Saturday, December 20, 2008
DIY Car Hire rates highly with top travel writer
Sydney Morning Herald travel writer, Jane E. Fraser, rates DIY Car Hire as one of the top car rental price comparison sites in Australia. Click Here to find out more.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Adelaide Car Rental
Known as the City of Churches, Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and the spiritual home of Australia's wine industry.
Many travellers arrive here after flying in from other States, though many drive - either from the east via Mildura or Mt Gambier, or from the north via Port Augusta.
Adelaide and South Australia generally experiences a lower level of growth than other Australian capitals but retains a reputation as the festival city well recognised for its food, wine and special events.
Around Adelaide
Hiring a car is recommended to take full advantage of the many regional attractions available within a short drive of Adelaide city centre. Travel times from city centre to key destinations are:
There are several Adelaide car rental places where you can pick up a cheap vehicle to take in these sights.
Adelaide Events
Adelaide has numerous events. The more popular are:
Contact South Australia Tourism for more information.
Deb Almering
Check out Adelaide car rental deals and specials or look here if you are looking for Adelaide Airport car rental
All South Australia Car Rental locations.
Noosa by Car
Just 100km north in a Brisbane hire car travellers will find Australia’s St Tropez - Noosa - Queensland playground for the rich and famous. Here you will find luxury apartments, tres chic boutiques, trendy café’s and expensive restaurants.
All this makes Noosa a holiday destination for people willing to spend top dollar.
But you will see many surfies too, attracted by the fantastic waves and the beach some call it a surfers paradise.
In Hastings Street you will find, next to exclusive boutiques, shops that sell surfing essentials.
The buzzing surfing culture works as a magnet to many a backpacker and you will find a number of hostels in Noosa.
Word has it that anyone can surf in Noosa, even if you have never seen a surfboard before.
So, when in Noosa book a surfing lesson at one of the many surfing schools, success is guaranteed!
Nature lovers will find the National Park much to their liking.
We visited the park on an early winter morning and could park our rental car in the car park at the park entrance. Be warned, this will be a lot harder to do in the school holiday.
An able bodied person can walk the trail around the headland in about 2 hours. But there is so much distraction along the way that it would probably take longer - we saw koala’s in the wild as well as a sea eagle soaring high in the sky.
There are several bays with nice little sand beaches and even one with good surf. To get there you have to carry your surfboard for about half an hour following the track. The bays are secluded and sheltered and therefore suited for families with young children.
On the higher vantage points there are wonderful views over the bay to Noosa and the hinterland.
There is always something (or nothing) to do in Noosa, but the first Sunday in November is always reserved for the world famous Noosa Triathlon.
Car Hire - There are several Noosa car rental places where you can pick up a cheap vehicle.
Ruud Stroobach
Check out more Noosa car rental deals and specials or check here if you are looking for Brisbane car rental
Maroochydore Airport Guide; Queensland Car Rental Guide
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Car Hire New Zealand
DIY Car Hire is rapt to announce that we now provide car rental in New Zealand.
It's been a while coming but the site is now live and finding great car rental deals for the millions of people travelling in New Zealand each year.
New Zealand is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, with spectacular mountain ranges, steaming volcanoes, sweeping coastlines, deeply indented fiords and lush rainforests.
It's about the size of Great Britain or Japan but has a population of only around 4 million people - making it one of the world's least crowded countries.
New Zealand is a haven for those seeking peace, rejuvenation and relaxation as well as a playground for thrill seekers, adventurers and nature lovers.
A temperate climate with relatively small seasonal variation makes it an ideal year-round holiday destination - so come on over and find a great New Zealand car hire deal with DIY Car Hire.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
A Visit To Cairns
Cairns is a town largely depending on tourism.
Many travellers arrive here after driving north along the eastern seaboard or on first touch-down after flying in from overseas.
Cairns is the unofficial capital of tropical north Queensland and was in earlier days mainly a service town for the sugar plantations.
On first arrival Cairns can be disappointing because it does not have the tropical allure one is expecting.
Cairns is surrounded by mangrove swamps and by no means by tropical beaches.
The sea is shallow and becomes a mud flat at low tide.
Apart from this the town is an excellent base for exploring the surrounding region and the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is famous for black marlin.
The adventurous will not be disappointed with the great many activities that are on offer. Cairns is a centre for scuba diving, white-water rafting, kayaking, horse riding, sky diving, bungee jumping and other activities.
There is a lot of competition and tourism operators will go through great lengths to make sure you have a great holiday.
In town -
Flecker Botanic Gardens
Established in 1886 as a recreational reserve, they are now the only wet tropical botanic gardens in Australia displaying tropical plants from around the world.
Mt Whitfield Conservation Park
2 major walking tracks through forested mountain range to summit for views of Cairns and the Coral Sea.
Royal Flying Doctor Service
Highlights the history of the service with aircraft on display.
Foreshore Lagoon
This is a landscaped area with a safe swimming lagoon.
Kuranda Scenic Railway
Offers a trip through Barron Gorge to rainforest village of Kuranda. Note: Sadly, this railway was closed in 2005.
Bulk Sugar Terminal
Offers guided tours during crushing season.
Car Hire
There are several Cairns car rental places where you can pick up a cheap vehicle.
Further -
McLeod Street Pioneer Cemetery, Tank Centre, Regional Gallery, Cairns Museum and Undersea World Aquarium. Contact the visitor centre for details.
Nearby
Great Barrier Reef & Islands
Take a tour, charter a boat or fly to see some of the spectacular sights just offshore.
Rainforest covered Fitzroy Island has impressive snorkelling sites at Welcome and Sharkfin Bays. Green Island is a reel coral cay and the surrounding reef is teeming with tropical fish. They can be seen in the underwater observatory, from a glass-bottom boat or by snorkelling. The smaller Michaelmas and Upolo cays to the north-east are important sites for ground nesting seabirds. He surrounding waters are excellent for reef swimming. Contact the visitors centre for tours.
Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
Four theatres both live and film, illustrate the culture and the history of the rainforest people of Far North Queensland.
Skyrail
Spectacular gondola ride through rainforest to Kuranda, departs from Caravonica lakes.
Bungee tower
Bungee jump from a platform through rainforest in Smithfield, contact the visitor centre for details.
Crystal Cascades
There are nice walks by cascades, it is also a very nice spot for a swim.
Further there are Lake Morris and Copperlode Dam, Barron and Freshwater Valleys for bushwalking, hiking white-water rafting and camping. Also there is an incredible stretch of 26 km of beaches and 4WD safaris to Cape York and the Gulf country.
Contact the Cairns visitor centre for details.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
200km on a Bike
As well as doing great car hire deals, the DIY Car Hire team also love to cycle. Mountain bikes, road bikes, 'fixies', single speed - for every mode of cycling, there's someone on the DIY Car Hire team who loves to do it - the harder the challenge the more we like it.
Our most recent adventure saw Pete and Hugh venture from Brisbane to the beautiful town of Bright in northern Victoria for the annual Audax Alpine Classic. This is just about as close to alpine country as we get in Australia and, while not big in European terms, the mountains here are big enough to test even the hardest riders.
Rather than driving from Brisbane, our radonneurs flew into Melbourne Airport on the day before the ride, picked up a nifty Mitsubishi Outlander from Thrifty Car Hire, loaded our bike boxes, food and kit and, like two boy scouts on a brand new adventure, headed north up the Hume Highway.
An easy 3 hour drive (including the stop for a great bacon and egg sandwhich)later we pulled into Wangaratta - still 70km from Bright but as close as we could find accommodation at short notice.
Wangaratta is a one of the prettiest towns you could hope to find and is a major service centre for surrounding farms (wheat, sheep, grapes) and wineries. Note that every Australia Day week-end, Wangaratta hosts a twilight athletics and cycling meet at the local showgrounds. We only heard about this when checking into our hotel and spent a leisurely couple of hours watching this thoroughly Australian event.
On to Bright - riders can choose from any one of several events at the Alpine Classic, from a 70km 'bakery ride' with only one fairly easy hill, to the full 200km classic with one easy, one moderate and two hard climbs. Since the first race in 1986, all this takes place on the Sunday of the Australia Day long-weekend, and attracts around 3000 riders on various two wheeled steeds.
While the mornings are cool and clear, the days can get very hot and this year was no exception as the mercury passed 34 degrees C. Now 34 degrees may not sound hot, but when you've just ridden 100km and climbed about 4000 vertical metres, with 100km and 2000 vertical metres to go, it's hot enough to test the strongest will.
Sadly, the heat, the hills and severe cramps got the better of our two intrepid DIY Car Hire riders this year, with both retiring hurt at the 130km mark - fortunately this point coincides with electrolyte drinks, cool beer and loads of high carb food at Howitt Park in Bright where the Bonjour Bright festival was in full swing - so until next year the Alpine Classic remains unconquered.
Our next major challenge is the 100km Flight Centre Cycle Epic which doubles as the Australian MTB Marathon Championships - at least we have all completed this one before so know what to expect - a long, dusty day in the saddle.
Our most recent adventure saw Pete and Hugh venture from Brisbane to the beautiful town of Bright in northern Victoria for the annual Audax Alpine Classic. This is just about as close to alpine country as we get in Australia and, while not big in European terms, the mountains here are big enough to test even the hardest riders.
Rather than driving from Brisbane, our radonneurs flew into Melbourne Airport on the day before the ride, picked up a nifty Mitsubishi Outlander from Thrifty Car Hire, loaded our bike boxes, food and kit and, like two boy scouts on a brand new adventure, headed north up the Hume Highway.
An easy 3 hour drive (including the stop for a great bacon and egg sandwhich)later we pulled into Wangaratta - still 70km from Bright but as close as we could find accommodation at short notice.
Wangaratta is a one of the prettiest towns you could hope to find and is a major service centre for surrounding farms (wheat, sheep, grapes) and wineries. Note that every Australia Day week-end, Wangaratta hosts a twilight athletics and cycling meet at the local showgrounds. We only heard about this when checking into our hotel and spent a leisurely couple of hours watching this thoroughly Australian event.
On to Bright - riders can choose from any one of several events at the Alpine Classic, from a 70km 'bakery ride' with only one fairly easy hill, to the full 200km classic with one easy, one moderate and two hard climbs. Since the first race in 1986, all this takes place on the Sunday of the Australia Day long-weekend, and attracts around 3000 riders on various two wheeled steeds.
While the mornings are cool and clear, the days can get very hot and this year was no exception as the mercury passed 34 degrees C. Now 34 degrees may not sound hot, but when you've just ridden 100km and climbed about 4000 vertical metres, with 100km and 2000 vertical metres to go, it's hot enough to test the strongest will.
Sadly, the heat, the hills and severe cramps got the better of our two intrepid DIY Car Hire riders this year, with both retiring hurt at the 130km mark - fortunately this point coincides with electrolyte drinks, cool beer and loads of high carb food at Howitt Park in Bright where the Bonjour Bright festival was in full swing - so until next year the Alpine Classic remains unconquered.
Our next major challenge is the 100km Flight Centre Cycle Epic which doubles as the Australian MTB Marathon Championships - at least we have all completed this one before so know what to expect - a long, dusty day in the saddle.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Cape Tribulation
Cape Tribulation is so named by Captain Cook as it was north of here that his ship ‘The Endeavour’ struck a reef. Nowadays there are few trials and tribulations here as this area is of a breath taking beauty! Cape Trib (how it’s known locally) is one of a handful of places in the world where the rainforest meets the reef all this with white beaches and clear blue ocean. The jungle houses several (backpackers) lodges that also organise many tours, understandably there is an emphasis on nature and nature preservation.
Cape Tribulation can be reached by car but you might want to check with your Cairns car rental company if they allow you to take a hire car up to the Cape.
The track past Cape Tribulation (Bloomfield Track) can only be navigated with a 4WD and is with certainty out of bounds for rental cars and camper vans.
The rainforest (like Daintree) is one of the oldest rainforests in the world with a rich flora and fauna and it is very inviting to undertake some nice hikes here.
When you are up for some extra excitement you can make a night walk which are organised in Cape Tribulation. You’ll do a night walk with a professional guide who will point out the unique animals that forage at night. Because of the nightly silence, the darkness and the myriad of stars in the heavens there is this magical feeling that you just have to experience.
Cape Tribulation can be reached by car but you might want to check with your Cairns car rental company if they allow you to take a hire car up to the Cape.
The track past Cape Tribulation (Bloomfield Track) can only be navigated with a 4WD and is with certainty out of bounds for rental cars and camper vans.
The rainforest (like Daintree) is one of the oldest rainforests in the world with a rich flora and fauna and it is very inviting to undertake some nice hikes here.
When you are up for some extra excitement you can make a night walk which are organised in Cape Tribulation. You’ll do a night walk with a professional guide who will point out the unique animals that forage at night. Because of the nightly silence, the darkness and the myriad of stars in the heavens there is this magical feeling that you just have to experience.
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