Category: News

1,000 years ago New Zealand was first discovered by the Polynesian navigator, Kupe, who named the islands Aotearoa, which means Land of the Long White Cloud. After returning to his home, Hawaiki, he gave instructions on how to get to the islands but it wasn’t until 400 years after this that the Maori people arrived in Aotearoa and began to populate the North Island.

In 1642, Abel Tasman charted part of New Zealand’s coastline thinking it was part of the Australian continent. Once his mistake was discovered, the country was renamed Nieuw Zeeland. But it wasn’t until 1769 when Captain James Cook came to New Zealand and charted the coastlines of both the North and South Island of New Zealand that the Bay of Islands were given their present name.

Continue reading “Journey to New Zealand’s Bay of Islands”

Taking a cruise is a great way to explore the beauty of an area from a completely new perspective. When it comes to the Nerang River, one of the best ways to truly immerse yourself in all it has to offer is by taking a cruise from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and Hinterland.

The Nerang River catchment is the largest and most important river system on the Gold Coast. Stretching as far as the McPherson Range and Springbrook Plateau, it feeds water to a number of rural areas and also fills two dams, the Little Nerang Dam and the Hinze Dam. These two dams provide much of the drinking water for Gold Coast residents.

Continue reading “Why You Should Go On a Nerang River Cruise with Gray Line”

Alice Springs is one of the most iconic outback towns of Australia. As the gateway to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and surrounded by the MacDonnell Ranges, it’s certainly a place full of natural wonders.

Alice Springs, or The Alice as it is often referred to, has plenty to offer visitors. To the traditional owners of the land, the Arrernte people, the Alice Springs area is called Mparntwe. The shape and topographical features of the landscape are said to have been formed by three ancestral caterpillars, Yeperenye, Ntyarlke and Utnerrengatye, who moved across the landscape from Emily Gap in the MacDonnell Ranges to southeast of Alice Springs.

Continue reading “A Guide to Alice Springs”

Boasting one of the most enviable lineups in the industry, this year’s Future Music Festival is set to make every other summer festival look like an opening act. Already bringing Grammy-winning acts like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and DJ superstars Deadmau5, Hardwell and Kaskade to Australia, the Future Music Group made a late and extremely welcome announcement that music’s current bigwig, Pharrell Williams, will close each show.

This year’s Safari-themed festival travels all around the nation stopping at every major city, and like any festival with a line-up this big, tickets are selling fast. This year for both Melbourne and Brisbane punters, the organisers have introduced RFID wristbands that are to be dispatched to ticket-holders early February. So make sure you have read all the information regarding this new technology and check that you have received yours in the mail before you get held up at the gate.

Continue reading “Future Music Festival is Sweeping the Nation”

A trip to Tasmania is not complete without a visit to the award-winning Port Arthur Historic Site. A place of both beauty and horror, wandering the ruins is a fantastic way to learn about Australia’s murky convict past.

The 1.5 hour scenic drive from Hobart to Port Arthur meanders through farmlands, villages, sprawling vineyards and bays. Once you arrive, this scenery is replaced by imposing ruins set among fantastic  landscapes.

The heritage-listed Port Arthur site is home to an overwhelming 60 buildings. As there is so much to see, a guided walking tour is a good way to spot the highlights and there are different ticketing options to suit your level of exploration.
Continue reading “The Best Scenic Tours of Port Arthur, Tasmania”