It might be fall in States, but spring has just sprung up Down Under and we're ready to get out and play at some of the continent's best seasonal festivals. The biggest event this season is definitely the Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne. You might wonder that a bunch of horse races grabs the attention of so many Aussies and anyone visiting at the time, but the highlight of the carnival—the Melbourne Cup—is correctly dubbed "the race that stops a nation".

And you don't have to know the slightest thing about horses to get involved. Come next Tuesday afternoon, you won't be able to get service in any shop in Australia as everybody will have their eyes glued to the TV to watch the Melbourne Cup race. Over 100,000 people attend the race in person, and most of them get dressed up either in their best dress or a crazy costume; like at the Kentucky Derby, the most important thing is to have a great hat. ]]> amandak 2009-10-28T14:09:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/19/11023/330

Director Spike Jonze chose to film "Where The Wild Things Are" on location with puppets, rather than in front of a blue screen; an expensive gamble that paid off, considering the movie brought in 32.5 million dollars this weekend. To get the location just right for his adaptation of the beloved children's book, Jonze considered locations in Argentina, Hawaii, New Zealand and California before settling on Melbourne, Australia. Here's a look at where you can go "wild" in Melbourne.

What to Do:
Jonze took full advantage of Melbourne's unique surroundings for the film. He used a burnt-out forest near Gembrook, just outside of Melbourne, as the movie's primary location. He also filmed scenes at the cliffs of Bushrangers Bay in Victoria and among the boulders of the You-Yangs. The You-Yangs are a series of granite peaks that rise dramatically in the Werribee lava plains and can be explored on foot or by bike. The You-Yangs Regional Park is perfect for a day of hiking, biking or picnicking off the beaten path. The park is open daily until sunset, mountain bikes can be rented via All About Mountain Bike Tours. ]]> cmb 2009-10-19T13:28:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/17/13149/5754

We wish every Friday began with a story like this: In a scene reminiscent of a not-too-distant Samuel L. Jackson movie, a Qantas plane had to be taken out of service after four baby pythons escaped from their secure location in the cargo hold.

Frighteningly, the carriers of these snakes didn't realize until two days after they landed in Melbourne from Alice Springs that one-third of the pythons were MIA. After making sure the Stinson's pythons, native to Australia, hadn't eaten their own kind, officials pulled the plane and fumigated it, causing delays and probably a number of nightmares. ]]> egw 2009-04-17T11:11:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/19/232753/861

Nicholas Cage’s latest fantasy flick, "Knowing", opens in theaters everywhere today. The movie, about a teacher who opens a time capsule and realizes that his family plays a role in some chilling predictions contained inside, is set in Boston but was filmed in Melbourne, Australia. Cage also filmed "Ghost Rider" in Melbourne in 2007. Here’s a guide to help you get to ‘know’ Melbourne.

What to Stay:
The Grand Hyatt Melbourne recently spent a fortune on renovations that include a trendy new lobby, restaurant, and bar. The hotel is also centrally located near shops, restaurants, and late night hotspots. Currently, rates start at US$219. ]]> cmb 2009-03-19T23:27:53-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/18/115452/163

Remember that crazy/insane insane/crazy launch party for V Australia the other week when Sir Richard Branson popped champagne off the enormous wing of the V Australia 777 (in the rain!) and gave us a tour of the plane's interiors? Well, the event wasn't all USC cheerleaders, Ozzie accents and Outback hats, although those were aplenty. We actually learned some things too.

Like V Australia's plans for Melbourne. Starting September 15, Schedules, flights from LAX to Melbourne will begin and we were able to get our pudgy hands on some flight details.

· Flight No. VA 11: Departs Melbourne at 9:15am. Arrives in LA at 6:40am that same day. (And who says you can't go back in time?!?)

· Flight No. VA 12: Departs LA at 10:30pm. Arrives in Melbourne at 7:15am (two days later.)

Both flights will be departing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. V Australia also has plans for travel to Johannesburg from Sydney and Melbourne but no word on when that starts.

Related Stories:
· Which Virgin Australia Seat is Right For You? [Jaunted]
· Melbourne Travel [Jaunted]]]> juliana 2009-02-18T13:51:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/20/33354/7371

Summer tennis action has hit Australia this week with the start of the the 2009 Australian Open in Melbourne. The tournament is held in Melbourne Park, a ten-minute walk from the center of the city, or a five-minute trip on the tram.

Whether, like us, you still have a weird thing for #2 seed Roger Federer, or if Serbian beauty Jelena Jankovic gets your racket swinging, apparently there are still tickets available even for the second week of the tournament, starting at A$70 ($50) for early rounds and rising as the matches go on.

As for who's going to be holding the trophies come February 1, well, we can't really go past a Williams sister for the women's, although we're not willing to decide on Venus or Serena. On the men's court, we're hoping for Federer but have a suspicion it might be Novak Djokovic this time round. But don't place bets based on our intuition.

Related Stories:
· Australian Open [Official Site]
· See McEnroe in the Dressing Room [Jaunted]
· Melbourne Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: MD111] ]]> amandak 2009-01-21T13:10:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/14/090/91707

Over the past decade Melbourne’s street art scene has grown to rival that of London or Berlin, thanks to the city's efforts to encourage artists to paint. Melbourne has gone so far as to designate certain streets for graffiti. Business owners are getting into the act as well by hiring street artists to paint the exteriors of their buildings. Still, the bulk of the good stuff is still hiding is the city’s nooks and crannies.

Because it can be a challenge to find the art lurking in remote corners and alleyways, Bernadette Alibrando, a local artist, has started giving walking tours of the best work in town. While many pieces are political statements about war, homelessness or global warming, others are lighter fare dealing with Australian pop culture.

Alibrando leads tours every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon. The itinerary varies slightly each time out and usually ends with a passionate discussion over wine and cheese in the early evening. The cost per person is A$98 ($65).

Related Stories:
· Walk to Art Tours [Official Site]
· Walking Tours Bring Melbourne's Street Art to Life [LA Times]
· Street Art coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Doogsta]]]> cmb 2009-01-14T12:00:49-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/