Travelers stories

A short drive south of Brisbane is the Gold Coast, stretching for about 35 kilometres along the subtropical coast to the New South Wales border. With its many theme parks, entertainment venues, and surf-washed sandy beaches edged with high-rise holiday apartments it is the gateway to instant leisure.

Just north of Brisbane Iies the Sunshine Coast: Caloundra, Maroochydore, and Noosa Heads beckon with kilometres of golden sands and surf.

North of the Sunshine Coast is Hervey Bay, which has long been a popular holiday spot with locals, but in recent times has become the base for a fleet of boats carrying large numbers of visitors to watch whales off nearby Fraser Island.

The largest sand island on Earth and World Heritage Listed, Fraser Island attracts thousands of visitors annually who come to experience the beauty of its sub-tropical rainforests, freshwater lakes, and dunes that rise to heights of around 230 metres; others come for the great beach fishing. At the northern end of the island lies the Great Sandy National Park.

In the hills behind the Sunshine Coast the town of Nambour is surrounded by pineapple farms and is home to `The Big Pineapple’, a tourist attraction set on a pineapple farm. Some of the best scenery in this area is around Maleny, where there are wonderful views over the Glasshouse Mountains - a series of old volcanic plugs that rear over forests and farmlands. Named by Captain Cook in 1770, their strange shapes standing on the horizon were a reminder of the glass furnaces of industrial Yorkshire.

For nature-lovers and bush walkers, it is often a relief to leave the clamour of the coastal resorts and escape to the quiet wilderness of the hinterland’s national parks. Mount Tamborine, close to Brisbane, has some small but delightful parks. One of them, Witches Falls, was Queensland’s first national park in 1908; at that time, forestry officials declared it to be ‘unfit for any other purpose’.

The most popular park in Queensland is Lamington National Park, situated close to the New South Wales border. Edged with escarpments rising to 900 metres, the park protects an outstanding area of undisturbed rainforest on the Lamington Plateau, on the south side of the Scenic Rim - the crescent of mountains lying behind Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The park has the oldest stands of Antarctic Beech trees in the southern Hemisphere.

Another notable park on the border is Springbrook National Park. The Natural Bridge and waterfall, one of the park’s main features, lies close to the Numinbah Valley road; higher up in the park, near the village of Springbrook, the Best Of All Lookout offers aerial-like views over the ranges.

The capital of Queensland, Brisbane is built around the busiest commercial river in Australia, the Brisbane River. One of the best views of the river with a backdrop of the central business district is from a small park at Kangaroo Point. Further upstream there are more good views of the city from the South Bank Parklands, situated on the southern banks of the river. A ‘must’ for visitors to Brisbane, the 16 hectares of parks and tropical gardens feature restaurants and cafes, weekend markets and entertainers and an artificial beach.

Nearby, on the same side of the river, is the Queensland Cultural Centre, which incorporates the performing arts complex, the State Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Queensland Art Gallery.

This article was written by John Hacking

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Barbados is a truly beautiful island which offers you a near perfect holiday location, it is an island unlike no other place in the world. For those that visit, I can assure you, that you will want to return again.

Facts About Barbados:

Barbados is the most easterly Island in the Caribbean, covering 166 sq miles, which is divided into 11 parishes. It is 21 miles long by 14 miles at it’s widest point. As Barbados is primarily a coral island the rainfall filters through the limestone and collects in Underground reservoirs giving the island extremely pure and delicious drinking water.

Barbados was originally discovered by the Portuguese in 1536 and named it “Los Barbados” after the bearded fig tree’s that grew on the island. In 1625 the English claimed the island and in 1627 arrived with the first 80 settlers.

Barbados has a population of around 286,000 with tourism as the main source of income. There is also sugar and light manufacturing which also contribute to the gross domestic product. The island also boosts a thriving offshore sector.

Barbados is an island which has over 100 practising religions and faiths, with Anglican being the predominant religion.

Barbados became Independent on the 30th of Novemeber 1966 and is ruled by a democratic government that maintains a well developed and financially stable island. The current party in power is the Barbados Democratic Labor Party and the Prime Minister is David Thomson.

Barbados is a renowned wedding destination and the island provides a number of beautiful locations for those seeking to get married. Whether you are looking to get married on a fantastic beach, in a luxury hotel, a historic great house or in a beautiful old church Barbados has it all.

For those of you looking to get married Celebrations Caribee will make sure all your wedding needs are of.

Don’t just take my word for it, why don’t you head to Barbados and find out for yourself what this wonderful Caribbean Island has to offer. Barbados is an island which is not only for the super wealthy people of the world, it is an island which is becoming ever more affordable, especially due to the strength of the Euro. Visit Barbados and you will not regret it.

Further Reading:

1. You Should Consider Barbados as an Events Destination!

2. Chose Barbados For Your Dream Wedding Location!

3. Barbados the Perfect Wedding Location!

4. 20 Bajan Words That Will Make Your Trip to Barbados More Fun!

5. Braveheart Sir William Wallace Following in the Legends Footsteps

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Fancy getting married on a tropical paradise island, with white sandy beaches, warm turquoise blue seas, swaying palm trees in the breeze and lush tropical gardens, creating that picturesque back drop to that very special day?

Then come to Barbados.Barbados has been accommodating weddings now for over 20 years to seasoned holidaymakers and celebrities alike. Most recently tiger woods and his beautiful Swedish model wife Elin nordegren were married in Barbados on the 5th Oct 2004.

Popular wedding locations in Barbados are beach weddings, great house weddings, tropical garden weddings, church weddings and weddings at sea i.e. catamarans and private yachts.

Beach weddings

Beach weddings are located on the sandy public beaches of Barbados; popular beaches for weddings in Barbados are on the south west coast and the west coast of the island. A beachfront wedding can be as large or as small as you want it. With the reception being held at the any of the nearby restaurants that back the beach.

Your wedding location can be decorated with a decorated arch and your isle created by placing a bed of petals or isle runners for you to walk down. Also dependant on your budget a marquee could be placed onto to the beach, please bear in mind facilities such as rest rooms may have to be hired in, as some locations do not offer this.

Imaging your wedding taking place on a beach, watched by your close family and friends, or just you in an intimate ceremony with the striking blue seas and a tropical sunset at the backdrop to your wedding pictures.

Weddings will usually take place in the mid afternoon, as the sun is at it coolest.

Great houses and plantation houses

Barbados has some of the most beautiful great houses and plantations houses in all of the Caribbean.

Beautifully maintained properties set amongst acres of lush matured gardens driveways lined with thousands of years old mahogany and or tall palm trees. Such properties are hundreds of years old, and are steeped in history and provide an amazing location for your wedding.

Weddings will usually take place in the gardens. Whiles receptions can take place in one of the dinning rooms but this is for formal seating. Other arrangements can be made for an informal setting.

Church weddings

An old favourite, the church wedding. Walking up the isle in a beautiful old historic church, with an organ playing and filling the air with harmonious gospel like melodies. Get married in front of god with your friends and family present.

Catamaran and yacht weddings

Set sail on your own private catamaran or yacht for your special occasion. Saying I do out in the great blue yonder is ideal for the couple looking to get away from a normal kind of wedding.

This way your partner and you or even a few close friends and family could get away and sail out to sea with your own captain and crew.

You can laze around on deck or take a drive with the sea turtles, but what ever you choose, you know it will be a day to remember.

Barbados is a fantastic location for those of you that are planning on getting married; it is a unique island, which is unlike any other place in the world. If you are interested in getting married in Barbados I would like to personally recommend a company called Celebrations Caribee, they are a Wedding and Event planning company that does things properly; they take the time and effort to create something that is special and memorable.

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