True luxury comes to the Australian outback. Great Southern Railways launches “the Southern Spirit – luxury rail cruises”

The Great Southern Rail is launching its new Platinum level Service on The Ghan rail service. The Ghan has connected Adelaide with Darwin for a number of years but the new Platinum service really takes this train journey into a level of luxury of some of the great train journeys of the world. The twice weekly trip takes two nights to cover the 2979km in either direction with ½ day stop-overs in Alice Spring and Katharine on the way. The new Platinum cabins are twice the size of Gold class cabins and include full ensuite facilities, a plush lounge by day and a double or two twin beds by night. Platinum class includes 24 hour room service but you also have the choice of dining in the elegantly themed Queen Adelaide Restaurant Carriage or relaxing in the outback Explorer lounge.

This trip from south to north is the last word in luxury for a train line that took over 100 years to develop. The original Ghan replaced the Afghan camel drivers who helped open up the outback. The first 40 kilometres of track was laid in 1879 between Port Augusta and Quorn. It took another 50 years following the line of artesian springs through Maree, Oodnadatta until the line reached Alice Springs: roughly ½ way. The line was notoriously difficult to maintain and the old Ghan train, definitely not a 5 star luxury experience, was often days late into either Alice Springs or Adelaide. The old line had to follow the line of artesian water bores as the steam trains needed frequent water stops. Finally in 1980 the current line was opened re-aligning the train to Alice Springs via Tarcoola, several hundred kilometres to the east. Remnants of the old line remain are a popular trip for 4WD enthusiasts. The line was only extended to Darwin in 2003! Photo credit: vacation tips

November 2008 sees the launch of Luxury Australian Rail Cruises, with a 13 day cruise across the heart of Australia from the Darwin, through the tropical tropical Top End, the Red Centre, the scenic south, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra to Sydney. This marathon trip takes 13 days and is priced at A$13,290 per person twin share in Platinum class (the cheaper gold class is also available). Prices include “port excursions”in Katharine, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra. What a way to experience without any of the inconvenience of the dust and flys: well except of course when you leave the “ship”!

Actress and comedienne Brett Butler sold a three-bedroom home in Hollywood Hills for $2 million. The home had been on the market for $2.347 million. Although the house sold in April, the papers weren’t recorded until last month. It doesn’t appear to have been bought by another celebrity.

According to Mr. Big Time, the house has three fireplaces, an atrium great room, a pool, separate guest house and a fair-sized yard on just over 3/4 of an acre.

The atrium great room has a ton of windows, with views of the trees and hills. It opens out straight to the pool. We love the brightness of the room with all of those windows. Not really digging the fireplace, though. But there’s not enough of it in the pictures to get a great view.

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The kidney-shaped pool has several palm trees at one end and a little deck/ entertaining area next to it. And the kitchen? Well, you know our love of kitchens. It seems nice, with what could possibly be cherry wood cabinets. A six-burner stove is always a good sign. But other than that, there aren’t enough shots of the kitchen for us to adequately drool over it. And that? Makes us sad indeed, my lovelies.

The living room seems pretty huge, with a raised ceiling and exposed beams. The beam look may not be for everyone, but we like it when it’s done right. You can fit a couple of extremely long couches and plenty of chairs, so it would be perfect for someone who likes to have quiet parties with lots of friends sitting around, sipping wine and talking about their latest book club read.

Anyway, we’re a little surprised that anything in the Hollywood Hills is going for “only” $2,000,000, especially one with views of the city and Hollywood sign.

Butler is best known for her acerbic humor and television show, Grace Under Fire.

Richard Branson, high-profile British entrepreneur, is once again attempting to jump on the “Green,” bandwagon with a “eco-resort,” in the Caribbean

According to Yahoo news, Mr. Branson said that his two private Caribbean Islands have a higher purpose than serving as ultra-luxury retreats for entertainment and business A-listers, and he plans to power the proposed resort with a mixture of solar and wind power. He apparently said this while standing next to his collection of pink flamingos, a species not native to the Caribbean, but decorative enough to warrant importing and to hell with the environmental consequences.

It is actually inexcusable for the Caribbean to need to use dirty fuels anymore when it has all these natural resources on its doorstep

The Island itself, Mosquito Island, is currently an uninhabited dot of land off the Island Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. The proposal includes plans for wind cooling, and solar heating, both of which are available just by standing on the beach I would imagine. The full story is here.

Mr. Branson has been selling himself as a “green,” advocate for some time now, and we all know how well his plans to run his airplanes on coconut oil are progressing. Last time I checked, the air was still full of Virgin banners using Avgas.

So, how eco-friendly can a resort this remote be? Is it merely coincidence that any one visiting this resort from Europe must fly half way around the world first, and Mr. Branson just happens to own an airline?

He has already defended himself from the allegation that he is a hypocrite for running a transatlantic airline and claiming to be an environmentalist with the argument that if he didn’t do it, somebody else would.

Now, I am no expert on carbon footprints, but lets take a family of four in Sussex, for example: a car drive to Heathrow, a transatlantic flight to Miami, a local flight to San Juan, a taxi ride to the port, and a boat trip out to the eco-resort on Mosquito Island. Does it matter if the air-conditioner is wind-powered? Slightly more environmentally friendly than trying to sell rich Russians a few minute trip into space? Virgin Galactic. Probably.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with a luxury resort on a private Island in the Caribbean. Just don’t tell me you are doing the planet a favor.

Comments welcome

Ralph Fiennes closed a deal on a 2 bedroom (1 bed + office) condo in Manhattan’s Meatpacking district, paying $2 million for a mere 1200 square foot. Of course, in New York real estate, that’s not a big surprise.

The listing boasts of Empire State Building views and a roof-top deck. It also touts a top-of-the-line kitchen, high ceilings, and plenty of storage in the master bedroom closet.

From what we can see in the (tiny) pics, the kitchen appears to have stainless-steel appliances - and possibly a stainless sink, too. The bathroom has a nice, large shower. It’s hard to tell if the soaking tub is also nice and large, but one would hope so. But in 1,200 square-feet, we doubt it.

Aiutaki is commonly held to be the most beautiful island in the world. A tricky fact to verify but even the most jaded travellers rave about the beauty of Aiutaki: it really is a little-known gem. The reason that Aiutaki isn’t better known is quite simply that its a long, long way from anywhere. Aiutaki is one the 15 odd islands that make up the country of the Cook Islands in the South Pacfic: right of Tonga, left of French Polynesia and below Hawaii. The 15 islands are spread over 2.2 million square kilometres. To get to Aiutaki you will need to first fly to Rarotonga: the capital and then connect for the 45 minute flight Aiutaki itself. For your trouble you will be rewarded with scenes like this:

Photo credit luthor522

More on Aitutaki: The Most Beautiful Island in the Pacific

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, both country music superstars, have bought a house in Malibu. According to the LA TImes, the purchase price wasn’t disclosed, but the home was listed at $5.45 million.

This new house, at about 3,700 square feet seems, well, a little small for the Oklahoma native. His house near Owasso sits on 2,400 acres and looks like a village. But the house in Malibu has something the Owasso house doesn’t: a half acre and Pacific Ocean beach access.

Pictures show a nice little patio in the back of the new home, with plenty of yard for Brooks’ rugrats to play in. The master bedroom has two sets of french doors that open onto part of the patio. With lots of light and vaulted ceilings, the master suite has a nice feeling of space. We like, except for the 4-poster bed. (Not a fan.)

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When you get to the living room (or maybe it’s a den), though, you can start to see the house’s age. It was built in 1958. Although the brick fireplace and built-in sideboard are nice enough, they look a bit dated. Or maybe it’s the couch, chairs, and coffee table that add to the dated look.

The kitchen, on the other hand, looks like it has been redone. The high windows and skylight bring in a lot of natural light. The countertops, island, and 6-burner stove make us drool just a tiny bit. And we even like the old-style cabinet on the back wall of the kitchen. Gives it almost a country feel. The dining room has three sets of french doors that open onto the patio. Again, lots of light really keeps this room from being drab and too beige.

The second living room - or whatever it is -also has the high windows for plenty of light. We’re not so sure about the tile, though. We’d prefer the wood floors of the master suite. At least it’s much less out-of-style than the other living room was.

Even if you’re not a fan of country music, you’ve probably heard of Brooks. He’s the top-selling solo artist of the 20th century. His free concert in Central Park in 1997 was reportedly one of the most well-attended Central Park concerts ever. Many of his albums went platinum multiple times.

Brooks divorced his wife, Sandra, in 2001. After that quieted down, he started dating Yearwood. There had been rumors of an affair for years, but both deny it. Even if there was no affair, you could tell Brooks felt something for Yearwood just based on the way he talked about her in interviews. He had nothing but high praise and a good dose of affection for her. They married in 2005.

With the rapid development and expansion that Mumbai is undergoing, there has been a parallel growth in the real estate industry, which has experienced an unprecedented upsurge in the past several years. Residential complexes particularly have been on the rise, as along with the upswing of a wealthy middle class, Mumbai’s luxury section is one of the fastest growing in India today.
Along with the other luxury real estate developers, the Kanakia Construction group or Kanakia Spaces has seen an unparalleled growth across the country. It has become a household name in Mumbai’s suburbs as its numerous projects have given the suburbs a complete new look.

Kanakia Spaces is well known around the country for its strategic, stylized construction plans. Kanakia has consistently selected accessible locations which ensure no inconvenience for flat buyers, and has provided comfortable luxury lifestyles of international quality. Before any construction, the group ensures the area’s proximity to the railway station, hospitals, entertainment complexes, schools and colleges. It is known for making the most of construction space.

Kanakia’s Eternity Row Houses in Thane west is a design of 21 two storey row houses, nestled in Thane’s sprawling natural expanse. Each spacious row house has its own garden space and is part of the combined space which boasts of a children’s garden, a walking track and a swimming pool, all among lush green lawns. The Eternity towers, located in the same area, too offer a complete lifestyle to residents. The entire complex consisting of the 21 row houses, 4 towers and 3 buildings, caters in itself to every urban need.

Kandivili and Borivili too have received a completely new look too, thanks to Kanakia Spaces. Aangan, the Challenger Towers, Sanskruti, Sky High and Sky Walk in Kandivili, have made this suburb one of the best developed and comfortable. All these complexes are like a world within a world: cozy enclaves in the city.

Bluebell, Country Park, Orchid, and the Discovery in Borivili too are some of the most cutting-edge constructions around Mumbai. They are located in some of Borivili’s most scenic locations.
Today Kanakia Spaces has several upcoming projects not only in Mumbai, but other parts of the country as well. Their luxury apartments have proven to be a cut above the rest