Brisbane X

Adelaide’s central business district measures just one square mile. Wherever you are in the city, it is within the heart of Adelaide. Festivals, food, arts, culture, shopping and sports, this is Adelaide. Whether you want to party or relax on your next holiday, South Australia’s capital has it all. With vibrant inner-city districts, sophisticated architecture and lush gardens, plenty of accommodation to select from, Adelaide is the perfect destination for a wide variety of vacation activities.

Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, located on the Torrens River and surrounded to the east by the ranges and to the west by the beach, it prides itself on its live music and arts scene, its historic building heritage and its central location to one of Australia’s best known wine grape growing regions, the Barossa Valley.

You might prefer to follow in the footsteps of sporting champions at the world-famous Adelaide Oval. Or retreat to the beachside suburbs of Henley Beach, Glenelg & Semaphore. As Adelaide is situated on the coast, its beaches are many. One can choose between city beaches or quieter out-of-town beaches about half an hour from the city centre.

Since Adelaide is situated in a gulf, the beaches are calm and safe. For those who enjoy surfing, the open sea beaches are about one hour away. Since the beaches face west, one can enjoy the most magnificent sunsets.

There is little doubt that Adelaide Oval is indeed one of the most picturesque and photographed cricket grounds in the world. Australians take their cricket extremely seriously, and Adelaide is without doubt an important element of the Australian sporting scene.

Residents of Adelaide can play or watch a number of sports including AFL, swimming, tennis, netball, soccer, hockey, cycling, horse racing and a variety of water sports. South Australians pride themselves on their level of involvement in sport and have a proud tradition of participation and winning in a wide variety of sports.

The mighty Murray River is an hour’s drive from Adelaide. It is a favorite aquatic spot for South Australians and provides many diverse leisure activities such as skiing, angling and swimming.

At the University of Adelaide the new Business School creates a stimulating multidisciplinary learning environment that fosters the pursuit of leadership and excellence in both research and education.

South Australia has over 78,000 small businesses. Of these an estimated 55,000 are located within the Adelaide metropolitan area. Almost 40% of these employ between 1 - 19 people making small business a major source of regional employment within Adelaide.

Adelaide offers a diversity of food, wine & culture, it offers a thriving sports scene and growing small business sector. When planning your next holiday destination or a new residential location take a close look at Adelaide. When in Adelaide don’t hesitate to use the Adelaide Locality Directory to find everything form community groups, hospitals, restaurants, accommodation, employment and much more.

travel adelaide-directory adelaide-locality-directory adelaide-business-directory

Fun, sun and memories of a relaxing summer vacation, these are ideal elements for a vacation of a lifetime when you holiday in Cairns and the Tropical North.

Blessed with a holiday climate most of the year, featuring temperatures in the Summer months (October-April) of 29-33 degrees C, and Winter months (April-October) 25-29 degrees C, Cairns boasts some of the planet’s most vibrant natural attractions, the barrier reef, the rainforest and the Australian Outback, and they are all here awaiting for you to discover.

The very friendly residents of Tropical North Queensland will show you the kind of warm and efficient service that has become the envy of other tourism areas. Adventure tourism, night life, dining and shopping add to the excitement and attraction of this fabulous place.

If you have been here before, welcome back. If you are here for the first time, bask in our tourist offerings and make the most of your vacation.

Australia’s premier regional city, Cairns is the world’s entrance to Tropical North Queensland. It is a vibrant cosmopolitan destination with warm, sunny tropical days tempered by cooling ocean breezes. Enjoy a stroll along the iconic Esplanade or satisfy your hunger in one of Cairns’ many multi-cultural, diverse and award-winning eateries.

Cairns grants access to the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests as well as the Australian Outback. Cairns, with its international and domestic airport, is the first stop for most visitors who want to see the authentic Australia.

Relax on the glorious beaches, dive on the reef and experience the unique tropical rainforests that date back to when Australia was part of ancient Gondwanaland, thousands of years ago.

Take a swim in the modern Cairns Esplanade lagoon, then look across the calm waters of Trinity Inlet and you will view coastal ranges and mangrove habitats that have changed little since the site was named by Captain James Cook in 1770.

The beautiful Esplanade Lagoon is the perfect place to spend a lazy day basking in the sun and wading in the lagoon’s cool and seductive shallows. There are many shaded spots to take refuge from the sun in the heat of the day, as well as cooking facilities. The boardwalk has unique displays of Cairns’s local history and has many exercise facilities for those keen on getting a bit of exercise.

Cairns is extremely well suited to walking, or travel by bicycle. Well trodden routes and dedicated walking tracks abound or a visit to the Cairns Botanical Gardens is not to be missed. 38 hectares of native Australian gardens are maintained to big city botanical garden standards, and many species found here cannot be seen elsewhere. Located among the plants is a coffee shop and restaurant, it is open every day for breakfast and lunch. Admission to the gardens is free.

Interested in Cairns attractions? Check out what’s available at http://www.attractionscairns.com.au

travel cairns-attractions cairns-tours

Aldabra Atoll is part of the Aldabra Group, one of the archipelagos of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. The second largest atoll in the world after Kiritimati, Aldabra is the coraline tip of a volcanic sea mount, coming up from depths of 4,000 to 4,500m (13,120 to 14,760 ft). At 34 km (21 mi) long, 14.5 km (9 mi) wide and just 8 in (26 ft) above sea level, the atoll is made up from four coral limestone islands forming a circle around a lagoon of 224 sq km (86 sq mi).

The lagoon is tidal loses two-thirds of its waters at low tide. Aldabra was given World Heritage status in 1982 to protect its delicate natural environment.

Because the atoll is so remote, many of its species of flora and fauna are found only here. The islets and rocky outcrops in the lagoon provide nesting areas for thousands of birds.

It has possibly the largest population of red-tailed tropic birds and the second largest colony of frigate birds in the world. Many other birds are found here also, including the Aldabra flightless rail, the only flightless bird found on any Indian Ocean island.

The Aldabran giant tortoises are, however, the atoll’s most renowned residents, being the last of the giant tortoises which were once spread across the entire region. Commercial exploitation is believed to have made all other giant tortoises in the area extinct by the mid-19th century, and very nearly exterminated the Aldabran population. Two species of marine turtle also nest on beaches on Aldabra: the green turtle and hawksbill turtle.

Unlike the nearby Seychelles, the atoll is inhospitable to humans as the limestone has been eroded into sharp spikes and water-filled pits. However, the mangroves support fish nurseries, and the lagoon is home to a wealth of marine life, from black-tipped reef sharks to eagle rays and parrot fish.

For almost a century, scientists have been studying the flora and fauna of the atoll, which is uninhabited other than by those working at the scientific research station.

Looking for cheap flights and cheap airfares? What about domestic flights? Call or visit escape Travel today for all your travel needs.

travel flights airfares holidays domestic

Lake Malaren is one of the largest lakes in Sweden, next to the town of Stockholm. The lake’s area is 1,140 square km and its greatest depth is 64 metres. Its numerous islands contain an incredibly rich history, a gorgeous lush historical landscape with palaces, old churches, rune stones, forty castles, and two World Heritage Sites - the Palace of Drottningholm on the island of Lovo and the Viking sites of Birka on Bjorkb and HovgArden on Adelso.

The Royal domain of Drottningliolm with its Chinese pavilion, wooden theatre, and Baroque gardens is a stunning 17th century palace complex, modeled on Versailles and set in the pastoral landscape of Lovo. Birka, Sweden’s most ancient city, and one of its most famous historic monuments, is situated on Bjorko — an island that today has a romantic, desolate air about it.

Birka was founded at the end of the 8th century and for nearly 200 years was at the centre of European commerce In the late tenth century the build up of sediment made the lake too shallow for ships to navigate and the city was deserted.

Hovgarden, the kings farm on the neighbouring island of Adelso, remained in use until the late Middle Ages. Today these lovely islands are beautiful places in which to walk and ride as well as see the incredibly well preserved Viking ruins.

The landscape of Lake Malaren was formed at the end of the lee Age when the land started to rise as a result of the gradual melting of the ice-cap lifting the tons of pressure that had been bearing down on it.

Quite apart from the cultural heritage contained in these islands, the moraine ridges and lush valleys are scenically lovely. They include rolling farmland dotted with oak trees, pine forest on rocky hills, and trees and grasses growing right down to the waterline.

Looking for student travel deals? Maybe exciting ski holidays to New Zealand or Europe are more your style? Contact Student Travel for cheap airfares and holiday packages.

travel ski-holidays student-travel

Munich is packed with beautiful beer gardens, magnificent public green areas and buildings with ornate stucco facades. Tradition and modernism rub shoulders in Munich as in no other German city.

The small town charm of many Munich districts stands in great contrast with the hectic pace of big city life on the Marienplatz or along the sidewalks of Maximilian Street. Quite aside from the famed Oktoberfest held each autumn, this city on the Isar River offers visitors an abundance of architectural treasures. During the years of the last century, Munich has become one of Germany’s most important media and business centres. Munich’s unique combination of Blackberries and lederhosen have made the city one of the most frequented business and tourism destinations in Europe.

From Petersbergl to Munich.
Monks settled on the Isar in the eighth century, building Tegernsee Monastery at the place they called Petersbergl. The crypt of the church of St. Peter, Munich’s oldest, dates back to the early Middle Ages. In the twelfth century Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, constructed the city of Munich around St. Peter’s. Under the command of this powerful duke, Munich became an important city. It was the official residence of the Bavarian dukes from 1255 and named the capital city of Bavaria in 1506.

A square for football celebrations.
Just as Munich is the heart of Bavaria, the Marienplatz is the heart of the city, the most popular and best known of the many squares in Munich. The new city hall is on the north side of the square, with the old city hall, the Rathaus, on its eastern side. St. Peter’s is just a few steps away. The famous and beloved Bayern Munchen football team has traditionally celebrated its championship titles on the Marienplatz with thousands of enthusiastic fans.

Munich conjures up images of Oktoberfest, the Hofbrauhaus, shady beer gardens and people wearing lederhosen and dirndl. All of these images are accurate, but Munich is more than simply a museum of Bavarian traditions. The city is one of Germany’s most important publishing and television centres, for example. Many publishing houses, radio and television stations, film production companies and recording studios are headquartered in the media city of Munich. As a result, Munich is home to more actors, artists, TV executives and celebrities than any other German city.

Summer residence of the Bavarian monarchs.
The celebrities of the past, the Bavarian dukes, princes and kings, also resided in Munich. Their legacy has left the city with a number of fascinating historical attractions. There are so many to choose from, visitors may have a hard time deciding which of the many sights to head for first.

Nymphenburg Palace and its park should be near the top of the list. The former summer residence of the Bavarian rulers, Schloss Nymphenburg is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bavaria today. Its elaborate interior furnishings, including King Ludwig I’s almost surreally ornate “Gallery of Beauties” should not be missed.

Symbol of Munich.
The twin towers of Munich’s most famous symbol, the Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady), are 99 metres tall. Duke Sigismund laid the cornerstone of Munich’s most beloved church on 9 February 1468. Today the Frauenkirche is officially the Cathedral Church of the Archbishops of Munich and Freisling. Its towers can be seen for miles around, is in part because the city administration prohibits the construction of any building within Munich’s central ring taller than 99 metres. New construction of taller buildings further away from the centre has been permitted in the past, but is currently under review. Only the south tower of the Frauenkirche can be climbed. It offers a unique view of Munich, its surroundings, and the nearby Alps, which on clear days appear to be close enough to touch.

Looking for round the world flights or Australian holidays? For student travel contact Student Flights today.

travel student-travel round-the-world-flights

Everyone knows that Rhode Island, actually the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is the smallest state in the USA. But not everyone knows that the state and island that gives it a colloquially abbreviated name are not one and the same.

Indeed, the Rhode Island part of the longest state name in America is unofficially called Aquidneck Island to differentiate from the state as a whole.

Now that’s cleared up, what of Rhode Island? It is the largest of several in Narragansett Bay, with its southern shore facing the Atlantic Ocean. The area of this well developed island is 117 sq km (45 sq ml) and it is connected to the mainland by three bridges.

The Newport Bridge terminates at Jamestown on nearby Conanicut Island, and thence to the mainland on the western side of the bay. The Mount Hope Bridge in Portsmouth connects the northern side of the island with Bristol. The same area is served by the Sakonnet River Bridge over a narrow saltwater channel to Tiverton. The nearby Stone Bridge was destroyed by Hurricane Carol in 1954. The island is divided into three municipalities: Newport, Middleton and Portsmouth.

The island’s population shrank by a fifth in the 10 years after the US Navy reorganized its major base at Newport in 1973, but is growing again, with over half its area now built over as housing demand increases. But wetland and woodland still occupy a third of the island and there is an active preservation society trying to keep it that way.

After the navy base, the island’s principal revenue generator is tourism. Narragansett Bay is a honeypot for visitors and they come to Rhode Island mainly for the beaches and coastline, enjoying related aquatic activities like boating, kayaking, sailboarding, diving and angling.

Looking for cheap flights to the USA, or cheap domestic flights? For Australia flights and overseas flights, contact Student Flights today.

Interesting, travel cheap-flights domestic-flights australia-flights

Ranging from Bratislava to Korman in southwestern Slovakia, Zitny Ostrov (Rye Island) is Europe’s largest river island. It is so large that most tourists are not aware of being on one. It lies between the Danube, and its slower flowing tributary the Little Danube, in the Danubian Plain.

Several rivers flow across it and the dark alluvial soil deposits make it the most fertile land in Slovakia. The island also contains central Europe’s largest storage of high quality drinking water and it has the warmest and driest climate in Slovakia.

A beautiful area of marshes, natural and man-made lakes and rich farmland, the south has been designated a Protected Landscape. The serene waters of the Little Danube provide excellent recreational boating through the alluvial forests. While on the water, the controversial hydroelectric dam at Gabcikovo may also be visited.

Zitny Ostrov has two main towns, both of which have deep Hungarian cultural influences. DunajskA Streda has a majority Hungarian population, though the only reminder of a significant Jewish minority is a 1991 memorial. There is also signs of Bronze Age settlement here.

In the late 1990s the town centre was rebuilt with distinctive white buildings capped by towers and elaborate tiled roofs. A large thermal park offers year-round swimming in naturally heated water.

Komarno, Slovakia’s principal port, lies on the Hungarian border — a bridge leads into Hungarian Komarom, which used to be part of Komarno. Here the majority of the population speak Hungarian and the street signs are in two languages.

Europe Place is a large shopping and leisure centre built in a variety of European architectural forms. A native son of Komamo, Franz Lehar, is honoured with a biennial music festival, whilst the annual Komarno Days Festival celebrates Slovak and Hungarian culture.

Looking for cheap airfares, holiday deals or cheap domestic flights? Escape Travel are the experts in travel packages for honeymoons, recreational travel or short breaks. Call or visit Escape Travel today.

travel cheap-airfares holiday-deals domestic-flights

One of Mexico’s largest islands, Cozumel, is located 20 km (12 miles) from the mainland, and 60 km (36 mi) south of Cancun. It is a flat, limestone island in the shape of a handgun, and pierced by dozens of cenotes (water-filled sinkholes), many with their own marine forms, which are an extra attraction for swimmers and snorkellers who come to experience the island’s amazing offshore reefs.

Jacques Cousteau first popularized Cozumel in 1960, when he fingered Palancar at the island’s southern tip as one of the world’s best diving locations. He triggered a growth in tourist development, only reined in with the establishment of the National Marine Park in 1996: but the reefs were badly damaged by the deepwater piers built for cruise ships to bring new holiday makers.

Attitudes changed quickly. Cozumel’s new islanders (the 40,000 Maya who welcomed Herman (’Stout’) Cortes in 1519 were reduced to 30 by 1510, and Cozumel became uninhabited) realised the value, not just of their spectacular marine wealth, but also of the island’s unspoilt centre.

You’ll never get a better chance to appreciate Mayan culture so close to good beaches. The biggest Mayan site, San Gervasio (named much later), was for centuries sacred to lx Chel, the goddess of fertility, and one of the Yucatan’s most important sanctuaries. There are several others, recovered from jungle and swampy mangrove lagoons now teeming with cormorants, pelicans, primary-coloured tree frogs, iguanas and crocodiles.

These days, the duty of collective care is replacing the insensitive mistakes of the 1970s. You can see 250 species in its clear waters, including the bright blue-and-yellow queen angelfish, the toad fish (unique to Cozumel), and huge sponges like the barrel and elephant ear, which grows to 3.6 m (12 ft) across. Cozumel is fabulously pretty and exotic, and you should go there with someone you love and watch the sunsets.

If you are interested in holiday packages to Mexico, visit Escape Travel. Escape Travel has a range of cheap flights to overseas destinations as well as a wide selection of Australia holidays.

travel cheap-flights australia-holidays holiday-packages

Jerusalem is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. The Canaanite Phoenician “city of peace”, Urushalim, developed into Jerusalem after it was invaded by King David around the year 1000 BCE.

trying to live in Jerusalem has always been a bit of a risk. The ancient Babylonians, Egyptians and Persians all cast greedy eyes on Jerusalem’s wealth. In the seventh century, Moslems conquered the “Holy Land” along with its city sacred to three faiths.

During the Crusades, Jerusalem changed masters often. After the knights of the First Crusade succeeded in breaking through Jerusalem’s walls, they massacred nearly everyone within them, regardless of religion, wiping out as many as 40,000.

Today, the Israeli and Palestinian states lay claim to parts of the city and Jerusalem’s bloody, violent history continues.

Since 1980, Jerusalem has been the home of the Israeli government, although all foreign diplomatic missions are based in Tel Aviv in accordance with a UN mandate.

Three major religions live together in Jerusalem, which naturally leads to a multiplicity of opinions. Each religious group is split and subdivided into factions and sects. There are as many as a dozen different Christian splinter groups, the largest of which is the Greek Orthodox group. This diversity of belief should contribute to Jerusalem’s attraction, but, in reality, it too often leads to strife and violence. The incredible concentration of sacred sites draw visitors, religious or not, from all over the world.

For Jews and Christians, Jerusalem is the Holy City and the birth place of their faiths. For Moslems, Jerusalem is the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. It was the destination of Mohammed’s miraculous trip to and from Mecca in a single night. Its Temple Mount is the place from which Mohammed ascended to, and returned from, heaven.

Three architectural styles
The Old City of Jerusalem was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It is split into four districts. The Armenian Quarter occupies the south-west, the Christian Quarter, the north-west, the Jewish Quarter, the south-east and the Moslem Quarter, the north-east.

The wall around the Old City was built on the order of the Ottoman sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century.

Jerusalem’s treasures are so numerous that only a handful can be mentioned here. The most visited site is probably the Wailing Wall, a 400-metre-long section of the retaining wall of the terrace on top of the Temple Mount where Herod the Great built his great Jewish temple.

This temple was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE. Important pilgrimage sites for Christians include the Via Dolorosa, the name of the path Christ walked on his way to the crucifixion, and the fourth-century Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

One of the most grand Islamic monuments is the Dome of the Rock. Erected on the Temple Mount over the place from which the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven, the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque. The remarkable Al-Aqsa Congregational Mosque, one of the largest and oldest in the world, is located nearby, also on top of the terrace of the destroyed Jewish temple.

More than a lookout
The Mount of Olives (Hebrew: Har Ha-Zetim) is a famous hill on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem. The ridge of hills is within sight of the Old City. The Temple Mount is actually higher than the Mount of Olives, which is just 809 metres above sea level. The Mount of Olives has great significance for all three major religions.

According to the Jewish faith, the Messiah will cross the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem before the Last Judgment takes place in the Kidron Valley. Moslems also believe the Final Judgment will take place there. For Christians, the Mount of Olives is inextricably tied to the life and death of Jesus. Today it plays a more practical role for many tourists, because its observation deck affords an incredible view of Old Jerusalem.

For unbeatable deals onJetstar, Virgin Blue and Singapore Airlines contact Flight Centre today.

travel travel flights middle-east

I’ve just finished reading Ross Macmahon’s sales training book titled “40 Days to sales Excellence”.

Although not an easy read, because is is so jam-packed full of vital information, there are some excellent tactics examined for seasoned professionals as well as sales rookies.

Topics include:

* Do The 2% challenge to double your results
* Become the “Lucky Salesman” to easily lift results
* Create Questions that get you closer to the sale
* Investigating and developing company, product and personal USP’s (Unique Selling Points).
* Creating ‘radio adverts’ (elevator pitches) for all parts of the sales presentation.
* Learn the secrets of the Lazy Salesman “Free Accelerators” - power techniques to quickly and easily lift results.
* Learn the importance of creating personal measure to get continuous improvement
* Performing proposals and how to create them
* Personal PR – How and why
* Breaking the Procrastination cycle to put more time in your day
* Partnership to success
* Performance presentations for the professional sales professional
* Getting your momentum back
* Qualification to enhance your selling by up to 10% or more
* First impressions – we can all do better
* Referrals and creating a program to make it happen
* The internal sale – is it your most important sale?

For more information, please visit the sales training manual web site. You will be pleased you did. The accompanying sales training course is available here.

travel sales-book sales-manual sales-training

“I can’t sell”, I hear you say. Rubbish, everybody can sell. If you ever got hired, sold your car or sold yourself to another person (ie. got married or formed a relationship), you have proven your ability to sell. We sell ideas to others all the time, we just don’t view it as selling.

The role of a sales professional is to find out what the prospect wants rather than whether the customer wants something at all. Once this is done, a sales professional should then help the customer fill that need to the customers’ satisfaction. The principle skills a winning sales person needs are:

* Putting your customers in a acceptance state of mind, making them feel at ease and unpressured.
* Showing interest in their requests or problems.
* Using opinions as selling points (both yours and theirs).
* Supplying facts and helpful data.
* Meeting objections in a positive way and never becoming defensive or aggressive.
* Seeing things from the customer’s point of view.
* Suggesting additional products or services.(Value adding)
* Building repeat business.

It’s important that you learn to apply these skills, although if you use tact, friendliness, honesty and you know what you’re talking about, you’re 90% there. Not difficult when you consider it.

I know of quite a few small business people that would never consider themselves sales people but have remarkable success at selling their products and services by just being themselves. Is this being a good sales person? Probably.

An old friend of mine, Claude owns a pet store in one of Perth’s trendier suburbs. He spent many years of his life working for the ADF. It never ceases to amaze me, and his business partner, how this “untrained” person can sell products by just being himself. He is a natural salesman.

On the days he looks after the shop instead of his partner, the sales are always up compared to when he’s not there. If you were to ask him if he thought he was a good salesman he would probably say no, but the sales figures speak for themselves.

He does it by being a friendly, nice guy that loves a joke and a chat with his customers. Most of his customers would never go elsewhere because they like him. I’m sure even if he put his prices up, he would still attract the same clients because they have a rapport with him. They feel good about shopping at his shop; he makes sure they do. Everybody can sell, simply use your own personality and be friendly and courteous. Treat customers the way you would like to be treated.

Top sales people make a point of remembering regular customers’ names, ensuring each time they come to the store they receive a small discount or offering other little extras like helping them to the car with their parcels. As I mentioned before with my friend, he fosters friendships with his regular customers. This fosters loyalty to the business by the customer, quite often regardless of price, because they get preferential treatment. You’ve probably had the feeling yourself when you constantly use a particular business and each time you walk in the people don’t just ask for the order.

Generally, sales people feel awkward about asking the customer for the order. These sales people will never be really successful in sales. A lot of sales are lost simply because the sales person doesn’t put the onus back on the customer to make a decision, they simply leave the whole matter up in the air which allows the potential customer to quietly move out the door without having to commit themselves to a buying decision. How many times do you do this? I do it all the time and think to myself, “I’m glad nobody put me under pressure, I probably would have spent money”.

This article supplied by forex trading, sales course and web designer brisbane.

travel sales training courses selling salesmen marketing

When a state is blessed with a warm, sunny climate, an abundance of beautiful scenery, and a coastline that is the envy of the world, it is hardly surprising that thousands come each year to visit. Indeed, many locals will tell you that Queensland, with its relaxed lifestyle and friendly atmosphere, is the best place in which to live, work, and retire.

This is a State full of extremes. In the far west the Simpson Desert, with its dunes and inhospitable gibber plains gives way to the Channel Country, an area laced with an intricate web of often dry streams that after heavy rain may spill to cover the land like a vast brown sea.

Eastern Queensland’s spine is the Great Dividing Range, a mighty barrier that separates the fertile coastal plain from the vast outback tracts extending to the State’s western border. Stretching from Cape York to the southern border and beyond, the Great Divide comprises a series of high mountains, tablelands, and low rolling hills. Here, rainforest gives way to eucalypt woodland, waterfalls fed by tropical rains tumble over rock faces and escarpments, and boulder-studded streams flow through deep gorges.

The coastline is another world. Washed by the brilliant blue waters of the Coral Sea, long sandy beaches fringed with tropical vegetation edge the shores, broken only by rocky headlands and mangrove forests. Lying off-shore is a multitude of islands and one of the world’s great natural wonders: the Great Barrier Reef.

The second largest State in Australia, Queensland covers an area of more than 1.7 million square kilometres in the north-east corner of the continent. The northern marine boundary, passing within a few kilometres of Papua New Guinea’s coastline, includes the 200-odd islands lying off Cape York Peninsula in the Torres Strait; to the east, it includes all the islands within the Great Barrier Reef.

Until 1859, Queensland was part of New South Wales. The first European settlement, a penal colony, was established at Moreton Bay in 1824 and soon afterwards was moved to the present site of Brisbane — the State’s capital city. By 1839 nearly all the convicts had been returned to Sydney and the district was opened to free settlers.

The Brisbane settlement grew slowly at first; when the area was proclaimed the Colony of Queensland in 1859 the population was 23,520. Today, the State has a population exceeding 4 million — of which nearly half live in the Brisbane-Ipswich urban area.

For the Aborigines — the original inhabitants of the land — many parts of Queensland are ritual grounds of sacred Dreamtime legends, and there are important traditional rock-art sites, particularly on Cape York Peninsula in the north. It was in this area that a race of hunters and gatherers came to the Australian continent some 40,000 years ago, coming in across the Torres Strait when it was dry land during the last ice age.

Just over half of the State lies between the Tropic of Capricorn and 10 degrees south of the Equator. Inland, the summers are hot, but on the coastal plain the temperatures are milder — with far higher humidity. Winters are much drier and delightfully warm, though in the far south, nights can be quite cold with frost appearing on higher ground. Snow falls occasionally in the highlands near the border around Stanthorpe and Wallangarra.

The rainy season falls between December and March-April, and it is during this time that the coast may be lashed by tropical cyclones. Rainfall varies enormously throughout the State, with the heaviest falls on the north-eastern slopes and coast-lands - Tully averages 4550 mm annually and has the reputation of being the wettest town in Australia. Whereas Birdsville in the far west only averages an annual 150 mm - and in drought it might not rain for years.

Agriculture is a major industry. Cattle and sheep graze on the grassy western plains, their drinking water supplied by a myriad bores that tap the vast store of underground water in the Great Artesian Basin. On the fertile tablelands of the Great Divide and the lush coastal plains farms grow a wide variety of produce from cotton to sugar cane, to peanuts, pineapples
and a host of other tropical fruit and vegetables. The State is also rich in mineral deposits including bauxite, coal, oil, copper, silver, and gold. Indeed, the discovery of gold in the last century and the subsequent mining in the 1870s-80s did much to establish many of the coastal and inland centres throughout Queensland.

One of Queensland’s most important growth industries is tourism. Not only have overseas visitors discovered this favourable holiday destination, but Australians from other States now come in huge numbers. In winter, thousands flock to coastal caravan parks and holiday flats to exchange chilly southern days for delectably warm, sunny weather.

Apart from the lure of a warm climate, people return many times over to Queensland because there is just so much to do and see. Self-drive holidays are probably the most popular, but for those who do not wish to drive, there is a vast number of conducted tours to choose from. Accommodation ranges from remote bush camps to five-star luxury hotels with every type imaginable in between.
===

Escape Travel has a range of affordable and exciting Queensland holidays and New Zealand Holidays. Visit http://www.escapetravel.com.au/newzealandholidays/ today. STET090309

travel queensland holidays new zealand holidays

Sadly, Havana’s Diva-like splendour is being chipped away by the ravages of time. UNESCO has declared old Havana a world heritage site and funds begin to flow into projects all over the city, but work has only just started.

Havana is a grid-plan city, making it easy to navigate its broad avenues and side streets, originally lined with splendid churches and mansions of the city’s former aristocracy. They have suffered greatly from neglect, and many are now crumbling and decrepit.

For three hundred years, urban life in the Cuban capital took place intramuros, or “within the city walls”. Then, in the early nineteenth century, a building boom began. Havana’s city walls were pulled down to facilitate city planning and road building between the old Intramuros Plaza and the newer Extramuros Plaza.

Gateway to the New World.
The city of Havana was founded in 1515 where the Cuban capital stands today. Its naturally protected harbour began operation slightly later, in 1519. Havana’s central Caribbean location was a boon to the city’s development.

All the important trade routes to and from Mexico and Peru passed through here. Havana was named the capital of the Cuban colony in 1607 and unofficially proclaimed the gateway to the New World. Although its population would remain in check for a century or more, its progress as a commercial and political centre was continuous and uninterrupted.

Hemingway’s Cuba.
In the early twentieth century, American Prohibition brought tourism of a sort to Havana for the first time.
The Caribbean metropolis, especially the Vedado district, where the 142-metre tall memorial to national hero Jose Marti stands, became a jet set stomping ground where everyone could enjoy a bottle of rum, an aromatic cigar and a little salsa dancing.

Ernest Hemingway was drawn to Havana, and many of his novels were written here. He was locally famous for downing a glass or two and smoking a thick Havana cigar. The long Cuban party ended on New Year’s Eve in 1959, when rebels under the command of Fidel Castro marched into the city.

There are still night clubs in, modern-day Havana, once again attracting thousands of visitors. La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Some of its loveliest buildings were converted into museums. Visitors looking for culture will find that the city has churches, palaces, castles, monuments and markets.

Cathedral Plaza is a popular attraction and one of the most beautiful squares in the city. The steeples of the Cathedral of San Cristobal de La Habana dominate the look of the square. Not far from the square is the 1588 Real Fuerza Castle, the oldest surviving colonial fortress in the New World. The Plaza de las Armas, its streets lined with swaying royal palms, has been the Cuban centre of power and government for four hundred years. The majestic Capitanes Generales Palace, home of the National Museum, is on the west side of this plaza. It is one of the grandest buildings in Cuba.

Hand-Rolled Cigars.
Central Havana functioned as the red light district of the city prior to the Revolution; currently one might rather say it glows in pale pastels. Visitors tend to avoid this area as a rule, most preferring to stick to the comforts of the Vedado district and the famous attractions of Old Havana. There is nevertheless a great deal to see in central Havana. The district is dominated by the monumental El Capitolio Nacional, built as a more ornate twin of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. as if to mock capitalism.

Havana’s oldest cigar factory is located on the west side of the Capitolia. The approximately 400 people employed here continue to roll cigars the old-fashioned way, by hand.

===
Looking for honeymoon packages and cheap international flights ? Escape Travel has a large range of travel packages for most budgets and tastes. Visit http://www.escapetravel.com.au/honeymoon/ today. STET030309-1

travel cheap_international_flights havana honeymoon_packages

There is the United Kingdom, there is England, and then there is London. . Three are related, but strictly speaking, London seems to be a world apart from the rest of Britain, marching to its own, unique rhythm.

Everything in London comes across as new and different. Throughout history, its people, fashions, trends and street life have always expressed the very essence of city life. Like New York, London is a city that never sleeps. Millions of tourists arrive in London every year, many of them already half in love with the city. You see them in the London Underground (the tube), on red double-decker buses and stepping into taxis. The new central London traffic zone, where private transport is essentially banned, makes the sights of London more navigable than ever before. It is also possible, and very pleasant, to walk through the city on foot, or to rent a bicycle along the Victorian Embankment on the Thames.

The first City of London
What is today London was once a small, rather insignificant settlement called Plowida, a name that means “settlement on the wide river”. The Romans conquered the region in the first century and founded the fortified city of Londinium around 47 CE. The Roman city of London covered an area of approximately 1 km2. The Romans built a bridge over the Thames, and used its banks as a shipping port for minerals and agricultural products. Londinium grew very quickly in the second century, when it became the commercial centre of the Roman province of Britannia Superior.

The Anglo-Saxon city
In 314, London became a bishop’s see by order of Emperor Constantine. By that time, the Roman Empire was growing weak. Without imperial patronage, London settled into a long period of decline. By the time the Romans had officially departed from their colony of Britannia in 410, the city was essentially depopulated. After 150 years of near abandonment, the Anglo-Saxons arrived to take advantage of London’s strategically advantageous position on the Thames. They did not settle there permanently, however, until 604, and even they chose not to rebuild within the ruins of the ancient fortified city, but somewhat further west. The new city, named Lundenvic (”London Harbour”), was declared the capital of the Kingdom of Essex. Its centre lay to the east of Trafalgar Square’s present location.

The Norman invasion
The Normans defeated the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. After entering London, William the Conqueror had himself crowned king of Britain in Westminster Abbey, which had just been completed the year before. All British monarchs ever since that time have been crowned there. In order to discourage any remaining Anglo-Saxon warriors from revolting, William had three fortresses built. Of the three - Baynard’s Castle, Monfichet’s Castle and the Tower of London — only the last survives today. In the interest of gaining popularity and ensuring domestic peace, William openly adopted the same rights, privileges and laws that had governed London during the Anglo-Saxon period.

A city in its prime
The sixteenth century was probably London’s golden age. After the city of London annexed Westminster around 1600, it quickly became the centre of the British Empire. London was one of the most important European commercial cities on the North Sea, despite the fact that the city was located some 30 km away from the sea on the banks of the Thames estuary. During the late sixteenth century, London’s cultural renaissance was in full swing. A great many theatres were built along the south bank of the Thames, the most famous of which was the Globe, where many of William Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. The New London.

The Great Plague and Fire of 1665 and 1666 left London shaken to its very foundations. Over 70,000 people died of plague and nearly two-thirds of the city was consumed by flames. Architect Sir Christopher Wren was responsible for rebuilding London’s many destroyed churches, including St. Paul’s Cathedral. The destruction of residential buildings in the city led many residents to settle outside the city walls in new districts that became London’s first suburbs.

Most aristocrats never returned to their city mansions, preferring to build townhouses in the now prestigious West End. Dickens’ London. The nineteenth century saw the construction of many important buildings and squares, including Trafalgar Square, Westminster Palace and Big Ben, the Royal Albert Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tower Bridge and the University of London. Prosperous times, however, are often accompanied by a dark shadow. Millions of the less fortunate were forced to live in overpopulated, filthy slums and suburbs. This was the London immortalized by Charles Dickens in novels like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. By the turn of the twentieth century, London was far and away the biggest city on Earth: a whopping 6.6 million people lived there in 1901. At the time, London was undoubtedly the most powerful city in the world.

The ravages of war
London was badly damaged during World War II. The German Luftwaffe thoroughly destroyed its once uniform cityscape of Georgian and Victorian buildings, leaving large parts of the city centre and most of the East End completely levelled. After the war, housing complexes were built cheaply and rapidly. London’s docklands never recovered economically from the effects of World War II. Ship traffic was rerouted and the old piers and warehouses fell further into ruin, until city planners rediscovered the district in the 1980s.

Redevelopment has made Docklands one of London’s hottest commercial and residential locations. A wonderland of things to see. There is a greater concentration of important sights and tourist attractions in London than anywhere else in Britain. Greenwich Park, Westminster Palace and Abbey, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Tower of London are all on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Many of London’s most popular museums offer free admission. Recent additions include British Airway’s gigantic big wheel. Known as the London Eye, it is actually a slowly rotating observation platform from which most of the city can be seen. Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, the changing of the guard at Buckinham Palace, a tour of the Tower of London, the Flower Market on Sundays, the bustle of Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square … the list is endless.

The finest entertainment
Those eager for culture will find that the British capital is full of variety. While the mostly modern cultural facilities may look like nondescript concrete blocks from the outside, world-class performances are underway within. The Barbican Arts Centre is a case in point. Opinions about the exterior are divided; although it has its fans, it has also been described as an architect’s nightmare. Still, there is no disagreement on the excellence of its presentations, which include performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Classical Orchestra. Visitors should not miss an opportunity to attend a performance here. Breath of fresh air in the city. London does have a number of tranquil oases amidst the hectic activity of the city. London’s numerous parks are popular destinations for those who like to stroll out in the open air. Hyde Park is located in west-central London. This spacious park was once a royal hunting ground, the scene of bloody duels and executions, as well as a venue for exciting horse races. During World War II, it was transformed into a gigantic potato field. Today it is a fresh-air getaway for sun worshippers, or for those who want to take a boat ride on the Serpentine, its sinuous lake.

One corner of the park, near Marble Arch, is known as Speaker’s Corner, where anyone can stand up and express his or her opinion before a more-or-less interested audience. In Regents Park, near London Zoo, the lovely Queen Mary Rose Gardens are a wonderful place to pause and reflect after a busy day of seeing the very many wonderful sights of London. Finally, the ambitious tourist may want to take a double-decker bus or taxi north to Hampstead Heath, another vantage point that offers a magnificent view of the entire city.

For great deals on flights to London, visit http://www.studentflights.com.au/london . Student Flights have a range of cheap holidays in London and Europe. STSF260209-3

travel cheap_airfares, cheap_domestic_flights, cheap_flights, cheap_international_flights, flights_to_london

The fascination generated by New York city is hard to put into words. The sheer number of attractions within the largest city in the USA is simply overwhelming. As millions of visitors agree, New York city has it all.

New York, the city of superlatives, is much more than the island of Manhattan. For over a century New York was the gateway to the “Promised Land”, to an America of unlimited opportunity. Many people coming to New York today do so for different reasons than immigrants of yore.

Tourists come to experience the fast pace of this vast metropolis. Who doesn’t want to be part of the crowd in Times Square on New Years Eve, if only once? Artists and intellectuals flock to New York to partake of the creative energy of city life, stimulated by first-class cultural institutions and events.

Manhattan
When explorer Henry Hudson, for whom the Hudson River is named, sailed into New York Bay in 1609, his enthusiastic description of New York’s natural harbour sparked the interest of his Dutch sponsors. In 1624, they founded their first settlement on the island the Algonquin Indians called “Manahatta” (”hilly countryside”).

The city of Nieuw Amsterdam was born in 1626 when the Dutch bought the island from the Algonquins for 60 Dutch gulden, or roughly $24. New Amsterdam became a British colony on 24 September 1664 as part of a treaty ending a war between Holland and England. The British victors changed the city’s name to honour the Duke of York.

The young republic
During the American Revolution (1776-1783), the British occupied New York City for nearly the entire war, and the city burned to the ground twice. Undeterred, New York City grew steadily following American independence. In 1788, New York was named the capital of the United States, a role taken over by Philadelphia two years later.

New York developed into the economic centre of the USA instead. The establishment of the stock exchange on Wall Street in 1792 secured the city’s reputation as the financial capital of the New World. Its harbours and shipyards took in goods, and hardworking immigrants, from all over the world. War in the streets. Throughout the nineteenth century, New York was a great construction zone, with new homes and parks erected almost daily.

Central Park, laid out in 1858-1866, was one of many public works projects of the time. Beloved by New Yorkers as well as tourists, Central Park is still a popular place to stroll, have a picnic and especially to people-watch. In the nineteenth century, the newer parts of New York were laid out in its characteristic grid system; only Broadway and the older part of the city south of Washington Square lie outside the checkerboard pattern of streets. As the century proceeded, more and more emigrants from Europe arrived in the fast-growing city. Violence and unrest came with them.

Most newcomers had to settle, at least initially, in slums like the infamous Five Points and Bowery. In July 1863, at the height of the American Civil War, the so-called Draft Riots broke out, violent confrontation between long-time New Yorkers and recent immigrants. The bloody street fights led to at least 120 deaths over four days of chaos. Over 100 buildings were destroyed, most of them burned to the ground. The Martin Scorsese movie Gangs of New York is a memorable recreation of this unsettled time.

If you are planning a holiday and you are looking for cheap international flights or cheap domestic flights, make sure that you check out the hottest fares from Student Flights. STSF240209-2 http://www.studentflights.com.au/flights/

travel cheap_international_flights cheap_domestic_flights cheap_flights cheap_airfares

One of the easiest, fastest and fun ways to get Linux training, and get experience working with Linux, is to use a Linux live CD / DVD. This is just a single CD or DVD that contains the complete Linux operating system!

You just put the Linux live CD / DVD in your drive, start your system, and the entire Linux operating system boots and runs automatically.

You can work on a Linux desktop, run Linux software programs and go to the Linux command line to run Linux commands - the way the real pros do Linux administration.

There is no Linux installation required!

To run a Linux live version, you need to be able to boot from CD or DVD, but that shouldn’t be any problem. Lots of systems are set up to automatically boot from CD or DVD and you may not need to do anything. But on some systems, you need to change a system setting or hold down a key, like the letter “c” to boot from a Linux live CD / DVD.

Another great thing about Linux live CDs / DVDs is that they’re real cheap! So you can try lots of different Linux distributions (versions) to see which one you like the best.

Linux Tip: To get a Linux live CD or DVD, do an Internet search for “linux live cd”. Look through the list to see which Linux distribution you want. You may even want to get several! You can get them mailed to any place on the planet for a very reasonable price.

Experiment away and have fun trying out lots of different Linux live CDs / DVDs. See which Linux versions, desktops and programs you like. This is an excellent way to learn Linux and get hands-on Linux experience at the same time. Just put the CD / DVD in the drive and boot! — Clyde Boom, Author and Expert Trainer with 20+ Years of Training Successes.

Watch Free Sample I Learn Linux Video Tutorials now at http://www.iLearnLinux.com/ and get over the steep Linux learning curve (tra).

Sign up Now for Free I Learn Linux News to receive Linux tips! Source: http://www.articletrader.com

- - - - -

travel linux training ubuntu

The Merlion, the heraldic animal of Singapore, spouts a powerful stream of water into the Singapore river. This mythical creature has the head of a lion and the body of a fish.

The Merlion’s origins are a combination of the magical and mundane. Toward the end of the thirteenth century, a Buddhist prince from the Indonesian island of Sumatra founded the Kingdom of Temasek near what is today Singapore. One day, he arrived at a large island, where he saw a terrifying beast. He thought it was a lion, although no lions had ever been seen in the area, nor have they been sighted since. The city founded on the island was named Singha Pura (”Lion City”) as a result. The Merlion’s tail connects it to fishing, the traditional occupation of the local population.

A British crown colony.
In Singapore, drivers still follow the British practice of keeping to the left side of the road. British influence began in the early nineteenth century when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded the first branch office of the British East India Company here in 1819. Raffles is a difficult man to forget in Singapore, where statues, streets and the Raffles Hotel all bear his name.

Before Raffles arrived, the island had been a desolate place, occupied by only a few fishermen and the occasional Malaysian pirates. Singapore was a British crown colony as well as a commercial port belonging to the East India Company from 1867 to 1963. During those years, the city developed into one of largest commercial ports in South-East Asia.

Since independence in 1964 Singapore has grown into a modern metropolis. More than just business. Though Singapore enjoys a worldwide reputation as a hyper- successful economic powerhouse, “Lion City” is not usually listed among anyone’s favourite tourist destinations. Many travelers only make a brief stop here en route to somewhere else. This is not really far to Singapore, a city that has a great deal to offer.

Its Chinatown Quarter, Arab Street and Little India have been tidied up and polished until they shine. Even the modern areas of city centre have numerous places worth visiting. The cultural life of the city is diverse, and one runs into it at every turn. Singapore has never been more colourful or inviting.

Esplanade Park.
A new cultural centre has sprung from the banks of the river delta in Singapore’s Esplanade Park. Along with the Merlion, this facility is emblematic of Singapore, possibly in part because the complex is shaped like an enormous durian melon. This is a fruit with a famously awful smell, as many travelers to South-East Asia have learned from personal experience, but “stink fruit” is very popular with the locals.

Drivers license by auction.
Owning a private car in Singapore is a rather costly proposition. Once all the expenses are tallied up, owning a car can cost more than twice as much in Singapore as it does in Europe. Among the additional costs is the purchase of a license “at auction”. This license is valid for ten years, and is linked to the specific vehicle with which it is registered. If the owner purchases a new car, the whole process has to be started all over again. This method has so far proven very successful in keeping Singapore from being overrun with traffic jams and smog, the fate of so many other big cities.

A stroll through Singapore.
Singapore has a rich array of historical buildings. A walk through Singapore should begin in the city centre with Chinatown. The colourfully decorated stores, restaurants and cafes invite a short stopover. Wandering to the other side of Cross Street brings one to the Lau Pa Sat Festival Market. A short detour to the river promenade, where the Merlion statue can be seen in action, is also recommended. Along the promenade, visitors can relax under an umbrella and get away from the bustle of the city. Later, the nightlife at nearby Boat Quay may prove more tempting.

Looking for cheap holidays and cheap airfares? Student Flights have a range of package deals for the young and young at heart.
Visit http://www.studentflights.com.au/cheaptrips/ STSF190209-1

travel holidays cheap flights Singapore airfares Asia

Nairobi, whose name means “cool river”, is the largest and fastest growing city in east Africa. Founded as a railway workers encampment, the city is now home to over 3 million people.

This city of millions has an impressive skyline incorporating several important buildings, including the striking Kenyatta Conference Centre. From the observation deck on its 28th floor, visitors look out on a marvellous panorama of city and countryside. Nairobi is the cultural, economic and communications centre of Kenya. The country’s most important institutions of higher learning are found here, and its tourist industry continues to grow.

The role of the railway. Kenya’s history is closely connected to Britain’s colonial railway projects in Africa. The site for the railway encampment that became Nairobi was carefully chosen. Nairobi lies at an altitude of 1,700 metres. This elevation keeps Nairobi’s average temperature too low for malarial mosquitoes to survive.

When workers were hired for the Uganda Railway project to connect Lake Victoria with the coastal port of Mombasa, they were housed in Nairobi, which grew in importance after the railway was completed in 1900. It is no surprise that there is a Railway Museum in Nairobi today. It includes a diverse collection of objects from the history of the railway, including wonderful old photographs.

An international city. The modern city of Nairobi is the economic linchpin of East Africa. International businesses and organizations base their operations here, among them UNO (United Nations Environment Program, UNEP) and UN HABITAT (United Nations Human Settlements Program). With so many international residents, it’s little wonder that the restaurants in Nairobi rival those in major European and American cities.

Rich and poor.
There are few places in the world where the contact and contrast between extreme wealth and extreme poverty is as glaring as in the Kenyan capital, though the severity of the situation is rivalled in South African Johannesburg. Cynical commentators call the city “Nairobbery” because of its high crime rate. Accordingly, tourists are well advised only to leave central Nairobi, where it is relatively safe to walk around, if they are going on an official safari tour or driving back to the airport.

The best of Nairobi.
The majority of tourists who visit Kenya see very little of Nairobi. They usually go straight from the airport to the countryside to set off on safari. In addition to stopping by the popular Railway Museum, those who are interested in getting acquainted with the city should definitely visit the National Museum. Everything worth knowing about Kenya is on display, from its abundant flora and fauna to the lifestyles and cultures of its native peoples, in particular the Massai. The museum also houses a delightful. exhibit of works by the artist Joy Adamson (1910-1980). Adamson is best known for her book Born Free about her rescue of the lioness Elsa. Her deep love for Africa is vividly expressed in the exhibit.

Green Nairobi.
Moi Avenue begins not far from the Railway Museum and leads directly into the centre of Nairobi. The central business district is punctuated by two large green spaces, Uhuru Park and Central Park. Both invite people to rest and relax under their shady trees, sit on a bench or stroll along a gravel path. Uhuru Park even has a small artificial lake. Environmentalist and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai saved Uhuru Park from development by organizing a series of locally and internationally supported protests in 1989.

At safari’s end. Anyone who returns to the Kenyan capital after a week or two of the hard life on safari will appreciate the amenities of Nairobi’s full service, Western-style hotels. Nairobi is ideally suited as a starting point for day trips and tours to the country’s spectacular national parks. Nairobi National Park, the nation’s first, is located only 8 km from Nairobi. Founded in 1946, it has an area of approximately 120 square kilometres.

For cheap flights to Africa, book your Qantas flight through Flight Centre. Qantas airlines is one of Flight Centre’s key travel partners. STFC180209-3

travel travel flights africa kenya

Tokyo is not a city for the hurried tourist making a quick stopover en route to other destinations in Japan. Tokyo comes as a real surprise to most travelers. Much more than a city, it is a completely different world.

When visitors to Japan first arrive at Narita International Airport, they often experience immediate culture shock. Signs point the way in Kanji (Japanese characters), but most tourists can’t read them. Without a few helpful signs in English, it would be easy to get quite lost.

At first sight, Tokyo itself is crowded, loud and not especially beautiful. The air quality is not particularly good. Men wearing white gloves shove people inside the regional transit cars in order to fit more people inside, and most Japanese respond with a blank stare when spoken to in English.

Tokyo can be hard to negotiate and travel around town can be stressful — but it is also a unique and exhilarating experience.

Kagemusha, the Shadow Warrior.
Prior to 1456-1457, there is very little salient knowledge available about the city of Edo, Tokyo’s predecessor. With the building of the Edo Fortress during these years in the mid-fifteenth century, the city on Hibiya Bay gained in importance.

The greatest advance, however, came in 1653, when the shogun Tokugawa leyasu established his centre of government here. Director Akira Kurosawa staged the life and work of this prominent, powerful shogun in his 1980 film Kagemusha — The Shadow Warrior. George Lucas did not shoot the backdrop of the film, but he spun the threads, so to speak.

In his novel Shogun, writer James Clivell also painted a portrait of the most imposing figure in Japanese history. Ieyasu is considered the founder of modern Tokyo, even though the city did not take its official name or become the “Capital of the East” until the emperor moved there in 1868.

Beginnings of Western influence.
The population of the city is said to have already exceeded a million at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Edo was not only the capital city under the Tokugawa shogunate, it was also the economic centre of Japan. The end of the shogunate is closely connected to the history of Edo, and by association, Tokyo. The balance of power changed under the Meiji emperors. Shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa, who was rather weak with regard to the West, especially the United States, abdicated in 1867 and left Edo to the emperor.

But the actual goal of sealing Japan off from the West was never implemented by the shogun’s adversaries, headed by the emperor. In fact, just the opposite occurred: a very active period of modernization based on the Western model began.

Destruction and rebuilding.
In Tokyo, European-style houses were built right in between traditional wooden houses. Some of the most famous examples are the houses on Ginza Street, which were built from red brick in order to create more European surroundings for foreign residents of the capital. In spite of everything, such changes were mainly superficial. The city plan and homes of the native Japanese remained closely tied to the Edo tradition of the Shogun Era. But that changed in 1923, the year of the Great Earthquake, measuring more than 8.0 on the Richter scale.

The earthquake itself and the fires that resulted from the it reduced nearly all of Tokyo to ruins. However, destruction has always represented an opportunity for change in Japan. Tragically, the Second World War came quite soon after the earthquake, signaling yet another period of devastating destruction.

The new development of Tokyo began after the end of the Second World War, and literally began on top of debris and ashes. On the basis of new technologies, a modern Tokyo cityscape consisting of skyscrapers, steel and concrete emerged. Special construction methods had to be used, because Tokyo lies in one of the most active earthquake zones in the world. Earthquakes are nothing out of the ordinary here, and smaller tremors can be felt in the city almost daily.

Traveling to Japan? Flight Centre has a great range of cheap airfares and cheap holidays. Go online and browse through some of the world’s best holiday bargains. STFC160309-1

travel cheap airfares, cheap holidays

A man lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing, so he had no radio or computer. He had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers, he didn’t watch television. He didn’t know much about the outside world, but he sold good hot dogs.

He put up a sign on the highway telling how good they were. he had a web site built. He stood by the side of the road and cried “Buy a hot dog, folks!” And people bought and bought and bought.

He increased his meat and roll orders. He bought a bigger stove to take care of his growing trade. He got his son home from university to help him. He hired a hotdog chef.

But then something happened.

His son said “Dad, haven’t you been listening to the radio? Haven’t you been reading the newspapers? Haven’t you been watching the television? There’s a credit crisis. If money stays tight, we are bound to have bad business!

There may be a big recession coming on! You’d better prepare for poor trade!”

Whereupon the father thought “Well, my son has gone to university. He reads the papers and listens to the radio and television, and he ought to know”.

So the father cut down his meat and roll orders. He took down his advertising signs and turned off his web site. And he no longer bothered to stand on the side of the highway crying “Buy a hot dog, folks!”

And his hot dog sales plummeted almost overnight.’

“You’re right son,” the father said, “We’re certainly headed for a recession!”

The moral of the story is…

History has proven companies that maintain or increase their advertising investments in periods of economic downturn increase their sales and share of market, both during and after the downturn.

Here are the facts:

• Maintaining or increasing advertising budget levels during economic downturns may be necessary in terms of protecting market position vis-a-vis forward looking competitors.

• If a company fails to maintain its “Share of Mind” during an economic downturn, current and future sales are jeopardized. Maintaining “Share of Mind” costs much less than rebuilding it later on.

• If during an economic downturn you maintain a strong advertising presence while your competitor cuts his budget, you will automatically increase your “Share of Mind.”

• Advertising through both boom and down times sustains the necessary brand recognition.

Economic downturns reward the aggressive advertiser and penalize the timid one. Maintaining a company’s advertising during an economic downturn will give the image of corporate stability within a chaotic business environment, and give the advertiser the chance to dominate the advertising media.

During an economic downturn, a strong advertising/marketing effort enables a firm to solidify its customer base, take business away from less aggressive competitors, and position itself for future growth during the recovery.

When times are good, you should advertise; when times are bad, you MUST advertise.

Advertising in an economic downturn should be regarded not as a drain on profits, but as a contributor to profits and insurance for the future.

Advertising now includes have a fast and efficient web site that can be found on the internet. For web design Brisbane, visit johnhacking.com. John is a web designer located in Brisbane. If you are looking for a business for sale, visit business2sell.com.au

travel recession depression small business australia marketing

If you are interested in roller blinds, holland blinds, or custom made blinds, go to www.justrollerblinds.com.au

Just Roller Blinds have a very useful and friendly web site that allows you to choose your fabric and style of blinds from a large range of options.

By purchasing online from Just Roller blinds you can save money and get the perfect blinds for your house, unit or apartment.

Don’t worry about measurements either. The Just Roller Blinds web site has a step-by-step guide to help you get it right.

There are four styles of blind to choose from: budget, standard, executive and sunscreen. And if your not sure about the colours, you can always order fabric swatches.

One of their recent customers said: Thank you for the fast delivery and I’m happy with the quality of the product and also cheap price. When I quote other manufacturers it was almost double the price I paid for this.I’m so glad that I made the right choice. I’m sure your business will grow fast everyday coz there’s no reason people to go for other shops for good blind product. If someone looking for good blinds I’d definitely recommend ‘Justrollerblinds’
Jae

Visit www.justrollerblinds.com.au today.

travel custom made blinds, decorating, holland blinds, interior design, roller blinds

Foggy or undefined business goals - your web site needs a purpose. For example, the purpose of my web site is: “to support word-of-mouth, yellow pages, print and classified advertising of our web design services to small businesses and sole traders in the CBD and southern suburbs of Brisbane. I will know if it is successful if it generates an average of at least five enquiries or three sales per month.”

A Bad Business Model - a great web site will not save a bad business model. If you cannot state in one sentence what you have to offer, or why you are different to your competitors, then you have major marketing problems. Remember, your web pages are competing with 21 billion other web pages on the Internet. Without a good business model and marketing and PR support, your business will have difficulty in succeeding.

Becoming an internet dreamer. You would be stunned the number of people who think having a web site is having a business. They are pretty easy to spot. They’ve read The Secret, talk about Paying it Forward, and look forward to the day where they make lots of money while crusing on their yacht. I’ve got no problem with The Secret or Paying it Forward, what I do have a problem with the belief that making money online is easy. It isn’t unless you are extremely lucky. A web site is not a business.

Focusing on style rather than substance - it’s easy to waste a lot of money on fancy Flash pages, Java script, music, graphics and other techniques that add little to your sites value and make it slower to download and harder to navigate. When in doubt - don’t do it. Your web site should be designed so that even people with older versions of browsers and slow old modems can still get the information they need quickly. And don’t be tempted to have videos or sound that automatically start playing when a web page is opened. It is very annoying and people will leave your site in droves without reading what you have to offer.

Trying to be all things to all people - getting found on the Internet means a focused approach to marketing. Pick one product or service offering and build a web site around that one offering. By appealing to different markets with unconnected products means that your search engine rankings will suffer. Pick a profitable niche and focus on that niche.

Using a generic domain name - the more unique and memorable your domain name, the better. Domains like pets.com or computer.com describe the product category, not the brand. google.com, dell.com , yahoo.com are easy to say, easy to remember and excellent brand names for the web. Do what they do, choose your online name carefully.

Not having a domain name at all - the use of a web address like ispname/~fashionshop looks unprofessional and “small-time”. Invest the $40 or so it costs to have your own domain name.

Not thinking like a customer - your web site should anticipate your prospects’ questions and be designed with them in mind. What do they want to know? What’s the best way to tell them? What proof can I offer? Consumers don’t necessarily want to make the best buying decision, they are usually happy just avoiding a bad one.

Not listing prices - the second question all prospects ask after “have they got what I’m looking for” is “how much is it?”. If you can give straight pricing, do so. Prospects are looking for value, not necessarily the lowest price. Value = offer/price. If you have a strong offer and your prices are reasonable you will represent value to your prospects. If you don’t state your prices then the value can’t be calculated. If you charge by the hour, state your rates for the type of work you do and a typical project cost.

Bad spelling, punctuation or grammar - there’s no excuse for typos, bad spelling or bad grammar. Always get your web site proof read by an independent party. If you do find an error, fix it promptly.

Not allowing for growth or updates - your web site design should allow for growth in content and easy changing of content. New product lines, additional locations, extra consumer information should all be catered for without the need for a major site redesign. This website uses what’s called a content management system. To add a new page takes less than 1 minute.

Investing too much in electronic order taking systems - if you expect to receive less than 10 orders per day from your web site, it’s probably far easier to use a simple order form and manual credit card processing using your EFTPOS machine than building real-time electronic payment processing systems. For low to medium volumes, another option is the range of merchant tools from PayPal. It takes about 5 minutes to insert a Buy Now button on your web page that allows customers to pay immediately by credit card. Paypal is the world leader in online payments for a good reason … it works.

Investing too little in online marketing - in most cases it pays to invest in online marketing. Unlike traditional media, with online marketing you can choose your daily budget and the cost-per-click of your marketing campaign. With good reason, Goggle Adwords is the leader in pay-per-click advertising. Learn about Adwords or hire a consultant who does. For as little as $5 -$10 per day you can get yourself a source of steady, qualified leads.

Not considering search engines - The primary way people will find you online is via search engines like google, altavista and sensis. By adding key words to the header of your web pages, using paragraph headings, linking to related sites and other techniques, you can improve your ranking in the search results dramatically.

Not responding quickly to inquiries that come from your web site- the Internet works very quickly. It takes less than a second to send an e-mail from Australia to Europe. Internet users are impatient. They want immediate results. If you take a few days to answer and e-mail there’s a good chance you’ve already lost the sale to someone who understands this and acts quickly. Check your e-mail twice a day and once a day on weekends if possible.

Unreadable pages - your pages should be clean, simple and readable. Red writing on a black background may look rather funky, but it is hard to read and will lose visitors quickly. Similarly with fonts. Only use fonts that you would usually see in a mainstream newspaper or magazine.

Unprintable pages - if you use lots of graphics and coloured text on coloured backgrounds it my be difficult for prospective customers to print out your pages. Black on white/cream works well. It’s easy to read as well as cheap and fast to print. You would be amazed the number of prospective buyers who print out web pages for future reference.

Using cheesy stock photos and graphics - photos can really ad impact to a web page, but don’t be tempted to use the same stock photos that everyone else does. You know what I mean, “man with briefcase running” or “business meeting” or “close-up of pen on table” or even “business handshake closing a deal”. These are the sort of cheesy images a 12 year old would put in a school project. If possible, use original photos of you and your business. If that isn’t possible, there are some excellent stock photo sites around where you can buy quality images for less than $2 a pop. The photo on this page is one such example. Cost? $1.65 Australian.

Bad site navigation - it should take a maximum of three clicks for your reader to find the information they are looking for. 40 seconds is the average time a person will spend scanning your web site to see if you have want they want. Deliver.

John Hacking is a Brisbane web designer. For web design Brisbane, contact John today.

travel

Icon Energy Ltd, a Queensland based small cap gas exploration company, is under threat of having its board replaced at an Extraordinary General Meeting called by major shareholders to be held on 23 February 2009.

The Icon Energy Action Group today announced via its website www.iconenergyactiongroup.org details of its plan to throw out the current board and replace it with a new team.

Ron Baldwin, spokesperson for the Action Group said, “There are a whole raft of things that the shareholders want to see eliminated from the way the company has operated.

Firstly, they want a Board that is not dominated by its two Executive Directors Secondly, they want a reduction in Executive salaries to industry standards Thirdly, they want accountability by the Executive to the Board and then by the Board to the shareholders”.

Ron Baldwin said that the shareholders wanted a system of Corporate Governance that guaranteed that the disasters of 2008 would not be repeated.

These disasters included the three wells drilled in 2007 in ATP626P being either drilled in the wrong spot or otherwise largely unusable, ordering the wrong dewatering pump from USA and attempting to obtain finance by way of a questionable convertible note.

An award winning Singapore journalist described these convertible notes as “toxic” and likely to cause the company’s share price to go into a “death spiral”. Ron Baldwin said that he provided a copy of the journalist’s report to Ray James, in early December 2008, prior to the EGM, but Ray James neglected to share this information with Icon Energy’s Chairman, Stephen Barry who only became aware of the report during the course of the EGM.

Despite this damaging report, the Board continued to recommend that shareholders approve the issue of ‘toxic’ convertible notes. Fortunately shareholders at the EGM rejected the Board’s recommendations.

In addition, Ron Baldwin said that the shareholders wanted to make sure that there could never be a repeat of a three person Board, dominated by two Executive Directors, which approved salaries, bonuses and free shares to its Executive Directors that could only be described as being “grossly excessive” for a company of the size and type of Icon Energy.

“To have a Managing Director of a small gas explorer, with no cash flow, paid $560,000.00 per year is just not acceptable to shareholders”, Ron Baldwin said.

Ron Baldwin also said that as the EGM of 23rd December 2008 approached, when the Executive Directors saw the overwhelming negative vote being lodged by Proxy against their bonus shares and bonus share scheme, they withdrew the seven resolutions relating to the bonuses and the scheme but they did not withdraw the bonuses – they just paid them in cash out of shareholders funds.

The Shareholders of Icon Energy Limited will now have an opportunity to express their wishes about the current Board at the Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on 23rd February 2009.
===
For further information contact Ron Baldwin 07 3848 9699 or visit the website www.iconenergyactiongroup.org

travel

It seems the cause of the Brisbane water smell and taste problem is high manganese and geosmin levels. Here’s an extract from a press release from the Queensland Water Commission:

“Test results that we received today indicated that these measures are working and there has been a reduction in manganese and geosmin levels, and the community should start to experience improvements to the taste and odour of their tap water by the end of the week.”

The full press release can be seen here.

travel

The anti-flouride brigade are correct, Brisbane’s water does now taste and smell awful. I only noticed today. It sort of smells like wet gravel and tastes like it has rocks in it. The colour is OK, but the smell and taste are disgusting.

I hope the south-east corner’s water quality becomes a huge election issue. I really don’t care too much about the flouride, but the new smell and taste of Brisbane water is enough to swing my vote. Anna, it’s time for another backflip.

Do a Kevin, turn off the flouride and commission a 20 year long working committee.

Here’s some comments from the Courier Mail.

travel

Alcohol, or Ethyl Alcohol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages can be categorised into three generic classes: beers, wines and spirits. Ethanol is a psychoactive drug that is found to have a depressant effect on all human beings.

Everyday millions of people around the world suffer from negative after-effects of drinking alcohol without even knowing that they already have become a victim of alcohol abuse. An innocent social habit gradually crosses over a physiological and psychological addiction to turn people into a heavy drinker. Over the time excessive consumption of alcohol will take its toll on the human body.

The Chemistry

Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is produced by fermentation, a process that involves metabolism of carbohydrates by certain species of yeast in absence of oxygen.

How Much is OK?

Alcohol by volume or ABV defines the concentration of alcohol in a drink, in percentage by weight, abbreviated as w/w (weight/weight) or in proof. The proof measurement is twice the percentage of alcohol by volume at 60 degrees of Fahrenheit (i.e. 80 proof = 40% ABV).

Governments of some countries have defined limit on consumption of alcohol based on their geography, weather patterns and public health statistics. Basic recommendation of having alcohol defined by the Govt. of Australia is as follows:

* Men should not exceed 4 units or 40g of absolute alcohol per day on regular basis or 28 units per week
* Women should not exceed 2 units or 20g of absolute alcohol per day on regular basis or 14 units per week

In simpler version, one unit refers to 10g of pure alcohol in Australian standard whereas 8g or roughly 10ML of pure alcohol is equivalent to one unit in the UK. Current UK guidelines recommend men not to exceed 3 or 4 units per day.

Biologically, women body composition has less water than men. Even if the women and men have same size and same weight, the women tend to get drunk faster than men, which is why the recommended limit of consumption of alcohol is lower for women regardless of geographical location or country.

Alcohol Dependence

People, who drink very frequently, start to be dependent on alcohol and become addictive to the alcohol. Listed below are some of the symptoms and habits that help doctors determine whether a patient is dependent on alcohol or not:

* A strong urge to consume alcohol
* Physical withdrawal system, e.g. shaking, agitation, nausea and sweating when patient tries to reduce drinking
* A growing tolerance to alcohol
* Neglecting other activities
* Persistent drinking

Short-term and Long-term effects

Effects of alcohol change over the time. At the beginning alcohol makes people feel relaxed and cheerful, but further consumption leads to blurred vision, slurred speech, loss of balance and coordination problems. Large amounts of drink at one time may lead to unconsciousness, or even death.

Drinking alcohol for a prolonged period of time will cause physical damage and increase the chances of getting diseases such as alcohol-related liver disease, cardiovascular disease, brain damage, neurological problems, vitamin deficiency and some forms of cancer. Obesity, sexual problems, infertility and skin problems also directly linked with excessive drinking.

Social effects

Alcohol can have negative effects on daily social life. In most of the cases people shy away from the heavy drinker and do not socialize with the addicted person.

Alcohol can also make a person say things they do not mean to say at all. Alcohol intoxication can lead to rapes, unintended pregnancies, ruined relationships and other unwelcome incidents that do not happen in a normal life.

Conclusion

Drinking alcohol does not necessarily have to be associated with ?producing negative impacts?. In fact, moderate drinking with plenty of water and appetizers can be quite enjoyable.

Excessive drinking does not only bring about social embarrassments and arouse intensity to commit criminal acts, but it also has as adverse effect on the human body. Once addicted, it?s not easy to quit alcohol, but it is possible to do so with medical help and social support.

If you are an alcohol abuse or you have a problem with alcohol consult with physician right away.

===================================

The responsible service of alcohol is an initiative by Australian State and local Governments to reduce the social and health problems associated with alcohol. RSA online training is available from South Bank Institute of Technology as well as RSA face-to-face RSA courses.

travel

Advertising and the promotion of alcohol in the media and through sport sponsorships is a major contributing factor to the ongoing alcohol problem in Australian society. Teenagers are especially at risk from campaigns that mix sexual attraction with alcohol.

Advertising that appeals to teenagers, links alcohol with sexual and sporting success, and encourages questionable standards of taste and morality has been heaviliy criticised by social commentators and health professionals.

They argue that such advertising seriously violates a corporate duty of care towards the Australian community.

In recent years, alcohol consumption has been promoted on Australian television through commercials with overtly sexual themes. In one such ad, a talking polar bear and a group of men eavesdrop on a young woman sitting at a bar. She credits alcohol with success in finding casual sex,and the men make no secret of the fact that this is what they like to hear.

Another commercial shows a young woman lifting her T-shirt and flaunting her breasts to a young man she has just beaten in a game.

A recent beer poster depicted a drawing of a young and attractive woman holding a bottle of beer in one hand and lifting her dress with the other.

These types of beer promotions, clearly designed to attract young drinkers, evoke subtle, but unrealistic sexual expectations associated with drinking alcohol and contribute to unhealthy relationships.

In an approach to sell alcohol to young people, hundreds of thousands of leaflets were used to promote web sites that encouraged school leavers to join a party with a particular alcoholic beverage.

Another web site posted by a large Australian beer manufacturer promoted free beer to fuel university student parties and offered the chance to become a “Citizen of the Keg.”

Sport is an important part of many people’s lives and sports venues have been targeted by alcohol manufactures for promotion of their products, thereby building an association between sport, sporting heros and alcohol to boost sales.

However, the link between alcohol consumption and antisocial behaviour at these venues has become so obvious that in 2003 the New South Wales Police Association took the unprecedented step of asking for alcohol to be banned at major sporting venues.

The police association cited examples of very attractive young women, with the names of alcoholic products printed across their bikini bottoms, selling alcohol at sports venues.

A similar social problem exists with the new ranges of alcoholic beverages that look like soft drinks and appeal to younger and, in particular, female drinkers. These drinks are often referred to as “Alcopops”

Some bottles of these premixed drinks, which are often brightly coloured and usually contain vodka or bourbon, have the words Cola or Lemonade in far larger print than other words on the label.

The promotion of these products in this way is another example of corporate violations of duty of care, and should be stopped.

Clearly, the present situation of alcohol trading is unacceptable in terms of the health and social costs the community is required to bear.

Measures to limit the availability of alcohol—such as through licensing drinkers, banning advertisements, banning discounted drinks and free entertainment, banning drink-driving and so on—will go a long way toward reducing the cost of alcohol to society.

While these control measures are essential, they will not, by themselves, reduce the social and health costs of alcohol to an acceptable level.
============================
The responsible service of alcohol is an initiative by various Australian State Governments to reduce social problems associated with alcohol.RSA online training is available via South Bank Institute of Technology as well as face-to-face RSA courses.

travel rsa Brisbane, rsa course, RSA Queensland, rsa training

The marital union of, usually, a man and a woman is a life cycle event celebrated in all cultures and is the focus of considerable folklore. This begins with beliefs and customs that may be observed in the lead-up to the wedding day.

For example, in many Christian or European societies it is widely believed to be unlucky for the bride and groom to see each other for twenty-four hours ? sometimes more, sometimes less ? before the wedding.

The wedding car may be decorated with streamers and also, of late, with a Barbie Doll, dressed in the same material as the bridesmaids’ dresses, attached to the bonnet. Other mascots and forms of decoration are also common, including the traditional white ribbons.

Beliefs and customs relevant to the wedding day itself vary widely. In Lithuanian tradition, for instance, it is a popular custom to prevent the bride and groom from entering the reception. The groom must convince the guardians at the door and the guests that he and his bride should be allowed in.

Gifts are offered as an inducement. Barring the way to the fully wed state, with all its attendant rights and obligations, is a widespread facet of wedding customs, a rite of passage that marks the transition of the newlyweds from unmarried to married. Barring customs are also reported in British, American, Japanese and Carpathian tradition.

There are many interesting and colourful wedding customs observed in different ethnic and religious groups in Australia, such as stamping on a drinking glass (Jewish), linking ribbon coronets worn by bride and groom (Greek), the groom arriving at the wedding on horseback (Indian), and sugared almonds being given to wedding guests (Greek, Italian and many other ethnic groups).

The custom of giving sugared almonds has also been reported in France, Wales, England, Scotland, Israel and Belgium. In other places, raw nuts are considered appropriate food and/or gifts at weddings, a continuation of the widespread association of nuts and fertility, though in Italian tradition the nuts are generally said to symbolise good luck.

Almost always, an Australian wedding ceremony is followed by a reception, supper or party for the newlyweds and their friends and families. Often held at a reception centre or other public facility hired for the purpose, wedding receptions may also take place in the home of the bride or groom.

Characteristic elements include music, dance, song, food and drink, and speeches and toasts by the father of the bride, best man and groom. It is the duty of the best man to read out telegrams, letters, cards and faxes from absent well-wishers on this occasion.

In the past, these messages may have been of a playfully suggestive nature, though this feature seems to have faded from the contemporary observance of the custom. The gifts to the newlyweds are usually displayed at the reception.

It is important to note the dramatic changes in marriage practices in Australia even in the last twenty years, and their consequent effect on wedding customs. These changes have been documented by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and the 2001 Census shows changes such as the rise in non-church weddings.

Civil celebrants performed 53% of marriages in 2001, and of all marriages, 32% of all marriages, church and celebrant, are estimated to end in divorce.

In the same census, 72% of couples stated that they had cohabited before marriage, although this does not stop many of these couples eventually celebrating a legal marriage, sometimes with their children present, in simple or elaborate ceremonies which may be devised by the bride and groom themselves.

Another marked change in Australian society is the high rate of intermarriage between couples of different ethnic origins. All of these changes suggest that social commentators, need to be cautious about making pronouncements about marriage, or weddings, in Australia.
–
If you’re looking for a Wedding or Marriage Celebrant in Brisbane, or a Wedding Marriage Celebrant for the North Brisbane area, contact Affinity Celebrants.

travel Brisbane marriage celebrant, Brisbane wedding celebrant

As so often in Australia’s history, Melbourne was founded through deception when explorer John Batman, an Australian who spoke in several aboriginal languages, made a “deal” with aborigines to lease land on behalf of speculators.

While offering the Aborigines any compensation at all was progressive in a colonial culture that preferred to simply run them off the land, the fact that the native people had little understanding of rents, leases or indeed, the concept that land was something to be bought, sold and leased at all, made his arrangements no less exploitive. In return for a long term lease of 240,000 hectares of the finest grazing land in Australia, Batman gave the aborigines axes, salt, flour, blankets and jewelry. The total value of the goods is estimated to be around £200.

Colonial administrators later declared his leases illegal, claiming that the government, not the Aborigines, were the true owners of the land. After paying Batman compensation, they took over the territory and founded a settlement as the seat of regional government. The settlement became the city of Melbourne in 1837, named after Viscount Melbourne, the British prime minister at the time.

A sensible grid plan
Melbourne’s location was its strongest suit. While the “acquired” farmland was of excellent quality, the city’s location on the banks of the Yarra River and well protected Port Phillip Bay contributed to its rapid commercial development. The influx of energetic immigrants and eager investors from England were factors in the economic growth of the young city.

Once the city had 5,000 residents, city planners intervened and imposed a strict grid plan to check chaotic growth in every direction. Melbourne’s planners decreed that every main street would be exactly 30 metres wide, with perpendicular side streets one third that width. The strict grid plan has been in place ever since.

Melbourne became the capital of the new Victoria Colony in 1851. As luck would have it, miners in the outback came upon a rich seam of gold just four days later. Melbourne prospered like no other city on the continent, even after the gold rush waned.

A second boom was sparked by industrial development and immigration after World War II. Melbourne’s population more than tripled, and the plains around the Yarra River gradually grew crowded as 3 million people from 140 nations arrived to claim their piece of the Australian dream.

City planners again stepped in, authorising the construction and development of suburbs and satellite towns. In the downtown commercial districts, Melbourne began building upward and large office buildings shot up on the horizon.

A rather unassuming city, Melbourne’s grand sights are few in comparison to stylish Sydney. Of course, there is still a great deal to see, including the Melbourne Museum, the State Parliament, the royal exhibition buildings, the Stock Market, majestic St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Flinders Street Station. Freshwater Place is a luxury residential complex, with a striking, elegant design that makes it Australia’s thinnest building as well as one of its tallest.

Melbourne is well known for book shops, live shows and the arts. Many northerners desperate for culture travel south to Melbourne for their arts fix. Melbourne hosts a world class writers festival and comedy festival.

Melbourne is also renowned for sports. The annual Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix held at the Albert Park Circuit is famous around the world, but there are many more sporting highlights to enjoy.

The professional tennis season starts here with the Australian Open, drawing the best players in the world to compete in the first of four major tournaments. Local sports attract an even greater following.

When the Magpies, Bombers and Kangaroos take the field, life is frozen in time. Melbourne’s football players have always been their sports heroes, but cricket and rugby are also popular. The Grand Final of the Australian Football League (AFL) takes place each year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. One of the eight Melbourne teams usually participates.
===
Looking for a competitive International carrier? Consider Singapore airlines. Singapore airlines boasts almost 60 years of innovation and quality service. For more details, visit http://www.flightcentre.com.au/suppliers/singapore_airlines.htm FCFC311208-7

travel Australia, holidays, melbourne, singapore, singapore airlines, travel

As so often in Australia’s history, Melbourne was founded through deception when adventurer John Batman, an Australian who spoke in several aboriginal languages, made a “deal” with aborigines to lease land on behalf of investors.

While offering the Aborigines any compensation at all was progressive in a colonial culture that preferred to simply run them off the land, the fact that the native people had little understanding of rents, leases or indeed, the concept that land was something to be bought, sold and leased at all, made his arrangements no less exploitative. In return for a long term lease of 240,000 hectares of the finest grazing land in Australia, Batman gave the aborigines axes, salt, flour, blankets and jewelry. The total value of the goods is estimated to be around £200.

Colonial administrators later declared his leases unlawful, claiming that the government, not the Aborigines, were the true owners of the land. After paying Batman compensation, they took over the territory and founded a settlement as the seat of regional government. The settlement became the city of Melbourne in 1837, named after Viscount Melbourne, the British prime minister at the time.

A strict town plan

Melbourne s location was its strongest feature. While the “acquired” farmland was of excellent quality, the citys location on the banks of the Yarra River and well protected Port Phillip Bay contributed to its rapid commercial development. The influx of energetic immigrants and eager investors from England were determinants in the economic development of the young city.

Once the city had 5,000 residents, city planners intervened and imposed a strict grid plan to check chaotic growth in every direction. Melbournes planners decreed that every main street would be exactly 30 metres wide, with perpendicular side streets one third that width. The strict grid plan has been in place ever since.

Melbourne became the capital of the new Victoria Colony in 1851. As luck would have it, miners in the outback came upon a rich seam of gold just four days later. Melbourne prospered like no other city on the continent, even after the gold rush waned.

A second boom was sparked by industrial development and immigration after World War II. Melbournes population more than tripled, and the plains around the Yarra River gradually grew crowded as 3 million people from 140 nations arrived to claim their piece of the Australian dream.

City planners again stepped in, authorising the construction and development of suburbs and satellite towns. In the downtown commercial districts, Melbourne began building upward and skyscrapers appeared on the horizon.

A rather unassuming city, Melbournes grand sights are few in comparison to stylish Sydney. Of course, there is still a great deal to see, including the Melbourne Museum, the State Parliament, the royal exhibition buildings, the Stock Market, majestic St. Patrick s Cathedral and Flinders Street Station.  Freshwater Place is a luxury residential complex, with a striking, elegant design that makes it Australias thinnest building as well as one of its tallest.

Melbourne is well known for book shops, live shows and the arts. Many northerners desperate for culture travel south to Melbourne for their arts fix. Melbourne hosts a world class writers festival and comedy festival.

Melbourne is also renowned for sports. The annual Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix held at the Albert Park Circuit is famous around the world, but there are many more sporting highlights to experience.

The professional tennis season starts here with the Australian Open, drawing the best players in the world to compete in the first of four major tournaments. Local sports attract an even greater following.

When the Magpies, Bombers and Kangaroos take the field, life is put on hold. Melbournes football players have always been their sports heroes, but cricket and rugby are also popular. The Grand Final of the Australian Football League (AFL) takes place each year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. One of the eight Melbourne teams usually participates.
===
Looking for a competitive International airline? Think about Singapore airlines. Singapore airlines boasts almost 60 years of innovation and quality service. For more details, visit http://www.flightcentre.com.au/suppliers/singapore_airlines.htm FCFC311208-7

travel airlines, melbourne, singapore, singapore airlines, travel