Jaunted - Brisbane

Wedding Travel: Gettin' Married on a Jet Plane

amandak — 2008-07-25T09:35:23-05:00

We've always thought the best part about getting married is the honeymoon, and what faster way to cut to the honeymoon is there than actually getting married on the plane?

That may have been part of the reason for Australian couple Jenny Huntingford and Ettore Rapino to plan their wedding for tomorrow on a Virgin Blue Boeing 737 at Brisbane Airport. The couple will have their ceremony on the airplane but then adjourn to the Virgin Blue lounge for the reception--complete with a wedding cake in the shape of a jet.

We're hoping that from there it's a quick move over to the departure lounge to head out on their honeymoon flight. If they've scrimped on a low cost carrier for the wedding location and flight then we're hoping that at least the honeymoon will be in a luxurious destination.

Related Stories:
· Brisbane Couple to Marry on Aircraft [Herald Sun]
· Virgin Blue Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: scherre]

Qantas Safe For Passengers But Not Staff

amandak — 2008-04-14T09:15:02-05:00

In "Rainman," Dustin Hoffman famously said that Australia's national carrier Qantas was his preferred airline because he considered it the safest: "Qantas never crashed." Not 100 percent true but certainly in the last 57 years, no passenger has died as a result of a crash involving the carrier.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said of Qantas staff. A catering employee involved in loading meals onto a Qantas aircraft in Brisbane yesterday fell through a gap in the airbridge and died after hitting the tarmac.

The victim was a 63-year-old woman and nobody's sure if she was wearing the safety harness that's usually required up there. In any case, it doesn't make Qantas's record look so pretty, and it was just another reason for delayed flights out of Brisbane yesterday.

Related Stories:
· Woman Worker Falls to Death [Daily Telegraph]
· Qantas Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: SpacePotato]

Warhol Works Hit Brisbane Soon

amandak — 2007-12-21T09:15:01-05:00

Andy Warhol fans are in for a treat if they can get to the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia in the next few months. A major new exhibition featuring pieces from a number of galleries across the world will come together from January 4 to March 28, 2008.

Along with a bunch of Warhol artwork, including his famous Campbell's soup cans, the exhibition will include a Warhol Up Late program every Friday evening, an interactive activity for children and a freely downloadable Audio Guide to the Warhol exhibition on the gallery website.

We know he coined the phrase, but Warhol always seems to get much more than his fifteen minutes of fame.

Related Stories:
· Warhol's Fifteen Minutes of Fame [Courier Mail]
· Andy Warhol at Gallery of Modern Art [Official Site]
· Warhol's Fifteen Minutes at the AGO [Jaunted]
· Brisbane Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: wallyg]

Brisbane's Got Soft Adventure All Week Long

amandak — 2007-08-23T09:00:01-05:00

In for some so-called soft adventure? Brisbane's version of big brother Sydney's Harbour Bridge Climb is the Story Bridge Adventure Climb, an activity proudly advertised as "soft adventure", presumably to attract pretty much every market.

For a couple of years now you've been able to get a pretty spectacular view of Brisbane from the Story Bridge five days a week, but as of September 1, the climbing hours are going to be extended to seven days a week. There will be day, twilight and night climbs every day, with special dawn climbs being offered on Saturdays and Sundays. So if you want to get on top of Brisbane, this little bit of soft adventure is probably for you.

Related Stories:
· Touching Rivets in Sydney Harbour [Jaunted]
· Travel Stories in Brisbane [Jaunted]
· Hotels in Brisbane [HotelChatter]

[Photo: aidan_d_m]

Does Brisbane Need The Fake Beach?

amandak — 2007-07-11T08:53:43-05:00

Australia's full of fantastic natural beaches, right? True, but Queensland's capital Brisbane decided they needed a fake one when they built the South Bank Parklands on the Brisbane River, opposite the main downtown area of the city. A key feature of the parklands is the man-made beach, created with concrete and then topped with beach sand from a nearby bay.

What's good about Brissie's fake beach? Well, it tends to win "cleanest beach" competitions, since the local council pays a lot of attention to keeping it tidy. It's also very central, easy to get to and tends to attract both tourists and locals; and there are lifeguards on duty seven days a week.

But some think the man-made beach is not so hot: the Project for Public Spaces even nominated it for a place in the Hall of Shame. They reckon it's congested and lacks facilities and if you want something to eat or drink, you're mostly forced to get it at a pricey tourist trap coffee shop. Many also complain that the security guards have a heavy agenda in moving on "undesirables."

Our verdict? A beach in the middle of the city can't be all bad. All the whiners can just hop on a bus to the "real" beaches.

Related Stories:
· Park Your Car at a Land-Locked Beach [Jaunted]
· Brisbane Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]

[Photo: tvguru]

Nude Backpackers Wanted To Thwart Aussie Drought

amandak — 2007-05-21T09:00:29-05:00

Looking for a holiday job in Australia? A car wash in Queensland capital Brisbane is advertising some vacant positions at the moment. They're looking for backpackers and travelers who want to earn some quick big bucks at this "small and exclusive car wash".

So what's the catch? Well, this is the Bubbles'n'Babes car wash and you've gotta be topless or nude to work there. It's a response to a drought-induced water shortage that's made it illegal for Brisbanites to wash their cars at home. Topless car washes start at $50, and full nudity (and a clean car) are $100.

A few locals have been complaining about the new business, but police and the local council say nothing illegal is going on: even the job ads makes it clear there's "no hustling and no touching".

The cops did ask for a screen on the street side of the car wash though:

We don't want any traffic accidents caused by people looking at the girls instead of looking at the road.

Safe driving then, and check it out if you want to make Aussie dollars fast.

[Photo: spiegel]

Related Stories:
· Nude Car Wash Here To Stay [SMH]
· Drought Drives Australians to Nude Car Wash [Spiegel]
· Bare Chests Banned in Venice [Jaunted]