Posts by Charmaine Hallmark

AUSTRALIA, LET THE DREAM BECOME REALITY My dream came true when my big adventure began with our Qantas Airways flights on their refurbished 747s–good legroom seats, adjustable headrests, edible food and attentive crew. After a few days’ rest and relaxation in Bali we arrived in the cosmopolitan city of Melbourne. Located on the banks of…

        QUEENSLAND VS NEW SOUTH WALES, IT’S A TOUGH CHOICE! It’s a long journey – but very comfortable on the Qantas A380 airbus. Time and I just flew in my big seat, feet up on the footrest and plugged into my personal entertainment system! I arrived in Brisbane at night to the…

TIME OFF IN TASMANIA Over 37% of Tasmania is National Parks and World Heritage Sites, so it’s no wonder that Tasmania has the world’s cleanest air! It’s about the size of Ireland and is full of stunning landscapes and rugged and dramatic coastlines. This was my first visit to Tasmania….in fact my first visit to…

        AUSTRALIA THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME AROUND So you’ve been once, and you’ve never forgotten it and it’s made you wonder… What’s the rest of it like? It’s a ‘Call’ and your curiosity rises, and your memories of the adventure, the sunshine and the friendly people call you again. Air fares…

        NEW SOUTH WALES NOT JUST SYDNEY   The Elephant Outside my Door! 3 hours drive, or 1 hour flight from Sydney is Dubbo. Surprising Dubbo, I stayed in a Zoofari Tent at Dubbo Zoo affiliated to Taronga Zoo in Sydney. A zoo like no other! Our tents were air-conditioned, ensuite and…

        BUGS, GRUBS AND A CROC NAMED SWEETHEART “Them ones are better cooked!” our Aboriginal guide Ernie shouted, tossing a handful of writhing maggot-like creatures–or Witchetty grubs, as they are known–into the ashes of the fire in front of us. My stomach turned at the possibility of being the next victim to…

        A WHISTLE STOP TOUR OF AUSTRALIA Hands up if you haven’t been to Australia yet? And how long have you been saying, “One of these days…”? Australia is just a day away, so come on…beat the rush! You could send off for all the brochures, read about all the places to…

        JUST SEVEN DAYS IN QUEENSLAND Queensland is a huge and diverse area of Australia. I went to South Queensland, just for a week, but oh! what a lot I managed to do! Arriving in Brisbane and just a short drive from the airport is the Tamborine mountain area;  a lovely place…