Cheap Flights Cruises

If you are planning a vacation to Australia you may want to combine your time on the mainland with a P&O cruise to the South Pacific Islands or up the Australian coast. Or if you live in Australia why not go on a cruise? Right now P&O are offering cruises where you can save up to 60 per cent. The cruises depart from Sydney. To get these great bargains you will need to book by 28 February 2007.

While cruising the South Pacific you will visit pristine beaches and beautiful palm-shaded lagoons. You will also experience exotic cultures and you will have a chance to meet the locals for a wonderful cultural experience. The cruises visit the crystal clear waters of New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands where there is always a welcoming smile. They also visit Vanuatu where you will be amazed by the sunsets and you can also visit magical Fiji.

Some examples of the great cruises P&O have on offer include a saving of 60 per cent for a cruise from Sydney to Luganville, Wala, Mystery Island, Isle of Pines and return to Sydney. The cruise lasts for 11 nights and prices start from $915 Australian for a 4 berth cabin.

The great thing about a cruise is that once you are on board you don’t have to worry about going out for food or getting from your hotel to the local attractions. On a cruise nearly everything you can imagine is right there. You will find many fun activities that are an all inclusive part of the cruise prices. You will also find many facilities such as a selection of dining rooms, buffet restaurant for casual dining, nightclub, large sunbathing desks, whirlpool spas, library, internet cafe, gym, spa and jogging track. The kids are also well looked after in the kids centres so there is plenty of time for you to relax.
Some activities you are likely to find on one of the P&O cruise ships inlclude: Table tennis, sunbathing, massages, dancing and art and craft classes. You will also be entertained at the welcome cocktail party. This will be followed by cabaret shows, live bands and you can take in recent-release movies on the big screen. There should be enough to keep you entertained at all times.

In November 2007 P&O Cruises will be starting services using the first superliner to operate out of Australia. The Pacific Dawn will provide cruises with more choices and better facilities. P&O will be offering cruises running from 7 to 14 days to exotic locations including New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and Loyalty Islands.

If you are interested in a P&O cruise contact your local travel agent. You might also be interested in other cruise options. Visit the cheapflightscruises.com cruises section for more information. You can read the article about Royal Caribbean cruises and also cruises to Alaska available from cheapflightscruises.com.

read comments (0)

My wife loves shopping and she loves nothing better than finding a cheap flight to Sydney for a weekend of shopping. And the food is pretty good there too. For me I prefer the sight seeing. I just love walking around the harbour foreshores and taking in the views.

My wife is not so interested in the tourist attractions Sydney has to offer, for her it is all about the shopping. Like all great cities, Sydney has something for all tastes and budgets. You can find all the big international luxury brands or you can uncover some hot new designs from a local fashion designer. You may also discover beautiful artworks from a whole swag of artists. There is also fantastic jewellery choices and so many shoes you need to a truck to take them home. You may want to go for the budget buys you can find in a local market or the more upscale version at Paddy’s. And don’t forget there are many souvenirs you can take back home that have that true Aussie flavour. Whatever you fancy you can find it while on vacation in Sydney.

If you are vacation in Sydney and have been out to the attractions you probably are not wanting to be heading all over Sydney for your shopping experience. Lucky for you Sydney offers many options all within a compact area in the heart of the city. When we fly into Sydney we go from the airport and check-in to the hotel. After a short break it is off to Market City in Haymarket. Here you will find many fashion shops. At the bottom of the building is the very popular Paddy’s Market. In the market you will find a wide variety of goods. There is also a fresh food market. The market is open 9am to 5pm Thursday-Sunday and all public holidays. If the shopping makes you hungry you can head upstairs to the to of Market City to the food court.

After some time in Market City it is usually time to head north up either George Street or Pitt Street. There are so many shops along the streets. If you go up George Street you will end up at the historic Queen Victoria Building. I love going there just to see the old world architecture. My wife loves it for the shops. Little did we know that there is an underground city of shops that you can enter from the old building. Once you head underground you can walk your way towards the Pitt Street Mall. You will come across many different fashion lines including well known brands as well as small lable shops. Eventually you will come to a food court which is situated below the Myer city store.

If you go up you will discover a huge Myer shop with many floors of retail therapy. The lower level has cosmetics from all the big names, moving up you will come across the shoe section. They have everything from the low end of the spectrum up to the high end of town. I saw shoes that were selling for close to one thousand a pair. Keep going up for the girls and women’s fashion areas and then finally something for the male shopper. Electronic gadgets, that’s my kind of shopping. Myer has a huge range of the latest in electrical and entertainment. There is also a huge kids toy area. Something for everyone.

Once you have had enough of Myer you can head out of there and cruise through Pitt Street Mall. If you like fresh air you can follow the outdoor mall or you may choose to head back underground in one of the many malls. Just near the Myer exit that goes out to Pitt Street you will find the entrance to Sydney Tower. Now might be a good time to take a break from the shopping and head up the tower if you have not already done so on your Sydney vacation.

Normally by now I have had enough shopping and seeing Pitt Street runs down to Circular Quay I tell my wife it is time to have a break from shopping and head down to the harbour. It is not far to the spectacular Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. I suggest a lazy walk around the quay to take in the scenery.

After you sightseeing you can either catch a bus, take the train or walk south back towards the main shopping district in the heart of Sydney. If you still have time you could walk along Pitt Street until you come across a Monorail station. You can then jump on the Monorail and then head on over to Darling Harbour. Here you will find a great variety of shops combined with dining choices for all tastes. You can also just stroll around and admire the great views looking across the water over to the Sydney skyline.

The shopping can be pretty fantastic. Just keep in mind if you are flying out of Sydney don’t go too crazy as you will not want to have to pay excess baggage to the airlines. It can be pretty pricey. I have seen people at airports going through there luggage just to find things they can toss into the garbage in order to avoid the sky high excess baggage charges.

If you have any favourite shopping spots in downtown Sydney why not share them by adding a comment at the bottom of the page.

read comments (0)

If you ever make it down under and find yourself in Sydney here are some attractions you might want to check out.

Sydney Tower - what a way to start your Sydney vacation. The tower offers the best views of Sydney. When you go up the tower you will find yourself at the highest point above Sydney and will surely enjoy the breathtaking views of the city. It is a great way to get a feel for where other attractions are located and the harbour views are sensational. You will find Sydney Tower at 100 Market Street. It is open daily from 9 am to 10.30 pm. Saturday has a later closing time which is at 11.30 pm. Admission prices are $24 for an adult, $14 for children 4-15. Family tickets are also available. You can get a 10 per cent discount if you book online at http://www.sydneyaquarium.com.au/stotickets.asp

If you are looking for that extra special spot to take a photo of Sydney I recommend going to Lady Macquaries Chair. This historically famous chair was fashioned out of the rock face to allow Governor Macquarie’s wife to checkout the panoramic views of the beautiful Sydney Harbour. In modern day Sydney you will get one of the best views of Sydney and you can take a photo with the classic Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge backdrop. You will find the chair in the Domain at the northern tip of the Domain Parklands.

Chinatown - my wife is Chinese, so every time we go to Sydney this is a must visit destination. I also recommend it for the normal tourist. There is a great selection of not only Chinese food but Asian food and also the shopping is fantastic, just ask my wife. There is Paddy’s Market located in the lower section of the Market City shopping centre. Upstairs in Market City there are also many exciting shops. Chinatown is located on Dixon Street in Haymarket. Also from here it is a short walk over to Darling Harbour.

Sydney Aquarium - the aquarium’s website says it is a must see location when visiting Sydney. I would not quite go that far but having been there several times I would put it up there towards the top of the list. If you have kids I would say this is more for you. The aquarium boasts over 11 000 animals and hosts the largest Great Barrier Reef display in the world. When you go in the under water section you will see huge sharks and rays as well as a stunning variety of fish. I remember it was like stepping into a whole new world when I visited the aquarium. Allow close to two hours to look around. The aquarium is located on Aquarium Pier, Darling Harbour. It is open 9 am to 10 pm daily except for Christmas Day and New Years Eve where it closes at 6 pm. Tickets are $27.50 for adults and for children aged 3 to 15 it is $14. The aquarium also offers a 10 per cent discount for tickets purchased online. Visit http://www.sydneyaquarium.com.au/VisitorInfo/VIS060.asp to purchase.

Manly Beach - having been a professional beach volleyball player I have seen plenty of beaches. My all time favourite is Manly Beach. As a tourist I would get over there on the ferry from Circular Quay. It is 7 nautical miles from the city and the ferry takes about 30 minutes. If you are in a hurry your can take the Jetcat which takes only 15 minutes. I cannot think of a more spectacular scenic ferry ride that I have been on anywhere in the world. Once you arrive at Manly Wharf it is a short walk to the Corso. Here you will find shops, food outlets and pubs. If you keep walking east along the Corso you will eventually come to the Manly Beach. The beach has a path that runs the length of the beach and is a great place to walk or jog as there is plenty of shade under the magnificent Norfolk Pines. After spending a day at the beach you can make your way back over to Manly wharf and dine at one of the restaurants.

Opera House and Harbour Bridge - I have saved the best to last. When you mention Sydney these two attractions would have to be up there as the must see attractions. I was listening to the radio the other day and they were talking to Bill Bryson a popular author and in that discussion they mentioned that there are residents of Sydney that have not even seen the Opera House. Don’t be like them. Make sure you get down to the harbour and check out this modern day architectural marvel. You can walk around the harbour foreshores near circular quay and get some great harbour views as you approach the Opera House. From there you also get a fantastic view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Harbour Bridge is this year celebrating 75 years since it was opened. If you can make it to Sydney on March 18 you can join in with the bridge celebrations. The bridge will be closed to traffic from 4.30 am to 11pm. The public is invited to take a stroll across the bridge between 10am and 7.30 pm. If you are interested in taking part in this unique event you will have to register at www.ourbridge.com.au. If you cannot make it on that day you can undertake an even more spectacular bridge walk by going on a bridge climb. For more details visit the website at www.bridgeclimb.com.au.

These are my favourite Sydney attractions. There are plenty more such as Darling Harbour, Toronga Zoo and Bondi beach. No matter what you do Sydney is a great city to visit.

What is your favourite Sydney attraction?

read comments (0)

Melbourne, Australia is the sports capital of Australia. It plays host to the Australian Open tennis and Australian Grand Prix. It also hosts the boxing day test cricket match each year. If you are not interested in sport it has plenty to offer you as well.

With the Australian Open tennis just a week away it is probably a bit late to make it this year. What you could do is start planning for a visit next January. This will give you plenty of time to plan and to find a cheap flight to Melbourne. Or if coming from overseas you may find it best to combine a trip to Melbourne with one to Sydney. You can get a cheap flight to Sydney from Melbourne or vice versa.
If you would like to consider a visit to Melbourne you can check out the visit Melbourne website. It has all you need to know about Melbourne.

Melbourne offers visitors a wonderful shopping experience. To start with there is Chapel Street. It has gained a reputation as Melbourne’s style capital. Chapel Street stretches for 2km and you will find over 1000 shops with something for all tastes and styles. This shopping district also has plenty of cafes and restaurants for when you need to take a break. For something different you could go to the Victoria markets. The market is famous as the largest and oldest market in the southern hemisphere. Here you can shop for a unique Australian souvenir. If you want to sample some of Australia’s produce this is the place to go. For people looking for high fashion items you should head into the city. Here you will find many big name brand items

If you are wondering what else you can do in Melbourne apart from attending sporting events and shopping, you might be interested in the dozens of theatrical productions that are staged each week, ranging from big time musical to experimental works.

Other activities to consider when visiting Melbourne include a drive along the great ocean road. This drive is located several hours east of Melbourne.

I will continue this visit Melbourne theme in my next post.

read comments (0)

I have just got back from a holiday at the south coast of Australia. This region is very popular amonst people from Canberra and Sydney. Thousands of people flock to the beaches just after Christmas and spend lazy days enjoying the sunshine and beautiful Australian beaches.

I played the tourist myself and went with my family on a scenic cruise on Lake Burrill. This is a small lake about 2 hours drive south of Sydney. The cruise lasted 2 hours and cost $20 for and adult and $15 for children. Family prices are also available.

What I enjoyed about the cruise was seeing the lake from a different angle and also the commentary from the captain of the boat. He has lived in the area for some time and was entertaining to listen to.

It may not compare to cruising the Rhine in Germany or the Yangzhe River in China however it was still a relaxing and enjoyable cruise.

Let me know where you have been on a scenic cruise and how you found the experience.

read comments (1)