Queensland's 2012 Bucket List

According to the Mayan Calendar the end of the world is nigh. Hmmm... Sounds like a great reason to set a travel bucket list for 2012.

Achieve personal goals, give back to the environment, splurge on a rock-star experience and have no regrets when that dreaded December date comes around.

1. Eat a Curry Camel Pie from the Birdsville Bakery

It's a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll, but it's worth the trip! If you haven't been outback before, don't miss all the action of the 130th anniversary of the iconic Birdsville Races this August. Of course, no trip to Birdsville would be complete without tucking into a Curry Camel Pie from the Birdsville Bakery.

www.birdsvillebakery.com

2. Compete in the Gold Coast Marathon

Forget freezing in New York, or jostling for space in Paris - Achieve a huge goal closer to home and run the picturesque coastline course of the Gold Coast Marathon.

www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au

3. Go wine tasting like a rock star

There's simply no better way to get acquainted with Queensland's burgeoning wine scene than with a wine tasting tour with Pterodactyl Helicopters. Enjoy picturesque views of the Fassifern Valley as you chopper between some of South East Queensland's best boutique wineries for tastings and lunch.

www.pterodactylhelicopters.com.au

4. Become a whale researcher in Hervey Bay

Wally and Trish Franklin from The Oceania Project know whales. They've been conducting their research trips in the protected waters of Hevey Bay for the past 23 years and anyone can join them. This year, live and work on their research vessel Moon Dancer for a six-day stint during the whale season to be involved in vital whale research.

www.oceania.org.au

5. Catch a wave at Seventeen Seventy

Still a relatively 'secret spot', even amongst Queenslanders, this gorgeous beachside haven happens to be home to eastern Australia's most-northern surf break. It also boasts one of the best beachfront camping spots on offer.

www.queenslandholidays.com.au

6. Dive the Yongala

If you haven't got your dive licence yet, make this year the cut-off and experience one of the world's top dive sites just off the coast of Townsville. The S.S. Yongala sank in 1911 with the loss of all aboard creating one of Australia's most intriguing maritime mysteries as she lay undiscovered for more than half a century.

www.yongaladive.com.au

7. Help a just-hatched turtle make its way to sea at Mon Repos

You don't have to be a rum drinker to enjoy a trip to Bundaberg with the annual attraction of the turtle nesting and hatching at Mon Repos an affordable and must-see event for every age.

www.queensland.com/turtles

8. Go glamping on Orpheus Island

Leave the tent pitching and bush toilets behind you, and discover the world of glamping on Orpheus Island. Recently re-opened following an extensive refurbishment, this exclusive island just off the coast of Townsville provides a refreshing new option for island hoppers. New eco tents are due to open in March 2012.

www.orpheus.com.au

9. Give back to our planet with Eco-Barge in the Whitsundays

Since kicking off in 2009, Eco Barge Clean Seas Inc. has hauled more than 59,000 kilos of marine debris from the Whitsundays. Founder Libby Edge and some dedicated volunteers have been working tirelessly as guardians of our oceans to remove the threat of marine debris from turtles and other marine animals.

www.ecobargeservices.com

10. Become a Master Chef

Sign up for one of Vanilla Zulu's six-week cooking courses to brush up on your skills in the kitchen, or lack thereof. Brisbane's newest cooking school also offers Gluten-Free Cooking Classes and 'Men Behaving Badly' men's classes. You can even bring your own wine to enjoy with your gourmet creation when you finish.

www.vanillazulu.com.au

(Source: Travmedia.com)

What's On Ipswich: Australia Welcomes Back Thomas & Friends for Summer Fun - Ipswich Workshops Rail Musuem

Holidaying from the Island of Sodor, the famous blue tank engine rolls into town for Australia's biggest Thomas and Friends event, Day out with Thomas 2012 at The Workshops Rail Museum from 26 December to 29 January 2012.

While on their summer holiday Down Under, Thomas and his friends Edward, Donald, Douglas, Lady, plus Annie & Clarabel can be found throughout the Museum.

Just as famous as Thomas and known for his firm but friendly manner, The Fat Controller is looking forward to meeting fans and telling stories of the cheeky but Really Useful Engine.

Director of The Workshops Rail Museum Andrew Moritz said the Museum is happy to host the summer event that brings smiles to many excitable youngsters.

"We're delighted to welcome back familiar faces and the next generation of Thomas fans to enjoy the summer holidays with the lovable engine," said Mr Moritz.

"Parents and their Thomas enthusiasts can enjoy various Thomas activities and the new movie, Day of the Diesels, in air conditioned comfort."

Young engineers can let off some steam with hands-on activities in the Thomas Play Pit such as designing a Thomas track and getting creative at the Thomas Creation Station.

To add to the summer fun, the event also features a miniature train ride and bouncy castle, tickets cost $3 per person and are purchased after entry to the Museum.

Much bigger than the Tidmouth sheds on the Island of Sodor, tour the real railway Workshops and see firsthand the restoration and maintenance of powerful steam locomotives. Enclosed footwear is required for the tours and they leave at regular intervals throughout the day.

The Workshops Rail Museum is part of the Queensland Museum and is winner of Australian and Queensland Tourism Awards for Heritage and Cultural Tourism.

(Source: Travmedia.com)

Australia Welcomes Back Thomas & Friends for Summer Fun - Ipswich Workshops Rail Musuem

Australia Must Boost Tourism: Govt

Australia must do more to boost inbound tourism as the sector suffers from a strong local currency, increased competition from Asian destinations and less European visitors, the federal government says.

Speaking at an Australian Tourism Export Council conference Senator Nick Sherry said tourism operators needed to be more productive and innovative to halt the sector's decline.

"Australia's international market share has declined in recent years and domestic tourism expenditure has fallen since 2000," Mr Sherry told the conference on Wednesday.

"Not least of these challenges (is) increasing competition and the rise of the Australian dollar.

"We need to do something about this through investment in new products, boosting productivity, increasing uptake of digital technology and addressing labour and skills shortages."

He said there were no short term solutions to problems facing the industry, but said a surge in the number of tourists from Indonesia had been positive.

"Indonesian visitor growth alone was about 32 per cent in the last two years and by 2020 we expect the market value to more than double to $1.1 billion," he said.

DURAN DURAN TO TOUR AUSTRALIA IN MARCH 2012!

Dainty Group is thrilled to announce that after a long absence, one of the world’s most iconic bands, DURAN DURAN, will return to Australian shores in March 2012 for a series of concerts, in support of their latest album ‘All You Need Is Now’. This highly anticipated tour will see the band perform across the country, with shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and the Hunter Valley. Last in Australia in 2008, DURAN DURAN will showcase songs from their critically acclaimed new album on the March dates, alongside all of the unforgettable hits from across their thirty-year career.

TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY 15TH DECEMBER

Go to www.duranduranmusic.com for exclusive pre-sale of tickets and VIP packages for Duran Duran VIP members DURAN DURAN’s stunning new album: ‘All You Need Is Now’, has already been proclaimed a triumph by fans and critics alike, and hit the #1 spot on download charts in the top 15 markets around the world when it was released earlier this year (on Shock Records in Australia). Produced by Grammy Award-winner Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Adele, Kaiser Chiefs, Lily Allen) and mixed by Spike Stent (Madonna, Björk, No Doubt), it features guest vocals/rap from long-time Duran Duran pal/collaborator Ana Matronic of
the Scissor Sisters, and R&B/neo-soul superstar Kelis; while Owen Pallett of Arcade Fire contributes the album’s string arrangements. ‘All You Need Is Now’ is a return-to-roots homage to DURAN DURAN’s most celebrated musical panache, and has already been dubbed the “imaginary follow up to Rio that never was.”

The announcement of the band’s 2012 Australian dates comes hot on the heels of their brilliantly reviewed North American tour, a sold out 11 show arena run in the UK, and a whirlwind year that has seen them, amongst other things, make a spectacular live film with director David Lynch, and most recently release a uniquely DURAN DURAN video for the song ‘Girl Panic !’. Directed by Grammy-award winner Jonas Åkerlund (who has shot videos for Madonna, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, including the notorious “Telephone”), this dazzling short film reunites top supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen, Eva Herzigova and Yasmin Le Bon, and was shot over the course of two days this past June at the Savoy Hotel in London. As the models take on rock star roles playing Simon, John, Nick, and Roger, the nine minute video unfolds into a stunning, fast-paced, high fashion affair, that has fast become the most talked about collaboration of its kind this year. Australian fans can view the video here.

The original Duran line-up of Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, and Nick Rhodes continues to reign supreme as one of the biggest British bands of all time - reimagining pop music, creating ground-breaking music videos and winning over millions of new fans worldwide with their unique fusion of music, art, technology and fashion. From the very beginning, when DURAN DURAN first took the visual imperatives of the New Romantic movement of the 1980s to a whole other level, defining the MTV generation, they have built a loyal army of fans who have stayed with them to this day.

As this new chapter begins, they have nothing left to prove, but everything to play for. So for them and their loyal army of fans… All You Need Is Now!

TOUR DATES

SAT 17 MARCH BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

MON 19 MARCH MELBOURNE ROD LAVER ARENA

TUE 20 MARCH ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

SAT 24 MARCH PERTH SANDALFORD ESTATE, SWAN VALLEY

TUE 27 MARCH SYDNEY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

SAT 31 MARCH HUNTER VALLEY TEMPUS TWO WINERY

View Source and Book Tickets

DURAN DURAN TO TOUR AUSTRALIA IN MARCH 2012!

High-Speed Rail on Track - Sydney to Gold Coast

THE Gillard Government is pressing ahead with its plans for a high speed rail network on the East Coast.

The second and final stage of the government's landmark study into high speed rail is underway.

Travelling at 400km/h, the fast train would make a trip between Sydney and Gold Coast possible in just three hours, yet the cost of the network is tipped to cost $100 billion.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the latest development comes after the government retained AECOM, the lead author of the interim report.

"After a competitive tendering process, this leading global consultancy now has the opportunity to complete the work it started almost a year ago - and to do so it has assembled a consortium which brings together a broad range of expertise: KPMG, SKM, ACIL Tasman, Booz & Co, Hyder and Grimshaw Architects," Mr Albanese said.

Over the next 12 months, the work done in stage one and the findings contained in the interim report will be further tested and refined, he said.

"AECOM and its partners will determine with greater precision the alignment of the track and station locations, improve the accuracy of the costs associated with building and operating the network, re-evaluate patronage projections, and recommend financing options along with possible governance arrangements,"

Since its release in early August, more than 316,000 copies of the interim report have been downloaded from my Department's website - an indication of widespread community interest in this technology.

"Indeed High Speed Rail could be a game-changer, with the potential to better integrate our regional and metropolitan communities, ease congestion on our roads and at our airports as well as provide a new foundation for a low carbon, high productivity economy.

"However, this kind of monumental endeavour must take place in a deliberate, thoughtful manner.

"The work we're undertaking is all about planning for Australia's future, not just for the next five years but for the next five decades," he said.

Copies of the interim report and the terms of reference for the study can be downloaded from: www.infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/high_speed.

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High-Speed Rail on Track - Sydney to Gold Coast

Gladstone Regional Tourist Numbers Boosted

TOURISM operators should gain confidence from the latest Tourism Queensland Gladstone Regional Snapshot.

The report, which compares June 2011 to June 2010, shows visitor numbers for the Gladstone region had increased in almost all areas.

"Gladstone recorded increases in domestic visitation in the year ending June 2011, driven by solid growth in holiday and business visitation. In contrast, VFR (visiting friends and relatives) was weaker," the report said.

Gladstone Area Promotion and Development project officer Melissa Dahtler said the region's businesses should take great encouragement from the report.

She said compared to the previous quarter's report, where there was a significant downturn after the floods, tourism had made a great turnaround.

The visitor figures, which Ms Dahtler said were classed as overnight stays, were up by 16% annually and holiday figures, which are stays of one week or longer, were up 30% annually.

SNAPSHOT

Visitors up by 16% annually

Holidays up by 30% annually

Visiting friends and relatives down by 12% annually

Gladstone Regional Tourist Numbers Boosted

Gold Coast to Host in 2018

The Gold Coast’s successful bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games will provide a much-needed tonic for the tourism and accommodation industry said Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy.

Mr McEvoy said Queensland has endured its fair share of “setbacks and shocks” and the news will provide a much needed boost to the state’s tourism industry.

“This is great news for Australian tourism,” Mr McEvoy said.

"Australia has great events expertise and not only stages them well but is also very good at ensuring the best possible economic impact and capitalising on the global exposure those things generate.”

Mr McEvoy added the recent opening of the new Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel, Peppers Broadbeach and the Sea Temple Surfers Paradise Resort adds to the tourism revitalization and infrastructure of the state.

“No doubt, this just the start of the Gold Coast’s renaissance.”

The Accommodation Association of Australia chief executive officer Richard Munro, said that hosting of the 2018 Commonwealth Games will provide a much-needed boost for the accommodation industry, as well as the wider business community.

“Having the 2018 Commonwealth Games will be a real fillip for local business, notably one of the most important sectors on the Gold Coast – the accommodation industry,” Mr Munro said.

“Preparing for and hosting this major event will inject confidence into the economy in south-east Queensland and will trigger further investment in tourism accommodation infrastructure in the region.”

Mr Munro added that accommodation and tourism operators embrace the chance to host international and domestic visitors and be given the opportunity to ensure there visit is truly unforgettable.

(Source: etravelblackboard.com)