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For the fifth year in a row, France has topped a list of the best places in the world to live.

International Living magazine’s 30th Quality of Life Index surveyed almost 200 countries across nine categories, including cost of living, culture/leisure, environment, and safety/risk.

“In France, life is savoured,” said International Living publisher, Jackie Flynn. “I don’t think anyone would disagree that France is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, where there is so much pride in all the small details. The French love little window boxes filled with flowers, tidy gardens, pretty sidewalk cafes and clean streets.”

International Living paid particular attention to provincial France, praising the affordability and services outside Paris, especially for retired people and their families.

Australia jumped up the rankings from fifth to second place on the strength of its economic recovery, while the US dropped from third to seventh. International Living claimed that sustaining the ‘American Dream’ had escalated out of the reach of many.

Top Ten
1. France
2. Australia
3. Switzerland
4. Germany
5. New Zealand
6. Luxembourg
7. United States
8. Belgium
9. Canada
10. Italy

The UK’s position? A lowly 25th behind the Czech Republic and Lithuania.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique can help you book some of the finest luxury hotels in Paris and in many other areas of beautiful France.

I suppose we’ve all been guilty of lifting some little thing from our hotel room – a pen, a pair of slippers, the copy of Vogue stamped ‘do not remove’ …

But according to the Australian Hotel Association (AHA), millions of dollars are lost in the industry every year because of theft. Little items like the above are overlooked, but it seems that some guests are tempted to take everything that is, or isn’t, nailed down.

In Australia, that’s included a toilet flushing mechanism, a TV set with base, and a giant metal statue of a kangaroo.

They’re apparently known in the business as ‘five-fingered discounts’. Men and women are equally guilty, although obviously their needs differ. Women are more likely to pouch designer toiletries and towels. Men are tempted by bottle openers, shoe shine kits, glasses and items from the mini bar.

Inappropriate souvenir-taking can mean hefty fines and even jail. “Major international hotels within Australia do not turn a blind eye to anything that is unlawfully taken from hotel rooms,” says the AHA. “Most, if not all, have a zero tolerance policy on this issue.”

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers the best in luxury hotels in Australia – so chic you’ll wish you could take the entire room back with you.

The Australians are to try a new strategy for keeping beachgoers safe from shark attacks off Sydney in the forthcoming summer months.

They’re going to try helicopter patrols during weekends and public holidays in December and January when the waters off Sydney are at their most crowded.

The trial will take in the 51 beaches between Newcastle to the north and Wollongong to the south, including the popular Manly and Bondi beaches, which are already protected by shark nets.

The New South Wales minister responsible, Ian MacDonald, said nets and common sense were still the best way to avoid a shark attack, but the government had a duty to do all it could to protect bathers.

Three people have been attacked by sharks off Sydney this year, although Mr MacDonald observed:

“You’re more likely to be killed driving to the beach than being taken by a shark.”

Marine experts say that environmental protection of Sydney’s beaches and harbour has created a cleaner sea, but is also attracting sharks closer to shore as they chase fish.

by Andy Moreton

If you’re planning a visit to Australia’s most vibrant city, check out Luxique’s selection of luxury hotels in Sydney.

One of the most famous tourist attractions in the world – the Sydney Harbour Bridge – was turned into a giant picnic area last weekend.

Six thousand people, who’d won their places in a lottery, settled down to enjoy breakfast on the bridge, which had special turf laid on it for the occasion. The 100,000 drivers who normally use the eight-lane bridge every day had to make alternative arrangements.

The picnic was part of a month-long festival of food, art, comedy and outdoor living and it might now become an annual event.

A government spokesman said: “I don’t think we were ever doubtful of the success of this event today. It was a unique world first for this iconic attraction. This type of event typifies the Australian personality.”

by Andy Moreton

The Harbour Bridge, the Opera House … there’s so much to see in Australia’s liveliest city and Luxique has a varied selection of the finest luxury hotels in Sydney.

A new viewing platform will give tourists a spectacular view of Uluru, the sacred monolith in Australia also known as Ayer’s Rock.

It’s hoped that the platform, unveiled at a dawn ceremony last week, will discourage tourists from climbing the rock. Apart from the danger of the steep, slippery ascent and the damage caused by waste and erosion, the site is considered a spiritual place for Aborigines.

The new viewing area, which is cut into sand dunes about two miles from the rock, includes seven miles of roads, a mile of walking tracks and a number of shaded areas. It’s the biggest investment in the infrastructure of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park for almost 15 years, costing $A 21 million (£12million / $19 million).

The traditional owners worked closely with the government to develop the new viewing area, and chose the location so as not to interfere with their beliefs. The Australian Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, said the panoramic views were fantastic throughout the day, but particularly spectacular at sunrise.

More than 300,000 tourists visit Uluru, one of Australia’s most popular landmarks, every year, and approximately 38 per cent climb the rock against the wishes of the owners.

Earlier this year, the Australian government released a draft management plan for the park which included the proposal to ban tourists from climbing Uluru.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers a range of luxury hotels in Australia.

A report says the Great Barrier Reef faces catastrophic damage from climate change and chemical run-off.

The reef, which stretches for 1,200 miles off the north-east coast of Australia and has World Heritage status, is already showing the impact of climate change, according to the report by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

“While populations of almost all marine species are intact and there are no records of extinctions, some ecologically important species, such as dugongs [large grey mammals], marine turtles, seabirds, black teatfish and some sharks, have declined significantly,” the Authority writes.

Coral disease, outbreaks of toxic blue-green algae and infestation by pests such as the crown-of-thorns starfish appeared to be becoming more frequent and more serious, it added.

The report concluded that climate change, declining water quality from coastal run-off, development and illegal fishing were the biggest dangers to the reef. The Australian government responded with a plan to cut the amount of pollution reaching the reef in the water run-off from agricultural land.

David Adam, writing in the Guardian, says: “Coral reefs are doomed. The situation is virtually hopeless. Forget ice caps and rising sea levels: the tropical coral reef looks like it will enter the history books as the first major ecosystem wiped out by our love of cheap energy.”

by Andy Moreton

For a luxury hotel close to the Great Barrier Reef, check out the Hayman Island Resort on the Whitsunday Islands.

There are plans to stop tourists climbing Uluru, or Ayers Rock, Australia’s famous red sandstone monolith.

Climbing the 1,135-foot high rock has long been opposed by the Nguraritja, the Aboriginal tribe who regained title to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in 1985 and consider it sacred territory. The tribe and the federal parks service jointly manage the site, which holds UNESCO World Heritage status.

Signs at Uluru already ask visitors not to climb, saying it is a spiritual place for Aborigines and warning that the steep, slippery ascent can be dangerous. More than 30 people have died while climbing the rock, which is higher than the Eiffel Tower and about six miles in circumference.

There are also environmental concerns, with paths suffering erosion and wildlife affected by waste left behind.

The park draws about 350,000 tourists a year. The parks service says the number of visitors who choose to climb Uluru has dropped to about 38 per cent from 74 per cent in 1990.

New draft plans that include a ban on climbing will be open for public comment for two months before the plan is revised and presented to parliament later this year for final approval.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers a range of luxury hotels throughout Australia.

This is positively my last word on ‘The Best Job In The World’ – the campaign to find a caretaker for an Australian paradise island (see previous).

The victor was Ben Southall from the UK, but also a big winner was Tourism Queensland, which gained the equivalent of £49 million ($80 million) worth of advertising space.

Because of that, the ad. agency behind the campaign, Brisbane-based, Nitro, has become the third winner. It has taken the top two awards at the industry’s equivalent of the Oscars – the Cannes Lions. It won the PR Grand Prix – the first time public relations has been included in the 56-year history of the festival – and the direct marketing Grand Prix.

Nitro’s campaign, which has since been dubbed ‘the world’s greatest PR stunt’, attracted tens of thousands of candidates who uploaded video applications saying why they should get the dream job.

“It was not a pre-requisite, but the idea had so much scalability to be a global idea that all the judges had seen and heard of it no matter where they came from,” said MaryLee Sachs, one of the judges of the PR Lions.

Ben Southall’s stint as island caretaker began on July 1st.

by Andy Moreton

Coastal erosion is threatening Byron Bay, one of Australia’s most popular tourist areas.

Severe storms and tides have combined to push the shore at Byron Bay back by 20 yards in some places.

The local council has closed paths on some of the town’s beaches and has warned that the weather has created dangerous vertical sand dune escarpments of up to 16 feet along the shore.

Situated on the north coast of New South Wales, the Bay is a favourite stop-off for backpackers on the route from Sydney to Cairns.

It’s also home to some of the most expensive properties in the country, with some selling for the equivalent of £3.5 million ($5.7 million). It’s these waterfront homes that have been most at risk from the advancing waters.

Locals believe the council is not doing enough. They’ve warned that if the spit of sand at Belongil, which separates the ocean from the Belongil estuary, is breached, the ocean will flow into the low-lying town of Byron itself.

by Andy Moreton, with Bonnie Malkin in Sydney

Luxique has a wide selection of luxury hotels in the New South Wales region and throughout Australia.

The competition’s hotting up for what’s been dubbed ‘the best job in the world.’

As widely predicted, the prospect of becoming the laid-back caretaker of a desert island in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland for a handsome salary proved highly attractive. There were 34,800 applicants.

Each had to provide a 60-second video, from which Tourism Queensland selected 50 from 22 different countries. A short-list of eleven will eventually be invited to an interview process on the islands; ten will be chosen by the organisers and the other will be the ‘wild card’ whose video gained the most internet votes (www.islandreefjob.com).

There were some highly enterprising efforts – my favourite was the Canadian guy who made his pitch through a one-minute musical production number in the street with full supporting cast.

It’s unlikely that the short-listed interviewees will need to pack formal attire. The process will be on the lines of team challenges and a series of physical, skill-based and aptitude tests.

The winner will be announced (with some fanfare, I suspect) on May 6th.

by Andy Moreton

Don’t forget that even if you’re not in the running, you can still enjoy the magic of the Whitsunday islands at the Hayman Island Resort, bookable through Luxique.