Australia is jealous of New Zealand’s brand strategy and has yet to “crack the marketing code”, according to Tourism Industry Association New Zealand chief executive Tim Cossar.

Travel Today reports Cossar noted the green-eyed monster rearing its head on a recent trip to Darwin for the ATEC Conference.

And speaking at the 10th anniversary of the “100% Pure” campaign, Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton said it would be retained no matter which ad agency works on the account.

From a preferred destination to a most-avoided holiday spot – the downslide in the Indo-Australian tourism sector has come rather fast in the wake of the alleged racist attacks on Indians there. Indian tourists are cancelling plans to travel Down Under after watching the plight of Indian students there.

“We’ve just stopped selling Australia as a destination to our clients. We are instead asking them to go to Singapore etc,” says chairman of STIC travels, Subhash Goyal.

In March 2009 alone, as many as 30, 500 Indians had travelled to Austarlia. But that has changed now.

“We used to send at least 200 tourists to Australia in one month. It’s now come down to 40 or so. People are very worried about their safety and security. If it doesn’t stop, it will affect long term plans,” says another travel agent Inderpreet Singh Sodhi.

And while and even Tourism Minister Kumar Selja has cancelled her trip to the Oz land, the Indian Tourism Ministry is trying hard to play down the panic.

“We are saying go to Australia. These are isolated incidents. After all how did we project ourselves after 26/11? Things are fine,” says Tourism Secretary, Sujit Banerjee.

After all, Australians have been among the top five foreign tourists coming in to India.

I’d venture to say that most people that read this blog travel extensively – or at least have an interest in travelling. It’s also quite likely that you plan out your trips, and do your research. If you’re like me, you’ll spend countless hours researching how best to do a certain activity, and how to do it the most economical way possible. But are there times when you should just loosen your belt, open your wallet, and pay for the experience?

I’ve got a motto I like to travel by: “If you’re going to do it, do it right.” While it may imply spending a bit more to get EXACTLY what you want, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve always got to travel in style. To me, it just means that if you’re spending the money to do something, spend the money to get the experience that YOU want, rather than skimping on an activity just because it was a little more than what you were expecting. Otherwise, you just might regret it.

I’m in the process of planning a 3 week honeymoon to Europe, and I’ve come across this dilemma a number of times already. For example, at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, there’s a restaurant called Le Jules Verne, located on the first level of this French icon. I don’t even have to look at the prices to KNOW that the bill will be inflated significantly, as this restaurant caters to tourists. But is it worth paying that much more for the experience, considering the meal might not be up to par? I’d have to say yes. At the end of the day, twenty years down the road, those are the kinds of experiences that you’ll remember. Especially for trips like your honeymoon, special events like dining ON the Eiffel Tower will be those that you cherish, and you’re not likely to remember how much the meal cost. (Well, my fiance might.)

In reading reviews of this restaurant, everyone says it’s expensive, yet everyone says they’d return. Why? The experience, the memories, and the locale made the meal. So if there’s activities, meals, or even an everyday purchase that you’re on the fence about, remember – “If you’re going to do it, do it right.”

An airport in England has started charging airline passengers to “kiss and drop” zone outside its main terminal.

All drivers, including taxis, will have to fork out STG1 ($A2.07) for spending up to 10 minutes in the drop-off zone at Luton Airport, north of London. It’s the first of it’s kind in England, but isn’t likely to be the last. This comes after the airport recently introduced other charges, ranging from baggage trollies to the ability to jump security queues and needing plastic bags for your liquids in your carry ons.

As you can imagine, these new fees haven’t been all that popular, but the airport has defended the fees as something it needs to do to keep the airport running smoothly and within its budget constraints. Not everyone needs to pay these fees though. While the charge to “kiss and drop” isn’t excessive, it can be avoided altogether – the free carpark is only a two minute bus ride away. With that in mind, is this fee really a money making scheme, or just another luxury that a passenger can pay for?

After all, we don’t all need to fly first class. Do we?

My long haitus on the site has been the result of a 2 week holiday back to the States. Back to visit family, to visit my 2 week old neice, and to further plan for my upcoming wedding in September. It was a good trip; no a great trip, but it was a whirlwind of a trip nonetheless. Two weeks of nonstop activities has me longing for a holiday from my holiday. It’s good to be home though. It’s very good to be home. While I miss my friends and family, and always will, I’ve realised that Australia fits me. It’s a really good fit actually. Fifteen minutes into my drive from the Los Angeles airport, I remembered why I was always frustrated on Southern California highways. Fifteen minutes into a shopping experience at a local mall in San Diego, I remembered why an economy of scale has its positives and negatives. Fifteen minutes after I left, I remembered that I’m 7,000 miles away from my closest friends and family.

Living overseas has always been an adventure, but after returning home for the first time since leaving 18 months ago, I’ve been able to refresh my thoughts and truly understand and remember why I was so excited and jazzed about moving to another country. More specifically, Australia.

The majority of my trip was spent in San Diego, however between my partner and I, we had trips to Los Angeles (Disneyland), San Francisco, and Las Vegas. Each of these locales, although all quite different from each other, had traits that very similiar; traits that I wouldn’t have otherwise noticed had I not been out of the country for the past 18 months.

1.) Excess - That’s right, excess. America is all about excess. I love food, a lot, but I found myself rarely being able to finish the meal that was given to me. The portions were absolutely huge. People say that I’ve lost weight since moving to Australia. I was never THAT big to begin with, but I suppose I can see why. Unlimited refills on drinks (not a common occurance in Australia), towering mountains of french fries and more salad dressing that I know what to do with sat before me at almost every meal I had. I must say though, the unlimited refills on coffee struck a very pleasing chord.
Especially in Las Vegas, where excess is the norm, everything (and I mean everything/everyone) was in excess. Drinking, gambling, food ($9 Prime Ribs) were abundant. You couldn’t help but be surrounding by an uneccesarily large amount of everything, everywhere you went.

2.) Traffic - Traffic, and the way people drive. Large suburbans driven by soccer moms who, according to them, are the single most important person on the freeway, made only worse by the fact that they’re tailgating you in the slow lane because your 75mph just isn’t fast enough for them. Perhaps I’m stereotyping, perhaps not. Either way, drivers in Souther California as a whole, don’t use their blinkers, don’t let you in when merging, don’t understand where the fast lane is, and seem to think that driving 90mph while talking on their cellphone, weaving in and out of traffic in their SUV to get to their destination 2 minutes earlier, is the most important issue of the day.

3.) Outlook - This may seem a bit weird, but American’s need to lighten up, myself included. Things are too serious. Watching newcasters on TV, seeing people interact in a business environment, daily life seems to be a bit to rigid. Now I’m not saying that Americans don’t know how to have a good time, but c’mon, life is funny. Laugh at yourself, slow down, smell the roses. It’s not all about rushing from one place to another and checking things off your list. I know everyone has that kind of day every once in awhile, but have a chat with the barista at the coffee shop, talk to your coworkers, understand what’s going on around you. People tend to shut themselves off in Southern California. Windows on their cars are up with the A/C full blast, people walking around with iPods on, they order their coffee whilst on the phone, barely giving the person working the time of day; this is the kind of stuff that is a stark difference for me, between Australia and America.

While life would be different in any country, and each have their positives and negatives, this past trip has shown me that my decision to live in Australia was a good one. It’s one that has more positives than negatives associated with it, and although it has put me 7000 miles away from a great number of people that are important to me, I know that the ones that are truly great friends and great family members we’ll see on a pretty regular basis. To be honest, between Skype, Vonage VOIP, and email, I talk to my parents on almost a daily basis, and my closest friends almost every other day. The world is getting smaller. Maybe that’s a good thing? Fifteen years ago, Australia would have felt a lot further away, more isolated.

Either way, I love it here.

Are you just as tired of those hidden hotel charges as I? On a recent trip overseas, we found ourselves nickel and dimed to death. So I had a read around the net, and found that Andrea Bennett had the same issues as I, and put together a lengthy article on how to avoid these charges in the future.

(Travel + Leisure) — Shortly after its opening in 2006, I decided to visit the Lodge at Woodloch, a destination spa deep in the Poconos. Upon my arrival from New York, I discovered the property had no cellular service, so I made several calls home from my room phone, expecting to fork over little more than a dollar. Imagine my surprise when my hotel bill revealed a $7.38 charge for each time I picked up the receiver, despite having never actually reached anyone.

Read the rest of the entry here. It’ll be worth your time, I promise.

One of the toughest problems with flying these days are the limits airlines are now putting on their passengers and the amount of luggage one can bring with them on the plane. Often just one piece of checked luggage is allowed for domestic flights (unless you’re flying in Business class), and two for international. Kind of makes you want to go out and buy the largest size suitcase allowed, and fill it to the brim. In case you’re wondering, it varies from destination to destination, but to and from the US, it’s generally 32kg (70lbs) with the total dimensions of the 2 pieces not exceed 270cm (106in).

While there’s generally not a way around the limitations that airlines put on you, as a traveller, we’ve got a few tips that might help you maximise the space you have.

1. Pack neatly. Seriously. Folding clothes properly will actually allow you to pack more into the small space you’ve got. Even better, try using vacuum sealed bags. Space Bags seal and compact your clothes easily, using your home vacuum to suck out the extra air. These take the extra air out of gaps and help really ’smoosh’ the clothes in there.

2. Wear the heavy clothes. Ok, so you might not always wear a parka, or large jacket, or even need one for where you’re going, but if you do: wear it. We all know it’s cold on the plane. Why not wear your jacket? Sure, you might not wear it the entire flight, but it sure does double nicely as a pillow.

3. I’m sure you’ve seen everyone else fighting over the overhead bins. Why? Because their carryon bag is huge. Yep. It goes back to maximising space. If you’re using old luggage, that doesn’t maximise the allocated bag space, it may be worthwhile going out and buying just one or two new bags that are as big as you can get. You can find luggage pretty cheap these days, and don’t worry about getting the good stuff. They’re going to get banged up anyways, and when they do, just chuck ‘em out and buy new ones.

4. Overweight? No problem. It’s better to overpack then bring along a 3rd suitcase. It’s also cheaper. By paying the overweight fee most airlines have these days, you’re saving money than if you were to bring a 3rd suitcase. It is in fact cheaper, at least with most airlines. They’ll slap you with a overweight fee (varies by airline) and a large bright sticker to warn the baggage handlers, and you’re golden. Well, bright orange at least.

Just pack as lightly as you can.

I credit a lot of my “worldlyness” (is that a word?) to traveling with my family every summer as a kid. There is so much to see throughout the United States. But what do kids really want to see?

So many kids these days would rather sit in front of the TV and play Playstation or watch a movie. Fortunately for them, portable DVD players/TV’s are readily available, and at a very reasonable price too! Hooking these up in the car for a summer family roadtrip (something I look back on now and cherish) is now very easy, and will keep the kids entertained for hours in the car, between the destinations you’re headed for.

I can recall one summer in particular growing up where, after spending a few weeks with my Uncle on Vancouver Island (at the K.O.A. Kampground on the Malahat), my parents and brother and I drove 1/2 way across Canada, through Banff National Park, and down through the Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Bryce and Zion in Utah, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona before making it back to San Diego. If you’re looking to stay within the National Parks, here’s a great site that has information historic and easy accommodation in or nearby many of the National Parks in America.

Like virtually every other kid out there, my brother and I had a bit of extra energy to burn off. Ok, so maybe that’s an understatement, but especially after spending hours in the car between destinations, we were already ready to explore and undertake hikes at a moments notice. These hikes, and getting of the beaten path, were really the best ways to see the National Parks of America, and the very best way for our parents to keep us on the edge of exhaustion (which, I’m sure, made the trip a bit more bearable for them)

Really, it’s not that hard to travel with kids. They’re very simple creatures! (Of course, I say this now, after tormenting my parents for YEARS!) While I’m sure it varies from kid to kid, the hikes, the reward trips to our favourite fast food joints, and the occasional gift for being well behaved kept us pretty much inline (oh, and for boys, the ability to stomp, break, poke, and to all in all explore along the way helps too) for the trip.


It took us a few weeks to cover all this ground, but was well worth it. As kids, my brother and I learned a lot. So did our parents. But that was more about my brother and I. Now, at 30 years of age, I look forward to doing this with my kids. Whenever that may be.

Ok, so you’ve been on the plane for 13 hours straight, and the baby next to you just wouldn’t stop crying. The plane food was horrible, and you think you’re starting to smell. So finally, you’ve arrived. You’re here. Finally.

But wait, you’ve still got immigration and quarentine to queue up for. Now who’s excited!? Here are a few tips that may help you schedule for the shortest wait, the easiest transition, and ultimately fewer headaches. Hopefully your experience was as easy as mine.

Avoid landing in the afternoon when most flights from Europe are arriving. Fewer aircraft land in the evening. Virgin has a flight into Newark at 11.10pm, American Airlines has one to JFK at 10.50pm while BA has arrivals at Boston at 9.55pm and Washington Dulles at 10.40pm. Air New Zealand’s daily service from Heathrow reaches LA at 7.45pm. If the thought of getting into town late is scary, prebook a transfer, for example through Super Shuttle. Alternatively, for early birds, American Airlines reaches Chicago from Heathrow every day at 10.20am and BA arrives at JFK at 11.20am.

Don’t dawdle. You need to get to the head of the immigration queue fast. First and business-class passengers have priority disembarkation, but in economy try to reserve a seat as far forward as possible to get off before most of your fellow flyers. Website www.seatguru.com has seat maps, and most airlines let you choose a seat when you book.

Fly in to an airport with fewer international arrivals. British Airways flies to Tampa, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle and Baltimore. US Airways flies to Charlotte, North Carolina, Delta flies to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Continental has flights to Cleveland (Ohio). Northwest arrives at Detroit and Minneapolis and American Airlines has a daily Gatwick-Raleigh (North Carolina) flight. If connecting through Frankfurt, Lufthansa has a useful Portland (Oregon) service, while KLM/Northwest (via Amsterdam) flies to Memphis (Tennessee).

Fill out the green visa-waiver form correctly. Sounds easy, but the boxes and lines are close together and confusing. Take two in case you bodge one.

Smile. You’re jetlagged and dehydrated, but if you sat in a booth for hours processing forms, you’d be grumpy, too. The more pleasant and cooperative you are, the faster you’ll make it through the queue.

Thanks to Times Online for help with this article. Photo courtesy of El Fotokapismo

Ok, I’ve never been squirmish about wildlife. Not reptiles, arachnids, or anything of the sort. Until now. Actually, I’m really not sure what to make of it anymore. You see, the wildlife here in Australia is completely different than anywhere else I’ve ever been. I’d venture to say that it all kinda “creeps up on ya”, but really, it’s been here the entire time, and it’s all easier to see coming. The lizards? They’re bigger here. How about the frogs? Bigger still. Snakes? Yep, huge. Even the ants, crickets, grasshoppers, and spiders are bigger here. Around three of four times the size. You think I’m joking? Come see it for yourself.

What’s funny (in a nervous laugh kind of way), is that a lot of it can kill you.

Seriously.

Australia, in all its beauty, is a rough and ready continent. Australia possesses more species of venomous snakes than any country on earth. (by the way, ALL snakes in the sate of Tasmania are poisonous). The “champion” of all poisonous snake in Australia, and also the world, is the Taipan snake which is considered 50 times more venomous than the cobra. In fact, Australia has six of the top ten most venomous snakes in the world. Of course, Aussies are quite proud of that. Pretty sure it makes them feel tough. I thought that is what rugby was for.

Spiders are far more common to tread across than snakes. As with snakes, spiders rank amongst the most dangerous. THE most dangerous spider in the world is the “Sydney Funnel Web Spider”. Appropriately named, this spider resides only the Sydney area. Woohoo, so glad I’m living in this locale. If you’re not visiting Sydney, or making the move here, you’ve got one less thing to worry about. If you are, you really have nothing to worry about, unless you’re completely careless about where you stick your hand at night. The far more common “Redback Spider” is the culprit of the majority of spider bites in Australia. For you Americans, this gal looks a lot like a Black Widow Spider, just three times as dangerous. Of those bitten, the majority are to the blokes, spending entirely too much time in the outhouse. I have come across this spider myself, in the organics bin while mowing the lawn. She’s a creepy looking creature, but was no match for my large wooden plank. Stefan 1, Spider 0.

I’ve had enough of these spiders and snakes. Let’s head for the river. Nope, never mind. Crocodiles there. The beach it is.

Good idea, but it’s not much better there. Great White Sharks, Blue Bottle Jellyfish, the Box Jellyfish, the Stone Fish, and so many others. We’re all familiar with the Great White Shark, but what is a Blue Bottle, a Box Jellyfish, and a Stone Fish?

The Blue Bottle jellyfish, or commonly referred to as the “Portuguese Man O’ War”, is actually a siphonophore—a colony of specialized polyps. That’s all well and good, and interesting to the scientific community, but when it stings, it stings like a jellyfish, and hurts. A lot. Bluebottles have a float or bottle-shaped blue sac, which sits on the water’s surface. They have many string-like tentacles hanging down from the float. Usually, you can see them in the water, or there are signs alerting you to their presence.

The sting from the tentacles is dangerous to humans. These stings usually cause excruciating pain, and have even been the cause of several deaths. Detached tentacles and specimens which wash up on shore can sting just as painfully as the intact creature in the water for weeks after their detachment. Medical attention is usually necessary, especially in extreme cases.

The Box Jellyfish (also known as a Sea Wasp) is a very dangerous creature to inhabit Australian waters. The Jellyfish has extreme toxins present on its tentacles, which when in contact with a human, can stop cardio-respiratory functions in as little as three minutes. This jellyfish is responsible for more deaths in Australian than snakes, sharks and salt water crocodiles.

The creature has a square body and inhabits the north east areas of Australia. The tentacles may reach up to 80 cms in length. It is found along the coast of the Great Barrier Reef. They are arguably the most venomous creatures in the world. Stings from such species are excruciatingly painful, either initially or as an after-effect, and are often fatal. However not all species of Box Jellyfish are this dangerous to humans. Unfortunately, the ones along the coast of Australia, are. In the Australian summer from November to April or May, box jellyfish are abundant in the warm waters of northern Australia and drive away most swimmers. However, they generally disappear during the Australian Winter.

The Stonefish is another of Australia’s deadly marine creatures. They inhabit shallow waters along the coast. The stonefish is well camouflaged in the ocean, as it is a brownish colour, and often resembles a rock, hence “Stone Fish”. Ugly bloke, isn’t he?

It has thirteen sharp dorsal spines on its back, which each have extremely toxic venom. The venom of a stonefish can kill a human in two hours, if not properly treated. If you’re swimming in a rocky area of the shore, please don’t step on that rock that has a bunch of spines sticking out of it. It’s just not a good idea. Trust me on that one.

Have I scared you yet? If so, I’m sorry. There ARE a lot of dangerous animals in Australia, but it’s rare to come face to face with them if you use common sense. Don’t stick your hands where they don’t belong, watch where you step during your bush walks, and keep an eye out at the beach. If there are signs saying,” Hey you, don’t go in the water, stupid.”, then you probably shouldn’t throw on your swimsuit and jump in the water. Of course, accidents happen, but there are anti venoms for most venomous creatures in Australia. Don’t let these guys keep you from seeing this beautiful country.

Moving? No? Ah, just traveling, I see. What are you going to bring? Everything? Ok, we’ve got a problem here.

Packing light saves time (e.g. waiting for baggage to be unloaded), money (no overweight fees), stress (no worrying about lost luggage) and the environment (less luggage means less fuel used to carry it). The industrial strength hairdryer does NOT need to come. With help from Go Green Travel Green, we bring you 35 links that will help you pack a bit lighter and more economically the next time you’re pulling out the suitcase.

Make a List

• The Universal Packing List This really is the ultimate packing list creator. It even includes weather information. However, it will spit out everything you could possibly need, so trim down from here.
• Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush A nice application that will send you reminder emails, but you have to sign up (free).
• One Bag: What To Pack : One-Page Checklist “This is a travel packing checklist, not a list of items to pack on any particular trip! Rather, it is a sort of ‘worst case’ compendium of stuff that you could sensibly consider.”
• Travellerspoint: Packing List Another list of everything you could possibly need.
• San Fran Chronicle CARGO CULT “This is everything I pack for a typical three-week trip to Europe or South America, riding trains and buses and splitting my time between town and country. It all fits easily into a carry-on bag, with room left over for a bottle of Côtes du Rhône, a baguette and a few souvenirs.”
• The Lost Girls: What We Packed What these three gals packed for their 1-year round the world (RTW) trip.
• About.com Honeymoon Packing List Includes massage oil and other items that might be fun to have.

Check it Twice

Edit Your List. Edit it down. Way Down. Cross off everything you don’t absolutely need. Remember, you can buy just about everything abroad if you end up needing it.

Choose the Right Bag

You know how work expands to fill the time? The same is true for bags. If you bring too big of a bag, you will fill the space. It’s just human nature. Unfortunately, we haven’t found the best backpack or favorite travel luggage yet. (Though from pictures I’m partial to: Ebags Mother Lode Mini Duffel for business and Eagle Creek Centerline Maiden Voyage 70L or something like it but smaller for backpacking.)

• OneBag: Choosing A Bag
  The most important things to consider are:
  • quality — because luggage takes a beating, and because quality should always be an important consideration
  • transportability — because you will carry your luggage more than the carriers will (and yes, whatever your actual plans, you will carry it)
  • airline carryon limits — because in the real world, there are two kinds of luggage: carryon and lost
• Brave New Traveler: Choosing the Perfect Backpack This backpacker outlines his quest for the perfect backpack before deciding on.

Fold Your Clothes

in an efficient, wrinkle free manner.

• OneBag: Packing Clothes discusses “Bundle Packing.” (I typically roll my clothes, but I might try this next time.)

Find Your Own Style

Ultimately, you are the only one who has to to live with the way you pack, what you pack, and how much you pack.

Have you got that urge to just get up and go? Experience a new party of the country? The world? Even that far end of the local mall that you’ve never been before? It’s not uncommon for one to seek out the unknown, leave your comfort zone, and see what’s out there. For many the journey stops almost as quick as it begins, staying in a fancy hotel room, ordering room service, and watching TV. For others, it’s getting your hands dirty and feeling what it’s like to not just see the culture that surrounds you, but experience it.

Wanderlust (Middle High German: wandern, to wander, and Lust, desire) is a German loanword. It is commonly defined as a strong desire to travel, or, of having a strong desire to explore the world.

Think you’ve got it? Most immigrants do. There’s a “push and pull factor” that affects the human population.

Push and Pull factors are those factors which either forcefully push someone into migration or attract them. A push factor is a forceful factor, and a factor which relates to the country the person is migrating from. It is generally a problem which the results in people wanting to migrate. The idea of a push/pull factor is relatively simple. It is generally a good thing that attracts people to a certain place. Push and Pull factors are usually considered as north and south poles on a magnet. The idea is to have the attraction in the middle, i.e the place.

Push Factors

• Not enough jobs
• Few opportunities
• Primitive Conditions
• Political fear
• Poor Medical Care
• Not being able to practice religion
• Loss of wealth
• Natural Disasters

Pull Factors

• Job Opportunities
• Better Living Conditions
• Political and/or religious freedom
• Enjoyment
• Education
• Better Medical Care
• Security
• Family Links

Certain laws of social science have been proposed to describe human migration. The following was a standard list after Ravenstein’s proposals during the time frame of 1834 to 1913. The laws are as follows:

1. Most migrants travel short distances and with increasing distance the numbers of migrants decrease. This law is based upon the assumptions that the higher travel costs and a lack of knowledge of more distant places acts against large volumes of migration.
2. Migration occurs in stages and with a wave-like motion. Based on his observations in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries that migration occurred in steps with people gradually moving up the settlement hierarchy – from rural areas to villages, to towns, to cities and finally the capital city.
3. Migration increases in volume as industries and commerce develop and transport improves, and the major direction of movement is from agricultural areas to centres of industry and commerce.
4. Most Migrants are adult. Families rarely migrate out of their country of birth.
5. Women are more migratory than men within their country of birth but men more frequently venture beyond it.
6. Urban dwellers are less likely to move than their rural counterparts.

Whatever it is that makes you travel, to see the world, and to shed you inhibitions, it’s a good trait to have. It opens you up to the world, to understand that where you’re from, what you’re used to, what has made you who you are, isn’t necessarily the norm. The world is a fantastically diverse place, and it’s time to discover it.

Jump on it, the water’s warm.