If you've ever missed the days of your childhood when you would build forts and tree hoses and sleep outside, then you will love the crazy new option in Australian accomodation. The are tree houses and hideways scattered throughout the treetops of the rainforests.These oaises are not much like the tree houses we used to build though; they are beautifully designed with floor to celing windows, and often include spas. Here are a few examples of these getaways. The first, located in Byron Bay, is called Oasis Resort. Another highly popular one is Haggerstone Island overlooking the Great Barrier Reef. Here are some pictures of both places; they look really amazing. I know I'll definitely stay in one on my next trip to Aussie.
Oasis Resort
Haggerstone Island Resort

If you've ever missed the days of your childhood when you would build forts and tree hoses and sleep outside, then you will love the crazy new option in Australian accomodation. The are tree houses and hideways scattered throughout the treetops of the rainforests.These oaises are not much like the tree houses we used to build though; they are beautifully designed with floor to celing windows, and often include spas. Here are a few examples of these getaways. The first, located in Byron Bay, is called Oasis Resort. Another highly popular one is Haggerstone Island overlooking the Great Barrier Reef. Here are some pictures of both places; they look really amazing. I know I'll definitely stay in one on my next trip to Aussie.
Oasis Resort
Haggerstone Island Resort

Hostels: The Underrated Alternative

When traveling a really important and money saving option is hostels. There are thousands of hostels located all around the world and offer travelers a cheap and comfortable alternative, expecially for those traveling alone who can't afford to rent a whole hotel room themselves. Like hotels, hostels come in different degrees of quality, so its really important for travelers to research hostels before selecting one. There are many resources available, and I've listed some websites here of hostel networks across Europe and in Australia and New Zealand:
Boots n'All-allows searching by region, also lists top 20 hostel destination cities
Hostels.com-can search hostels by cities, and featuring customer pollings
Cheapest hostels in Europe, features a full trip planner

Enjoying the Bridge Climb 

Sydney Bridge Climb

One of the most amazing experiences in Sydney, and the world in general, is the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. Hundreds of thousand of locals and tourists have done it, including many celebrities. When I first thought of climbing a 400 foot bridge over the Sydney Harbour, obviously I was scared to death. However, the bridge climb team is extremely competent and professional, and by the time I was done with training, I felt way more confident- the fact that we were attatched to the bridge by a metal cable didn't hurt either. The climb itself lasted around three hours, and although some parts were really scary, the view from the top is so amazing, and so is the sense of achievement you'll feel when you're done. Oh, and you'll also want to check out this great bar across the street to celebrate, there will definitely be tons of other climbers doing the same.

Check out this link of Climber Reviews- they'll definitely convince you to try it!

Sydney Sights

When traveling to Australia, its absolutely essential to spend a good amount of time in Sydney (I would say at least a week). It is such an amazing city with so much history and culture and tons to do for all types of people. St. Martin's place is a great area for shoppers- they have outdoor malls with all the top designer stores. For history/culture buffs there's the Art Museum, the old jail ( where you can actually pay to stay for a night). And then there's my favorite, and Botanical Gardens and Opera House. The gardens are incredibly beautiful with heaps of people playing soccer, walking and relaxing. On the other side of the park you have the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, which is an amazing sight. For me it was something I had always seen in pictures, but couldn't imagine actually being there. All of these things and so much more add to the magic of Sydney- its really something that's hard to describe, but definitely should be experienced.

Boots n' All Service

While working on my blog last week, I came across a very interesting and useful website, so I decided to write a post, hoping more to make it known to more people. The website is Boots n' All, and its a travel community where all kind of travelers can get information, post messages and interact on all aspects of world travel. Travelers can also develop blogs through this site, and I've included a few interesting ones on the Austrlain Blog sidebar. I was reading through them the other day- there are some really interesting experiences, and they made me miss my times in Australia. I also suggest checking out some of the links for cheap tickets and hostel information, which I have included also on the side bar

Australians Missing in Earthquake

In the wake of the tragic earthquake which struck Indonesia, 13 Australians were reported missing. These Australians were mainly surfers, surfing off the Indonesian island, Nias. Fortunately, in the past day, 6 were survivors have been found, and Australian officials are still vigorously looking for the 7 others. Embassy officials have been contacting local surf shops in the area, attempting to determine the exact location of the missing people, which could take several days. So far over 1,000 people are estimated to have died in the earthquake.

U2 Cancels Sydney Concerts

Many Australians have been dissappointed by the news that U2 will not be apppearing in Sydney as planned. U2 has recently postponed their concert tour to Sydney, to add additional shows to their current tour in the US. The band had tentatively scheduled two dates in December at the Sydney Superdome, but now these shows will be held off until 2006. When they finally do appear, I'm sure they will be worth the wait.

New Train to Sydney

There is exciting news in Sydney with the prospect of a new train that will help the currently congested commute many workers face daily. Independent contractors are fighting to build a new trian that would link Sydney to surrounding suburbs and would cut travel time by up to 45 minutes. New train lines have been proposed several times in the past few years, but government officials have never gave the subject serious consideration. This train would provide more lines to Sydney suburbs and proived commuter with newer, faster trains, and possibly result in more jobs in Sydney