The famous town plaque…

The idyllic Queensland city of Toowoomba is once again preparing for its nationally famous Carnival of Flowers. For locals and visitors from abroad, the festival is one of the highlights of the year. With private and public garden exhibits, floricultural workshops and the Grand Central Floral Parade, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is an event like no other!

From Friday the 18th to Sunday the 27th of September, Toowoomba comes alive as thousands of tourists flock to the quaint city. Located just outside of Brisbane, Toowoomba is a short trip by car or by bus. For 66 years, the festival has attracted lovers of gardening and floriculture, as well as other locals and tourists who happen to be in the region. Each year, more than 50,000 participants line Toowoomba’s streets to see the famous parade march through the downtown area. This year, celebrations are expected to be bigger and better than ever.

At this year’s Australian Tourism Awards, the festival was awarded the Gold medal for the Festivals & Events category. For those who’ve been, it’s easy to understand why: the city comes alive with hundreds of parks and thousands of blooms coming into season, colouring the small city in an inimitable way. Visiting the famous Ergon Energy Flower, or ambling through the crowds at the Food & Wine Festival, one gets a sense for old-world Australia and its many serene charms.

There will be plenty of family-friendly events, free live music, organised tours and delectable eating options, along with street artists, live theatrical performances and community events designed to engage with the locals. All in all, it’s a wonderful event brimming with life and Australian character – so be sure not to miss out!

What: The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers
When: Friday the 18th to Sunday the 27th of September, 2015.
Where: Toowoomba, 125km west of Brisbane, Queensland.

For more information visit http://www.tcof.com.au. There you’ll find detailed maps, visitor’s guides and a program of the major events on offer.

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The unique Alice Desert Festival

Australia is a culturally diverse country, brimming with an array of wondrous sights and activities. But there’s no better way to get a unique insight into Australian culture than to attend one of our many fascinating festivals. Boasting everything from scrumptious delicacies to unique musical offerings, here are four favourite festivals for the second half of 2015!

The Margaret River Gourmet Escape
When: 20th to 22nd November, 2015
Where: Margaret River, WA

The Margaret River Wine Region is world renowned for its much loved wine varieties and fine food experiences. As such, the Gourmet Escape Festival is a food and wine lover’s paradise. With events planned across the three days, visitors and guests are treated to a roster of food talent from places as diverse as Russia, Chile, Thailand and elsewhere. With food-based events, free entertainment and plenty of wonderful food stalls, the Margaret River Gourmet Escape Festival is a must-attend culinary delight!

The Taste of Tasmania Festival
When: 28th December, 2015 to 3rd January,  2016
Where: Hobart, TAS

With news of Tasmania’s world-conquering produce industry hitting the headlines, the Taste of Tasmania Festival 2015 is sure to be one of the year’s best food events! Held across a series of venues in the historic Hobart waterfront area, the festival promotes the quality of Tasmanian produce and highlights the very best in fresh food and other goods. With numbers of visitors reaching well into the hundreds of thousands, the festival takes advantage of the end of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. So consider it the perfect addition to a refreshing end-of-year holiday!

The Brisbane Festival
When: 5th to 26th September,  2015
Where: Brisbane, QLD

A major international arts festival, The Brisbane Festival is undeniably one of the state’s premier arts events. The September event is a family friendly and truly refreshing festival of all things artistic, bringing together the best in music, dance and circus ! Since 2009, the Brisbane Festival has enlivened the world-famous city with its eclectic mix of the uplifting and the challenging- so be sure not to miss out on this year’s fun!

The Alice Desert Festival
When: 27th August to 6th September,  2015
Where: Alice Springs, NT

A characteristic and charming Aussie festival, the Alice Desert Festival is the best way to acquaint yourself with the nation’s exotic, desert-based cultures. Boasting a line-up of local and international artists, the festival also offers many community based events and opportunities for family outings.

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Groovin’ The Moo in action…

According to visitors attending the ‘Groovin the Moo’ music festival, several homes were falsely advertised as rental accommodation. Without the owners’ knowledge or permission, operators sought to defraud guests and cash in on the popular holiday destination.

Local residents whose homes had been swept up in the scam were eager to clarify the situation. Kerry Gelmi, whose family home was advertised online, discussed the strange situation with the ABC.

“We were just so shocked,” Ms. Gelmi said. “We had no idea up until that point that our house had been advertised.”

According to the police, groups from Perth paid hundreds of dollars for what they thought was accommodation close to the festival. After effecting a wire transfer, those stung by the scheme found that the recipients were reticent to respond to email and other forms of contact. Once the police were contacted, it appeared as though the advertisements disappeared entirely.

“It’s just such as invasion, we had no idea that people could do that – and so successfully,” Ms. Gelmi continued. “We got out air mattresses and swags and all that kind of thing, we just didn’t know what to do. They would have been angry and it’s not like there was anywhere else for them to stay, Bunbury was booked out.”

Local police have insinuated that the trans-national nature of the scam made enforcement all them ore difficult. “The problem is once it’s only via email, it could be coming from the middle of Nigeria,” Bunbury Sergeant Laurie Seton noted. “The only lead we have in this case is the bank account details.”

For those who’ve been caught up in the fraudulent scheme, police have recommended seeking recourse through banks and financial institutions. But in terms of stopping the trade in false-accommodation, there’s very little that can be done. Consumer protection groups have urged caution on the part of digital purchasers, advising a careful and deliberate purchasing process.

WA Consumer Protection south-west coordinator Debbie Butler gave her best advice to the state’s weary consumers: “It used to be ticket scalping and now it’s accommodation scalping. Try and verify they are who they say they are, and that the property actually exists and that it’s available,” she explained.

So remember to keep this in mind when planning your next festival adventure.

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Leaders of Singapore, France, New Zealand, Myanmar and Senegal will also be arriving in Australia on the weekend to fulfil official duties and hopefully get out and about with Australians as our summer approaches. The most famous of our overseas visitors this November was Barak Obama who flew out during the week after his speech for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brisbane where he confronted our prime minister, Tony Abbott, over Australia’s lack of commitment when it comes to climate change. Mr Obama also used the address to announce a $US3 billion contribution to an international fund helping poor countries cope with the ramifications of climate change. Not surprisingly, his comments were given prominent coverage. Indeed, with such a mix of charismatic leaders in town, a lively and impressive month is guaranteed.

Considered the third most powerful leader in the world, Chinese president Xi Jinping is also in Australia visiting most states and joked that he should receive a certificate for his Australian travels. Officially here to participate in the formality for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed after nearly ten years of negotiation, the agreement sees those in the mining sector, dairy farmers industry and wine exporters reaping the benefits. The signed agreements will also benefit Tasmania in taking advantage of the growing economy of China’s middle classes through wine and food exports, tourism and trade, and renewable energy aims. Mr Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, have been touring Hobart to meet with primary school children after they sent him a hand-written letter in Chinese arousing his curiosity. Before lunch with the acting governor, Mr Xi and his wife were treated to ‘cuddles’ with a baby Tasmanian devil and a Tasmanian-made lavender bear, which is popular with Chinese tourists.

As November draws to a close and the politicians fly out of Australia, their presence will have been felt as we reap the fiscal benefits, none more so than Brisbane whom the Sydney Morning Herald reported will reap $100 million in economic benefits from the G20 conference. The Summit has provided a platform for new business and research collaborations to network potentially generating innovation, ideas and research for the future.

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Teeming with charming local life and Australiana, Brisbane has become a cultural hotspot for good food, hip living and fun culture. The museum and gallery scene is as vibrant as its residents, and there are literally dozens of knock-out cafes within a small district. The nightlife is also pretty wild, offering revellers a host of hip and happening hot-spots. All in all, Brisbane is an up and coming cosmopolitan destination.

Outside of the city, there’s plenty of natural beauty on offer. As the city features a river in its landscape, it’s the best jumping off point for a heap of really memorable day trips. At Kangaroo Point, there are plenty of rock climbing and abseiling challenges, as well as an incredibly scenic bike route. But for the less outwardly active, there’s also the possibility of simply paddling downstream as the cityscape passes you by.

The picturesque Moreton Island!

And then there’s the Moreton Bay and Islands area. This vast Eden offers tourists the opportunity to get active and throw themselves headlong into an adventure. Locals can often be found around this area snorkelling, diving, parasailing and generally living the good life. For interested travellers, it’s the perfect opportunity to try something completely different and embrace a whole new kind of outdoor activity.

So if tropical weather and balmy beaches sound good to you, then Queensland might be the perfect holiday destination! Remember to check out our website for further information and even more discussion of Australia’s many great cultural highlights.

This article was brought to you by The Hotel Urban Brisbane CBD. For the perfect trip to Brisbane, stay at the Hotel Urban!

Visit Government House

An important part of Australia day is the history of our nation and its colonisation. Significant government buildings can help us to understand the gradual development of Australia to its current form.

Brisbane’s Government House was built in the mid-19th century, and was christened ‘Fernberg’ by its original owner. The building didn’t come under the ownership of the government until 1911, with numerous renovations and additions occurring over the decades since. The building’s ongoing development means that its architectural intricacies offer an insight into a great span of time. Guided tours and free entry make this a fairly tempting option.

Be warned, though: stately homes can  provoke unrealistic expectations about the normal domestic sphere. It’s a bit like when you check in to an impressive Brisbane hotel, and then return home disappointed at the humbleness of your own abode. Try not to let this sort of thing get you down.

Cockroach and Esky Races

Each year on January 26, thousands of Australians indulge in activities that they probably wouldn’t condone usually. Cockroach racing as been an Australia Day staple in Queensland since the 1980s, and continues to this day despite potential ethical problems.

Motorised esky races make for a less morally dubious activity, with the only stakeholders at real risk of being hurt the passangers and the spectators. This video demonstrates that care should still be taken, but it’s doubtful that the injury sustained had long-term implications, right?

It should be noted that these sorts of events tend to go hand-in-hand with fairly heavy alcohol consumption. For that reason, punters might want to book a room at somewhere like Hotel Urban Brisbane rather than driving home.

South Bank Celebrations

South Bank Parklands, in the heart of Brisbane, will be hosting what is sure to be among the city’s most family-friendly options, with music, food, fireworks, art, and other fete-meets-market kinds of fare. An RAAF fly-over and flag raising are also sure to induce patriotic sentiment for most attendees. Given the span of time that the South Bank events will cover – from dusk till dawn, if not longer – it makes sense to book into one of the many hotels in the CBD of Brisbane. Who knows – you might even be lucky enough to see some esky race winners celebrating in style.

To prolong the summer goodness, your best bet is to dive head-first into the local festival circuit. This weekend saw Stereosonic kick thing off just in time for summer’s commencement, with the line-up reading like a list of the world’s most high-profile DJ’s: David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Armin Van Buuren and Zedd, to name but a few.

In the coming months, a series of other festivals – catering for just about all tastes and demographics – will be taking place around the country. But whether you’re headed to Big Day Out, Falls Fest, or Laneway, there are a few essentials that you’ll need, whatever your choice.

Sunscreen

If you’ve ever been to a day-time festival in the Australia summer, chances are you’ve walked away with some tender, red skin as a souvenir. Spending hour upon hour lapping up the music, and the entire experience, of a good music festival can often distract punters, who then pay a price – peeling, sore, and red – in the days following. So make sure you slip, slop, slap! Pro tip: susceptible areas tend to include shoulders, torsos, necks, and knee backs (ouch!).

Water

These days, organisers tend to charge for just about whatever they can, so be prepared to shell out for this basic necessity. Costs and access will vary from one festival to the next, but paying to maintain hydration is definitely always preferable to ending your experience prematurely as a sweating, puffing, fainting mess.

Wardrobe

The internet is already packed with tips about festival fashion – it’s probably not worth trying to  add anything too profound in this area. But my tips are to be prepared for weather changes, and think about dressing to minimise sun exposure. Wear a hat, avoid high heels, and please remember that onesies are officially passé.

Accommodation

Given the thousands of people who descend on event complexes and parks for large-scale festivals, leaving your accommodation to the last minute is never a great idea. Next year, Future Music Festival will be occurring in March – not technically part of summer, but close enough to still fall within the bracket. Future will be touring the country. In order to maintain the summer illusion, attending in Brisbane, where the weather will still be joyously hot, is probably your best bet.

To make the most of what could be your last festival experience for a good few months, it’s a good idea to book a hotel in the Brisbane CBD in advance. It’ll allow you to enjoy the experience wholeheartedly without any pragmatic concerns on the day. You might even want to book into a Brisbane hotel for a whole week, and make a proper go of extending your summer for as long as possible. If you’re not particularly familiar with the city, the best place to start researching accommodation is probably Hotel Urban Brisbane.  Who knows? You might even end up staying on the same floor as Phoenix.

Transport

As with accommodation, it’s definitely a good idea to get in before the masses and decide how you’ll be getting to and from the event in advance. Check out public transport options, look at local taxi services, or think about calling in a favour from a mate and getting them to drop you off.

Prioritising acts

Once you’ve made it past the gate, your day and/or night will run much more smoothly if you’ve got a loose plan of what you’ll be doing with your day. Most festivals post set times online well in advance. Perusing who’s playing, and at what times, will allow you to maximise your efficiency, prioritising any key acts you just can’t miss, and factoring in time for legging it from one stage to the next. Think about allowing extra time prior to any must-see artists, so that you can (hopefully) obtain an incredible spot from which to witness their set.

When you visit Australia, you’ll no doubt be excited to jump into the Australian coast – the beach, the harbour, you name it, we’ve got it. Australia is renowned for its coastline, and it’s one of the more popular tourist attractions that draw in people from all over the world. When you’ve got beaches like ours, and an Australian coast that boasts some of the best beaches in the world, you want to show it off. There are plenty of ways to make the most of the Australian coast, and we’re here to share these with you. Make your trip to Australia all about the beaches, the water, and the wonderful summer that we’ve got coming.

Make the most of the Australian coast

Get amongst it

There truly is no better way to enjoy the Australian coast than by jumping head first into it. Get yourself to the beaches of Sydney, the paradise of Byron Bay, the exhilarating getaways of the Gold Coast. Wherever you are, you’ll find a part of the Australian coast that will give a new meaning to the word magical. While you’re there, try your hand foot at surfing, frolic in the waves, paddle board in the still alcove beaches, or sunbake to your hearts’ content. It’s the only way to go.

See the world’s wonders

The Australian coast has something that brings beauty and nature to a whole new level. The Great Barrier Reef off the Queensland coast is one of the world’s wonders, and is the perfect way to enjoy Australian water attractions. Join a dive boat for days and nights of underwater exploration, keep your hair dry on a helmet dive or zoom along on an underwater scooter. Go steam paddling to a nearby island from the beautiful Cape Tribulation beach, or board a helicopter for a breathtaking aerial view of the reef.

Stay classy

When in Australia, there’s one place you’ll want to see, and that place is Sydney Harbour. No matter where your travels in Australia take you, no matter what part of the Australian coast you wish to explore, Sydney Harbour is a gorgeous and impressive site to be seen. If you’re feeling fancy, consider corporate and executive yacht hire in Sydney, Australia, because if it’s luxury you want, this is where you’ll find it. Enigma Charters run an exciting yacht hire company that will set you up with all the extravagant needs to go cruising through the splendour that is Sydney Harbour.

Make memories

If you really want to do something fantastic that involves the Australian coast with the most, make it memorable and have a 50th party, an anniversary or a wedding on the water. You might want to get married on the unbelievably beautiful sands of Hyams Beach, with the whitest sand in the world. Or perhaps you want to propose to your loved one as you sail beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Regardless of the occasion, the Australian coast has a lot to offer when it comes to making memories that extra bit special. If you really want to make it a night to remember, why not look into a Sydney Harbour wedding cruise and boat charter in Australia on the stunning harbour? The Australian coast is a beautiful place to have any celebration, and it steps up to the plate when it comes to these special moments.

The Australian coast has everything you’re looking for and more. Whether it’s the sand, the surf, or the majestic beauty of the Aussie coastline in general, we’ve got you covered. There is no place quite like the Australian coast, and nothing quite like an adventure somewhere along it.

You can walk to Hotel Urban, Brisbane, from the Roma Street Station. In fact, I recommend you do. It’s the best way to appreciate the care and imagination that has gone into its design and construction.

You’ll go by the Roma Street Parklands before you see the beautiful Hotel Urban rising out of the city block. It reminded me of a pack of white concrete playing cards; or perhaps a modern ziggurat with an Easter Island Statue motif? It’s an incredibly impressive building; all the more so because it doesn’t intimidate its surroundings. Instead, it exudes a sort of quiet, self-assured dignity.

This feeling is only increased once you enter. It feels like breathing a huge psychological sigh of relief. There is a theme of mahogany brown and bone-white throughout this splendid building. Every room designed with clean lines, generous space and commanding views. Every line leads your eye on, out or up. It’s worth every visitor’s while just to wander through Hotel Urban to enjoy and relax in its scripted tranquility.

I’ve never fully understood how buildings can be designed and furnished to create certain reactions. Sure, coffee shops are brown, clothes shops are colourful, libraries are quiet and theatres are – well – theatrical. But Hotel Urban goes beyond the expected décor. It makes a statement. And this statement is given expression in your reaction to it.

If you can get one of the staff to sneak you in – cheat, lie or threaten to see the Sky Boardroom at night. The large windows allow the city lights to glimmer like the firmament it hides. This room is sumptuously decorated: Arid reds wash into muddy browns. Light, straight-backed chairs compliment the heavy, solid meeting table. It’s a room that evokes intimacy, clarity and focus – beautiful without drawing attention to itself.

When next you’re in Brisbane I truly recommend you visit Hotel Urban, if only to have a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. But if you can, treat yourself. Stay a few nights and soak up the richness of this beautiful building. You will be better for the experience.

What to expect from the film festival

Since the first festival in 1992, more than 375,000 film-goers have immersed themselves in the Brisbane International Film Festival experience. The film festival has become a well-renowned Australian event, launching films like The Full Monty, The Usual Suspects, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? and An Education. Organised by the Screen Culture unit at Screen Queensland, the festival program includes features, documentaries, shorts, experimental efforts, retrospectives, late night thrillers, animation and children’s films. Talk about diversity! Whether you’re coming with the partner, your grandma or your three kids under three, the film festival really does have something for everybody.

The film festival begins on 13th November and continues until the closing ceremony on 24th November. The film festival features events including the opening and closing night celebrations, special screenings, seminars, question and answer sessions, and awards ceremonies. As well as promoting local Australian content, the festival includes films from around the globe. To keep updated, the official Brisbane International Film Festival Facebook page has regular updates of coming films, trailers and teasers posted each day in the lead up.

And if you’re looking for somewhere to stay while enjoying the glorious experience that is the film festival, there are a number of Brisbane Hotels available for choosing. The Urban Hotels franchise is a popular company with hotels in the CBD of Brisbane and Sydney, with a reputation for being a sleek, modern place to escape. Check out the Hotel Urban Brisbane site for more information and online bookings.

The Brisbane International Film Festival is an event that celebrates all things art, culture and visual stimulation. The work that has gone into establishing an event that showcases such beautiful films from Australia and the world, is a credit to Australia’s commitment to quality film. If you fancy yourself a bit of a movie buff, it might be time to check it all out.