Tag Archives: australia

Tips for Travellers to Australia

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With wide open spaces, iconic scenery and a beautiful array of wildlife, Australia is one of the most popular tourist hot spots worldwide. Often very popular with young travellers and those looking to take a gap year out of education to go travelling, part of Australia’s appeal is that it is a completely unknown continent that just happens to speak the same language as we do.

spiderThis may sound like a strange thing but one reason less people travel to see the world is the fear that they will be stuck in an unfamiliar place and they won’t be able to properly communicate their distress. Australia gets rid of part of that fear, as most people speak English. You get the strange new world, without the fear of being stuck up the language river without a paddle.

However, there are a whole host of other dangers just waiting to pull you under the water and while we may be vaguely aware of them we’ve piled together a few top tips for those of you who are planning on hiking it across Australia in the near future.

Stay Clean to stay safe!

Always wash your hands before eating. It may sound like a no-brainer but you’d be surprised at how often people forget about hand sanitation. You can always take a portable hand sanitizer with you if there is nowhere near to clean your hands. When going outside always put your shoes on to prevent scrapes or possible bites and scratches. Make sure to shake your shoes before putting them on just in case little critters have tried to crawl in them overnight!

Know the Climate

SONY DSCAustralia is a hot country! Make sure to take plenty of water for hydration wherever you go and always apply a lot of sunscreen. If you happen to swim at all, make sure to apply sunscreen both before and after swimming as the sun can quickly burn skin if left unprotected. Try to wear a hat to prevent heatstroke, or at least drink water regularly.

There are a lot of insects in Australia, and while some are just a little bothersome, a lot of them like the taste of human flesh! Apply insect repellent along with your sunscreen to avoid nasty bites and scratches and if you need to sleep at night with the window open, make sure you have flyscreens or netted screens to prevent the nasties from coming inside at night!

Safe Swimming

crocorileAlways swim between the designated red and yellow flags as Australian beaches are home to strong underwater currents commonly known as rips. To avoid these make sure to swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim alone or at night. Lifeguards will patrol the beaches but it is better not to take any chances!

When travelling through or near established crocodile habitats there will often be safety and warning signs. Take heed of these and never swim in rivers, tidal rivers, mangrove shores, estuaries or deep pools nearby. If you plan to go fishing or boating, make sure to take expert advice when fishing or boating near crocodile habitats.

Between November and April, the tropical beaches of Australia may be home to marine stingers which can cause discomfort and certain species can even be lethal. Swim within the designated areas and if you are swimming, diving or snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef make sure to wear protective clothing and to pay close attention to the warning signs. Be aware!

Travel Insurance

As with any holiday, having the proper travel insurance is essential. Australia is a little different in that there are a huge number of small critters which can deal a lot of damage in a small period of time. Having good medical insurance is essential, as with backpacking or hitch-hiking you can never be 100% certain that your holiday will be injury free. Depending on your visa type you may be entitled to certain benefits through the public healthcare system of Australia, but a lot of medical expenses will be taken out of your own pocket, so it is essential to have good medical insurance.

Take good care of yourself and make sure you are well prepared before you head out to Australia. You can never be sure of what will happen once you get there but it is better to plan for the worst and hope for the best instead of getting stuck in a foreign country with little or no back-up plan! Just remember to still have fun!

Bucket List Week 4 – Scuba and Sky Diving

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A Bucket list can consist of anything, from big events to tiny things that you had never even considered doing before. It can be something as little as trying every flavour of ice cream, to a big event such as completing a marathon. Here at Penguin we believe in travelling the world, visiting fantastic landmarks and enjoying the great sights of the different traditions and cultures worldwide. We’re not saying you have to travel to be happy, but for those of you who love travelling and are looking for some stunning locations and activities to tick off your bucket list, we can give you some ideas.

Skydiving

[penguin]skydive blog

An exhilarating feat, not for the faint hearted. Skydiving sessions happen everywhere in the world, depending on where you live or where you would like to dive. Normally divers on their first go will be accompanied by a professional, who chooses to open up the parachute at the right moment. The freefall portion of the skydive is the most exhilarating, the idea of rushing towards certain death, followed by the relief of the parachute opening – the rush of adrenaline you feel when this happens is often one of the major appealing points of diving.

Plus you get a great view of the surrounding area as you drift back down to safety, so for a truly inspirational view, why not try skydiving in Hawaii, where you can see the whole island laid out in front of you as you fall?

Great Barrier Reef – Australia

 

[penguin]scuba blog

Famous for being the world’s largest coral reef, with over 3,000 individual reef systems and coral cays, and with a range of diving experiences available depending on your level of diving skill, you can see the great barrier reef up close, no matter how much experience you have with diving!

 

Plus with accommodation suitable for families, couples and singles, the Great Barrier Reef is a great spot to visit for everyone! If you’re in Australia for a week or two, you can also hire a car in Townsville in order to see the local sites, after enjoying the fantastical views of the Great Barrier Reef.

New experiences can be found anywhere, from the ends of the earth to your back garden. Why not look at the rest of our bucket list collection, if you are putting together an ideal bucket list of your own and would like some great inspiration from the best locations worldwide.

Strawberry Ice Cream Day; Bon Appetit

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2552806737_959657e7bf_oSo today is national Strawberry Ice Cream Day. A universal snack for during the summer, often accompanied by a romantic film or used as a soothing technique when confronted by an awkward break-up. Not many people dislike this fantastic sugary treat – those who are intolerant to lactose not included – and though it’s not a spectacular culinary dish, there can be no denying the popularity of ice cream on holidays. Ice cream and holidays are synonymic in that you can’t have one without the other. So why not have a look at the best places to have one of the world’s most famous holiday snacks?

In the Persian Empire, residents would pour grape juice over snow and eat it as a treat in the hot weather. Later on it was adopted by several other civilisations, where they would use various fruit syrups over ice to make different flavours. Originally it was thought that the Arabs first used milk to make ice cream, using sugar as opposed to fruit juices to sweeten it, and then flavouring it with fruit and nuts. many people dislike this fantastic sugary treat – those who are intolerant to lactose not included – and though it’s not a spectacular culinary dish, there can be no denying the popularity of ice cream on holidays. Ice cream and holidays are synonymic in that you can’t have one without the other. So why not have a look at the best places to have one of the world’s most famous holiday snacks?

Italy first brought ice cream to Europe in the 16th century and since then its popularity has grown immensely. There are countless flavours, both predictable, and strange, such as eel and octopus ice cream made in Japan (where else?), and every country has an associated favourite flavour. So where is the best place to eat it?

Perché No! In Florence, Italy

Translated as ‘Why not!’ This ice cream shop was founded in 1939 and is one of the most iconic ice cream shops in Italy. The ice cream is all made fresh from produce daily, using carefully chosen ingredients. The fruit ice creams and sorbets are made entirely from fresh juice and are free of colouring agents. There are some more inventive flavours; such as the ‘Chesnut Honey and Sesame Seeds’, or you could try the classical ‘Whipped Cream’ flavour, ever present as a favourite.

Glacé In Sydney, Australia

Established in 1984, Glacé has quickly become famous throughout Australia for its innovative ice creams, sorbets and ice cream based desserts., Because it uses fresh ingredients, including full cream milk and fresh cream, Glacé is incredibly popular as a manufacturer of ice cream. The company itself has won over 100 awards by industry groups for their creative ice cream based desserts. Plus they do wedding cakes!

Special Mention: Ice Cream City

19Known for their eccentricity, what is Japan without dipping their toes into the market of ice cream? The ice cream city is a magical place inside the indoor theme park in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, with hundreds of flavours of ice cream, from the traditional vanilla, chocolate and story, to the more exotic crab or snake flavoured ice cream.

Located in the Sunshine City Complex, only a short drive by hired car from the Ikebukuro subway station, the theme park has a small entry fee plus an additional fee to purchase each miniature tub of ice cream, but it is certainly well worth it!