This was an amazing adventure, one of our favourite towns was Birdsville. Birsville is a small outback town with a population of about 120 residents and is ready for the many travellers that pass through this very unique town regularly.

The Birdsville Hotel is a very famous outback pub, that is a must visit when you go to Birdsville. The have several motel rooms for accommodation, great meals and of course beer.

The edge the Simpson Desert is near Birdsville. Another must see is ‘Big Red’ the first and highest sand dune of the Simpson Desert, which is a challenge to conquer. Which we did and view is amazing.

The Birdsville Working Museum is well worth a look, it displays an amazing collection of all things old and Australian. From household products, toys, farming, coins, stamps just about everying and anything you can think of is there.

The Birdsville Races are held annually and thousands of people flock to these famous unique races. for more information about the races and Birdsville have a look at this website www.birdsvilleraces.com

Joining a frequent flyer program may be something that you’ve never considered doing.

Aren’t they just for suit-wearing executives who fly back and forth from Sydney to Melbourne?

Not so. Australia is a nation of travel lovers, some out of necessity and some because they want to.

Migrants are visiting relatives in ‘the old country’ from time to time, wanderlust travelers are jetting off to explore new places and so on the list goes.

First up, people who typically are spending a a few thousand dollars or more per month, pay of their balance each month and intend to book a flight somewhere are suitable for a frequent flyer program. But in the pursuit of points, don’t go out of your way to spend money in order to earn points.

Whatever you spend your money on has to on purchases that you’d be making regardless of points or incentives otherwise its spending for the sake of spending. With that in mind, here are 10 simple tips to help you get the most from frequent flyer programs.

#1 Entitlements, Privileges and Benefits

This is the exciting bit and probably the reason you’re reading this blog post. The entitlements are numerous and attractive. As a member of frequent flyer program you’ll enjoy quicker check-in times and boarding times at the airport, preferential seating on the flight, get extra checked baggage allowance and access to those plush airport lounges.

Now the really attractive bit – you can redeem your points for upgrades to business or first class seats or get huge discounts on tickets. Depending on how far you fly you could even redeem the points for a free ticket.

#2 Earning Points

It is super important to know that to get the most out of a frequent flyer program and therefore you need to understand a little bit about how your points are earned. Points can be earned for every dollar spent with the airline program when you book a flight or buy from a participating retailer in a promotion.

#3 Boost Your Points

Programs like Qantas and Velocity really do make it very easy to earn points. One of the thee most effective ways to earn a bucket-load of points is to sign up for a credit card that is linked to your frequent flyer program. That way you shop using your credit card as you ordinarily would do and in the process you earn points. Most cards have a 1-to-1 ratio: spend one dollar and earn one point. Take a look at the comparison tables on a site like FrequentFlyerCreditCards.com.au to see which cards offer the best dollar to points ratio and overall best value.

Hot tip: Make sure you pay off your monthly credit card bill (something you should do anyway) otherwise the value of the frequent flyer points will be eaten into by the interest you’re paying on that monthly statement!

#4 Big Spender?

If you intend on spending a lot of money, 2000 or more per month, then you should consider the option of getting an uncapped frequent flyer credit card. That way you won’t hit caps or limits and every single dollar you spend will earn points.

#5 Tiers

Airlines have set up their frequent flyer programs to have tiers. For example, Qantas have three levels: Silver, Gold and Platinum. Velocity also have 3 tiers: Red, Silver and Gold. You will be eligible for better benefits, bonus points and more points earning potential by reaching milestones associated with your rewards program.

#6 Airline Partners

The available partners within your frequent flyer program will make a big difference in how you use your rewards. Qantas are teamed up with oneworld and a bunch of other airlines meaning their network is massive. Velocity Rewards are primarily used on Virgin Blue, V Australia, Virgin Atlantic or Virgin America but can points can be transferred to seven other airlines notably Delta.

If partner options are limited or you don’t do want to fly with the partners involved in a reward program, then it won’t be the best fit for you. It’s also important that you understand how your points will transfer for use with those partners. For example, do those points transfer on a point-for-point ratio to another program? If not then you need to question if its worth it.

#7 Flight Destinations

Where an airline flies will greatly affect the benefits you receive from your card. So, start with your destination and work back from there. For example, if you know that you want to fly from Sydney to Tokyo or Brisbane to Singapore but the airline’s frequent flyer program doesn’t fly there, there then there’s no point. Choose a frequent flyer program that casts a wide net of destinations.

#8 Restrictions

There are going to be restrictions on when, where or how you use your points which can be frustrating. Getting to redeem your points is subject to capacity and availability so if the flight is booked up already then you’ll not get to muscle your way on just because you hold a frequent flyer card.

#9 There’s Fees to Pay

There’s a once-off joining fee for the Qantas program of $82.50. And if you sign up for a frequent flyer credit card there’s an annual fee which is usually not much more than the average credit card’s annual fee. There’s actually a couple of cards out there which have no annual fee but they aren’t directly linked to the Qantas or Velocity program.

#10 Use it or Lose it

Fees associated with a program and your frequent flyer credit card will still need to be paid whether you use it or not. Therefore, your card might be costing you money if you don’t fly on a regular or semi-regular basis. Be aware that points eventually expire. It takes 18 months for Qantas points to expire if you don’t earn or use the points and 3 years for Velocity Points.

David is the co-founder and travel writer for FrequentFlyerCreditCards.com.au where you can compare credit cards for frequent flyers and read more free tips like this blog post.

We stayed with a family that we met at Ayers Rock Resort 10 years ago, so it was  a 10 year anniversary of when we met. Every year since we met we have arranged to meet them and holiday somewhere in Australia. We have been to the Kimberley, Central Australia twice, Fraser Island twice, Noosa several times, Murray River houseboat cruise and more. All wonderful trips and adventures.

As they are Sydney locals we went on several tourist drives that certainly gave a new outlook on Sydney and gave us a better understanding of how massive Sydney is.

 I had been to Sydney twice previously with my parents many years ago and with our local primary school to see the Paralympics in 2000 and had seen the popular highlights Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Which are of course stunning and worth seeing.

There are many  Things to do in Sydney, everyone that visits should visit the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. There ia also plenty more to see and do like the Rocks, go on a harbour cruise, visit Taronga Zoo and Luna Park.

Sydney has some beautiful very popular beaches to visit like Bondi as it very close to the city we also visited Cronulla beach and several other beaches which had a few brave surfers catching the waves! It was way to cold for swimming!

If you are planning to visit  Sydney and looking for more adventure how about an amazing full throttle  jet boat ride in the harbour, see the unique harbour views while going flat out sliding and aplashing in all directions.

If you want the best view of Sydney try the Skywalk on top of Sydney Tower only 260 metres above ground level. Of course you will be wearing Skysuits and harnesses for your own safety.  What A View!!

Many cruises on the harbour can be enjoyed as well as sea plane flights, aerobatic flights, sky diving, rock climbing in the Blue Mountains, drive a racing car around Eastern Creek race track, Harley rides, hot air ballooning and so much more.

Fathers Day is not far away so start thinking about a present sooner rather than later. The above  activities would make excellent Fathers Day Gifts as well as the more sedate adventure activities suitable for all Dads.

Oz is an incredible place to visit and, no matter what part of the country you end up in, you’re bound to find tons of incredible things to see and do. Some of us, unfortunately, are on budgets – and while that might limit us as far as deciding which things to do, our financial situations certainly won’t stop us from having fun. Are you headed towards Melbourne this summer? Here are 5 free attractions to keep you entertained.

5. Royal Botanic Gardens

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne consist of more than 86 acres of gorgeously landscaped grounds and gardens. Inside you’ll find thousands of plant species from around the world. Guided walks through the gardens are offered free of charge. The park opens at 7:30am and closes at either 6pm or 7:30pm, dependent upon the time of year you visit.

4. Queen Victoria Market

Do you love to shop? If so, you simply can’t leave Melbourne without first making a stop at the Queen Victoria Market. Considered the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere, the market has been a notable landmark for well over 100 years. The land has served several purposes over the years (including as cemetery grounds), but today is a produce market featuring other modern merchants.

3. City Circle Tram

Want to catch a glimpse of the entire city without making a bunch of stops? Consider  hopping on the City Circle Tram. It’s free, and encourages visitors to hop on and off at any time along the circuit. You can stop to take pictures, or to visit some of the area’s hot spots, and then simply hop back on to get to your next destination. You’ll pass the Parliament House, Old Treasury Building, and many other historic sites. Don’t want to get off? Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

2. Flinders Street Station

Flinders Street Station is one of the most popular meeting places in Melbourne. Visitors will find that the station is the hub of the city’s transportation system, while also offering tons of gorgeous architecture (including the spectacular clock tower) for your viewing pleasure. If you want to be at the center of activity, you should consider looking for hotels near Flinders Street Station. You’ll never be far from any attraction, whether you walk or take public transportation.

1.    Melbourne’s Beaches

No trip to Melbourne is complete unless you spend at least one afternoon relaxing on the gorgeous beaches. Yes, the Yarra River does run through Melbourne, but don’t forget that the city sits on Port Phillip Bay as well. There are dozens of great beaches to explore, including St. Kilda, Brighton, and a number of dedicated surfing beaches.

Ask the concierge at the hotel you choose to direct you towards some of the area’s least expensive attractions. There’s bound to be something nearby, whether you stay at the Atlantis Hotel Melbourne or one of the dozens of other affordable hotels in the area. Relax, don’t stress over money, and enjoy the city!

The water has made a 1300 kllometre journey from Queensland to Lake Eyre  in South Australia. This time the water has reached a depth of 2 metres and will be most likely all dried up by October.

The Lake Eyre Yacht Club are known as the strangest Yacht Club in the world, they only get the sail when Lake Eyre fills and they have about 50 members from all over the world, some will travel from Scotland and United States for this very unique yachting regatta.

They expect at least 60 to 100 yachts to take part, many people have travelled thousands of kilometres across Australia. They are camping on the banks of the lake to experience the amazing sight of the yachts, the beauty and uniqueness of another of Australia’s natural wonders.

For More Information
http://www.sail-world.com/cruising/index.cfm?nid=54354&rid=11
by Tim Dornin, Independent Weekly/Sail-World

About Lake Eyre http://teachit.acreekps.vic.edu.au/cyberfair2002/LakeEyre.htm

Sydney NSW Capital city of New South Wales

Great Barrier Reef QLD 2000 kilometres of coast from Bundaberg to Port Douglas

Tasmania Capital city is Hobart, well known for its wilderness areas

Melbourne VIC Capital city of Victoria

Uluru NT Also known as Ayers Rock in the heart of Central Australia

Red Centre NT Alice Springs and the surrounding areas

Great Ocean Road VIC A very scenic coastal drive

Kakadu National Park NT In the Top End of Northern Territory

Gold Coast QLD Stunning beaches, a surfing paradise and exciting theme parks

Fraser Island QLD The largest sand island in the world

The Kimberley WA Absolutely stunning unique landscapes in every direction

The Daintree Rainforest QLD Is the largest tropical rain forest in Australia

Whitsunday islands QLD Is in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef

Barossa Valley SA Well known for it’s wineries, cuisine and country views and walks

Ningaloo Reef WA Is one of the largest reefs in the world making an undersea paradise

Perth WA Capital city of Western Australia

Brisbane QLD Capital City of Queensland

Blue Mountains NSW Marvel at the majestic landscapes

Darwin NT Capital city of Northern Territory

High Country VIC The Victorian Alps is part of the Great Dividing Range

Adelaide SA Capital city of South Australia

Snowy Mountains NSW Are the highest ski fields in Australia

Broome WA Well known for pearls and the beautiful Cable Beach

Kangaroo Island SA Stunning beaches, forests, desert dunes and farmland

Phillip Island VIC Well known for its penguins, seals and the Grand Prix

Capricorn Coast QLD Includes 13 beaches from Yeppoon to Emu Park

Limestone Coast SA Perfectly sculpted beaches, towns include Robe & Beachport

Goldfields VIC Visit towns where gold was found & visit beautiful old buildings

Byron Bay NSW A very popular beach & holiday location

Yorke Peninsula SA Renowned for cruisy atmosphere and laidback lifestyle

That top 30 list showcases some of australia’s beautiful and interesting places, there so many others. What places would you recommend other travellers visit.

Lake Mckenzie on Fraser Island is a very popular and special place to visit, beautiful white sand and clear blue water.

This photo is a great example of the outback, bright blue sky, a bit of green vegetation and red dirt road. Our 3 cars are on the way to the Kimberley and an incredible adventure.

This photo was taken on a joy flight over the Bucaneer Archipelago near Derby. We were staying at Cape Leveque north of Broome and saw some great scenery including the Horizontal Falls.

We had a holiday on a houseboat several years ago and we cruised on the Murray River and had a great relaxing time. This beautiful phot was taken at sunrise making the gum trees glow and create a great reflection.

We have camped many times on the banks of the Murray River, as you can see these kids (Pigs in mud! and 3 of them are mine!) had a great time.

We were camping on the banks of Lake Kununurra and this sea plane was getting ready for take off and i raced for the camera and was lucky enough to get one shot.

This is the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley, which is only suitable for 4WDriving. I like the soft colouring in this image mainly due to dust being blown around by the vehicle in front.

Old Mornington Station is in the Kimberley we camped at the base of this amazing cliff complete with boab trees and a very bright blue sky.

This is Arnos Wall in Winton behind the North Gregory Hotel which we stayed in. Arnos wall is very unique and was created by a local, anything and everything has been added to the wall like motorbikes, microwaves, wheels, car parts and much more!

Birdsville is a great town in Central Australia, we visted here when we toured Eastern Central Australia. Birsville was out favourite town and this is the famous Birdsville Hotel.

Next time you go on a holiday remember to take your camera and take some stunning Aussie holiday photos and upload them to your computer to show everyone how stunning Australia is.

You can choose to travel alone or with friends or family, one thing is for sure you will meet plenty of interesting people from Australia or overseas. Your accommodation, meals, attractions are arranged for you and most will be paid for already.

The range of tours is amazing, they can be for a day, several days, weeks or months. The size of the group can vary from 10 or 20 up to 50 or more using mini buses or the larger coaches.

You can arrange a tour from most reasonable size towns, Visitor Centres and accommodation places every where in Australia.

You may like to book with one company for a long tour as your complete holiday or you can include several short tours within your holiday. For example you maybe going to Central Australia and your vehicle is not a 4WD so to be able to see the more remote places you can take a day adventure tour.

There are many types of organised tours to go on, like adventure, nature, travelling through several states or within a region of Australia. Going on any tour is a easy and great way to explore and holiday in Australia.

All you need to do is add the discount code    winter    in the discount code box in checkout and the price will be adjusted.

Only available till the end of June 2010

More Information Your Guide To Travelling Australia

Enjoy your travels where ever you go in this amazing country.

We have used several different map books, this one by far is most impressive. The cover is a hardback so it can’t get bent or creased like every other map book we have. With the spiral binding the maps will actually sit campletely flat on the table. The maps are very clear, detailed and easy to follow.

The authors of the book actually check as many sites as possible themselves and have travelled 90,000 kilometres in the past 2 years. So they really do know what they are talking about as they have experienced travelling Australia and know what campers and travellers really appreciate.

This book features over 3500 listings of rest areas, free camps, station stays, national parks, state forest and parks and low cost caravan parks.

Also included are dump points, pet friendly sites. the latest free camping sites, author recommended sites and includes the latest Hema Road Atlas.

Camps Australia Wide also sell a Caravan Park Listing Book with over 2300 caravan parks listed. Other camping books also available.

This map book is far superior to any other map book we have owned, we have bought several over the past 2 decades as it’s best to use an updated maps when you are travelling anywhere in Australia. Another great thing about Camps Australia Wide map books updates are available online. No need to buy a new book to get updated information.