Top golfers 'won't travel to Australia'

Australian golf fans need to get used to the fact that the days of foreign marquee players contesting domestic events are over, according to US Tour star Stuart Appleby.

Appleby, in Melbourne for the launch of next month's Australian Masters, said the massive money on offer in America and the tyranny of distance meant the days of major winners playing in Australia were at an end.

"You're not going to get the top Americans to Australia. It's not going to happen, the business has changed," Appleby said.

Bicol tourism exec hits Australian travel advisory

The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Bicol lashed out at a travel advisory issued by the Australian government warning its nationals in the Philippines against visiting tourist destinations in the region.

The advisory came after an attack by alleged New People's Army (NPA) rebels on the facilities of Australian-owned El Dore Mining Corp. in Labo, Camarines Norte last October 3.

Another Australian-owned mining firm, Lafayette Philippine Inc., is also reportedly under threat of attacks by communist guerrillas, the Philippine Army, citing intelligence reports, earlier disclosed.

New Appointment with the Myplanet Group

Danish born Hanne, has extensive travel experience which has taken her through Scandinavia, Greenland and Iceland. Hanna has acquired strong experience within the travel industry having worked with Bentours from 1982-88, as the retail manager at Turramurra Travel and as a corporate consultant at Chandler Alexander Travel. Hanna has also been a lecturer for 5 years at the Gosford Careers College. She also has airfare auditing diploma from Travel Search.

Australia's Qantas to expand NZ domestic services

Qantas said it would re-start a Wellington-to-Christchurch service, add another Boeing 737 to its New Zealand domestic fleet and invest at least NZ$3 million in passenger facilities. Regional manager New Zealand Grant Lilly said Qantas' introduction of the Citiflyer brand was part of a strategy to target the business traveller. "The changes reinforce Qantas' commitment to the New Zealand market," Lilly said in a statement.

Long trip down under offers adventures galore in Australia, New Zealand

When we landed, a new day had just begun - G'day - and the wonders of the land down under lay before us: Watching a stingray glide before my eyes as I snorkelled in the Great Barrier Reef. Seeing little blue penguins muster at nightfall at the Southern Ocean's edge for their ritual march to their nests. Black swans. A wallaby springing across an open field. Up above, the Southern Cross. And bungee-jumping in New Zealand.
My wife and I had left a Maine winter behind to complete a long-unfinished mission. Working as editors on an ocean liner 28 years earlier, Betty and I had sailed to five continents, missing Australia. We decided now it was time to go. We worked in a stay in New Zealand in a package arranged by our travel agent. We have never been much for escorted tours, but with so many attractions spread over a vast area, and limited time (two weeks), we opted for a tour with Globus. And we met nice people, locals and tour-mates, along the way

Australia Welcoming More Arab Gulf Tourists

Australia's tourism authority says arrivals from Arab Gulf states have increased by 25 percent so far this year - mostly from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Paul Buggy from Tourism Queensland says they are headed to the state's beach resorts.
"They are stopping off in Sydney and Melbourne and having a couple of days there, but primarily their number one destination is the Gold Coast. They like staying in apartments, of which the Gold Coast has plenty to offer," Buggy said. "You have theme parks and shopping centers who have put in prayer rooms. The access to Halal food is a lot greater."