LET’S face it: the cost of a holiday — flights, eating out, accommodation — can take a big bite out of your annual budget. But there are ways to save on every step in the journey from buying plane tickets and booking a resort to pinching the pennies on the road.

Time passes slowly on Lombok. The small Indonesian island is only an hour on the ferry from the hustle and bustle of Bali, but in many respects these neighbours are worlds apart.

In a bid to lure more passengers in the air and get Aussies spending their frequent flyer points this festive season, Qantas has rolled out thousands of seats to some of Australia’s most sought-after destinations.

AUSTRALIAN man Matthew Jones wasn’t even trying to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain when he succumbed to the conditions that appears to have claimed his life.

“Spa King” Eddie Phillips has promised to hunt down and prosecute a group of naked revellers who broke into his luxury Byron Bay home.