{"id":13199,"date":"2011-04-04T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2011-04-04T12:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=13199"},"modified":"2016-12-15T11:50:11","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T17:50:11","slug":"australian-vacations-getting-your-feet-wet-down-under","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2011\/04\/australian-vacations-getting-your-feet-wet-down-under\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia vacations: Getting your feet wet Down Under"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Stay on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef at the Heron Island Resort.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Vince Font<\/em><\/p>\n

If you consider yourself the well-traveled sort but haven\u2019t yet experienced what beach vacations await you \u201cdown under,\u201d it\u2019s time to either reassess your estimations or get busy packing. You can find low-cost Australia vacation<\/a> packages for all of the country\u2019s key destinations, but if you\u2019re a stranger to Oz you\u2019ll likely need a few pointers to make sure your first foray is a success. Here are two of the best top notch hotels to serve as excellent leaping-off points for your Australian beach vacation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Heron Island all inclusive vacations
\n<\/strong>Vacationing to the far northeast of Australia will get you close to the Great Barrier Reef, but a stay at the\u00a0Heron Island Resort<\/a> will put you right on top of it. If you\u2019ve ever wondered what it would be like to spend a weekend (or longer) living and breathing in the ambience of what\u2019s been called one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, this is your opportunity. Heron Island is located 55 miles off the coast of Queensland and offers several types of vacation suites: Turtle Rooms with deck and garden access, Beachside Suites with a view of the ocean, Wistari Suites that add a private terrace to the ocean view, Point Suites that open up directly onto the beach and private Beach House lodgings for entire families.<\/p>\n

Oaks Plaza Pier Hotel
\n<\/strong>For something a bit less extravagant and not so removed from civilization, you can always get your feet wet (both literally and figuratively) at the\u00a0Oaks Plaza Pier Hotel<\/a> in Adelaide, South Australia. The hotel\u2019s footprint practically touches the waters of Glenelg beach, one of the most popular beaches in that part of the country and a major attraction for both local and international tourists for its white sand beaches and clear waters. Nearby attractions include the Rodney Fox Shark Experience, a shark museum with accompanying gift shop named after the famed great white shark attack survivor, and the Bay Discovery Centre which offers a history of the indigenous peoples of the area and the English settlement of Adelaide. When you\u2019re not outdoors taking in the coastal scenery or trolling the great number of shops, cafes and bars that are a stroll away on Jetty Road, you can take advantage of the Oaks Plaza\u2019s on-site gym, sauna, spa or swimming pool.<\/p>\n

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