Walk this way - in Tasmania!

John Crook has details of some great walking tours in Australia's Apple Isle, Tasmania on our latest travel podcast. Also on the show US-based hosts Arthur von Wiesenberger and Martha Bull take listeners to two lesser visited destinations in Spain, namely Gibraltar and Malaga. Euro correspondent Frances Beasley tells us about one of Queen Elizabeth II's favourite holiday retreats, Castle May, Scotland.

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The long and the short of cruising!

New South Wales-based travel writer (and good mate) David Ellis has copped the 'short straw' (purely physically speaking) when each of us takes off reviewing different cruise ships in the first quarter of next year. David will be travelling on the five star SeaDream 1 from Athens through the Greek Isles to Malaga in Spain. This five star 'mega-yacht' (along with its identical sister-ship SeaDream 2) offers five star all-inclusive cruising in different parts of the world. Several years ago I enjoyed a week-long Mediterranean cruise on SeaDream 2 which was truly the most wonderful holiday experience I've ever had. Meanwhile I'll be trying out the world's renowned mega-cruise ship Oasis of the Seas on a western Caribbean jaunt from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Cozumel (Mexico) and return next March. Just for size comparison, take a look at the above photo showing both SeaDream 1 and Oasis of the Seas, berthed side-by-side at St Thomas and you'll be amazed by the difference in ship-sizes.

-Photo courtesy of Seadream Yacht Club