Time to score a few home runs Restauranteur Jim Berardo, outside his Noosa restaurant Berardo Bistro. Picture: Jack Tran Source: Supplied Bill Peach Journeys's new private Embraer jet. Qantas's new Select on Q-Eat dining service. Kakkoii WOW Bluetooth Speaker, $79.95; Old Green Rattler Tram Tea Towel, $22; AEOS 10-piece Travel Kit, $98 Source: Supplied PERHAPS it's the lure of a white-sand beach in the Queensland Whitsundays or the thought of a glass of fine Tassie wine in front of a crackling fire at a heritage-listed Hobart hotel, but Australians are starting to holiday at home again, even though our dollar is still at record levels. Don Morris, former chairman of Tourism Queensland and now chairman of tourism consultancy Tourism Thinktank, says, "Australians are [still] holidaying overseas with alacrity, because there are endless promotions of cheap airfares and packaged deals. But Queensland recorded double-digit growth in visitor nights in 2012 and figures in all states are up. Despite such positive results, Australian room rates definitely are not cheap. According to a survey released this week by online booking service hotels.com, Perth hotel tariffs, for example, averaged $211 a room a night last year, up about 15 per cent from 2011. In Sydney, rates jumped 4 per cent for the same period to $184 a night, while Brisbane hotel rates were up 1 per cent to $169. Hotels.com research shows this is the third consecutive year of positive growth for Australian hotels since the global financial crisis, although the 2012 increase of 4 per cent is notably less than the 11 per cent registered in 2010 and 8 per cent in 2011. As expected, hotels.com attributes the Perth room rate increases to the mining boom in Western Australia, while in Melbourne - where prices rose 6 per cent between 2011 and last year to $162 a night - the online booking service reckons strong demand from corporate and leisure travellers is fuelling demand. Prices in Queensland's Whitsundays dropped 9 per cent to average $247 a night, which may have helped lift visitor arrivals. On the NSW north coast, Byron Bay hotels recorded price drops of 7 per cent between 2011 and last year to $165 a night. But, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, tariffs remained stable at $186 a night while its competitor, the Gold Coast, sustained price increases of 2 per cent to average $165 a night. Meanwhile, Tourism Australia launched a Best Jobs in The World global campaign this week to boost attention. There are six intriguing positions on offer, and online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au reports that becoming a park ranger in Queensland leads its betting for the most applications, followed by "chief funster" in NSW and wildlife caretaker in South Australia. Also on offer are roles as a lifestyle photographer in Victoria, outback adventurer in the Northern Territory and "taste master" in Western Australia. THE INSIDERS Jim Berardo Noosa International Food And Wine Festival Director CRUISE: Noosa River A great thing to do with friends is grab some gourmet nibbles from Belmondos Fresh Food Market, pick up a bottle of wine, hire a pontoon boat for the day and cruise Noosa River. We drop an anchor in a hidden cove just below Richard Branson's Makepeace Island and enjoy paradise; belmondos.com; oboathire.com. SUNRISE: Noosa National Park It's worth the effort to get to the Sunshine Beach end of the park early - it's the best place on the Sunshine Coast to watch the sun rise; noosanationalpark.com. ADVENTURE: Noosa North Shore When I'm in the mood for a bit of adventure I get a 4WD and take a trip to Noosa North Shore. I head up 40 Mile Beach past the Coloured Sands to Rainbow Beach; visitnoosa.com.au/regions/noosa-north-shore. DELUXE DIGS: Freestyle Escape This cooking and art school with luxury accommodation in Dulong is one of those special hidden-away places where you can relax and get away from it all. Owner Martin Duncan ensures every detail is taken care of and is offering hands-on cooking classes with celebrity chefs; freestyleescape.com.au. ROMANCE: Gondola ride Expert gondolier Ricardo has taken many of my overseas guests on a magical sunset cruise of Noosa River. I love to tag along with a special bottle of bubbles, but if they are in the mood for romance I leave them with the expert who knows all the secret spots; gondolasofnoosa.com. EAT: The Long Apron My favourite dish at this restaurant, in the Spicers Clovelly Estate at Montville, is the roasted duck breast with coastal honey, pear and duck ham; spicersgroup.com.au/restaurant/long-apron. LAZY SUNDAY: Cooroy Pay a visit to this hinterland village, if only for the most amazing macarons and a truly authentic French cuisine experience at Eric Pernoud's Maison de Provence; 13 Garnet St, Cooroy; (07) 5472 0077. PRODUCE: Noosa Farmers Market I shop here for Cedar Street Haloumi for our restaurant, Berardo's; noosafarmersmarket.com.au; berardos.com.au. The Noosa International Food & Wine Festival will be held from May 16-19. More: noosafoodandwine.com.au. HOME AND AWAY TO celebrate its 30th anniversary, Bill Peach Journeys has added a 36-seat Embraer jet to its fly-cruise stable. The new aircraft can fly at 2000 feet (perfect sightseeing altitude) and flying time is halved - our trip from Sydney's Mascot to Bathurst takes less than 17 minutes; too many blinks and we could have missed an aerial view of the Blue Mountains. From Bathurst we travel by coach to Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort for lunch - it's a luxurious experience of pure Australiana with excellent local food and wine. The resort architecture takes its cues from woolsheds and sits well in a ruggedly beautiful terrain of escarpments and bushland. Bill Peach Journeys has structured a program of packages, including a 17-day Passage Through Ancient Cultures from Sydney to London, featuring Siem Reap, Muscat, Santorini and Prague. The separate return tour includes Dubrovnik, Abu Dhabi, Agra and Lombok, and flying time each day does not exceed three hours. As we zip back to Sydney after our Embraer sampling, I gaze out and daydream about the exotic destinations and World Heritage sites those lucky passengers will visit. Bundles of cumulus clouds cast map-like shadows across the landscape and look for all the world like continents. More: 1800 252 053; billpeachjourneys.com.au. Helen McKenzie T&I LOVES QANTAS's latest foray into the web world of international travel is something the airline calls (a little clumsily, I suggest) Select on Q-Eat. But the idea is great, enabling pre-selection of a preferred meal service online, 72 to 24 hours prior to departure. According to Qantas, by pre-ordering their meal, passengers are given access to a wider range of choices. Qantas business-class food is probably something you don't want to miss, however time zones may affect your appetite. Says Qantas International chief executive Simon Hickey: "An initial trial of the Select on Q-Eat service on our Los Angeles route was very well received by customers, who liked the broader menu and the ability to choose in advance at what stage in the flight they would like to eat." The service was extended to all Qantas international business-class services in October. More: selectonq.qantas.com. John Lethlean ACCESSORY Kakkoii WOW Bluetooth Speaker, $79.95 WITH a durable silicone coating, WOW (WithOut Wires) speakers are the perfect sound system for beach outings or holidays. The speakers stream music from iPhones, BlackBerrys, iPads or other Bluetooth-enabled devices for up to four hours before needing recharging (via USB). Available in eight vivid colours. More: (02) 9119 8700; until.com.au. ON THE BENCH Old Green Rattler Tram Tea Towel, $22 MELBOURNE company Chickenfoot Designs' tram-print tea towel is the perfect keepsake of the Victorian capital. Screen-printed by hand on 100 per cent European linen with non-toxic inks, Chickenfoot's Melbourne series also includes Flinders Street Station and Pellegrini's Espresso Bar designs. More: chickenfoot.com.au. ON THE ROAD AEOS 10-piece Travel Kit, $98 ORGANIC and biodynamic skincare brand AEOS has a travel-ready kit of 10 products based on "renewal, rebalance and replenish" - cleansing oil and creams, facial wash, exfoliant, energising conditioner, hydrating mist, skin serum, moisturiser, body "shower" and lotion. The cleansing oil contains sesame, avocado and spelt oils paired with jojoba and grapeseed oils and vitamin E while the hydrating mist includes soothing rosewater, lavender and citrus. More: begenkishop.com. BEST DEAL THE revamped Kryal Castle Adventure Park & Resort in Victoria's Ballarat has medieval-themed suites with hand-woven tapestry hangings and "modern conveniences" at a reopening rate of $145 a night, valid to March 21. More: kryalcastle.com.au. GREEN PIECES BRUNY Island Cruises has won the ecotourism category in the Australian Tourism Awards. The Tassie company was lauded for its "genuine connection with the coastal wilderness" and conservation practices. More: brunycruises.com.au. APT APP LOOKING for somewhere to dine or stay at late notice in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney? Scan the Get In Now QR symbol into your smartphone to find out which businesses have instant availability. More: getinnow.com.au. WEB WISE NEW site travelregistry.com.au offers a modern twist on the traditional bridal registry, allowing friends and relatives to log on and make a financial contribution towards the newlywed couple's holiday, from flights to romantic dinners. OPEN BOOK 'ON a Sunday afternoon in late summer, two elderly people in white linen hats, husband and wife without a doubt, and amiably married for 30 or 40 years, stand at the parkland tip of Bradleys Head on the northern shore of Sydney ... she wears a flowery cotton dress, he is in white shorts, though not of the very abbreviated kind known to Australians as stubbies ... '