Queen Elizabeth's Four-Hour Visit to Brisbane Leaves Lasting Impression

SHE spent just over four hours in the state that bears her name but the Queen's visit left a lasting impression on a recovering Brisbane.

More than 45,000 people crowded into South Bank to welcome Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh to Queensland for maybe the last time.

Despite soaring temperatures, the crowd swelled - as many as 30-people deep in some sections - waiting for a glimpse of the Queen.

After a trip down the Brisbane River, she later comforted flood and cyclone victims and thanked volunteers who helped the state through its summer of disasters.

Ben Conway, 8, was one of the lucky ones to meet the monarch. The last time he wore his Queen's Guard's outfit, it was among his school mates at a Rochedale State School cultural day.

Yesterday, the little boy from Daisy Hill got to don the ceremonial uniform of the palace foot guards again.

But this time he got to meet the Queen.

Ben was among a handful of excited children plucked from a crowd of more than 45,000 at South Bank to meet Her Majesty.

The 85-year-old monarch and the eight-year-old Queensland boy may not have exchanged many words, but they shared smiles and a photograph instead.

Asked about whether he was nervous, Ben declared "not at all", insisting "I had fun".

It was Ben's mother, Barbara, who was more overawed by the occasion.

The family emigrated from England a decade ago to settle in southeast Queensland.

Mrs Conway, 44, said she made the outfit for Ben to wear to a cultural day where students wore costumes from another country.

Mrs Conway, Ben and his older brother David, 10, waited at South Bank from 8am, and as the crowd gathered, they feared even seeing the Queen was going to be difficult.

And while some people in the crowd suffered under the sun, Ben soldiered on with only one piece of his apparel giving him grief in the heat: "Just my hat," he said.

The 45,000-strong crowd at South Bank yesterday was the biggest to welcome Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh since the royal pair touched down in Australia last week.

The city, for its part, turned on a glorious spring day, with temperatures hitting 27C and several royal watchers subsequently treated for heat exhaustion.

It was Her Majesty's 16th visit to Australia and her first tour of Brisbane since 2002.

After landing at Brisbane Airport, the royal couple was taken to Bretts Wharf, where they boarded a boat for a trip along the Brisbane River.

The party arrived at South Bank, met with flood and cyclone victims and heroes, dignitaries and a couple of koalas, before opening a new addition to the site a stormwater harvesting plant and sharing some lunch with a lucky few.

The Queen's Arrives in Brisbane

Queen Elizabeth has arrived in Brisbane for what could be the monarch's last visit to her namesake state.

The Queen, wearing a pale green coat and matching hat, and Prince Philip touched down at Brisbane airport just after 11am (AEST) on a flight from Canberra.

Hundreds of people gathered outside a security fence to watch the Queen's arrival, many waving Australian flags.

The royal couple was greeted by dignitaries including Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley, who will accompany the royal couple on a cruise up the Brisbane River.

Ms Bligh, wearing a scarlet suit and cream hat, has said she'd do her best to paint a picture of the damage the surging river did to the city in January.

Governor Wensley greeted the Queen with a traditional curtsey, but Ms Bligh followed Prime Minister Julia Gillard's lead and bowed to the monarch.

The royal couple then climbed into a vehicle, bound for their river cruise.

Ms Bligh earlier admitted to being nervous about meeting the royal couple and said she'd look to the Queen for conservational cues during the river cruise, due to leave from Bretts Wharf ferry terminal at 11.30am (AEST).

'She'll be able to see a city that's well and truly recovered,' Ms Bligh told ABC radio earlier.

'I'll be pointing out the worst hit areas for her to see just how much things have improved since then.'

Royal watchers began staking out viewing positions early on Monday at sites along the river, including at the ferry terminal.

Among the scores of wellwishers at the site is die-hard royal watcher Shirley Rogers, who's brought along an elaborately wrapped tea towel as a present for the Queen.

Decked out in her finest pearls and a red hat, Ms Rogers said the Queen, who is 85, continued to show remarkable energy.

'I've always loved her. She's down to earth, so natural, a colourful person,' she told AAP.

Also there is Janice Warriner, who turned out to see the Queen on previous visits in 1954, 1970 and 1988.

'I like her as a person and I like the idea of a monarchy. I think it's not broken, so why fix it.'

The royal visit will focus heavily on Queensland's deadly summer of natural disasters.

On Monday afternoon, after arriving at South Bank, the Queen and Prince Philip will meet with flood and cyclone victims who lost family members and homes.

Ms Bligh said the Queen had expressed a strong desire to meet with people who'd suffered the most, and would see that beyond the 'shiny veneer' of recovery, many people were still hurting.

The royal couple will explore the river aboard the cruiser Pure Adrenalin, alongside the premier, her husband Greg Withers, Governor Wensley and her husband Stuart McCosker.

It should be a comfortable ride, the 27 metre luxury wave piercing catamaran is fully air conditioned with spacious viewing decks.

After her engagements at South Bank, the Queen's last stop will be Government House for a private lunch hosted by Governor Wensley, before he jets off.

Queensland Tourism News: Australian Domesic Intentions Fall as International Picks Up

More Aussies are taking advantage of the strong Aussie dollar and planning overseas trips, dropping the number of Australians intending to travel domestically down three percent over the year compared to the same time last year.

According to a Roy Morgan Research Holiday Tracking Survey, the number of Aussies intending to go on a domestic trip over the next 12 months has fallen to 55 percent while the number planning an international trip grew nine percent in August this year, up one percent on the same month last year.

Roy Morgan Research international director of tourism Jane Janniello said domestic travel may pick up if expert predictions that the Aussie dollar will weaken come to life.

“However, the long-term outlook for domestic tourism is not rosy, with the percentage of Australians saying they would like a domestic holiday at 76% in August 2011, down from 78% in August 2010 and 80% in August 2006,” she explained.

Of the Aussie 14 years and older, around 68 percent said they intend to take at least one holiday over next, down from 70 percent last year.

Ms Janniello added that the leading was for Aussies to plan a trip is online and through books, with 86 percent of holiday intenders access the net at least once a month, while 61 percent say internet is most useful media for travel and accommodation.
“Of those holiday intenders who booked their last holiday, 58% did so via the internet,” she concluded.

Australian Domesic Intentions Fall as International Picks Up

Queensland Tourism News: Queensland Gets a Vitamin Boost

Tourism Queensland has launched a new AUD4 million campaign called ‘Vitamin Me’ promoting Queensland as the ideal destination to unwind and relax.

Kicking off the campaign's activities from 22 October, Minister for Tourism, manufacturing and small business Jan Jarratt said Vitamin Me highlighted the natural beauty that Queensland offered visitors.

“Vitamin Me is the name given to that feeling of relaxation you get from a Queensland holiday. It's a fun, creative idea that demonstrates why Queensland is Where Australia Shines,” Ms Jarratt said.

Ms Jarratt said to celebrate the campaign, Tourism Queensland has developed a fun way for people to test their Vitamin Me levels in an online quiz, where participants go into the draw to win an AUD10, 000 Queensland holiday.

Queensland Tourism News: Queensland Gets a Vitamin Boost

New Virgin Australia Route a Boost for Local Tourism

The launch today of new Virgin Australia direct return flights from Port Macquarie to Brisbane will provide a much needed boost to local tourism in both destinations.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Accommodation Association of Australia, Richard Munro, congratulated Virgin Australia for adding more services to regional areas, and the Federal Government for its investment in local airport infrastructure which has made this new route possible.

"Accommodation and tourism operators in these areas welcome the new flights, which allow greater access for more international and domestic travellers to NSW's beautiful mid-north coast, and all that Brisbane has to offer," said Mr Munro.

"It is great to see Virgin Australia expanding into these emerging regional areas, where hard working local accommodation and tourism operators are ready and waiting to welcome guests. Making it easier for international travellers to visit more of Australia's unique destinations, and for Australians to holiday and travel within Australia will provide a boost to our home-grown domestic tourism industry. This also helps to boost to the economy of Australia as a whole."

Royals Visit Australia: Going Gaga for Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II begins this week her 16th official tour of Australia, competing with Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey as the biggest celebrity visitor down under in the past year as her fame outweighs her political relevance in a country where she is officially the head of state.

Arriving late Wednesday in the capital Canberra, where she will meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard—who publicly supports Australia's becoming a republic—the queen will take trips to Brisbane and Melbourne before traveling to Perth to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

"The queen's visit now is less a factor in politics than it is popular entertainment," Richard Stanton, senior lecturer in political communication at University of Sydney, said. "She is seen today by a generation in the same way Lady Gaga is seen."

Still, it's hard to picture the queen's hand-waving and flower-show excursions inspiring the hysteria that celebrities do. Lady Gaga, for instance, was granted honorary citizenship to Sydney when she flew in for a single concert in July, and Oprah Winfrey's visit last December was celebrated with a giant "O" installed on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

The queen's visit isn't expected to reignite a debate over cutting the links that make her Australia's head of state—as much as Australia's Republican Movement wishes otherwise. The lobby plans receptions in each of the major cities the 85-year-old queen plans to visit to push for a constitutional change making Australia a republic, with an elected president as head of state.

Royals Visit Australia: Going Gaga for Queen Elizabeth

Australian Open Tennis

BRISBANE fell in love with Kim Clijsters in 2010.

This year, the Belgian who has long been dubbed "Aussie Kim" lived up to that name when she won the Australian Open.

Yesterday, she became the latest in a string of big-name signings for the Brisbane International, where she will start preparing the defence of her Australian Open crown from January 1-8.

"I am looking forward to getting back on the court in Australia," Clijsters said.

"Australia has always been a home away from home for me and I am very comfortable there."

After she won a punishing 2010 Brisbane International final against countrywoman Justine Henin, Clijsters donated her champion's cheque to the Royal Children's Hospital, winning hearts all over the state.

"The final against Justine was a big match," Clijsters said.

Australian Open Tennis