Category Archives: Adventure Travel

Five Best Sporting Events in Australia

Posted on by
Reply

Australia is a country that is well known for its love of sport and its success in many sporting arenas, including in the swimming pool, on the cricket pitch, on the race track and the famous sailing win during the America’s Cup in the 1980s. International sporting events are held all over Australia, including the Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne and the Motorcycle Grand Prix in Phillip Island. Many people plan holidays around these sporting events, such as taking a Phillip Island tour to see the motorcycle race.

Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup has been run for many years and is one of the world’s well known horse races. The Spring Racing Carnival is a series of races held in October and November each year, with the Melbourne Cup being held the first Tuesday of November. It is run over three kilometres and is a race for three year old horses. It is also one of the richest and most prestigious long distance horse races in the world. A public holiday is held on this day in Victoria and it is known as ‘the race that stops a nation’.

The Australian Open

The Australian Open is an international tennis competition held in January every year. It attracts the world’s leading tennis players and over half a million spectators come from all over the world to watch it during the two weeks it is on. It is the biggest sporting event held in Australia and is the first of four international grand slam events held in the world.

The Ashes

The Ashes is a series of five cricket matches held every second year between England and Australia, the first series being held in 1882. It alternates between being held in England and Australia and is the source of fierce rivalry between the two countries. It was named after an urn containing the ashes of a bail that was burnt after the first match between the two countries. The urn itself is not presented as a trophy to the winner of The Ashes. A replica trophy is relayed between the two countries with the original urn remaining in the museum at Lord’s in England.

The Motorcycle Grand Prix

The Motorcycle Grand Prix is held each year at Phillip Island and attracts many visitors, many of them arriving on their motorcycles. It is held over three days and is a great opportunity for motorcycle enthusiasts to get together, enjoy the racing and all that Phillip Island has to offer. It is the major event held on the small island, and with the spectacular ocean backdrop, it brings in thousands of tourist dollars every year.

Rip Curl Pro

The Rip Curl Pro is the longest running professional surfing event and is held each year over the Easter long weekend at Victoria’s Bells Beach at Torquay. It brings surfers from all over the world who are drawn to the large ocean waves rolling in from the south.

Permanent link to this post (495 words, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)

Five Most Relaxing Long Weekend Destinations

Posted on by
Reply

Australian’s are fond of their long weekends and use them to their full advantage, with many people escaping the city and suburbs and going off on a holiday. There are many places just a few short hours drive from all capital cities in Australia where you can enjoy a relaxing long weekend away, and if you want it all planned for you why not enjoy a tour around the Blue Mountains or a Phillip Island tour.

The Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are a short easy drive from the centre of Sydney and the region is popular with many tourists as well as people just wanting a short break from city life. There are plenty of places to stay offering luxury accommodation, including five star hotels and relaxing bed and breakfasts. While you are there visit The Three Sisters, enjoy the peaceful scenery and fresh mountain air, take a ride on the Scenic Railway and enjoy a pampering massage at one of the many day spas.

Daylesford

Daylesford is located about an hour and a half’s drive north from Melbourne and is the ultimate long weekend escape if you enjoy being pampered. Home of the day spa and natural mineral springs, visit the Hepburn Springs Spa and have a relaxing massage, a facial or enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the underground water. The town itself has many lovely shops, the Convent Gallery full of beautiful art works and visit The Lake House for a delicious gourmet meal made with fresh local produce.

Barossa Valley

The Barossa Valley is a short drive from Adelaide and is one of Australia’s finest wine producing regions. The accommodation on offer includes luxury hotels, cosy bed and breakfasts and self contained cottages. Enjoy visiting some of the ninety wineries in the region, visit the historic townships with their gourmet food, shops and antiques, or take a walk through the surrounding state forest.

Margaret River

Three hours south of Perth is Margaret River, an area with around two hundred wineries and an impressive food trail. It is popular with foodies and surfers alike, as each year the world’s best surfers come to Margaret River to compete in the Surfing Masters. It is a great place to go swimming and fishing, and is a beautiful region to visit during any season of the year. The region hosts many visitors each year, so there are plenty of choices of places to stay to suit every budget.

Bright

Located in central Victoria, Bright is the perfect place to visit and stay, and have access to the Victoria snowfields. During winter the days are cold but there is plenty of activities on offer besides skiing in the mountains. Enjoy some retail therapy or dine at one of the many restaurants or cafes. Visit the wineries or go antique shopping, visit the brewery, or a deer or emu farm. There is also a beautiful lavender farm and there is plenty of active things to do, like bike riding, paragliding, hiking, tennis, golf and photography.

Permanent link to this post (505 words, estimated 2:01 mins reading time)

Safari Holidays With the Big 5 – Rhinos

Posted on by
Reply

The rhino’s status as an endangered species makes these eye-catching animals an incredibly rewarding sight to see on your safari holidays, and it’s the black rhinoceros which has made it into the ‘Big 5′ list. Despite the name, you may not catch a glimpse of a literally black rhinoceros on your holidays – they are actually a grey/brown colour in appearance, the same as the white rhinoceros! The misconception comes from the original Dutch name ‘wijd’ (meaning wide, referring to the square upper lip) which was mistranslated as ‘white’. Rhinos, sadly, are under constant threat from poaching, and have become an endangered species due to demand for their horn.

Rhino Behaviour

Rhinos, unlike many of the other Big 5 animals, are solitary creatures, meaning their innate toughness is one of the reasons they were so difficult to hunt. You may only see one at a time on your safari holidays, but it’s still not the best idea to get too close. Rhinos enjoy a reputation for being very aggressive, exacerbated by their poor eyesight, and will charge if they sense a threat (which happens often due to the aforementioned level of eyesight!). They have even been observed to charge tree trunks and termite mounds.

The Language of Rhinos

Since a rhino’s eyesight is so bad, they have developed different ways of communicating with each other. Scent marking is often used to identify the territory of one rhino to another, marking locations around watering holes or feeding areas. Many different vocalisations are also used to communicate a rhino’s intent, and it’s often best to pay close attention while you’re on safari holidays! Growls many be used during a confrontation, a long snort indicates anger, while sneeze-like calls are used as an alarm when danger is nearby. Even the speed at which a rhino breathes can communicate its greetings, anxiety, or even reassurance.

Rhino Relationships

While rhinos are often solitary, and you may watch a lone rhino on your safari holidays, this is only when their own kind are considered. One interesting fact about the rhino is its relationship with other creatures. It was long believed that the thick, layered hide of a rhino harboured many parasites such as mites and ticks, which would then be eaten by oxpecker and egret birds that lived with the rhino in a symbiotic relationship. However, recent evidence has shown that while egrets and oxpeckers may fulfill this function, oxpeckers also feed from the rhino blood they draw, necessitating their reclassification as parasites.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6279835
Permanent link to this post (422 words, estimated 1:41 mins reading time)

Bhutan Travel Experience and the Asian Switzerland

Posted on by
Reply

The myth and fascinating reality of Switzerland showcased in a million stories and anecdotes as Europe’s paradise on earth has permeated the global consciousness for generations. From Swiss watches to Swiss cheese and from the Swiss Alps to the breath-taking beauty of Swiss lakes, no other country the same size has made its mark on cultures. With one exception though-Bhutan. This is at least true though for those adventure-seeking globe trotters who have experienced Bhutan travel first hand not by watching a stunning National Geographic special on Bhutan treks, Bhutan holidays or Bhutan vacations but by stepping on Bhutanese soil by traveling to Bhutan as a guest of the monarchy since every tourist is a revered guest.

Bhutan Travel encompasses at least a Dozen Twists…
Bhutan isn’t called “the Land between Heaven and Earth,” or “the Fairyland Kingdom,” or “Shangri-la” for nothing. The government has sensibly promulgated a long list of rules that govern Bhutan travel. Here are a few for starters all of which have done the job to letter perfection and preserved the pristine cultural and natural heritage of the country:

Planning your Bhutan travel itinerary
You can’t simply pick up your bags, board a flight and hop off at the airport in Bhutan, You can visit Bhutan only by participating in a government sponsored travel program in which you pay approximately $250 per day to enjoy the penultimate Bhutan travel experience. The daily fee includes just about everything-your hotel stay, food, personal tour guide, private transportation, entry tickets to monasteries and other places of interest, and once in a while, a meal at an ethnic Bhutanese restaurant. We have both good and bad news for shopoholics. The bad news is that the Bhutan government won’t pay you for your personal shopping. The good news, however, is that there is a mind-boggling array of choices to select from most of which are so cheap that you are going to run out of money before you know it!

Visa for Bhutan Travel
The visa for your Bhutan travel program is going to be issued by your tour operator and not by any embassy. It will run you no more than $20 per person. We think that’s a deal and we know you will agree. This helps the Bhutan government to cautiously control how many tourists are allowed into the country each year much like non-immigrant visas. Bottom line? Plan early because the whole world is gradually beginning to find out what a genuine deal Bhutan travel happens to be and we obviously wouldn’t want you to be disappointed!

Bhutan travel means one airport one airline
There is only one airport in the entire country located at Paro and there is only one airline, Druk Air, which flies into the country and that too from no more than about half a dozen countries. It is therefore a great idea to plan your Bhutan holiday at least three or four months in advance so that you are blessed with all the convenient flight connections there are available. Many travelers, who have shared their Bhutan experience first hand through blogs and wikis, have mentioned that the process of landing and take off in Bhutan is an experience on to itself.

This is a preview of Bhutan Travel Experience and the Asian Switzerland. Read the full post (629 words, estimated 2:31 mins reading time)