Pay to play in Aussie airport parking lots

by Tom Johansmeyer on

For the past decade, Australians have griped about the escalating cost of short-term airport parking. Accusations of monopoly pricing were leveled, and a year ago, the government got involved, having the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) keep an eye on parking lot fees at the country’s five largest airports. The results are amazing.

Airports pull in 11 percent of their revenue from parking. In Melbourne, it’s a whopping 21 percent, while Sydney‘s airport pulls in a more modest 7 percent of its financial take from the parking lots. Since no government agency is willing to put its head on the chopping block the ACCC would only say that this is “consistent with airports having a monopoly position.”

Of course, there are perks to paying. People parking at the Melbourne airport were the most satisfied customers, with those frequenting Sydney’s lots at the bottom.

But, convenience always wins.

The Sydney airport is only 10 kilometers (a little more than 6 miles) from the city, and only 13 percent of passengers use the airport’s parking lots. Melbourne’s airport is more than twice as far away, making airport parking more sensible.

Photo of the Day (3.19.09)

by Kent Wien on

This photo of the day is dedicated to all of us who just can’t wait until the end of winter. Crafterm snapped this in Melbourne, Australia and gave it the rather humorous title, “Hard Life.”

Having a person in the shot gives it perspective, and the silhouette is well framed by the light.

Nice job, Crafterm. Keep up the hard work!

Are you a Flickr user who’d like to share a travel related picture or two for our consideration? Submit it to Gadling’s Flickr group right now! We just might use it for our Photo of the Day!

Melbourne, Australia deal saves you a bundle down under

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you’re going to trek all the way out to Australia, you need to do it right. So, a stay at a five-star hotel is a must, and you can’t get by without the help of a skilled sommelier. A new package, “The Melbourne Deluxe: Food, Wine & Spa” puts the entire experience within reach.

For the reasonable price of $825, you can spend four nights at the Crown Towers and spend half a day on the “Evening Sommeliers Walking Tour,” set in downtown Melbourne. Dinner is served aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. Of course, some time in the spa is necessary, and the deal includes to 30-minute massage treatments. To sweeten it up a bit, you’ll also have airport transportation covered in Australia.

There’s a catch … there’s always a catch. Fortunately, it’s pretty reasonable for this package. You’ll need to stay a minimum of four nights and travel by February 28, 2010 (there is no “book by” date). There are no blackout dates. So, check out the deal here, and don’t forget to use the promotional code – 81215AU01!

They threw out the bathtubs!

by Annie Scott on

I hope you weren’t planning on a nice, leisurely bath on your next trip to Australia.

The Rialto in Melbourne has done away with bathtubs. They just underwent a $60 million renovation which included the removal of the bathtubs! What? $60 million to downgrade their amenities?

According to their research, travelers only want showers anyway. I’m guessing some dudes didn’t fess up that they love bubble baths. I know y’all are using candles, too. Well, now you only get a bath if you sleep in one of the hotel’s 9 suites (not the 253 other rooms).

At least they’re now offering an Enomatic, an Italian machine that prevents wines from oxidization. This way, you don’t have to order a whole bottle of top shelf wine; you can just have a $175 glass of Grange (for example).

We hope this isn’t a trend. The bathtub should be a standard. Why not do away with the TV and the ice buckets, while you’re at it?

[via The Sydney Morning Herald]

Where to find the world’s 10 best rooftop bars

by Anna Brones on

With summer in full swing it, finding good outdoor spaces to have a drink is the thing to do. Nothing says summer more than a couple of friends sitting on an outdoor terrace sharing a pitcher. But even better than your average terrace or patio has to be a rooftop.

Stopping for an evening drink is an excellent activity, but if you can find a bar on top of a tall building with an excellent view of your host city, even better. While in Vietnam last fall, my hostel in Hanoi had a rooftop bar and it seemed none of us ever wanted to leave. Our friends over at Matador Nights — part of the Matador Network — think along the same lines and have graced us with an article on The World’s 10 Best Rooftop Bars. It’s the insider’s guide to finding the best rooftop nightlife, from the ultra cool to the ultra sexy.

Here are the top five:

  1. Sirocco, Bangkok, Thailand
  2. The Penthouse, Madrid, Spain
  3. Luna Bar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  4. Rooftop Bar, Melbourne, Australia
  5. Gravity, Dublin, Ireland

For the rest of the list and descriptions to all of the bars, read the Matador Nights article here. Do you have a favorite rooftop bar?