OH, to have Kevin Rudd's travel kitty.

In the first seven months of the Rudd Government, the Prime Minister's overseas jaunts cost taxpayers just over $600,000, according to the parliamentary travel register.

The biggest item was an 18-day round-the-world trip, which took him to the United States, Romania, Belgium, Britain and China -- at a cost of $427,539.

The register, which covers January to June 2008, included trips to Indonesia, East Timor and the Middle East.

Mr Rudd's travel expenses for the second half of 2008, which will be released in mid-2009, are likely to be just as substantial.

The prime minister has already ventured to Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, China, New Zealand, Niue, twice to the United States, Peru, and is heading again to Indonesia next week.

A trip to Thailand has been cancelled.

Globe-trotting Trade Minister Simon Crean, who has travelled the world prosecuting Australia's trading interests, racked up a travel bill in excess of $300,000.

Special mention should go to Labor rising star, Bill Shorten.

The Victorian MP was one of only a handful of politicians to have paid heed to a long-term directive to use frequent flyer points to redeem airfares where possible.

He took frequent flyer flights worth more than $9000.

Others to use points travel included Labor's John Faulkner, Daryl Melham and Martin Ferguson, former senators Lyn Allison and Natasha Stott Despoja from the Australian Democrats and Liberals Bruce Billson and Russell Trood.

WA-based former opposition leader Kim Beazley distinguished himself with $25,000 worth of domestic airfares in six months.

Source: Townsville Bulletin