Qantas holidays has introduced a Fly Free in Western Australia offer for travellers who book return flights with Qantas from London to Perth. Book the return flights and a five night stay at one of a selected number of properties in Broome or Exmouth & you get the internal flights from Perth free.

It’s the largest Australian State, home to Australia’s sunniest capital, Perth and the largest collection of wildflowers on earth.  Here visitors can camel ride, swim with whale sharks and sup on delicious wines from vineyards running down to the beach.  Get out and experience the extraordinary with one of the following options:

Broome & The Kimberley - Set between a vast red desert and azure blue sea ringed by pure white sands, lies Broome.  Founded as a pearling port over a century ago, Broome is now famous for the coastal paradise of Cable Beach, one of the most stunning beaches in the world.  Broome highlights include taking a camel ride on Cable Beach and exploring the beehive shaped Bungle Bungles.

Package starts from £1325* per person twin-share and includes:

Return flights in Economy with Qantas from London Heathrow to Perth Return flights from Perth to Broome 5 nights at Mercure Broome

* Price based on travel between 11 August – 30 November 2011

Exmouth & The North West Coast  - Swim through an underwater paradise of vibrant coral, brightly coloured fish, dolphins and manta rays in just about the clearest turquoise water on Earth at Exmouth.  Or head to Monkey Mia, world renowned for its bottlenose dolphins that visit these shores every day, a must for families and nature lovers. For a real thrill, swim with the huge whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef.

Package starts from £1475* per person twin-share and includes:

Return flights in Economy with Qantas from London Heathrow to Perth Return flights from Perth to Exmouth 5 nights at Monkey Mia Resort

* Price based on travel between 11 August – 30 November 2011

Perth & Margaret River - Famous for its blue skies, warm climate and friendly people, the riverside capital of Perth is truly one of Australia’s most beautiful cities.  To the south of Perth lies the region of Margaret River, a superb blend of good living and stunning nature where visitors can experience the region’s culinary delights including award winning wines, exquisite cheeses, jams and olive oils.

Instead of the free flight, this package includes 5 days car hire.  To take advantage of this offer, you must book at least 5 consecutive nights from among the qualifying hotels, with at least 2 nights at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle.

Package starts from £1529* per person twin-share and includes:

Return flights in Economy with Qantas from London Heathrow to Perth 5 days car hire 2 nights at Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle 3 nights at Karri Valley Resort, Pemberton

* Price based on travel between 11 August – 30 November 2011

The free flight offer is only available in conjunction with international return flights from the UK to Perth booked through Qantas Holidays. Internal flights are return in economy with Qantas from Perth to either Broome or Exmouth, inclusive of all fees and taxes.  To qualify for this offer a minimum of five nights must be booked at one of the selected hotels.  Offer is based on two adults travelling together and sharing twin accommodation.  Valid on new bookings made between 1 – 31 August 2011  and for travel commencing and completed between 1 August 2011 – 9 December 2011 and 11 January –30 June 2012.

The airline which was grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority of Australia (CASA) because of safety concerns, has been given a set of formal conditions that it must meet, some of which must be satisfied prior to the reintroduction of domestic flights.

In a statement, Tiger said, “As a result of the progress made since 1 July 2011 (when it was grounded until August 1), Tiger Airways Australia is confident that it can comply with these conditions and expects to resume services in the near future.”

Tiger Airways Australia said it would automatically refund all passengers booked to fly between August 1 and August 4 (both dates inclusive).

“A further announcement, concerning flights scheduled to operate from August 5, 2011 and the re-commencement of sales, will be made at the appropriate time,” Tiger said.

Colin and Christine Chapman recently won £161 million on the Euromillion jackpot and quickly stated that at the top of their wish list was to stand at the foot of Ayers Rock (Uluru).

Tourism NT has been equally quick to point out that some of the best things in life are free, like visiting Uluru. Though we Brits have to spend a bit on flights and accommodation, they have a point.

Uluru is one of the world’s iconic places and has recently been shortlisted to become one of the worlds New7Wonders of Nature, the results of which will be released on the 11^th of November.

Uluru certainly does provide a unique experience for travellers. Tourism NT points out Uluru offers visitors a rich spiritual and cultural experience helping them disconnect from their every day routine and reconnect with the land.

The Red Centre region has a wealth of experiences; take a helicopter tour for the ultimate aerial views of Uluru; enjoy a camel trek at sunrise or for a deeper understanding of the awesome rock and its ancient Dreamtime stories take a cultural tour round the 9.4km base with a traditional owner.

Mr & Mrs Weir, our Jacket pot winners could easily afford to charter their own private jet to the Red Centre and check into the Northern Territory’s most exclusive hotels. However luxury tour operator Bridge & Wickers has launched a super deluxe 10-day itinerary from £15,590 per person based on two adults sharing. Perfect for those who have yet to win the jackpot but still want to experience Australia’s Outback in sheer style.

The 10 day luxury itinerary includes return first class flights*  with Qantas from London Heathrow, four nights in Kakadu and Arnhemland with Lords Safaris including a stay at Bamurru Plains, one night in Darwin at Feathers Sanctuary (B+B), and an overnight journey onboard The Ghan train in Platinum Sleeper service (with all meals). Three nights at Longitude 131 with views of Uluru (full board), a helicopter flight over Uluru & Kata Tjuta, a camel trek at sunrise, a private cultural tour of Uluru, Sounds of Silence Dinner, plus all internal flights and transfers are included as part of the package.  To book, visit www.bridgeandwickers.co.uk or call 020 7483 6555

Kimberley heritage cattle drive

It seems that upmarket tourists are increasing looking for the “city slicker” experience (for those of you who remember the Billy Crystal movie from 1991) and providers are responding.

Nick Crabb, General Manger at Qantas Holidays says “We are seeing an increasing number of customers opting for a different kind of luxury experience,” adding “It’s less about extravagant, designer hotels and more about experiencing awe-inspiring nature and engaging with local people and culture.  Travellers want to get under the skin of a destination.”

Activities ranging from camping in national parks to staying in private homes or learning local skills, people are seeking out more natural and authentic experiences.

One experiential luxury product  Qantas Holidays has recently added to its programme includes the Kimberley Heritage Cattle Drive in Western Australia, which starts this month.

The Cattle Drive is a six day horse riding adventure in the Outback. Guests will help drover boss ‘JR’ round up feral cattle in Australia’s wild Kimberley region and herd them along the savannah landscape, dotted with majestic gorges, powerful waterfalls and the distinctive Boab tree. This epic journey includes horsemanship lessons, nights camping out under star-filled skies and the chance to help protect the Kimberley, one of the world’s last wildernesses from the damaging hooves of the feral cattle. At each stage local indigenous drovers will provide guests with an insight into the meaning of the country that the cattle drive passes through. Gourmet outback dinners will be shared around a roaring campfire, with live music and story-telling from the drovers before earning the luxurious comfort of the Home Valley Station on the last night.

Price from £2,940 per person, including 5 nights accommodation, meals, entertainment, horse and tack, and transfers from Kununurra. The cattle drive will run annually every June to August.

“The Kimberley Heritage Cattle Drive is exactly the kind of authentic experience we are seeing become more popular with our customers.   This trip offers the rare chance to travel slowly through amazing landscape in comfort with local people, to really get to grips with the area and its history.

“Guests don’t have to compromise on comfort or quality to indulge in a truly memorable Australian adventure,” he concludes.
Interested then check out Qantas Holidays

Qantas have come to an agreement with jet engine manufacturer Rolls Royce on a financial settlement following the mid-air explosion that grounded its fleet of A380s.

Rolls Royce will pay Qantas £62 million in compensation.

The airline suffered severe disruption and financial impact after an A380 was forced to make an emergency landing when one of its engines, a Trent-900, exploded just after take off from Singapore last November.

Qantas grounded all six of its A380s for tests following the incident.

The carrier then brought legal proceedings against Rolls Royce but this week’s announcement of the settlement brings a close to the row.

A Qantas statement said: “Qantas looks forward to a continued strong relationship with Rolls-Royce on the basis of the settlement announced today.”

Both Qantas and Jetstar resume services to and from Perth.

Flight services had been suspended due to the ash cloud spreading over Western Australia from Chile’s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano .

Qantas said all Australian domestic services would operate as scheduled but services to and from New Zealand would remain suspended until 12pm local time on Thursday.

Qantas will continue to monitor the movement of the ash cloud and assess its impact on flight operations.

It has been reported that passengers have been frustrated by different responses from airlines to the ash cloud crisis.

Qantas has insisted on “safety before schedule” in cancelling flights while Air New Zealand found ways to operate which, it said, had been approved by safety authorities (flying at lower altitude).

However, AirNZ cancelled some South Island services on Thursday morning due to the ash cloud forming at lower levels, but later resumed its schedules.

Pacific Blue has suspended services into and out of Auckland and Hamilton in New Zealand because of the volcanic ash plume.

The airline said the plume that had been in the Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin regions had moved further north, necessitating the schedule changes.

The recent volcanic eruption in Chile has forced the cancellation of flights into and out of Perth Western Australia.

The ash cloud is thought to be too low prompting Quantas, Jetstar and Virgin to stop flights in and out of the city.

Experts assessing the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano predict further activity in the days to come. Previous activity from the range in the 1920’s and 1960’s went on for months.

Sean Donohue Virgin Australia group executive said “The ash plume is forecast to be at a lower band level of approximately 15,000ft and with this in mind, Virgin Australia will suspend all services into and out of Perth as a precautionary measure.”

Travelling around Australia may soon be a completely different experience if the design for a new bullet train named the Australian High Speed Vehicle (A-HSV) becomes a reality.

The designer Hassell has released concept images for the train which could replace traditional air journeys for some routes, the journey from Melbourne to Sydney at 400km/h for example would take just under three hours.

 The proposed double-decker train will not only be far more comfortable to travel in, it will also reduce reliance on air travel and the use of cars for covering long distances thus cutting carbon emissions.  

 “The A-HSV presents an alternative low-carbon, safe mode of transport for future travel between Australian capital and regional cities,” a Hassell spokesperson said.

 “Pioneering a new concept in the way Australians commute and travel, the double-decker train would offer the choice of modern, spacious, open plan commuter seating or private berths for business meetings or luxury travellers.”

Hassell aims to revolutionise the way in which Australians travel.

Australia is currently lagging far behind Asia in its train network where Shanghai boasts the 581km/h Maglev train and Japan has the 300km/h “Hayabusa” bullet train.

Australians are travelling more than ever with the strong Aussie dollar weighing their pockets down

Australians are travelling more than ever on the back of the strong Australian dollar. There was a 29 percent increase in the number of Australians travelling abroad in the past year, increasing from 537,100 last April to 693,000 for the same month this year.  

Despite the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull Australians have been travelling to the United States, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia in larger numbers than ever.

The Australian Federation of Travel Agents CEO Jayson Westbury said that the numbers of people booking holidays abroad has begun to decrease.

“The biggest factor affecting people’s decisions is consumer confidence and taxation arrangements,” he said.

The most popular destination for Australians is New Zealand with the UK and Thailand also up there. People travelling to Cambodia and Vietnam increased by 55 and 54 percent respectively.  

Data shows that not every where is benefitting from the Australian dollar, there was a significant drop in Aussies going to Egypt due to unrest in the Middle East however the death of Osama Bin Laden has not deterred travel as much as expected. The number of people travelling to Japan dropped by 53 percent following the earthquake and tsunami in March.

Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive John Lee said that while it is good that Aussies are enjoying more holidays, it is bad for the national economy and indicative of the problems that a strong currency bring.

“As the number of Australians travelling overseas continues to soar, largely thanks to the strong dollar, fewer people are holidaying domestically and that’s bad news for tourism operators, especially in regional areas of Australia,’’

The great Australian road trip is making a comeback as domestic tourism picks up on the back of soaring international air fares, the strong dollar and a 30 year high in caravan production.

21,164 caravans and RV’s were built in 2010, a 32 percent increase on the previous year and a 30 year high. Figures from the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association show that the last time production hit 20,000 was in 1980.

RMVAA president Richard Raven said “The beauty of owning a caravan or other type of recreational vehicle is that people can go where they want to when they want to, and at their own pace – and economically too.”

It seems that now is the time to take to the road and take in the world renowned sights that Australia has to offer from the ancient wonder of Ayers Rock to the hundreds of stunning beaches, from the metropolis of Sydney to the Great Barrier Reef.

Explorers can explore the red centre, the Great Ocean Road and the outstanding expanse of the Blue Mountains.

So if you are thinking of making the trip down under you might consider taking to the road for an unforgettable sight-seeing excursion around the oldest country on the planet.