Australia Australia & the Fiji Islands Australia has 6 states and 2 territories and is as big as the United States!  The country is a safe destination and the Aussies love people from the U.S.  To learn more about this wonderful country listen to the webinars presented by Jeff Adam of Down Under Answers. Spicers Retreats in Australia Spicers has created a collection of relaxed and luxurious retreats in Australia.   Spicers Retreats combines the individuality and privacy of a bed and breakfast with the style, quality and standards of the world’s finest hotels.  They have six stunning destinations in south-east Queensland, three in New South Wales - Hunter Valley, Blue Mountains and Potts Point in Sydney. Two Youtube videos from Spicers: Spicers Peak Lodge Spicers Scenic Rim Trail A 3-day guided walk in SE Queensland which is all-inclusive. Coober Pedy, South Australian Outback, Australia Coober Pedy is the Opal Capital of the World and is located in the South Australian Outback.  The first opal was discovered in 1915 and people from around the world came to Coober Pedy in search of making their fortunes in the opal fields.  They still come today to mine but they also come as tourists to buy or noodle for opals, to learn about the underground lifestyle of the residents and to experience the quirkiest, weirdest and most unique town in Australia and its outback landscapes.  If you want an amazing outback experience, make sure you put Coober Pedy on your Bucket List!  Just call Your Travel Source at (800) 597-0594 and we can send you there. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Melbourne, Victoria, Australia is the second largest city in Australia. It is an vibrant, cosmopolitan city with heritage buildings and modern skyscrapers. It is a melting pot of cultures settled by immigrants from around the world who came there during the gold rush days of 1850. It has a Chinatown, a Greek District and fantastic international restaurants. It is also a shopping and fashion mecca and has a wonderful cafe culture. It is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road and also to Phillip Island and its Little Penguin Parade. Echidna Walkabout, Nature Tours, Melbourne, Australia One of our favorite tour operators in Melbourne is Janine Duffy’s Echidna Walkabout tours.  Her company has days tours that take you into bush just 45 minutes outside of Melbourne to see koalas and kangaroos in the bush.   Their company now has more extended tours.  Click above to learn more about this wonderful company. Maria Island Walk, Tasmania Maria Island is a World Heritage National Park located 1 hour and 15 minutes from Hobart, Tasmania.  The island can only be accessed by ferry or  a scenic flight and has no vehicles, just beautiful scenery, wildlife and deserted beaches.  Maria Island Guided Walks offers you the opportunity to experience this wonderful island on a 4-day guided walk.    Click on the link above to see a video and learn more about what you would experience on Maria Island. Surfing Lessons on Bondi Beach with Let’s Go Surfing If you ever wanted to learn to surf, why not do it when you are in Sydney on Bondi Beach?   This is a video that USAToday.com did on Let’s go Surfing which will give you some idea what spending time with the Bondi boys & girls would be like.   They even have “Silver Surfer” lessons and a tour that does a half-day tour of Bondi after your lesson.  They also give lessons in Byron Bay and  Maroubra. Cindy & Bill’s Trip to Australia Cindy and Bill went on a Princess Cruise and then did a month’s trip across Australia. Their blog about their cruise and their trip Down Under is fascinating reading.  Our very favorite Aussie song  “I Still Call Australia Home” This was a song written and performed by Peter Allen and was used in Qantas commercials.  The children are from the Sydney’s Children’s Choir and Qantas flew them all over the world to film their commercials.   Qantas allowed us to use the song to share with our clients. “I am Australian” video Sounds of Silence Dinner at Uluru (Ayers Rock) A must do when you go to Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the Northern Territory is to book a “Sound of Silence” dinner.   You drink champagne and eat appetizers as you watch the sunset over Uluru and then feast on Australian foods and drink Australian wines under the stars.  Then an astronomer shows you the Southern sky.

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