We often like to kick these blogs off with a little comparison about why the cold, dark wintery gloom of Britain is in such stark juxtaposition with the summer sun and lovely girls in lovely thongs strutting the beaches of Sydney.

Yet as we approached May and, despite years of conditioning to the contrary, we got our hopes up that a beautiful British summer was hiding behind those clouds, just waiting with scorching 15 degree temperatures, irritable wasps looking for a cider to sit in and tattooed football fans looking to fight over whose pint the wasp's drowning in, you can understand our worry over this month's working holiday blog.

But then the rain came.

So, we've had nearly a month of rain here but, in true British fashion, we are also in a drought. Nearly constant, torrential downpour for almost a month and we still can't use our hosepipes, only in Britain. I don't know who wants to use their hosepipes when even the pavement is getting soggy but still, if they wanted to, they couldn't, under penalty of death (or moderate fines).

In conclusion, has our description of why being in Britain in May isn't a good idea ever really been this easy?

New Offer - Get a Greyhound 500km pass for AU$20!

Didn't think so, so if you're in Australia in May, not only are you the place to be right now but we also have a brand new offer for our platinum card members to add to all this cool stuff going on Down Under in May!

As usual we've got plenty of stuff to do across Australia but this month, for Platinum Card members only we've got Greyhound bus passes for just AU$20!

So what, I hear you say, we don't know how much they normally cost so how is that a saving?

Well, they usually cost AU$107 so I'm sure the quick witted amongst you..........and now the rest of you, have figured out that's a saving of AU$87 and the pass will get you 500km across Australia, that's 4 cents a kilometre!

To capitalise on this most awesome of awesome offers, just go to Greyhound and enter the code VISAKM in the 'promo' code box at checkout!

Sea food and eat it.

First up, we've got a lovely bit of grub to kick off May with a bang. If you're sick of discussing whether or not Marmite is nice (it's not), if Kangaroo tastes good (it does) or if Fosters is a decent beer (it's not) then you might be ready for something a little different.

Well if you happen to be in Queensland this week, head on down to Brisbane for the 18th annual Caxton Street Seafood and Wine Festival on the 6th of May for some great seafood and wine on the street, beat that for a description.

15,000 people turned up last year to sample some of the amazing delights on the menu as well as see the great line-up of performers.

It'll definitely be better than drinking Fosters and discussing Marmite.

Killin' it with St Kilda

Film festivals are top places to be, you can watch trashy films that would never make it on TV let alone the cinema and see some incredibly J list celebrities before bragging shamelessly to your friends later that you just watched the new Citizen Kane while being best man at Kevin Spacey's wedding at 'a really underground indy film festival you won't have heard of'.

If you're in Melbourne between the 22nd and the 27th you could have that very opportunity, while you might not meet the K-Space or see the next Citizen Kane, the St Kilda Film Festival 2012 still has plenty of great films from all genres and cultures on show for you to not fully appreciate, and then brag about later.

I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear

Backpacking is scruffy business: living out of an ageing backpack, washing your clothes as a Christmas present and spending months at a time in Saharan levels of heat probably isn't doing the best for your limited collection of threads.

Don't worry though as anyone in Adelaide between the 24th and 26th you can restock your depleting threads on the cheap, the very cheap. The Salvos Stores MASSIVE Clothing Sale takes place across almost all of the South Australian stores and, best bit, everything is AU$2,99!

Nearly nudity, tassles and boa feathers

We didn't need a more poetic title than that, we've got you now.

Burlesque is a traditionally sensual and evocative art form dedicated to the beauty that is woman which has, unfortunately, been high jacked by stripping and the whole art form has been lumped in with the clear heels, unwashed thongs and slight desperation that all men really see at strip clubs.

At least that's the flawless argument you can use when going to the Perth International Burlesque Festival between the 24th and 27th of this month.

The first annual Burlesque Festival celebrates everything about Burlesque with lessons, live shows, workshops and some of the best names in Burlesque.

Admit it though, we had you at the headline.

Delight in light in the Sydney sky at night

Sydney's iconic harbour sits comfortably in a list of the world's best sites to see: Times Square, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Visa Bureau offices, the Great Pyramid at Giza, Lassie's gravesite, any self respecting listmaker will always include the Opera House.

So, no doubt if you're over that way you'll already have seen it, perhaps even taken some hilarious picture where you're leaning against it or have your fingers on the top, you're so clever and original.

But if you haven't done that, or even if you have then get yourself back down to the harbour any time after the 25th to see Vivid Sydney, when for 18 days, the city becomes a blank canvas to be covered with light and music in a kaleidoscopic of architecturally epic proportions.

It'll be like an acid trip you can't escape, doesn't that sound nice?

- Dominic Ladden-Powell is the Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Autumn in England is supposed to be a heart-warming time filled with different shades of red and brown and green and stuff. What a British Autumn actually is is sodden wet leaves blown around a world of grey, a plummeting temperature and a population left fantasising about a summer that never happened.

Down Under on the other hand, Aussies bemoan the freezing 25 degree temperatures, the paltry 13 hours of sunlight and the fact that it's always raining (where always, in this case, equates to about the frequency of an eclipse).

So if you're Down Under this autumn, you'll need some stuff to do. Here's a look at some of the best events going on around Australia in April.

Outdoor 3d cinema - McLaren Vale - until the 7th of April

Outdoor cinemas are one of those things everyone thinks are cool but no one's ever been to one (or is that just me? I've got mates alright). Your typical cinema experience is a very wintery affair; no one wants to sit in a dark room for three hours while it's nice outside, which is why Australia's cinematic output is limited to Baz Lurhmann and Home n Away (quick, name an Australian film since Crocodile Dundee).

However, combine the two and you've got a great day out. So if you're in Adelaide before the 7th, head on down to the internationally renowned wine region of McLaren Vale for the Cinema Under the Stars season in which plenty of 3D films will be shown every evening.

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting - Western Australia - 7th of April

Don't pretend you didn't just sing that in your head.

Everyone wishes they could do Kung Fu, even the ones that can already do it know they'll never feel as cool as they did smashing their bedrooms wearing dressing gowns when they were seven(teen).

People often say the martial art they're studying weeknights at the dojo is an 'ancient art' when they're really doing Boxercise in the gym with Sarah from HR.

However, if you're in Perth on the 7th of the month and want to see a genuine ancient art that is also the coolest, head on down to the town of Bunbury to see the Shaolin Kung Fu show.

BMX Championships - Mount Gambier South Australia 12th to the 22nd

BMX has grown to be one of the most popular extreme sports in the world and, like all other extreme sports, is only made all the more entertaining when it goes wrong and someone goes head over heels with nothing to save them but a few planks of very unforgiving wood.

If BMXing was your extreme sport of choice during that slightly rebellious stage of your youth when you hung outside shops and tried to intimidate pensioners, head on down to Mount Gambier between the 12th and the 22nd for the Subaru Australian National BMX Championships.

Floating Football - Sydney - 12th to the 22nd

Whether you love football and miss it, or hate it but have been in Australia so long that you'll take any reminder of home, Sydney is the place to get that fix this month.

The Big Issue Street Football Festival isn't your average kickabout either, people hate football because they say it's boring but there's none of that here as the games are played on a floating pitch and the focus is on showing off as much as possible.

Held in the Darling Harbour, the 12 day festival is the perfect opportunity to show off to the Australians that just because we can't play cricket or rugby even though we invented them, we don't half know some insulting chants.

Lastly, if you want extreme, and we mean the sort of extreme that would make having a picture of your Nan’s face tattooed on your back during a bungee jump look like an evening in with your Nan listening to her views on tattoos, the sort of extreme that would make playing chicken with your space helmet in low orbit look like watching a chicken defrost, the sort of extreme that would make riding a nuclear bomb look like a ship in a bottle building competition then you need to get to Adelaide (in the most extreme way possible) by the 28th of April for the CROQUET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!1!!

Or not, whatever.

- Dominic Ladden-Powell is Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

February in the UK is dark, damp and, if you're single, depressing. Still broke from Christmas and still stuck in the depths of winter, it's no wonder girlfriends, wives and boyfriends get upset when the one good thing about the month, Valentines Day, is forgotten.

But if you're in Australia however, then February is still the height of summer, temperatures rarely drop below a FREEZING 25 degrees across the country and the only cold people moan about is the temperature of their iced vegemite lollies (these definitely might exist).

So if you're Down Under this month and are keen to rub it in your British friends' faces, then here's a look at some of the best stuff going on this month.

What would an Australian summer, or an Australian Wednesday for that matter, be without surfing? The Australian Open of Surfing takes place between the 11th and 19th of February and doesn't JUST include some of the world's top names in surfing cleaving through some of the world's top surfing waves but also features plenty of live music, fashion shows and skateboarding events for those moments when you're glancing away from the water.

The Australian summer is the time for late nights on warm porches, cold beer on hot beaches and spicy barbecues on neighbours' porches (when they're not in), it is NOT the time for swimming 2 km, cycling EIGHTY THREE km and then rounding the day off with a nice gentle MARATHON.

The Jervis Bay Triathlon Festival offers plenty of different race options between the 17th and 19th, but if you're sensible, or just obese, you can do the proper thing and just sit back on the beach with a nice cold beer (or vegemite lolly) and indulge in that most popular of pastimes: watching other people work.

Canberra is the place to be in February as the world's largest short film festival comes to town on the 19th. Tropfest, which regularly attracts a whopping 150,000 a day started life as a simple screening in a Sydney cafe but has since grown to one of the most popular events in world cinema with events not just in Australia but London, Berlin, New York and Bangkok.

If you're in or around Melbourne between the 24th and 26th, why not head down to Phillip Island to witness the best fusing of man and machine since Darth Vader took his helmet off and scared you behind the couch (your mum told us): Superbikes. Taking place over two days on Phillip Island the Superbike World Championship is fast, furious and about as dangerous as playing with fireworks on a level crossing; superbikes make Formula 1 look like the kid with glasses and asthma on cross country day.

The Adelaide Fringe Festival runs from the 24th February until the 18th March is now the largest arts festival in Australia with 52 years' worth of history to back it up. While it may be not as famous as its Scottish cousin the Edingburgh Fringe Festival, it packs just as much of a punch with hundreds upon hundreds of comedy shows, circus events, dancing events, film screenings and so much culture you'll need a cold compress and a Jeremy Kyle marathon to get over it.

- Dominic Ladden-Powell is Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Australia celebrated its 224th birthday today and across the country people took to the streets, to the beaches and to the parks for parties, barbecues and fireworks displays in one of the most eagerly anticipated days of the year.

Here are some of the best things that went on all over Australia today.

Brisbane

Although citizenship ceremonies to welcome new Australians took place across the country, the biggest citizenship ceremony in the country took place in Brisbaine when 3,850 people from 114 countries pledged themselves to Australia at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Across town, a slightly less civilised but infinitely more fun affair got underway with the first annual Bellyflop Competition at the Moorooka Bowls Club took place.

Perth

An unexpected rain storm attempted to dampen the spirits in Perth but didn't succeed as locals took to the streets to watch a magical fireworks display which combined with sheet lightning to create a dramatic display unlike anywhere else.

Melbourne

Fireworks displays are part and parcel of the proceedings on Australia Day at the Australian Open but this year the flashing lights and loud bangs in the sky could do nothing to deter spectators' attentions from the firework display going down on the court as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer went to head to head once again in one of sport's greatest ever rivalries.

Nadal had to produce his best tennis to beat the Swiss Maestro and come from a set down as he battled to win 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. He goes through to await either current world number one and reigning champion Novak Djokovic or Britain's Andy Murray.

Over in the women's draw, the show was no less spectacular as tennis's number one star Maria Sharapova fought past a resilient Petra Kvitova in three sets to reach the final while Belarussian Victoria Azarenka reached her first Grand Slam final after winning a nail biting contest against reigning champion Kim Clijsters.

Sydney

In Sydney Australians gathered at Sydney Harbour, the country's most iconic tourist location, citizens gathered to watch the Australia Day Ferry Race while the Australian Army's 7th Field Regiment provided the soundtrack with a 21 gun-salute at Farm Cove

While the weather may not have been the blazing sunshine many would normally expect in the height of summer, thousands of people still gathered on Bondi Beach to barbecue, drink beers and maybe even take part in the Australian Day thong challenge which isn't nearly as rude as it suggests, especially for a beach famed the world over for its beautiful people and skimpy swimwear.

Instead, hundreds upon of hundreds of people took to the water on giant inflatable thongs (the sandal) in an attempt to break the previous year's record of over 2,000 people.

Adelaide

Over in Adelaide, they also took part in the thong challenge, although with only 500 people they remained sadly some way behind their Sydney rivals.

The reason for their failure however, might simply have been that most people were watching the cricket, too busy engrossed in the nation's favourite sport to venture down the beach with a blow up shoe.

It was worth it too as Australia continued to flatten India in the fourth and final Test match of the series with the tourists not managing to get anywhere near Australia's massive 604-7.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

While you may be too late to enjoy the incredible fireworks on show in Sydney Harbour, if you're in Australia in January don't worry because as the temperature begins to climb in the Australian summer, so too does the amount of things to do.

The average January temperature in Sydney is a balmy 26 degrees C but with the climate able to scale heights as high as a whopping 45 degrees C, make sure to keep cool if you plan to enjoy the delights of the Sydney Festival 2012.

The Sydney Festival is an almost month long celebration of the arts and culture which involves theatres, music, dancing and art exhibitions.

Particular highlights of the festival include famed DJ Norman Jay who will be parking his double decker bus in Hyde Park on 7th January to kick off a marathon eight hour dance session while on the 13th of January, Clairy Brown and the Bangin' Rackettes will be tearing up the stage to bring a raucous end to the first Friday of the festival.

Aside from music there are more than 20 individual theatrical performances spread over the duration of the festival and if your Sydney Festival experience is aimed toward the end of the month, stick around for the 26th when the whole city comes together to throw a giant party to celebrate the national holiday Australia Day.

Aside from the festival, one of sport's most popular events gets underway in Melbourne in the third week of January with the Australian Open. While the men's game continues to get ever more competitive with Novak Djokovic attempting to solidify his position at the pinnacle of the game and Andy Murray tries to keep up, the women's game remains as unpredictable as ever, although with Sam Stosur becoming Australia's first female Grand Slam champion in decades with her win at last year's US Open, Australian tennis fans have something to look forward since the decline of Lleyton Hewitt.

What would spending the summer in one of the world's hottest and most beautiful locations be if you didn't spend at least most of your waking hours on the beach? While you may not be quite energetic enough to take part, the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman & Ironwoman Series which takes place in Queensland and New South Wales, just the chance to see 36 of Australia's toughest and strongest lifeguards take to the waves might be just the thing to make you relax, even if the athletes don't as they battle the tide and the heat with swims, runs and paddles.

 - Dominic Ladden-Powell is Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Get your party on in Perth, enjoy a Christmas carnival in Alice Springs and see in the New Year at Sydney Harbour!

Harry Potter: The Exhibition - SYDNEY
Throughout December
Admission: Various
w: www.powerhousemuseum.com/harrypotter
Offers fans a first-hand look inside the famous wizard’s magical world. Includes hundreds of authentic film artefacts.

2112: Imagining the future ex - MELBOURNE
2 December - 28 January
Admission: FREE
w: www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=33119
What will the world look like 100 years from today?  Featuring NOW and WHEN Australian Urbanism, courtesy of the Australian Institute of Architects; digital stereoscopic images and animation.

Sunsmart Ironman Western Australia Triathlon - BUSSELTON, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
4 December
Admission: FREE
w: http://www.onmanwesternaustralia.com/
Allows spectators to watch from a multitude of viewing stations as elite Ironman competitors trudge through a 3.8 kilometre swim adjacent to Western Australia's iconic Busselton Jetty; 180 kilometre bike course and a 42.2 kilometre run

Alice Springs Town Council Christmas Carnival - ALICE SPRINGS
9 December
Admission: FREE
w: http://www.malaysiafest.com.au/
The Alice Springs Council Christmas Carnival is jammed packed with activities and live entertainment for people of all ages. The carnival starts at 5pm, finishing at 9pm

BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market - BRISBANE
10 December
Admission: FREE
w: www.bris-style.com/page/indie-twilight-market
Meander through the stalls of over 100 emerging and established local artisans who specialise in producing soulful and stylish handmade wares with a unique Queensland twist.

2011 WORLDS FULL MOON BEACH PARTY - PERTH
11 December
Admission: $10
w: www.onthebeach.net.au/event/worlds-full-moon-beach-party
A festival of Live Music, Perth’s best DJ’s, Latin drums and performers. Adults only.

Christmas Proms - ADELAIDE
16 - 17 December
Admission: VARIOUS
w: www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/?cat=3355&id=183385
Celebrate the festive season in this spectacular concert for all ages. There will be popular Christmas songs mixed with traditional carols and plenty of laughs along the way.

World famous fireworks at the Harbour - SYDNEY
31 December
Admission: FREE
w: http://www.sydneynewyearseve.com/
With pre-show entertainment from 6pm, Sydney Harbour is THE destination to bring in 2012. Include the world famous firework display at midnight!

 - The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Once the Melbourne Cup hangover wears off there's plenty going on in Australia this November, kicking off with Steve Irwin Day on Tuesday November 15, where Australia and the world pays tribute to the Crocodile Hunter and his conservation work.

The main festivities will take place at Irwin's old stomping ground at the Australia Zoo at Beermah near Brisbane, Queensland. The day starts with an authentic Aussie sausage sizzle which is included in the admission price.

The freebies continue if you wear khakis Irwin-style. You'll get 10% off the gate entry price and an unspecified gift, so embrace your inner Indiana Jones for a good cause - all proceeds go to the Australian Wildlife Hospital and other conservation projects the Croc Hunter was involved with.

Guests will also be treated to a live performance by iconic Aussie bluesman Xavier Rudd in the Crocoseum. If you've never seen Xavier you're in for a treat, mixing blues, roots, folk and traditional Aboriginal music to create a big sound that is uniquely Australian.

Keeping with the khaki theme, any budding adventure junkies should pencil in the Adventurists Afternoon Tea on Saturday 12 November at the Justice & Police Museum in Sydney's Circular Quay. Afternoon tea is a tradition for adventurists, offering a peaceful break from epic journeying and world record breaking where they can relax with a cuppa and swap stories.

The Sydney Afternoon Tea will feature a talk from Jon Muir, Australia's most famous adventurer and the first man to walk solo and unaided across the Australian continent, as well as make the first sherpa-less ascent of Everest from the South.

If you're partial to drinks a little stronger than tea, never fear! The Adventurists Afternoon Tea is sponsored by Hendrick's Gin and lashings of the spirit will be on offer.

But if an excuse to drink and plan more adventures is the last thing you need on your Aussie holiday, perhaps take a minute for some spiritual healing. The Buddhist Spring Festival kicks off on the 5th of November at the Tibetan Buddhist Temple just outside Melbourne. A number of talks and seminars on Buddhist teachings as well as guided tours of the gardens are available. On the Saturday join in the Ceremony for World Peace and rack up some karma credit points!

 - Aleks Vickovich is Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

While Halloween is traditionally an American holiday, Australians are getting in touch with their dark side this October as well, with a series of 'zombie walks' across the country. These events - started in the US ten years ago - see large congregations of people dressed as zombies marching through urban areas, often with the aim of raising charitable funds or promoting an issue or cause.

Adelaide will host its fifth annual zombie walk on Saturday 8 October. "After a cold winter in Adelaide, it seems the city streets will run warm with the tides of blood soaked zombies!" the Adelaide Zombie Walk website says.

"Expect to see characters and creatures groan and stumble down Grenfell Street & Currie Street, from Rymill Park to Light Square".

The Adelaide zombies are raising funds for the Adelaide food bank, with participants urged to donate a cold coin (AUD $1 or $2) or can of food.

The sunshine state will follow with a zombie walk in Brisbane to take place on Sunday 23 October, starting at Wickham Park and ambling its way through to Centenary Place in Fortitude Valley.  This year organisers are hoping that the Brisbane Zombie Walk wins the Guiness World Record for largest gathering of zombies. Last year, Brisbane's zombies raised $13,000 for the Brain Foundation of Australia and are hoping to raise a similar amount this year.

Brisbane will also host an all-ages zombie walk after-party called ROTT N ROLL at the Tempo Hotel featuring burlesque acts and live music.

If parading around town dressed like a corpse isn't your thing, there are plenty of other events going down in Oz over October.

It is Spring Carnival season in Melbourne, with some of the world's best horse racing events taking place throughout October in the lead-up to the famous Melbourne Cup. Don't forget your fancy hat (or chequebook!).

Australia's largest spring flower show - Floriade - will run from 17 September to 16 October in Commonwealth Park in Canberra, showing off more than 1 million blooms. And once the sun goes down and hides the flowers, Floriade NightFest takes over with cocktails, night markets, DJs and wine bars.

For an authentic taste of rural Australia head to Ararat in country Victoria for the annual Ararat Show. Attractions include rides, pet shows, floral and agricultural displays and arts and crafts.

 - Aleks Vickovich is Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

Christmas in July?! That's Australia for you! Whether you love it or hate it, you'd better learn to deal with it because it's the best thing going! Check it out, as well as some other top events in Australia in July.

Yulefest at Jenolan Caves - NSW
02 July - 30 July
w: www.jenolancaves.org.au/index.php?pr=july_2011
Along with frost and flurries of snow, an annual Blue Mountains tradition is here again - Yulefest (Christmas in July). During Yulefest, Christmas-style festivities are offered by all the best Blue Mountains establishments, including Caves House, where guests can enjoy log fires, huge Christmas tree and Christmas-style menu.

Lasseters Camel Cup – ALICE SPRINGS
09 July
Admission: $17
w: www.camelcup.com.au
The quirky, annual Lasseters Camel Cup attracts visitors to Alice Springs from all over the world. While camels may have a reputation as dedicated 'ships of the desert', these magnificent beasts are certainly not short on personality. Racing them can prove a nightmare for riders and handlers but fantastic viewing for spectators. Entertainment is assured, with nine unique races scheduled around the dusty outback track throughout the day.

Revelation Perth International Film Festival - PERTH
14 July – 24 July
Admission: From $13
w: www.revelationfilmfest.org
A unique annual film event, based around a prestigious and boutique screening program of new and premiere films drawn directly from the international festival scene, often unseen in Australia.

Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta - DARWIN
10 July
Admission: Entrance is by a gold coin donation
w: www.camelcup.com.au
A regatta like no other, with boats primarily built entirely from aluminium beer cans. This annual event is a spectacle for all who line Mindil Beach and cheer on the home-made boats of cans, plastic soft drink bottles and cartons, as they flounder and sink in the shallows.

Queensland Music Festival - BRISBANE
15 July - 31 July
Admission: Dependent on event, some free
w: www.qmf.org.au
Queensland Music Festival is a state-wide celebration of music. Over 17 days, the best of local, national and international talent perform every conceivable style of music to Queenslanders from all walks of life, in Brisbane, and in regional and remote centres from Thursday Island to the Gold Coast.

Melbourne International Film Festival – MELBOURNE
21 July - 07 August
Admission: FREE
W: http://miff.com.au/
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an iconic Melbourne event. MIFF hosts a feast of cinematic delicacies from over 50 countries for some 17 days each winter, heavily garnished with a range of parties and special events that envelop the CBD.

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

The city of Bendigo in Victoria was completely changed when it became the epicentre of the gold rush of the 1850s attracting thousands of prospectors looking for their fortune. It was seventh richest gold field in the world, producing more than nine billion dollars worth of gold between 1850 and 1900.

Bendigo is only a 90-minute drive from Melbourne so it is easy to get to, either on a tour or by driving there yourself. Gold transformed Bendigo into a grand 19th century city with wide streets, stately Victorian sandstone buildings and beautiful gardens.

You can travel beneath the surface at The Central Deborah Gold Mine on a Mine Experience tour, taking the 61-metre elevator trip down to follow a 400-metre circuit. For an even more hands-on experience, take the Underground Adventure tour to 85 metres, dressing in boots, overalls, miner's hat and lamp to climb ladders, work a mine drill and search for gold yourself.

Back on the surface, take a scenic tour on Bendigo's Vintage ‘Talking’ Trams with their one commentary which you can hop on and off to take a closer look at attractions or stop for a coffee break or lunch. Trams are such a feature here that you can even have lunch on board one! Bendigo ninesevensix is a converted 1952 Melbourne tram that combines tours with a four-course menu.

There are also self-drive and walking tours in the area with maps and guides as well as Podtours and films showcasing Bendigo, Castlemaine and the Maldon region with MP3 players for hire at Visitor Information Centres.

Bendigo’s Chinese legacy from the gold rush time can be seen in the Joss House Temple, the Golden Dragon Museum and the Chinese Gardens. The Chinese population alone in 1857 was said to be 26,000.

- Search for gold or find golden beaches with an Australian working holiday!

©Visa Bureau 2003-2009

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.