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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East Woody Island

East Woody Island (Dhamitjinya) is a conical 25m high granite peak, lying at the Western end of East Woody Beach. The island is around two hectares in size and is permanently connected to the beach via sand banks. It is a renowned birdwatching area, perfect for the keen native bird spotter looking to witness the glorious airborne sights of rare, local East Woody Island inhabitants.

Activities

Aside from birdwatching there are a plethora of other activities you can undertake around East Woody Beach. The coast is well known for its fishing and crabbing and it also has a car park and picnic area. If the weather and timing is right, you could also catch a good wave on the azure waters of East Woody Beach. The small swell, remote location and remarkable landscape makes East Woody Beach the perfect place for the little ones to have a go surfing in truly Aussie terrain. Simply buy online Elnino softboards in Australia, jump in the car and head on the family road trip of a lifetime. The wetlands are also a site to behold, yet be wary of  crocodiles, which are known to roam around this land. There are a number of opportunities for walking and boating around this rugged landscape.

Access

East Woody Beach is located just 2km north of the bauxite-mining town, Nhulunby, which is just over 1000km drive from Darwin. There is road access via a gravel road at the back of the beach, however, you need a permit from Dhimurru before entering the region. The East Woody Beach area is managed by Dhimurru Land Management Aboriginal Corporation in Nhulunbuy. You should also be wary of tides at your time of visit as this can affect access.

Trip

Travelling through Arnhem land provides you with a great insight into Australian Aboriginal heritage, and allows you to explore raw parts of Australia untouched by development, tourism or business. It is the ideal locale for a family road trip,  a remote adventure with friends or a romantic and secluded getaway with a partner. To make the most of the pristine waters, be sure to buy online foam Enlino surfboards in Australia before setting off. For any other ocean gear you may need for the kids to take advantage of the Northern Territory’s beaches, head to The Grom. Visit the Dhimurru website for more information on travelling to East Woody Beach and gaining permits, or call them on +61 08 8939 2700.

Tourism Australia has selected their finalists for the competition known as ‘The Best Jobs in the World’, with the catch phrase, ‘there’s nothing like Australia’. The 6 positions for jobs across Australia have been filled with their final applicants, and finalists will compete their last leg of the competition in Australia in June.

For those of you living under some sort of rock, ‘The Best Jobs in the World’ competition was a campaign to increase the amount of tourism brought into Australia from overseas. The competition advertises what Tourism Australia calls the  ‘Best Jobs in the World.’ These jobs fall into 6 categories, and involve everything from partying with VIPs to trekking across the outback.

SIX of ‘the best jobs in the world’

Each category, complete with links to the 3 finalists and their video, can be found on the Tourism Australia website. They include…

• Chief Funster, NSW. It involves reviewing festivals, tweeting, tagging and posting your opinions and being an all round Sydney VIP.
• Lifestyle Photographer, Melbourne, VIC. This includes the chance to create new trends, build both city and country photo shoots and meet local identities, designers and artists.
• Outback Adventurer, NT. Essentially gets you trekking through the outback, meeting the locals and having all kinds of adventures.
• Park Ranger, QLD. Here you’ll patrol beaches where only your footprints can be found, swim in exotic waters and basically become a beach bum.
• Taste Master, WA. This job will see you eating your way around the state, tasting the best of local produce and uncovering the top bars and restaurants.
• Wildlife Caretaker, SA. This includes all things wildlife, from hanging with kangaroos to swimming with dolphins.

For 6 months, the winners dance and discover their way around whatever state they applied for. They’ll see sites many Australians won’t have seen, and will seek to bring record numbers of tourists to the shores of Australia. Oh, and the pay isn’t too bad either – just your average $100, 000! I think it’s fair to say that these are undoubtedly the best jobs in the world, unless you can find a better one? Go on, I dare you!

Tourism Australia tells us the campaign has been working magic since its inception in March. STA and Virgin have had enormous spikes in bookings, just as local hostels like YHA  and Base Backpackers have reported record numbers in their bookings. The total number of applicants exceeded 150, 000, showing just how prominent this campaign has become. Keep your eyes peeled for the final round in June to decide who will be lucky enough to score one of the best jobs in the world.