Posts under ‘Australia’

The Gold Coast in Queensland’is home to Australia’s only Polar Bears. These magnificent animals are the major drawcard at Seaworld and attract thousands of visitors a day. Seaworld has 3 polar bears Lia a female and the wild boys Hudson and Nelson who were orphaned in Quebec Canada before moving to Queensland in 2004 aged 9 months. The bears live in a magnificent enclosure which has fresh running water, plenty of space and room for fun. Visitors are treated with two viewing areas, one above and a special glassed exhibit where they can see the bears having fun underwater.

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Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter is no longer with us but he has left behind one of the worlds most beautiful zoos. This interactive zoo is located on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia about an hours drive north of Brisbane. Set in thickly planted palms and bushland are some of the world’s most amazing animals including Elephants, Tigers, Koalas, Kangaroos and of course plenty of reptiles including the saltwater crocodile. The zoo gives visitors a once in a live time chance to get up close and touch some of the rare and endangered animals including a chance to feed the three Asian Elephants. There are shows in the massive Crocasium Stadium and lots of fun to be had for all ages a trip to Queensland would not be complete without a visit to Australia Zoo.

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Melbourne’s Crown Entertainment Complex and Casino is one of the cities favorite playgrounds with tens of thousands trying there luck or grabbing a bite to eat or catching a great show. Crown is one of the largest casinos in the Southern Hemisphere and gives most of the Vegas lounges a run for their money with over half a kilometer of entertainment and fun, with gaming, restaurants, bars, theatres, clubs and botiques plus two of Melbourne’s most luxurious hotels. Several times a night from sunset the waterfront forecourts of the Crown complex explode with huge fireballs. The balls of flame explode into the night air enthralling the watching crowd and worrying a few low flying ducks and seagulls.

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Kalgoorlie lies in Western Australia’s outback 4 hours east of Perth and once was home to 93 pubs and 100 brothels. Today the mining town doesn’t quiet have that number of either, but the Exchange Hotel still stands and has a very colourful history it was a pretty rough old town back 100 years ago when everyone was after their fortune mining gold. The old red brick pub could tell a story or two including the times when barmaids were only allowed to work naked. Today the pub has much more dignity and is one of the town’s most photographed landmarks. They serve ice cold beer and cook up a pretty damm good steak too.

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Well in case you haven’t noticed here at Tripandom we love everything kitsch and what could be more kitsch than a giant 30ft fiberglass pineapple. This magnificent structure is on Queensland Australia’s Sunshine Coast outside the town of Caloundra. The pineapple is part of a tourist park and pineapple plantation. Here visitors can see how these tasty sweet fruits are grown on a wonderful train ride. Visitors also can join the Nutmobile to see how macadamia nuts are grown. There’s a animal park, and a number of other great family attractions on hand plus a great cafe and of course the gift shop. Read the rest of this entry »

Mt Wellington in Hobart the capital of Tasmania, the small triangle island off the southern coast of Australia offers some of the most spectacular view on earth. Being just 20 minutes from the centre of Hobart the peak rises 1270 metres and gives breath taking views of the city, Derwent River and the south arm of the Tasman peninsular. Recently a visitors centre and walkway have been added to help visitors enjoy this beautiful part of the world even more. The Aboriginal name for Mt Wellington is Unghbanyahletta or Poorawetter but was named Mt Wellington after the Duke of Wellington by the English. Charles Darwin is one of the more notable climbers, he visited in 1836 during his visit on the HMAS Beagle.

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If you are visiting Perth in Western Australia it wont belong before you hear one of the world’s largest musical instruments- the Swan Bells. This enormous structure shaped a bit like a cross between a swan (Western Australia’s emblem) and a rocket ship houses some of the worlds most historic bells including 12 bells from St Martin in the Field’s Trafalgar square bell tower dating back to the 14th century and a bell from the parish church of Buckingham Palace. The bells were given to the city of Perth to celebrate the Australia’s bicentenary in 1988. The bell tower is open to the public and houses some great displays and your chance to ring your very own bell. Read the rest of this entry »

Luna Park is one of Melbourne Australia’s most loved and recognizable icons. This old world amusement park has been operating since 1912 and has entertained young and old ever since. The parks opening features a rather scary Mr Moon and the boundary is made up of the rickety wooden rollercoaster- the Scenic Railway which holds the claim of the oldest continually operated rollercoaster in the world. The park also boasts a historic carousel dating back to 1913 which has recently been restored to its former glory. There’s all the other fun of the fair including Ferris wheel, a pirate ship, dodgems and arcade style games. Luna Park is located in the bay side suburb of St Kilda and there is a sister park on Sydney Harbor overlooking the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the highlights of visiting Sydney is the historic rocks precinct which lies just under the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and if your there on a weekend you are in for a further treat. The Rock’s Market operates both Saturday and Sunday and features an amazing assortment of arts, crafts and other had made items. It is a great place to pick up something truly Australian including Aboriginal Art, beautiful Australian timber products and exquisite jewelry using local stones and minerals. There’s plenty of street entertainment and don’t forget to visit some of the many galleries, restaurants and historic pubs in the Rocks while you are there. Read the rest of this entry »

Poor old XXXX beer has a bit of a identity complex in Australia, it just isn’t popular outside of Queensland and the southern Carlton United products like VB and Carton Mid Strength are eating into its Queensland territory. It’s a bit of a shame because for an Australian beer it isn’t a bad drop. It’s crisp and has a good bitter taste delightful infact on a warm Queensland day- or any day for that matter.
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