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Travel from Brisbane
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The hub of Queensland, Brisbane is it’s country’s most liveable city
The Administrative capital of Queensland, Brisbane is actually Australia’s “most liveable city”.Despite the current dreadful innundations, Brisbane City is still a hub of activity for shopping, dining, modern culture and night life.
Attractive historical buildings set off exquisitely with contemporary engineering contributing to the great cityscape, which is best viewed by evening. Base of the cultural precinct boasting art galleries, museums, theatre and festivals Brisbane is also the portal to the sun, surf and seashores known as the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/, off the east coast of Australia, is one of the wonders of the natural world – it is the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem and the only living organic collective visible from Earth’s orbit.
Starting just south of the Tropic of Capricorn between Gladstone and Bundaberg, the Great Barrier Reef goes all the way up to the Torres Strait near the coast of Papua New Guinea. The outer reef lies along the edge of the Australian continental shelf. It is the most extensive reef system in the world, stretching 2,300 kilometres along the east coast of Queensland in the Pacific Ocean.
Moreton Island
Moreton Island a Beautiful Place to Holiday
Moreton Island is a sand island that lies on the eastern side of Moreton Bay, which is on the coast of Queensland in Australia. It’s hugely well-liked today as a desired destination for camping, recreational fishing, whale watching and feeding the dolphins, not to mention 4WD recreation. But Moreton Island has a long, long background which started long before holidayers and resorts made it to the island, and well before modern white settlement started in relatively modern 1948. Aboriginal tribes journeyed the vicinity since more than 15,000 years ago, and with the end of the last Ice Age the sea level rose and the outer islands of Moreton and Stradbroke were established.
Cairns’ Accomodation
Magic of Cairns’ Accomodation
Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef
Word is a beautiful place and many attractive places are available to enjoy. Cairns is also one of these great places. Cairns is situated in the northern part of Queensland, Australia. Cairns was earlier recognized by mine workers of Hodgkinson Rivergold area; later on it was developed as a main harbor of the Australian northeastern shore. The most exciting think about Cairns is that it is very nearer to Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef, it is the biggest reef organism in the world.cairns accommodation The Great Barrier Reef is created by 900 island and approximately 2,900 reefs. This is only one parts of Cairns’ attraction the other think which makes Cairns more beautiful is the rain forests which are located in the surrounding areas of Cairns. Many tourists come to Cairns only to feel the joy of living in the natural and wild atmosphere of rain forest. Daintree National park and Cape Tribulation is the best place for those who come to enjoy rainy wild life.
Vacation Resorts in Port Douglas
Spectacular Vacation Resorts in Port Douglas
Imagine yourself swimming the Barrier Reef or uncovering the splendor of rainforest in Australia’s exotic north Queensland. Sometimes a relaxing walk along the length of Four Mile Beach or taking pleasure in a family day trip on the shoreline is a lot more to ones taste. This and a great deal more can easily be yours within scenic Port Douglas. Whether you happen to be here for a really romantic vacation escape or maybe an exciting and adventure packed family vacation, anyone can certainly be sure to find the best Port Douglas Accommodation to match your every last desire. Whether you plan to spend a very romantic trip in an exclusive resort or are looking for a holiday dwelling or aparment for the whole family, guests will find that accommodation in Port Douglas to be second to none.
Your perfect holiday may very well encompass exploring ancient structures, browsing unusual, quaint community boutiques or trying the treats of native marketplaces. The more adventurous will not want to miss a round of playing golf or possibly pay explore to a rainforest wild animals centre. Your own perfect day in the sunshine may be topped off within a stress-free boardwalk café or experiencing a dining event at any one of the fantastic dining establishments within the community.
Diving Holidays
Diving Holidays – Book Your Scuba Diving Holiday Yourself
Unless you live on an island on a coral reef, chances are you’ll have to travel to get to the best scuba diving in the world. You’ll have to save your pennies and book a scuba diving holiday, and since such holidays don’t come cheap, it’s important to shop around to try to find the best diving holiday deals in the best locations.
One way to take a scuba diving holiday is to organize everything yourself. This way you will get exactly the holiday you’re looking for, but it will probably take a lot more planning and organizing than booking a tour. However, if you can’t find a dive tour that fits your requirements, don’t be afraid of booking and planning your diving holiday yourself.
The first thing you need to do is choose your location. You probably already have an idea of where you want to go. Perhaps Hawaii is calling you, or you’d like to dive a wreck somewhere. Perhaps the soft corals of Fiji have you entranced, or the endless wonders of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Queensland’s hidden beaches
Aerial view of Whitehaven Beach
It’s a balmy 27 degrees. The warm winter sun streams through the car window. As I step on the accelerator, I watch as a congested strip of retail chains and fast food outlets shrink from sight in the rear view mirror. Soon the busyness of Cairns makes way to a sea of vivid green cane fields, with the mist shrouded peaks of the Atherton Tableland as a backdrop. We’ve come in search of Queensland’s hidden beaches. Sure we’ve all heard of the famous Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas, Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday’s, Noosa’s Main Beach and lovely, tropical Mission Beach, but we want to see the secret jewels – the ones the locals don’t always tell you about. We want to go where there is barely another footprint and hold hands as we stroll along secluded beaches. We want to breathe deep, feel our pulse return to normal and get to know each other again.
Experience a tropical paradise
Experience a tropical paradise on the Whitsunday Islands
There’s nothing like dazzling white powder-soft sand between your toes, crystal clear sapphire-coloured waters, kaleidoscopic displays of coral and tropical fish, and uninhabited islands to explore.
Sailing in the Whitsundays
From the romantic Heart Reef to whiter than white Whitehaven Beach, there’s nowhere quite like the Whitsunday Islands. Aussies get a dreamy, faraway look in their eyes at the mention of it.
Dreamily basking in the sun midway along the Queensland coast – this group of 74 islands is bordered by the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and cradled by the calm and sheltered waters of the Coral Sea. With only eight inhabited, it’s the perfect place to find your own Robinson Crusoe moment.
Coastal spas and retreats
Australia has everything from indulgence spas to simple holistic spas with a wellness focus. There are experiences that nourish the soul as well as the mind and body. Some are wellness retreats others are set in bushland overlooking the beach, so you can enjoy the soothing therapy of water and the ocean in a beautiful setting in nature.
Enjoying a treatment in the Daintree (photo: media.australia)
While Asian and European destinations are well known for spa and wellness retreats, Australia also has its fair share of unique indulgence getaways.
Many hotels and resorts along our coastline have spas and there are any number of special lifestyle retreats offering special holistic and natural therapies with all manner of concoctions, including Aboriginal herbs and lotions. You can indulge in a beachside spa at a hotel or resort, a day spa in a beachside location, or an island spa at one of our Great Barrier Reef islands.
Or you may just want to escape to a peaceful beach retreat in a remote or secluded location where you can take long walks along the beach, or in the surrounding bush. Nourish the soul, feed the spirit and re-energize and relax away from the cares and worries of the outside world.
So, slip into your sarong or robe and slippers . . . it’s time for your treatment.
Uniquely Australian
Lifestyle Retreats
- Surfing and yoga usually aren’t associated, but they are at the Samudra yoga and surf retreats, held at the great surf spot of Dunsborough in Western Australia.
- Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in the Gold Coast hinterland is a health and holistic retreat offering all kinds of treatments, organic cuisine and a natural environment.
- Also in the Gold Coast hinterland, Golden Door and Camp Eden health and lifestyle retreats place an emphasis on fitness, remedial treatments and healthy eating in a beautiful environment.
Nature Retreats
- At Coconut Beach Rainforest Lodge in Far North Queensland, you’ll be holidaying in luxury. Unwind in the most exquisite of natural surroundings without sacrificing anything in the way of comfort, and relish the private rainforest views with easy access to white-sand Coconut Beach.
- For an eco-friendly experience, take the 30-minute ferry ride the Gold Coast to Couran Cove Island Resort on South Stradbroke Island, where the Day Spa overlooks the marina. It offers a range of treatments and special programs to promote health and wellbeing, including stress management, yoga, tai chi, meditation and healthy eating.
- Kewarra Beach Resort is nestled among 78 acres of absolute private beach frontage, native forests and lush tropical gardens, featuring two rockpools with spas and waterfalls. Just 20 minutes north of Cairns, this environmentally sensitive resort hosts an abundance of brightly coloured birds and butterflies.
Spas
- Peninsula Hot Springs is Victoria’s first natural hot mineral spring and spa located an hour from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula. It offers hot mineral spring pools and private baths (indoors and outdoors) and a massage spa centre using Li’Tya spa dreaming products (massages, facials, mud and steam).
- The heritage sea bath buildings in the Melbourne beachside suburb of St Kilda now houses Spa Dreamtime, which specialises in ‘water and steam journeys’, including Vichy show rain massage.
Hotel spas
- Pure indulgence awaits in Queensland’s ‘spa street’ in tropical Palm Cove. At the Sebel Reef House & Spa unwind with a banana body wrap or warm mapi mud cocoon just metres from swaying palm trees, turquoise waters and stunning views of the Coral Sea.
- At nearby Port Douglas, 20 minutes north of Cairns, the Peppers Beach club, is just steps away from the seemingly endless sands of Four Mile Beach. Also here is the luxurious Sea Temple Resort & Spa.
- Bali Hai resort in Broome, Western Australia has Balinese-style spa centre which even guests from other nearby resorts such as the Cable Beach Club, love to frequent.
Island spas
- At luxurious Lizard Island, the Great Barrier Reef’s most northerly resort, indulgence is almost a requirement. Drag yourself away from the 24 pristine beaches, the magnificent snorkelling and fine food and wine, and head for the Azure Spa, which offers treatments with names like Coral Sea Dreaming, Sapphire Sea Wrap and Ocean Review.
- Further south, the Whitsunday islands provide a myriad of choices for the spa-seeker. Exclusive Hayman is the setting for the Spa Chakra Hayman, which offers personally-tailored beauty and wellbeing programs. It has 13 treatment rooms, two relaxation lounges including a meditation suite, hydrotherapy area, saunas and steam rooms.
- On nearby Long Island, Peppers Palm Bay has a spa with the signature treatment an ‘rapt endota’ where guests are treated to full body exfoliation before being wrapped in Western Australian clay.
Originally published 30 November 2009.