International Aussie Rules in Warrnambool
7th September 2008 With the final of the Australian Football International Cup played at the MCG on the 5th of September the event is over for another three years. The staging of two rounds of the cup in such a small rural city was something of a coup for the city of Warrnambool. The event bought together 16 teams and over 3000 players and support staff from all over the globe, it also attracted supporters who had traveled from as far away as Darwin to support the competition. Commentators from the sporting media seem to agree that the event has gone past being a novelty and in future years will become a serious international event. The inclusion of a team of both Israeli and Palestinian players which was aptly named "The Peace Team" was also a good indication of the spirit in which the event was held and a hallmark of the Australian game where competitors will be opponents on the field but get together for a beer after the game.
Never before has the Cup hosted this many countries, and the event takes on greater significance this year as Australia celebrates the 150th birthday of its indigenous game.
For more information on the AFL International Cup please Click Here

Action from the Ireland, Canada match played 1st September 2008

Fuel Prices in Perspective
8th July 2008 The combination of record fuel prices and the constant flow of doom and gloom coming from the media is beginning to have a serious effect on regional tourism, with many operators reporting occupancies at their lowest levels for over 20 years.
While there is not much that can be done to alter the price of petrol, the plain reality is even though petrol prices have risen by about 30 cents a litre, the cost of an average holiday trip of 600km ( e.g round trip from Melbourne to Warrnambool and back ) will only add $18 to the total cost of the holiday for the owner of a typical 6 cylinder family sedan (Falcon - Holden), or $14 for compact 4 cylinder ( Ford Focus - Holden Astra ) and about $27 for a large 4 WD (Toyota Landcruiser - Nissan Patrol). So even though it will add about $20 to the cost of a holiday, when you take into account the cost of meals and accommodation, etc. the real percentage increase is only quite small. In fact for many tourists it may not cost anything extra as many accommodation operators are now offering fuel vouchers or price discounts as sales incentives so if you are planning a holiday to the South West it might be worth while to ask whether your accommodation provider offers any form of fuel rebate or discount. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to check such things as prices then the Accommodation Inquiry Form at the top right of the page will save time and put you in contact with all relevant accommodation providers in the region

Doubles   $110
Family   $134 (4)

Click the picture for more inform-ation on Robe- town Motor Inn

Interesting &
out of the way places to visit