OZtralia.tv Blog

Float Away While Visiting Australia’s Captial City

Getting up before the sun isn’t everyone’s ideal start to the day, especially if you’re on holidays. On a cool morning in Canberra, though, it’s very much the done thing if you want to try one of the best experiences in Australia’s capital.

Hot air balloons have long been synonymous with Canberra. They create a spectacular and festive atmosphere for both the local community and visitors to the Australian Capital Territory. The best departure time is early morning, just before sunrise brings Canberra’s valleys and lakes to life with a soft morning light.

Balloon Aloft started ballooning here more than 20 years ago. It collects guests at their hotel or arranges to meet them in the foyer of the Park Hyatt. Departures are from one of 20 launch sites in the region.

Before take-off, the balloon is inflated with a cold air fan. The air is slowly heated until the balloon is in an upright position. It’s now time to climb into the passenger compartment for a pre-flight briefing. More heat is added to fully inflate the giant balloon until it lifts gently into the sky.

The balloon baskets are chest height, sturdy and safely built. They allow passengers perfect views across the landscape. Weddings are often performed in-flight. On one memorable occasion, a parachuting bride and groom jumped from the balloon at 6,000 feet.

The annual Autumn Balloon Festival lights up the Canberra skies with as many as 50 beautiful balloons in special shapes and sizes including a Kookaburra, an Aussie Rules football, a giant shamrock and a Scottish piper.

In spring, what better way to appreciate the design and colour of the annual flower show, Floriade, than by hot air balloon?

From tree top height to 3,500 feet above sea level, the balloon floats over Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle. There are fantastic views of the city and Old Parliament House, the impressive new Parliament House, the National Gallery, and Lake Burley Griffin. It’s an unforgettable experience. And, after landing in a preordained paddock, finish with a champagne and orange juice celebration at The Hyatt.

Travel Slowly In Australia

By: Phoenix Arrien

I believe in travelling slow. I do. I do.

Now get out of my way I‘m running late!

Just kidding!

Have you heard about the Slow Travel movement? It is a trend that is growing and I believe it is a great thing. Too many people rush into a destination, run around for a day, and then rush to the next place.

What do they see? What have they learnt about the place? What have they absorbed? How about relaxing and letting the essence of a culture or landscape or people seep into your pores?

Not interested? Okay, the plane leaves in five minutes, better run! Interested? Then here are a few suggestions:

Go to a destination via ground transport. Australia has a great network of city and regional town buses, trams and trains. Long distance coaches and trains will show you the amazing diversity of landscapes on this continent.

Take longer lunches

Sleep in longer

Sit and think

Sit and don’t think

Walk or cycle. See kangaroos and emus bounce and strut, smile as you pass sleepy towns and wave to drovers grazing their cattle on the Long Paddock (the side of the road).

Cities are the hardest in which to slow down. Their very nature is to buzz and buzz, faster and faster until we all fall down.

However, someone has done some homework and two books are out on going slow in Melbourne and Sydney.

The PR states that: “Slow celebrates all that’s local, traditional, handmade and conscious. It arouses the senses and is about quality over quantity, pleasure over pressure and mindfulness over mindlessness. ”

I like being aroused just like anyone else, so if you want to join me, check out the website www.slowguides.com

I had seen dolphin trainers on TV splash the water lightly with their hands. A dolphin would magically appear out of the water. I stuck my hand through the fence, and started to do what I had witnessed on TV. At first, Max and Jan laughed, but in no time, something came out of the water. I rubbed my hand along the head of the dolphin. It soon realized that I had no fish, and swam away a bit disappointed.

Sea World on the Gold Coast offers exciting adventures where visitors can interact with some of the sea’s most exciting creatures. On this day, Max, Jan and I were to swim with sharks and dolphins.

There were two tanks filled with the sharks. When I say tanks, I mean habitats that are quite plush for a sea creature. In one tank there were humongous sharks, the kind that you see in the movies-large, and mean looking. I was quite unsure what tank we were to be snorkelling in, but soon I was flapping my flippers in the other tank swimming with stingrays, and small reef sharks. We were not supposed to touch, but I snuck a quick feel of a stingray. It felt like a soft sponge. It turned around and looked at me and I think he or she gave me a smile.

After riding some roller coasters and water rides, we moved on to our dolphin adventure. Swimming with dolphins was listed as one of the 100 things someone should do before they pass on, so, I was able to justify spending a foolish amount on the experience.

The dolphins feel like rubber, a soft malleable rubber. Our dolphin, Sparky, was quite a funny fella. Just over two years old, his mother was born at Sea World and he now takes to the family trade of entertaining guests like myself. He did flips, swam around me, jumped over me, let me touch his belly, and even gave me a kiss…all captured in photographs, naturally.
It was quite fun, swimming with dolphins. I will remember it for the rest of my days. Dolphins have a unique aura that surrounds them and rubs off as they let you touch their soft skin.

Not so long ago, the Australian Tourism Board launched a new version of www.Australia.com.

(more…)

Summer is definitely on its way and most Aussies know what this means Festival Season! The Australian culture is obsessed with music festivals, so to gain the full experience of this amazing country you must attend.

Scorching hot sun, carefree dancing, good mates, great music and a few drinks are definitely on the top of our agenda.

Last weekends Parklife festival in Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens was a succuss with thousands of people attending. The event sure did amaze audiences with an international, all star line-up consisting of some of the most cutting edge electro/hip-hop/breaks/house and progressive artists to come to town.

(more…)

I just got off the phone with a close friend of mine on the Gold Coast. He said that the weather is getting warmer and the mood has shifted from winter to summer.

Ah, such a great time to be in Australia.

Many folks now will travel from the northern hemisphere to the southern and experience all that Australia has to offer. Before you go and while you are there, our team hopes you enjoy our coverage of Australia.

When I was just a young lad, I had a dream to go to Australia. That’s right; I said that one day I was going to go college in Australia. Coming form the farming town of Culdesac, Idaho (population around 300) in the United States, that idea was a bit of a stretch. But I have a secrete to share with you: When you set your mind to something, you can do anything.

(more…)