May 19, 2012

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Places to Shop in Melbourne, Australia

Places to Shop in Melbourne, Australia

Many people visit Melbourne, Australia to visit the area’s vibrant retail scene, which has a tendency to thrive with a variety of alluring products, fashion labels and shopping experience. This shopping district offers an eclectic mix of funky boutiques, high end fashions and mainstream stores, and all of these have a home in the laneways, tree-lined streets and retail centres of the city of Melbourne. Here are some of the shopping destinations that are going to be well worth visiting while you are staying in the Melbourne area:

Hussy is located at 338 Bourke St in Melbourne, and is a cult label catering to an ultra chic clientele that is as fashion-forward as they come. Outre Gallery is located at 211 Elizabeth Street in Melbourne. If you are an art lover but you do not have a lot of money to spend, then Outre Gallery is going to help you get started with some original pieces for less than $100 dollars. Fat is located at Shop G03 at GPO 350 Bourke Street in Melbourne. It is renowned for having discovered some of the most renowned labels in all of Australia. Fat is designed to stock emerging labels as well as more established brands, many of which only became established due to being stocked by this high popularity boutique.

Aesop is another worthy stop, located at QV 35 on Albert Coates Lane in Melbourne. This is a brand born in Melbourne that was started 17 years ago. It is a decked-out Melbourne apothecary style that uses natural preservatives and botanical extracts whenever possible. The products that they offer will earn top rank in your home bathroom if you are looking for high quality products for the home.

These are just some of the shops that are well worth visiting while you are staying in or around the Melbourne area.

Filed Under: Attractions, Fun Places, Travel Tagged With: , ,

Having Fun and Saving Money on a Cruise

A River-Cruise ship on the Danube in Vilshofen...

Image via Wikipedia

If you’ve never been on a cruise before, you may be missing out on a great vacation. For a couple, friends, or family, a cruise can be an exciting way to relax, explore an area, and have a great time when you’re on the ship. There truly is something for everyone when you go on a cruise.

The activities on a cruise ship will surely keep you busy for the extent of the trip. You can get active and enjoy some of the water sports, such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and sailing. There are a number of events, restaurants, and activities for the whole family to keep you busy, as well.

While cruises may be expensive, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of things that you can do to make it a reasonable option for a vacation. For instance, being aware of all applicable charges, including tips and drinks, can save you some money.

Perhaps the strongest way to save money is to look for cruise deals. By booking at certain times of the year, your dream cruise could go from an expensive, once in a lifetime option, to something that is on par with any other type of vacation.  Look for sales and discounts that may appear from time to time. Make sure you understand the terms of the deal to take advantage of the savings that are offered with these cruise deals.

Take advantage of the many tips for saving money on a cruise. From planning and booking the cruise to steps you can take during your vacation, you can cut down on your expenses and save for your next cruise!

Spending your vacation on and off of the cruise ship can be a wonderful time. Make this a financially-sound option and get ready for your next vacation.

Filed Under: Money, Travel Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , ,

Taking the Stress off of Budgeting While on Vacation

Vacations are great way to relax. So why would anyone want to spend their whole vacation worrying about going over budget. Many people head out on vacations with a set budget in mind and spend the whole time worrying about sticking to a budget. However, with the invention of the prepaid credit card, vacationers are able to relax on vacation and still stick to their budget.

These types of credit cards allow vacationers to have the convenience of a regular credit card. Vacationers are able to use the credit card as they would any other regular credit card. They can use it to purchase souvenirs, pay for hotel stays or transportation costs, or purchase dinner or other expenses that might come up while on vacation. The difference is that instead of having an unlimited amount that can be put on the card, these prepaid cards have a set amount put on it before the vacation. The money is then deducted as each purchase is made. This allows vacationers to stay on budget and not accidently overspend.

Not only are these prepaid cards great for budgeting vacations but they can also be used for security purposes. One of the biggest concerns while on an overseas vacation is what happens should a large amount of cash that you are carrying be stolen. By using one of these credit cards you’re able to protect yourself against theft. Should one of these prepaid cards be stolen all the vacationer has to do is call into the customer service line and the account can be blocked and the money is safe. In some cases the credit card company will even help you to get a replacement card or find that you need on your vacation.

A prepaid credit card allows you stick to your budget and to stay safe while vacationing nationally and internationally. The extra security caution and budgeting tool is why many people are switching to these types of cards.

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Things to do in Federation Square

Flinders Street Train Station Melbourne, Victoria

Image via Wikipedia

Things to do in Federation Square

Federation Square can be found opposite of the Flinders Street Station at the corner of Flinders and Swanston and St Kilda Road. Built over all of the rail yards in this area, the area includes open space, restaurants and cafes in an atrium area, an amphitheater and some interesting but somewhat controversial architecture with an asymmetrical skew to it. There are several different centers in Federation Square, the Melbourne Visitor Center, Australian Racing Museum, Ian Potter Center and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. There is plenty for you to see, do and experience while visiting the Federation Square area in Melbourne, Australia.

The Melbourne Visitor Centre is open every day except for Good Friday and Christmas. It is free to visit, and most of the actual centre is below the ground level. The Australian Racing Museum is open daily except for Good Friday and Christmas and costs $9 to attend. It has an extensive library in the resource centre. The Ian Potter Centre NGV Australia is open daily except for Monday, and is closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday. The Ian Potter Centre houses the National Gallery of Victoria, a collection of unique Australian Art. The NGV’s art collection is an international art college that is housed here.

In Federation Square you will also find ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, which has a screen gallery that is open every day from 10 am until 6 pm. This centre features a museum for digital media, film and television. The entry into this centre is free, but if you decide to see certain exhibitions or programs and cinema screenings, then separate fees may apply so make sure that you plan ahead accordingly when visiting the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

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Travel Insurance is Beneficial When Traveling Abroad

Traveling to and discovering new foreign lands is a dream for many of us. We want to explore and experience all that we can. We’ve finally decided to take that big step and take off into the world on an adventure to a foreign land. We’ve made our travel and transportation arrangements, our accommodations are confirmed and we’ve made and checked our preparation list several times.

But there may be one thing we’ve overlooked: travel insurance. This type of insurance can be particularly important if we are traveling out of the country to lands unknown. There are so many things that can happen that could potentially ruin our adventures.

Because many foreign travel plans require that arrangements be made far in advance, there are possibilities that events can occur that may cause us to have to delay or cancel our trip. For instance, illness or death can negatively affect our plans. Travel insurance can cover cancellation or re-booking costs in these cases. This can also apply if you have a reason that your trip must be cut short during your vacation. Get some insurance quotes for travel insurance as part of your trip planning and you’ll feel secure about your upcoming vacation.

Once the trip is underway there are many other things that can happen that can be helped with travel insurance benefits. For instance, we may arrive at our destination only to find that either our accommodation reservations are missing or otherwise unavailable. Insurance can help sort out the situation and even provide ways to get temporary housing.

Travel insurance can help you with medical costs should you find yourself injured or sick. Your regular medical insurance may not cover costs of these situations if they happen out of the country. In addition to these costs, travel insurance can help with medical transportation.

Filed Under: Family Travel, Travel Tips and Tricks Tagged With: ,

Gardens and Parks in Melbourne Australia

Floral Clock, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourn...

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Melbourne, Australia is known for being home to a number of different gardens and parks. Most of them can be found between St Kilda Road’s east side and Melbourne’s Yarra River. This series of gardens and parks each offers something distinct and unique to behold. In this area you will find the Alexandra Gardens, the Queen Victoria Gardens, the Kings Domain, the Shrine of Remembrance, the Governor La Trobe’s Cottage, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the Government House and the Royal Botanic Gardens. If you are interested in gardens, parks, landmarks and things to do and see in Melbourne, these are all stops that are well worth making.

The Queen Victoria Gardens feature a memorial for both King Edward VII and Queen Victoria. Here you will find numerous sculptures as well as a clock that is made completely out of 7000 plants. Kings Domain incorporates a number of different stops, landmarks and things to do and see including the Shrine of Remembrance, which is a war memorial and the Governor La Trobe’s Cottage. This is a prefabricated house that was brought to Australia back in 1839 by Charles La Trobe. It is open on Sundays between 2 pm and 4 pm throughout October to May and on the last Sunday of every month from June to September.

The Sidney Myer Music Bowl was built back in 1959 and it is used as an ice skating rink during the winter months and is used for concerts in the spring, summer and autumn months. The Government house is a landmark that is open to the public only on the 26 of January, which is Australia Day. There are also booked guided tours through the National Trust on Mondays and Wednesdays. Finally, the Royal Botanic Gardens is open daily. It is one of the finest botanic gardens in the entire world offering 10,000 species as well as 50,000 individual plants.

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People Person? The 5 Best People Watching Destinations

Is your idea of a dream vacation sipping a cappuccino (or a cocktail!) and watching the world go by? There are many destinations that are renowned for people watching, providing entertainment and eye candy at the same time. The following five destinations are all great places to pull up a chair and watch people strut on by or watch out the window of your vacation home.

1. Miami, Florida

Miami is well known for its golden sands, nightclubs, and shopping. Visitors are always struck by the fact that everyone in Miami is so tan and beautiful. What better place could there be to people watch than a city full of gorgeous residents? If you’re planning a trip to Miami, choose vacation rentals near the beach and get ready to work on your tan while checking out your fellow sun worshippers.

2. North Shore, Oahu

Along the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii people watching is a special treat. Not only can you people watch here, but you can also watch them hanging ten and wiping out as they ride the waves. That’s right, the North Shore is home to some excellent surfing in Hawaii, and these experts are very entertaining to watch.

3. Telluride, Colorado

While it is fun to do some people watching when they’re barely dressed, it is also possible to enjoy it in the cold weather. Telluride, Colorado is home to some of the best skiing in western American. It has a range of gorgeous vacation rentals, too. After a day on the slopes, people watching is all about the ski scene. All that time on that trails earns you a cocktail before dinner; so grab a table, and get ready to see all the pretty people that come out for a treat at the end of an athletic day.

4. Venice, Italy

It would be impossible to talk about people watching without mentioning Italy. Here this hobby is elevated to an art form, especially in Venice. Have your morning coffee at a table in a crumbling piazza and watch the Italian people stroll on by. It helps that nothing in Italy is rushed, so you can savor that long lunch and see what the latest fashions are in Italy. Luckily, the city is full of designer shops so you can get that Italian look you just spied.

5. Barcelona, Spain

The people watching scene in Spain rivals the steamy qualities of Italy. It helps that it is a tradition here to go for a stroll in the evening, and there are few more beautiful backdrops than the city of Barcelona. Whether you choose to laze the day away at the beach or do some people watching from a cafe, you will be entertained by the characters that call Barcelona home.

There are great places for people watching around the globe – from the beach, to the mountains, to the oldest cities in Europe. All you need is an outdoor cafe and maybe a dark pair of sunglasses. Which of these places is at the top of your travel wish list?

Filed Under: Accomodations, Fun Places Tagged With: , ,

Understanding the Climate of Melbourne, Australia

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Boys jump ...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Understanding the Climate of Melbourne, Australia

Many people will tell you that the city of Melbourne has all four seasons in a single day. This is actually particularly common when it comes to the late autumn and the early spring, as the weather during these periods of time can be quite changeable. It is rare for the major extremes to be experienced in a single day. Statistically speaking, Melbourne receives only about half of the average amount of rainfall that Sydney receives, and Melbourne receives approximately 600 mm or 24 inches of rainfall per annum, which is generally scattered all throughout the year. Statistically speaking, the wettest month of the year in Melbourne is October.

On an average summer day, Melbourne is sunny and has temperatures that range between 79 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important to note that the summer in Melbourne ranges from December to February. The warmest temperatures can typically be found in the suburban inland locations, where as the coast is generally going to be tempered with a southerly sea breeze that is nice and refreshing. During the summer months heat waves are especially common, with temperatures reaching and exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit and featuring hot winds in a northerly direction.

During the winter months, which range between June and August, the weather is typically cool though clear and sunny through part of the season and cold and damp throughout the rest. The temperatures in the winter months can range from 36 degrees Fahrenheit to 66 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Melbourne, Australia was 27 degrees Fahrenheit, which occurred all the way back during 1869. Sometimes the hills to the east of the city will experience snow, but snow is relatively uncommon in Melbourne proper. The best times to visit the city are in the autumn and the spring when the weather is a little more fair and pleasant. The daytime highs should not become unbearably warm during this time period, with most days averaging at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Filed Under: Attractions, Family Travel Tagged With: ,

Finding Great Vacation Deals

Knowledge still equals power and money. Even in the age of information, with nearly limitless resources available, people often miss out on the best deals because they don’t know where to look.

The headlines are filled with news about the financial crisis. Credit for businesses remains tight, and the unemployment rate in the United States seem to be stuck near 10 percent. Even though the economy remains slow, it offers a great opportunity for people seeking to travel. The tourist has more purchasing power now due to the fierce competition to attract less than normal amounts of disposable income.

To find the best vacation deals, smart tourists need to put in some research before booking their hotel. Searching online and using popular travel sites allows travelers to compare rates and find the best prices on everything from hotels to fine dining. Sometimes hotels offer complete packages that include meals and drinks, but simply staying at the same place everyday does not give tourists a taste of the local cuisine and culture. Seeking out some of the top affiliate programs that partner with hotels gives tourists an idea of some of the finest hots pots available.

Tourists that seek out the best deals online will be rewarded. The only certain way to ruin a vacation is to spend it all cooped up in the hotel room and not attempting to find out the best of what the travel destination has to offer. Finding a vacation package provides tourists with the extra money necessary to turn a fun vacation into a great one. Take advantage of the slow economy and use the leverage to discover a vacation hot spot that seemed more dream than reality in the past. Living like a millionaire might not be possible for most people, but living a lavish lifestyle for a few days is possible for smart vacation shoppers.

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Things to do in Melbourne City Centre

A view of the library from the left side facin...

Image via Wikipedia

Things to do in Melbourne City Centre

The Melbourne city centre has plenty to offer to visitors to the area. This is just a sampling of all the various things that you can do and see while you are staying in the city centre or surrounding suburbs.

In Central Melbourne, check out the docklands, southern star, Victoria police museum, Melbourne aquarium, the immigration museum, Rialto towers, ANZ banking museum, Block arcade, Scots’ church, St. Michael’s Uniting church, Flinders street station and St. Paul’s cathedral. You should also consider visiting the city square, Melbourne town hall, Manchester Unity building, Royal arcade, Bourke St. mall, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne city baths, Queen Victoria market, Old Melbourne Gaol, the National Post Master Gallery, Chinatown, the Museum of Chinese Australian History, Little Greece, Windsor Hotel, Parliament House of Victoria and the Hotel Sofitel.

Other stops worth making include the Gold Treasury Museum and the Old Treasury Building, the Treasury Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Fire Services Museum in Victoria, Southgate Plaza, Crown Entertainment Complex, the Crown Casino, Melbourne Exhibition Centre and the Polly Woodside Maritime Museum.

If you visit the Yarra River area, then you should check out the Melbourne River Cruises which leave from the Princes Walk and from the Lower Promenade at Southbank. There are some nice walks along the river as well, including one from the corner of St Kilda Rd and Batman Avenue, which crosses over the Morell footbridge and returns to the Princes Bridge over the riverbank. You may also walk through the Alexandra Gardens and the Botanic Gardens along the way.

This list is by no means comprehensive, there are hundreds of other things to do, see, experience and enjoy while you are visiting the Melbourne, Australia area, especially in and around the city centre. Make a list of the things that appeal to you the most so that you can get the most out of your visit, because a little planning can go a long way in preparing you for your trip to the area.

Filed Under: Attractions, Fun Places Tagged With: ,
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