WHALE OF A TIME AT NEW RESORT

YOUR WEEKLY TRAVEL COLUMN “travellers good buys” DAVID ELLIS

Week beginning: 16 April 2007

travel tips: with david ellis

WHALE OF A TIME AT NEW RESORT

THE Peppers group has opened a luxury 5-star resort at Queensland’s
whale-watching capital, Hervey Bay just 3-hours drive north of
Brisbane. The Pier Resort’s Opening price from $321pp twin-share
includes 2-nights in a 1-bedroom suite, full breakfasts daily and a
3-course a la carte dinner one evening. The new resort is opposite
Urangan Beach and well-known pier, and has 129 self-contained 1-, 2-
and 3-bedroom suites and penthouses, a landscaped lagoon-style pool,
and Spa Botanica. Details on (07) 4194 9700 or www.peppers.com.au

BE one of a select few hundred guests from around the world at Crete’s
Fourth Casa del Mezzo music festival in June, this year including
Australian-born maestro, Brian Stanborough conducting Japanese guest
artist Ranko Kurano in a concert version of Puccini’s Madame
Butterfly. Icon Holidays has limited Gold Concert Packages that
include return air to Athens for connection to Heraklion in Crete,
5-star accommodation and breakfasts for 5-nights, transfers, and 5-day
passes to all music festival events. Phone 1300 853 953 for details.

IF Country’s more your go, New Zealand’s slapstick comic duo The Topp
Twins will headline this year’s Country Music Festival on Norfolk
Island from May 27 to June 3. Also on stage will be New Zealand’s The
Cattlestops with their unusual “western swing,” Australia’s Amber
Lawrence, Paul Costa and Briana Lee, and Maori ballad singer Eddie
Lowe who’s a dab hand at the piano, trumpet, guitar, string bass,
violin and piano accordion – despite being partially blind. Oxley
Travel has a 7-night package from $1297pp from Brisbane and $1362
ex-Sydney including return air and taxes, twin-share, 7-days car hire,
island transfers, entry to all Festival Concerts, and an island tour.
Details 1800 671 546.

GET a free 1-hour foot massage as part of a 7-night package at the new
3.5 star Samui Cliff View Resort & Spa in Koh Samui, Thailand. A
stay-7-pay-5 package also includes return economy air from Sydney,
deluxe villa accommodation, daily breakfasts, return airport-hotel
transfers and free shuttles to shops, restaurants and the nightlife of
nearby Chaweng Beach. Prices start from $1309pp twin-share plus taxes
from $301pp. See travel agents, phone Explore Holidays on 1300 73 1012
or visit www.exploreholidays.com.au

MELBOURNE”s new Oaks on Collins apartment hotel features New York
style studios from $164 per night. Studios have kitchens and the hotel
has a bar and restaurant, business centre, pool, gym, sauna and
communal laundry. B&B packages start from $179 per night. Phone 1800
005 125 or log onto www.flightcentrehotels.com

TRUE: A visitor from a country we shall not embarrass, asked a guide
at Windsor Castle why they’d built the castle under the flight path
for Heathrow Airport.