Posted by geoff on January 21, 2009
My daughter Rachel has recently announced her engagement which has delighted the family and set my wife cathys organisational skills into fast forward. Rachel and Matthew have decided to marry in Port Douglas so we made a short side trip on our recent visit to see our eldest son Joshua while he was working in the Daintree Rainforest. Being in the business certainly helps when it comes to organising a Port Douglas wedding. First things first though and we had to arrange a place for the ceremony. St Mary’s church on the esplanade was our first choice and after a very helpful meeting with the management we decided to book the church as it is hard to get the dates you want if you dont book well in advance. Deposit paid and booking made we then went on to visit some of the major resorts to look at reception facilities and get some prices. We visited quite a number and then we shortlisted Rydges Sabaya resort, The Sea Temple Port Douglas and the Sheraton Mirage resort. We also added the beautiful restaurant “Sassi’s” at the magnificent Bale Resort. After our exploratory trip Rachel and matthew both visited and decided that Rydges Sabaya was the most suitable for what they wanted. This is now booked and the deposit paid. Cathy is off to Townsville this weekend for the engagement party and to get stuck into all the detail that needs to be arranged and we are all really looking forward to what should be one of the best days of our lives. We will keep you posted after the event and let you all know how everything goes.
Posted by geoff on January 7, 2009
Hi Guys,
Just wanted to let you all know how great our time on Hamilton Island was for us. We had an amazing few days, living like the “Rich & Famous’.
The island is just like the travel brochures with wavey palm trees ( lots of them) azure blue waters and heaps of fancy yachts & boats. We were blessed with the weather – just perfect. A bit on the hot side but that was to be expected as it is December and we are in the tropics. Out plane trip over was comfortable and it really didn’t take all that long before we touched down on the beautiful tropical Island. Despite our long walk across the hot tarmac to the terminal our excitement grew as we saw the many and varied tourists as excited about their holiday as we were. We felt like VIP’s as our names were called and we were met by 2 handsome guys who took us and our bags back to our fantastic resort. Nothing seemed to be a trouble to the staff who were all so welcoming & helpful.
Our room or should I say ‘suite’ was on the top floor (19th), providing us with the most amazing views over the island and some surrounding islands, ie Whitsunday Island. We felt like we were in paradise – well, almost. The food was delicious and there were numerous places dotted around the island where we could indulge. We had to watch the ‘indulge’ bit or we surely would ‘bulge’. First evening as this was our 50th wedding anniversary we checked out the famous Pizza Resturant overlooking the harbour. The pizzas did not disappoint us, neither did the so called sexy cocktail we had prior to our dinner to start the evening off. Very nice indeed.
We mustn’t forget the breakfasts at the resort, these were included in our stay. All you could imagine – everything you ever wanted or dreamed of was on the menu. Our biggest dilemma for the day, what culinary delight to choose? It didn’t take us too long to decide what we wanted and we started each day off well fed and watered! There’s heaps to do on the island, so no chance of getting bored! The numerous swimming pools were all so inviting. We could have rented a gold type buggy to transport ourselves around but decided we really needed too “hoof” it as much as possible as we needed the exercise. However, we did weaken at times catching the little oh so free bus to various parts of the island. The 3rd night we really spoilt ourselves and booked for a dinner cruise aboard a lovely ol 107’ Huon Pine Vessel (came from Tasmania), called ‘Denison Star’. Despite a rather wild storm breaking over us as we left the harbour we throughly enjoyed our romantic dinner even though we had to forego the famous tropical sunset – no way that night! We did meet some great people and had lots of laughs.
The last night we celebrated Bills 75th birthday having dinner at a superb seafood restaurant called ‘Marinas’, overlooking the brightly lit harbour & fancy boats, very nice indeed too.
All too soon our time on lovely Hamilton Island was over – time to head for home. After quite a wait at the terminal we found ourselves once more tramping across the ‘baking’ tarmac to our waiting plane.
Now we are home and as most holidays go, we have some beautiful memories and some fantastic photographs of our time spent in paradise and wonder where the next exciting trip will be?!
Posted by alisa on December 22, 2008
Visiting the Whitsundays? Why not take a trip out to one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World – the Great Barrier Reef!
Departing daily from several ports throughout the Whitsundays area (including Hamilton Island, Daydream Island, Long Island and Airlie Beach), Fantasea Cruises offers a fantastic day tour out to their own floating pontoon, called Reefworld, which is located on the outer Great Barrier Reef.
Reefworld
Whilst out on the crystal blue waters of the reef, enjoy unlimited snorkelling time with the colourful fishes, take a tour in one of their semi-submarines and feast on the tantalising buffet lunch and morning & afternoon tea (including bottomless tea and coffee!)!
Travelling with the kids? Why not join them up to ‘Club Seahorse’? With face painting, activity books and game boards just some of the activities offered by the experienced staff at Reefworld, the kids will have a great time while you get some quality time in the water!
Reefworld is definitely a destination that will leave the whole family with priceless memories of the beautiful Whitsundays!!
Posted by rebecca on December 19, 2008
If you ever want to visit a bustling city, why not try Wellington. You have an amazing choice of Cafes located through out the City itself, the larger rugby groundsd home for the Hurricanes!!!, Beautiful Botanical Gardens a short Cable Car ride from Lambton Quay, Horse Riding in the Valley and many many more.
Courtney Place is the home to most of the local Nightlife, and the Embassy Theatre – owned by the wolrd known Peter Jackson. While in Wellington, you can also do a range of Lord of the Rings tours, which take you to different filming locations and also Weta Workshop who designed the Costumes and Sets.
Located at the bottom of the North Island, you also have access to the Interislander Ferry which transfers you down to Picton (South Island) where you can also take your vechile with you.
Posted by alisa on
This year I decided to book a surprise weekend to Sydney for my boyfriend for his birthday. As I was able to get super cheap flights direct from Fraser Coast to Sydney I thought it was a great idea. I kept the trip a secret for 3 months, and finally had to spill the beans a week before his birthday because he told me he couldn’t get the time off work the day we were supposed to leave 
! It didn’t matter because he was really excited.
We flew out on Friday morning, caught the train to the city from the airport, and walked to Paddy’s markets. After browsing for a while we decided to head to our hotel. We stayed at the Oaks Goldsbrough Apartments in Darling Harbour. Our room was fantastic! It was only a studio but it has all the mod-con’s including a full kitchenette.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
In such a great location we had the flexibility to walk straight down to the cosmopolitan area of Darling Harbour. We found a great bar to sit at, and managed to stay there well into the night!
On Saturday we did the tourist thing and visited the Opera House, the Power House Museum and Luna Park. So much walking involved, but a great time for both of us!
Our Saturday night was spent out on the Rhythm Boat Comedy Cruise which took us out onto the harbour. There were a few other people sitting at our table, and we all enjoyed our delicious 3 course dinner. After dinner we had a comedian give us a few giggles 
, and a magician show off his slight of hand 
!
After waking up nice and early to catch our flight home on the Sunday morning, we were back in Hervey Bay with enough time to head down to the beach for a barbecue 
Posted by tolita on
The Beach Club Resort, Mooloolaba is a small privately run resort set one street back from the esplanade. The property caters for couples and single rather than families. The maximum room is 1.5 bedroom and this has a Queen and a very small bunk – designed only for children.
Although it is not on the esplanade with the rest of the apartments, It really is the prime location. It is a 1 min walk to everything but also quite and private.
My partner and I stayed in a resort room. This room had partial ocean view and pool views. It has extremely comfortable for a couple. We enjoyed sitting on the balcony chatting over a couple of drinks.
The property managers are beautiful people, very friendly and welcoming.
The resort also has a roof top spa and bbq area that is open to all guests. The pool on the roof top has a glass bottom which you can see straight down into the main foyer. You decide whether that is a good thing or not
The design of the property is a unique style with balcony walk ways winding, either side is beautiful palms soaring high and making you feel as if you are within a rain forest.
This peaceful property is actually one of the cheapest properties in Mooloolaba, but still as beautiful as the rest.
Posted by alisa on
A few times over the past couple of years my partner and I have driven the 3 hours from Hervey Bay to Agnes Water & 1770. The reason this area is so appealing to us is that it feels like you are so far away from the rest of the world. It is a small surfside community with only a few shops and restaurants, a surf live saving club, great beaches and lookouts, and a pub 
!! What more do you need for a relaxing weekend getaway??
1770 Lookout
Each time we have headed to this little piece of paradise, we have stayed at the fantastic Mantra Pavilions Mirage on 1770. Their 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments are huge!! Each of them has a corner spa in the master bedrooms’ ensuite, a huge balcony with BBQ facilities, full kitchen and laundry facilities. Having these self-contained facilities allows you to stay for as long or short as you wish! The resort itself has a 25m lap pool, heated outdoor pool, children’s wading pool and outdoor spa! With my partner being a surfer we normally take advantage of the resorts’ private beach access so he can hit the surf and I can soak up the sun!
Whilst in the area you can’t go past a trip out on the LARC! The LARC is a pink amphibious vehicle (half boat/half car) that takes you across crystal clear waterways, along endless stretches of sandy beaches to the isolated Bustard Headland. This is such a fun experience!
If you are able to stay for a while in 1770 you can also do a full day trip out to Lady Musgrave Island with 1770 Great Barrier Reef Cruises. With full lunch and morning and afternoon tea included and opportunities to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, this is a tour which can’t be missed!!
With such an array of things to do over a weekend (or longer!) I will certainly be heading back there for many years to come!
Posted by andrea on
The stinger season is from around November to May. During this time you need to swim inside the stinger enclosures at the beaches or wear a stinger suit.
Stingers aren’t overly energetic animals and have not caused any problems around the Reef, Whitsunday Islands and Far North Queensland islands however jellyfish are prevalent in the waters around the mainland.
Stingers are a very dangerous jellyfish. There are two main types of “stingers”, they are the Box Jellyfish and the Irukandji Jellyfish.
Box Jellyfishes are typically large, with substantial bodies and numerous tentacles on each corner. Their stings can cause death in previously well humans in as little as 3 minutes.
Box Jellyfish
Box jellies can be quite common in certain locations and in certain conditions.
All box jellyfish species have medium to large, box-shaped bodies, with multiple tentacles on each corner (up to a total of 60 tentacles). Different species reach different adult body sizes, ranging from about 10cm tall to about 1/3 meter! The body is transparent, and usually difficult to see in water.
Box jellyfish stings cause immediate severe pain, often likened to an iron or hot oil burns. The tentacles are often left on the skin, and will cause additional stinging if not neutralized by vinegar.
Severe box jelly stings will have a “ladder-like” appearance, and will “frost” the skin. Substantial stings covering half of one limb can be fatal.
Irukandjis are a group of small jellyfishes whose stings can cause serious illness in previously well humans.
Irukandji
Irukandjis are rare, but the stings can be life-threatening. It is worth taking some simple precautions so that you can enjoy your holiday with peace of mind.
All Irukandji species have small, box-shaped bodies, with a single tentacle on each corner (a total of 4 tentacles). Different species reach different adult body sizes, ranging from only 1cm tall to about half a metre! The body is transparent, and usually impossible to see in water.
The initial sting from most Irukandji species is quite mild, feeling like sea lice or a mosquito bite. There is often no mark, or perhaps small red “goose pimple” marks. Often, Irukandji stings will sweat profusely in the immediate sting region only.
So remember, it is worth taking some simple precautions so that you can enjoy your holiday with peace of mind.
Posted by cody on
The Gold Coast is one of the most famous places in Australia, and millions of people visit the Gold Coast every year. There are alot of reasons behind this strong trend of people visiting The Gold Coast. Australia is a beautiful continent. Some parts of Australia are extremely beautiful and attract the attention of the travelers and visitors coming from all parts of the world. The Gold coast is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Australia. The popularity of the Gold Coast as a popular tourist destination in Australia is dependent on a number of factors. One of the important reasons of the popularity of the Gold Coast as tourist resorts is that it is possible for you to enjoy your life fully as a tourist while in the Gold Coast. There are alot of activities which you should do while in the Gold Coast. The top five are listed below:
Surfing: The beaches of the Gold Coast are known for surfing and other water sports. People from all parts of the world come to visit the Gold Coast due to this reason. The Gold Coast beaches are naturally suitable for surfing. While visiting the Gold Coast, this is something which you must not miss. Go surfing. Even if you are new to this field, there are life guards and other surfer’s services from where you can ask help to get started.
Dining: The second best thing about the Gold Coast is the variety of cruises which are available here. You will find Chinese, Italian, Thai, Japanese, Indian and Mediterranean cuisines served here along with the traditional Aussie food. A variety of Gold Coast Dining options make dining out on the Gold Coast a nice experience and one you’ll truly enjoy.
Night Life: Another popular thing which you should do while staying at the Gold Coast is to enjoy the night life here. There are alot of Gold Coast Nightclubs and bars, some of these bars are known for the collection of drinks which are available to customers, while others are known for the strip dances.
Shopping: Being one of the most visited regions of the world, there are alot of Gold Coast shopping centers for locals and tourists alike. The Gold Coast region is a very populated and prosperous one. You can find some nice Aussie souvenirs here.
Visit Places: There is alot to see and do on the Gold Coast. You can visit the land marks and the famous theme parks on the Gold Coast. There are many natural parks here as well. There are many Gold Coast entertainment options for visitors to the region. You can also visit the art galleries.
These are few of the activities which you should undertake while in the Gold Coast. The place is full of life and it offers you alot more than that.
Posted by cody on December 18, 2008
Sightseeing in Brisbane can be a pleasure that hardly costs anything. Brisbane is a historically modern city that has no dearth of heritage buildings and modern skyscrapers.
Some of the best Brisbane sights include Anzac Square, Customs House, Old Government House, Parliament House, Old Windmill and architectural marvel – Brisbane Casino. Leisure walks around the Brisbane River are always soothing for the body and the soul. You can also relish the Botanic Gardens situated along the river, which are open 24 hours a day with free tours. There are special annual events and festivals you can look forward to and which are absolutely free to enjoy.
The suburbs of Brisbane boasts of pristine beaches and stunning scenic beauty that would hold you captive for many days in the region. With so much on offer for free in Brisbane, you can look forward to an inexpensive holiday at one of the most exotic locales in Australia.
A Port Douglas Wedding
