Tasmania | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Aug

Champagne free-flow on sale! Travel deals: 12 August 2012

Tadrai Island Resort, Fiji

Get classy in Britain, test the champagne free-flow in Langkawi or slip into something comfortable in the Kimberley.
TASMANIA
Some of the world’s most pure air blows through Strahan,
a fishing village on the west coast of Tassie. Base yourself here to cruise the
Gordon River, catch the West Coast Wilderness Railway or to taste the divine
wine and cheese that results from such purity. Book a hilltop
standard room at the Strahan Village and pay half price until
September 30. Costs from $55 a person a night, twin share.1800
420 155, strahanvillage.com.au

VICTORIA

The seaside town of Queenscliff, an hour from Melbourne,
grooves to the tunes of the Blues Train, a steam train that shakes, rattles and
rolls over the rails to Drysdale and back, serving up dinner and a blues show.
The ‘D’ carriage is for dancing and there’s a bar on board, too. Stay two
nights at the Big4 Beacon Resort and get two tickets to the train, worth $185, transfers
to the train, a recovery brekky hamper and noon checkout. Costs from $272.50 a
person for two nights, twin share, 1800 351 152, beaconresort.com.au.
Tickets are also cut from $92.50 to $50 during August and September. 132 849, ticketek.com.au.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Get a bird’s-eye view of the Red Centre with a balloon
flight over Alice Springs and its dramatic surrounds. Stay two nights at the
four-star Crowne Plaza Alice Springs and get upgraded to a Mountain View room
and a 30-minute balloon flight. Kids under 19 stay free, pay $209 for
ballooning. Book by 3pm October 5, stay until October 12. Costs from $439 an
adult. 1300 130 485, travel.com.au.

NSW

Families can discover the heart of Sydney when they book
a premier room for four nights, and pay for just three at the five-star Sydney Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel. The
hotel will also throw in a family pass to Taronga Zoo and free internet. Book before January 31, stay now until
September 30, December 16-24, 2012 and January 2-31, 2013. Costs from $1074 per
family (2 adults +2 kids) for four nights. 1800 044 066, travel-associates.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The quiet, fern-lined pools of Zebedee Hot Springs, on El
Questro cattle station, are the most ecologically sound spa you’ll ever
encounter. Soak it up in between outback hikes, bush-bashing down the Gibb
River Road, ogling crocs in Windjana Gorge, exploring the Bungle Bungles and
ancient caves on this nine-day Wild Kimberley tour. Accom is a mix of permanent
tents and al fresco camping. Was $2195, save 20 percent on September 11
departure. Book by September 7, costs $1756 a person. 1800 018 871, intrepidtravel.com.

Snorkelling at Orpheus Island, Queensland

QUEENSLAND

The secretive hideaway of Orpheus Island, off the coast
of Townsville, is sheer island luxury. Stay five nights, pay four, saving $1400
a couple. The package includes sensational meals from the kitchen of Cheong
Liew protégé Arie Prabowo, selected wines and beers, use of dinghies, cats, and
snorkelling equipment as well as a daily nature-based experience, be it a
sunset cruise, fishing or island tour. Stay till January 21, including the
Christmas period. Costs from $5600 for two people. (07) 4777 7377,
orpheus.com.au.

MALAYSIA

Oh, they know how we like it, at the Datai Langkawi. The
grand dame of Langkawi is cutting 25 percent off its regular rates with a
stay-three, pay-four deal until December 19, and includes daily breakfast with champagne
on free-flow. Accommodation is a deluxe
or superior villa and also included are limo transfers, a private dinner on the
beach for two, 120 minutes of spa treatment per person, a mangrove tour and guided
nature walk. Costs from $2338 for four nights. +60 4 959 2500 www.dataihotels.com

The Datai Langkawi, Malaysia

UNITED KINGDOM

Sometimes, a bit of class doesn’t go astray, especially
when you’re upgraded from standard to lovely first class. Buy a BritRail Flexi
Pass for four or eight days by August 30 through International Rail and get a
free upgrade to first class when you use the pass any time in 2013, travelling
through England, Scotland and Wales. Costs from $355 for a four-day pass. 1300
387 245, internationalrail.com.au.

JAPAN

If you can’t get enough of winter, now’s the time to
think about the Christmas ski season. Ski Hakuba and stay just 150 meters from
the ski lifts at High Mount Hotel. The deal includes breakfast and a six-day
lift pass. Book by 3pm September 28, travel December 14-29, January 3 – April
30. Costs from $1099 a person, twin
share for seven nights. 1300 130 485, travel.com.au.

Innsbruck, Austria

AUSTRIA

The capital of the Alps, Innsbruck, has city breaks
including a three-night stay in a four-star hotel and a 48-hour Innsbruck Card,
worth E35, with E227 value. Includes a guided walk through the medieval town, rides
on seven cable cars, a sightseeing bus tour, entrance to museums including the
Ambras Castle, Swarovski crystal museum, a cocktail at the town’s casino, and
there’s coffee and cake in the clouds, at the Alpenlounge Seegrube restaurant.
Costs E219 (A$256) a person, twin share, for three nights. +43 512 56 2000, innsbruck-packages.com.

FIJI

The new adults-only Tadrai Island Resort is sleek and
chic, with the Mamanuca islands’
signature white sand beaches. Includes champagne on arrival, all meals, drinks
and butler services. Stay seven nights and get one return flight from Australia
to Nadi with Air Pacific, stay 10 nights and they’ll give you two international
return flights. Book by September 11, travel until December 16. Costs $10,077
(two people, seven nights) or $14,399 (two people, 10 nights). (07) 5524 5222, tadrai.com.

TOURWATCH: Lord
Howe Island

When you breathe your next yoga breath, your lungs are
filled with the pure air of Lord Howe Island during this wellness retreat with
yoga teacher Charlotte Dodson. You may have spotted her recently teaching Lara
Bingle, and other radiant celebrity followers include model Miranda Kerr and
fashion designer Kit Willow. Pinetrees
Spring Wellness Retreat’s six-night packages include two daily yoga sessions
with Charlotte, daily fitness sessions, wholefood cooking classes, organic
gardening classes and wine tasting (that’s organic wine, of course!) Ayurvedic spa treatments are also available and then
there are the island’s everyday charms – snorkelling, swimming, kayaking and
mountain climbing. Runs from September 3-7 and November 17-23. Costs from $1270 a person twin share
(excluding airfares). (02) 9262 6585, pinetrees.com.au.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Aug

Bathrobes and pearls: travel deals, 5 August 2012

Crown Metropol, Melbourne

Souveniring bathrobes, cruising with Agatha Christie or shopping South Sea pearls in Manila, read on for this week’s domestic and international travel deals:

NSW

It may be chilly but Sydney’s event’s scene is hotting up
in August, with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival (August 21-25) or, if lycra
is more your scene, the City 2 Surf (August 12). The four-star Metro Hotel on
Pitt’s winter special includes one night’s accommodation for two in a superior
deluxe queen room, dinner at its restaurant, a bottle of wine and midday check-out
on stays until August 31. Costs $199 a room, 1800 004 321, metrohotels.com.au.

VICTORIA

You don’t have to try to smuggle the plush bathrobes out
of Melbourne’s sleek Crown Metropol: the hotel is giving you two robes to
celebrate winter. They’ll also include an in-room movie, valet parking and breakfast
at its newest restaurant, Mr Hive, when you book a one of its Luxe King rooms
until September 2. While rooms normally start
from $310 a night, the winter package, with dinner and robes, costs from $395 a
room a night, 03 9292 6211, crownmelbourne.com.au.

Karijini Eco Retreat, Western Australia

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

If you love camping but can’t convince the other half of
its joys, start with baby steps, in a deluxe eco tent at Karijini Eco Retreat,
in the Karijini National Park, in the Pilbara. The tents have their own
bathroom, decks, king-sized beds and linen (no sleeping bags!) yet are designed
to be ecologically sustainable, using solar power and recycling water.
Book before August 30, stay two nights between September 1-30 and get a free
whale watching cruise for two. Costs from $323 a night, 1800 002 333,
quickbeds.com.

QUEENSLAND

The Gold
Coast’s glistening foreshore is lined with walking tracks and bike paths which
is just as well, as a rash of great, new restaurants has recently opened around
Surfers Paradise. The family-friendly Mantra Crown Towers is 100 meters from
the beach and is knocking 20 percent off three-night stays in its one-bedroom
apartments. Facilities include a lagoon pool, waterslides, kids’ playground,
spa and sauna. Stay before October 7, costs from $453 a room for three nights, 131
517, mantra.com.au.

TASMANIA

One of the country’s top lodges, Saffire Freycinet, on the Freycinet
peninsula, comprises just 20 beautiful suites looking out to the Hazards
Mountains. Book a deluxe suite for four nights, pay for three and get all meals
and dinner drinks, activities including guided walks, fishing, golf, wine
tasting, canoeing, cooking demos and learn to mix the perfect cocktail.
The deal also includes $100 to spend in the spa. Costs $5400 a suite, 1800 723
347, saffire-freycinet.com.au.

CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

Larapinta Trail, Central Australia

The Larapinta Trail runs 223 kilometres from Alice
Springs across the Western MacDonnell National Park toward Mt Zeil. The area has
recently been handed back to its traditional Aboriginal owners and World
Expeditions is celebrating by letting you take your best mate free, with a
two-for-one deal on its three-day Larapinta Experience. Single travellers will
get 25 percent off. Travel between August 31 – September 21. Costs $995 for two
people, or $750 for single travellers, 1300 720 000, worldexpeditions.com.au.

EGYPT

Celebrate Agatha Christie’s birthday on her beloved Nile
River, with a two-in-one deal and a copy of ‘Death on the Nile’ in hand. The
12-day tour includes seven days cruising the Nile on a luxury small ship, and
afternoon tea on the terrace of the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract, where she
stayed while penning the book. Costs $7,100 for the first person and their
companion travels free. Singles pay half price, costs $5170, 1300 851 800, abercrombiekent.com.au.

THAILAND

Vijitt resort, Patong, Thailand

Set on the white-sand Friendship Beach in Phuket, 30
minutes from Patong, get three nights free when you book seven nights at the
five-star Vijitt Resort. The deal includes an hour-long massage for two and
buffet breakfast daily. Book before August 31 and get a free upgrade to a pool
villa. Normally $1770 a villa, costs $900 for seven nights on stays until October
31, 1300 305 870,
islandescapes.com.au.

CAMBODIA

The Angkor Wat temple complex is Cambodia’s biggest drawcard
and the world’s largest Hindu site. Stay four nights at the 4.5-star Angkor Century Resort & Spa,
just 15 minutes from the massive complex, and get a free private full-day tour
of Angkor Wat. Book until 3pm September 21, travel until September 30. Costs
from $199 a person for four nights, twin share, 1300 130 485, travel.com.au.

PHILIPPINES

Manila’s
shopping has to be experienced to be believed: South Sea pearls, awesome
handbags and a shoe scene that puts all other countries to shame. Stay three
nights in the thick of it at the five-star Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila and
pay for only two nights. Book by August 30, stay by September 30. Costs from
$431 a room for three nights, 1300 888 180, zuji.com.au.

FRENCH POLYNESIA

Stay five nights, pay for only four at the largest
overwater villas in the South Seas, in the five-star St Regis Bora Bora, in
Tahiti. The deal also includes return flights from Papeete to Bora Bora
airport, and boat transfers from the airport to the hotel, as well as daily
breakfast, and if you’re a honeymooner,
bonuses include a free couple’s massage. Book by August 31 for stays
November 15-December 20, 2012 and January 10-March 30, 2013. Costs from $3179 a
person, twin share, 1800 044 066, travel-associates.com.au.

TOURWATCH

Burgundy’s fame is based on its cuisine, and who better
to reveal its treasures than one of three truly great chefs. The digs are a
16th-century chateau and the chefs are Philippe Mouchel of Melbourne’s PM24 , George
Biron of Sunnybrae in Birregurra, WA and the official Hottest Chef 2012 in The
Australian Hot 50 Restaurant Awards, Andrew McConnell of Cumulus Inc, Cutler
& Co, Golden Fields and the Builders Arms. Each chef will spend a week in
May with up to 10 guests and the resident sommelier, uncovering the Grand and
Premier Crus wines of the Cote d’Or, shopping at the local markets, conducting
daily cooking classes and celebrating with spectacular chateau and local
restaurant dinners. Costs $9000 a person for seven nights, twin share, land
only, tastesofburgundy.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Apr

Top of Tassie on go-slow

“Far OUT!” says the man in my life. “There’s nothing here. Nothing! No McDonalds. No KFC. No Red Rooster.”

Driving across the top of Tasmania, from Launceston to Burnie late on a Friday afternoon, there is a notable lack of inhabitants, but it’s more than compensated for by the signs of life: two cheese factories, a chocolate factory and tasting shop, a Fuchsia Factory (don’t ask me), Penguin Market and The Big Penguin. I suspect they don’t actually sell penguins, but it is the street market at the town named Penguin.

Instead of stinky fast-food shops, there is soft mist on farm dams, a sunset of gold, rose and powder blue. There are busy milking sheds with black-and-white cows waiting for their turn, tiny towns with tiny white churches, arched bridges over little brooks and I learn that the town of La Trobe is the platypus capital of the world.

When we hit Devonport, the billboards start – McDonalds in 10km! Doesn’t seem so important by now.

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Champagne free-flow on sale! Travel deals: 12 August 2012

Bathrobes and pearls: travel deals, 5 August 2012

Top of Tassie on go-slow