Ultimate Aussie Surf

Sun Herald

Sunday March 25, 2007

David Wilson

David Wilson tracks down the best websites to help you plan your holiday.

Pity the high street travel agent. There are many reasons for not walking into one of their shops - not least paying extra for the attention, which may extend into "courtesy calls".

Digital expert Ms Megabyte (www.getmega.com), alias Yvonne Adele, pinpoints other reasons for booking online. For one thing, she says, it is easy to compare prices and discover smaller destinations, tours and hotels that may not market their products to travel agents.

"I prefer to hunt down advice all over the web instead of from a travel agent when I can't be sure they don't have a vested interest in selling me a particular holiday destination because there's an incentive that week for them," Ms Megabyte says.

And for the budget-conscious, the internet is unbeatable, she says. Many consumers seeking rock-bottom flights browse a portal such as flightcentre.com.au, which makes it easy to compare fares between carriers. To avoid a reservation fee, bargain hunters then book direct through the cheapest company.

Whatever course you take, make the most of Explore's cut-out-and-keep directory. It's designed to help make your holiday slick, cheap and safe.

www.1cover.com.au

If you want to arrange insurance fast and cheaply, this site is hard to beat. Any broker in the "real" or online realm will struggle to undercut the quote you will be offered.

www.flightcentre.com.au

Flight Centre always scores highly because it gives you the big picture on pricing for all kinds of holiday products. But don't expect top value at this obvious early port of call.

www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g255055-Australia-Vacations.html

Welcome to the hub that features no-holds-barred amateur reviews. It's great for getting to the truth about resorts, hotels and attractions. Rival site Virtual Tourist (www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Australia-and-Oceania) is illuminating, too. It offers a section on tourist traps.

www.lastminute.com.au

This is one of the few 11th-hour portals with an Aussie twist. But despite Lastminute's snap-me-up image, many of the products feel more penthouse than bargain basement.

www.zuji.com.au

Zuji claims to offer "hot deals" on the works. Whether it manages to undercut the likes of www.ratestogo.com.au and www.wotif.com.au is debatable. But the interface is clean and chic, making the site a pleasure to navigate.

www.holidaysallover.com.au

Holidays Allover is an online travel agency that supplies you with ready-made itineraries. It delivers information clearly and spices things up with attractive photos and offbeat tour suggestions, such as Capricorn Caves in Rockhampton, Queensland.

www.australia.com

Tourism Australia gives you a cultured take on this country while highlighting the mainstream must-sees and must-dos as well. The site also includes a section headed "unique wonders" under the "places to go" tab. Think penguins parading on Summerland Beach, Phillip Island.

www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au

This car-hire hub has a simple, cheerful interface and an amusing frill. While you process a search, an "amazing" fact such as the "longest road trip ever" rolls up on the screen. Frivolous? Maybe, but the quirks make Vroom Vroom Vroom more fun than user-friendly-but- dry clones such as www.drivenow.com.au.

www.about-australia.com

This site supplies digests of each state, written with precision that would do credit to any guidebook. It also presents great advice on shopping. Move over, Frommer's!

www.besthotels.com.au

If you want clear information on the calibre of accommodation, head for this de Groots site where the ratings run from four to five stars. This site will appeal to those who like to travel in style and stay at hip hotels.

www.bestrestaurants.com.au

For advice on restaurants to visit, the de Groots site is the way to go. The search option breaks down neatly into "type of cuisine", "price range", "location" and "features". No more "greasy spoon".

www.wayn.com

Where Are You Now? enables you to track down other travellers all over the world on a same-time-same-place basis. You can narrow your search to Australian places, then try to arrange meetings with anyone whose profile tickles your interest. Just watch out for the crazies!

STATESIDE

If you want the inside story on a particular state or territory, surf one of the official links below.

ACT

www.visitcanberra.com.au

NSW

www.visitnsw.com.au

Northern Territory

www.travelnt.com

Queensland

www.queenslandholiday.com.au

South Australia

www.southaustralia.com

Tasmania

www.discovertasmania.com.au

Victoria

www.visitvictoria.com

Western Australia

www.westernaustralia.com

© 2007 Sun Herald

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