Welcome to the new STA Travel Blog! As epic journeys go, this one is right up there with the best of them. This exciting new space is the hottest new spot in t’internet town, to talk about our favourite topic: travel.
You are not alone in spending every waking moment thinking about travel.
Whether that’s a boundless journey across the seven seas, or a whip around the world’s most exciting destinations, the STA Travel Blog is the place to be. We’ll be here every day, every week, with our pens dripping and our eyes and ears open.
What to expect
Expect a regular burst of inspirational ideas and destinations, rounded off with authentic travel tips and advice, direct from the road. If you have an opinion on the topics we discuss here on the STA Travel Blog, the comment threads are wide open for discussion, or carry your thoughts over to Facebook and Twitter.
Over the coming weeks we’re looking forward to prising open your imagination and welcoming some of our most travelled friends to answer the burning questions about travel.
Win a trip to Melbourne
To celebrate the launch of the STA Travel Blog, we’ve bumped chests with the top bods at one of our favourite cities, Melbourne, to bring you the chance to win a round trip for you and a friend to Australia’s capital of urban cool.
image courtesy of mugley
The prize includes return flights for two people, accommodation in the city, and a variety of tours and day trips to visit some of Melbourne’s most iconic, and less known sights.
All you have to do, is click this link, and share your opinion to be entered into the draw.
Meet your crew
I’ll leave you with a quick round up of the team:
You’ll be hearing from three of our consultants: Mark, Kim and Heather, as they form the STA Travel Blog’s Ask the Experts panel, answering questions from you about travelling.
Standing beside the panel, will be starry-eyed, Joe Robinson playing the role of consultant to the stars, Joe King.
Look out for our resident deal expert, Francoise, as she rounds up the best deals from STA Travel across the week. Meanwhile, expect a regular feed of inspiring reads from our Editor, Ant Stone.
Which leaves only one person. You. You’re at the very heart of what we do, right here on the blog and beyond to the far reaches of the STA Travel network.
Get involved, by sharing your thoughts, feelings and ideas in the comment threads here on the STA Travel Blog, and share it with your friends.
So there you go, all that’s left to say is that we’re really looking forward to welcoming you into the team, and learning from each other along the way. Be sure to visit regularly, for the latest word on travel, and the best deals to match!
The VW Camper – would love to explore all that Oz as too offer in one of them!
Melbourne is an amazing city and those pictures capture only a glimpse of what it has to offer. My favourite has to be the Wombats, no animal makes me happier than the rare sight of the nocturnal bumblers.
The race car-Exhilarating sexy and fast.
My first cousins live in Castlemaine and I have always wanted to visit and hear their band play! x
Its brilliant Melbourne keeps the track open to traffic and I would love to drive round it
This is way better than a brick & mortar establihsemnt.
The 2 people sitting on top of a mountain looking out at the view of the sea. The view is amazing and the perfect reward for a long climb- you’d get filled with such a great sense of achievement.
For me it was the shot of the edge of the motorbike against the stunning beach … I can let my hair down and just do whatever adventure I come across traveling … opportunities like that are what it is always about
The shot of he lovely architecture in central Melbourne, with the Tram at the crossing , all at night-time- gives the impression of a 24 hr city with new and reallt lovely old buildings.
C’mon Aussie- its got to be the graffiti alley ways- one of the coolest spots in the city – reflecting the vibrant funky art scene in the best city in the world!
I would say the cool night shots and backdrop of the city…the most vibarant, cool and fresh of all Ozzy cities!!!
Too hard! All of them – a riot of colour, art, nature and life. A direct contrast to a cold grey winter’s day in London. Help me escape!!
I would say the night city scapes…the lights, the energy, making Melbourne the freshest most coolest of all Ozzy cities!!!!
The shot of the couple on the beach because it reminds me of my boyfriend, its a long distance relationship so a holiday together would be wonderful, we also both have family in australia that we dont get to see. I havent seen my nan in over 15 years so the destination is perfect.
please, pretty please
Melissa
Love the shot of people ot eating and drinking on the square with the city scape in the background. People out enjoying themselves with the mix of old and new buildings lit up against the night sky really, this really sums up Melbourne for me.
The shot of the cute cafe grabbed me – Melbourne’s coffee scene is second to none… a stark contrast to my first cup of the day! Add that to the sun, sea, awesome alleyway bars and amazing shopping and there’s no-where I’d rather be.
My wife and I have always enjoyed a coffee and piece of cake after a days shopping, so for me it would have to be the picture aof the cafe and city scape. Wonderful.
Umm, are you really just giving this info out for nhointg?
The clip that definitely stands out for me, is the iconic Melbourne tram whizzing(!) past the very grand, Flinders Street Station, lit up at night to show it in its full glory. This clip epitomises Melbourne’s culture and its vibrance!
No copmanlits on this end, simply a good piece.
I never knew I had a secret inner biker until I saw these pics! Brilliant, wish I was there now….
The shot that stood out for me is the street grafitti of Mr.Angry Tomato!! With my pale Irish skin a day or so in Melbourne I would be the same colour as the tomoato but alot happier walking around with a massive grin!! I need to get a photo of me and him with our matching TANS!!
All bring back great memories but has to be the Great Ocean Road pic for me. What an eventful road trip!!!
Thanks for saihrng. Always good to find a real expert.
The maze looks fantastic!! I have never been to Melbourne but it seems like you never know what is around the corner.. like in a maze:)
I love all the shots and couldn’t pick just one, the art,nightlife, wildlife, history,and beautiful scenes of the ocean, its just Heaven! and would love to explore everything that Melbourne has to offer!
Well what an amazing choice of real Australia, it is fair dinkum. To be able to immerse your self in all that is Melbourne, you would be drowning in pleasure
The Essendon AFL game at the MCG; an amazing stadium hosting a quintessentially Australian sport, Aussie Rules!
The ballon with the girl, and the crazy red lips =D
Love the river/cityscape shot; it says this is a sophisticated and exciting city
oh, those beach photos are just sooooo inviting!!!!!!!!!!
The VW Camper van stood out for me. What else would you travel around in and get the surfer dude look?
The hot air balloon! That would be my dream come true! I have so many good memories of Australia and I need more to get my kicks!
The Rod Laver Arena because Rod Laver is a fellow Queenslander and my tennis hero and the Flinders Street Station, Victorian architecture that brings back a life-time of memories as it is quintessentially Melbourne.
The brightly coloured beach shacks on the Mornington peninsula foreshore because they say that this is definitely Melbourne.
The girl in the hanging chair by the beach, with a stella glass in the view shot. This is the Australian way of life in a nutshell. Relax, endulge, and appreciate the beautiful scenery. Everyone should be able to live like this, if only for a few weeks.
Loved the shots of the coast and the beachlifeguards. Living in Leeds we do not see the coast much and I would love to see the coastline near Melbourne especially in the sunshine!
A hot air balloon ride has always been a dream – and where better to pursue it than over the beautiful city of Melbourne!
The AFL player shot – Aussie Rules definitely do RULE!
All of them! Particulary the shot of the Royal Enfield, and obviously the Koala’s and Roos.
being a romantic my favourite picture is the one of the giant shell swings – looking through all the shots of melbourne i am dreaming of us riding the motorbikes through towns and countryside with my husband until we reach the beach and sit on the swings whilst eating watching the waves and the sun set on the beautiful coastline! beautiful stunning city – so much to discover!
This could not possibly have been more hefplul!
The kangaroos, probably because they are iconic of Australia!
For me it’s that fabulous coastal road and the beaches and hey they hold a F1 grands prix every year. This city has everything.
I LOVE THE SHOT OF THE COUPLE WALKING ALONG THE BEACH-HOW RELAXING IS THAT!
The low-contrast shot of the VW Camper van at around 23 seconds. It hits at the possibilities open to backpackers and travellers in Australia, the open road, the self-directed adventure, the fact that so many different environments and cultural highlights are available in one amazing road trip.
My favourite shot is one of the first at just 3 seconds in – the view of the city at night from the river with the lights shining from all the buildings and the big wheel lit up. Its an awesome sight, makes you want to go and see it for real. Brilliant video, shows the great diversity of experiences that a trip to Melbourne has to offer in snapshots. Definitely well put together and doing its job as i want to see more!!
The shot of the people in the tree-lined street with the city in the backdrop. I want to go there to pause and soak up the atomosphere of Melbourne life before exploring the rest of the city and beyond as captured in the amazing montage!!
“Married to Melbourne” shouted out all the adventure and anticipation that will be unleashed and ‘poured out’ in a holiday in Melbourne.
Definitely the shots of Koala and the kangaroos.They’re Australia’s trademark and I’d love to see them living freely in their natural environment.
Hey everyone! These are great picks, but just to keep it fair, I have mentioned in the post, that the comments need to be on this post: http://sta.travel/sM0J6n
Sorry if this wasn’t clear enough… good luck!
The twelve apostles look great.
There’s a sceert about your post. ICTYBTIHTKY
I love all of the photos, and it was so hard to pin point just one but I’d have to say the photo taken up above the ‘blue mountains’..that’s just a guess but it’s two people sitting up on a rock face overlooking the most amazing landscape. That just sums up what a trip to Australia would mean for me – complete and utter happiness, a feeling of pure comfort. I want to go to Aus sooo bad! xx
I would like to see great ocean road, which is one of the world’s best coastal drives, and love to see the 12 apostles along the great ocean road….
Little bit anxiety about, who will grab this chance….
cheers
Wow..all the pictures are great but I love all the coastal pics and the hot air balloon pic … chose just one? I’d go for the coast!
Fantastic pictures – especially the ones of the sunny coastline, and I also love the atmosphere in the photos of people relaxing in outside cafes and bars. They jumped out at me because I live on the coast in the north east, but it couldn’t be more different! I did notice the VW camper too – sun, coast, camper and outdoor bars
- trip of my dreams!
The photos of the koala bear and kangaroos, it would be a dream to experience the incredible wildlife and scenery of Melbourne.