Down Under horse racing season gets into full swing at the upcoming Melbourne Cup. The Melbourne Cup Carnival 2009 runs from October 31 – November 7 in Victoria, Australia. The event takes over the city as as Melbournians and visitors get in on the festivities attending parties, watching the races, putting on big race day hats and sipping Chambord Kir Royales. The events includes the AAMI Victoria Derby Day, Emirates Melbourne Cup Day, Crown Oaks Day and Emirates Stakes Day. Various ticket packages are available for individual events or several race days.

Springboard Vacations is offering a Melbourne Deluxe: Food, Wine & Spa package that starts at $1,046 per person based on double occupancy which includes three nights at the Crown Towers, a tour of the city sights, dinner onboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant and two 30-minute massage treatments at the Crown Spa.

The Black Eyed Peas have been unstoppable on the charts this summer and now the popular band is going for a unique pair of world records. The band is holding a charity auction on eBay to win the chance to join them as they try to set two records: the highest ever live performance and recorded track. Those who win will fly along with a guest on Richard Branson's V Australia from Los Angeles to Australia where they will then join a special Melbourne to Perth flight with the band. Winners will meet the band, watch them record and then the remainder of the flight becomes a Mile High Karaoke Party with the band. Winners will also attend the October 10 Black Eyed Peas concert in Perth and get a second band meet and greet. Roundtrip air and hotels are included but winner needs to get themselves to L.A. for the start of the package. Best of all , 100 percent of the proceeds benefit children's health research through the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Australia.

[via Just Jared]

One of Australia's richest men is proving that extravagant gifts have not gone out of style. Australia's fifth richest man reportedly picked up a 98-foot yacht at a marine auction at Brisbane's Rivergate Marina. The yacht, which cost $5.3 million Australian is said to be a give for his 15-year-old daughter, Emily. Palmer is the owner of the company, Mineralogy Pty Ltd. which mines iron ore in Western Australia. He owns the team Gold Coast United FC. He has three children and owns homes in Brisbane, Perth and Beijing as well as having three private jets and two helicopters. After 22 years of marriage his wife died of cancer spurring him to set up a charitable foundation to fund medical research. He has since remarried.

Based on information from Rivergate Marina it looks like the Horizon 98 foot yacht was sold in a receivership situation. The yacht was built in 2008 and has master and VIP staterooms with ensuites, two double cabins and accommodations for four crew. Listing pics in the gallery below and YouTube video after the jump.

Sometimes it's better to start at the bottom and work your way up. But what if, at the same time, you could start at the bottom and be at the top? lebua Hotel offers just that at its Lake Okareka Lodge, set on a private estate in New Zealand. And when we say private, we mean private -- the extent of the accommodations is three luxury suites that can house, all together, nine people. Total. Maximum. When you book, even if there is just your lonesome, you get the whole thing to yourself -- "yourself" being you, your private chef, and the attendants waiting to fulfill your wishes.

Each of the suites gets lake views, private balconies, Bvlgari amenities, and the services of the estate's private chef. Should you commandeer the executive suite, you'll step up to your own lounge, spa bath, private office and walk-in wardrobe. As for things to do, the suites are set in the countryside, next to a lake, on the North Island of what is arguably one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. Should you tire of the fishing, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, hiking, or simply being, the lodge maintains a piano room, a fantastically stocked wine cellar, and a 24-hour concierge for those urgent, 3 a.m. requests.

lebua Hotel Bangkok has quarters for more guests, but the numbers don't spoil the treatment. Each room in the all-suite hotel in the State Tower, Silom district has views of the Chao Phraya River. Naturally, all-suite does not mean all the suites have been created equal: ranging from 66 to 266 square meters, opt for the premium digs and you'll sup on multi-course meals prepared by your own chef for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and that liquid meal known as "cocktails."

If you must go out, the bar and five restaurants under The Dome will reward you for the slipper-shod trek: Sirocco, 63 stories up, is the world's highest open air restaurant; the tables at Breeze sit on jutting balconies, where you can dine on modern Asian fare while descrying views of modern Asia; the Mezzaluna specializes in Italian and amore -- every proposal made there has been accepted; Café Mozu mashes up a DJ, a pool, and Italian, Lebanese, and Indian courses; and Distil is where you go to wash it all down... in moderation, of course.

What could be better than 5-star suites and food? Why, a party to celebrate their opening. lebua will be hosting a gala launch of the New Zealand property and the Tower Club addition to its Bangkok location in, of all places, Sydney, Australia. The soiree goes down in November, on a private yacht that will be moored in front of the Opera House, where lebua chefs will be on hand to tempt you to make the trip to those other points distant.

If one were tempted to wonder about flying to Australia to have a party for resorts in lands at least five hours away by plane, we must remember that ours is not to question why. Ours is only to ask, "Why not?" And then make reservations...

RM Auctions has just announced the consignment of a highly-desirable 1955 Aston Martin DB3S racer (above) to its Sports & Classics of Monterey auction event on August 13th - 15th in California. One of just 20 customer DB3Ss built and one of three examples ordered new by Australia's celebrated "Kangaroo Stable" racing team, the 1955 DB3S, chassis number DB3S/104, boasts an unbroken chain of ownership through to the present and an impressive racing history spanning from 1956 through to its last known event in 1997. It's estimated at $1.75 million - $2.25 million, making it one of the world's most expensive Aston Martins.

Painted in the famed Aston Martin racing color of Almond Green metallic with a yellow flash on the bonnet, the car was also driven by racing legends like Phil Hill and Carroll Shelby. "The Aston Martin DB3S in particular is rarely available to the market and when it is, traditionally only changes hands privately," notes RM President Ian Kelleher, "so it is exceptional to find one with such important provenance to be offered for sale publicly." The Aston will be auctioned off along with the $3 million 1952 Jaguar C-Type that The Classicist wrote about last month.

Billionaire Chuck Feeney is in the news again with another big donation. He has pledged more than $100 million Australian to the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Queensland, Australia. The money will be used to help fund three major new research institutes and hopefully attract more top scientists to Brisbane. Feeney's Atlantic Philanthropies has donated more than $270 million to Queensland scientific and medical research over the past decade.

Why would and Irish-American philanthropist be giving away big money in Australia? Feeney is quoted in Australia's Courier Mail as saying that when he visited Queensland he found a "lot of people worthy of support and not getting it and I was pleased to help." He is hoping that the work he funds in Queensland can improve health around the globe. Projects said to be on tap include researching breast cancer susceptibility genes and the genetic risk of schizophrenia, as well as funding clinical trials of a new malaria vaccine. Ian Frazer, the inventor of the cervical cancer vaccine, is behind the Translational Research Institute at Princess Alexandra Hospital, one of the institutes that Feeney is funding and the amount of scientists in the area has been on the rise. Frazer is currently at work on a skin cancer vaccine.

The newest season of the Travel Channel's "No Reservations" show took Anthony Bourdain and his voracious crew through Melbourne, Australia. For those who want to experience the food in the area in a similar way, tour operator Swain Tours has created the "Eat your way through Melbourne" package, which allows travelers to follow the culinary trail of the crew and explore all the gastronomic treats that Australia's food capital has to offer. The trip is a 13-day adventure. It includes five nights in Melbourne at at Crown Towers with Crystal Club Access, two nights in Port Fairy at Oscars Waterfront Boutique Hotel, two nights in Dunkeld at The Royal Mail Hotel and a night in Apollo Bay at Captain's at the Bay.

The opportunities for eating are plentiful and varied. There is a dinner in a Colonial Tramcar, a private tour of Melbourne's Markets, a chef-led tour through Mornington Peninsula, a Yarra Valley wineries tour and more. Travel can be booked for anytime between now and March 31, 2010 and the adventure costs $3199, per person (double occupancy) with round trip airfare from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Melbourne on United Airlines costing an additional $560 (must be ticketed before 8/20/09).

Click Wine Group, a privately held, Seattle-based company that owns and imports wine from around the world, features a great selection of recession-friendly vintages with average prices of between $10 - $13. Their Global Wine Collection consists of signature varietals from world-class appellations with easy to pronounce (and sometimes amusing) names and appealing, consumer friendly packaging aimed at taking the intimidation out of wine. They have something for virtually every palate and summertime occasion.

Fat Bastard Chardonnay:

To craft Fat Bastard Chardonnay, grapes are sourced from all over France's Languedoc-Roussillon region. The golden yellow wine with pale-green tints has expressive stone-fruit aromas with soft floral undertones and well-balanced citrus and acacia notes. Soft oak gives warmth and balance to the palate. Serve with fresh crab or shrimp, or with a roasted pork tenderloin and vegetables. Try also: Rosé.

2 Up Shiraz:

Named for a popular game of chance in Australia, 2 Up is an elegant, intense and exceptional quality Shiraz that is hand-crafted from a blend of grapes carefully selected from highly prized local vineyards. According to Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate, 2 Up represents "the type of wine value that simply can't be found in California." Goes well with Italian dishes, ribs, and grilled meats such as aged beef and lamb.

Root: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon:

Chile is one of the very few grape growing regions in the world where original European rootstocks have survived, producing the intense fruit flavor and authentic varietal character of Root: 1 wines. Rich ruby color with aromas of ripe berries and soft plum are followed by tastes of black cherry, soft vanilla and dark chocolate characterize their Cabernet. Artfully accompanies grilled meats, ripe cheeses, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine and chocolate. Try also: Chardonnay.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are on the move again and old friend James Packer is helping them find a place to stay. The Australian billionaire is offering the couple his private suite on the 39th floor of the Crown Towers hotel complex while they are in Melbourne next month. Katie Holmes will be in Australia filming the production of the horror movie Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark. The large suite is being renovated for the Cruise family and the Daily Telegraph reports that an equivalent suite rents for $27,500 a night.

Australian yacht builder Azzura Marine has just launched its new $1.5 million Marten 49, a sleek-lined, super-stylish cruiser-racer with a carbon fiber hull, bulkheads and deck. Designed for maximum flexibility, maneuverability and luxury, the 49-ft. yacht's innovative hydraulic lifting keel improves performance when racing and reduces draught for accessibility to harbors and anchorages when cruising. The yacht, billed as the ultimate dual purpose vessel, features a teak interior with a master cabin equipped with a double bed, separate en-suite bath and shower, two guest cabins, a comfortable saloon and fully-equipped galley.

Looking for a new investment? Yarra Yering Winery near Melbourne, Australia is up for sale and bids are due in just a few weeks. The three-level, 150 ton winery which produces up to 7,000 cases per year spans approximately 36.4 hectares with 73% of that property planted with low-yielding vines. Especially known for their intensity of flavor and longevity, Yarra Yering wines typically sell for $50 to $105 and range from Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, Merlot, Viognier, a number of blends and several Portuguese varietals. If you're considering your own bid on this well-known vineyard just know you'll have to contend with about thirty interested buyers across Australia, England, France, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Australian luxury yacht builder Oceanfast is offering its new 157-ft. semi-custom superyacht for sale at $22 million with a July delivery. The sleek fiberglass hull ship has a top speed of 16 knots and 4,000 nautical mile range at a cruising speed of 12 knots via twin diesel engines, and can accommodate 10 guests and 10 crew. A teak lined aft deck leads into a full beam saloon surrounded by huge windows offering panoramic ocean views. The large teak lined external deck can be used for intimate dining or a larger party in combination with an indoor-outdoor lounge area connected via fully opening bi-fold doors.

The latest story of resort trouble takes us all the way to Australia where the Hunt Resort on Fitzroy Island has been placed into receivership as the latest victim of the tourism slowdown. The $100 million Hunt Resort on Fitzroy Island only opened last December but owner Joshua Hunt owes money to several different places including around $50 million Australian to BankWest. The luxurious resort remains open. The news comes as Queensland is making a big push for tourism in the area.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Here's a small taste of what's on offer. You can cruise the Rhône on Le Phenicien, an 18-passenger luxury barge, stopping at the Seve Ballesteros–designed Pont Royal Golf Club, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery and the cheese-making village of Epoisses. Or you can fly to Edinburgh and play such classic links as Carnoustie and the Old Course at St. Andrews and dine at Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, the only restaurant in Scotland to have earned two Michelin stars. For more information, visit perrygolf.com.