Australia / New Zealand Travel Information 2005

All feature articles are regularly updated.

• Australia Articles Alphabetically Indexed
• New Zealand Articles Alphabetically Indexed
• Sydney Walking Tour: Circular Quay to Hyde Park
• Sydney Walking Tour: Hyde Park to Darling Harbour

12/28/05 - Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2005
It's the annual sea classic which this year saw one yacht achieve the fabled treble: winning not only both line and handicap honors but also setting a new race record. The rigorous 628-nautical-mile race has been run yearly since 1945 from Sydney Harbour to the Hobart finish in the Derwent River.
What to See and Do in Hobart
Where to Stay in Hobart

12/21/05 - Sydney Metroads: Going by the Number
Sydney Metroads provide an easy way of navigating through the city's major thoroughfares by simply following the Metroad numbers.

12/14/05 - The Sydney Beach Riots: Is It Safe to Visit Sydney?
Sydney's reputation has received a massive battering with riots and violent attacks in some of Sydney's most popular beachside suburbs. So would you visit Sydney?

12/07/05 - The Beaches of Jervis Bay
Some of the most stunningly white - and uncrowded - beaches in New South Wales are to be found in Jervis Bay just two and a half hours' drive from Sydney. Beaches to discover include Collingwood, Orion, Barfleur, Nelson, Blenheim, Greenfields and, of course, Hyams Beach. There's also Callala Beach across Currambene Creek.

11/30/05 - Doubtful Sound: Cruising the Sound of Silence
On the southwestern edge of New Zealand's South Island, Doubtful Sound is undoubtedly one of New Zealand's top Nature attractions.

11/23/05 - Share the Dreaming at Yanchep National Park
Some 50 kilometres north of the Western Australia capital of Perth, Yanchep National Park is an area of natural bushland, native wildlife, limestone caves, a lake, walking tracks, and a natural and cultural meeting place where aspects of Aboriginal life can be experienced.

11/16/05 - Kwillana Dreaming: Aboriginal Culture Tours
In southwestern Western Australia, Kwillana Dreaming provides tours for locals and visitors alike which give an insight into the richness of traditional Aboriginal life and culture.

11/09/05 - Byron Bay: Sun, Surf and a Laid-back Lifestyle
A popular destination on the New South Wales North Coast - closer to the Queensland border than it is to the NSW capital, Sydney, Byron Bay is a magnet for visitors following the sun, particularly in winter, and for those intrigued by a culture that mixes fun, surfing and a laid-back alternative lifestyle with a more traditional, country existence.

11/02/05 - Makybe Diva: Career Highlights
Supermare Makybe Diva streaked into racing history on November 1, 2005, by winning the 2005 Melbourne Cup, the third consecutive year she has triumphed in Australia's premier horseracing event.

10/26/05 - Maalinup: Perth Aboriginal Gallery
Maalinup is the only Aboriginal-owned and operated art gallery and gift shop in the Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia.

10/19/05 - Fremantle Aboriginal Heritage Walking Tour
Many aspects of the life and history of the Aboriginal Nyoongar people come to light in Western Australia's Fremantle Aboriginal Heritage Walking Tour.

10/12/05 - Aboriginal Life and Cuture: Indigenous Experiences in Perth
While indigenous experiences of Aboriginal life and culture are generally associated with the Outback regions, Perth and its environs provide an insight into Aboriginal life, art, culture and history through Aboriginal arts and crafts and a range of Aboriginal tours on offer.

10/05/05 - Melbourne Beaches: Close to the City Centre
Because the Yarra River runs through it, and major Melbourne attractions lie along its banks or north of it, visitors to Melbourne tend to forget that this is a bayside city with a number of beaches.

09/28/05 - Top New Zealand Cruises
The unique land features of New Zealand become the more striking as they rise from the water, the major attraction of New Zealand cruises. Add to this the possibility of viewing life underwater and dolphins at play and taking a New Zealand cruise becomes truly satisfying.

09/21/05 - Wiggles World
Australia's favorite children's song-and-dance entertainers, The Wiggles, have found a theme park all to themselves at Dreamworld on Queensland's Gold Coast.
Who Are the Wiggles?
The Wiggles Christmas DVDs

09/14/05 - Bowral Tulip Time Festival
Held in the New South Wales Southern Highlands southwest of Sydney, Bowral Tulip Time Festival is an annual springtime event held within the fortnight of NSW Labor Day.

09/07/05 - Floriade: Festival of the Flowers
The Canberra Floriade, an annual flower festival redolent with the scents, sounds and sights of the Canberra spring, is held for a month, usually from around the middle of September to the middle of October.

08/31/05 - Adventure World, Western Australia
Water-themed rides, roller coasters, a race track and various other attractions combine to make Adventure World, 20 minutes by road south of Perth city, and 15 minutes from Fremantle, a favorite fun park for the young and the young at heart. Customarily open from the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend in Western Australia (late September or early October) to Anzac Day (April 25).

08/24/05 - Wet 'n' Wild Water World
Describing itself as Australia's largest Australian water theme park, Wet 'n' Wild Water World on Queensland's Gold Coast features water slides, pools and other attractions and is very much activity-oriented.

08/17/05 - Sea World
Sea World on Queensland's Gold Coast is the coastal strip's oldest theme park, having been started in 1958 as Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens at Carrara and later renamed and relocated to Sea World Drive in 1971. It remains a showcase of marine life wonders and a place of various rides, shows and other attractions.

08/10/05 - Movie World
If you are fascinated by movies, movie characters, movie shows and how movies are made, Movie World on Australia's Gold Coast could be a place to visit on your trip to Queensland.

08/03/05 - Dreamworld
Thrill rides, close encounters with wildlife, cartoon character attractions, IMAX movies - and Big Brother - are among the many attractions of Dreamworld, one of the Gold Coast's more popular theme parks.

07/27/05 - Sydney Five-Star Hotels
Location and room rates.

07/20/05 - Distances from Melbourne / Distances from Sydney
Have an idea of distances if you're traveling around Australia by road from Sydney or Melbourne.

07/13/05 - Australian Money: Banknotes and Coins
Australian money consists of plastic banknotes and gold and silver coins. Know how they look and feel to avoid confusion.

07/06/05 - Discover Riverland Wine Country
South Australia's Riverland region is a land of fruit trees and vineyards, and is Australia's largest wine-producing region if not, arguably, as well known as the Barossa, also in South Australia, or the Hunter in New South Wales. Also see Australia's Wine Regions.

06/29/05 - Migaloo
According to the Pacific Whale Foundation, Migaloo is the only known occurrence of an all-white humpback whale, and has been compared to the fictional Moby Dick. Migaloo was first sighted in 1991 and has been seen almost every year since then as the big white whale traveled along the Australian coast during the whale migration season.

06/22/05 - New Zealand's Snow Parks
It's not only circus aerialists who fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Skiiers and snowboarders now give them strong competition. As freestyle skiing and snowboarding continue to gain popularity, the snow fields of New Zealand are creating snow parks dedicated to these high-flying freestyle skills.

06/15/05 - Australia's Theme Parks
With a variety of rides and a carnival atmosphere, Australian theme parks are a particular attraction for families and for the young and the young at heart. Mostly, when Australians, and visitors to Australia, think of theme parks, they think of Queensand's Gold Coast with four of Australia's most popular parks found there. But there are theme parks in other parts of Australia, too.

06/08/05 - Skiing in Tasmania
When you're thinking of skiing in Australia, Tasmania may not immediately come to mind as a skiing destination. But you could be pleasantly surprised.

06/01/05 - Test Your Knowledge of Australia
So you reckon you know a bit (or a lot) about Australia, mate. Well, it's a big country, not quite as big as the United States, but almost. A land of many attractions, it offers as much as you are willing to discover. Take this test to find out how much you know of Australia.

05/25/05 - Jindabyne: On the Way to the Snow
About three hours' drive from Canberra, Jindabyne is the New South Wales town closest to the ski resorts of Thredbo and Perisher Blue in Australia's Snowy Mountains. It sits on the shore of a man-made lake that's great for trout fishing and other water activities before winter sets in. And then when winter comes and the ski season begins, it's your gateway to the ski slopes of Thredbo and Perisher Blue.

05/18/05 - Kylie Minogue: From Girl Next Door to Princess of Pop
From girl next door on Australian television to international princess of pop, Australian singer Kylie Minogue has crammed a scintillating career, although not without its ups and downs, in the worlds of acting and music. In May 2005, as she was poised to start her sold-out Show Girl tour in Australia, she discovered she had breast cancer.

05/11/05 - The Sydney 'Subway'
Don't ask for the subway. In Sydney the underground city train circuit is the City Circle. The terms subway, underground, tube and metro are not used in reference to the city railway system.

05/04/05 - What's a Hongi?
Welcome it if it happens to you.

04/27/05 - The New Endeavour
On April 28, 1770, English navigator Captain James Cook first landed in Australia when he sailed into Botany Bay in the ship HM Bark Endeavour. The Endeavour has since been recreated in exacting detail.

04/20/05 - Anzacs: The Fighting Men of Australia and New Zealand
The story of the Anzacs, born in the flames of war, was firmly forged on April 25, 1915, with the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli in what is now known as Turkey but was then part of the Ottoman Empire.

04/13/05 - Is Smoking Banned on Sydney Beaches?
Aside from the health risks associated with smoking, the pollution of beaches and foreshores with tonnes and tonnes of cigarette butts has moved a number of Sydney local government councils to ban cigarette smoking on their beaches.

04/06/05 - Is Smoking Allowed on Queensland Beaches?
After a three-month amnesty period, Queensland anti-smoking legislation began to be enforced from March 31, 2005. Smoking prohibitions are in effect in several Queensland areas. and on-the-spot fines apply.

03/30/05 - Theatre Royal
Right in the heart of the city, Sydney's 1133-seat Theatre Royal is located on King St between Pitt St and Castlereagh St. It has an underground carpark for those who want to drive. For those wanting to go by public transport, it is conveniently close to city bus stops and train stations.

03/23/05 - Sydney Theatre
Located at Walsh Bay, Sydney Theatre provides a performance venue not only for the Sydney Theatre Company's own productions but also those from other theatre companies local, interstate or overseas.

03/16/05 - Sydney's Capitol Theatre
Considered one of Australia's finest theatres, the Capitol is located in Sydney's Haymarket district - right on the eastern edge of Sydney's Chinatown - in the city block bounded by Pitt, Campbell, Parker and Hay Sts. What's on at the Capitol.

03/09/05 - Sydney Royal Easter Show
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is held each year at Easter time in the Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush Bay, and includes carnival shows, rodeo, stunts, races, competitions, fashion shows, food stalls, and a showcase of new and popular products.

03/02/05 - The Dog on the Tuckerbox
Celebrated in Australian folklore, poetry, and song, the Dog on the Tuckerbox, a monument to the pioneers of the Riverina region, is on the road to Gundagai, as the folksong goes.

02/23/05 - Discover New Zealand's Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand's smallest national park, is well-known, particularly among hikers, for its Coastal Track which takes in breathtaking views of the northern South Island coast and provides challenges to walkers and opportunities for exploration. For those who would rather go by sea, there are cruising, boating and kayaking experiences to be had.

02/16/05 - Bellingen
An idyllic Australian country town on the banks of a river, Bellingen is home to artists and crafstmen and people seeking an alternative lifestyle. Just outside town a $6-million farmhouse was built in late 2004 as one of the film locations for the new Australian movie, Eucalyptus, with Australian stars Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman. Filming, scheduled to start in early February 2005, was indefinitely postponed.

02/09/05 - Where Is St Helens?
The largest town on the eastern coast of Tasmania, St Helens is situated on George Bay along the Tasman Highway (A3) somewhere between the northeastern coast national parks of Mt William and Douglas Apsley. It is said to be the birthplace of glamorous movie star and screen legend Merle Oberon.

02/02/05 - Cable Beach: Tropical Playground
With long stretches of a white sand beach, seas of such clear blue purity, palm-fringed coast, sunset camel treks, parasailing and other water sports, sundrenched resorts, and the air of an exotic and distant tropical eden, Cable Beach does conjure in one's mind a certainly desirable holiday destination. And discover Broome: it's really one pearl of a town.

01/26/05 - Step by Step: Walk into History at The Rocks
On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip founded the first white settlement in Australia in the area now known as Sydney's Rocks district. Take a walking tour of this historic area, from Circular Quay to Cadman's Cottage and on to the Argyle Cut and various other historical sites.

01/19/05 - What's a Hangi?
Well, that's certainly an enjoyable experience in New Zealand. And don't confuse it with a hongi, although that's enjoyable, too...

01/12/05 - Melbourne Park: Home of the Australian Open
Southeast of Melbourne's Federation Square, along Batman Ave by the Yarra River, Melbourne Park is home to the Australian Open, one of only four Grand Slam tennis tournaments in the world and the first (in January each year) to occur in any calendar year.

01/05/05 - Sydney Festival 2005
A celebration of arts and culture, the 2005 Sydney Festival took place from January 8 to 30.

More features... continually updated...

2008: What's Up Down Under This Year?
2007: Sydney Opera House Named World Heritage Site
2006: World Heritage Sites, National and State Flowers
2005: From Sydney Festival to Sydney to Hobart
2004: Makybe Diva, Mel Gibson, Merle Oberon, Moomba
2003: A Prince of the Church... a Princess for Denmark...
2002: The Best Time to Visit Sydney, and More
2001: We Explore More of the Wonders of New Zealand
2000: Sydney Holds the Olympics: What a Year That Was!
1999: From Port Arthur Ghosts to Monkey Mia Dolphins
1998: We Begin in Sydney and Move Farther Afield