Queensland Flood Update And Travel Info: 18 January 2010

Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast, Bundaberg, Gladstone (Joe – link to Metro Gladstone page on metro web site), Agnes Water, 1770, Whitsundays, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns and Tropical North Queensland are accessible and tourism operations are normal.

All Queensland airports with the exception of Rockhampton, are currently open and operating normally.

The Bruce Highway, the main road link from Brisbane to Cairns, is now open. Brisbane, the Darling Downs, Southern Downs and Granite Belt and Capricorn Coast are now recovering with most tourism operations open and affected tourism operations returning to normal as quickly as possible. There are however still some local road closures in some areas. Visit http://131940.qld.gov.au/ for the latest road conditions.

Parts of Central Queensland, Queensland's Outback, Western Downs and the Lockyer Valley continue to be affected and access to these areas is restricted.

Please contact your travel agent, accommodation, attraction or tour provider directly for latest conditions or with concerns about any current or upcoming bookings you may have.

For the latest travel information visit www.queenslandholidays.com.au For the latest conditions Tourism Queensland recommends visiting the Queensland Government's official Queensland floods webpage: http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/ or visit the Bureau of Meteorology http://www.bom.gov.au/ to check weather forecasts for your holiday destination. Visit http://131940.qld.gov.au/ for the latest road conditions.

How can you help?
You can help Queensland recover by taking a holiday in Queensland - in the areas that haven't been affected by floodwaters, and in the affected areas once they are up and running again.

If you already have a Queensland holiday booked - don't cancel as most tourism regions and operations are now up and running.

If you don't have a Queensland holiday booked, book one!

Queensland's tourism industry has the welcome mat rolled out ready to receive visitors, so come see us!

People wishing to directly help flood victims can donate to the Queensland Government Flood Assistance Appeal at www.qld.gov.au/floods

What damage will the floods have on the Great Barrier Reef?

• There have been recent media reports concerning possible damage to Great Barrier Reef as a result of floodwaters transferring from the river systems into the oceans around Central Queensland.
• Tourism Queensland is not a scientific expert qualified to speak on the health of the Great Barrier Reef, however our understanding is that the effects of the flood waters on reef systems is currently unknown. However, fresh water runoffs are a natural part of the ecosystem and some plant and marine life actually thrive in these situations.
• The Great Barrier Reef is 2300km along with thousands of reefs, coral cays and islands. The vast majority of these are likely to remain unaffected.
• Currently tourism operations along the Great Barrier Reef including the Southern Great Barrier Reef,Whitsundays, Townsville and Cairns and Tropical North Queensland are operating normally, including dive operators, sailing operators and daytrip operators.
• Anyone concerned about a Great Barrier Reef booking an individual operator, should check with the accommodation provider, tour operator or attraction for the latest conditions.
• Refer to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for further information.

Australia Picked as top Destination - Queensland Tourism News

Over 1000 people were polled in a survey conducted by Britain’s top cheap flights comparison site Skyscanner, that examined various components of a holiday including the quality of accommodation, food, length of flight, weather, duration, motivation for the trip, travelling companions as well as details of planning and paying.

Further and longer = happier!

Skyscanner's study showed that people are happiest when they go abroad and the further away the better, with six of the top ten happiest holiday destinations being long haul. The survey also revealed that those who were most happy had been away for the longest period.

The countries ranked in order of happiness were:

1) Australia
2) Canada
3) South Africa
4) India
5) France
6) Thailand
7) USA
8) Italy
9) Portugal
10) Greece
11) Spain
12) Turkey
13) Germany
14) UK

Psychologist Cliff Arnall, speaking on behalf of Skyscanner, explained the reasons behind the findings: "As great as holidaying in the UK can be, most people enjoy experiencing somewhere different with a better climate. Short haul trips to Europe can offer this but they are also now relatively common. Long haul holidays tend to be for longer periods of time and have greater impact because they are seen as more special than staying in the UK or catching flights to Spain, for example."

Overall, 69% of those surveyed were ‘ecstatic' or ‘very happy' about their last holiday. This is due to the fact that people enjoy the relaxation achieved by a holiday says Mr Arnall: "Two thirds of working people dislike their jobs and many resent the routine associated with the predictable, mundane nature of things at home. Being on holiday is an ideal escape from this and is both stimulating and relaxing."

The study also revealed that, contrary to popular belief, money can in fact buy happiness; those who had spent more than £3000 per person on their holiday were the most happy. This ties in with the longer haul destinations, and may also in part be due to the type of trip; for example a honeymoon or a ‘once in a lifetime' voyage has extra special meaning and is likely to cost more.

A sense of sharing was also important, with the happiest people making a joint contribution in planning and paying for the trip. "Holiday planning, especially when done jointly, is a very satisfying activity. As long as all concerned feel they are making a contribution and having their views taken into account then planning is both enjoyable and makes people feel emotionally closer to each other." says Mr Arnall.

The survey showed that it takes more than just money to make a happy holiday; the choice of travel companion and socialising once there is also significant. Those who had holidayed with friends and also made new friends whilst away, were happiest. How visitors are treated by their local hosts also affected happiness; the more welcoming and friendly they are, the better the experience.

Good weather was also important to achieve maximum satisfaction while on holiday. This is especially relevant for those living in the UK where the climate is unpredictable and a common cause of complaint. Therefore the guarantee of sun (or snow) is a vital factor in holiday happiness.

Expectations and the planning of a trip also affected satisfaction. Rather than having heightened expectations that were then dashed, the survey found that those who had planned a long time in advance were happiest.

Mr Arnall explains: "Booking ahead provides two very important positives; something to look forward to and something to tell other people about. People who have booked ahead well in advance have the satisfaction (and some might say smugness!) of knowing exactly where they are going and when.

Telling other people about nice things you are going to do is a crucial part of boosting self-esteem and achieving social status."

See Queensland Accommodation at Metro Hotels

(Source: Accomnews, 14th September 2010)

Tickets on Sale Tuesday for Brisbane Test against Springboks

Tri-Nations – now for the real thing

The Wallabies acknowledge they are still a work in progress, New Zealand has focused its preparations on ways to nullify the aerial superiority by South Africa, and the Springboks have to explain some baffling backline selections to convince certain critics that they will successfully defend their Tri-Nations crown.

The Tri-Nations campaign will kick off at Auckland on 10 July with a Test between New Zealand and South Africa.

Australia

After scraping through against Ireland with a rather flattering score line of 22-15 last Saturday, Australian captain Rocky Elsom acknowledged that his team still had much work to do to be competitive in the Tri-Nations competition.

“We just weren’t sharp enough and not on the same page [as New Zealand and South Africa],” he said.

Australia has been viewed by some notable rugby critics as the likely winner of the World Cup in 2011.

Os du Randt, current Springbok scrum doctor, said he was extremely impressed by the performance in the scrums by some of the Australian Super 14 teams.

Players such as Ben Alexander and Benn Robinson buried the myth that the Australians were vulnerable against giant scrumming machines.

They could field a potent backline with game breakers who have the ability to run impressive opponents ragged, he said.

But Australia could not field its first-choice props lately, and lost the second Test against England as a result.

John Eales, the former Australian captain, said the goal of the Wallabies must be to raise the standard of their poor performances.

“The differential between our best and poorer performances is substantial. and great teams show minimal variation,” he said.

Symptomatic of the uncertainty with this team is the goal-kicking standoff. Curiously, right-footed Quade Cooper takes aim from his preferred left side of the field and goofy-footed Matt Giteau lines up from the right side. They seemed to swap around the midfield duty.

“A show of faith in both, you might say. But it could also be viewed as a lack of faith in both,” Eales warned.

New Zealand

The Springboks' dominant lineout and New Zealand's inability to handle the high ball were features of last season's "blackwash" in the Tri-Nations, but there is confidence that those areas have been addressed well, reported the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA).

Forwards coach Steve Hansen, who must again try to outwit world-class lock Victor Matfield, reckoned the lineout had improved several notches on this stage last year.

"We now step up into the big boys' league and I think we can go in there with some confidence, as long as we keep it smart and keep it simple and people do their job," he said.

Winger Cory Jane, a standout figure in New Zealand's hammering of Ireland and twin defeats of Wales, expected another aerial bombardment even though this season's rule interpretations had prompted less kicking in general play.

"I presume they'll keep kicking, we just have to keep working on our counter-attack," Jane told NZPA.

Graham Henry, the All Black coach, made an unexpected manoeuvre at the end of last week by dropping four noted players when unveiling his Tri-Nations squad.

And that is arguably New Zealand’s greatest single mystery, and also its biggest problem. In eight years at the helm, Henry has never once selected the same 22 players for successive Tests. That contributed to New Zealand's defeat in the 2007 World Cup quarterfinal when a lack of backline leaders in the team gifted the France the match.

While Henry likes to keep his players honest, he also feeds inconsistency and insecurity.

South Africa

South Africa played with vigour and intensity in dismantling Italy in East London.

“I am much happier. We got the send-off for the Tri-Nations we needed. We wanted a good workout and we wanted to play much better – and we did both,” coach Peter de Villiers said of his team's 55-11 win over Italy.

What was baffling, though, were the choices of the substitute bench for the internationals at Auckland, Wellington (17 July) and Brisbane (24 July).

South Africa will start with Enrico Januarie at scrumhalf, a man who looked out of sorts in the second Test against Italy. The team flirted with Ruan Pienaar as substitute wing, used Jean de Villiers as wing as well, and announced the inclusion of Francois Hougaard in the Tri-Nations squad.

According to certain critics, De Villiers' reasoning behind the move is to use Hougaard as scrumhalf substitute. Hougaard has not featured for the Bulls at scrumhalf in the past two seasons.

Pienaar represented the Sharks in this position in the final half of the Super 14 season and at times edged Fourie du Preez in terms of excellent form.

Yet, the Bok management persists with Januarie, and is contemplating the move to use Hougaard in a position in which he has not been tried and tested at this level.

Hougaard has been sensational at wing for the Bulls, but scrumhalf? It does not make sense.

Another possible blunder was not to use Francois Steyn’s massive boot as a possible weapon. If Steyn looked rusty against Wales, his form might have been improved by using him in the lesser internationals off the substitute bench against Italy.

Zane Kirchner has struggled to make the step up to the Springboks from Super 14 level.

Despite these reservations, most pundits give the Boks a chance to repeat their Tri-Nations triumph of 2009. The Kiwis may not have the benefit of a psychological advantage playing at home against South Africa.

The Bulls and the Stormers were overwhelmingly successful in New Zealand, and even the Sharks scored two notable victories there.

South Africa’s formidable performances in the lineouts, scrums and at the rucks will send a few shivers down the spine of the All Blacks and the Wallabies.

And there are sufficient superb game-breakers at the back to keep the New Zealand and Australian teams honest come Tri-Nations time.

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