Sponsored by Australia Post.
Before jetting off to their next must-see destination, travellers in the know pave the way by visiting their local Post Office. You’ll be surprised by what Australia Post has to offer.
Where to travel?
Option 1 Italy: Cinque Terre
Five medieval villages painted in pretty pastels and blessed with snug fishing harbours make up Cinque Terre on the rugged Ligurian coastline – the perfect destination for a walking holiday.
Unchanged for 500 years, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore remind us how the best things in life are often the simplest.
Ancient trails link the five villages. These well-worn paths skirt silver-green olive groves and scalloped bays of sand and sapphire sea.
For the fleet of foot, the 23 kilometres between Monterosso in the north and Riomaggiore in the south can take as little as five hours, but tarry and you’ll be rewarded.
Along the trails are beautiful churches and ruined farmhouses, fountains and fragrant orchards, and tiny, oh-so-perfect-for-lunch trattorias.
The foot- weary can skip a section by taking an underground train or a dapper little ferry, but everyone is advised to book a bed before departing.
All the villages have plenty of family-run hotels or pensiones, but in the high season, plenty is never enough.
After a day exploring, a harbourside restaurant is a welcome port of call and the ideal place to plan the next day’s walk.
Grilled fish pulled out of the sea just hours before and specialty trofie pasta dishes are served alfresco
in the piazza.
Enjoy the local wine as the Romans once did, bottles of it have been found in the ruins of Pompeii.
Option 2: China Xi’an. Home of the Terracotta Army
China Xi’an. Home of the Terracotta Army
Located at the end of the Silk Road, the ancient city of Xi’an in central China’s Shaanxi province is home to one of history’s most extraordinary archaeological finds – more than 8000 life-sized clay figures of infantry soldiers, archers, cavalry horses, chariots and acrobats, all unearthed in an imperial tomb the size of a mountain.
These sentinels have been watching over the tomb of the country’s first emperor for more than 2000 years and it appears the army is about to swell in size as digital scanning techniques reveal another 1400 unearthed statues.
Recent research also suggests that the soldiers’ facial features are all different and may be portraits of individuals in the emperor’s army.
Housed in vast warehouses that cover the area of several football fields, the soldiers are so life-like that they appear to be marching from their subterranean barracks.
Just a 40-minute drive separates the Terracotta Army from Xi’an (which now has two direct flights a week from Australia).
Once China’s ancient capital, Xi’an is a fascinating destination, with towering city walls, temples, great squares and magnificent pagodas.
Where to buy your travel essentials? Australia Post – The One-Stop Travel Shop
You can exchange foreign cash with no commission at your local Post Office, and have photographs taken for your passport and visa applications.
You can even get travel insurance and a travel card.
Travel cards available at Australia Post.
LOAD & GO TRAVEL CARD: Enables you to load up to five currencies at locked-in rates. It works like a debit card. Buy it at your local Post Office and use it anywhere that takes Visa and at international ATMs.
LOAD & GO CHINA CARD: Lets you spend Australian Dollars or Chinese Yuan with UnionPay, China’s most widely accepted card network. In fact, you can you use it in 150 countries worldwide, wherever UnionPay is accepted. And with a Load&Go China card, you get VIP express China Visa service at visa application centres in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth.
MULTI-CURRENCY CASH PASSPORT: Gives you access to 10 currencies and is accepted at 35.9 million MasterCard retailers or online, plus ATMs around the world.
Special offer: If you buy Australia Post Travel Insurance in-store (or online with promo code ‘TRAVELSET’), you can save 20% on your premium. Get a quote online in minutes. From comprehensive to basic cover, you choose which benefits matter most to you.
Travel Insurance: 20% discount is not available in conjunction with any other offer. The discount will be applied to the base premium of the Insurance Policy. The premium will be rounded to the nearest $1 amount and as a result the discount received may be less than 20% in some cases. Offer ends 30 June 2016. Policies may not be available to all travellers. Limits, conditions, exclusions and fees apply. This is general advice only. Australian Postal Corporation ABN 28 864 970 579 (AR No 338646) is the distributor of Australia Post Travel Insurance and is an Authorised Representative of Australia Post Services Pty Ltd ABN 67 002 599 340 (AFSL No. 457551). Insurance products are issued by Great Lakes Australia ARBN 127 740 532, ABN 18 964 580 576 (AFSL 318603). Please consider your needs, financial situation and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statements available at auspost.com.au/travelinsurance before making a decision to buy this. Prepaid TravelSIM®+: TravelSIM®+ is a registered trademark of Premas Solutions IP Pty Ltd and licensed exclusively to TravelSIM Australia Pty Ltd in Australia. Powered by . Rates vary depending on country of travel and types of calls made. Device must be unlocked for the Australia Post Prepaid TravelSIM®+ to work with your mobile device. Multi-currency Cash Passport™: MasterCard Prepaid Management Services Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 47 145 452 044, AFSL 386 837) arranges for the issue of the Cash Passport in conjunction with the issuer, Heritage Bank Limited (ABN 32 087 652 024, AFSL 240 984) (Heritage). Australian Postal Corporation ABN 67 002 599 340 (AR No. 338646), the card distributor, acts as an Authorised Representative of Australia Post Services Pty Ltd ABN 67 002 599 340 (AFSL No. 457551). MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated. Before you make a decision to acquire the card, please check www.cashpassport.onlinetravelmoney.com.au/auspost for the latest currencies supported. Load&Go Travel: Card fees and load limits apply. Issued by Heritage Bank Limited ABN 32 087 652 024 AFSL 240984 Australian Credit Licence 240984. Australian Postal Corporation ABN 28 864 970 579 (AR No. 338646) is the distributor of the card and is an Authorised Representative of Australia Post Services Pty Ltd ABN 67 002 599 340 (AFSL No. 457551). It is important for you to consider whether this product is right for you and to read the PDS available at auspost.com.au/loadandgotravel before purchasing your card. Excludes ATMs, over the counter at financial institutions and merchants who elect not to accept Visa Prepaid Cards. Merchants or other providers may impose limits on use of the Card. Load&Go China: The Card is issued by Bank of China (Australia) Limited (ABN 28 110 077 622) AFSL and Australian Credit Licence Number 287322. Australian Postal Corporation (ABN 28 864 970 579) AR 338646 is the distributor of the Card and is an authorised representative of Australia Post Services Pty Ltd (ABN 67 002 599 340) AFSL 457551. Information is for reference only and any advice does not take into account your personal needs and financial situation. You should consider whether the Card is appropriate for you. We recommend you read the Card Product Disclosure Statement and the Conditions of Use available at auspost.com.au/loadandgochina before acquiring the Card. Excludes ATMs, over the counter at financial institutions and merchants who elect not to accept Visa Prepaid Cards. Merchants or other providers may impose limits on use of the Card.
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