As an Australian, I am used to people reacting enthusiastically to the mention of my country. Last year, however, at the launch of a $180 million “There’s nothing like Australia” campaign, research was revealed that Australians have a mixed perception internationally. 80 per cent of international travellers see Australia as “different”, 60 per cent had knowledge of it, half thought Australia was a relevant place to them – but only 30 per cent held Australia in high esteem. Americans saw Aussies as “carefree and rugged” but believed Australians don’t deliver quality or good value. British believe Aussies are “charming and…
Australia
Tag Archives for Australia.
Aussie Capital Captivates
What is the Capital of Australia? a) Auckland b) Melbourne c) Canberra d) Sydney An unusual aspect of the Australian constitution is that it specified a brand new capital was to be created. The result was Australia’s largest inland city: Canberra. That’s right folks: the capital of Australia is not Sydney! After searching for a site for a city, the surveyors and politicians determined that one of the coldest places in Australia was perfect for the new capital because “<;The history of the world shows that cold climates have produced the greatest geniuses..Not sure how…
Qantas/Emirates: Positive, Negative, Alternative
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJmj_KgH_x8 With a spectacular flyover Sydney by two Airbus A380s, the Qantas/Emirates “partnership” was officially “birthed” a week ago. Announced in July, 2012, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce claimed this was the most important deal in the 92 year history of the airline. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission gave final approval for the alliance after deciding that the deal will not lead to negative effects for passengers. It however, rejected Qantas’ argument that its international operations face a ”terminal decline” without the Emirates alliance. There are lots of pluses for Qantas passengers but I have yet to…
Know Your Tipping
There is a story (some say apocryphal) of my Great Aunt who embarked on a big trip in the 1950s. She being careful counted out every taxi fare and restaurant meal to the exact penny. When confronted by a burly taxi driver who said ” hey lady don’t they tip in your country, she turned on her heel and said “no”. Tipping can be incredibly traumatic for travelers because customs and amounts vary greatly. On a tour in the USA, our Grand Canyon tour guide chastised loudly a group of Scandinavian tourists for hopping off the bus without…
Astronaut Tweets Flood Pics
The northern state of Queensland in Australia is having some of the most devastating floods ever (while the fires in the southern part are equally devastating!). A Canadian astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield took photos of the floods while passing over central Queensland in the International Space Station. The 54-year-old shared the pictures via Twitter. This is an image of the floods roaring through Bundaberg. The other pics are here.
Moving
I am moving cities today from Melbourne, Australia to Canberra, Australia. Any general interstate moving tips and any Canberra specific tips? Thank you
Jetstar Christmas Present-Not
On November 25, one month before Christmas, Jetstar NZ cancelled a December 23 Melbourne to Auckland flight. Jetstar very helpfully tried to accomodate the 80 passengers that were affected. Some were offered tickets on a December 26 flight, they claimed and some were offered flights one week before their original date, when people were at work. Passengers attempting to find flights at this late stage with other airlines faced an impossible prospect. Many shelled out hundreds of dollars more to get seats. Christmas in Australia and New Zealand is the biggest holiday of the year. Most shops and businesses shut down for three to…
Virgin Australia’s Next Move
The Australian airline industry has become like a giant game of chess. Virgin Australia 18 months ago, upped the ante with a dramatic series of movies including new planes, refurbished cabins, a business class product and expanded lounges. These changes began in tandem with new partnerships with Delta, Air New Zealand, Singapore and Etihad which plugged the airline into a worldwide network for a much reduced cost. The aim was to poach as many of Qantas customers as possible. Qantas responded by forming a major alliance with Emirates. This threw the gauntlet down again. I have been…
Croc on the Plane
In the 2006 film, snakes are deliberately released on a 747. en route to Los Angeles. On Monday September 17, a baggage handler in Melbourne, Australia upon opening the cargo door of a Qantas passenger flight found a small crocodile loose in the hold. The reptile had escaped from its container during the two hour flight from Brisbane, Australia. The reptile was safely re-captured without a problem and no baggage handlers lost a hand or finger. The airline and cargo handling company Australian Air Express are investigating how the crocodile got out of its cage. Related Posts Stop…
Does Most Liveable Matter?
Vancouver slipped out of the top spot and Melbourne, Australia became the Economist’s most liveable city in their latest six mothly Liveability Ranking and Overview released August, 2012. Again. In fact, four of the world’s most liveable cities, according to the Economist, are in Australia and one is in New Zealand. Canada has three. Helsinki and Vienna are Europe’s representatives. No US cities made the cut. Living conditions in 140 cities around the world are assessed across 30 indicators in five broad categories including Stability, Healthcare, Culture, Environment, Education and Infrastructure There are a number of these liveability surveys eg the Mercer Quality of living Worldwide City Rankings which places Vienna…
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