Melbourne Travel Guide
5/19/2008 at 9:20 AM
Tags: Qantas, A380, Airlines, Australia Travel (all tags)
The newest airline to become the proud owner of some A380s looks to be Qantas, with its first 20 super-jumbos currently being fitted out in Hamburg. They're getting one now and two more by December, with the others to follow "soon."
The surprise is that the Flying Kangaroo is planning to use the new plane on the Melbourne to Los Angeles route--everybody was expecting it would be used to fly to London. Qantas has apparently decided otherwise.
A non-stop Melbourne-LAX flight will make the Qantas route look a lot more enticing than main rival United, or at least that's the plan. We're wondering how the giant jet will stack up against V Australia's 777 service from Sydney.
Related Stories:
· Qantas A380 Across the Pacific [Business Traveller]
· Qantas A380 Ready for October Take-Off [news.com.au]
· Qantas coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Naddsy]
by amandak
9/07/2007 at 4:15 PM
Tags: Missed Connections (all tags)
Classy, artsy Melbourne would never invite those dirty "Real World"-ers in. Find someone who will be with you off-camera at these hot spots:
Amaretto Pasticceria -- Get your espresso straight or sweetened with a liqueur at this coffee bar, which also features delicious gelato. 565 Hampton St.
Double Happiness -- Travel + Leisure recommends the ginger-and-vodka Great Leap Forward cocktail at this chic little lounge. 21 Liverpool St.
B.coz -- Take your honey to this tiny fusion restaurant with a liberal wine list. (Don't worry, the waiters are there to help, not embarrass.) 403 Riversdale Rd.
Related Stories:
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]
· Melbourne Hotels [HotelChatter]
[Photo: phildickenson]
by egw
8/02/2007 at 11:51 AM
Tags: Museums, Australia Travel (all tags)
If you're into the scientific display of preserved human body parts for a legitimate educational cause, then you've probably heard of the Body Worlds exhibition, which has been held around the world since a German scientist came up with the idea of preserving bodies and body parts using a technique called plastination. Body Worlds has been shown all over the US (although it's currently banned in a couple of states) and a version is touring Australia under the name of The Amazing Human Body.
But strangely, the Australian exhibition, currently at the Docklands area in Melbourne, is now missing one body part. A section of a Chinese man's ankle was stolen and is still on the run. What anybody wants with one slice of an ankle cross-section is not something we can understand, but if Body Worlds comes your way then we recommend keeping your hands (and not somebody else's preserved hands) in your pocket.
Related Stories:
· Ankle Stolen From Body Display [news.com.au]
· Travel Stories in Melbourne [Jaunted]
[Photo: jemsweb]
by amandak
7/17/2007 at 8:40 AM
Tags: Airports, Shopping (all tags)
If you're flying through Melbourne International Airport on your next trip to Australia, you might be lucky to experience the new, extended version of the airport.
A major development plan for Melbourne Airport has just been approved, which will include a stack of new shops. And not just your typical airport perfume and liquor shops, either--you'll be able to stock up on groceries at the supermarket, fill the car with gas and even buy refrigerators or washing machines.
A fitness gym and child care center are also included in the plan, which is meant to entice not only airport customers but also airport workers to do their shopping too. Handy if you've forgotten to buy your loved ones a gift — you can grab them a new microwave oven at the airport.
Related Stories:
· Melbourne Airport to Get Retail, Leisure Precinct [news.com.au]
· Hotels in Melbourne [HotelChatter]
[Photo: iZoom]
by amandak
9/15/2006 at 9:50 AM
Tags: tourism boards, cities, Australia (all tags)
We complained earlier this week about
tourists getting lost in northern Australia. Ironically down on the southern end of the country, the latest tourist campaign is suggesting this is not such a bad idea.
The
It's Easy to Lose Yourself in Melbourne campaign suggests that visits to
Victoria's capital should look beyond the standard tourist attractions to the "hidden treasures" like shops in small alleyways and other unusual places. The tourism minister said:
We are encouraging visitors to lose themselves physically and emotionally in this great city.
Hopefully they won't need too many expensive helicopter searches to find the physically lost visitors.
[Image via dogonnit/Flickr]
Related stories:
Melbourne Campaign Aims for Losses [Yahoo News]
Won't Get Fooled Again? [Jaunted]
by amandak
3/24/2006 at 3:21 PM
Tags: Art (all tags)
Art and commerce--despite Jeff Koons' best efforts--don't always get along. Their most recent scuffle,
reported on by famed artist Banksy, is taking place in Melbourne. The city was famous for tolerating graffiti artists, stencils in particular; its distance from just about anywhere else meant that the art was quite different from other graffiti worldwide.
Well, it
was different, until the city painted over much of it in preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. There was some discussion of a designated zone for the art, but city went the whitewash route instead.
Banksy thinks Melbourne's efforts don't bode well for London's graffiti in preparation for the Olympics in 2012. So, only six more years to see Banksy's work in the UK!
Related Stories:·
The Writing on the Wall [The Guardian]
by AVB
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