 Two of Australia’s icons, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef, are in the running to be placed among the world’s new seven natural wonders and they need votes!
New7Wonders of Nature is an initiative to compile a new list of natural wonders determined through a global poll (rather than by one person as it was done in ancient times).
In 2007, the preliminary global vote nominated over 440 locations in over 220 countries, before narrowing it the top 77. At this stage, 13 of Oz’s sites were in the running, including Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, the Twelve Apostles, Kakadu National Park, Fraser Island, Pinnacles Desert, the Australian Alps, the Blue Mountains, the Green Cauldron, the Flinders Ranges, Cradle Mountain and the Bungle Bungles.
 In 2009, based on selected criteria, the New7Wonders Panel of Experts narrowed this further to the top 28. Now for Australia, only Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef remain in the running. It is now up to the public around the world to vote for the new wonders of the world. The seven with the most votes will be announced on November 11, 2011.
While extremely beautiful, Australia’s leading sites face stiff competition such as New Zealand’s Milford Sound, the Maldives, Brazil’s Iguazu Falls, America’s Grand Canyon, South Africa’s Table Mountain and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.
The fierce competition from around the world only makes us more proud to have two of our sites in the final stage! Regardless of the results, one thing is for sure—a visit to Uluru and to the Great Barrier Reef is a must do. Add a tour around Uluru and a reef adventure to your bucket list!
 Book a tour of Ayers Rock or the Reef here!
Fraser Island is among Australia’s most cherished natural wonders. Rightly so, this exceptionally beautiful island is listed as a World Heritage site and is ranked by UNESCO to be as precious as Uluru, Kakadu, and the Great Barrier Reef.
I quickly realized why Fraser Island is so praised when I visited last week. Two friends and I joined a three-day tour operated by Sunset Safaris, which brought us to some of the island’s greatest treasures, including giant sand dunes, Lake Wabby, Lake Birrabean, Eli Creek, the rainforest, Indian Head, and the Maheno shipwreck.
With an area of 184000 hectares, Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island and it is still growing;  we got a sense of its immense size as soon as we landed.
Once on the island, the tour began with a drive down 75 Mile Beach to our accommodations. This uninterrupted stretch of sand acts as a highway for vehicles and a runway for small planes.
During our ride in a comfortable 4WD bus, we watched the ocean rush to meet the tires on the right and spotted wildlife on the left; we saw dingoes walking amidst the coloured sand cliffs and saw a giant sunfish and a dugong washed up on the beach.
After checking in to the Eurong Beach Resort, which were our less than luxury but quite comfortable accommodations, we hiked through huge sweeping sand dunes and arrived at a green-coloured lake, Lake Wabby, where the group of us took a refreshing dip with several large fish.
After a late night at the Beach Bar in our resort, we woke up and visited some more spectacular sand dunes, which we climbed up, jumped off, and sprinted down. We then enjoyed a lunch spread prepared by our guide, Barry, before taking a bumpy ride down the inland sand trails to Lake Birrabean.
Lake Birrabean is one of the island’s many perched lakes, created by rainwater collected in a large sand dune. This beach is made of white silica sand, which brightly shines through the lake’s crystal clear waters.
The island’s many lakes are coloured differently and offer different health benefits depending on what sand they are on and what trees they are near.
For example, in the wet, white sand of Lake Birrabean, I was able to shine up all of my very tarnished silver jewellery! Other lakes are coloured a brownish red from the nearby tea tree leaves; this water is excellent for conditioning skin and hair.
After our swim, we hiked through an ancient, tall rainforest, complete with trees with huge trunks (including the Satinay tree which grows naturally only on Fraser Island), strong vines for swinging, and a strong but silent clear creek. Fraser Island is the only place you will find a rainforest growing on sand.
After this fun-filled day, we enjoyed a Mexican buffet dinner at the resort. Having all of our meals taken care of on the island kept things simple for us. In fact, beyond the food, our guide, Barry, made everything very easy for us.
Well-organized, Barry made sure we stayed on schedule and got to see the island’s highlights; further, in addition to being extremely entertaining, he was very informative and taught us about the island’s history and natural wonders—interesting knowledge we would have missed out on had we tried to tackle the island on our own.
On our last day,  Barry first drove us to Indian Head, tall headlands with gorgeous views. Here, we spotted string rays, whales, and even a shark! We then stopped at the Maheno shipwreck on our way to Eli Creek. With a water flow of 80 million litres a day, Eli Creek is a natural lazy river! We walked upstream, jumping from trees into the water at some points, then floated back down to meet the bus.
And so concluded our time on Fraser Island. While our days were packed full, there is still so much more we could have explored on the island. It is truly a huge natural playground. For this reason, I urge any potential visitors to at least spend a couple nights. As well, I found taking a guided tour, such as Sunset Safaris, to be the most stress-free and efficient option  for enjoying Fraser Island.
In whatever capacity you can manage, make sure you visit the clear and coloured lakes, the giant sand blows, the rainforest, the coloured sand cliffs, and the unique wildlife of Fraser Island.
Book your Fraser Island adventure here!
Combo Passes are a great way to see and do what you want, at a lower than retail price! Combination passes, 2 for 1 deals and packages are certainly not new. Most people would have bought at least one in their lifetime. Here is a list of Experience Oz’s top combo pass picks.
National VIP Pass – gets you unlimited entry to Sea World, Warner Bros Movie World and Wet n Wild from now until 30 June 2012. The price for all of this entertainment? $119.99 per person! It’s normally $79.99 for one entry to Movie World or Sea World and $59.99 for Wet n Wild, this is unbeatable value. BUY NOW
Super Pass – gets you entry to 2 Parks over 14 days (activated from first entry). Visit Sea World, Movie World or Wet n Wild for $149.99 per Adult and $99.99 per Child.
Tip!: Savvy shoppers will notice that while the Super Pass offers less benefits; for a family on holiday to the Gold Coast this actually works out cheaper for the child passes if you only intend to visit 2 parks on your short break. Buy the children Super Passes and a VIP Pas for yourself and you’ve saved even more money! BUY NOW
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary & Wyndham Cruises – Experience the Gold Coast’s most loved wildlife park at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and enjoy over 18 shows daily included in your admission. Then sit back and relax on a 2 hour waterways cruise from Surfers Paradise. Bliss! All this for only $49.95 per person (If you bought both tickets separately it would cost you $99.95!) BUY NOW
Sea World Whale Watch – combine a Sea World Whale Watching cruise and your entry ticket into Sea World and you can save over Save $60 Adults, Save $35 Child & Seniors! OR pay just $325 for a family (normally $602). BUY NOW
Sydney Attraction Combination Passes – it’s your choice with this one, a ‘pick & mix’ of your favourite attractions. Combine entry to 2, 3 or all 4 of Sydney’s best attractions in one low price with these all new passes. Visit Sydney Wildlife World, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower & Oceanworld Manly. BUY NOW
See Sydney & Beyond Attractions Pass – See Sydney Attractions Pass is available for 2, 3 and 7 days. All packages offer a choice of over 40 top experiences in and around fabulous Sydney! Proces start from $155 per Adult. BUY NOW
See Melbourne & Beyond Attractions Pass – FREE entry to over 40 attractions in Melbourne and surrounds. Unlimited access for 2, 3 or 7 days… It’s your choice! Discover everything Melbourne has to offer, at your own pace. Starting from $145 per Adult. BUY NOW
Tasmania 5 in 1 Pass – 5 tickets valid for single entry to Tasmania’s best attractions. 20 unique attractions to choose from. Valid for 3 months. Starting from $125 per Adult. BUY NOW
Great Sunshine Way Attractions Pass – Over 35 top attractions in Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast. Available in 3 packages (3 tickets, 5 tickets, 3 Day and 5 day unlimited passes). Great value for money and unbeatable convenience. Starting from $89 per Adult. BUY NOW
Get online and book a combination pass today and SAVE yourself some money to spend on a dinner, drink or souvenir when you get there.
We don’t charge anything extra at Experience Oz, so these really area great value deals!
Book your discount and combination passes here!
In a bid to boost tourism in Queensland after recent poor weather and natural disasters, Queensland’s tourism operators are being encouraged to sign a new pledge. By agreeing to the pledge, operators promise “to give visitors the best holiday experience possible” as part of a new Tourism Queensland campaign.
The pledge encourages tourism operators, individuals and other businesses involving tourists that they will “dial up service levels, surprise visitors with unexpected thrills and smiles, and never underestimate the power of a shining Queensland moment”. With so many awesome reasons to visit Queensland, let us help you plan your next trip. Search for Great Barrier Reef Cruises, Helicopter Flights over the Gold Coast, Visit the Seals at Underwater World, Climb the Story Bridge in Brisbane, Visit the natural wonders of Fraser Island, White Water Rafting in Cairns……..the list goes on! Visit Experience Oz before your next Queensland holiday and save valuable holiday time and MONEY! We do not charge booking fees, or additional charges.
Experience Oz’s pledge:
We, the members if the tourism industry, are united in our determination to show that Nothing Beats Queensland.
Our plan is simple.
* We bill pull out all the stop to thank visitors for their support, by giving them the best holiday experieces possible.
* We will surprise and delight with random acts of joyful appreciation.
* We will turn our service level up to 11.
We will do out utmost to crate unexpected moments that give our vistas a thrill, a smile or even, blow their minds.
* We will not underestimate the power of these moments.
* As individuals, companies and organisations, we are committed to being the best ambassadors for Queensland.
* Together, we will unite to bring visitors back, and give them a reason to keep coming back.
* Our actions will be evidence that Queensland is the place where Australia – and the Australian spirit – shines.
Signed,
Experience Oz.
Go Queensland!
WIN THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE!…..are you up to it?
20 Attractions, 3 Days, 3 Cities
Ever dreamt of being a travel reporter? You and a mate could win the experience of a lifetime. Tour with a film crew through the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the Gold Coast experiencing 20 attractions. Get close to tigers, swim with seals, fly over the Gold Coast – are you up for the challenge? Our film crew will be capturing all your fears, screams, laughs – you’ll star in our experience videos!
THIS COULD BE YOU!
* 4 Nights Accommodation
* Return Flights from your nearest Australian Capital City
* $1000 (that’s $500 for you and a mate)
* All Meals
* Prize Pack with a Camera
* Loads of Money-can’t-buy experiences!
If you think you and your mate are up for the challenge, head to www.facebook.com/ExperienceOz to enter. Send us a pic and 100 words, or a 60 video to convince us that we should pick you!
For more details go to http://www.facebook.com/ExperienceOz. Entries close 29th March 2011 so get in quick!
That’s right….we’re giving away a digital camera! After such a busy silly season, we’re sure you have plenty of funny, weird and crazy holiday photos lying around! Share it with us on our ExperienceOz Facebook wall for your chance to win a Digital Camera. Simply go to our facebook page and upload it to our wall – make sure you ‘Like’ us first.
As a BONUS, you’ll also get 5% off your next purchase. Enter Now
Australia – it’s a big country! In fact it is the 6th largest continent in the world. However it has a relatively small population of 21 million and most reside along the eastern seaboard.
So, how do you decide where to go and what to do? How do you get the most out of your Australian visit? What do you want to get out of your visit?
Are you a nature lover? The Great Barrier Reef is the worlds largest coral reef containing marine life and over 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays dotted with breathtaking tropical islands. Or why not travel south to the cooler most southern state of Australia – Tasmania, where there are so many ways to experience the island’s natural and unique wonders! Try an evening to remember spotlighting Tasmanian devils, quolls, wombats and wallabies; a highland bushwalk alongside ice-carved crags; or an offshore cruise to spot whales, dolphins and seabirds. More info…..
From about May/June to November each year visitors can marvel at the amazing whales that pass along the east and western coasts of Australia. During summer they spend their time feeding in the chilled waters of Antarctica before migrating their way north for breeding. Visitors can usually see the whales on bard one of the many whale watching vessels as the whales make their way north and then south again towards the end of October/November. Experience Oz recommends the following destinations for whales watching in Australia. Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay, Sydney.
Adventurous? Australia has so much to offer! Cairns & Port Douglas in North Queensland are sub-tropical paradises in close proximity to rainforests and natural wonders.
Why not have a go at White Water Rafting in the Russel River or Barron River? If you have ever wanted to Skydive,
 Cairns offers the best views of the coastline, and reefs.
Try something uniquely Australian, such as a cuddle of a Koala (QLD is the only state in Australia where this is possible). In Queensland visitors can do this at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Paradise Country Aussie Farm Tours and of course Australia Zoo made famous by the self confessed wildlife warrior Steve Irwin. Aboriginal culture is one of the most ancient in the world, one place that you can experience this is at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns – they offer both day and nighttime experiences. Cheese and Wine Tours in Mudgee near Sydney or travel to the world famous Barossa Valley in Adelaide to sample some of the world best and well known wines! Take a day trip out to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory where you can take a trip to view the world famous Ayers Rock, now commonly known by its traditional name Uluru. Try an adventure or a relaxed day trip. It’s YOUR choice!
We hope this gives you some idea of what Australia has to offer you. “There’s nothing like Australia”.
Experience Oz is a one-stop shop for things to do in Australia! No booking fees, No credit card fees or hidden charges. What you see is what you pay!
What would you do with an Experience Oz $200 voucher? That’s right, we’re giving away $200 worth of experiences to one lucky entrant. Send us your best holiday pic of you snorkelling, on a roller coaster, skydiving or any other great Aussie experience to be in the running. Quick, competition closes soon.
What comes to mind when you think of Christmas Gift Shopping?
Big crowds to push through?
No parking?
Screaming children…..and they’re not even yours?
If all of this sounds too much, then why not get a nice coffee, sit back in your favourite chair and fire up the PC or Laptop, type in www.GiftItNow.com.au, and start Christmas shopping with thousands of great gift ideas for under the Xmas tree without even having to to leave your living room!
If you’re looking for Christmas gifts, a great idea areTheme Park Passes on the Gold Coast, including the Super Pass. As a Christmas gift, the Super Pass will entitle you to 28 days worth of UNLIMITED entry to popular Gold Coast Theme Parks such as Warner Bros MovieWorld, Sea World and Wet ‘n’ Wild for one low price – ideal for the holidays when you have time off!
Running out of Christmas gift ideas? What about a Hot Air Balloon rideover the Yarra Valley in Melbourne, or Australia’s most iconic city Sydney? Or a even Scenic Flight over the Great Barrier Reef?
Gifts for guys? Presents for men? We’ve got them covered, from Skydiving in Cairns to V8 Hot Laps or Hang gliding in Byron Bay.
Want to spoil that someone special with a romantic gift under the xmas tree? Have you thought of a Swan Valley Wine Tour in Perth, a romantic Dinner Cruise in the vibrant city of Melbourne, or calm Gondola Cruise down the Noosa River on the Sunshine Coast, or a relaxed coach tour through Cradle Mountain National Park from Launceston?
There is so much to choose from! Go to Gift It now now to find your perfect online Gift Experience, and buy a gift voucher online knowing there are no additional fees or charges. *Remember to put the recipients name in the customer details section and not your own. We are also here to help, so if you have any questions let us know!
Merry Christmas from the team at Gift It Now!
Sunrover has been operating for the past 15 years, the family owned and operated tour company is one of a few with permits to Fraser Island, Moreton Island and Carnarvon Gorge. These permits allow for the most extensive tours to all three areas. Sunrover has a tour to suit all budgets with a great range of Accommodation and camping options. See more and do more with Sunrover.
Sunrover also has a small group to guide client ratio for all tours. This allows for personal tours, with more information for clients. The group can spend more time in more areas, and a personal guide to answer any questions, and provide safety advice. Sunrover’s Fraser Island Base Camp Area has great camping options, with 1, 2, 3 and 6 person tents. Sunrover supplies all mattress, sleeping bags, all the tents are setup with great access to the beach for night star gazing, and morning sunrises. The camp area has 2 BBQ, and a stove for all your cooking needs, free fridge and great facilities (plates, cutlery etc).
Dilli Beach Camp Area is also the start of Fraser Island great walks, with Lake Boomanjin- World’s largest Perched Lake only a short hike from Dilli. This has been Sunrovers Base Camp for the past 15 years with new modern amenities – hot showers, environmentally friendly loos, grassed campsite on Govi Creek beside Fraser’s Eastern Beach.
Moreton Island Blue Lagoon Base Camp is situated on the eastern surf beach of Moreton Island. It has great camping options, with 1, 2, 3 and 6 person tents. Sunrover supplies all matress, sleeping bags. All the tents are setup with great access to the beach for night star gazing, and morning sunrises and Lake Sunsets. Take time to snorkel, explore and swim the natural tea tree waters of Blue Lagoon.
Sunrover vehicles are updated every 3 years, with all having seat belts and Tranpsort Dept Rego. Sunrovers Tour Guides have extensive knowledge of the National Park, Beach and tide conditions. They will aim to have everyone enjoying their day.
Choose from one of the many tours offered by Sunrover on Experience Oz. Book NOW!
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