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Canberra's 'Floriade' Flower Fest Welcomes Spring With Giant Fire Organ

September 24, 2009 at 5:08 PM | by amandak | 0 Comments

Australia's tiny capital city of Canberra is somewhere tourists often stop by to simply visit Parliament House or the national War Memorial, but in the Down Under spring (which would be now), it actually comes alive with something better than stuff from the history and geography curriculum: it's time for Floriade.

This month-long festival is now in full bloom and runs right through until October 11. From its origins as a rather stuffy garden show, Floriade has turned into a hip reason to head to Canberra and even has the Floriade NightFest up and running—it's this week until Sunday, and has outdoor films, a Glow Bar, live music and most impressively, the "Pyrophone Juggernaut"—the largest hand operated multi-octave fire organ in the world, which basically spews fire while making noise.

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Exotic Voluntourism At The National Tropical Botanical Garden in Kauai

August 31, 2009 at 3:19 PM | by cmb | 1 Comment

Love nature and digging in your garden? Have we got a volunteer vacation for you! The National Botanical Garden on the island of Kauai in Hawaii has been dedicated to preserving tropical plant diversity through research, education and by creating a safe haven for at-risk plant species for more than 30 years. Their headquarters at The McBryde Gardens features native Hawaiian Flora, orchids, palm trees and flowering trees that were wild-collected from tropical regions around the of the world.

Visitors to this eden are able to explore the garden via paths and bamboo bridges that cross over the park's natural streams and waterfalls. The garden is always looking for volunteers for the long-term or on a "vacation and volunteer" basis. There are endless opportunities available year-round using a variety of skill-sets. But that's not to say you need any special skills to help out, the garden's staff provides on-the-job training for newbies.

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