Melbourne Crime Tours

September 17, 2009 By

An interesting angle on life in any big city is its seedier side.  Melbourne Crime Tours run a fun four hour tour visiting the sites where some of the city’s more infamous incidents have taken place.

Learn about US Serviceman Edward Leonski,  who turned out to be more than a soldier and his escapades through the Melbourne streets of 1942, your informed and interesting tour guides will fill you in on all the gory details of this World War II crime.   The Brownout Strangler as this unsavoury character became known and his activities in wartime Melbourne have been made into a feature movie.

Colin Ross convicted for brutal murder was given a posthumous pardon in 1998 when modern technology revealed that he had not committed the crime he had been found guilty of in 1922 and sentenced to death by hanging.  So what was that all about, your Melbourne Crime Tour guide will leave you spellbound describing this case as you drive through Melbourne on your tour bus.

Of course as you progress through the streets of Melbourne on your tour, you will be able to see other sites of interest as you go, and your tour guide will keep you entertained with information about what you are seeing along the way.  There are some stories associated with Melbourne that are known for other reasons than infamy!!!

Melbourne is a vibrant, sparkling, competitive city and so why are we not surprised that Australia’s most daring armed robbery took place there in 1976, when 116 bookmakers were robbed of their takings.    With cash from three race meetings held over the Easter weekend ripe for the picking, a raid by balaclava clad individuals was over in 11 minutes.  No one was convicted for anything connected with the Great Bookie Robbery.

Many of Melbourne’s criminals have become temporary residents of the Melbourne City Watch House which was in operation between 1913 and 1994, before going to trial and the Melbourne  Crime Tour includes a visit to this former City Watch House, where you can be ‘arrested’ if you are willing.   Bushranger Ned Kelly and many other Victorian criminals in Melbourne’s past have been incarcerated and in some cases hanged at the Old Melbourne Goal.  Built in 1842 this goal has an interesting history with many tales to be told, a visit to this museum can be taken while on your tour, entry fees are not included in your Melbourne Crime Tour ticket, however discounts are available.

Melbourne Crime Tours offer a door-to-door pick up service , and is definitely one of the most interesting tours available in Melbourne.

Filed Under: Travel Australia, Vic

Discovering the Best of the Great Ocean Road

June 14, 2009 By

The Great Ocean Road is not just a road – it’s a destination! The Great Ocean Road provides access to some of the most beautiful, breathtaking and interesting sights in Victoria. In fact, there are so many destinations along the way, the choices are almost endless! In addition to scenic routes and beautiful coastline, the Great Ocean Road Victoria leads the way to quite a few resort towns and locations, all of which are worthy of a visit!

Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road

Popular Destinations along the Way

Geelong
The gorgeous waterfront of Geelong is, perhaps, it’s most appealing feature. Waterfront Geelong is a wildly popular waterfront development that features such exciting sights as trendy restaurants and cafes and loads of public attractions. Combine that with spectacular views of Corio Bay and Geelong is a great place to reconnect with nature along the waterfront or simply enjoy the fun and excitement of Waterfront Geelong.

The Bellarine
Beautiful, calm bays and ocean beaches provide a stunning backdrop to the upscale attractions at the Bellarine along the Great Ocean Road Australia. From quaint wineries and upscale golf courses to popular theme parks and a beautiful countryside, there is certainly something to appeal to nearly everyone.
The Surf Coast
Living up to its name, the Surf Coast, located along the Great Ocean Road Victoria, boasts some of Australia’s best beaches. But it’s not the beaches alone that lure visitors to the Surf Coast. In fact, this beautiful destination features unsurpassed surroundings, which include majestic waterfalls and lush rainforests.
Apollo Bay
Located along the Great Ocean Road, and nestled in the Otway Ranges, Apollo Bay is a fabulous resort town known for its scenery and resort-style amenities. The amazing scenery of Apollo Bay includes rainforests, waterfalls, pristine, lush valleys and truly breathtaking ocean cliffs.
Great restaurants, superb shopping and annual music festivals are just a few of the reasons why visitors visit Apollo Bay, time and time again.
From the scenery of the Great Ocean Road Australia to the superb attractions along the way, Bunyip Tours provide visitors with a fabulous way to thoroughly enjoy the best of the Great Ocean Road!

Filed Under: Vic Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Australian and Gold Coast Holidays In The Current Economic Climate

April 14, 2009 By

Most of Australia’s best holiday destinations are on its east coast. With the bulk of the country’s population living in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, it is really convenient to travel to the closest destinations, especially during the current credit crisis and while the Aussie dollar is low against the greenback. Queensland travel destinations like the Whitsunday Islands and the Gold Coast are showing a marked resilience to the current drop off in tourist numbers. Gold Coast accommodation has been in high demand over the Christmas and New Year periods despite predictions that there would be high vacancy factors. There has not yet been many signs in the domestic travel market in these regions that a recession is looming.

The main tourist areas on the Gold Coast like Surfers paradise, Broadbeach and Main beach have been fully booked over the Christmas, New Year break. Reports from tour operators on Fraser Island say that conditions are actually booming. Managing director of the Fraser Island co. Mr. Shane Boyd said they were experiencing their busiest holiday period for over five years and there were still plenty of inbound group bookings out of Europe, well into the New Year. The level of the Australian dollar against the Euro was obviously having a positive effect, he said. The Whitsunday Islands are always a popular tourist destination for Australians because it is so easy to get to. With a domestic airport on Hamilton Island you can fly right to the resort and it can’t get any easier than that. Regular daily flights operate from all southern capitals.

While the immediate future of the economy is still running into uncharted water, it is still a little uncertain how levels of participation in the travel industry will be affected however a low Australian Dollar is positive for both domestic and international visits alike so hopefully the impact in 2009 will not be as dire as some pundits have been predicting.

Filed Under: Destinations, NSW, Qld, Vic Tagged With: , , , ,

The 12 Apostles in Melbourne, Australia

April 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The Twelve Apostles are huge limestone rock formations separated from the cliff shore by the action of wind and waves. You won’t see 12 of these rock formations all at once, as they say some may be hidden from view from any of the vantage points. Some say as well that there are no longer 12 rock formations, because one or two (or as many as five) may have been eroded away.

Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

The Twelve Apostles Marine National Park represents habitats of the cooler waters of western Victoria. However, the most obvious environmental factor is the energy of the waves. The sea is seldom calm with waves pounding in every 10 to 16 seconds from the Southern Ocean. Away from the coast, the seafloor is mainly low rocky reef, with extensive areas of sand and shell rubble.

Little Penguins feed in the park and nest in caves below the Twelve Apostles. Patient observation just after dark or in the early morning will allow visitors to view these birds from the platforms at the 12 Apostles.

To reach the Twelve Apostles you will need to travel on The Great Ocean Road. A sometimes windy but extremely scenic drive along Australia’s south coast which is quite beautiful. Driving from one end of the Great Ocean Road to the other is a bombardment of the senses. You’ll get to see the amazing surf beaches and the Southern Ocean stretch all the way to the horizon. There’s tranquil bays and inlets, rolling hills, rocky outcrops, gargantuan cliff faces and even lush rainforest. The Great Ocean Road also offers the Twelve Apostles and other scenery, the likes of which is unique to the region.

One of the more popular drives involves taking the Great Ocean Road from Geelong to Warrnambool, then heading back to Geelong through the Otways, much of which consists of dense rainforests. If the Great Ocean Road is a little overcrowded, taking the back way is good idea. Just follow the Princes Highway instead of the Great Ocean Road.

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