Blogs

Located a leisurely 2 hour drive from Brisbane, Mount View Homestead is 16 km south of Toowoomba. Mount View Homestead has been in the one family since 1896 and is a 650 acre grain growing and cattle property. The homestead is a 120 year old gorgeous 4 bedroom that has been fully renovated with the modern comforts in a beautiful Queenslander style home. The house itself was built in 1896 after the original home was burnt down. The homestead sleeps 8 with 2 Queen beds, 1 Double bed and 2 Single beds. The bathroom is ample size but needs to be shared amongst all guests staying in house. The kitchen is simply delightful to look at but very functional as well, we loved preparing meals and sitting around the table having a chat over a cuppa with each other. The view from the 2 main bedrooms is incredible to wake READ MORE

Have you ever tried this local Gold Coast product? If not, you should! Australia’s first amphibious bus city tour. This local family owned business has been operating in Queensland’s iconic Gold Coast since 1996 and offers a one-hour tour taking in the sights of Surfers Paradise and it’s surrounds via road and on the water. We check in at the Aquaduck office conveniently located at 36 Cavil Avenue, Surfers Paradise. Our Guide advises it’s time to board our vessel and walks us across the road where we are greeted by the smiling yellow duck beak painted at the front of the vessel. The Aquaduck immediately makes you feel happy and we soon board. Safety briefing for everyone once on board. If you are chartering the vessel for an event and staying in Surfers Paradise, chat with the wonderful Sales staff about having the vessel collect your group from their hotel READ MORE

Always up for a beer tasting and even more so when you find out there is a brewery located in your local area. The popularity of microbreweries and craft beer on the Gold Coast in the past 5 years has seen so many great offerings spring up. Black Hops II located in the northern end of the Gold Coast in Biggera Waters is a hop, skip and jump from Harbourtown. The company remains owned by the same amazing 3 Gold Coast lads who started their tap room in Burleigh Heads and have been brewing since 2014. This larger space with brewery and tap room has allowed the organisation to expand as the popularity of Black Hops has increased in recent years, even taking out the Champion Small Australian Brewery award in 2018. Opening to the public in March 2019, Black Hops II allows northern Gold Coast locals and visitors the READ MORE

I always love taking Media or Trade to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, it certainly is one of my favourite places. For those that have not yet been, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a zoological garden encompassing 27 hectares of natural bushland and rainforest. Originally opened in 1947 the park was gifted to the National Trust of Australia (Queensland) in 1976 and turned the site into a not-for-profit enterprise. The park was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2009 and operates a Wildlife Hospital which opened in 1989. This year saw over 12 000 animals admitted – which is a service provided free of charge. As you can imagine treating, rehabilitating, releasing sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife means the hospital has grown to be one of the busiest wildlife hospitals in the world. The work the hospital offers is invaluable and donations are always welcome. Plan to stay a good 5 READ MORE

I love fresh fruit and veg and I think this stems from my upbringing. My first recollections of our family home in Bundaberg was of Citrus trees – Oranges and Lemons, clusters of Banana’s. Custard Apples so huge that as much as you tried, you could not finish one all to yourself. My Mum was a keen gardener, having been raised in Fiji she and my Dad understood the value in planting your own crops and tending to them to ensure they had food for their ever-growing young family. My most favourite memories are being in the garden with Mum picking pods of peas, gathering fresh eggs from the chook house, grabbing a Guava straight from the tree and tucking into these if I felt hungry after exploring the yard. We are blessed in Australia with the abundant supply of great quality fruit and vegetables and a place dear to READ MORE

If you have done all the usual touristy things in Delhi like; Humanyun’s Tomb, Chandi Chowk, Swaminarayan Akshardham, Red Fort, The Lotus Temple and Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, then you might enjoy my next read on a few different places I visited on my quick work trip to New Delhi & Agra. Arrived Le Meridien in New Delhi to be met by such wonderfully welcoming staff and welcome mocktails. The interior view from Henri’s Bar on the top floor looking down is a sight behold and the view outside from Henri’s Bar is just lovely. To me the hotel style is quite futuristic with its décor and colour scheme. Located a short 15 minute drive nearby are Connaught Place and Janpath Market, so makes this hotel centrally located for the getting around that I needed to do. My room had a wonderful view of India Gate and it was READ MORE

If you have done all the usual touristy things in Mumbai like; The Gateway of India, Leopold Café & Bar, Global Vipassanda Pagoda, Nariman Point, Shopping in Bandra, Marine Drive Then you might enjoy my next read on a few different places I saw on my quick work trip to Mumbai. Ohh my, St Regis Mumbai ….. I think I am in heaven! Truly cannot wait to come back and stay here. Immaculately clean rooms, incredible customer service …. Hello your own butler! I do not think I have ever stayed somewhere so luxurious. This 5 star property is 5 star everything. Located in Lower Parel this property is one the tallest buildings in Mumbai. Probably the best breakfast experience ever in Seven Kitchens, such fresh ingredients, so many mouth-watering food stations, incredibly talented Chefs and friendly staff. I must be honest and say the spa experience at Kumarakom was READ MORE

I know I always start a blog by saying a particular region or country is either my favourite or one of my favourites and this declaration of love is so true for India. As the marketing campaign says ‘Incredible India” – they have captured in two words the essence of this nation. From the places you will visit, the people you will meet and the food you will enjoy, every visit will leave wanting to come back and explore more. For this visit I stayed at Kumarakom Lake Resort which is in the district of Kottayam in the state of Kerala. The serene backwaters and quiet calm were just what I was looking for. This 25 acre property rests on the side of Lake Vembanad which is very popular for Backwater Houseboat Cruises, Bird Watching Tours and Ayurveda Spa’s. Our flight arrived very late into Kochi, allow 1.5 hours to READ MORE

What an awesome city! I love the eclectic mix of traditional and new. The food is amazing, the people I met were just so friendly and welcoming. I was attending a travel show so my days were filled with talking tourism and showcasing the Gold Coast plus attending tourism industry meetings and presentations. With limited down time I squeezed in as much as I possibly could. One of the tourism opportunities for Australian tour operators to attend was a famil arranged by HanaTours which consisted of a leisurely drive from Kintex Korean International Exhibition Centre (about an hour drive north of Seoul) visiting The Namsan Seoul Tower and the Gwangjang Market for dinner. This was such a great evening, special thanks to the HanaTours team for taking such good care of us all. The Namsan Seoul Tower at around 236 m was built in 1969, with hill elevation the base READ MORE

Always love a long weekend and an excuse to get out of town, pack a small bag, jump in the car and take off for a nice drive. This long weekend was no exception. Stanthorpe is located a leisurely 2 and a half hour drive South West of Brisbane and approximately a 3 hour drive from the Gold Coast. We stopped for coffee and breakfast at Bean To in Beaudesert, friendly service and lovely coffee. Located in the heart of the Granite Belt, this area of Queensland offers spectacular country scenery, stars fill the nightsky, cosy fires, fruit and olive groves aplenty, cheese and fudge factories, vineyards and microbreweries are now also popping up and of course the lure of witnessing firsthand the balancing prehistoric granite boulders in Girraween National Park ensure there is something for everyone to see, do and enjoy. Before checking in to our accommodation, we had READ MORE