I’m a journalist, travel writer, editor and copywriter based in Melbourne, Australia. I write pacy travel features, edit edifying websites and fashion flamboyant copy. My articles and photographs have appeared in publications worldwide, from inflight to interior design: I’ve visited every continent, and have lived in three. Want to work together? Drop me a line… 

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Apr
22

Italian trains, Croatian hideaways and Kangaroo Island feasts: travel deals April 21, 2013

Dubrovnik, Croatia

See Italy by train, do Croatia beautifully, in boutique-hotel style or give a goat the eye on Kangaroo Island on an Australian food safari in this week’s best Australian and international travel deals.

NSW

Wind
down on the banks of the Murray River at Barham, between Echuca and
Swan Hill, and take the time for sculpture walks, riverside barbecues, a
round of golf or some great fishing. Stay three nights at Barham Golden
River’s self-contained apartments and save up to $118 on stays until
August 31. Three nights from $236. 1800 243 355, goldenriversapartments.com.au.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Spot
crocodiles and wild geese, bathe in waterfalls, admire the rock-art
galleries of Ubirr and Nourlangi and breathe in the pure tropical air of
the Territory’s Top End on a three-day getaway that takes you through
Litchfield and Kakadu national parks. Forget slumming it: you will spend
one night at the luxury Wildman Wilderness Lodge, pictured above left,
on the Mary River wetlands and the next at indigenous-owned Gagudju
Crocodile Holiday Inn. Save up to 10 per cent on Long Rainbow tours
departing June 6 and July 7 and 14. Quote code PP406. Costs from $1255 a
person, twin share (departs Darwin). 1800 467 747, inspiringjourneys.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

Mantra Noosa, Qld.

If
you want to see what $5 million looks like, check in to Mantra French
Quarter in Noosa (formerly a BreakFree), on happening Hastings Street.
The 68 one- and two-bedroom apartments have all been upgraded with new
kitchens and furniture. To celebrate, the opening two-night Relax and
Refresh package includes free in-house movies, popcorn and a cheese
platter on arrival. Book a one-hour massage at Endota day spa and you’ll
also get a free 30-minute facial. Book by May 20 for stays until
December 24. Costs from $374 for two nights in a one-bedroom apartment,
or from $458 for two nights in a two-bedroom unit. 1300 987 604, mantra.com.au.

TASMANIA

Bridestowe Lavender
Farm, Tasmania

Skip
across the puddle to discover the natural beauty of the Nut at Stanley,
Mount Field National Park, Eaglehawk Neck and the Bridestowe Lavender
Farm in a 12-day exploration of Tasmania. There are stays in crafty
Launceston and the west coast town of Strahan, as well as Freycinet
National Park, home to the perfect crescent of Wineglass Bay,
consistently ranked in the top 10 of the world’s best beaches. Book
before July 31 and save up to $500 a couple on the Royal Tasman escorted
coach tour on departures between September and May. Costs from $4545 a
person, twin share. 1300 229 804, aptouring.com.au.

TRANS-AUSTRALIA

Cross
Australia in style, from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide, on a
4348-kilometre journey. Scenes from your window include the Nullarbor
Plain, the Blue Mountains and the vineyards of South Australia.
Travellers who book gold service class can save 20 per cent off the fare
and train excursions, worth up to $484. The package includes all meals
and most drinks, and a 50-kilogram luggage allowance. Book by July 31
for travel June 1-October 31. Costs from $1832 for an adult. 1800 014
392, greatsouthernrail.com.au.

Venice, Italy

ITALY

Seeing
Italy by train is much cheaper now, with main operator Trenitalia
cutting some fares by up to 70 per cent. Save up to $40 on economy fares
between Milan and Rome (now $66); $23 off Rome-Florence ($41) and $31
off Rome-Venice ($68). Tickets can be booked up to three months in
advance. raileurope.com.au.

NEW ZEALAND

Sweet-toothed
Australians already know about the Dunedin Cadbury Chocolate Carnival –
July 20-26, 2013 – which includes a tour of the Cadbury chocolate
factory, chocolate painting, and a jaffa race down the world’s steepest
street. Apollo Motorhome Holidays is celebrating a decade in NZ with
discounts on all campervans, from two to six berths. Save up to $19 a
day on a six-berth motorhome, costs from $48 a day. 1800 777 779, apollocamper.co.nz/specials/chocolate-carnival.

CROATIA

Balmy
seas and fabulous mediaeval architecture are the hallmarks of
Dubrovnik. Enjoy its delights from Villa Dubrovnik, perched on a rocky
outcrop. Stay seven nights and pay half price as part of Mr & Mrs
Smith’s 50 Half Price Hotels promotion. Other hotels on sale include
Anantara Seminyak in Bali, from $226 a night, and Hotel Crillon le
Brave, Provence, France, from $172 a night. Book until May 14 for stays
until July 14. Villa Dubrovnik is usually from $260 a night. 1300 896
627, mrandmrssmith.com/au/luxury-hotels/villa-dubrovnik.

Sheraton Maldives

MALDIVES

Fabulous
families holiday in the Maldives: stay eight nights at the Sheraton
Maldives Full Moon Resort and get two free nights, for families of two
adults and two children. The package includes international airfares,
breakfast and dinner daily, until December 23. From $12,200. 1300 296
543, byokids.com.au.

HAWAII

Regarded
as the nirvana of the shop-and-flop brigade, Hawaii gets an adrenalin
hit as World Expeditions gets you up and going with its Hawaii hiking
itinerary. The 14-day adventure crosses Kona, Kauai and Maui, walking
through cloud forests, tropical swamps and the craters of Haleakala
National Park. Save $200 on the May 19 departure. Costs $3090 a person.
1300 720 000, worldexpeditions.com.

TOURWATCH

The
greats of South Australian food come together at the country’s premier
eco-lodge, Southern Ocean Lodge, in the annual Kangaroo Island Food
Safari, which runs for six nights from August 24. The island truly is
the land of milk and honey. Get your gumboots out as cook-and-chef team
Maggie Beer and Simon Bryant lead the safari. Chef Damien Pignolet, of
Woollahra’s Bistro Moncur fame, joins the safari, which includes cooking
demonstrations, winery lunches and drinks at Remarkable Rocks. The
six-night package includes accommodation, dining and epicurean
excursions, open bar and flights between Adelaide and Kangaroo Island.
Costs from $5940 a person, twin share for six nights. (02) 9918 4355, southernoceanlodge.com.au.

Apr
15

Chic digs in Paris, Siem Reap and Melbourne: travel deals April 14, 2013

Geikie Gorge, Western Australia.

A Parisienne apartment, Raffles hotel in Siem Reap, and the Como Melbourne: this week’s international and domestic travel deals are all about chic digs.

NSW

Looking for an easy, passport-free school holidays? Take a spin on Katoomba’s Scenic Railway (scenicworld.com.au) or watch battle re-enactments at Ironfest in Lithgow, April 20-21 (ironfest.net). The Blue Mountains is also celebrating the first recognised European crossing, with re-enactments of the path of explorers Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth in 1813 (visitbluemountains.com.au). Families of up to four can save $72 on a two-night stay at the Blue Mountains YHA until July 31. Includes breakfast daily and free wi-fi at the art deco property in Katoomba. Costs from $240, two nights. (02) 4782 1416, yha.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

The luxury of holidays is doing what you want: and if you want to stay in and watch movies, then order the Outrigger Twin Towns Resort’s Movie Munch Package. The deal includes free popcorn and retro lolly bags, as well as a free room upgrade and daily breakfast. The hotel, at Tweed Heads-Coolangatta, is beside the Twin Towns Services Club, which has just had a $21 million renovation, with a new line-up of entertainment including Pete Murray, Lee Kernaghan and the Blue Oyster Cult (yes, really). Costs from $298, two nights until April 30. (07) 5536 2121, outrigger.com.au.

TASMANIA

Delve into the beauty of the Tarkine wilderness, as seen through the eyes of top nature photographer Steve Parish, who rates a dawn shoot on the Pieman River as one of the highlights of his 50-year career behind the lens. He is hosting a five-day residential workshop at Corinna Wilderness Retreat, an old goldmining town in the Tarkine, for photographers to help them capture that perfect moment. There are night photography walks and post-production workshops, as well as kayaking trips and early-morning river cruises on the hunt for platypus and birds. The tour runs from August 18 to 23. Book by May 31 and save $1500. Costs from $3250 a person. (03) 6446 1170, corinna.com.au.


VICTORIA

Melbourne’s Toorak is hot again, with smokin’ eateries including misschu, MoVida Bakery and Claremont Tonic all just five minutes apart. Stay three nights in the slicked-up Toorak icon, the Como hotel, pictured top left, and pay for just two nights, as part of Accor’s global Stay 3, Pay 2 sale. Book by June 25 for stays until June 30. Costs from $366, three nights. 1300 656 565, accorhotels.com.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Hit the north-western coastline on an 18-day adventure from Darwin to Perth, and save up to $450 a person. Highlights include stays in El Questro, Karijini’s National Park in the Pilbara, at Ningaloo Reef and Monkey Mia – expect ghost towns, camel rides, empty deserts and sparkling beaches. Book by April 30 for one of nine departures between May and September. Costs from $6545 a person, twin share. 1300 300 036, travelmarvel.com.au.

NEW ZEALAND

Scenery and food are two of Queenstown’s signature experiences. Get both with the Rees Hotel’s dinner, bed and breakfast package, on April 27. The hotel is serving a five-course degustation menu with Waiheke vintages by Destiny Bay up against Bordeaux France for $237. Stay a second consecutive night for just $40. Costs from $438.20 a person, two nights, quote “ASHCS”. therees.co.nz.

FRANCE

If you’ve come to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, you won’t be disappointed. There it is, as seen from your bedroom window, just 15 minutes’ walk across the Seine. You can rent out two bedrooms in this wildly creative mansion or share the B&B and make new friends. Book by May 31 for stays until November 30 and save $50 a night. Costs from $165 a night, two people, including breakfast. petiteparis.com.au.

FIJI

Check in to a week at the Fiji Hideaway Resort & Spa on the Coral Coast and get up to $1000 in bonus extras such as return airport transfers and $F500 ($270) credit for resort food and spa treatments. Includes return flights with Air Pacific, meals, some drinks, and under-12s get to play, stay and eat free. Book by April 30 for travel in May and November, with additional dates available with a surcharge. Costs from $1440 a person, twin share. myholidaycentre.com.au/fiji.

PERU

Walk in cloud forests and witches’ markets, from Quito to La Paz. Intrepid My Adventure Store is knocking 15 per cent off its South America trips booked until May 15 for travel until August 31. The 36-day journey includes camping, homestays, Machu Picchu at sunrise and a Mancora beach sunset. Save $526, costs from $2969 a person, twin share. 1300 018 390, myadventurestore.com.

EGYPT

Visit the home of two of the seven wonders of the ancient world (including the Giza pyramids, pictured) at half price. Tempo Holidays’ 11-day Wonders of Egypt tour, which visits Cairo and Alexandria and spends four nights cruising the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, is offering two for the price of one on tours departing May 3-17 and July 12-26. Book by April 30; includes internal flights. Costs from $3230 for two people, twin share. 1300 558 987, tempoholidays.com.

TOURWATCH

Journey into Cambodia’s elaborate Khmer culture on a
five-night tour, staying three nights at Raffles
Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap and two in Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom
Penh. Meet eminent Cambodian artists, learn the secrets behind shadow puppetry
and classical dance, and get into the kitchen to cook the recipes from the
Royal Palace of Cambodia. The tour also reveals charitable projects in Phnom
Penh’s Lotus Blanc restaurant and Siem Reap’s Artisans d’Angkor’s Silk Farm.
Includes a traditional Khmer spa treatment, helicopter flight over Angkor and
sunrise at Angkor Wat. A Journey
Through Khmer Culture costs from $3095 a person, five nights, twin
share. 0011 800 1723 3537 (toll free), raffles.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Apr
09

Step into the Famous Spiegeltent or on board a private jet for an African safari: travel deals April 7, 2013

Intercontinental Sydney
Private jets are back, people. You mean you didn’t know they were out of style, and had been hanging onto yours in a hangar out the back? Let someone else do the flying while you skim the continent of Africa. Or try Knight School in Sydney or glamp on the Great Barrier Reef in this week’s international and domestic travel deals. 
NSW
Want to know what’s happening in Sydney? The InterContinental Sydney’s chief concierge and Les Clef d’Or member David Patt suggests Cirque de las Symphony (April 18-20) or perhaps Knight School for kids during the school holidays. Sydney’s also is in the midst of its autumn thoroughbred racing season, with the Sydney Cup Day on April 27, and there are more thoroughbreds on display at the Art Gallery of NSW, at the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize winners’ annual exhibition.  Stay two nights at InterContinental Sydney before April 30 and get 20 per cent off your room as well as a free breakfast buffet for two. Costs from $250 a night. 1800 781 066, sydney.intercontinental.com.
TASMANIA
Hobart’s iconic Wrest Point, on the banks of the Derwent River, has hit plenty of benchmarks: Australia’s first legal casino, Hobart’s first five-star rooms, and now it’s celebrating 40 years in the business with a Ruby Anniversary package. Stay in a premier suite and get room service breakfast, a box of Tasmanian red fruit, a Huon pine cheese platter and knife with Ashgrove Rubicon Red cheese, a bottle of House of Arras vintage Rose 2004 and, to finish, a commemorative ruby necklace by goldsmith Gavin MacSporran. Costs from $950 for two, saving $216. Valid until February 10, 2014. 1800 703 006, wrestpoint.com.au.

VICTORIA
The Famous Spiegeltent is in town and Robyn Nevin is
treading the boards at the Southbank Theatre. Kick up your heels on a Friday
night at Melbourne’s coolest hotels, the Art Series, which comprises the
Cullen, Blackman and Olsen. Their Weekend Retreat deals include $25 to spend
inhouse – think food, movies or bike hire – and they’ll work in a room upgrade
as well. Valid for Friday – Monday nights until August 31. Worth around $280, costs
from $209 a night. 1800 278 468, artserieshotels.com.au.
QUEENSLAND
Get shipwrecked in style on tiny Wilson Island, which can accommodate just 12 guests in six luxury tents on the beach, with hammocks, housekeepers and chefs as befits the ‘glamping’ (glamour camping) tag. The rate includes all meals and non-alcoholic drinks and return boat transfers from Gladstone. Booking the whole island saves over $300 on the individual rate: book by June 30 for stays now until May 4, from June 30 2013 – January 27, 2014 and March 1-31, 2014. Costs from $6499, two nights. 1800 044 066, travel-associates.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Indijup Spa Retreat, WA
Very private, very fabulous, the Indijup Spa Retreat in
Yallingup is three hours south of Perth, overlooking the Indian Ocean and is
said to lure the likes of Our Kylie. Each of the 10 villas has pools and
panoramas on tap and the spa products are by another WA success story, Sodashi.
Stay seven nights and save up to 39 percent at the five-star retreat on stays
until September 10.  Costs from $2765 a
villa, seven nights. travel.com.au.
 NEW ZEALAND
Skiers, carve up a snow bargain in Queenstown at Oaks Shores and Oaks Club Resort, on the glacial Lake Wakatipu. Rooms start at $109 a night until June 27, rising to $134 a night between July 15 – August 31, with a minimum three-night stay. Book until April 21. Costs from $327 a room, three nights, or $717 for a two-bedroom lakeview apartment, three nights. oakshotelsresorts.com/oaks-club-resort, oakshotelsresorts.com/oaks-shores.
Holiday Inn Express Phuket Patong Beach Central
THAILAND
Phuket’s newest hotel, the Holiday Inn Express Phuket
Patong Beach Central, has just opened and is offering a lovely, long opening
special until October 2013. The deal includes breakfast and high-speed wi-fi.
There are 277 rooms with private balconies, just a few meters from the beach
and within walking distance of Patong’s shopping and dining strips. Costs from
$65++ a night. 1800 007 697, holidayinnexpress.com.
TANZANIA
Mneba Island, Tanzania
A tiny dot in the Indian Ocean off the coastline of
Zanzibar, Mneba Island hosts just 20 guests at one time. Stay three nights at Mnemba
Island Lodge and get a free one-way flight from Zanzibar. The private island is
famed for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs and dive sites, and the rate
includes all meals, drinks and water sports, including two dives a day and
sunset dhow cruises. Book by December 31. Costs from $755 a person, twin share.
andbeyond.com.
IRELAND
From fair Dublin to bustling Belfast, the 12-day Country
Roads of Ireland tour crosses borders, the Burren, Giant’s Causeway and the
Cliffs of Moher, for a broad-ranging exploration of an island whose influence
is disproportionate to its size. Save 5 per cent, up to $124, on bookings paid
in fully by April 30 on departure from April to October 2013. Costs from $2301
a person, twin share.  1300 237 886, insightvacations.com.
PERU & THE
AMAZON
Train it to Machu Picchu then sail through the Amazon. Is
there any more to life? This 13-day small-group tour sees you climb to the top
of Machu Picchu on the luxury Hiram Bingram train, visit the Sacred Valley of
the Incas and the home of their empire, Cuzco then dive into the Amazon on the
M/V Aria and local skiffs. Book by 21 April and they’ll include free travel
insurance, worth up to $660. Costs $11,695 a person, twin share. 1800 252 053,
billpeachjourneys.com.au.
TOURWATCH
The private jet is back: luxury tour operator Abercrombie
& Kent takes to the skies once again in a remodelled Boeing 737, with just 40
guests going on African safari by air. The journey traverses the continent, visiting
seven countries in 19 days, from the rock-cut churches of Ethiopia to the Cape.
A&K founder Geoffrey Kent will lead a three-day Serengeti safari, and the
group has exclusive use of luxury camps in Uganda’s jungle, treehouses in
Zambia, and there are private helicopter rides over Victoria Falls and feast in
the Namibian desert. The keywords are luxury, experience and exclusivity. The
adventure departs from Rome on March 2, 2014. Costs from $76,497 a person, twin
share. 1300 851 800,
abercrombiekent.com.au. 
Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun-Herald
Apr
02

Fabulous Fiji and hot air in Canberra: travel deals March 31, 2013

Walk through three countries in a week, blow hot air in Canberra or just lay down amidst beauty in Fiji, in this week’s international and domestic travel deals.

ACT
Celebrate Easter
in Canberra, making your own Easter egg with a Canberra Glasswork artist on
hand to help out at the Crowne Plaza Canberra. The hotel’s ‘Discover More’
offer cuts 20 per cent off the room rate and includes breakfast for two at its
recently refurbished restaurant.  Book
until April 28 for stays until April 30, quote ‘Discover More’. Costs from $165
a night, minimum two nights. 138 888, crowneplaza.com/discovermore.
QUEENSLAND
Long lunchers are heading to Port Douglas for its Carnivale (carnivale.com.au) in May 17-26, and the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas’ ‘Longest Lunch’ on May 17.The three-course meal showcases local produce and all proceeds go to The Leukaemia Foundation. Fly to Port Douglas, stay seven nights in a deluxe garden view room and get over $1200 of bonuses including a room upgrade, two-for-one golf and $500 Wine & Dine credit. Book by April 12. Costs from $1590 a person, twin share. 1300 003 454, myholidaycentre.com.au.

TASMANIA
It’s starting to get chilly in Tassie: what better excuse than to try the state’s whiskeys? Stay three nights, pay for just two from April 1 to September 30 at Somerset Serviced Residences’ two properties. The apartments are on Salamanca Place and in a 1930s pier building overlooking the Derwent River and include full kitchens and separate bedrooms. Costs from $440. 1800 766 377, somerset.com.

NSW
Hilton Sydney
If you prefer your Easter eggs Benedict, rather than
chocolate, check in to the Hilton Sydney for a chic city weekend getaway, and
check out their refurbished guest rooms, the Marble Bar and the views from the
Zeta bar. The hotel’s ‘Treasure Moments’ deal 
cuts 20 per cent of their best available rate, and 20 per cent off its
brasserie breakfast for your eggs, however you like ‘em. Bookings must be made
five days in advance until April 30 for stays until December 31. Costs from
$208 a room. 1300 445 866, hilton.com.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Take
time to stop and smell the flowers on this seven-day Wildflower and Nature
expedition which includes a cruise to Woody Island in the Recherche Archipelago
off Esperance see the White Chested Sea Eagle and a visit to Cape Arid at the
edge of the Great Australian Bight. The tour is for just four people, hunting
for the elusive Queen of Sheba orchid and the endangered ground parrot.
Departs September 3 and October 4. Book four months in advance and save up to
$160. Costs from $4135 a person, twin share. (08) 93856422, www.countryescapes.com.au
BRITAIN
Start planning for your British summer jaunts and get a
free day’s travel on its trains when you book a BritRail travel pass by April
15. Tickets have six months’ validity from date of issue. Three-day
second-class tickets cost from $115/children, $185/youth travellers,
$225/adults. raileurope.com.au
EUROPEAN ALPS
Walk through three countries in one week, on the
seven-day Mont Blanc Guided Walk, an alpine tour through France, Italy and
Switzerland on the Mont Blanc massif. Bring a friend and save 20 per cent on
this trip and all UTrack’s Alps 2013 walking trips made between April 1-30. The
tour, which departs every Sunday until September 15, includes all meals,
accommodation, guides and mule baggage transfers. Costs from $798 a person. 1300 303 368, utracks.com.
FIJI
For luxury in the South Pacific, Fiji’s adults-only
Tadrai Island Resort, in the Mamanucas, comprises just five private villas.
Stay three nights and get a free one-way helicopter transfer, saving $538. Stay
five nights, and they’ll include return transfers. Costs from $4363 a couple,
three nights in a private pool villa which includes all meals and snacks,
butlers, delicious Pure Fiji toiletries and all resort activities such as sea
kayaking and diving. Book until July 16, travel between April 1, 2013 and March
31, 2014. +1 866 783 1840, tadrai.com.
CENTRAL AMERICA
This trip through Belize, Guatemala and Mexico promises
to teach you the essential differences between Mayans and Aztecs: Mayans made
their kids cross-eyed, Aztecs would eat their dead enemies when there was
nothing else on the table.  Get 15 per
cent off most Gecko trips including this one, a 23-day It’s worth the Human
Sacrifice trip. Save $644 when you book by April 12 for trips departing until
August 31, quote code ‘1360’. Costs from $1931 a person, twin share. 1300 791
47, geckosadventures.com.
CHINA
Kung fu, terracotta warriors and the Forbidden City are among
the highlights of Helen Wong’s 14-day China Wonders tour, which traverses the
country from Beijing’s hutongs to Shanghai’s glamorous Bund and the warriors’
home in Xian. Save $400 a person when you travel in the hot summer months, from
early June to late August. The package includes international airfares,
four-star accommodation, guides and visas. Book by May 31. Costs from $3650 a
person. 1300 788328, helenwongstours.com.
TOURWATCH
Champagne devotees will go back to the source in the
first tour through the famed French region lead by Australian ‘Champagne Dame’
Kyla Kirkpatrick. Kyla lives, breathes and works for the bubbled beverage, conducting
champagne masterclasses here and abroad. “This will be an intimate, red carpet
sojourn which will enable fellow champagne lovers to enjoy indulgent soirees
with the owners and winemakers,” she promises. The 12 guests will visit 15 prestigious
estates, many closed to the public while staying in the 17th-century Chateau de
Mairie. The tour starts in Paris on June 23 with a private champagne and
perfume masterclass, where you’ll receive a custom-made scent. Costs from $4990
a person, twin share, 0403 149 809, thechampagnedame.com.
Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald
Mar
19

Find the romance of Persia or follow the Great Migration: travel deals 10 March 2013

Ancient cities, warm hospitality, wild landscapes: the romance of Persia is calling. Closer to home, get fabulous in northern NSW or Thailand, or follow the Great Migration across the Serengeti and Masai Mara.


TASMANIA
Walking is the new cycling, which is of course the new golf, and one of the best walking destinations in the country is Tassie. The new Three Capes walk hugs the sea cliffs of the Tasman peninsula and out to Cape Raoul. This three-day tour also includes a visit to Port Arthur and a jet boat wilderness cruise (yes, you read that right). Normally $1095, book before March 23 and save 15 per cent on the April 24 departure.  Costs $930 a person, three days. 1300 666 856, tasmanianexpeditions.com.au.


Toulouse-Lautrec, Canberra.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Travelling to Canberra to see the best of Toulouse Lautrec is a whole lot cheaper than hauling off to Paris. Stay at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra during the boho Paris exhibition and you’ll get overnight accommodation in a Park Room as well as two tickets to the Toulouse Lautrec exhibition, breakfast and free parking. The offer runs until April 2, quote code ‘TOUL’. Costs from $345 per room. 131 234, canberra.park.hyatt.com.
VICTORIA

Golf aficionados head far west for a putt in the sun, and non-golfing spouses will enjoy the diversion of staying a houseboat on the Murray River. Stay four nights on a deluxe houseboat and play Mildura’s two 18-hole courses, including buggy hire and get full breakfast provisions, dinner at the Gol Gol hotel and a gourmet barbeque. Normally from $900 a person, save $350. Costs from $550. 1800 800 842, willandrahouseboats.com.au.


WESTERN AUSTRALIA
It’s billed as the ultimate fishing safari, and when you spot the barramundi lurking in the shadows of the waters around the Kimberley Coastal Camp, you’ll have to agree. The remote camp is on the Kimberley’s Admiralty Gulf, and is offering half-price fishing safaris from March 19-22 or March 22-25. Includes air transfers from Kununurra, a scenic flight over the magnificent Mitchell Falls, all meals, accommodation and fishing tackle use. Costs from $3382 a person. 0417 902 006,  kimberleycoastalcamp.com.au.


NEW SOUTH WALES

Cabarita Ocean Spa, NSW

You’re a healthier you, on the NSW far north coast.  Book a health retreat at Cabarita Ocean Spa with a friend and save 25 per cent on all stays until March 23, and singles get 15 per cent off. Expect surfing and stand-up paddling, as befits an ocean retreat that’s moments from the coastline, as well as lashings of organic, locally sourced food and Sodashi in the spa. Costs from $1650 a person, twin share, three nights. (02) 6674 3111, cabaritaoceanretreat.com.au.

EUROPE 
Canny backpackers have long known that an overnight train journey saves on the cost of accommodation. Do it in style and save, as Rail Europe celebrates its 18th birthday with up to 65 per cent off City Night Line trains, which operate in eight countries including Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic. Book by April 2, travel by June 30. Costs from $59 in couchette, $70 in double sleeper economy. raileurope.com.au.
INDONESIA
Bali bargain hunters alert. Fly with Virgin Australia from Sydney to Denpasar and stay seven nights for the price of five in a deluxe pool view room at the Kuta Lagoon Resort, on Jalan Legian. The offer includes breakfast, airport transfers and regular shuttle buses to the surf and bangle sellers at Kuta Beach. Book until 3pm June 7 for travel from April 28 to June 14. Costs from $1,079 a person, twin share. 1300 130 485, travel.com.au.
CHINA
It’s time to get your skates on, literally, to catch an earlybird ski bargain. Club Med’s Early Bird Ski Booking deals knock up to 30 per cent off all bookings made by July 1, including five nights in Yabuli, China as well as Europe and Japan. Packages include ski passes, lessons, all meals, open bar and snacks as well as travel insurance. Valid for travel from December 1 to April 7, 2014. Costs from $1033 for adults, $584 for children, five nights. 1800 258 263, clubmed.com.au.
Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary, Koh Samui, Thailand

THAILAND
Heal thyself: at a discount price, at Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary on Koh Samui’s south coast. First-time guests can stay four nights, pay for three until April 30. Repeat guests are not forgotten, with a stay five, pay four deal until May 31. Includes airport transfers, all meals and treatments in your wellness program as well as an initial wellness consultation and holistic activities. Costs from $3500 for seven nights on a wellness program, or accommodation only from $224 a night.  +66 (0) 77 429 800, kamalaya.com
KENYA & TANZANIA
Follow the migration paths of wilderbeest and zebras across Tanzania and Kenya, across the Masai Mara and the Serengeti. This package includes eight nights’ accommodation in luxury tented camps and a treehouse, as well as game drives and a visit to the Ngorongoro crater. Book until March 31 for travel until March 24, then May 1 – May 24 and save $1840 a person. Costs from $6629 a person. 1300 320 795, www.adventureworld.com.au.
TOURWATCH
Wind towers, Iran.

Blow the myths out of the water and discover one of the friendliest countries on earth: Iran. This tour departs from Shiraz, reached easily from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, where there’s no drinking wine, but plenty of beautiful gardens and the astonishing ancient city of Persepolis. Highlights include the romantic desert city of Yazd and one of the world’s largest plazas, Naksh-e Jahan Square, in bejewelled Isfahan. There are hill villages, palaces and fine museums as well as plenty of tea stops and fine Iranian cooking to be sampled. The 18-day Highlights of Persia tour departs October 1. Costs from $3850 a person, twin share. (02) 9418 7803, byroads.com.au.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald newspaper
Mar
10

Loving Mungo and Malaysia: travel deals 3 March 2013

Tiptoe through the tulips, snap up a bargain stay in Malaysia or go mad for Mungo in our own wilderness, at the edge of the Outback. (Ok, so this column is up a little bit late, but you never know when a bargain will strike!)


NEW SOUTH WALES
Wring the last out of summer with a quickie getaway to the far northern NSW coast, for great fish & chips and quiet, sandy beaches, just 20 minutes south of the Gold Coast airport. Save 20 per cent on stays at Peppers Salt Resort & Spa, Kingscliff, and get buffet breakfast, in-room movies and internet access thrown in on stays until September 10. Costs from $564 for three nights in a one-bedroom spa suite. 1300 987 600, peppers.com.au.

NORTHERN TERRITORY
The time poor don’t have to miss out on the beauties of the Top End: the five-day Mysterious North journey whisks you around the crown jewels, including Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks to swim in waterfalls and view Aboriginal rock art galleries. There’s also a cruise down Katherine Gorge and glamping at Wildman Wilderness Lodge to round up a perfect week away from the office. Save $105 when you book six months before departure; tours depart between May 12 and October 20. Costs from $2075 a person, twin share. 1800 467 747, inspiringjourneys.com.au. 

The Terrace Hotel, Perth

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

With Chanel now open on Perth’s King St and photographs from New York’s Museum of Modern Art showing in the Art Gallery of Western Australia, our western cousin is a sophisticate, indeed. Add to the mix a new boutique hotel, situated on St Georges Terrace in Perth’s happening West End. The elegant buildings of the Terrace Hotel were built in 1892, and the 15-suite hotel starts at $505 a night. Book the ‘Weekend Warrior’ and they’ll add a cocktail and full breakfast for stays on Friday and Saturday nights until April 1. Costs from $495 a night, (08) 9214 4444, terracehotelperth.com.au.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The InterContinental Adelaide

Adelaide is celebrating all things
maritime with the arrival of the JMW Turner exhibition, Turner from the Tate,
showing until May 19. Book a Turner Art Package at the InterContinental
Adelaide and save $132. The offer includes one night’s accommodation, two
tickets to the exhibition, breakfast for two and 2pm check-out. The hotel,
which is a short walk from the Art Gallery of South Australia, can also arrange
VIP guided tours of the exhibition. 
Costs from $228 a night. 138 388, icadelaide.com.au. 

VICTORIA
On your bikes, girls, it’s time to explore the Victorian
High Country on a Girls Own Bicycle Adventure. Bring your own or hire one of
Snowy River Cycling’s mountain or hybrid bikes. The six-day tour starts and
finishes at Orbost, in East Gippsland, and covers up to 50km a day (depending
on terrain, weather and mood) staying in national park lodges and farmhouses.
Departs May 5 and includes a basic bike maintenance workshop and an op shop
frock night. Save 20 per cent, or $229, on bookings made by April 5. Costs
$1416 a person, twin share. 0428 556 088, snowyrivercycling.com.au.
The Baglionio, London
ENGLAND
An Italian hotel in London – how could you go wrong? And
it’s on sale too. Stay two nights for the price of one, making the Kensington
hotel, the Baglionio, an outrageous steal. There’s a two-night minimum, and the
offer is valid on deluxe rooms until April 1. Smith members also get a bottle
of prosecco into the deal as well: and it’s free to join. Costs from $462 for
two nights. 1300 896 627, mrandmrssmith.com.
MALAYSIA
Malaysia’s five-star hotels are fabulous, and fabulously
priced. The luxury Saujana Hotel in Kuala Lumpur includes an 18-hole championship
golf course and 260 hectares of tropical gardens. Snap up Malaysia Airlines
discount return flights and team up with a four-night stay at the Saujana. Book
by March 31 for travel until November 13, costs from $1057, or $753 flight
only.  directflights.com.au.
NETHERLANDS
A Dutch deal is hard to find, but the tulips are
plentiful on Outdoor Travel’s Bike & Barge tour through Holland in the
springtime. Highlights include the world’s biggest flower auction, happening Amsterdam,
Delft and a cheese farm in Gouda, as you bike in between cruising the serene
riverways on a 10-cabin craft. Non-cycling partners are welcome. Save up to
$300 per cabin on departures on April 7 and May 12 only. Costs from $1600 a
person, includes most meals and bike hire. 1800 331 582, outdoortravel.com.au.
CHINA
The best of China is on display over 21 days, from
Beijing to Hong Kong, with Xi’an, Shanghai and the Yangtze River in between.
The China in Depth tour is a hotpot of pandas, Sichuan cooking, Great Walls and limestone crags and
five-star accommodation includes the new Westin Xia and Fairmont Beijing.
Partners fly free from Australia on bookings made by March 31. Costs from
$10,420 a person, twin share.  1300
723 642, scenictours.com.au
JAPAN
Japan just got even cheaper, thanks to a strong Aussie dollar and 15 per cent off World Expeditions’ Japan trips, including its Family Explorer. There are bullet trains, geishas, wasabi farms and fish markets, folk villages and the neon madness of Tokyo on this 12-day trip. The discount applies on bookings made before March 31 for departures July 1 to December 31. Costs from $4,390 a person, twin share. $3746 for kids 6-11 years. 1300 720 000, worldexpeditions.com.

TOURWATCH Mungo
National Park
“I think Aussies are really interested in Mungo National
Park,” says Janine Duffy of Echidna Tours. “It’s like a cathedral of our
history, but we can’t quite understand it.” The ancient landscape of Mungo is
near the meeting place of the Murray and the Darling rivers, in far western
NSW: think out Broken Hill and Mildura way. The Mungo Outback Journey is a
private journey with guides from the local Paakantyi Tribe who spend three days
showing you the beauty of the desert, from brilliant parrots and fairy wrens to
extinct marsupials, and the
remnants of 50,000 years of Aboriginal history. Fly in to Mildura to pick up
the private three-day tour, staying at the pretty river town of Wentworth. Runs
from March to November. Costs from $1350 a person, (03) 9646 8249, echidnawalkabout.com.au.
Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald
Feb
13

See Tokyo in style and go warp-drive in Sri Lanka: travel deals 10 February 2013

Click on for Mark Jensen’s bbq octopus recipe, Noosa Food & Wine, Qld.
Beautiful people eating beautiful food: it’s Noosa in a nutshell come this May. Otherwise, Tokyo in style and knowing your warp and weft in Sri Lanka, in this week’s domestic and international travel deals.

QUEENSLAND
Foodies will flock to Noosa from May 16-19 for the 10th Noosa International Food & Wine festival. Highlights
include Edible Music, which sees musicians and chefs combined, degustation
dinners, sunset concerts and a new Barefoot beach marquee for cocktail
competitions and a seafood feast. Tickets cost from $40, which include
celebrity chef cooking demos and live entertainment, up to $330 for a Weekend
Gold Pass, which includes cocktail parties and preferential concert seating.
Book before April 1 and save 10 per cent discount (excluding some events and
the Platinum Experience). (07) 5455 4455, noosafoodandwine.com.au.
VICTORIA
“Autumn is a delightful time to escape into our wonderful alpine landscape, with epic sunsets and soft meadows filled with wildflowers,” says Alan Fenner of ParkTrek. The highlight of the ‘Alpine High Plains’ wfour-day walk (March 23-26) is a trek along the Razorback from Mt Hotham to Mt Feathertop. Team it up with the four-day ‘Easter in the Victorian Alps’ walk (March 29 – April 1), which criss-crosses the high country, visiting historical huts, staying at a ski lodge in Falls Creek. Walks are graded easy to medium, averaging 12-16km daily. Book both trips and save $120. Costs $2080 a person for two trips, includes meals, accommodation and guides (03) 9877 9540, parktrek.com.

TASMANIA
Tassie is girding its
loins for the island’s international arts festival, Ten Days on the Island,
coming up on March 15-24 (tendaysontheisland.com). Get in early and hook
yourself some seriously swank digs, at the beautiful Villa Howden, 15
minute drive from Hobart on the shores of North West Bay. Comprising 10 luxury suites looking over the bay,
the setting is serene,  with wi-fi,
Australian cosmetics, full breakfast and in-suite bar included. Stay two
nights, get a third free, saving a cool $420. Book and stay by March 28. Costs
from $840 for three nights. (03) 6267 1161, villahowden.com.au.
  
WESTERN
AUSTRALIA
Start planning for WA’s wildflower season, which carpets the state in a rich
tapestry from June to November. Outback Spirit’s 15-day Western Wildflower
Discovery tour traverses the state’s riches, from Monkey Mia and the Shark Bay
Marina to wildlife sanctuaries as well as those beautiful stretches of native
wildflowers. Tours depart in September and October, book by February 28 and fly
Sydney-Perth return for just $199. Costs from $5595 a person, twin share. 1800
688 222, outbackspirittours.com.au.
Shangri-La Tokyo
TOKYO
Get to grips with Tokyo in style, with the Shangri-La Hotel’s new package, which sees you skipping about town in a private limo. Hotel stays usually cost from $740 a night, but the two-night ‘Explore Tokyo in Style’ package lets you snap your fingers and have the car whisk you on a tour, to the airport or just to take you shopping, until June 30. Costs from $1500, two nights. 1800 222 448, www.shangri-la.com/jp.

ITALY
Feel the rails rocking beneath you on the night journey from Paris to Rome. The Thello night trains travel up to 180km/hour and travel between Paris, Milan, Venice and now Rome with both six-berth couchette and first-class sleepers available. Book seven days in advance and save up to 50 per cent. Seats are limited, so get in early.  Costs from $52 a person in a six-berth couchette. 1300 387 245, internationalrail.com.au.

USA
Get the true taste of Creole with a cooking school that
unravels the cuisine of the Deep South, with its French, Spanish, Portuguese,
Italian and Native American influences. There’s also a tour of the Jack Daniels
distillery and dinner in a Natchez mansion on this 10-day Tastes & Sounds
of the South tour. The tours depart between May 2 and October 31. Book six
months ahead and save $119. Costs from $2256 a person, twin share. 1300 663
043, trafalgar.com.
CANADA
Recovered from Christmas? It’s time to start planning for
next year, with a Canadian White Christmas tour. Have Christmas Day brunch at
Lake Louise followed by a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh, train through The
Rockies, visit the snow haven of Whistler and a take gondola ride at Banff.  Departs December 16. Book by April 30, save
up to $500 a person. Costs from $6495 a person, twin share. 1300 278 278, aptouring.com.au.
MALAYSIA
Bargain hunters love Malaysia, not only for the shopping, but also for the good value on its accommodation. The Villa Samadhi is a sleek, 21-room contemporary Asian residence brimming with pools, thatch roofs and Asian antiques in central Kuala Lumpur. Stay two nights at the Relais & Chateaux property before February 28, get dinner and airport transfers and $173 off. Costs from $566 a villa, two nights. 1800 667731, globalhotelsmarketing.com.

TOURWATCH: SRI LANKA
One of this year’s hot spots, the attention on Sri Lanka
is justly deserved for its spectacular beaches, lush landscapes and intriguing
culture. Textiles aficionados have the chance to explore the island’s textiles
history, from lace to embroidery, batik and handloomed cloth.  The tour is led by Melbourne embroidery
artist Cresside Colette, originally from Colombo. Highlights include private
textiles collections, weaving villages and lace workshops, as well as the
island’s main tourist sites and there’s plenty of opportunity to shop its busy
markets, with Active Travel’s wise shoppers by your side. The tour departs May
6-17. Costs from $3874 a person, twin share (excludes airfares). (02) 6249
6122, activetravel.com.au.

SOURCE: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Feb
10

Bargains and bright ideas: from Middle Earth to Malaysia

Fantasy: Sir Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings, New Zealand.

Are you a shopper, a temple lover, volcano hopper and or film fan? Here’s your escapade. 

Where to? New Zealand.
The experience: Hobbit hunting on the North and South islands.
Pack for: Middle-earth adventure in four-star style.
Who goes? Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fans.
Highlights: This 10-day tour is led by one of the dwarves from the Hobbit trilogy. The tour starts in Auckland and finishes in Christchurch, visiting the Hobbiton film set in Matamata, as well as Wellington (aka Wellywood) and dramatic film locations, including Mount Victoria and the uplifting scenery of Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo.
Watch the clock: It takes three hours to fly from Sydney to Auckland with Air New Zealand (13 24 76, airnewzealand.com.au), Emirates (1300 303 777, emirates.com/au), Jetstar (13 15 38, jetstar.com), LAN (1800 558 129, lan.com) and Virgin Australia (13 67 89, virginaustralia.com). It also takes three hours to fly from Christchurch to Sydney with Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia.
Costs: From $4790 a person for 10 days. Includes flight from Wellington to Dunedin, guides and some meals. 1300 888 225, odysseytraveller.com.
For more information: newzealand.com.
SUPping in the Cook Islands.

Where to? Cook Islands.

The experience: The islands’ first “Gathering Holiday”.
When? March 16-22.
Pack for: Islander glam.
Who goes? Single travellers aged 28-45ish wanting to broaden their social network.
Highlights: A mix of fun, relaxation and a few healthy activities: 4WD rallies, starlit cinema, cooking schools, a lagoon cruise, stand-up paddle boarding and a speed-friending event (like dating, but without compulsory romance). There’s also time to hit the local nightclubs and markets. The “donate time” program encourages travellers to spend a little time in the islands’ schools reading to local kids, to give back to the local community. Group size averages about 20 people.
Watch the clock: It’s a six-hour direct flight from Sydney to Rarotonga with Air New Zealand, departing every Saturday night and crossing the dateline to arrive at 5.30am, Saturday. 13 24 76, airnewzealand.com.au.
Costs: $2399 a person, twin share, for six nights, most meals, activities and transfers.
For more information: (07) 5408 0153, thegatheringholidays.com, cookislands.travel.
Where to? Singapore.
The experience: Larging it up in one of the world’s most iconic hotels.
Pack for: City luxe.
Who goes? History lovers and hardened shoppers.
Highlights: A three-night stay in a Palm Court suite at Raffles Hotel Singapore (established in 1887) is the last word in colonial charm. The offer includes breakfast in the Tiffin Room, dinner in Raffles Grill, personalised bathrobes, spa treatments, a bottle of 125th anniversary Billecart-Salmon champagne and airport transfers in a Bentley. There’s also a voucher for one complimentary night’s stay, a butler on call 24 hours, and a history tour by the hotel’s resident historian. The hotel is surrounded by shopping malls, and the famed 2.2-kilometre Orchard Road strip is just a hop-skip away.
Watch the clock: It’s bang-on eight hours from Sydney to Singapore with Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com), Scoot (flyscoot.com), Qantas (qantas.com), British Airways (britishairways.com) and Virgin Australia (virginaustralia.com).
Costs: From $3871 a person for three nights. +800 1 7233537, raffles.com. Quote “Celebrating Romance”.
For more information: yoursingapore.com.
Borobudur, Java, Indonesia.
Where to? Central Java, Indonesia.
The experience: Five-day “Cultured Treasures & Temples” tour.
Pack for: High-end luxury and natural beauty.
Who goes? Natural beauty and culture buffs.
Highlights: Borobudur, the world’s largest, absolutely breathtaking, Buddhist sanctuary, dating from the ninth century, and nearby Prambanan, a Hindu temple complex from about the same era. The backdrop is of mountains and volcanoes – visited at sunrise and sunset – including the “home of the gods”, the volcanic Dieng Plateau at an altitude of 2000 metres. Stay at Amanjiwo Resort or Plataran Borobudur Resort & Spa to immerse yourself in the local beauty.
Watch the clock: Garuda Indonesia flies daily from Sydney to Yogyakarta via Denpasar (7hr 15min, though expect a Balinese layover). 1300 365 330, garuda-indonesia.net.au.
Costs: From $US1670 ($1604) a person, twin share, for four nights. Includes private transfers and all sightseeing.
For more information: 1300 851 800, abercrombiekent.com.au.

Where to? Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The experience: Bargain hunting and tower climbing.
Pack for: Pounding the pavement.
Who goes? Hardcore shoppers.
Highlights: All of Asia knows KL packs a punch in the shopping stakes. The malls are glamorous and airconditioned – as befits the humidity – and they range from the world’s top fashion labels to fabulous local shoe designers, exceptional kids’ wear and great electronic goods. Stay for four nights and pay for only three (your first bargain before you even arrive!) at the four-star Parkroyal Hotel Kuala Lumpur in the compact city centre, close to the Petronas Twin Towers and the Bukit Bintang shopping strip.
Watch the clock: It takes 7½ hours to fly from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines (malaysiaairlines.com) and Air Asia (airasia.com).
Costs: From $349 a person, twin share, for four nights. Includes 20 per cent off spa treatments and in the restaurant, airport transfers and a half-day city tour. Book until May 31 for travel between April 1 and May 31. 1300 747 400, creativeholidays.com.
For more information: (02) 9299 4441, tourismmalaysia.com.au.

Mt Yasur volcano, Vanuatu.
Where to? Tanna Island, Vanuatu.
The experience: Volcano hopping.
Pack for: Five-star adventure at three-star prices.
Who goes? Those keen on white sand and big fireworks.
Highlights: Get up close to Tanna Island’s Mount Yasur volcano. Easily accessible, the volcano was seen by Captain Cook when he visited in 1774 and is most active during the wet season, from late February to April. Stay for four nights in an ocean view room at the White Grass Ocean resort in Tanna and take a volcano safari tour, then spend three nights in Port Vila to soak up the turquoise waters of the south Pacific.
Watch the clock: Air Vanuatu flies from Sydney to Port Vila daily (3hr 25min), and under an hour from Port Vila to Tanna. 1300 780 737, airvanuatu.com.
Costs: From $1873 a person for seven nights. Includes flights ex-Sydney. Book by February 15 for travel until March 26 and between April 23 and June 20.
For more information: 1300 370 792, coralseas.com.au.
Feb
05

Dine in the desert, lap up the luxury: travel deals 3 February 2013

It could only be the Maldives.

Lap up the luxury in the Maldives, dine in the desert beneath the stars at Uluru or snigger like a schoolboy in Cappadocia, in this week’s domestic and international travel deals. 


TASMANIA

Small and beautiful not only describes the island of Tasmania, but also Hobart’s sleek boutique hotel scene, led by the bellwether The Islington. The last word in chic, the 11-room hotel is offering 20 per cent off dinner, bed and breakfast in its lush Garden View rooms when you stay Wednesday to Sunday. Normally $585 a night, rug up and save $117 a night on stays between April 1 and September 30. The offer includes a three-course a la carte dinner for two. Book by February 28. Costs from $468 a night. 1300 896 627, mrandmrssmith.com.
VICTORIA
Now the holiday crowds have gone, you can soak up the
beauty of the Great Ocean Road in relative peace. Stay three nights in a cabin
at the Big4 Beacon Resort in Queenscliff and they’ll include a Movie Munch
popcorn pack, free DVD hire, mountain bikes, two meals for the price of one at
Terindah Estate vineyard, half price on a South Bay eco-tours discovery tour
and a bottle of chardonnay from local vineyard, Scotchmans Hill. Excludes
Saturday nights, the Bellarine Getaway
Package is valid until August 31. Costs from $330, three nights. 1800 351 152, beaconresort.com.au.
QUEENSLAND
The Sebel Resort Noosa, Queensland.
If you thought Noosa’s locals couldn’t get any more buff and beautiful, wait till the Kellogg’s Nutri-grain Ironman and Ironwoman series comes to town on February 24. Get into the action with a stay at the refurbished Sebel Resort Noosa, on Hastings Street. Stay in a one-bed spa apartment and get 35 per cent off, kids stay free and you’ll also get free internet. Stay two nights or more, and get free bike hire or surfboard hire. Book by February 28 for stays until June 20 (excluding Easter), and quote the suitably vigorous promo code ‘outdoors’. Costs from $259 a night. 131 515, sebelresortnoosa.com.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
It’s still summer out in the west, where the turtles are
nesting and the manta rays are swimming. Do your bit to keep the turtles happy
with a guided tour to spot Green, Loggerhead and Hawksbill turtles (08 9949 1176, exmouthwa.com.au), Stay at the nearby Novotel Ningaloo Reef in
Exmouth and get five nights for the price of four on stays until March 28.
Costs from $1100 a room, five nights. (08) 9949 0000, novotelningaloo.com.au.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Tick the Northern Territory many icons off your bucket
list in one swoop, on the 11-day Territory Explorer, including Uluru, Alice
Springs, Kakadu and Katherine Gorge. Highlights also include a Sounds of
Silence dinner in the central Australian desert, a slap-up feed at Daly Waters
pub and two nights at the Sails in the Desert resort at Uluru.  Book by March 31 and your partner gets free
flights into Ayers Rock and out of Darwin, tours depart between June and August.
Costs from $5665 a person, twin share. 
1300 723 642,
scenictours.com.
THAILAND
Get into the thick of Bangkok’s gold-obsessed Chinatown
with a three-night stay that includes breakfast daily, welcome drinks, free
wi-fi and 20 per cent off at the hotel spa. Rooms from the 11th floor up of the
three-star Grand China hotel include views of the city and Chao Phraya river.
Book by March 31 for stays between April 1 and October 31. Costs from $95 a
person, twin share, for three nights. 133 133, flightcentre.com.au.
TURKEY
The pun-worthy rock formations of Cappadocia, Turkey
Turkish history resonates with Australians, and the
battlefields of World War I are on the itinerary of this seven-day ‘Turkish Delight’ coach tour through
a remarkable country. Other highlights include the ancient cities of Troy and
Ephesus, the Convent of the Whirling Dervishes in far western Konya and the
pun-worthy rock formations of Cappadocia. Save 10 per cent when you book by
February 20, excludes tours during the ANZAC period, April 18-25. Costs from
$828 a person, includes four-star accommodation and most meals. 1300 362 844, tempoholidays.com.
BALI
Beat the rush for flights and book your April holiday
before March 1 to save $726 on a seven-night stay at Club Med, Nusa Dua. The
offer includes all meals, open bar and snacks, kids’ club, sports activities
and daily entertainment. They’ll also include airport transfers and Club Med
membership with travel insurance on travel. The deal is valid for travel until
April 30. Normally $1913 for adults, costs from $1187 for adults, $692 for
children, seven nights.  1300 855 052, clubmed.com.au.
The Viceroy Maldives.
MALDIVES
You may not
have celebrated Maldives National Day on January 25, but the five-star Viceroy
Maldives, on Vagaru Island, has marked the occasion with a discount on its 61
luxe beach and waterfront villas. Book by February 17 and save up to $760 a
night on stays until March 23. They’ll also include breakfast daily and a free
upgrade to the next villa type, if available. (Minimum stay four nights between
February 4 – 17).
Costs from $910 a
villa, a night. viceroyhotelgroup.com.
SPAIN & FRANCE
Paris and Barcelona: does it get any better? It does,
when you include the French wine regions of Bordeaux, St-Emilion and Sauternes,
then add Seville, Ronda and Granada into the mix. The Splendours of France
& Spain tour spends 18 days ambling through these two European superstars,
with departures on May 5 and September 29. Book before February 28 and get $200
off the luxury coach tour. Costs from $4435 a person, twin share. 1300 237 886,
insightvacations.com.
South Australia’s incomparable Flinders Ranges.
TOURWATCH
Capture the vastness of central Australia with a new
aerial landscape photography tour, led by the highly experienced photographer Peter
Elfes. The six-day tour skims over the beauty of the Flinders Ranges and Lake
Eyre in light aircraft, and gets down on the ground with walking and 4WD tours
and photography workshops. There’s also an overnight stay in Marree and visit
to Andamooka included, with flights by Air Wilpena, which has been running
scenic flights in the region since 1959. The groups will have a maximum of 12
guests and tours depart June 4-9 and October 22-27. Costs from $4475 a person,
single room, including all flights and tours. (08) 8648 0004, airwilpena.com.au.
Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald
Jan
29

Swing and sing across Texas: travel deals 27 January 2013

Do glamour, Gregory Peck and gelato in Italy, swim with dolphins in Western Australia or hit the road, Jack, and swing across Texas, in this week’s round-up of domestic and international travel deals.


ACT
Canberra’s centenary calendar is hotting up, with the National Archives of Australia showing exhibitions by photographer Max Dupain and on Britain’s Child Migrants, there are the best political cartoons on show at the Museum of Australian Democracy in Old Parliament House and, of course, Toulouse Lautrec in the National Gallery. Stay at the five-star Hotel Realm, within the parliamentary triangle, until end June and save 54 per cent on the full rate with its ‘Love Notes’ package, which includes accommodation, a mini Moet, dessert platter, breakfast and late check-out. Costs from $375 for two people, one night, quote ‘Love Notes’. 1300 88 7979, wotif.com/hotelW50609.

NSW
You don’t have to leave the state to find one of the
world’s longest resort swimming pools: coming in at 485 metres long, it’s at
the Oaks Pacific Blue Resort in Port Stephens, 160km north of Sydney. The quiet
coastal region is a magnet for fisherfolk, dolphin spotters and those who just
like rolling down sand dunes, while the resort facilities include tennis
courts, a gym and a Japanese steam room.  Save up to $25 a night on when you book a
two-night stay from January 27-June 30. Costs from $258, studio room, two
nights. 1300 669 978, oakshotelsresorts.com.

QUEENSLAND
You’ll be praying for hot weather with a deal at QT Gold
Coast hotel’s SpaQ, which knocks the price of the day’s top temperature off
your midweek one-hour spa treatment. So if it’s 29 degrees, you’ll get $29 off the
cost of the treatment. Valid until February 28, Mondays-Thursdays and quote
‘I’m hot’.  07 5584 1108, qtgoldcoast.com.au/spa-q/.
The dolphins of Monkey Mia, WA.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Set foot on the most westerly tip of Australia, at Cape Leeuwin, walk through the Valley of the Giants, watched over by towering forests, and journey into Kalgoorlie’s Super Pit on a 15-day coach tour of WA’s south east. Starting and finishing in Perth, the tour includes lunch at Palandri Winery in the Margaret Valley, a walking tour of Fremantle and a meet-and-greet with Monkey Mia’s dolphins. Book during the wildflower season, from August to November, to see WA’s desert plains flushed with colour. Book with a deposit by February 15, and your friend saves 25 percent. Costs from $4550 for the first person, $3413 for your friend. 1300 228 546, aatkings.com.au.

VICTORIA
Visit some of the most beautiful
gardens surrounding Melbourne on a three-night tour just in time for Mother’s
Day. Staying at the Sofitel Melbourne, the small group tour starts with high
tea at The Hotel Windsor, followed by a street art tour through the city’s
laneways, for an edgy touch. The gardens on tour include Cranbourne Botanic
Gardens’ Australian garden, Heronswood on the Mornington Peninsula and the
William Ricketts Sanctuary in the Dandenong Ranges. Book by February 28
and save $100. Includes  most meals,
botanical guides and airport transfers. Costs from $1695 a person, twin share.
1300 305 202, botanica.travel.
Hotel Aviatic, Paris
  
FRANCE
Soak up the Parisian vibe at a discount price at the
Hotel Aviatic, on the Left Bank, close by the bars and restaurants of Saint-Germain
des Prés and Montparnasse. Save E135 ($171) on a traditional room or E165 on a
prestige room, and get breakfast, a bottle of wine and chocolates on stays
until February 28. Costs from E160 (traditional room) or E195 (prestige room).
1800 667 731, aviatic.fr.
COOK ISLANDS
The islands of the Pacific are renowned for their
welcoming arms, and those travelling to Rarotonga with Air New Zealand will
receive NZ$100 (A$75) to spend, for a very warm welcome, indeed.  You could do an Aitutaki Lagoon tour, enjoy
an hour-long massage, get two days’ car hire or buy 20 papaya smoothies! Book
by March 4 for travel until June 3, cookislands.travel. Passengers traveling
Air New Zealand from Sydney to Rarotonga direct on Saturday nights get an
additional round of discounts on activities on the islands. Flights depart
Sydney 8.30pm Fridays, arrive Rarotonga 5.30am Saturdays. 132 476,
airnewzealand.com.au.

NEW ZEALAND
Spend Valentine’s Day at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, in
Hawke’s Bay, voted one of the world’s top lodges and save 15 percent off the
standard high season rate. The package includes one night in a luxury suite, a
bottle of champagne, rose petals, bath oil and candles. There’s also a
five-course dinner, breakfast, mini-bar and, importantly, late check-out.
What’s not to love? Valid February 10-17. Costs from $855 a person, twin share
(naturally).  +64 6 875 1900, capekidnappers.com. 
FIJI

The sunny islands of Fiji are on the rebound after last
year’s Cyclone Evan, with deals to be had. Stay seven nights at the Sofitel
Fiji Resort & Spa on the five-star strip on Denarau Island, get return
airfares from Sydney, $535 in wine, dine and spa credit, a full-day island
cruise, a cultural heritage tour, airport transfers, breakfast, free kids food
and kids’ club. Costs from $1690 a person, twin share. Similar deals are
available at the Sheraton Fiji Resort and Outrigger on the Lagoon. 1300 00 34
54, myholidaycentre.com.au/fiji/.

ITALY
Glamour, Gregory Peck and gelato: do Italy like Audrey
Hepburn, swanning through Tuscany, Rome and the Amalfi coast. Diva alert: join
a handful of other fabulous travellers and cruise Italy in the ultimate girls’
getaway of shopping, spas and Vespas. Book and deposit the 14-day ‘Do it like
Audrey Hepburn’ tour by February 22 for departure on June 23, and get a free
night in a 4-star Florence hotel before or after the tour. Costs from $6959 a person, twin share, quote
‘SHDIVAS’. 0408 721
569, travellingdivas.com.au.
TOURWATCH
San Antonio, Fort
Worth, Memphis, Texarkana … if these names resonate with your soul, it’s time
to hit the American West – in a Mustang convertible, of course – for a musical
road trip across the USA, from LA to Nashville. The Swing Across Texas
self-drive tour is fully escorted and departs June 15, hitting Route 66, Vegas
and Buddy Holly’s birthplace in Lubbock County, Texas, with the Grand Canyon in
there for good measure. The clincher is there’s a live act or entertainment in
every city, every night of the 22-day tour, which is included in the price
along with car hire and insurance. Costs from $7350 a person, twin share. (07)
5577 4655, classicdrivingtours.com.
Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald
Global Salsa

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