Miss Planet Inn Backpacker 2009

We’d like to express a big thank you to all of those lovely ladies who sportingly agreed to enter this ‘bit of fun’ competition. All of the girls looked fantastic and put a fair few smiles on faces around the world.

You may recall that we ran a voting competition among our website readers to let you decide on your favourite.

The competition was slightly dubious given that only one of the girls was still staying at the hostel and was therefore attracting more interest from current and recent guests. One voter admitting to casting multiple votes in favour of their favourite!

So as far as I am concerned all of the girls are ‘winners’ just for having the sense of fun required to be involved, not to mention the looks and personalities!

All of the girls expressed a desire for ‘World Peace’ and all looked great in their bikinis as well as their evening gowns!

Interestingly, all of them were very reluctant to submit their photos of choice, yet all of them whinged at me when I had to select photos which did not show them in their best light! “No, not that photo!” was the usual cry!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, we, voting adjudicators, in their ‘wisdom’(?) finally decided that as Aoife McSharry was leading the votes just when our website host decided to relocate the site, (thus losing the votes), we would give her the prize.

So Aoife became the inaugural ‘Miss Planet Inn 2009′ and received a week’s free rent at Planet Inn, along with some free drinks. We can’t show photos of her being crowned (a) because she was ‘otherwise engaged’ with a new boyfriend when we were going to hold the ceremony on Christmas Day and (b) because we didn’t actually have a crown yet!

It’s not a perfect world!

Speaking of which, congratulations also to Scott Hillis for being the only entrant for ‘Mr Planet Inn Backpacker 2009′ and therefore, the winner by default! Thanks for being a good sport mate!

We hope to see all of you back at Planet Inn again soon, and the good news is that we can now start a new competition for this year. Everyone who has ever stayed here is welcome to enter! This year we will do it better and get some sponsors to contribute better prizes!

Christmas Aussie Style

Christmas at Planet Inn is always a special day. It’s partly because backpackers are away from home and missing their loved ones, but also because they can enjoy a truly Australian experience with a beautiful sunny day relaxing on the beach.

Some people think about reindeers and snow as a traditional Christmas, but for us “Down Under’, it’s about sand, surf, bronzed bodies and a cold beer or two!!!

With Planet Inn, not only can you savour the delights of our spectacular coast, but you can also come back home afterwards and party in our beer garden while your Aussie BBQ is cooked in front of you.

Of course we will add our Aussie flavour to the day. George will be providing a free surfing lesson at the beach and our meal will include turkey steaks and Christmas Pud once the temperature cools a little.

So if you haven’t made any plans yet, come and join us. It will be a day to remember.

Merry Christmas to all of our past, present and future customers!

Beating the Recession at Planet Inn

We at Planet Inn recognise that a lot of people out there are finding things tough at the moment!

As a result of the ‘Global Financial Crisis’, tourism has been hit hard and people who may have intended to travel have held off because of cut-backs and job losses in other countries.

Those who have still come to Australia seem to not have as much cash available to spend and are seeking work sooner than in previous years.

So how are we at Planet Inn Backpackers responding to this ‘global crisis’ to help our customers?

We have held off the price increases that we normally apply at this time of year, which is usually our peak season.

Instead we are offering prospective and current guests “Recession Buster” Prices – Dorm Rates that would normally be around $27 to $28 per night are available for just $20 per night, with a week-in-advance rate of a crazy $130 ($18.57 per night).

In addition to this we have been making steady improvements and refurbishements to our premises to make things more comfortable and more convenient for our customers.

From Monday 23rd November, we will be offering a ‘Complimentary Breakfast’ between 7am and 9am.

In response to customer requests, we can now offer our guests free WIFI (wireless internet connection) for your laptops.

Our bar prices include customer-friendly “Happy Hours” in accordance with the local regulations.

We offer a free pick up service from Airports, Bus and Train Stations (min 2 ‘guest nights’ stay – ie one person for two nights or two people for one night).

We have found that a lot of travellers on Working Holiday Visas are asking us for work as soon as they arrive in Perth.

So we have responded by reactivating the Planet Inn Job Club. Anyone who stays with us can register at no cost for assistance in finding work.

Of course we cannot guarantee you a job, but we have helped thousands of backpackers to successfully find work.

The recent trend has been that more and more employers are starting to call us looking for staff and on some occasions we have had more jobs than people available to work.

We have set aside a couple of dorms as ‘Workers Dorms’, so that those people who are up early for work can have a bit of space from those of you who are just on holiday and in ‘party mode’.

Our ‘Promotional Planner’ offers discounted food, drinks and nightclub deals to keep more money in your pocket.

If you really want to save money, we recommend that you look at a Club Red Membership, which will give you discounts on all kinds of products and services from meals and entertainment to transport and tours.

“Throughout the whole recessionary period, we have always maintained a commitment to providing friendly, heplful service and creating a fantastic atmosphere.

It really is like being in a ‘home away from home’ – a place where you will make friends for life and feel like you are part of an international family.”

Try us out – make a booking – we look forward to welcoming you.

Fields of Colour

It’s that time of year again when Mother Nature treats us West Australians to her very own spectacle as Spring heralds the arrival of our beautiful wildflowers ( I think the Poms call them weeds!).

Rains and sunshine greatly influence the timing of the wildflower season, causing it to span severa months and regions.In the north of the state, wildflowers will appear in July with early rains hastening their arrival. As late as November a blaze of wildflower colour will take over the south where the warmer weather produces a totally different collage of species.

Each of the trails covered on this website boasts unique wildflower species due to variances in environmental elements such as soil type, local fauna, the broader plant system, geological structure, and most importantly, the weather.

There are several ways of seeing this spectacle. Many of the tour operators run “wildflower tours”, or you can rent or buy a car and explore the region at your own pace. Contact Planet Inn for details!

Pictures courtesy of www.westernaustralia.com

Perth Royal Show – work available

Saturday, 26 September 2009 to Saturday, 3 October 2009

Originally an agricultural and horticultural show, but now an entertainment spectacle, the 2009 Smoke Free Perth Royal Show is a magical time of the year for the whole family. Taste the delights of award-winning Western Australian produce, learn to cook, to shear, to breed fish for food in your own pond! Pet the animals; be amazed by the magic, thrilled by the rides, enticed by the show bags.

There is plenty of entertainment from singers and dancers to acrobats and an aerial circus. Then, each evening the IGA Fireworks Spectacular kicks off at 8.15pm. It’s the biggest of all the Royal Shows in Australia and it’s bigger and better than ever this year.

The Claremont Showground will be Smoke Free for the first time at the 2009 Smoke Free Perth Royal Show. There will be a nominated smoking area away from the family fun areas on Private Road, next to Sideshow Alley.

For backpackers this represents a great employment opportunity as most of the rides and stalls are manned by travellers on working holiday visas. Of all the Perth hostels, Planet Inn is the closest hostel to the event – it’s only a few train stops from nearby Leederville station. Every year, most of our backpackers seem to end up working there for the week and making really good travel money for themselves!

The “Thank God the Show’s Over” party is always a blast, as our people work very hard during the event and definitely like to celebrate afterwards.

So if you are seeking a Perth backpackers with a difference, come and stay at Planet Inn – the perfect place to work, rest and play!

Perth Fashion Show

Perth will be awash with fashion fever as the annual Perth Fashion Festival comes to life for 2009.

Presented by the City of Perth, the festival will this year showcase the latest Spring/Summer collections. The 2009 festival is set to be the biggest yet.

Highlights include the Ferngrove Wines WA Designer Showcase featuring emerging local design talent, the free Natuzzi WA Fashion Design Awards Public Judging, and the Model of the Year Awards, celebrating the State’s extraordinary models (previous winners have included Emma Booth, Gemma Ward and Nicole Trunfio).

To purchase tickets or for more information please visit the website below.

Friday, 4 September 2009 to Thursday, 10 September 2009  Confirmed Event

Address: Various locations around Perth, Perth, 6000

Phone +61 08 9463 7777  Fax +61 08 9463 7780

Email amy@perthfashionfestival.com.au

Website http://www.perthfashionfestival.com.au

(Information & Photo courtesy of www.westernaustralia.com)

News Update on Miss Planet Inn Backpacker

Check out the latest bevy of beauties to grace our pages!

   

Left to right: Alysha Wearne, Ciara Brady, Madeleine Dunlop and Aoife Mac Sharon.

We still need a few more entrants to fill the calendar, so come on girls, don’t be shy! 

Footy’s back!

The English Soccer season kicks off again this week with the traditional curtain-raiser between last year’s Premier League Champions, Manchester United and last year’s F.A. Cup Winners, Chelsea.

You can catch all of the action live as usual on the big screen at Planet Inn, where we have both Setanta, Fox Sports and ESPN coverage throughout the season. This includes EPL games, UEFA Champions League, F.A.Cup and World Cup Qualifiers.

Yes at Planet Inn it’s just like your home away from home, so you can relax with a beer or two and enjoy the action even though you are in Australia!

The Avon Descent – White Water Rafting

Saturday, 1 August 2009 to Sunday, 2 August 2009 Confirmed Event

The Avon Descent presents a serious challenge and is a prized trophy to those who have been victorious.

Participants challenge the Avon and Swan Rivers in a variety of paddle and power craft in an exciting two-day time trial over 133 gruelling kilometres.

The Avon Descent offers competitors conditions ranging from long stretches of flat water that can test the endurance of the fittest athlete through to rapids, sure to test the skills of all who attempt to navigate their unknown contours.

The Avon Descent passes through some of Western Australia’s most picturesque country, including the farming regions of historic Northam and Toodyay, forested national parks, steep gorges, the Swan Valley vineyard region and eventually the tidal waters of the upper Swan River.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay and want to follow this event, then why not visit us at Planet Inn Backpackers?

If you want to try your hand at this exciting sport, we can arrange it for you with our friends at River Gods, who teach people how to do it safely.

Contact us now via the enquiry form on this website.

Information and picture courtesy of www.westernaustralia.com

Details from : http://www.avondescent.com.au

Good Food and Wine Show

Demonstrating live at the Good Food and Wine Show in Perth are some of Australia’s best chefs including Matt Moran, Tobie Puttock, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris, and Alastair McLeod & Anna Gare.

It’s a unique celebration of good food, good wine & great times!

This event is on in Perth 31st July to 2nd August, 2009 at Perth Convention Centre.

Tickets are available from Ticketek.

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