the car park is where it all happens.
    42. The Big Banana - is just as the name suggests, this giant structure located just north of Coffs Harbour on the Pacific Highway, 565 kilometres north of Sydney and 450 kilometres south of Brisbane is probably the most well known “Big Thing” in Australia. Of course there are heaps of big things, the big crab, prawn, pineapple?… need I go on!
    43. Surf the Barrier Reef, well kind of. The reef starts at around Bundaberg but is some distance from the shore. The town of 1770, and only town in Australia with a numerical name, is north of Bundaberg and has waves that are surfable.
    44. Balls Pyramid, a triangular chunk of rock sticking 550m out of the ocean 23km off the coast of Lord Howe Island, is officially the tallest sea stack in the world.
    45. Birdsville Races held in the first week of September in the outback town of Birdsville in deep southwestern Queensland.
    46. Tamworth Country Music Festival held in January and set in Country New South Wales is the largest Country and Western shin dig there is.
    47. Wine tasting the Barossa Valley.
    48. Australia Zoo - A wildlife zoo made famous by Steve Irwin “the Crocodile Hunter”. See crocodile shows and interact with Australian wildlife.
    49. Surf with dolphins Byron Bay Queensland.
    50. Pat Koalas at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary on the Sunshine Coast Queensland
    51. Cruise the Franklin River Tasmania a World Heritage listed picturesque river that was saved from being damed in the 1980’s.
    52. Qantas Museum home of the first Qantas aeroplane and now home to the Museum that Longreach
    53. Jondaryan Wool Shed near Towoomba the history of sheep and sheep farming.
    54. Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo offers an authentic African experience at bargain prices.
    55. Noosa National park is located 160km north of Brisbane in Queensland and boasts spectacular coastal scenery and a refuge for Australian native animals.
    56. Bondi Beach is one of Australia’s most famous beaches. It is about 1 km long and hosts thousands of people through the summer months.
    57. Parks Observatory 64-metre Telescope used for Radio Astronomy. It is located about 20 kilometres North of Parkes along the Newell Highway, which is approximately 380 kilometres West of Sydney.
    58. Monkey Mia feed the wild dophins from the shore.
    59. Turtles at Bargara see the turtle hatchery on the beach where baby turtles make a dash for the ocean. Hatching season is between November and March.
    60. Frazer Island stretching over 123 kilometres along the southern coast of Queensland. Fraser Island with an area of 184 000 hectares is the largest sand island in the world. Watch out for the native dingos…
    61. Rainbow Beach is located approximately 265Km north of Brisbane, 76Km east of Gympie and 700 Metres west of Fraser Island on the Cooloola Coast, Queensland, Australia. 74 different shades of coloured sand can be found on Rainbow Beach.
    62. The Kimberly wild rugged and remote in Northern Western Australia.
    63. Syney to Hobart Yatch race held each year starting on Boxing day. Participate as crew or just head to the wharf at Hobart for the finish.
    64. Snow Skiing at Threadbo, Perisher, Mt Buller only during winter as Australia’s peaks are on the small side.
    65. Darwin night time Markets an institution in Darwin the last Thursday in April to the last Thursday in October and operate every Thursday 5pm - 10pm and every Sunday 4pm - 9pm.
    66. Wine tasting Margaret River the largest wine region in Australia.
    67. Kangaroo Island off South Australia is an unspoilt refuge for native animals.
    68. Cable Beach on the Northern Western Australian coast camel Rides at sunset.
    69. Coober Pedy a mining town where the locals live underground and the landscape is somewhat similar to the moon.
    70. Olsens Caves just north of Rockhampton has a series of caves with bats and a natural underground cathedral.
    71. Swimming Kangaroos at Pebbly Beach, in Murramarang National Park between Ulladulla and Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast. This is apparently the only place in Australia that this happens!
    72. Canberra’s War Memorial (Australian Capital Territory) a monument to fallen soldiers from past conflicts.
    73. Glass House Mountains on the Sunshine Coast Queensland About 70km or one hour’s drive north of Brisbane. Craggy volcanic peaks tower above pine plantations, eucalypt forests and open fields. Walking tracks ranging from easy to very challenging – lead to peaks and lookouts offering panoramic views.
    74. Surf Bells Beach arguably the most famous surfing spot in Australia, located in Torquay, 100 km South west of Melbourne, Victoria. Home of the Rip Curl Pro Surfing Competition and featured in the movie Point Break.
    75. Mt Isa Mine Tour - The Isa is a mining town producing copper, silver, lead and zinc. Mine tours are available for surface and underground mines.
    76. Pinnacles in WA’s Nambung National Park. Thousands of eerie limestone pillars, up to 4m tall form the Pinnacles Desert. Just 245km or three hours drive from the center of Perth.
    77. Dog on the Tuckerbox is an Australian historical monument and tourist attraction, located at Snake Gully, 8 km from Gundagai, New South Wales. The monument is a tribute to the pioneers was inspired by the poem Bullocky Bill who loyally guarded a mans tuckerbox until death.
    78. Sovereign Hill near Ballarat Victoria – is a replica of an 1850s goldfields town.
    79. Katherine Gorge 317 kilometres south-east of Darwin cruise the Gorge and see aboriginal rock art.
    80. The Rocks is Sydney’s oldest preserved colonial district so the main emphasis is on the historical importance of the area.
    81. Southern most point of the Australian mainland Wilson’s Promontory feed the parrots by hand.
    82. Cape York the northern most tip of Australia. A popular destination from May to October for 4WD enthusiasts who come to test their driving skills and their vehicles on the remaining sections of the Overland Telegraph Track.
    83. Catch a Barra at lake Awoonga a stocked lake just outside of Gladstone in central Queensland. Barramundi are renowned fighting fish and taste good as well.
    84. Arnhem Land next to Kakadu but closed to major tourism. An untamed wilderness home to aboriginal curture and art. Permits are required from the Northern Land Council when travelling on Aboriginal Land.
    85. Kings Canyon Northern Territory has an easy 1.5km Creek Walk up the centre of the canyon to a lookout point or the Canyon Walk which is more challenging as the first 300-400m are straight up a steep incline at the canyon edge. The reward at the end is worth it.
    86. The Burrup Peninsula a unique ecological and archaeological area on the north western coast of Western Australia in the Pibara region. It arguably has the oldest rock art / engravings on the planet dated 50,000+ years.
    87. Eungalla National Park near Mackay in Queensland will almost guarantee you a sighting of one of the most elusive mammals in Australia the platypus. Apart from that the lush tropical forest is inspiring.
    88. Wine Glass Bay on Tasmania’s East coast - take in the view of the bay from atop of Mt Amos, a very strenuous 1 1/2 hour walk (one way).
    89. Cadbury Factory - in Claremont – Tasmania near Hobart. Guided tours of the factory and chocolate samples.
    90. Natural Hot Mineral Springs on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula at Rye. Relax in 50 degree spring water.
    91. Four X (XXXX) brewery tour Brisbane Queensland. Taste the nectar of the Gods. Well kind of…
    92. Drive the Nullarbor - travel the Eyre Highway for 1200km virtually in a straight line from Ceduna in South Australia to Norseman in Western Australia. It is flat and desolate.
    93. Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras the first Saturday in March, Sydney stops for a spectacular in costume and parade.
    94. Moomba Waterfest is Australia’s largest community festival and remains one of Melbourne’s favourite annual celebrations for over 50 years. It is held over the four days of the Labour Day weekend in March.
    95. Take a paddle Steamer from Echuca along the might Murray River.
    96. Ride the Rapid of the Tully river near Cairns Queensland.
    97. Kuranda Scenic Skylift just outside Cairns in Queensland.
    98. Botany Bay Sydney the spot where Captain Cook arrived in 1770 to lay claim to Australia for England.
    99. Victoria Markets in Melbourne CBD. Pick up a bargain…
    100. Glenrowan is a thriving tourist town, catering for those wishing to see the place where Ned Kelly made his famous ‘Last Stand’.
    101. Mount Kosciuszko, located in the Snowy Mountains, in Kosciuszko National Park, is the highest mountain in Australia.

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