Tag: queensland travel

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Head to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo to Pet a Kangaroo and Kiss a Koala

Where: 1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, Queensland, Australia, 4519
February 7, 2013 at 10:33 AM | by | Comments (0)

February marks the birthday month for Australia's most famous conservationist, Steve Irwin. There might be no better way to celebrate the life of the zoo-keeper than to head off to his very own zoo, aptly named, Australia Zoo.

Located about 60 minutes north of Brisbane, the 100-acre park was originally started by Steve's parents as solely a croc and reptile park. In 1992, Steve took ownership of the zoo and he escalated it to become one of the best zoos in the country, featuring a unique 'Crocoseum' for putting on demonstrations for visitors with live crocodile hand-feedings and a full animal show.

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The Little Things: Unique Orchids in Queensland Rail Cabins

Where: Australia
January 14, 2013 at 3:12 PM | by | Comment (1)

In the midst of the bustle of travel, it's all too easy to overlook the details. We're talking about special touches others have stressed over just so you can enjoy a unique experience, whether you know it or not. Every so often we'll highlight The Little Things like this, so now you will know.

The Little Thing: Queensland Rail's Cooktown Orchid spray in the overnight sleeper cabins.

Boarding a train with plans to share some stories with fellow travelers in the club car and then retire to your berth is super glamorous as it is, but when we walked into our cabin to find a delicate orchid spray in a bud vase, it put a smile on our face and added to air of retro travel glamor.

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Total Solar Eclipse Travel: What Went Down, Down Under

Where: Australia
November 14, 2012 at 9:59 AM | by | Comment (1)

Forewarning is fair warning. We gave ample notice for yesterday's astronomical event in Australia. Now, we can give you the low-down on the total solar eclipse that passed directly over the tropical town of Cairns.

Star gazers from all over the world flocked to the Aussie state called Queensland—ironically known as the Sunshine State—to view the phenomenon. The towns of Port Douglas and Cairns had the best vantage points to catch the precise moment the moon passed in front of the sun to block out its rays. The result? Imagine looking at everything through darkly tinted windows.

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Wish You Were Here: Gold Coast, Australia

October 2, 2012 at 1:33 PM | by | Comments (0)

The mercury is beginning to drop and autumn is right around the corner. At the same time, things are doing the opposite and heating up Down Under. Soon, the sun will be shining with the southern summer in Australia

We come to you now from the Gold Coast of said continent. The name of the specific city: Surfers Paradise. With beach after beach as far as the eye can see, we understand why it's considered the playground for the nation. Sun, sand and surf are some of the more popular attractions for the region, but nature walks, wineries and paragliding are all part of the fun.

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The River, The River, The River's on Fire Down in Brisbane

August 30, 2012 at 1:28 PM | by | Comments (0)

When a city is situated on a body of water, be it an ocean, lake or river, we can appreciate when it uses said body of water to form the city's identity. Take for instance, Brisbane. Brisbane River in this, Australia's third largest city, winds through the CBD and has become as much part of the city as the people that call it home. So why not set it on fire in a festival called Riverfire?

Although Brisbane has a sordid past with the river from various catastrophic floods through its history, the river is not actually set a-light. Part of a larger festival (aptly name Brisbane Festival), Riverfire celebrates the Brisbane River itself and acts as a grand finale for various celebrations throughout the city. The giant firework show that uses bridges, buildings and barges as its stage make for an awe-inspiring experience.

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What You Need to Know to Catch the November 14 Total Solar Eclipse

Where: Australia
August 16, 2012 at 4:38 PM | by | Comments (0)

Your attention please as you've got just under three months to plan where you'll be to enjoy the next total solar eclipse. This warning comes so early because it may just require some serious long-haul travel, considering that the best viewing area will be Down Under.

Now keep in mind that this sort of total solar eclipse visible from a city won't happen again until spring of 2016, and then you'll have to be in Indonesia. So here's the details you'll need to get going on trip planning:

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Some Airports are Just Made for Plane Spotting

August 8, 2012 at 10:31 AM | by | Comment (1)

We admit to heading to the airport with a few minutes to spare so we can watch airplanes take off and land. Sometimes we get lucky and we spy a new aircraft of a foreign carrier or just one in a new paintjob. On a recent trip to the tropical island of Hamilton Island in Queensland, we took note of the proximity of the airport to...well, everything.

While chowing down on a seafood lunch, we watched a Boeing 737 so close we could practically see the whites of the passenger's eyes peering out. So naturally, we hopped in our golf cart —there are no cars on the island—to get a closer look. This place sees some arrivals from Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar, with most flights arriving around the same time.

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Getting Buzzed at Australia's Whitsunday Gold Coffee Plantation

July 12, 2012 at 12:01 PM | by | Comments (0)

Tucked away in the heart of sugar cane fields on a tropical island is a little gem for those preferring a jolt in the morning or a little buzz throughout the day. Yes, friends—it is coffee, and the place is called Whitsunday Gold Coffee Plantation.

The plantation, one of the largest down under, is located in a small rural town of Proserpine in north Queensland. While the majority of the land here is devoted to sugar cane fields, the founder of the plantation took a chance to grow coffee bushes and got lucky that the climate and soil was just right. The region is not best known for fields and fields of green leafy plants; it is considered the start of the Whitsunday Region which is the southern most point of the Great Barrier Reef. So, naturally, it's far better known for its ocean than its land.

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Clickety-Clack Down the Australian Track: Dining on The Sunlander

June 7, 2012 at 11:02 AM | by | Comments (0)

We've shown you the carriage of Queensland Rail's luxury train The Sunlander. We've even spoken about the destination on our recent culinary experience on board the train. Now, we highlight the dining options while we traveled; we hope you aren't hungry.

The theme of the tour, Masterclass Experience, revolved around food. DUH. More specifically, the focus fell on local produce from Queensland, a state that plays host to perfect climates for growing tropical fruits and vegetables, wide open spaces for beef cattle, and coastal waters for plenty of seafood.

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Clickety-Clack Down the Australian Track: By Train and Ferry to Hamilton Island

June 4, 2012 at 12:30 PM | by | Comments (0)


Sunset from Yacht Club

We have told you about the unique travel experiences that Queensland Rail offers to travelers, and even invited you in to have a look at the rail cars themselves. Now it's time to talk destinations, and this one's a doozy.

Boarding The Sunlander train in the Aussie city of Brisbane, the one-night rail journey was chockablock with wining and dining. After aperitifs, we retired to our berth to find it was magically made up into a single bed (You have to love top-notch customer service). When we awoke, we were just approaching the inland town of Proserpine, Queensland. Showering and breakfasting while whizzing past sugar cane fields is just one of those treasured, "only on a train" moments.

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Clickety-Clack Down the Australian Track: Inside Queenslander Class on The Sunlander

Where: Australia
May 31, 2012 at 9:39 AM | by | Comment (1)

Train travel certainly conjures up the imagery of vintage Hollywood glamor with a touch of international mystery. Club cars, dining cars and sleeping cabins are all part of the allure that is traveling by rail. Yesterday, we introduced you to Queensland Rail luxury services all around the Australian outback. Now, we give you a peek into the actual train and sleeping berths The Sunlander offers.

Queensland Rail offers many themed rail tours, and we chose the Masterclass Culinary Holiday which involves only one night on the train with an on-board dining experience carefully orchestrated by a celebrity chef. It's essentially the glitz and posh fun of Murder on the Orient Express without the murder.

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Clickety-Clack Down the Australian Track: Queensland Rail to the Great Barrier Reef

May 30, 2012 at 9:44 AM | by | Comments (0)

We admit, traveling can become a real pain the in the ass sometime. That's why when luxury travel becomes accessible to the masses, we get excited. We have already told you about what the people down under at Queensland Rail have been up to by creating unique travel journeys to scenic destinations. Now we can show you a bit more.

The 146-year old Queensland Rail is the largest regional rail system Australia offers, and it's one that opens up the opportunity to explore a part of the sprawling continent, without having to go and from airports. Specifically we mean the state of Queensland, called the fruit bowl of Australia.

Now, onboard the Sunlander! The train commenced services in 1953, so it maintains the romantic vintage air of train travel while incorporating the modern luxuries of today.

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