Thanks to all our clients who sent in their amazing travel photos, it certainly was a hard task to pick a winner.

The winning entry came from Gary & Jean White from Perth.

"Our holiday included 6 days in Las Vegas, a 12 day cruise through the Inland Passage and a 14 day car tour from Seattle to Grand Junction via Yellowstone national Park. Our purpose in going to Grand Junction was to visit a friend who lives at the base of the Monument. This photograph captures the spectacular scenery surrounding our friends house."

"Overall our holiday was an amazing experience from Las Vegas-Disneyland for adults, the serene beauty of the Inland Passage, the magic of a snow covered Yellowstone National Park and time with a friend in Grand Junction. On our way home we spent time in San Francisco, Honolulu and Vanuatu."

"We live in Perth WA and made our booking with your organisation after seeing one of your adds in a local newspaper. Booking through an interstate organisation was a new experience for us but the service you provided was exemplary."

Gary & Jean's $200 voucher can be used to pay for any type of travel including flights, hotels, cruises, car hire, travel insurance, tours and packages.  CONGRATULATIONS!!

Just one of our many happy clients is Leigh Matthews who will be jetting off to enjoy a relaxed and hassle free holiday due to the detailed itinerary that was expertly planned by one of our cruise specialists: Terri Dillon. If you would like Terri to organise your next travel itinerary, please e-mail her directly at Terrid@PulseTravel.com.au  

Heres a picture of Leigh and star struck Terri Dillon!

THE Australian Dept of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) is reminding travellers to the United States of America that from Mon 12 Jan they will need to follow new border entry procedures.   Australian passport-holders eligible to travel to the US under  the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), are required before travelling, to obtain approval to travel to the US, using the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).  ESTA is an online system administered by the US Gov’t which
determines the preliminary eligibility of visitors to travel under the VWP, prior to boarding an airline heading to America.  There is no fee charged to users completing an application (which collects basic biographic, travel and eligibility information), with an authorisation normally only taking a few minutes. Electronic pre-clearance will be valid for two years, and for multiple-entry visits to the US. Travellers without a valid ESTA may be denied boarding an aircraft, or denied admission at a US port of entry.  Information on how to obtain approval using ESTA is available from the Smartraveller and Qantas websites or contact Pulse Travel.

Budget airline AirAsia X celebrated its arrival into Perth on Sunday 2nd November with the first A330 flight touching down at 2:40pm.  the carrier will intially operate six return direct flights per week between Kuala Lumpur and PER to increase to daily by March 2009.

Thai International Airways has released earlybird airfares to Europe, for travel between 25th March to 30 September from $1,128 return, plus taxes.

Qantas will become the third carrier to operate an Airbus A380 to London Heathrow.  The inaugural Qantas A380 through to LHR departed as QF31 at 5:40pm on 16 Jan and will operate every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday via Singapore.  Emirates and Singapore Airlines also operate A380's to London.

Budget airline AirAsiaX is expected to fly to Japan in 2009, after being rebuffed last year due to tough visa requirements for Malaysians.  The airline is now planning flights to at least three Japanese destinations: Hokkaido, Osaka and Fukuoka.

Singapore Airlines is getting ready to fly its millionth Airbus A380 passenger next month, four months after it celebrated its one year anniversary.

Qantas became the first airline to operate the Airbus A380 on a commercial service to San Francisco on 15 January, with the aircraft flying to the city as part of the annual G’Day USA promotion.

10 Nt Pacific Dawn, Departs 1 Mar. Sydney - Noumea - Ouvea - Vila - Wala - Sydney. From $1399pp for inside twin cabin

12 Nt Diamond Princess, Departs 10 Feb. Sydney - Melbourne - Hobart - Fiordland National Park - Dunedin - Christchurch - Tauranga - Auckland. $1350pp inside twin cabin

20 Nt Diamond Princess, Departs 22 Feb -ONLY $90pp PER DAY! Sydney - Melbourne - Hobart - Adelaide - Fremantle, Exmouth, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Sihanoukville, Bangkok. $1799pp inside twin cabin

Don't miss out on the following fantastic events:

Qld Roar v's Perth Glory - Brisbane - 24 Jan 09
Tour Down Under (Cycling) - Adelaide - 18 - 25 Jan 09
Soundwave - RNA Showgrounds - 21 Feb 09
Formula One Grand Prix - Albert Park Melbourne 26 to 29 Mar 09
2009 Australian Open Tennis - Melbourne 19 Jan to 1 Feb 09
Monet & The Impressionists - Sydney - to 26 Jan 09
Perth International Arts Festival - Starts 13 Feb
Hong Kong Sevens - 26 to 30 Mar 09
2009 Formula 1 ING Australian Grand Prix- Melbourne - 26 to 29 Mar 09
Byron Bay Bluesfest - April 09
2009 Formula 1 ING Malaysian Grand Prix - 3 to 6 Apr 09
Wimbledon Championships 2009 - London - 22 to 30 Jun 09
Billy Elliot - Melbourne - to 16 Apr 09
Chicago the Musical - Sydney - May 09
La Traviata: Verdi, Opera Queensland - 16 to 30th May 09
Paris Opera Ballet 'La Bayadere' - Brisbane - 24 Jun to 4 Jul 09


You can combine any of the above events with a fantastic accommodation package, please contact us for details.

Britain is expected to this month decide on whether to approve a 6th terminal and 3rd runway for busy London Heathrow, and with both sides actively demonstrating their points, this GBP13 billion decision won’t be easy. 

The British government is this month expected to approve the project, which will generate job growth in difficult times, pressure from environmentalists have grown in recent weeks.

This time it’s not the protestors outside Heathrow or Parliament house which will cause the biggest problem for developers, but Greenpeace, who very quietly bought up an acre of land in the middle of the proposed development zone, with the intentions of subdividing the land into hundreds, if not thousands of little plots to then sell to activists around the world.

If the government approves the development, they will then need to buy back the land from all the individuals, which is sure to cause numerous hours and headaches.

“We’re expecting the government will announce that they’re going ahead with expansion at Heathrow this week and we now need you to join us. Sign up now to get your own piece of the plot,” says Greenpeace on its website.

Greenpeace claims that if expansions go ahead, it will cause the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the whole country.

As Scotland urges Australians to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors at ‘Homecoming’ in 2009, North East England also gives Australians the opportunity to learn more about their past; and some may find stories of tragedy and treachery.

Within the borders of North East England and Scotland lie many stories of Australian heritage and ancient family connection. The Border Reivers, who many Australians’ surnames are linked to, ruled North East England and created chaos across the North East England and Scottish border. The Reivers were made up of Scottish and English clans and families, who as a result of their geographical position, were constantly subjected to violence associated with the various armies passing through the townships during the war between England and Scotland in the 13th – 17th Century.

Many Australians can trace back their family history to that of the Border Reivers. Popular names such as Armstrong, Davidson, Gilchrist, Collingwood, Cranston, Young and Scott, can be traced back to the Reivers’ clans.

A popular route taken by travelers to Britain is the Newcastle to Edinburgh track, which sees visitors leave Newcastle, travel throughout North East England and cross the border into Scotland. Travelers pass through the beautiful Northumberland district, visiting the historic Alnwick Castle, known for its role in the Harry Potter films; and north to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, famous for its Christian links and Lindisfarne Mead. Further north, the border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed offers travelers a unique travel experience, where locals are sometimes English and sometimes Scottish. Bisected by the great River Tweed the historic town is scattered with local farmers markets and local arts and theatre performances.

“With Homecoming in 2009, taking the route through North East England into Scotland is the perfect opportunity for Australians to discover their past, explore the beautiful scenery of two wonderful countries and learn about the historic border battles of centuries past,” said Kim Heaselden, International Brand Manager of One North East.

Aussies can check to see if their family name was associated with this synonymous time in British history and even find a castle or its remains that was partially occupied or used by their ancestors by visiting www.BorderReivers.co.uk

To take it a step further and visit the towns in which the Border Reivers lived, contact Pulse Travel for suggested travel itineraries and accommodation packages available in North East England.

Brisbane Airport will have its first major international hotel - Novotel Brisbane Airport - by October 2009.  Accor announced today the 156 room property is currently being constructed at 1 Airport Drive. 

The aviation industry is in mourning following the passing of Australian aviatrix Nancy-Bird Walton on 13 January, aged 93. Qantas' CEO, Alan Joyce, said Nancy-Bird was a trail blazer and inspirational figure in aviation. In Oct 08, Qantas honoured Walton, naming its first A380 aircraft Nancy-Bird Walton. Walton was the first woman to gain a commercial pilot's licence in Australia and was named a Living National Treasure in 1997.

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