Excitement, of course, as Ramsay is recognised as a master of French cuisine and one of the world's best chefs.

Apprehension, too. After all, Ramsay's TV shows have made him famous as a loudmouthed, straight-talking taskmaster.

So what are you going to say when you order medium ... Read More

"It's just wrong ... It's not true," spokesman John Mann said when asked to comment on the report.

A representative for Airbus could not confirm or deny the report.

French newspaper Le Figaro, which did not cite sources, said that Abramovich was the mystery buyer behin... Read More

The Herald Sun has been told the take-off load could have been up to 100 tonnes more than the weight recorded.

The ATSB will release its report tomorrow on the March 20 incident at Tullamarine, which it has already billed as “significant”.

The report, which details e... Read More

When I opened the heavy wooden door, a butler in an immaculate white jacket asked to come in. He wheeled in a table, on which had been placed an orchid, a silver spiral of small jars and a domed silver cover big enough to conceal a whole goose.

The idea, which the Associated Press said would radically alter intercontinental travel, was still in its early stages and the airline was polling customers to gauge interest, Lufthansa spokeswoman Amelie Lorenz said.

"Welcome to Asia," he said, as he dropped me off by the Friendship Arch at Cabramatta's Freedom Plaza. "You won't see another white face, I promise you, and it only cost you $63 to get here!"

The tour involves solving puzzles and enigmas and decoding secret messages hidden in ancient sculptures and texts. It is based on the popular Dan Brown novel Angels and Demons, which was turned into a film starring Tom Hanks.

Trouble in Thailand and feuds in fun-loving Fiji have mostly been ignored by Aussie travellers determined to make the most of short trips overseas, The Herlad Sun reports.

It's there as the bus pulls up outside our quaint hotel and it's there loud and clear one morning when we hire bikes and take a windswept ride across the famous Golden Gate Bridge.

Glen Leon Fave, 46, pleaded guilty to three charges in the Cairns Magistrates' Court yesterday after the flight from Brisbane to Cairns on September 11, The Cairns Post reports.

Perisher Blue

AUSTRALIA'S biggest ski resort, created by the merger of four resorts into one, features an extensive investment in snow-making and grooming and a lift capacity to rival many resorts in the US and Europe.

What's new for 2008:

Since its debut in 2004, Australia has always come out on top of the Lonely Planet Travellers' Pulse Survey.

But this year, for the first time, the US collected 1509 of the 17,500 votes from 132 countries, followed by Australia with 1222.

The United Kingdom took out bronze (965 ... Read More

The arrival of V Australia, a long-haul, full-service airline, is the latest addition to the Virgin Blue Group - and the new Boeing 777 its weapon of choice in the trans-Pacific route war.

My kite-surfing instructor, however, grins from ear to ear. "It's makin' me smile," says Brett. "These conditions are brilliant, they couldn't be better. Look at those guys out there on the water. What's the bet they've called in sick from work today? When the conditions are spot... Read More

QANTAS and Jetstar planes are flying more slowly to save fuel in a desperate attempt to reduce the soaring jet fuel costs threatening airline profits.

Virgin Blue is also considering slowing down its planes during descent as a way of cutting fuel use. Jetstar has been flying more... Read More

Advertising campaigns painted it as the party island of the Great Barrier Reef, and it was later the paradise of Contiki's 18-35 set.

The barrier effectively ends any hope Singapore Airlines and Emirates had of flying the coveted and lucrative route.

Qantas operates 47 flights a week to Los Angeles.

"The Australian Government has made it clear that it has no immediate plans for additional third-party acce... Read More

The travel agent group said during 2007 it alone was required to collect almost $640 million in levies and taxes from customers.

The extra costs were principally fuel surcharges, which comprised $424 of the cost of a flight between Sydney and London, it said.

"The widesprea... Read More

The cutbacks to the Air Security Officer program – created as a last-ditch defence against hijackers following the attacks of September 11, 2001 – will see the number of marshals on some 747 flights cut by a third.

Singapore Airlines on Monday became the first carrier to unveil the interior of one of the big jets and made it clear that it was keen to recoup its investment in its new private cabin by charging 20 to 25 per cent more than its existing first class.

Business class p... Read More

A city that spends most of the year dealing with growing domestic issues comes together to show the world amazing colour, beautifully rehearsed dancing and to play hypnotising music.

"Wow, watch him go. What a beauty!" he says of a giant manta ray sashaying through the water close behind a school of sparkly pink fish. "He'd be the width of a car, I reckon."

According to TQ, the selection process was so hard that its team was unable by yesterday, after weeks of deliberation, to isolate only 10 short-listed applicants from a field of 47 still in the running for the $150,000 “islands caretaker” job.

My experience is rated one of the top 10 wilderness adventures in the world.

The only way in is by helicopter; the only way out by conquering the curves of this rampaging river.

Just before our trip, north Queensland had a record day of rain, 600mm in 24 hours. Water is barrelli... Read More

THE family of a Melbourne woman missing in Croatia may sell their home in order to put up a six-figure reward for information on her whereabouts.

Britt Lapthorne, 21, was last seen in a nightclub in the Croatian coastal resort of Dubrovnik on September 17.

The RMIT student's broth... Read More

With gritted teeth, we set the car northwards and, after 2½ hours up the F3 freeway, we found ourselves at Peppers Anchorage Resort.

Reacting angrily to news that Australian airlines are forcing passengers to pay extra luggage fees, readers said overweight travellers should be footing the bill, with one reader suggesting they be seated in "super-size" class.