January 31, 2007

PACIFIC | AUSTRALIA | QUEENSLAND

Flashpacking Down Under

By Michael Rovner

Australia's new edge in affordable luxury.

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Have you met the flashpackers? This new breed of moneyed traveler is so named for possessing the backpacker spirit and deep pockets. Lately, there’s been no shortage of flashpacker action in Hervey Bay, the Queensland resort town, two hours north of Brisbane. The sub-tropical hotspot lays claim to some of the nation’s finest beaches, in addition to world-class whale watching. And in two weeks time, Peppers Pier Resort Hervey Bay will welcome guests to the area’s first affordably priced five-star option. The hotel’s high points? Its landscaped lagoon pool and proximity to eco adventures. It’s also an easy daytrip to the world heritage-listed Fraser Island — the largest sand island on earth with over 100 freshwater lakes (among the cleanest on the planet), and the only rainforest anywhere that grows on sand.