Jetsettersblog

The event has grown to become the largest street performance festival in Australia.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA — Performers from across the world will travel to Western Australia next month to take part in the annual Fremantle Street Arts Festival (FSAF).

Over the years, the event has grown to become the biggest of its kind in the country, attracting artists from as far afield as England, France, Japan and the US.

FSAF 2011 looks like it will be bigger and better than ever before, with the programme expanded to four days to coincide with the long Easter weekend (April 23rd to 26th).

Thousands of people are expected to pack the streets of Fremantle throughout the festival to witness “first-class acts”, the organisers explained. The line-up also includes evening cabaret shows at the town hall.

A full list of artists will be published closer to the time, but festival chiefs have promised something for everyone, including stand-up comedy, stage shows, movies, music and more.

Last year’s event ran for three days and featured shows from 22 of the world’s best street performers, such as plate-spinning duo Klirr Deluxe and circus star Fraser Hooper.

The action takes place at various sites around Fremantle.

Tourists looking to stay in last minute hotels near the city can visit LateRooms.com.au, which boasts a generous selection of Perth accommodation.

More information will be made available at http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au

The installation opens at the Adelaide Showground next month.
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA — Some of the incredible inventions of Leonardo da Vinci are brought to life in an interactive installation coming to Adelaide next month.

The Da Vinci Machines Exhibition boasts more than 60 models interpreted from his original designs and drawings by the Artisans of Florence.

Display pieces include the bicycle, tank and air screw, alongside a number of simpler items that are commonly used today, including cam hammers and ball bearings.

Visitors can get a better understanding of many of these constructions by taking part in group challenges such as building an arched bridge.

Beautiful reproductions of his artistic works – including the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper – also feature.

The exhibition is on loan from Il Museo di Leonardo da Vinci in Florence, Italy. It opens at the Adelaide Showground on April 16th 2011 and will remain there until June 26th.

Tourists can check out the display from 09:00 to 17:00 local time every day, although it remains open until 20:00 on Friday.

Admission costs AU$20 for adults, AU$15 for concessions and AU$10 for children aged between four and 13.

History buffs looking to stay in Adelaide hotels and visit the installation can find a wide array of last minute hotel deals in the area at LateRooms.com.au.

For more information, contact 1300 890 399 or visit http://www.aeec.com.au

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday in Airlie Beach is creating the most amazing school holiday experience ever this June. The Park is going to turn into a Mini-Olympics with guest sporting personalities and masses of activities for all the family.

Owner Greg McKinnon says “we really wanted to do something new and exciting for the winter school holidays and get everyone coming back to Queensland. June is a beautiful time of year weather-wise in the Whitsundays and perfect for every kind of sporting activity. We are working flat-out to get some amazing guest sporting personalities and utilise all the wonderful facilities we have here. We are also focussing on exercise and general good health for the parents with lots of yoga, zumba and fun-exercise classes.”

The Whitsunday Sailing Club is organising a special training course for kids who want to learn to sail and other activities at the resort will include ‘try scuba’, swimming, tennis, cricket, soccer, football, table tennis, volleyball, badminton and basketball. A full Activities Schedule will be planned with training classes and mini-competitions, highlighted with a daily and weekly Medal tally and Awards night.

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday is a wonderful destination for family holidays with a designated Activity Co-ordinator, Daily Activity Schedule and Kids Club. There is plenty to do for every age and visitor with masses of facilities including a lagoon-style swimming pool, water slides, giant jumping pillow, pedal karts, full-size tennis court, mini-golf and an adventure playground. More like an island resort than a Holiday Park, it offers value for money with powered sites starting from $75/night and the deluxe ensuite cabins from $215/night based on a family of four and a minimum night stay of 3 nights over the school holidays. Valid from 24 June to 15 July 2011.

For more information or bookings please call 1800 640 587 or email reservations@adventurewhitsunday.com.au  or visit www.adventurewhitsunday.com.au

The replica of the historic vessel will dock in Brisbane at the end of April.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, — A replica of HMB Endeavour, used by Captain James Cook for his epic 18th century world voyage, will call at Brisbane next month.

The original vessel was sent to the South Seas by King George III in order to view planet Venus’s transit across the sun in 1769. It was hoped this would enable astronomers to calculate the distance between the earth and the star.

Cook was also given secret orders from the Admiralty to discover the rumoured “Great South Land”. Although he was unable to do this, he charted New Zealand’s north and south islands and also sailed the east coast of Australia, known at the time as New Holland.

The voyage was fraught with danger and the boat almost sank after striking a reef to the south of modern-day Cooktown.

Visitors can get a glimpse of 18th century seamanship by boarding the Endeavour when it docks in Brisbane from April 28th to May 8th 2011.

Admission costs AU$18 for adults, AU$9 for children and AU$38 for families.

All participants must be at least 90 cm tall and the experience involves climbing, crouching and confined spaces.

History buffs looking to stay in Brisbane hotels and explore the Endeavour can head to LateRooms.com.au, which recommends a large selection of cheap accommodation in the city.

More information can be found by calling 1800 720 577 or visiting http://www.anmm.gov.au

The event has been guest curated by the likes of Antonio Banderas and Ang Lee.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA,- Some of the best contemporary and classic Spanish language movies will be showcased at La Mirada Film Festival (LMFF) in Melbourne next month.

The organisers have called on a host of famous names to act as guest curators, including Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee, Pan’s Labyrinth filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Desperado star Antonio Banderas.

LMFF 2011 runs from April 14th to 26th, kicking off with the Opening Night Gala at La Mirada Lounge, next door to ACMI Cinemas. Director Gustavo Taretto has been lined up to appear at the event.

Guests will have the chance to enjoy fine Spanish cuisine, wines and Argentinean beer while listening to a set from DJ Mohair Slim.

This is followed by a screening of Taretto movie Medianeras, described by the organisers as a “quirky, intelligent, compelling and visually astonishing film”.

Tickets for the launch party cost AU$49, although a discount of AU$7 is available to ACMI members. Proceedings are scheduled to get started at 19:00 local time.

Among the other pictures to be screened at LMFF are Even the Rain, Maria and I, The Lucky Star and Welcome Mr Marshall, which has been specially chosen by Banderas.

Movie buffs looking for hotels in Melbourne can visit LateRooms.com.au and choose from a wide array of cheap accommodation in the city.

Head to http://www.lamirada.org.au  for more information on the festival.

The event combines the worlds of classical music and art.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Sydney’s Musica Viva Festival (MVF) takes place next month, combining emerging talent from the Australian Youth Orchestra with some of the world’s finest artists.

They are set to come together at the New South Wales capital’s Conservatorium of Music (CoM) for a series of collaborations that will be “bursting with energy and freshness”, according to the organisers.

The event consists of concerts, masterclasses and talks from the performers and other key guests.

Highlights include a rendition of Graeme Koehne’s Clarinet Quintet featuring Philip Arkinstall and the Goldner String Quartet and Piano Power, starring Khatia Buniatishvili, Tamara Anna Cislowska, Anna Goldsworthy and Clemens Leske.

The MVF runs from April 28th to May 1st 2011. It kicks off in the CoM’s Recital Hall West at 20:00 local time with an open rehearsal of the Schubert Octet, featuring Pekka Kuusisto and festival artists.

Admission to the premier concerts is available for AU$50 or AU$44 for concessions. Tickets for the late-night shows start at AU$35.

A premium package offering A-reserve seats to all seven performances at Verbrugghen Hall, plus access to the rest of the festival, costs AU$450.

Classical music enthusiasts looking for hotel deals ahead of the event can browse a large selection of hotels in Sydney at LateRooms.com.au.

To find further information on the MVF, visit http://www.musicaviva.com.au  or call (+61) 2 8394 6666.

Western Australia’s Great South West Edge, from Busselton to Cape Arid National Park, and the Ningaloo-Shark Bay region are the newest members of Australia’s National Landscapes program. Tourism Australia and Parks Australia will now work with tourism and conservation stakeholders for both the Great South West Edge and Ningaloo-Shark Bay landscapes to identify business development, environmental management priorities, infrastructure needs and marketing opportunities to build and promote the tourism potential of these areas.

The program was inspired by a realization that around the world the term “National Park” is a prime brand name for tourism. For example, the Serengeti National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Kilimanjaro National Park, to name a few, are major tourism draw cards. Around the world, National Parks are usually few but significant. While America has 57 National Parks and Canada has 41, Australia has over 600. Australia’s large number of national parks and protected areas are impressive yet overwhelming for travelers to navigate and digest.

In recognition of this, Tourism Australia and Parks Australia have formed a partnership between tourism and conservation to identify Australia’s iconic landscapes, which capture and promote areas of outstanding natural beauty and cultural significance.

This partnership has seen the creation of Australia’s National Landscapes, an initiative that aims to achieve conservation, social and economic outcomes for Australia and its regions via the promotion of superlative nature based tourism experiences. The program will help to ensure that Australia’s natural and cultural experiences are protected for the future and enjoyed by locals and visitors in a sustainable manner.

The National Landscapes Program is designed to identify the best of Australia’s natural and cultural landscapes — inspirational destinations that transcend borders and boundaries. National Landscapes are united by their topography, and their environmental or cultural significance. This approach encourages greater collaboration between the parties that govern, preserve and promote these landscapes.

Australia’s National Landscapes program was launched in December 2006 with the announcement of Australia’s Red Centre as the first National Landscape. In June 2008, seven subsequent landscapes were named at the Australian Tourism Exchange. In 2009, Kangaroo Island joined the program followed by the Kimberley in 2010. The full list of National Landscapes are Australia’s Red Centre, Australian Alps, Coastal Wilderness, Greater Blue Mountains, Great Ocean Road, Green Cauldron, Flinders Ranges, Kakadu, Kangaroo Island and The Kimberley.

For more information, visit www.tourism.australia.com

Air Adventure Australia is offering what they call, “The Greatest Photo Tour in the World.” The package includes two weeks flying across the Australian Outback in a private plane, guided by an on-board photographic expert and visiting the most photogenic destinations. The journey would take three months to see by road, and some places on the tour don’t even have a road.

From the Red Centre, to the Kimberley Coast, to the wetlands of Kakadu, this flying adventure is limited to eight photographers. Everything is included with this tour. Air Adventure Australia has been flying tours around the country for over 30 years. The photography is guided by photographer Ewen Bell, who has been running photo tours and shooting images for nearly a decade.

The plane is able to land on remote air-strips and cattle stations and spend the best times of the day with Australia’s most iconic scenery. In the air, the flying time is limited to short hops of two hours or less, and on the ground, a combination of private transfers, comfortable lodging and plenty of good wine keeps the travelers feeling cared for.

The trip covers wildlife in the Top End, landscapes of the Red Centre and still-life in the Kimberley. The price includes the plane, commercial pilot, guide and professional photographer and a tailor-made book on photography designed specifically for this tour. The 14-day tour begins on June 4, and also includes meals and activities. It’s priced per person at $15,990. For more information, visit www.ewenbell.com/tours  or www.airadventure.com.au

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA, – The 2011 International Rugby Sevens Adelaide tournament takes place in South Australia at the start of next month.

Some 16 of the world’s best teams will compete as they look to lift the title and climb the ladder of the HSBC Sevens World Series. England and New Zealand currently sit top of the table after four events with 80 points apiece.

Australia are lying in sixth behind Samoa, Fiji and South Africa.

The sides are split into four pools, with the top two progressing to the Cup Championship stage. Third and fourth places still have plenty to play for, as they will go on to contest the Bowl Championship knockout phase.

Each game consists of two seven-minute halves separated by a two-minute interval, apart from the final, where each period lasts ten minutes.

The action takes place at the Adelaide Oval on the weekend of April 2nd and 3rd.

Tickets for both days are priced at AU$88 for adults and AU$55 for concessions. Alternatively, a family of four can get in for the discounted rate of AU$176.

Adult admission to a single session costs AU$46 on Saturday and AU$52 on Sunday.

Rugby fans looking for hotel deals near the stadium can head to LateRooms.com.au, which recommends a wide array of Adelaide hotels.

Further details can be found by calling (+61) 8 7224 8150 or visiting http://www.adelaidesevens.com.au .

www.LateRooms.com is part of the B2C sector of TUI Travel PLC’s Accommodation and Destination Division. Also within this sector are AsiaRooms.com and Hotels-London.co.uk

LateRooms.com is the UK’s leading online accommodation site offering late availability deals in over 37,000 properties worldwide, ranging from bed and breakfasts to five-star luxury hotels.

LateRooms.com offers customers a saving of up to 70 per cent off the normal room rate for a variety of independent and branded hotels. Customers can book online or by phone 24/7, whether booking 12 months or 12 minutes in advance – whatever time, whatever day. No other accommodation site offers this flexibility.

LateRooms.com arms customers with information to help them choose the right hotel. Users can read from over 540,000 true hotel reviews, written by customers who have booked through LateRooms.com and actually stayed at the hotel.

LateRooms.com is the first online site to use VisitBritain’s official national classification system to rate its hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses. This ensures customers know the standards of quality they can expect when making a reservation.

Challenge Cairns will be the latest international event to join the international Challenge series which includes events in Europe, UK and New Zealand.

The triathlon event starts with a 3.8km swim, followed by a 180km bike ride and finishes with a 42km run.

Entries opened on 23rd November for the triathlon, which will take place in the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region on 5th June 2011. The triathlon has around 2,000 places available, but these are expected to book up quickly so UK applicants are encouraged to sign up early to avoid missing out.

Staged in Cairns, Yorkey’s Knob, Palm Cove and Port Douglas, this world famous destination and its breathtaking scenery were specifically selected to host this event. Whether you’re taking part or a spectator, once the racing is done, spoil yourself with all that Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef have to offer.

June is the ideal time for such an endurance race to take place in Cairns, when the weather is pleasant, with average temperatures of 18 to 26 degrees. UK entrants to the triathlon will find this one of the best seasons to enjoy an active holiday in the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region, with off-season flight prices to Australia an added bonus.

On your doorstep is the best of the Great Barrier Reef and world heritage listed tropical rainforest. Cairns, as a destination, provides easy access to a stunning range of island resorts, is fringed by the coastal villages of Port Douglas, Palm Cove and Mission Beach and is an ideal launching pad for amore intrepid adventures in the outback of Cape York and the Gulf Savannah. The region is also home to the ancient cultures of the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait island people.

Escape to Cairns fr GBP899 including return flights from London to Cairns and 8 nights bed and breakfast. Please visit http://www.experiencequeensland.com  for more information

For further press information and images, please contact Daisy Sells at Tourism Queensland on daisy.sells@tq.com.au