The flight from Los Angeles to Sydney is around 14 hours, and the flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne is around 15 hours. When travelling to Australia from the United States, Los Angeles and San Francisco are your only 2 departure options. As far as airlines, there are a total of 6 carriers that offer flights to Australia from the United States. Qantas, United Air Lines, Delta, and V Australia offer direct flights. Air Pacific offers service via Fiji and Air Tahiti Nui offers service via Tahiti.

While 14-15 hours may seem like a long time to be on a plane, the airlines are aware of this perception, and offer amenities that make your journey more comfortable. Flight departure times are typically later in the evening, and dinner is usually served once a comfortable cruising altitude is reached. Many of the airlines have individual touch-screen television monitors installed in the headrest in front of you. Via the touch screen, travelers can browse a list of movies (usually around 40-50 titles are available), television programs, music, games (that can be played against other passengers) and even chat rooms.

We at SeeANZ think a good strategy when flying to Australia is this: eat dinner, then try and stay up for as long as you can. Read for awhile, then try and watch 2 or even 3 movies. By then you should be pretty well tired. If you can knock off for 6 or so hours (as we all know sleeping on a plane is not always the most comfortable situation), you should be doing pretty well. Consider sitting in a window seat, as it affords you the convenience of leaning your head and pillow against the airplane’s cabin. If you can afford it, look in to flying premium economy or first class, as the seats and amenities there are even more luxurious.

When your flight is a few hours from Australia, the crew will bring the lights up and serve breakfast. After a few hours of sleep and a fresh cup of coffee, you’ll find yourself landing in Australia usually around dawn, 2 days after you left (this is because your flight crosses the International Date Line). While we know it’s not this simple, the idea is that you’ve just had “a late night” on the plane, and that you’ll hit the ground running when you arrive in Australia.

While travelling internationally always tends to cause a little jet lag, we think these few tips can help make your flight to Australia a comfortable one. Besides, once you arrive, the energy and beauty of Australia will lift your spirits high!

To celebrate this prestigious award, we invite you to explore our Australia Nature and Dive Expedition vacation package that features the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa. You can view our Australia nature vacation package here. It spans 15 days and 12 nights, and includes roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles to Sydney, 6 days of diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and 3 secluded days at the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa with breakfast daily.

On some level, the type of travel insurance policy you need depends on your existing insurance coverage. Your personal health, homeowner’s and auto coverage offers some protection. Also, credit card companies provide travel benefits for lost bags, car rental mishaps and missed connections. U.S. airlines also will pay up to about $1,500 (U.S.), depending on currency fluctuations, for bags that are lost, stolen or damaged on international flights.

But none of these policies and benefits compare with travel insurance in covering your real costs in time, expense and inconvenience when the unexpected happens.

So there is good reason to consider a comprehensive travel insurance policy that will protect your travel investment against a wide range of potential problems like lost luggage, rental car accidents, delayed or missed connections or trip cancellation due to sickness, injury or death.

Because all travel insurance companies are not alike, SeeANZ has partnered with CSA Travel Protection, a company that insured more than 1.7 million travelers in 2007. In our experience, we believe CSA delivers the best overall value in terms of customer service and claims handling for:

• Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
• Supplier Bankruptcy and Default
• Emergency Medical Transportation
• Coverage Before, During and After Your Trip
• Trip Interruption at 150% of the Trip Cost
• Collision Damage Waiver

To buy travel insurance online, click here to visit CSA directly.

Travel + Leisure Magazine recently issued their 2009 World’s Best awards. Hotels from the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific region were split into 2 categories: Resorts and City Hotels. The properties were determined by Travel + Leisure readers via questionnaire. Out of the 35 properties named, See Australia, New Zealand offers packages to 13 of them. So, based on the survey, here are our…

13 Best Vacations to Australia,
New Zealand,Tahiti and Fiji

• Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa (Australia):
  Luxury City and Country Escapes
• Hayman Island (Australia):
  Sydney and Hayman Island Package
• Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa (Bora Bora, Tahiti)
• Voyages Lizard Island (Australia):
  Outback, Reef, Rainforest and Sydney
• Huka Lodge (New Zealand):
  Deluxe Self-Drive New Zealand
• Kewarra Beach Resort (Australia):
  Outback, Reef, Rainforest and Sydney
• Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa (Fiji):
  Westin Resort and Spa and Likuliku Lagoon Resort
• Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa (Tahiti):
  Tahiti and Moorea
• InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa (Tahiti):
  Tahiti and Moorea Honeymoon Package
• Observatory Hotel (Sydney, Australia):
  Ultimate Australia
• Park Hyatt (Sydney, Australia):
  Cosmopolitan City and Outback Adventure
• The George (Christchurch, New Zealand):
  Deluxe New Zealand
• Hilton (Auckland, New Zealand):
  Deluxe New Zealand

Wallabies, while similar to kangaroos, are smaller and of a different family.

Young wallabies are known as “joeys”, like many other marsupials.

For more information on getting in touch with Australia’s interesting creatures, visit our Australia Nature and Adventure vacation page.