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Tags: Film Festival Travel / Australia / Skiing / Vermont Travel / Japan / → All Tags

Baby, It's Cold Outside, Especially at the Backcountry Film Festival

Experience the Australian Alps from the comfort of a movie theater

Film, at its best, has the ability to transport us to a different time, place or state of mind. The great leisure of cinematic travel is that you do so parked in a plush theater chair for two or so hours, with a jumbo pack of Milk Duds and Red Vines by your side. The Fifth Annual Backcountry Film Festival aims to take theatergoers on a tour of wintry locations the world over, from Vermont to Japan.

Your lift ticket to mountainous and blistering-cold regions comes in the form of films shot in the backcountry of different nations, including unlikely places such as Australia. It's a little-known fact that there is snowboarding along with surfing down under.

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Tags: Bizarre Foods / Food Travel / Andrew Zimmern / Australia / Sydney / → All Tags

'Bizarre Foods' in Eastern Australia Cuts a Slice of Tiger Pie

Is it just us, or did Andrew Zimmern kind of take this week off? Sure there was a new episode of Bizarre Foods, but it was decidedly un-bizarre; we'd eat all of it no problem.

Andrew was in Eastern Australia this week in what seemed like a less-intense mode after a rough time in the Outback. What we mean is, he went to the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach and ate Vegemite; is this "Bizarre Foods" or "Bridget's Sexiest Beaches"?

We will concede that he did find some bugs to eat, but even those were in a stir fry—not exactly the slimy and hardcore chewing we expect of Andrew. In all fairness, he does a great job as a not-so-crazy travel host, since he actually got us pretty excited about hitting up Oz for some tiger pie and Wagyu steak.

We're hoping to get our usual dose of gross eating next week when Zimmern heads to Singapore. Just promise us one thing, Z: no more steaks!

Related Stories:
· Eastern Australia Travel Guide [Bizarre Foods]
· The Real Outback Stekhouse [Jaunted]
· Bridget's 'Sexiest Beaches' Is Not Exactly Blowing Our Minds [Jaunted]

[Photo: Travel Channel]

Tags: V Australia / Airlines / New Airlines / Australia / Richard Branson / Virgin Blue / → All Tags

Calculated Speculation: V Australia Edition

Is V Australia about to officially announce LAX-SYD service at a press conference? That is the likeliest first route--or perhaps SFO-SYD--for the international arm of Australia's Virgin Blue Airlines.

We hear there's an "event" happening in Los Angeles this Monday, 3/31. Let's say this is the big shebang and we get an official ticket sale date and launch date (probably early fall '08) for LAX-SYD...will they give us cabin details? And more importantly, PRICING? Where do you think V Australia is going with these details?

We say: hopefully, as far as pricing goes, to the sub-$1000 (round-trip) sweet spot...sweet spot for flights between the U.S. and Australia, that is. Oh, the soothing lullaby of skies opening up...

Related Stories:
· V Australia [Official Site]
· V Australia [Wikipedia]

[Photo: scherre]

Tags: Qantas / Museums / Australia / Airplanes / → All Tags

Qantas Gets A New Old Plane

Up in Queensland, the Qantas Founders Outback Museum has got a new baby this week. A very special Boeing 707 has been recovered from the scrap heap in the UK, restored and now flown back to Australia, ready for a new home in the Qantas Museum.

It's special because in 1959 it was the first commercial jet in Australia, and some would say that made it the beginning of mass tourism in Australia--it made the trip from Australia to the US or Europe much shorter and finally affordable for more normal people. And like most Qantas plans, it never crashed: yet. It's got a few demo flights to do before it gets tied down permanently for you all to visit in Longreach, but we're confident the Flying Kangaroo can make it.

Related Stories:
· First Qantas Jet To Make Final Touchdown [ABC]
· Some Qantas News That Doesn't Involve Sex [Jaunted]
· Got a Taste For Qantas? [Jaunted]

[Photo: ABC]

Tags: Australia / Awards / → All Tags

Giddy for Gold Logies, But No One Goes Yarra

Last night, in Melbourne, Australia, the self proclaimed sporting capital of the world, pop culture rag TV Week hosted its Gold Logies, Australia's version of the Emmys.

Kate Ritchie, the Susan Lucci of Aussie soaps, took home the award for Most Popular Personality on TV. Ritchie grew up playing Sally Fletcher for the last 19 years on Home and Away. The show, naturally, follows the lives and loves of residents in a suburban small town.

The ceremony also honored the late Crocodile Hunter for his contributions to documentary film. Terri Irwin and her franchise, er, daughter Bindi accepted the award on Steve's behalf.

Few Hollywood stars showed up for the event. Jessica Alba came to support two of her Fantastic Four nominees, Michael Chiklis and Ioan Gruffudd. Alba blazed down the runway faster than The Human Torch, reports The West Australian.

Sadly, no one took a plunge in Melbourne's famous upside down river.

Tags: Australia / New Year's Eve / → All Tags

New Year's Down Under

If you're Down Under for the New Year, the ultimate celebration takes place at Sydney Harbour, but there are plenty of other good spots to bring in 2007. Melbourne's been shivering through the coldest Christmastime in history, but they'll host a massive fireworks show along the Yarra River near the city center. Bad pre-Christmas weather also meant that a lights show at Federation Square has been moved to NYE.

Queensland's capital, Brisbane, offers the Streets New Year's Eve party on South Bank, and over on the other side of Oz in Perth, you can choose between the Vienna Pops Concert or jazzy NYE on the Rocks. Or if you don't want to celebrate with tens of thousands of revelers, but a few hundred instead, check out the newyearseve.com.au site for a rundown on events in local clubs and pubs around the country.

[Photo: peculiarhand]

Related Stories:
· Sydney Farewells '06 [Jaunted]

Tags: Australia / Tourist Attractions / Big Things / → All Tags

Breaking News: Big Banana Just Got Bigger!

All you well-informed Jaunted readers know that big stuff is big Down Under, and perhaps no object is more popular than Coffs Harbour's Big Banana. The giant bendy fruit, celebrating one of the major crops of the area, has been a tourist attraction (of questionable value) for many years now. But today we want you to know that the Big Banana is getting bigger.

The Big Banana and its connected attractions have already been blessed with a $2 million upgrade, and that's just the beginning of a 10-year, $18 million improvement plan. Just imagine how many black blemishes can be scrubbed out of a banana for that kind of cash. This week, the first phase of the extension opened, including:

a games hall for children, a guided tour through a working banana plantation, an interactive banana-packing shed, as well as "two high-tech shows with hologram-like figures"

How itchy are you getting in your seat, just waiting to get to the new bigger and better Big Banana? The Sydney Morning Herald rightly suggested that other big fruit in Oz might be shaking in its peels, but had a few good ideas for other improvement plans:

To compete, should the Big Orange add rides derived from juice-based cocktails such as the Screwdriver, the Bahama Mama and Sex on the Beach, while the Big Pineapple offers an interactive exhibit called the Rough End?

Bigger and better, what can we say.

[Photo: Straußer]

Related Stories:
· Achievements: Bananas in Dioaramas [SMH]
· More on Coffs Harbour and the Big Banana [Jaunted]
· Banana Prices Going Bananas [Jaunted]

Tags: Animals / Australia / → All Tags

When Emus Grab Your Clothes

Birds are just so troublesome in Germany. If they're not Australian swans falling in love with plastic birds or lusting after donkeys, they're ripping people's trousers off.

The papers describe the latest culprit as a giant emu--we suspect he's just a normal-sized emu, that great ostrich-like Aussie bird who always has an aggressive glint in his eyes. In Kaarst, western Germany, this emu even managed to tear the trousers of a police officer who tried to arrest him after he pestered passersby.

There are some obvious problems here: lovesick birds and far-from-home Australian birds are largely causing the trouble in Germany. Obviously some community work on making migrant birds feel more at home and giving counselling to birds on romance and love is what's needed to fix up the country. Any bird psychologists out there prepared to help? Just remember to beware of the birds on your next trip to Berlin, Bonn or the Black Forest.

[Photo: O2BMarie]

Related Stories:
· Big Bird Rips Off Trousers [Ananova]
· When Birds Won't Fly South [Jaunted]
· The Gander of Cottbus [Jaunted]

Tags: Australia / Nature / National Parks / Tourist Attractions / → All Tags

Walking on Top of Trees

Ever wondered what flying birds really see in the middle of a forest? You can get a genuine bird's-eye view in southwest Australia at the aptly-named Tree Top Walk. Easily found on the road between the towns of Denmark and Walpole, the series of bridges make a loop around and over some spectacular old forest in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park.

But don't start climbing around on top of the forest if you have any kind of fear of heights. Although promoters make a big deal out of the fact that this structure is built to be especially stable and secure--and even wheelchair accessible--it still does its fair share of wobbling. Signs at each platform warn that they can hold only 20 people, and that each span between a platform is only safe for 10. The view is definitely spectacular, but life as a bird would be a lot easier. Or watch their Virtual Tree Top Walk to get half the fun with half the fear.

[Photo: sarcasticmac]

Tags: Sports / Airplanes / Australia / → All Tags

Red Bull Creates Fast and Furious Flying

The Red Bull Air Race World Series hits Perth, Western Australia, this weekend for the final event in the 2006 series. After races this year in Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul, Budapest and San Francisco, the eleven participants and their purpose-built acrobatic aircraft will race over the Swan River at high speed, throwing a few rolls and tricks in for good measure.

This crazy sport is often described as "motor racing with wings," and Aussie spectators are busily trying to learn the rules. The planes will fly about 30 feet above the water, and they have to navigate both horizontally and vertically through inflatable air gates, finishing the course in the fastest time. Something good to know: the inflatable gates are designed to disintegrate if a pilot bumps into them. Finally, an almost biodegradable motor sport!

[Photo: mural]

Related Stories:
· Pilots, Start Your Planes [West Australian]

Tags: Lists / Australia / Tourist Attractions / Big Things / → All Tags

The Big Things That Aren't Big Enough to Be Found

No doubt the last few months of dedicated Jaunted reading have convinced you to pack up everything and take a Big Things tour of Australia. When the idea of a road trip taking in impressive sights like the Big Banana, Big (Ugly) Koala and Big Potato even makes it into Wikipedia, it's got to be a winner.

But when you're out there, be on the lookout for some of the missing Big Things in Australia. The doing-it-for-love curator of the unofficial Australian Big Things website has an ongoing list of Big Things that are rumored to exist, but are yet to be confirmed with photographs and facts. Among other oversized excuses for tourist attractions that are allegedly lost in Australia, you should watch for a big giraffe (a little irrelevant in kangaroo-covered Australia), a big shark (fair enough), a big lemon, a big watermelon (big fruit's always a winner) and, in a continent really quite far from the natural habitats of these creatures, a big lion and a big tiger. It might be a good thing that these Big Things aren't really on the map.

Related Stories:
· Bananas Going Bananas [Jaunted]
· Fossilized Dino Poop Down Under [Jaunted]

Tags: Sydney Bridge Climb / Adventure Travel / Active Travel / Australia / → All Tags

Touching Rivets in Sydney Harbour

If told to think of Sydney, 5 out of 10 people will tell you the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the city's number one attraction. Fewer of those who've made it Down Under will have actually had the nerve to climb what the locals refer to as "the coathanger," a 1439-step climb to the summit of the bridge, where, incidentally, some 1100 marriage proposals have been made.

It seems that BridgeClimb Sydney is about to get even better. Tickets went on sale today for a new version of the adventure, called the Discovery Climb, which takes visitors through the middle of the bridge's structure rather than across its top. A big bonus highlighted by their website is you'll "be able to touch the raw steel and rivets," but it might be that you need an engineering degree to get your kicks from this. Just the same, you still end up 134 meters above the water (just a touch top far to jump), so pick your route, or splash out on both, if you have the nerve.

[Photo: Skink74]

Related Stories:
· BridgeClimb Unveil a New Secret [EasierTravel]