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Australia

3 Options for Flying to Australia

So you’re going to Australia … what are your alternatives for airlines? Check it out right here.

Qantas Flights From Dallas Let Travelers Skip LAX

American travelers on the East Coast and in the Midwest should be excited about the new Qantas flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Brisbane. Now they can get to Australia without a stop in Los Angeles.

1 Moment at LAX Restores the Thrill of Air Travel

One fleeting moment taxiing to the gate at LAX reminded me of everything that’s great about air travel – the anticipation and the thrill of visiting a different part of the globe.

The Awesome Australian Crocodile Hotel of Jabiru

You can count on seeing all sorts of crazy things in Australia. But it might be a crocodile-shaped hotel that leaves you scratching your head most.

“Hell Walking” and Tramping – How to Hike Abroad

Planning to take a hike outside the U.S.? Well, beware – even English-speaking countries have some very different ways of saying “hiking.” Here are a few of my favorite examples.

New York Times “41 Places” Travel Story is a Dud

The New York Times article “The 41 Places to Go in 2011″ is nothing but a guidebook to sucking money from your pockets while making you act like the docile, vacuous, stereotypical, Hawaiian shirt-wearing American tourists. It’s not worthy of what’s supposed to be the nation’s flagship paper.

Guest Post – Choice Bits of Aussie Slang

If you’re headed to Australia, make your trip by mastering some key Aussie slang. Here are some tips to take you beyond “G’Day” and “mate.”

Local Encounters – Putting Personality into Travel

I travel to see new places. I bring tons of batteries and memory for the camera.
But often, it’s the people I meet who steal the show: the Icelanders, kiwis, Aussies, ticos, etc.
If you have some decent people skills, the locals are the ones who will really make your trip better. They’ll clue you in to cool places, give you an insider perspective to their home and maybe help you out when your plans go awry. And not because it’s their job – just because they’re being nice.
Sometimes, you never even catch their name. It might be just a quick conversation, but it sticks in your mind and is part of your vacation’s story. I’m not really talking about tourist industry folks who are paid to be nice, but people who you just run into randomly.
So in honor of the locals, let me share a few memories about some I’ve encountered:
Iceland – Stjarnan FC Soccer Fans
During our first night in Reykjavik, my wife and I wandered past a stadium. We quickly struck up a conversation with a bearded, staff-wielding character with blue and white face paint. He clued us into what was about to take place: an epic Icelandic Premier League clash between league leaders Fram and his team, Stjarnan FC (just about a month before it became famous for its goal celebrations). Moments later, we were seated near Ragnar and his crew as they beat drums, sang songs and clapped incessantly. This was a perfect example of what happens when [...]

Visit Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory

A Guide to Darwin, the Gateway to Adventure in Australia’s Top End
If you’re off to Australia, you need to see the rugged Northern Territory. It’s rugged and untamed, and the port town of Darwin is a major gateway to all the fun. There are tons of trips departing Darwin – all ready to take travelers from Litchfield Park to the mighty Kakadu!
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Mixing Coffee and Travel

I think it’s really fun to find quality microbrews while traveling. I get a chance to try something tasty, and I often get a chance to mingle with locals (in the case of my recent visit to the Lost Abbey/Port Brewing tasting room, I even met a friendly black cat). It’s also not super-hard to find good microbrewers and brew pubs.
For me, it’s way harder to find good coffee shops unless I’m someplace like Portland or Seattle. I was 0 for 2 on cappuccino during my recent visit to San Diego. I won’t name the establishments here … mostly because the second barista really tried hard to produce a good drink. She took her time, and the micro-foam was spot-on. Unfortunately, the coffee itself was way too hot and had a much more bitter edge than I prefer. For the solid effort, I can’t leave her and her establishment hanging out to dry.
If you travel to Arizona, of course, Arizona-coffee.com will not steer you wrong. But I need to start doing better research when I travel. Does anyone out there have any resources for finding great barista people all across the nation?
In Australia, New Zealand and Costa Rica, I’m pretty golden. It’s easy to find great coffee there. From what I understand, AUS and NZ have mandatory barista training that’s pretty extensive. Australia is pretty awesome because it also grows its own beans in Queensland. In New Zealand, it’s impossible to roll into even the smallest town and not find a pretty classy cafe. [...]

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