Travel

There are many ways for people to escape life’s often mundane activities, some hook the van on and head to warmer climates, others traverse the globe to far flung destinations. These three couples decided to do it in style, sailing down the mighty Murray.

A new Qantas flight schedule and the addition of one extra return flight per week to the Bendigo to Sydney route starts from Monday October 30. Following feedback provided to the airline, the new schedule allows passengers to travel Bendigo to Sydney return in a day, Monday to Friday.

Bonza takes a bite out of the ‘Apple Isle’ as it reveals Launceston as its newest destination with the first ever year round direct service from the Gold Coast* starting this November. Flights from just $79 per person (one way) are on sale today [24 August 2023] via the Fly Bonza app.  

It’s enough to make your heart beat faster: Dollars and visitor numbers graphs shooting skywards, heading for $5.3 billion (yes – with a “b”) in earnings from 2.7 million visitors. Wow. Before your blood pressure too goes through the roof, note that the numbers are demand targets, as operators were told by the Department of Tourism last week, in an update of what’s snappily called the T2030 Strategy.

The abolition of the popular $250 travel card for seniors living in regional areas at the same time as the Labor Government is lavishing Gold Opal Cards on Sydney seniors is unforgiveable ... Richie Williamson says ... analysis showed just how much worse off senior motorists in regional NSW have become under Labor.

Gowrie residents are concerned about the proposed North-South road corridor that will "split Gowrie in two" to provide easy transport from Highfields and Westbrook to Charlton. The atmosphere at last Thursday’s consultation meeting was tense.

Some Wanneroo councillors want the city to revoke a decision made earlier this month to approve a glamping tent proposal for the old Quinns Rocks caravan park site ... The six councillors said they wanted to revoke the earlier decision as it did not accord with the clear wishes of the community who did not support the development proposal of Eco Tourism or any other entity ...

…of the 2023 Logie for the best lifestyle series is - Channel Nine’s Travel Guides! Which meant that Maldon locals Janetta Stones and Kevin Moloney not only strolled the red carpet at the recent Logie Awards ceremony in Sydney recently. They also joined their fellow travellers onstage to accept the award. Well done, seasoned travellers!

There were shocked and angry reactions from the public gallery when the City of Wanneroo approved a glamping tent proposal for the old Quinns Rocks caravan park site last Tuesday evening ... When the Mayor Linda Aitken called for councillors to record their vote the result was tied 7-7 so Mrs Aitken used her casting vote to get the controversial proposal over the line.

The Australian Government has funded the installation of digital advance warning flood signs at three sites in our Local Government Area to improve safety for motorists during future weather events ... The installations include automatic electric warning signs, as well as a separate camera mounted on a high pole at each site where the stream gauge/sensor is located.

Nadia. Last term 17 students and six staff participated in a major excursion to Uluru and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in the Far North of South Australia ... The group was lucky to experience some rarely seen events; waterfalls on Uluru and it shrouded in cloud and mist.

Last week the community of Nhill was surprised to find the Nhill Railway Station fenced off and out of bounds to the community, without any consultation, after being deemed unsafe for public use by the Australian Rail Track Corporation. Local resident Margaret Millington said it was a sad situation and that "Sadly, the Nhill station is now inaccessible to passengers wishing to travel on the Overland.

Caravan and camping holidays are on the rise despite economic uncertainty ... Figures for the March quarter showed a strong surge in travel numbers with people embarking on 4.5 million trips (up 24 per cent) and 18 million nights (up 22 per cent) spent caravanning and camping.

Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll confirmed the Labor Government has entered a new $11.5 million three-year agreement to fund the historic service, guaranteeing a future for the Overland train, which has run between Melbourne and Adelaide since 1887. This Government investment will ensure the twice weekly service – which stops at Murray Bridge, Bordertown, Nhill, Dimboola, Horsham, Stawell, Ararat and Geelong will continue to run for the next three years.

Angry Angourie locals have taken it upon themselves to clean up kilos and kilos of debris from the 15-metre steel ketch Chinook that ran aground on Saturday July 8, on rocks near Spooky Beach, after the boat’s owner abandoned the vessel ... Angourie local Kim said as the yacht was left scattering debris for six days in the ocean and surrounds.

Bonza has shared an open letter to customers communicating changes it will be making in order to “earn the respect of Aussie travellers”. The letter, shared on the airline’s social media channels, outlines changes to its route map and schedule that are designed to set the airline up for long-term success and reduce the likelihood of cancellations.

These school holidays why not see "what’s in your own backyard’ or sign up for a school holiday activity within the Hindmarsh or West Wimmera region. Hindmarsh Shire Council has a number of great inside activities for young and old ... Kaniva Link is offering several craft activities these holidays in preparation for the Kaniva Show entries this year.

Greater Shepparton City Council, in conjunction with Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation land management team ‘Woka Walla’ and Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, is working to protect cultural values and facilitate Caring for Country works by the local Aboriginal community at the Mooroopna sand hills site.

A travel subsidy for patients who access essential health care away from their home communities will be increased to help vulnerable Queenslanders manage cost of living pressures. The Palaszczuk Government announced that the recent state budget would fund an increase in the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS).

Local train enthusiasts couldn’t believe their eyes or good fortune on Tuesday morning, when an enormously long train, estimated to be up to a kilometre-and-a-half in length, passed through Donald, heading north, towards Mildura ... There was no official word on what was the purpose of the train might be, but one theory was that is was a test run to check the suitability of the Mildura to Melbourne line to transfer freight.

The State Government is being urged to provide funding certainty for the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme (MSIS) to encourage more freight on to rail. The MSIS is an incentive program providing financial support to rail freight companies to make the cost of transporting goods on rail more competitive ... Deputy Leader of The Nationals and Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said the MSIS program allowed regional rail freight operators to offer competitive transport options for exporters, encouraging them to use rail instead of road transport to get their goods to the Port of Melbourne.