Melbourne’s Tame and Tender Wild Side
Victoria’s newest marine attraction, the Nobbies Centre in Phillip Island Nature Park in Melbourne has opened after a $6.1 million redevelopment. In a first for Australian tourism, hi-tech cameras allow visitors close-up viewing of the world’s second largest Australian Fur Seal colony at Seal Rock (numbering 20,000) as they frolic in Bass Strait. Dolphins and sharks can also be spotted, as well as the rich bird life nesting in the cliffs. Entry to the centre is free.
Phillip Island Nature Park is also renowned as the home of Australia’s most popular natural wildlife attraction, the world famous Penguin Parade. Just 90 minutes from Melbourne, Phillip Island features wildlife reserves, wetlands and breathtaking coastlines, offering some of the most intimate viewing experiences of Australian wildlife in their natural habitats.
Penguins on Parade
Each night at sunset visitors flock to Phillip Island’s Summerland Beach to observe the world’s largest colony of Little Penguins as they waddle ashore to their sand dune burrows after a long day of fishing. Among numerous ways to enjoy the spectacle, the newest is the exclusive Penguin Sky Box, which accommodates just five people per night. Visitors can also get closer to the action with a Private Penguin Parade, complete with personalized ranger commentary. Ideal for those seeking an even more intimate eco encounter is the Ultimate Penguin Tour, where guests are escorted to a secluded beach where they use night-vision goggles to watch as the Little Penguins pass by, mere inches away. Today, visitors can commemorate their experience by “Adopting a Penguin,” which provides an adoption certificate, personalized thank you card with photo and free Penguin Parade entry voucher, as well as regular updates on what it’s eating, where it’s swimming, if it’s in love (penguins mate for life) or is nurturing new offspring. The $75 donation supports the Penguin Foundation and builds a Little Penguin nesting box to enhance the safety of a “penguin couple” and improve its long-term prospects for successful breeding. www.penguinfoundation.org.au
Also at Phillip Island is the Koala Conservation Centre, which brings visitors face-to-face with Australia’s iconic marsupials. A series of treetop boardwalks allows guests to view the beguiling creatures in their natural environment. The Koala Conservation Centre has Australia’s highest ecotourism rating and has played an important role in saving Phillip Island’s koala population. The centre also boasts a woodland walk through natural bush where wallabies, possums, echidnas, and snakes are regularly spotted.
An easy way to see Phillip Island Nature Park is with Qantas Vacation’s four-day “Melbourne Discovery” package. After being met on arrival and transferred to a hotel of choice, a day of leisure awaits with ample time to explore Melbourne’s fabulous alfresco eateries or wander and shop in the city’s famed laneways. Day two features a guided morning tour of Melbourne’s “old meets new” architecture, the Yarra River, Captain Cook’s Cottage, the Queen Victoria Market, Fitzroy Gardens and Albert Park – home to the Formula One Grand Prix. After seeing the historic Shrine of Remembrance and strolling along Southbank’s waterfront, the afternoon is free for self-exploration. In the evening, dine aboard a beautifully restored 1927 Colonial tramcar as it trundles through the streets of Melbourne.
An afternoon guided tour on day three starts with a stop at a local winery to sample some Aussie vino and enjoy a homemade afternoon tea. At Phillip Island, guests first visit the Koala Conservation Centre, then the new Nobbies Centre.
As the sun sets the Penguin Parade begins, with thousands of Little Penguins arriving onshore from their ocean feeding grounds, "walking and talking" loudly as they work their way back to their burrow nests. The evening concludes with a local fish and chips dinner and overnight in Melbourne.
Per person prices for Qantas Vacations’ four-night “Melbourne Discovery” package start at $699 per person through March 31, 2009, and include three nights in Melbourne, half-day Melbourne city sights tour, Phillip Island luxury tour, roundtrip private car transfers, Colonial Tramcar and fish and chips dinners. Call Qantas Vacations, 866-934-4359; www.qantasvacations.com
For more information on Phillip Island, visit www.visitphillipisland.com; for information on Melbourne, visit Tourism Victoria’s website at www.visitmelbourne.com
February 2008 Issue
Driving Business DownUnder
Do your clients like to plan ahead? If you have trained your clients well, they are savvy travelers who know they can save big on vacations with this year’s trips available at this last year’s prices in some cases. With the dollar fluctuating, and travel costs around the globe rising, it’s still possible to secure a 2008 vacation to Australia or New Zealand at 2007 prices. And wouldn’t your clients love you all the more if they can spend that savings on a night in a luxurious Outback resort rather than spend that extra money – sometimes an increase of 10% a year.
Australia is a vast and diversified country where visitors can tour vineyards set among dun-colored hills and drive cattle across a dusty trail. Your clients can dive over the legendary Great Barrier Reef or strap on skis to tackle a “beaut” slope in Tasmania.
“Travel costs are rising and global currencies are fluctuating, and this can mean higher prices for the average traveler,” says John Parker, CEO Fresh Tracks Travel. “Rather than limiting the availability of packages offered for next year while new prices are configured, Fresh Tracks wants to encourage people to book ahead – and by offering some of next year’s packages at this year’s rates, we’re giving the incentive to do so.”
On applicable classic packages, the savings can be up to $1,000 a couple. The Australian Cities by Rail is a popular train vacation combining Australia’s favorite cities (Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, and Melbourne) with landscapes and activities accessible only by train. Two people could save $600 on their 2008 vacation.
High-end travelers interested in more luxurious packages can save even more by making the savvy decision to book sooner rather than later. The Red Center, Rainforest and Reef is an inclusive resort tour of the most scenic regions of the country from the Coast to the Outback, and couples will save more than $1,200 without sacrificing comfort or style.
Even short city-breaks and add-on packages feature great savings, with special offers on mini-breaks to cities and beyond. A four-night adventure such as the Outback National Parks Safari costs $2,543 today, but with typical inflation and currency changes it could rise to nearly $2,800 for dates in 2009.
Visit www.freshtracks.com
Driving on their Own DownUnder
At Goway Travel, a leading North American wholesaler, self-drive programs are gaining popularity and as such have been expanded to more than 160 pre-planned itineraries for 2008. All travelers on Goway's pre-set self-drive itineraries also receive a special co-pilot backpack which includes their detailed itinerary, maps and guides
"A self-drive vacation is the perfect opportunity to really get to know the destination and of course the friendly Aussie and Kiwis", commented Emma Cottis, Product and Marketing Manager of Goway Travel. "We plan tours for all styles of travelers, from motel accommodation to a farm stay or bed & breakfast to upmarket boutique accommodations. Because everything is booked in advance, travelers can relax and enjoy the scenery and attractions enroute." One of Goway's most popular Australian self-drive itineraries is the Pacific Coast Explorer priced from $1,815 per person double. Travelers can choose from 7, 9 or 14-day duration in economy or first class accommodations.
Also gaining popularity is the 5-day Sydney to Melbourne Coastal Drive. Incorporating sleepy fishing villages, spectacular coastal scenery and National Parks, this itinerary offers the opportunity to meet local Aussies and see some of Australia’s picturesque landscapes and can be combined with other self drives or other destinations in Australia.
Call 800-387-8850; info@goway.com; www.goway.com
Railing Across Aussieland
Australia’s signature trains cover the length and breadth of the country, offering a truly premium train experience. They are a satisfying way to explore this sprawling land, offering comfortable compartments, elegant dining cars and convivial lounge cars. Even their names conjure images of exciting adventures: “The Indian Pacific,” “The Sunlander” and “The Ghan.” Clients can try one or sample all three, with new packages available from Experience Australia, the newest travel division of The Great Canadian Travel Company Ltd.
Travelers may choose point-to-point fares for single journeys or choose from a variety of passes ranging from a 15- to 22-day “all system” pass allowing unlimited travel throughout the network, to “route passes” valid for travel on a single east-coast route over a six-month period.
The Indian Pacific: spans Australia from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, from Sydney to Perth, covering 2,704 miles, including the longest stretch of straight track in the world—297 miles through the Nullarbor Plain. As it travels ocean-to-ocean, “The Indian Pacific” passes through the Blue Mountains, the rugged Outback and the historic town of Broken Hill. Prices range from Red Seat $629 to Red Cabin $1,219 and Gold Cabin $1,649. The Sunlander runs between Brisbane and Cairns, this delightful two-day journey provides a leisurely passage to tropical Queensland. Relax as the train weaves its way north to Cairns, where rain forest meets the barrier reef. Prices range from Economy Seat $199, First Class Berth $379, The Queenslander $689.
When the Ghan train first departed from Adelaide to Alice Springs, it was always intended that the rail line continue to the port city of Darwin. Now, some 70 years later, the journey takes travelers through the heart of the continent. Two nights are spent on board this twice-weekly train, with the option to stop over in Alice Springs for a few days and experience the true Australian Outback. Prices range from Red Seat at $639 to Red Cabin $1,279 or Gold Cabin $1,769.
Call 800-661-3830; www.experience-australia.com
August 2007 Feature
Hidden Secrets Down Under
Clients seeking authentic cultural immersion when visiting foreign lands will get their chance when they visit Melbourne, the capital of Australia, and New Zealand during “Maori Year.” Australia and New Zealand are generally considered two of the safest travel destinations in the world, and the people of both countries also are considered to be friendly. Discovering the essence of what makes these countries unlike all others is easy; all that’s needed is a sense of adventure.
Goway Travel sells “Waltzing Matilda”, a 22- day guided tour of the best of Australia and New Zealand. Journeying south through New Zealand the tour includes Auckland, the harbor city; Rotorua’s geothermal activity and the nearby glow-worm caves; will cruise on Milford Sound and the popular English-style city of Christchurch. Continuing across the Tasman aboard Qantas Airways, travelers arrive at the tropical city of Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest. The tour continues through Australia’s “Red Centre” with the option to take the world-famous Ghan train to the Festival City of Adelaide and concludes with time in Melbourne and Adelaide. Guaranteed departures are available on the Waltzing Matilda and prices start from $8,269 per person.
Call 800-387-8850; E-mail info@goway.com
New tour programs from a mélange of operators follow Melbourne’s maze of designer boutiques, quirky galleries, and historical laneways and arcades that beckon visitors as they discover the city’s hottest off-the-beaten-path restaurants. A new four-night “Hidden City Secrets” package steeps visitors in the best of Melbourne, as enthusiastic, knowledgeable local guides blaze personal trails through a maze of designer boutiques, quirky galleries, and historical laneways and arcades. Guests will also discover three of the city’s hottest off-the-beaten-path restaurants, opened early exclusively for them during a Sommelier’s City Walk.
After settling into the Crown Promenade Hotel in the heart of Melbourne’s vibrant Southbank Entertainment Precinct on the picturesque Yarra River, guests take an early evening Sommelier’s City Walk led by wine connoisseur Ben Knight to locally-owned hidden gems with appetizing nibbles paired to match the wines tasted. Featured venues open early just for the group include the alluring Money Order Office, and The Deanery Wine Reserve, Melbourne’s first wine bar, among other well-hidden venues. The price for the “Hidden City Secrets” package by Down Under Answers is $2,299 per person, double through September 27, 2007. This includes round-trip international economy class airfare on Qantas from Los Angeles to Melbourne, four nights at the Crown Promenade, all tours, round-trip private car transfers between the airport and hotel. Call 800-788-6685; www.duatravel.com
New Zealand’s Maori Year
Unprecedented numbers of American travelers are finding their way to New Zealand according to recent figures by Statistics New Zealand for an increase of 5.2 percent in 2006 compared to 2005 representing 225,629 arrivals. “This result illustrates the U.S. is New Zealand’s third largest country source of visitor arrivals,” said Tourism New Zealand Vice President, Bruce Lahood.
Among the contributing factors are additional air capacity to New Zealand, including five direct daily flights on Qantas Airways and Air New Zealand, and greater awareness of the destination, which lies just 12 hours away from California. “You leave the West Coast in the evening, and arrive in Auckland in the morning; it is the same distance as Europe is from the west coast of the U.S.,” adds Lahood.
This year, the Maori New Year or Matariki, (which literally translates to “eyes of God,” is a cluster of stars, also known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters) officially began on June 16, 2007. For the Maori, the stars’ above Aotearoa (“the land of the long white cloud”) signifies the end of one year and the beginning of another. Traditionally, Matariki occurs at the end of harvest, signalling a time of celebration and renewal, in the form of preparing the land for planting, reconnecting with whanau (family) and friends, reflecting on the past, and setting goals for the future. “Matariki is a time for all New Zealanders to celebrate who we are and what we have achieved together,” says Johnny Edmonds, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Maori Tourism Council. “While it may be of Maori origins, Matariki is a time for Kiwis to celebrate their identity and look towards the future,” Edmonds added.
Some of the highlights of Matariki 2007 include two weeks of celebrations at Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum in Wellington, including concerts, seminars, shows, workshops, art exhibits and demonstrations and a Matariki Gala and a chance to sample Maori cuisine.
Visit: www.newzealand.com