Beautiful Ballina is a sentimental favourite

When my children were young, we often drove across the Queensland/NSW border for a weekend stay at one of the many motels in Ballina (northern NSW). It's been a few years since the last visit, so my partner and I made the journey last weekend, purely for sentimental sake!

First impression was the improvement of the highway - what used to be a three hour trek, now took us just under two. It's a quality stretch of freeway virtually all the way - bypassing the Gold Coast, Murwillumbah, Brunswick Heads and, when the works are complete, also Ballina.

Our abode for Saturday night was the three year old Ramada Hotel & Suites centrally located in the downtown area and right on the river's edge. As usual, we booked our accommodation at bargain rates through HotelClub and we weren't disappointed.

We were provided with a one bedroom riverview apartment on the fourth floor offering great views and extreme comfort. Not one, but, count them, yes two LCD screens to keep us entertained whilst Tiger Woods was hitting the greens at Melbourne for our viewing delight. The second screen was conveniently wall mounted opposite the queen bed....nice touch!

The Ramada is fairly stark in its decoration..it's decidedly minimalistic in design...but who cares about character...we prefer comfort, cleanliness and convenience over that attribute. The Ramada certainly scored in those areas.

Just up the road is an old favourite, the Ballina RSL Club. It was always a great place to hang out with a great open plan bistro area overlooking the river. Since our last visit the club has been overhauled very tastefully and the big open plan area is still a highlight.

On Sunday morning, after checking out and enjoying a gourmet breakfast at a nearby cafe, we drove to Byron Bay, another town we haven't visited for a number of years.

Every time we call at Byron Bay more disappointment sets in. Inner town parking is limited to one hour (except for an overcrowded paid car park) and strictly controlled by an ever present parking officer with chalk ready in hand. Luckily the shopping in Byron Bay isn't spectacular, so an hour was just enough for a browse and another coffee break.

The other big attraction ...visitng the lighthouse on Australia's most easterly point was another disappointment. It costs $7.00 just to park your car within walking distance of the lighthouse precinct. Talk about a rip-off!

Maybe some of that ill-gotten parking money could be spent on upgrading the one way access road - it looks like it hasn't been touched since the last time I travelled on it! After many decades it still ranks in the 'goat track' category.

So here's the summary...Ballina is still great. It's good for family holidays with an always beautiful river, good beaches nearby and still keeping that country town feeling. Byron Bay is a tourist hot spot, that doesn't really deserve to be. Sure it's got good surfing beaches (if you can find a spare spot on them on the weekends) but the town centre is over-rated and best avoided (mainly thanks to a backward thinking local council which appears to grossly dislike progress of any type)!

-Ren Zwiers

Second tower for Atlantis Hotel

There’s literally thousands of great holiday deals going around this financially distraught world of ours presently. The following pars are extracted from some of the recent media releases which have landed in my inbox. I hope they’re useful to our readers. Here’s the disclaimer: the information is supplied by the operators, so I can’t vouch for their accuracy as I haven’t visited any of the facilities.

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The Best Western Atlantis Hotel (Melbourne, VIC) is opening a brand-new second tower to expand its existing hotel by 160 rooms. This expansion increases the property’s total number of rooms to 243 and will add many new luxury facilities including a 25-metre lap pool, a sauna, spa and a fully-equipped gym. The official opening was on July 1, making the Best Western Atlantis Hotel Melbourne’s newest hotel - conveniently located on Spencer Street, just a five-minute walk from the Crown Casino and Melbourne CBD. Rated four-star, the Best Western Atlantis Hotel features executive-style designer suites, most with sweeping views of the city or the Docklands, as well as onsite car parking and state-of-the-art conference facilities. Ideal for business or leisure travellers, the Best Western Atlantis Hotel also offers wireless internet and work desks, business facilities and an ideal location - just a short walk from Crown Casino and all Melbourne CBD attractions. For more information on the property or to book accommodation at the Best Western Atlantis Hotel, call 131 779 (from Australia), 0800 237 893 (from New Zealand) or log on to www.bestwestern.com.au/atlantis.

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Whales are on the house at The Byron at Byron this winter. Seasoned hoteliers Lyn and John Parche understand the value of world class natural assets. Joint General Managers of the celebrated Byron at Byron Resort and Spa, the Parches have managed resorts and hotels in all corners of the globe. They were headhunted by larrikin furniture baron Gerry Harvey to develop and run his luxury Byron Bay resort in 2004 and since that time have achieved accolade upon accolade, including The Australian annual Travel & Tourism Awards Best Resort Accommodation (under 100 rooms) and ‘Best Hosted Accommodation in Australia’ in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Travel Awards. “When we first came to Byron Bay we were stunned by the beauty,” Lyn said. “The Northern Rivers is home to some of the most breathtaking scenery we have ever experienced. And the mix of alternate, surfing and personal reinvention cultures here means there is always lively debate, music and colour.” The Parches and their internationally experienced team have capitalised on these natural assets. The Byron at Byron offers intimate visits to the local farmers market with Head Chef Gavin Hughes, full and half day trips into the region’s hinterland villages and a restaurant serving local, seasonal and largely organic fare. Not to mention a complimentary daily yoga class for all resort guests. The combination has proven a winner, with celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Ben Harper, Moby, Barry Humphries, Pat Rafter, Bernard Fanning, Michael Klim, Kostya Tszyu, Tara Reid and John Mayer visiting the resort. During July and August The Byron at Byron is offering a complimentary Whale Watching Byron Bay adventure for two with every two night stay. Valued at $160 for two.

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There is no better time than the present to grab your kids and head to a BIG4 Holiday Parks in Victoria for a family getaway - with kids staying for just one cent (conditions apply) at Victorian BIG4 Holiday Parks until September 2009. And, if you're a BIG4 Member you will save even more on your winter escape - with all BIG4 Club Members still receiving up to 10 percent off the price of their accommodation. BIG4 Holiday Parks have facilities sure to keep the kids entertained for hours so your winter holiday is guaranteed to be a relaxing one. Nestle on your decking with a book while the kids spend hours playing on giant jumping castles, run amok in an adventure playground, or get out and about and enjoy some of the local attraction without the peak season queues. To book, go to big4.com.au or call participating BIG4 Victorian Parks direct quoting promotional code KIDS. Please visit BIG4 website for list of parks participating in this special offer.