Australia is a known ‘hot’ spot for immersing yourself in the natural world. Uniquely, every state on the continent boasts numerous undeveloped, and developed springs and waterholes, and many are directly accessible via major cities — making it THE quintessential destination for a road trip. To top it off: most are also surrounded by indigenous areas/experiences and national parks. 2023 ushers in a huge number of NEW luxury, and immersive natural experiences and lodging options for travelers that make now a great time to pen a story (and book a trip). MELBOURNE, VICTORIA Just a few hours from Melbourne, visitors Read more
Perth
It was a pretty good year for travel outside Canada, with numerous trips to California, a couple to Hawaii, one to Florida, a river cruise in Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, and two weeks in Western Australia and New South Wales. From Santa Monica to Sydney and Maui to Vienna, here are some of my top experiences, fave foods and hotels of 2022. BEST ISLAND PHOTO: The Abrolhos Islands of Western Australia, as seen from my scenic flight with Geraldton Air Charter. We spotted pods of dolphins from the air. You also can take a trip that includes a nice swim Read more
WESTERN AUSTRALIA – I’m driving north along the lonely, quiet coast of Western Australia. I’m supposed to check into my hotel in the town of Kalbarri at 5 p.m. and it’s already dangerouly close to that. My schedule says I should motor on, but there’s a particular quality of light in the sky. I see a sign that points the way to a coastal section of Kalbarri National Park, and decide the schedule can go to hell. I drive down a winding road towards the setting sun and pull into looks like the closest parking lot. I quickly make my Read more
Airlift between Canada and Australia is back to 97% of pre-pandemic levels, Tourism Australia officials say. Speaking to the website OpenJaw.com at an Australia tourism event in Los Angeles recently, Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, said Canada “has been a surprising and delightful market for us. It’s quietly growing.” Harrison said Canadians like to explore. “They disperse into the region, which is important for us as a tourism economy. They have the same propensity as Australians to travel.” Tourism Australia data shows that lift between the two countries has been almost fully restored – at 97 per cent of Read more
