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Australia Travel / Festival Travel / Music Festivals / Culture Travel / → All Tags

Darwin Festival Brings 'Guitar Orchestra' and More to North Australia

Australia's Northern Territory capital of Darwin is apparently not just a city of crocodiles and beer—they actually have culture there too, and to prove it the Darwin Festival turns 16 this year.

From August 13 to 30, Darwin will be getting all arty with a stack of dance, film, theatre, comedy and music performances to see, including the Indigenous Music Awards on August 21 with Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy headlining. There's also a new venue called the Lighthouse, which is basically an open-air concert area constructed with festoon lighting.

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Safaris / Hunting / When Animals Attack / Australia Travel / → All Tags

Aussies Might Let You Catch A Croc

Safari lovers take note: the Northern Territory in Australia might be your next big destination. The local government has approved a proposal to allow safari hunters to kill some of the biggest salt-water crocs around Darwin.

The growing population of crocs have made a huge mistake by snacking more often on people, so there's not too much opposition to the plan. Plus the revenue raised by the safari fees is meant to benefit local Aboriginal groups, so it's got some feel-good value too.

But don't book your trip just yet. First, the plan is open for comment and must then be approved at a national level too. Second, the suggestion is for just 25 crocs to be killed on safari over the next five years. That's not a low of beady eyes to go round.

Related Stories:
· Trophy Hunters Invited to Kill Crocodiles [The Age]
· Pub Travel: Sharing A Bar With A Crocodile [Jaunted]
· Crocs Interrupt Tourist Plans in Oz [Jaunted]

[Photo: wouter!]

Accidents / Flight 1549 / Travel News / → All Tags

Water Landings Are So Hot Right Now

Do we need to retrofit airplanes with floats and return them to parking at the docks outside of LaGuardia's Marine Air Terminal? With all the hoopla over US Airways' Hudson River miracle and now the new story of another successful water ditching in Australia, we're thinking that bringing floaties on our next flight isn't such a bad idea.

Just hours after the 60 Minutes interview with US Airways Flight 1549 pilot/hero Captain "Sully" Sullenberger aired, a private jet carrying five passengers and two crew was forced to ditch into the water off the coast of Darwin, Australia. Although this is not a case of freak bird intervention but good old malfunction, the story is still oddly similar to that of the US Airways flight.

In fact, the pilot of the Aussie jet, whose quick thinking saved the lives of all onboard and landed them close enough to walk to shore, has been dubbed "Sully Lite." That's almost like adding insult to injury, essentially making this hero pilot out to be like the diet version of another hero pilot. Silly Australia; don't they realize that as long unavoidable water landings end happily, that there's plenty of room in this world for several pilot heros?

Related Stories:
· Water Landing for Australia Plane [BBC News]
· Australia: Pilot saves 5 after ditching plane in sea [CNN]
· Flight 1549 Coverage [Jaunted]

[Video still: BBC News]

Cathay Pacific / Flying While Pregnant / A Handbag Is Not A Proper Mother / → All Tags

One Reason to Staycate: Baby Born Aboard Cathay Pacific Flight

A Cathay Pacific flight between Hong Kong and Adelaide, Australia had to be diverted to Darwin today when an Indian woman unexpectedly gave birth on board.

29-year-old Paramjit Kaur was, at 34 weeks pregnant, on the tail end of what most doctors consider a safe time to travel. She picked the right flight to go into premature labor, though: Four doctors on board were able to deliver and get the mother and her six-pound son to the hospital when on the ground.

The multicultural family--Indian mum, Australian dad, airborne baby--are doing great, but one wonders whether Cathay Pacific is regretting its decision to cut back on flights in North America while adding new routes in Australia. But they should add doctor availability to their already stellar service!

Related Stories:
· Baby Boy Born on Airliner en route to Australia [AP]
· Flying While Pregnant: Angelina Jolie [Jaunted]
· Cathay Pacific Cuts Most North American Flights [Vancouver Sun]
· Cathay Pacific Opens More Australian Routes [The Australian]
· Cathay Pacific coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: sesameellis]

Australia Travel / When Animals Attack / Animals / Theme Parks / → All Tags

Definitely No Smiling at Crocosaurus Cove

It's one thing to share a bar with a tiny crocodile but soon tourists visiting the northern Australian city of Darwin will be able to share a swimming pool with a crocodile too.

At the opening-soon Crocosaurus Cove theme park, there'll be seven crocodile enclosures with underwater viewing areas, and one with a swimming pool next to a viewing window so you'll be able to feel a bit like you're swimming with the crocs (like you'd want to?).

But scariest of all is the Cage of Death--a clear acrylic box that tourists can climb into and experience a huge crocodile snapping at you. We think this sounds a bit cruel for the poor croc, but perhaps they toss him a human every now and again to keep him happy. Hope it's not us!

Related Stories:
· Crocosaurus Cove [Official Site]
· Cage of Death Puts Tourists in Croc's Lair [news.com.au]
· Sharing the Bar with a Crocodile [Jaunted]

[Photo: news.com.au]

Australia Travel / Beer / Contests / → All Tags

This Weekend in Darwin: Annual Beer Can Regatta

There's an important championship coming up in Australia this Sunday July 12: the Darwin Beer Can Regatta. In a way that only Aussies could, contestants need to collect a lot of empty beer cans and then use them to build some kind of boat to take part in the race.

The Beer Can Regatta has been running in Darwin since 1975 and they've had up to 30 boats at once taking part. This year the racing festivities kick off at 10 am on Mindil Beach in Darwin and if your boat doesn't end up being able to float, there's actually a land race too--to find out which team can carry their boating failure along the beach the fastest.

We just hope that those beer-can boats that do float are crocodile-proof.

Related Stories:
· Darwin Beer Can Regatta [Official Site]
· Pub Travel: Sharing the Bar with a Crocodile [Jaunted]
· Darwin Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: paula.hatch]

When Animals Attack / Pubs / Animals / Australia Travel / → All Tags

Pub Travel: Sharing the Bar with a Crocodile

Tourists are often worried about crossing paths with a crocodile when they're visiting Australia's Northern Territory, but all you really need to know is you shouldn't smile at one--even if it sidles up to you at the bar.

That's what happened this week at the Noonamah pub on the outskirts of Darwin, and when the croc appeared, some local drinkers acted fast to tape its mouth up and put it in a box. Despite a few spectacular headlines, it wasn't a scary croc--the thirsty visitor was just two feet long.

But we still recommend watching where you put your beer down if you're in an Aussie pub. The next crocodile to walk in could be bigger.

Related Stories:
· A Croc Walks Into A Bar ... [Northern Territory News]
· Crocs Interrupt Tourist Plans in Oz [Jaunted]

[Photo: digitalreflections]

Celeb Travel / Tara Reid / Australia Travel / → All Tags

Tara Reid Is The Belle Of The Ball Down Under

Oh, Tara Reid. When you've gone at least five months without making an embarrassing appearance at a rap concert or on a beach with a skimpy bikini, maybe hosting an event called Hookers' Ball isn't a shrewd PR move. Reid was paid a reported $1 million to appear in Darwin, Australia at the R-rated event the day after she did some shopping in Sydney--wearing the locals' UGG boots, of course.

"This is a costume party and everyone is out to have fun and be a little bit crazy," Reid said about her appearance at the Hookers' Ball. And if that craziness includes "bondage beds, fantasy, latex, porn stars and erotic dancers"? Well, that just happens sometimes.

Related Stories:
· Superstar Tara Reid has a ball in Darwin [News.com.AU]
· Tara Alert Level Elevated [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]