The historic cruise starts with the ship itself, a modern replica of the paddle wheelers that cruised the Murray in the 1800’s. The PS Murray Princess has two spacious, yet cosy paddlewheel lounges featuring polished wood and gold trimmings, an elegant spiral staircase and spectacular two-story glass windows of the working paddle wheel.

“ Winter is one of the most picturesque times to experience the Murray River with crisp mornings, the mist on the river and a great value fare offer”, added Richard Doyle Head of Sales and Marketing for Captain Cook Cruises.

Sit back in the warm and cosy paddlewheel lounges and enjoy the amazing views as the Murray Princess cruises past towering limestone cliffs, through picturesque gorges and along riverbanks lined with mallee scrub and red gum forests.

High water levels combined with the winter activity on the river will see an abundance of Australian wildlife and birdlife including Swans, Swamp Hens and Wood Ducks and their young. Plant life is also thriving with Lignum bushes flowering and rushes and reeds getting a vibrant green colour to them. Led by on-shore guides passengers can enjoy nature walks, eco-tours and learn about the thriving ecology of the river.

Each day features exciting day trips to historic ports, sacred Aboriginal sites, a sheep station and woolshed and a native wildlife shelter.

There’s a food and wine trial that enables tasting at a number of vineyards and cellar doors, and one evening passengers can even enjoy an Aussie-style campfire barbecue on the river bank. A free Barossa Valley Tour is also available for any passengers on the 7 night Murray River cruise.

The three nights Discovery Cruise departs every Friday at 4.30pm and prices start from $666 per person, normally $888 per person.

The four nights Outback Heritage Cruise departs Mannum every Monday at 4.30pm and prices start from $899 per person, normally $1199 per person.

The seven nights Murraylands & Wildlife Cruise departs Mannum every Friday and Monday at 4.30pm and prices start from $1349 per person, normally $1799 per person.

Prices include all meals, accommodation, most tours, scenic coach transfers from Adelaide or onsite car parking and all onboard facilities.

The Winter-Warmer sale is valid for travel 01 June to 31st August 2013 and on sale until 31 August 2013.

As an extra bonus any passengers that book a group of four or more adults will receive a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine in each cabin on arrival. The Murray Princess will also celebrate The 3 night Christmas in July cruise departs July 19.

For further information visit www.captaincook.com.au

Mantis recently announced that it was developing a five-star hotel on St. Helena, the island where Napoleon was exiled.

Each suite features modern interiors, under-floor heating and a laundry. Many have hot tubs on their balconies. QT Resorts can now be found in Port Douglas, the Gold Coast and in Sydney. The operators of QT define their properties as “design-led lifestyle hotels that provide high-energy, innovative restaurants and bars in a highly stylized design.”

There are several options to choose from depending on specific interests and locations including: A package that includes Sydney, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock and the Great Barrier Reef with free flights to Alice Springs is priced from $,3299 and includes round trip Qantas Airways Economy Class air from Los Angeles; internal Australia flights; four nights’ accommodation Sydney at the 4.5 star Four Points by Sheraton Darling Harbour including full breakfast daily; a night in Alice Springs at the four-star Lasseters Hotel including full breakfast; Alice Springs to Ayers Rock coach tour transfer; two nights’ accommodation Ayers Rock at the four-star Desert Gardens Hotel including full breakfast daily; four nights’ accommodation Port Douglas at the five-star Shantara Resort including continental breakfast daily; airport transfers; and all airport taxes and fuel surcharges.

The All Aboard the Ghan package lets travelers ride the legendary train from Darwin to Alice Springs, with more than $500 off the regular rate of $2,177 when booked six months in advance. Currently priced from $1,650 per person, double occupancy, the package includes Gold Service on the Ghan between Darwin and Alice Springs; two nights’ accommodation in Darwin; two nights’ accommodation in Alice Springs; complimentary off-train excursion in the Katherine Gorge; indigenous Wildlife Spectacular Tour; complimentary tour of Alice Springs; and tour of West MacDonnell Ranges.

Travelers can experience the nightlife in Darwin, a national park in the Top End, or a climb at Ayers Rock/Uluru with the option of a free experience on any of three three-night packages. They include Alice Springs, the quintessential Outback town in the Red Centre, is represented on a three night package starting at $320 per person with accommodations at the Crowne Plaza Alice Springs, airport transfers and a complimentary tour of the town which offers numerous sightseeing activities including the new facility for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The Ayers Rock/Uluru three-night package starts at $650 per person and includes accommodations at the Desert Gardens or Emu Walk Apartments, roundtrip airport transfers and the choice of a sunrise climb or base tour of Ayers Rock/Uluru. The three-night Top End/Darwin, from $799 per person, includes three nights at the Crowne Plaza Darwin, airport transfers and a complimentary Sunset Dinner Cruise in Darwin Harbour.

Whatever a diver’s passion – shark diving, wreck diving, muck-diving, underwater photography – and whether a complete beginner or a seasoned expert, there’s something for everyone. Unique to the UK dive market is Dive Worldwide’s extensive programme offering both small group departures and tailor-made holidays of a lifetime. Featuring remote and far-flung destinations, with liveaboards, resorts, and dive centres the world over, there is a choice of 50 destinations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and the islands of the Pacific.

UP & COMING

Commenting on what’s really hot in the diving world, Teresa Bennett, MD, Dive Worldwide, said, “The biggest new areas for diving are in Indonesia. While there used to be a major focus on Bali, we’re now going right the way down to Papua, and heading into much more remote areas of the country – the world’s largest archipelago which is at the heart of the Coral Triangle. There’s currently a huge fascination in whale sharks, mainly because research into their migration has been carried out only within the last few years and the difficulty in tracking them.”

FIVE BEST SELLERS

Like all forms of travel, destinations go in and out of fashion. These are currently the top five regions that divers can’t get enough of, according to Dive Worldwide: Indonesia, the Philippines (which would have been shunned five years’ ago), the Maldives, Malaysia and little-known Micronesia, made up of thousands of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean. On the other hand top photo destinations, whether for the quality of technology or visibility, include Lembeh – the birthplace of muck-diving, Walinde in Papua New Guinea, the Caribbean island of Bonaire, the Maldives and Bali.

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2013

Tahiti – Tahiti and her islands are the premier underwater destination for observing anything ‘big’ and abundant, especially when diving the ‘the passes’. Often known as the shark capital of the Pacific, these picture-perfect islands definitely live up to their rating: lemon, grey, black-tip, white-tip and hammerhead sharks all make the Tahitian waters their home.

Head to Fakarava, Rangiroa and Rurutu for humpbacks between June and November. Year-round diving from £4,095 inc. flights, transfers, 12 nights’ accommodation, some meals and 15-dive pack.

Maluku Divers in Ambon, Indonesia – Expect the unexpected at Maluku Divers Resort – a small, intimate and purpose-built diving resort in a wonderfully remote area. Introduced in response to increased demand for diving in Indonesia, macro life abounds here and photographers are well catered for, with individual editing desks and charging stations. From £2,175 inc. flights, 8 nights’ full board, transfers and dive pack.

Blue Shark Adventure, Azores – Diving around Pico is still relatively untouched, yet the Gulf Steam ensures a mild and humid climate year-round. Better still, it is also one of the best destinations in the world to dive with blue sharks in blue water and there are frequent mako shark sightings, which combine to make an unforgettable shark adventure. The chance to interact with these amazing species in open water and not be confined to a cage is a truly exhilarating experience. From £1,095 inc. flights, transfers, 7 nights’ accommodation, some meals and dive pack.

Learn to Dive in Thailand – Why do a PADI Open Water Course in a boring swimming pool when there’s a chance to learn with a small, professional team off Koh Tao in southern Thailand, with an average water temperature of 28°C. The diving around this small desert island is diverse and plentiful with a considerable number of dive sites to suit both beginners and experienced divers alike. It’s also a great place for would-be instructors to ‘go pro’.

An 11-day trip costs from £1,945 inc. flights, transfers, 8 nights’ B&B accommodation and PADI Open Water Course.

‘Boatique’ Diving with Tigers in the Bahamas – This is a rare mix of a world-class resort, historic fishing village, ecological treasures and shark encounters, all rolled into one. Thrill seekers stay at Old Bahama Bay, an all-suite beachfront resort on Grand Bahama, 55 miles east of Palm Beach in Florida. Three times a week this ‘boatique’ dive operation offers the all-day Tiger Beach Shark excursions, a unique way for eight divers to interact with these amazing creatures.

On non-shark diving days, there are plenty of dive sites off the west end including wrecks, reefs and walls, as well as wild dolphins with which to interact. A 9-day trip costs from £3195 inc. flights, transfers, 7 nights’ full board and dive pack.

Pampering Super Cruiser in the Maldives – The best way to experience the underwater scuba diving paradise of this archipelago is to join a luxurious liveaboard. Expect to see the best that the Maldives, and its 26 atolls, have to offer on board a choice of two boats introduced by Dive Worldwide: MV Orion and Carpe Diem. ‘Seize the day’, cruise in style and encounter large creatures like whale sharks and manta rays, as well as shrimps, ghost pipe fishes and much much more. From £2495 inc. flights, 7 nights on board with full board and dive pack.

Luxury Liveaboard in the Andaman Sea – Opening in March 2013 in southern Thailand is a luxury liveaboard vessel offering week-long itineraries focusing on the underwater highlights of the Andaman Sea, including the Similan Islands. For divers, the true treasures of the Andaman Sea are found at famous sites such as the Similan Islands, Phi Phi Islands, Richelieu Rock, Hin Daeng, Koh Raja and Shark Point, where the warm, clear water draws large schools of tropical fish, manta rays, and the awe-inspiring whale shark. From £2,875 including flights, transfers, 6 nights’ full board on board and dive pack.

BITE-BACK

By combining its passion for scuba diving in the most beautiful locations on the planet with a desire to protect our fragile eco-systems, Dive Worldwide raises money for shark and marine conservation through its 11 shark-infested trips to South Africa, Malaysia, Azores, Bahamas, Malpelo and Fiji. Funds raised go to the charity Bite-Back, whose latest campaign is to make Britain shark fin-free and already it has the support of Gordon Ramsay, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bear Grylls, Monty Halls and Ben Fogle.

All prices are per person based on two sharing.

For further information visit www.diveworldwide.com  or call 0845 1306980

The hotel will feature QT Hotels & Resorts’ interactive marketplace Bazaar, the Stingray Lounge and a ski-inspired spa experiences at spaQ. QT branded resorts can be found in Port Douglas, the Gold Coast and in Sydney.

The hotel will feature 150-year-old renewed timber flooring. Rustic features fused with clean lines and ultra contemporary fittings will feature throughout the hotel’s guest rooms and social spaces. A ground-floor restaurant and bar, plus an executive meeting room, will add to the appeal of the Fortitude Valley location. The development follows Wyndham Hotel Group’s recent Melbourne CBD property addition, the Wyndham on William, another milestone in the company’s plans to expand its hotel portfolio across the South Pacific. Select brands the company has identified for growth include Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Ramada, Days Inn, TRYP by Wyndham and Planet Hollywood Hotels.

The menu features four different massages, a variety of facials and body treatments by USpa, an accessories section with a creative range of 30-minute add-on treatments, organic sunless tanning and four signature packages, including “The Weekend Warrior” and “The Plush Princess.” Rather than insisting on a pre-selection of treatments, spaQ encourages guests to reserve a block of time and not make a treatment selection until they have partnered with a knowledgeable therapist to determine the best treatments for their individual needs.

In Queensland, the new Gold Class Kuranda Scenic Railway offers a premium service, with a focus on local produce, and takes passengers through World Heritage protected rainforest from Cairns to Kuranda. Gold Class services leave Freshwater Station, Cairns at 9.55 a.m. for Kuranda and return from Kuranda to Cairns at 3.30 p.m.