Mar 7th, 2012 at 8:00AM: Yesterday we told you about a new travel survey from LivingSocial that revealed that Americans consider themselves the worst travelers in the world. That same survey also asked respondents to rank their top international travel destinations with Australia's Great Barrier Reef coming out on top. To celebrate this distinction, and to help make some of those travel dreams come true, Hamilton Island ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
GreatBarrierReef posts
Visit the Great Barrier Reef at a substantial discount
Mar 7th, 2012 at 8:00AM: Yesterday we told you about a new travel survey from LivingSocial that revealed that Americans consider themselves the worst travelers in the world. That same survey also asked respondents to rank their top international travel destinations with Australia's Great Barrier Reef coming out on top. To celebrate this distinction, and to help make some of those travel dreams come true, Hamilton Island ...Underwater bollywood dancing on the Great Barrier Reef
Feb 7th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
While it isn't hard to find countless videos on the web showing you the beauty and marine life of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, it isn't that often that you find the location being the set of a choreographed, underwater dance number. The video is actually a contest entry for the Tourism Tropical North Queensland's bollywood dance competition submitted by Seawalker, an underwater ...
Australia plans world's largest marine park
Nov 27th, 2011 at 6:30PM: An area the size of Germany and France combined is about to become the world's largest marine park off of the north-east coast of Australia. Including a broad swath of the Coral Sea (where the Great Barrier Reef currently resides), the massive area is home to some of the most exotic sea creatures in the world as well as several important shipwrecks from World War II.
The protection afforded ...Divers can experience coral spawning in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia this November
Oct 31st, 2011 at 5:30PM: In 1981, the first scientific observation of coral spawning took place. Coral spawning can be thought of as a coral orgy or sex on the Great Barrier Reef, with the process beginning six months prior when eggs and sperm begin to form in the coral. Certain factors must be present for the coral spawning to take place, such as water temperatures being 27 degrees Celsius and a full moon (the spawning ...
New smartphone app shows users how to have an authentic Australian experience
Oct 20th, 2011 at 1:30PM: AUSTRALIA: Where To Go is a new smartphone app that gives insider advice on how to navigate through Australia and see the major sites as well as get off the beaten path. The app is opinionated and does not include all there is to see in Australia, but only what is worth seeing. If a destination makes it into the app, then you will get all there is to know on that particular place.
While users ...Photo Gallery: Queensland, Australia
Oct 12th, 2011 at 5:00PM: Usually we're uncomfortable posting direct press pitches, but these pictures are too good to resist. Queensland, Australia, is often regarded as one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. Home to various UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beautiful beaches, breathtaking city skylines, a tropical climate, and wildlife that you can experience up-close, it is no wonder that 2.1 million people ...Win a trip to dive the Great Barrier Reef
Aug 23rd, 2011 at 8:00AM: PADI, the Professional Association of Dive Instructors, is closing in on a very impressive milestone, and to celebrate they're giving away a very impressive trip. The organization that has trained more scuba divers than any other, is now approaching their 20 millionth certification, and the lucky person who earns that distinction will win a trip for two to dive Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
...Vote for the new Seven Wonders of Nature
Nov 21st, 2010 at 8:00AM: A few years back there was an organized effort to select a New Seven Wonders of the World, which resulted in a list of seven amazing places that joined the Great Pyramids on a modern list of spectacular destinations. Now, a similar effort is being made to select a New Seven Wonders of Nature as well.
The process began not long after naming the New Seven Wonders, with more than 440 locations, in ...World's most eco-friendly beaches to visit now
Jul 20th, 2010 at 10:00AM: If your idea of heaven isn't a beach packed with crisping bodies, balls of crude, or the lingering whiff of raw sewage, don't worry. CNN has provided a list sandy idylls that retain their purity, even though a few, like Oahu's Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, are major tourist attractions, or located in tourism hotspots. Not surprisingly, most of these places are located on preserves or otherwise ...Australia's Ningaloo Reef: whale sharks and world-class snorkeling and diving
Jun 2nd, 2010 at 10:00AM: video platform video management video solutions video player
Enough about that other Australian reef. Ningaloo, located nearly 800 miles north of Perth in Western Australia, is where it's at. "It" being an astonishing array of aquatic life, a lack of crowds, and plenty of budget-to-mid-range options including camping, backpackers, and smallish resorts.
In January, the Ningaloo Coast ...
Racy ad campaign raises eyebrows down under
Feb 7th, 2010 at 9:00AM: A new ad campaign is causing quite a stir down under. Billboards have recently begun appearing along roadsides in Queensland, Australia inviting travelers to "Get High", Get Wet", and "Get Laid" in Mission Beach, a town that appeals to adventurous travelers looking to go kayaking or scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Traditionally, Mission Beach isn't seen as a destination where backpackers ...10 great destinations for scuba diving adventure (videos)
Jan 26th, 2010 at 10:18AM: Dive in and explore the underwater landscapes of some of the world's most exotic and interesting locales. Whether you're a veteran scuba diver, or someone who's always wanted to test the waters, here's your chance to visit some of the world's top dive destinations. Experience what it's like to venture into the deep in this video roundup of 10 great destinations for scuba diving.
Bali, South ...
"Best job in the world" winner looking for assistants
Aug 14th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Ben Southall, the guy getting paid A$150,000 to gallivant around the Great Barrier Reef Region (and write about it) has come under fire for not blogging all that often. Tourism Queensland, who sponsored the "best job in the world" contest, blamed the lack of blog posts on poor Internet access and the fact that well, Ben's just too busy "working". Somehow, I don't think those of us who spend our ...Is the "best job in the world" winner too busy working to blog?
Jul 24th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Ben Southall became the envy of many when he beat out 34,000 other applicants and was awarded the "best job in the world" - the chance to spend six months in Australia's Great Barrier Reef region. He even got to bring his girlfriend along for the adventure. In exchange for priceless experiences and A$150,000, Southall was to detail his adventures on regular blog posts.
But, according to The ...Best job in the world promoting Great Barrier Reef includes a bonus
Jul 9th, 2009 at 5:00PM: Ben Southall, the British guy who won the "Best Job in the World" contest is now busy at work care-taking and exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to promote them as destination hot spots. In case living on one island for six months sounds claustrophobic , there's no need to worry about Ben.
His girlfriend, a former Canadian gymnast, went with him for this gig that comes ...Work and play in Queenland, Australia: Whitsunday Islands
Jun 19th, 2009 at 4:30PM:
Whether you're on a working holiday while backpacking or on a more tradition vacation, if you're in Australia, you'll want to make your way to the Great Barrier Reef. Being that it's massive, there are several locations where you can go to explore the GBR, but perhaps the most beautiful is the Whitsunday Islands. Home to 74 islands, crystal clear waters and some of the best sailing, snorkeling ...Brit gets "best job in the world"
May 6th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Ben Southall will spend six months swimming, blogging and soaking in the sun. Tourism Queensland picked the Brit from 16 finalists yesterday – not to mention 34,700 video entries from nearly 200 countries. The job pays A$150,000 (US$110,000) for Southall's "efforts."
His thoughts: "I hope I can fill the boots as much as everybody is expecting, my swimming hopefully is up to standard and I ...Psychometric testing next on list for reef job finalists
May 5th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Jetlagged, stressed and swamped by media, the finalists for the "Best Job in the World Contest" still managed to "sing the praises of the natural wonder in a series of online blogs" ... as if they could put out a series of printed blogs on short notice.
The competition finalists are in the midst of a three-day job interview of sorts on Hamilton Island in Queensland, with the winner emerging ...Best job in the world candidates touch down
May 4th, 2009 at 3:00PM:
Sixteen people from 15 countries set foot on Hamilton Island yesterday. They will be subjected to the final round of interviews for the "best job in the world" competition, with only one picking up the free digs and $150,000 salary for six months of absolute bliss.
Tourism Queensland's CEO, Anthony Hayes, is more than happy to sign a check for that amount. A good idea turned out to be ...
Locals in lead for Best Job in the World
Apr 13th, 2009 at 7:00PM: If you want a great job, move to Queensland. In the ongoing "Best Job in the World" contest, two of the top five are from Queensland – with contest leader Clare Wang from Taiwan. According to international betting agency PinnacleSports.com Wang's odds of nabbing this cushy assignment are 3.5:1. Queenslander James Hill follows at 5:1 (in the #2 spot). Hailey Turner, from Brisbane, is in ...
