Travel guide Queensland for Pet friendly

Here are the 2009 state winners for the leading holiday rentals across Australia, with guests rating their favourite hotels, motels, hostels, B&Bs and accommodation parks.    TakeABreak.com.au, Australia’s only independent boutique accommodation website, presents the “Best Places to Stay” awards for the tourism industry, which recognise outstanding service in specialist segment categories.    State winners were selected via an exhaustive process from over 13,000 properties in 1400 localities and 39 accommodation types. National winners were announced in November.   18 categories were judged in total with winners awarded in segments such as Beach, Budget, Eco-friendly, Gro... Read more

Best Aussie Adventures Where do you think is the best adventure holiday destination in Australia? The 2009 votes are still being counted to find the best place to take yourself and your friends, partner or family on an adventure holiday. Where are the best places to go, things to do and things to see? TakeABreak.com.au, Australia’s only independent holiday rental website, has initiated a first time ‘Best Places to Stay’ award for Australian destinations, which recognises towns and cities that have outstanding facilities in specialist segment categories. Winners will be voted on by the public with 8 categories presenting finalists across each state. Just some of the TakeABreak Adventure Destination finalists… Freycinet P... Read more

Planning a holiday when you have a pet can be an emotional experience. While you excitedly thumb through pamphlets of your dream holiday destinations, your loyal pal is gazing up at you with those big brown eyes as though pleading with you to bring him along too. Or maybe it’s your cat, purring while rubbing past you, hoping that you’ll get the hint. At this point you remember the difficulties of holidays when you have pets. Not only will you feel guilty about leaving them cooped up at a kennel or cattery, but you’ll also have the huge cost associated with their care as well. Further, pets tend to remember these slights, and as one Canberra cat-owner discovered, they can get vindictive too. Each time she began packing for a trip, her cat would pee in all of her shoes! ... Read more

More Australian families are taking their furry kids on holidays.  We all know that feeling… getting sorted for a holiday, packing the bags – and having to deal with the morose looks coming our way from the pets.  At least dogs are so happy to see you when you get back that they quickly forgive you, but we all know how well our gorgeous feline friends can hold a grudge!  It used to take my cat a good couple of days before she would talk to me again – and while there are many caring and well-run catteries and kennels who do their best to keep your pet’s spirits up, there really is no substitute for taking them with you. This is becoming easier all the time as accommodation operators (usually pet lovers themselves) realise that more and more people wa... Read more

Those of us who live in Australia grow up understanding the joys, dangers and safety rules that make it such a great place.  However, many visitors to our country find Australia an alien, but starkly beautiful country, and they have little or no understanding of the best way to stay safe and enjoy their time here. A few very simple rules can help to make a visit to Australia a safe and pleasurable experience, and Tourism Australia has a brochure available for download that lists safety tips in a variety of languages. Driving tips One of the first things to remember is that speed limits are strictly enforced in Australia, more so than in many countries overseas.  Generally, when driving in urban and suburban areas, the speed limit is between 50 and 60 kilometres per hour. When ... Read more

We know that our teenage children can be delightful, exasperating, funny, sullen, adventurous, shy, talkative, slothful and manic – and sometimes that is just in the space of an hour!  All these moods are magnified when it comes to travelling, be it in Australia or overseas, as teens and parents are forced into one another’s company without a ‘get out of jail free’ card, such as time with friends. Travelling overseas with teenagers tends to be a better experience for a number of reasons, such as the brilliant entertainment systems now available on most flights, menus that let them eat things they like, resorts that have activities that cater for most age groups and the “wow” factor.  So let’s concentrate on surviving travelling in Austra... Read more

For many, it is a dream to travel to the Land Down Under.  The Great Barrier Reef is a natural phenomenon many long to see for themselves, as is the giant Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) sitting smack in the middle of the country. Seeing kangaroos in the wild, the chance to cuddle a koala, and just experience the laid-back attitude for which Australians are famous, may seem like an impossible dream. Happily, it takes only a day to travel to this great island continent, and with flights more reasonably priced than ever, and plenty of deals available throughout the year, you could soon be chatting with the locals while marveling at the mixed-up features of a platypus. Getting there Plenty of airlines travel to Australia, including their main carrier, Qantas. How much you pay to t... Read more

When Lieutenant James Cook discovered the Whitsundays in 1770, he probably wished he could sneak off the ship and spend the rest of his days basking on the white sandy beaches among their swaying palm trees. He could have spent a lifetime swimming among brightly coloured fish, dining on tropical fruits, watching beautiful birds, and trekking the many different landscapes of the islands. Surely if he could have just turned back the clock, history would have been very different. Fortunately for us, word spread about the beauty of the Whitsundays and today they are a paradise which is easily enjoyed by all.   Top 10 things to do If you don’t have enough time or money to do all of these activities during your trip, you’ll just have to return to the islands and keep ... Read more

If you visit the Sunshine Coast, you may never want to leave. The stretch of towns from Caloundra to Rainbow Beach boast exceptional weather, sunrises you'll actually want to wake up to watch, beaches perfect for surfing as well as beaches ideal for people who hate surfing, vineyards, scenic vistas of Glasshouse Mountains and even dolphins. The list of reasons to visit has barely started. The truth is, the Sunshine Coast is the perfect holiday destination for honeymooners, families, retirees, singles, mates, couples, professionals, blue-collar workers, domestic gods and goddesses, dogs, SCUBA divers, yobbos, fishermen, bush-walkers, wine connoisseurs, greenies, and even accountants. It should be illegal to go there and not have a good time.   Family fun If your family needs more... Read more

Need to get away but want to make sure the access, activities, attractions and facilities where you are going meet your needs? Not to mention finding a great deal!   Reports that we are all living longer and most of us are getting about more freely than our parents could at our age (yippee!). The great news is that we are taking advantage of our good health and traveling more, and for longer. For some of us this is thanks to a financial boost from our compulsory superannuation funds. Better health and more money give us the flexibility to keep on having fun and lets hope it stays that way!   According to the National Visitor Survey conducted by the Bureau of Tourism Research, “The increase mobility and longevity of senior Australians and the financial boost of pay-outs ... Read more