Just for something new and completely different...

What is up or new where you are? What do tourists need to know?

I'll kick off with Canberra news. Please don't make the drive out of town to the bob sled and water slide attractions out at Corin Forest today as there was a bit of a lightning strike there in last night's storms and it's closed for 24 hours.

Now, I wonder what's happening around the rest of this big country?

Coming up this weekend out of Adelaide:

Middleton Jazz Festival
February 17-18
SWING, blues and modern jazz will again surround the seaside town in February with the second Middleton Jazz Fest. Acts include etypejazz.

Coopers Kangaroo Island Cup Carnival 2007
February 15 and 17
THIS two-day carnival is the island's premier racing and largest tourism event. The highlight is the Kangaroo Island Cup Race Day.


Enjoy!

It's the Hot Air Balloon Festival, from 13 to 16 April, here in Canberra. I have the website here and also a recent picture of one floating over my house.

Don't plan on doing anything outdoors this weekend in SA! We have rain at last!!

Yes, and don't go up to play on the bobsled at Corin Forest today, a half hour drive from Canberra, as it is closed due to rain as well.

No blowing dead brown snakes off the bobsled run today for my son! Oh well, he's back there on Sunday.

Where has the weekend of rain gone!
We had 11mm of rain last night here in Queenscliff but a sunny day today with no rain on the radar yet.
Still, it is good for the tourists travelling The Great Ocean Road.

It's come up here! It rained heavily the whole time I was doing the Slow Travel book club chat on the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil book. Added quite a spooky atmosphere to a true crime murder style book chat!

So, any travelers to Canberra today will have their outdoor activities washed out I'm afraid.

I never thought I'd be so happy to see rain!!

Isn't it wonderful to see and feel it coming steadily down, down, down?

Lots of activities cancelled - all in a good cause. May it rain on and on!

It's the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend. So tourists drving through New South Wales beware - it's double demerit points on the road for any infringements! H'mmm, just when my son gets his car back on the road after several weeks of waiting for parts to come from America.

New South Wales has very bad wind warnings out at the moment too, especially around Sydney beaches.

I'd love to hear about events that take place in the Fall or Winter down-under. Those of us living in the US or other northern countries can often get some killer deals on travel to Australia. What are some items to do in the down-under winter?

Just outside Canberra, we have Corin Forest, where my son works the bobsled and the waterslide and the flying fox on weekends and on public holidays. They have snowplay activities during the coldest months when it snows.

There's a kiosk. It's about a half hour out of Canberra. The drive out there is beautiful.

Go north! That's the best winter advice from me. I hate the cold and the north-west is particularly beautiful at this time of the year.

Alas, I'm forced to wait until next year when we have visitors arriving from Holland for 2-3 months. We will be taking them on a driving tour of the north of Western Australia and then into the Northern Territory.

After all, it isn't fair that they miss out on a summer for a full year and I could use a double dose.

Elly

Through March to June there seem to be lots of festivals in SA - any earlier & it's too hot, any later (hopefully) too wet!

Every March there's WOMADelaide & The Fringe & alternate years the Adelaide Festival of Arts. The wine districts all have food & wine events - last weekend was "Sea & Vine" in McLaren Vale. At the moment there's a Cabaret Festival on in Adelaide - a great mix of local & international acts.

Enjoy!

quote:

Marta:
I'd love to hear about events that take place in the Fall or Winter down-under.

Hi Marta.

It's snow season here in Australia. Here's a good article on the New South Wales snowfields of Perisher Blue, Thredo and Selwyn Snowfields.

There's also another article on
Perisher Blue talking about the new, world class alpine village.

Brrrr! But sounds good!

Baby - it's cold outside!

And in case you want to see it up closer...

Well it was minus fifteen degrees celsius last night at Charlottes Pass, up past Perisher Valley in the Kosciuszko National Park.

The snow season is proving successful this year! Maybe when I look out my window in the morning I will see some on the Brindabellas again.

What's that noise I heard after I rolled down the car window on the way to the mall yesterday afternoon?

BOING! BOING!

A whole herd...

You see, one doesn't have to pay to go into a zoo here in Cnaberra to see wildlife. We just look out our car windows.

Hi All,

I leave next week for my much anticipated trip to Australia. I will be based on the Gold Coast and traveling to Sydney and Melbourne. What should I pack? Will it be cold or Spring like weather? Also, should I take Australian dollars or US? Help me!!

The gold coast is warm at the moment. In the 20s during the day, but dropping to around 8 at night. (Thats 70f and 45f). People are swimming at the beach. So t-shirts and shorts for the day and warm clthes and light coats for night and early morning.

You will need cold weather clothes for Sydney and especially Melbourne. There may be overnight frosts. I am going down to Sydney today from the Gold Coast airport so I will let you know what it is like today.

You could check weather web sites as well.

Most places take credit cards but you will need Australian dollars for small shops, public transport, some cafes. Taxis take credit cards but you pay a 10% surcharge for this.

Overseas I always take local currency out from ATMs (is that what you call cash machines?).

Some US people coming over here to work bring their own coffee. There is absolutely no need to do that. We have great coffee.

I have given a positive review for Cafe Creole at Kirra (not far from Coolangatta (Gold Coast) Airport)on the Gold Coast. If you get there I would appreciate your opinion.

Melbourne has been cold this year and we have had rain which we have loved after the drought. Not as good for the tourists though.
Our temperatures this week have been 7c to about 16c with overcast to sunny days. Even the coastal areas had a few frosts this year.
As I write the sun is out and the wind is blowing. The temperature in the sun out of the wind is 18c.
August is quite windy too so walks along the beach can be very "bracing".
I would use the ATMs to get cash although my husband always likes a small amount of local money when we arrive.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Very valuable. John, I look forward to your report from Sydney about the weather. I will be staying in Coolangatta and am happy to hear that I can enjoy the beach. I will also be sure to check out Cafe Creole and give my opinion.