143: Australia Tips and Advice for Travellers
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Release Date: 06/30/2014
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
I have been intrigued as recent reviews of Crystal Cruises have been very positive, including it having the highest passenger ratings on Cruise Critic in the ultra-luxury category, better than Regent Seven Seas, Silversea and Seabourn. So, I decided to test Crystal Cruises out to see if they really are the best of the ultra-luxury lines. This is what I discovered. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:
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After doing well over 100 cruises, I thought I knew everything about life on a cruise ship. That was until a dinner hosted by a senior crew member on my last cruise, where they revealed a surprising secret about cruise ship crew that I was totally unaware of! That got me wondering what else I, and other passengers, have no idea about cruise ship crew. Welcome aboard, I am Gary Bembridge and after much research and talking to crew off the record, I found 6 secrets kept well hidden from us passengers that I think you will find surprising and maybe even shocking. Become a Tips For Travellers...
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Cruise line glossy brochures and their enticing adverts promise a carefree and trouble-free vacation, BUT they don’t tell the whole story. There are several important things that can and do significantly impact us as passengers that the lines seem reluctant to talk about or be upfront about. Welcome aboard, I'm Gary Bembridge and join me as I unmask five unspoken things that directly affect us all, and why I believe you need to know more about them. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers...
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I have done a Panama Canal transit four times and on every trip I see passengers making the same mistakes that get in the way of making it their adventure of a lifetime. But some of the errors are so easy to make that even an experienced cruiser like me can get tripped up – as I did on my most recent Panama Canal trip on Regent Grandeur. So, welcome aboard, I’m Gary Bembridge and hear 5 things I have learnt the hard way that you need to know about doing a Panama Canal cruise. Links mentioned: David McCullough’s “The Path Between the Seas. The Creation of the Panama Canal” ** Buy on...
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Days before heading off on Regent's newest ship, the Grandeur, the line launched new advertising promising that “nobody does it better”. In in they also claimed to have the “world's most luxurious fleet”, and that no cruise line beats them on destination experiences, hospitality, luxury spaces, and dining. Having been on Regent before, while I found them great, I didn’t think they beat every line, so this latest trip turned into the perfect opportunity to really test out if Regent now does do cruising better than everybody else. I am Gary Bembridge, and this is what I found. And as...
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I’ve been contacted recently by way too many cruise passengers that have been caught out by new scams that have emerged since my last video about this topic, including one a good friend stumbled upon on his latest cruise – and one using me to scam cruisers like you! Here are the latest cruise scams to watch out for! Links mentioned: Get 10% any of The Cruise Maps products using USA ESTA: UK ETA : Canada ETA: CIBT Visa: Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers...
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Every cruiser can see that cruise fares have been rising scarily fast, and cruise lines are telling Wall Street investors that they expect fares to keep rising well over inflation as demand for cruising is so high. But despite that, I have found ways of paying less than most people on every one of the 12 upcoming trips I've got booked. I'm going to show you how I, and other smart cruisers, cruise for less than others in this time of rising fares. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube: ...
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I’m upset as one item I've taken on every cruise I've done to date has just been banned. But I'm not the only one devastated about new cruise line bans, as three people contacted me about a less-publicised ban making cruising more costly for them. While I saw another recent ban got one cruiser banned for life when she unwittingly broke it. I’m Gary Bembridge, and I’m here to tell you about six items cruise lines have recently banned that could change the way you cruise. Forever. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit...
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If you've got a cruise booked in 2025, or thinking of booking one, there are startling changes being made by cruise lines, governments, and the actions of some local port residents that you need to be ready to deal with. Even if you've been cruising recently and think you know how things work, these changes could catch you by surprise and throw your cruise plans off course. Here are six changes I think you need to be ready for in 2025. Links mentioned in the episode: UK ETA: EU ETIAS: Videos Mentioned: Money saving: Banned Items: Become a Tips For Travellers...
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On all three Antarctic trips I've been on, I’ve seen so many passengers thrown by the same things each time. All because expedition lines are not totally transparent until passengers get on board. Then the truth comes out. It often comes as a big shock to many. So, here are the six things I see most passengers are surprised about Antarctic cruising once they get on board. Links mentioned in the video: The Cruise Maps, to get 10% off any order use this link: Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For...
info_outlineGary Bembridge of Tips for Travellers shares his observations, tips and advice about Australia.
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Overall:
Vast country and had not really digested how different and extreme the climates were. Like being transported to different worlds with the arrid centre to tropical cyclones in north with a range of time zones (including half hour ones !)
Provinces and territories
Northern Territory - Darwin
Queensland - Brisbane
New South Wales - Sydney and Canberra
Victoria - Melbourne
Tasmania - Hobart
South Australia - Adelaide
Western Australia - Perth
Some observations:
- All major cities on Coast with between 70 & 90% of population live on Coast
- Long history of Sydney vs Melbourne rivalry while Canberra was created as capital in early 1900s
- Mix of American influence and feel with a dash of British colonial features. It is increasingly Asian.
- Aboriginal history and issue is an uncomfortable topic for Australians.
- Australian English is different to both American and British English. Enormous "Aussie" pride
- Expensive country to tourLost most of backpacker trade to Asia with some big impact on certain regions
- Fires and floods are a major challenge.
- Unique wildlife like kangaroo and wallabies with big risks from crocodiles and jelly fish and imported creatures slike camels and cane toads
- Outdoor lifestyle everywhere with casual and informal dress, they are very sun risk aware and sports mad
- Australians seem to really like chocolate and sweet things
History
Convict beginnings: after USA independence the Uk faced over-crowded prisons and so sent 750 convicts, 210 marines and 40 women and kids to establish a penal colony. But most of population roots are from non convict immigration especially post World Wars
WWII history was huge surprise and really interesting including the bombing of Darwin and submarine attacks on Sydney. General MacArthur was based here to command war the Pacific War.
Federal government and part of the Commonwealth with the Queen as head of state.
Getting there
Long flight with connections via Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong into most major cities
Cruising there is an option as most major lines sail there
Best time to visit
Summer Southern Hemisphere - Oct to March
Avoid the rainy season in North in early part of year
Getting around
Consider the train option - great train iconic journeys - the Ghan - Indian Pacific - - but expensive
Flights - price compare across Virgin, Qantas and JetStar. There is very frequent connection between cities
Cruise around the whole of Australia - all key cities are on the Coast so really good option.
Good infrastructure in cities for getting around
Tips
Time: you need lots of time as it is a vast country. Every time change location assume a lost day travel
Don't over schedule: my rough rule is allow 3 - 4 days in each place and 1 day travel time
Plan on the assumption will have another trip there
Do the Eastern side one visit and Southern another
See the Icons
Sydney with the famous bridge and opera house and surfer beaches of Bondi and Manley
Melbourne & Great Ocean Road
Alice Springs / Uluru Rock
Great Barrier Reef (from Hamilton Island or Cairns / Port Douglas / Yorkey's Knob)
Gold Coast (Theme Parks and beach)
Darwin - Katherine Gorge
On your second trip:
Blue Mountains
Perth
Adelaide and wine lands and kangaroo island (explain)
Tasmania