Tag: Australia
Swimming with humpbacks to continue in Western Australia
September 25 (TravelAndy): Visitors to Ningaloo Marine Park on Western Australia’s mid-north coast can look forward to swimming with humpback whales for at least another two years, with approvals now granted for the in-water interaction trials to continue for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Currently under way in Coral Bay and Exmouth, this year’s swimming with humpbacks experience will finish in October.
The tours, which start in August each year, complement the region’s other nature-based offerings such as whale shark swims (March to July), and manta ray interactions which are available year round. Continue reading Swimming with humpbacks to continue in Western Australia
Kerala optimistic with tourist arrival from Australia
September 16 (TravelAndy): A chartered flight from Australia, the first this season, landed at the airport here on Saturday, reports said.
Forty-six tourists came on the flight.
The tourists received a traditonal local welcome on their arrival at the airport.
The state’s tourism industry is optimistic about this development as they believe this marks the revival of tourism in Kerala following the devastating floods recently that claims hundreds of lives and severely damaged tourism hotspots.
Rice straw magic at Wara Art Festival
August 24 (TravelAndy): If you’ve never heard of Wara Art, that is all about to change. While some rural communities have their scarecrows and The York Festival has its sculpture competition the Hay Bale Challenge, Japan has Wara Art – a spectacular example of a highly creative use of straw.
Wara (rice straw) Art was developed as a way of finding a creative use of the excess straw leftover at the end of the rice harvest. Once used to make things like tatami mats, rice straw has been replaced by modern synthetic materials, leaving farmers with an abundance of straw.
The resulting sculptures spawned a new art practice and Wara Art Festivals are now held each year throughout Japan. For the first time, Wara Art is leaving Asia and coming to York where we will create our own spectacular straw sculptures. Continue reading Rice straw magic at Wara Art Festival
Coral Coast in full bloom in Western Australia
August 3 (TravelAndy): The 2018 wildflower season in Western Australia is shaping up to be the best and biggest display the Coral Coast region has seen in a decade.
Botanical experts from Kings Park have forecast the season will begin in early August, with thousands of species on display.
The Coral Coast is home to three of Australia’s 15 National Biodiversity Hotspots. Continue reading Coral Coast in full bloom in Western Australia
Western Australia set for a bumper wildflower season
July 19 (TravelAndy): There’s never been a better time for travellers to plan a springtime wildflower holiday to WA, with recent rainfall indicating a bumper wildflower season in parts of the State.
WA’s wildflower season is the largest flower show on Earth and a true spectacle of colour. With more than 12,000 species, more than 60 per cent of which are found nowhere else in the world, they colour the landscapes from coast to forest and city to outback.
The six-month flowering season begins in the north in June on the vast outback plains of the Pilbara, Goldfields and Coral Coast where vibrant blooms contrast with pindan earth, rugged canyons and turquoise sea. Continue reading Western Australia set for a bumper wildflower season
Reduced fares for Monkey Mia and Carnarvon flights
June 30 (TravelAndy): People travelling to Monkey Mia and Carnarvon will benefit from discounted airfares offered by Regional Express (Rex), from July 2, 2018.
The Perth-Monkey Mia-Carnarvon air route will be serviced by Rex after a five-year agreement to provide regulated air services was signed between the state government and Rex earlier this year.
An innovative approach to reducing airfares on the route has resulted in Rex engaging with the owner of Shark Bay Airport (commonly referred to as Monkey Mia Airport), RAC; the Shire of Carnarvon, owner of Carnarvon Airport; and Perth Airport, to implement the Rex Community Fare scheme. Continue reading Reduced fares for Monkey Mia and Carnarvon flights
Australia: Aboriginal tour group goes online
June 15 (TravelAndy): Bungoolee Tours has launched a new website, allowing visitors to book tours online.
There is the option to join respected Bunuba elder Dillon Andrews on a culturally insightful journey through the heart of Windjana Gorge, or venture deep beneath the limestone of Napier Range and discover the secrets of Tunnel Creek and its spiritual significance to the Bunuba people.
While there, tour-goers have a chance to meet Boab Nut Carvers, who share the unique local story behind each carving. Continue reading Australia: Aboriginal tour group goes online
Broome in Western Australia gears up for Shinju Matsuri
June 11 (TravelAndy): Celebrity chefs Adam Liaw and Marion Grasby will headline this year’s Shinju Matsuri (festival of the pearl) to be held August 25 – September 2 in Broome – the pearling capital of Australia in WA’s North West.
Shinju Matsuri is the much loved festival which encapsulates everything that is Broome and the surrounding areas of the Kimberley region. Featuring an incredible kaleidoscope of events, Shinju Matsuri pays tribute to their heritage and culture.
Celebrating four diverse cultures that have come together in Broome for pearls – Japanese, Malaysian, Chinese and Indigenous Australian – Shinju Matsuri features a unique dining program in extraordinary locations. Continue reading Broome in Western Australia gears up for Shinju Matsuri
Sydney Harbour Bridge hosts first same-sex marriage in Australia
March 3 (Notintown.net): Writing their names in history books, Warren Orlandi has married his partner on the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge of Australia, media reports said.
Orlandi and Paul Phillips tied the nuptial knots on Thursday.
It was for the first time that a gay couple married on the iconic bridge.
“Today’s journey of more than 1000 steps is one chapter of a much bigger journey for us finding each other and this is an unforgettable moment in a very special place that we get to share with our loved ones,” Orlandi was quoted as saying by The New Daily. Continue reading Sydney Harbour Bridge hosts first same-sex marriage in Australia
Australia bans climbing Uluru from Oct 2019
November 4 (Notintown.net): When you think of travelling to Australia, a few key spots to visit spring to mind: Bondi Beach, the Great Barrier Reef, and of course Uluru – which commonly was known for many years as Ayers Rock.
Tourists come in droves to visit the grand scale of Uluru, the sandstone rock which is famous for its red glow. But according to reports, from October 2019 nobody will be allowed to climb the 348-metre-high natural structure.
The landmark decision came after the board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, where the rock is situated, voted unanimously against allowing tourists to scale it. The decision was made for a reason; Uluru is a sacred site for Aboriginal Australians, and to allow visitors to climb it has long been deemed disrespectful to the indigenous population. Continue reading Australia bans climbing Uluru from Oct 2019
Japanese students visit Perth
October 30 (TravelAndy): Over 300 students in year 11 at Fukuoka Kaho High School in Japan have visited Perth over the last few weeks.
This is the first time the school has sent students to Australia.
They visited local attractions, schools and universities.
This is a newly developed program aimed at encouraging foreign students to tertiary study in Perth. Continue reading Japanese students visit Perth
New itineraries of Swan River Seaplanes
October 20 (TravelAndy): Perth’s Swan River Seaplanes has expanded its operations to launch several new itineraries which commence this month in Australia.
Following a trial period of Margaret River day tours in early 2017, the company now offers three and four-day Margaret River Retreat packages.
Day trips to Rottnest Island, and the Pinnacles are two new offerings. Guests on the Rottnest Island tour will discover the island’s many beaches and bays, with time to capture a Quokka selfie, while guests on the Pinnacles – Taste of WA tour will be guided through the Pinnacles desert, have a crayfish lunch at the Lobster Shack, and meet koalas and kangaroos at Yanchep National Park. Continue reading New itineraries of Swan River Seaplanes