Think Australia is too far and too expensive? Well, you can get there from $1,299 -- specifically, Sydney and Cairns -- and that includes airfare, hotel stays for seven nights, and your intra-country flights between Sydney and Cairns. In order to book you have to wade through some flash animation that initially may have throw you off. Don't let it. We haven't sent you to the wrong page.
The promotional package (tel. 800/350-7116; http://perfectproject.vaustralia.com) is part of the "perfect project," in which V Australia (part of the Virgin Blue airlines group) has joined together with designer Steven Alan to participate in helping him design the perfect, limited edition travel bag, suitable, naturally, for a trip to Australia. Currently, there is about a month worth of sketches on the blog. The website even has a countdown clock to the unveiling of the final design. It's a bit kooky, but you probably wouldn't expect anything less spirited, considering the source.
Now that we've explained all that, here's the deal with the deal. There are actually quite a few vacations they're advertising (just click on the red tag that says "book the perfect vacation from $1,068), but we like the one that combines Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef. You'll spend four nights in Sydney in a downtown hotel and three in Cairns within walking distance to the sea, and airport transfers and fuel surcharges are also included. However, there are two bonus tours thrown in to entice you, one of the famed Sydney Opera House and the other of the Great Barrier Reef.
The only catch is that you have to fly from Los Angeles. And you have to book by December 10 for travel from February 1, 2010 through March 31, 2010.
Talk with fellow Frommer's travelers in our Australia forum today.
