The Mardi Gras explodes onto Sydney's streets!

February is Festival Month in Australia and the biggest festival of them all is already preparing to put on a dazzling, spectacular showpiece of a party!

Don’t miss out on the frollocking fun of Sydney’s world famous Mardi Gras in February, the biggest annual gay and lesbian event to hit Australia. With its flamboyant floats, outrageous street entertainers and music to dance your socks off to, this is one event worth visiting Australia for!

And Qantas have just made it even easier for you to join in the party and the Mardi Gras Recovery Week afterwards!

Qantas holidays have put together these fantastic package deals:

• 4 star Mardi Gras package from £2,035
• 4/5 star Mardi Gras package from £2,335
• 5 star Mardi Gras package from £2,699

These great deals are based on two adults sharing and include your international and domestic flights, 14 nights accommodation and transfers. Not only that, but 4 of those nights will see you staying at the exclusive Noosa resort, a popular post-Mardi Gras destination where you can continue to party with the best of them, or perhaps recover in style in this paradise location.

You’ll be able to join in the two key dates of the Mardi Gras, the parade on the 27 February and then party on the 6 March. We guarantee that you’ll have a truly unforgettable experience!

Flights to Australia leave the UK on the 24 February and return on the 12 March. Visit the Qantas holiday in Australia site for more information. This has got to be the hottest party in the world in one of the hottest places – so don’t miss your place!

We’d love to hear your experiences of the Sydney Mardi Gras, perhaps you’re planning to go for the first time? Or perhaps you’re a seasoned festival goer who wants to share tips on what to do when you get there. Whatever your opinion, let us know!

A dream holiday in Australia can be achieved in only two weeks.

Tourism Australia and Qantas have teamed up to persuade Brits that you only need two weeks to make the most of Australia.

A new promotion by Tourism Australia aims to debunk the notion that you need at least a month to visit Australia. Brits are being encouraged to think again and consider taking a two week ‘walkabout’ in Australia.

The campaign adopts the ‘walkabout’ phrase, used commonly in aboriginal culture to describe leaving behind everyday life and discovering what is really important to you, to encourage Brits to take a journey of rejuvenation and discovery in just two weeks.

The deal is aimed at Brits who may think that they don’t have the time to take a holiday in Australia. But the Two Week Walkabout promotion claims that if you pick just two or three key destinations instead of trying to do the whole of Australia, you’ll return home feeling refreshed and revitalised, with plenty of holiday memories to last a lifetime!

Tourism Australia point out that many flights leaving the UK for Australia depart in the evening, so if you book a Friday night flight and return two Sundays later, you can have 14 days in Australia. And to prove just how much you can do in 14 days, Tourism Australia have even planned itineraries to give you lots of ideas! Check them out on the Tourism Australia Two Week Walkabout site.

In conjunction with the promotion, Qantas is offering a Walkabout Pass with each internal flight from as little as £36 and flights to Australia from the UK from just £585. The offer ends on the 8 December 2009 or whenever tickets are sold out. Visit Qantas special offer.

Have a look too at our Australian city guides for more ideas of places to go and things to do in Australia. So what are you waiting for? Book the holiday of a lifetime today!

Qantas engineers air concerns about safety.

Friday the 13th is a date that conjurs up terror in many people and holidaymakers travelling to Australia with Qantas may have every right to fear it.

Engineers working for Qantas have chosen Friday 13th November to start their work ban over fears about safety.

Engineers who attended meetings in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, expressed concerns about fatigue management and professional advancement. As the issues were not resolved, they have decided on a ban of overtime and out of hours work from next Friday.

Qantas have responded to the threats by emailing their workforce asking them to return to negotiations. They also issued a statement saying that they would hope an agreement could be reached so that the travelling public would not be affected. “We do not expect there to be any disruption to our operations or our customers’ travel plans.�

“Safety will remain a priority and will not be compromised in any way. We will not be grounding aircraft as a result of the planned action.�

The engineers at Qantas are complaining of call-outs to resolve complex engineering issues on less than five hours sleep between jobs and accused Qantas of undermining their concerns by implying that the dispute is just about money.

A Qantas spokesman stated that “The union’s current pay claim of more than 30 per cent over three years is unreasonable.�

Qantas also stated that they were committed to resolving the issue and had contingency plans to ensure that travellers would not be affected by any industrial action.

Get close to the real celebrities with this fantastic travel deal to Australia!

Ever wanted to take part in ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’? Well here is your chance to get about as close as some of us may ever get!

Tour operator Australian Sky are offering you the chance to get a glimpse of what it is like on the nation’s favourite reality television show with a special 15 night city and coastal tour of Queensland, where the show is set.

Your experience will start at the exclusive Palazzo Versace Hotel in Brisbane, which is where the stars of the show enjoy their last days of pampering before being whisked off to the jungle. You’ll be able to live like a celebrity by making full use of the hotel’s luxurious facilities and award-winning restaurants. Wear your dark glasses and you may get the paparazzi on your heels!

After a week filled with relaxation and pampering fit for any celeb, you’ll be taken off into the bush to experience the highlights of bushlife without any of the discomforts. On the way you’ll be able to gaze in wonder at the Glass House Mountains and do a spot of sunbathing on one of the pristine beaches such as the famous Airlie Beach.

As the eight night tour into the Bush is a self-drive one, you can dictate when and where you stop. An itinerary with booked accommodation will make your trip a more reassuring and relaxed one.

Prices start from just £2,599 per person and includes flights from London Heathrow, seven nights at the Palazzo Versace Hotel on a room only basis, full car hire and B&B accommodation for the eight night tour into Cairns. The only extra cost to yourself are your main meals - you can either choose to dine in luxury or you could always be a true celebrity and hunt down the odd widgety grub!

Challenges are not included in the itinerary, but you can always make your own up as you go along!

So what are you waiting for? Don your khaki gear and oversized hat and get out there now!

Police were on hand to protect Tiger airways staff from angry passengers as the cancellation of flight TT567 was announced at Hobart airport last Friday.

The Hobart to Melbourne service was cancelled when a cabin crew member suddenly fell ill. The airline commented “Unfortunately we do not have a crew base in Hobart and so no replacement was available (and) we need a certain amount of cabin crew to fly each flight by law.�

“Tiger Airways apologises to affected passengers but this situation was outside our control.�

Mike Walters who was booked on the flight claimed he and his wife were effectively abandoned after the cancellation of the flight.  “We were isolated in a hotel at Cambridge airport some 17 kilometres from Hobart without any local shops or supplies,� Mr Walters said.

Mr Walters said he forked out for a flight back to Melbourne yesterday on Virgin Blue because he could not wait until today, particularly as he had run out of medication.

“To add to our irritation we had to pay for alternative accommodation, transport, interstate telephone calls to family and the Tiger call centre and meals out of our own pocket with the promise of an unspecified refund in two months’ time,â€? Mr Walters said.

“We know of other passengers on our flight who missed interstate connections to family weddings, including one best man.

An airline spokesperson  said the 140 passengers booked on the flight were offered a range of options “over and above our terms and conditions that passengers agree to at time of booking�.

These options included refunds and credits, accommodation in Hobart for non-residents and transfers to other flights.

“Some passengers opted to fly on Saturday, some on Sunday and there is a flight tonight at 9:15pm departing Hobart with spare seats,� they added.

Golfers who fancy combining exploring Australia’s outback and dealing with 18 holes should be heading to Australia. The Nullarbor Links golf course opened officially today. The course which was conceived five years ago “over a couple of beers� will attract tourists and golfers to the Eyre highway which traverses the Nullarbor Plain hugging a part of Australia’s southern coastline.

The 18 holes cover an amazing 848 miles, more than the entire length of Britain. Sounds like you’ll need a fit caddy doesn’t it? Well the actual course is 6,520 yards, however the 18 holes are up to 60 miles apart.

Each hole is located in a different town featuring a local attraction including a working sheep station and the Big Kangaroo statue at Border Village so Golfers will get to stay in some rather unusual locations.

Take advantage of cheap flights to visit Australia!

There are only a few days left for you to grab a cheap flight to Australia with some of the major Australian airways, so put your holiday plans on hold until you’ve looked at these special offers!

If you book before the 31^st October, you can take advantage of the special fares flying to some of the major cities in Australia from the UK for a holiday of a lifetime!

Emirates are offering these fantastic fares which could see you heading out to Sydney for just £650 return; or Perth for £569 return; or how about Melbourne for just £641 return or bag a bargain to Brisbane for £653.

Choose your departure airport from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle or Glasgow. You can take your holiday anytime between 20 April – 30 June 2010. Find out more by visiting Emirates special flight offers to Australia.

Qantas, not to be outdone, have their own special offers on flights to Australia. Again, you need to book before the 31^st of October.

You could be travelling to Perth from as little as £582 return; Melbourne from £663, Darwin from £668; Adelaid from £671, Cairns from £671; Sydney from £672 and Brisbane from £675. Flights depart from Heathrow airport but you can also fly from Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh or Newcastle, however prices will vary from airport to airport, with Heathrow offering the cheapest flights.

Dates for departure are flexible but again, prices may vary. You can also take advantage of Qantas’ Walkabout Offer with these deals. The Walkabout Pass allows you to add up to 6 domestic flights in Australia – so you get to see a whole lot more of Australia for your money! Find out more about Qantas’ special flight offers to Australia and the Walkabout fare.

These really are fantastic flight deals to Australia so get them while you can! And if you’re stuck for things to do once you get there – like that’d ever happen! – why not check out our holiday ideas for places to visit in Australia. Or join our busy online community for advice on where to go and what to see, from people who’ve already been there, done that.

The delightful seaside town of Bunbury.

The people of Bunbury, the port town in Western Australia, will be popping champagne corks and partying in the streets today after being awarded the 2009 GWN Top Tourism Town Award.

Bunbury, famed for the dolphins at Koombana Bay and being the birth place of the first Premier of Australia, John Forrest, beat four other finalists to scoop the prestigious top prize. The other finalists were: Kununurra, Kojonup and Margaret River.

Bunbury however shone out because of its first rate tourism industry and because of the warm welcome extended to visitors by townsfolk. Bunbury is now an even more desirable resort to holiday in after the completion of the Forrest Highway, which brings the city of Perth a whole 30 minutes closer.

Tourism Minister Liz Constable admitted that the judges had deliberated long and hard over the winner, possible sleepless nights were had: “The judges faced a tough choice in deciding the Top Town Award this year but Bunbury’s great mix of tourism attractions was a deserving choice for the Top Town.�

Kununurra did however scoop the Top Tourism Town Award available to towns with a population of less than 2,500, it also won the category for Special Events.

Bunbury was recognised in 2007 as Australia’s fastest growing city for 2005/6 and now has a population of over 33,000. It’s major feature is Bunbury Tower or the ‘Milk Carton’ as it is affectionately known, due to its distinctive shape and blue and white colours. It does not however, produce any milk.

Planning a holiday to Australia? Check out our Australia holiday guide and ask our online community about places to go.

Cheap flights to Australia could soon be a thing of the past...

If you want to get cheap flights to Australia and bargain hotel rooms, then you’d better act quickly as the days of bargain bookings look set to be over.

The American Express Global Business Travel Forecast has been predicting increases in travel costs and hotel rooms in the light of improving economic circumstances, especially in Asia-Pacific.

The Forecast predicts a rise in Australian domestic flights of up to 6 per cent and a rise of 7 per cent in international flights. And once you arrive at your destination you may be paying up to 6 per cent more for hotel rooms.

Whilst the rising rates signal good news for the aviation industry that has been struggling to keep some routes open, it does mean a possible end to cheap flights both within and to Australia.

Nevertheless you may still be able to pick up a few bargains within Europe as hotel prices are forecast to carry on falling,  however European domestic flights may increase by up to 2 per cent.

The price increase forecasts would seem to suggest a slow global recovery, yet despite this many experts are still predicting another slump before the real recovery begins. If that happens the American Forecast says that flight prices will still rise, but only by 1 per cent.

So if you want to take advantage of low airfare prices and bargain hotel rooms, we recommend you book now! Take a gander at our flights section where we scour the internet every month to give you the latest flight deals to Australia.

Passengers can travel in style in a convair 580.

To celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the first scheduled flights to Australia from the UK, Qantas are offering 22 lucky, and loaded, people the chance to relive that first flight with a trip to Australia in a classic Convair CV580!

The 22 passengers will embark on the ‘Classical Route’; a 22 day tour from London to Sydney following the original route made by the first travellers to Australia, which includes a ‘flight seeing’ tour over the Himalayas.

The tour will stop at a total of 13 destinations including Prague, Kathmandu, Saigon and Uluru (Ayres Rock) and at each destination you’ll be given the chance to take in some of the wonderful sights of your location. Luxury accommodation and all meals will be provided. The tour departs from London on the 8 April 2010 and return flights by airbus are also included in the price.

Ah yes, the price. A snip at just £20,390 per person! Wow – I think I’ll have two! To book your tickets and find out more, visit Qantas.

And if that price is just a little out of your budget, you can always check out our flight deals to Australia.