The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world — larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space. The Great Barrier Reef also provides world-class scuba diving and snorkeling, sailing, boating and cruising. [Read more…] about Experience a natural wonder in style at qualia
What is an Australian Walkabout?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a rite of passage as “a ritual, event, or experience that marks or constitutes a major milestone or change in a person’s life.” In the Aboriginal culture, the Australian walkabout was once the ultimate rite of passage. Aboroginal boys, once they reached adolescence, embarked on a journey of self discovery by venturing into the wilderness. They lived off the land for as long as six months, undergoing a spiritual transition into manhood. Today, an Australian walkabout generally refers to a temporary return to traditional Aboriginal life in the bush. For visitors, there is no better way to discover the real Australia than on an Australian walkabout.
A Modern Australian Walkabout
A contemporary Australian walkabout is an immersive Aboriginal cultural experience for travelers. With an actual Abogorinal as a guide, visitors learn the traditional customs and practices that kept their Aboriginal children alive in the wild. Bushwalks slink through tribal lands where lessons about natural foods and medicines await. Visitors receive instruction in spear throwing and mud crab catching, along with an opportunity to tell their own story on the canvas in the form of dot painting. Additionally, wattel ice cream is often provided, allowing visitors to sample this native Australian treat. While once a rite of passage for Aboroginal boys, Australian walkabouts are now windows into a beautiful culture that everyone can experience.
Dreamtime: The Beginning of Everything
During an Australian walkabout, it was not uncommon for Aboriginal children to experience “Dreamtime.” Representative of creation, Aboriginals believe that during Dreamtime their ancesors made the world. Hills were marsupials frozen in time. Rainbow serpents swallowed the sun and gave birth to the Milky Way, the river in the sky. Ancestors fished for turtles and stingrays in the Milky Way and used the stars as their campfires. Myths such as these make Dreamtime the foundation of all Aboriginal oral tradition and spiritual belief. Even today, to go on an Australian walkabout is to spiritually connect with the land and relive Dreamtime. This is a sacred experience that is available to all visitors who go on an Australian walkabout.
There is no better way to discover the Land Down Under than on an Australian walkabout. A cultural experience that lets visitors partake in 50,000 year old traditions, a walkabout is unforgettable. In Australia, you can literally walk in the footsteps of all those who have come before to make the special country what it is today.
A few facts about Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Uluru is the Aboriginal and official name of Ayers Rock. It refers to both the rock itself and the waterhole on top of the rock.
For many visitors to Australia, the trip to the immense, magnificent Ayers Rock (Uluru) is the most anticipated part of their trip. One of the most memorable moments is seeing the huge monolith change color as the sun sets. [Read more…] about A few facts about Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Incomparable Nature with a Resort to Match – Lizard Island
When Captain Cook came ashore in 1770, he wrote, “The only land animals we saw here were lizards, and these seem’d to be pretty plenty.” Hence he named this Northeastern Australian isle, Lizard Island.
If the good captain had possessed a snorkel and a mask, he might have looked below the surface to see some of the most striking coral reef life in the world with more than 1,500 fish, 400 coral and 215 bird species living in and around Lizard Island. [Read more…] about Incomparable Nature with a Resort to Match – Lizard Island
Filmmaking in Middle-earth
Fans of Bilbo Baggins’ exploits will be tickled pink as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey DVD hits stores this month. The film, shot in New Zealand, is the first chapter in Peter Jackson’s new epic trilogy set in Middle-earth 60 years before J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga.
An exciting aspect of the release is the new DVD’s special feature, “New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth.”
Magical and intriguing, New Zealand has drawn storytellers and filmmakers for decades. They have used the nation’s unique, lush landscapes to create both intimate films and monumental blockbusters. [Read more…] about Filmmaking in Middle-earth
Gratuities in Australia – the safe way about it
There’s a lot of confusion among travelers about how much one should leave as a gratuity (or tip). For example, last year in Japan, I paid my fare and tried to give the driver the change as a gratuity. He winced as though I had insulted him and, to my surprise, he insisted on giving me change.
In the U.S., you’re a louse if you leave less than a 18-20 percent gratuity in a restaurant. That’s because the minimum wage for food service workers is painfully low in places such as New York City — just $2.13. Workers are expected to live off the tips. [Read more…] about Gratuities in Australia – the safe way about it