DESTINATION: AUSTRALIA & FIJI
So its Christmas time and youre sweating, singing about six white boomers instead of reindeer and sitting at a beach sipping cold drinks... For some travelers it might not seem quite right to break a sweat in December but once youve experienced a green Christmas youll find its not so bad. After all, its summer time in Oceania and a you beaut time to be in Australia or Fiji...
So where should you spend the summer? Well Australia is massive so dont be fooled by how small it appears on an atlas. You need time to move around although its possible to see the three major icons: Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru in just one week... but only if you fly. Once youve seen them you can concentrate on other aspects of the country.
Most travelers arrive in Sydney; one of the worlds most beautiful cities with beaches nearby, great nightlife, shopping and a beautiful harbour. You could spend Christmas at the world famous Bondi beach or down at lively Kings Cross. But dont get stuck here for your entire visit! At least get to the beautiful Blue Mountains or sample some of Australias quality wine in the Hunter Valley. Melbourne is the next major city south and the cultural capital of the nation. There is fantastic eating, markets, festivals and a beautiful stretch of coast to the south that leads to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road. One of the best summer events in Melbourne is the Australian Open Tennis.
Beach lovers will enjoy an endless summer along Australias eastern coast stretching north of Sydney to the famed seaside town of Byron Bay where you could learn to surf and see Australias most eastern point. Keep heading north into Queensland where there are more fine coastlines at Noosa and Mackay and youll soon understand the Queensland slogan beautiful one day, perfect the next. Cairns in the far north is the most popular location for accessing the Great Barrier Reef; the famous marine park of reefs, islands and tropical fish. You could dive or cruise the islands.
Summer is not the best time to explore the Australian outback but if its your only opportunity you wont want to miss the red centre around Alice Springs visiting the famous rock Uluru, the Olgas, Kings Canyon and the numerous chasms and gorges. These are largely Aboriginal sacred sites and will give you the best chance of getting in touch with Australias indigenous culture. Respect their land mate! VIP has hostels everywhere in Australia and so many tours and packages to plan your trip from the city, to the beach, reef and outback. We guarantee youll fall in love with this land down under.
Fiji is a fantastic island paradise with picture perfect beaches, coconut trees and tropical life. Fijians are dead friendly and you cant go wrong with a stopover here on your way to or from Australia.
Fiji has a great variety of tourist attractions and day tours; and even waves if youre a surfer. If youre here for sightseeing stay in Nadi or along the Coral Coast on the main island of Viti Levu. However if you just want to relax youd be best to head straight to an offshore island resort and make the most of relaxed island life.
Most sightseeing tours originate from Nadi. The most popular tours are to the Mamanuca Islands off the coast. Fast Catamarans can take day trippers out to the resorts or you can go on sailing, uninhabited island, dolphin watching and snorkeling tours. Alternatively other options include beach tours to Nananu-i-Ra island, 4WD tours to the rainforest highlands, shopping, village tours to picturesque locations or historic tours along the south coast. If you plan on visiting Fiji you might want to check for any current underlying tensions that can break out from time to time.
To help you plan your journey use our website to book your hostel and get a VIP card for savings on tours and services. Happy Christmas! | VIP NEWS:
AUSTRALIA TOPS LONELY PLANETS TRAVELERS PULSE SURVEY
Independent travelers from across the globe have rated Australia as the destination they would most like to visit next, the annual Lonely Planet Travelers’ Pulse Survey has revealed for two years in a row. The survey was conducted online at www.lonelyplanet.com. It is arguably the world’s most authoritative independent travel survey with 30,000 respondents from 170 countries.
CROCODILE HUNTER
Australia recently lost one of its favourite sons when Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin was killed when a sting ray barb struck him in the chest. The Australian naturalist and television personality was killed while diving. He was filming a documentary in Queenslands Great Barrier Reef. Australia Zoo his wildlife park, remains open to the public (daily 9am-4.30pm). It lies north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast motorway.
AUSTRALIANISMS
Australia has its fair share of slang that can sound like a foreign language even if you speak English. Heres a few common ones:
Cark it - die / stop working
Cost big bikkies - expensive
Dunny - toilet / loo
Sheila - girl
Arvo - afternoon
Fair dinkum - real, true, genuine
Shell be right - itll be okay
Hit the turps - go on a drinking binge
Blue - argument / mistake
Esky - cool box
Bonzer - great / ripper
10 TOP FIJI DESTINATIONS
This list is by no means definitive but should be able to help you plan your own trip:
1. Mamanuca Islands Day Cruise, small islands, snorkel and dolphins
2. Visit Navala Village, stunning 200-thatch roof village
3. Learn to Scuba Dive, best soft corals in the world
4. Fiji Beach Hopping, explore the Yasawa Islands
5. Bouma National Park, waterfalls, marine park and coastal walks
6. Explore Navua River, through the rainforest to villages
7. Go Exploring, head to the remote islands of Kadavu, Lau or Lomaiviti
8. Nananu-i-Ra Island Day Tour, spend a day on the beach
9. Aerial Sightseeing, seaplane, helicopter or skydive from Nadi
10. Historical Coral Coast Tour, sigatoka sandunes & tavuni hill fort.
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