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‘How’s the serenity?’ … Kerrigan family’s Bonnie Doon holiday home now on Airbnb

Straight from the movies – The Kerrigan family’s precious holiday home in Bonnie Doon is now available to book through Airbnb.

If you don’t know the reference then you’ve missed seeing one of Australian cinema’s classics – the 1997 movie The Castle. (And yes, Bonnie Doon is a real place, in northeast Victoria.)

Make yourself at home in the kitchen and cook up some rissoles or sponge cake as the family settles in around the refurbished 60s retro dining table. Or better yet, head to Lake Eildon and cast a line out in search of trout, redfin or carp – a winning combination for those who own a boat with a two stroke engine that can cruise on full throttle.

Priced from $200 per night, the Kerrigan’s Bonnie Doon holiday home sleeps up to six guests in the house, with an extra room (a Pool Room!) for additional guests.

Bonnie Doon Airbnb

25/07/2017

Adventure Attractions Daily News Eco/Sustainable Other Resources Tips, quizzes, guides, snippets

World Expeditions’ authentic bush tucker experience on the Larapinta Trail

A bush tucker experience is the newest experience on offer on the Larapinta Trail and World Expeditions walkers are embracing the chance to learn about – and taste – delicious bush tucker food.

The bush tucker food is prepared by Raylene Brown, the co-founder and owner of an Alice Springs catering company, Kungkas Can Cook, which specialises in native foods collected straight from country.

“Raylene developed her interest in bush food during her nomadic childhood, when she lived all over the Territory from Wave Hill to Katherine, Tennant Creek to Adelaide River,” says World Expeditions Operations Manager, Kirke Ranson.

“Along the way she developed an appreciation for bush tucker, and she shares her passion with trekkers, who are really enjoying foods like wattle seed damper, kangaroo fillet, bush tomato relish and bush dukkuh.

“World Expeditions clients also participate in a “Welcome to Country” at Angkerle Atwatye (Standley Chasm), where a member of the local traditional owners formally welcomes them.”

These experiences are part of World Expeditions’ most popular trek, the 6 day Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort, during which walkers carry only a daypack and stay at the exclusive World Expeditions’ permanent campsites.

Other itineraries include the 6 day Larapinta Challenger Trek, which takes in some of the toughest sections along the Larapinta, the 6 day Art Expedition Larapinta, the 6 day Women’s Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort and the 3 day Larapinta Experience in Comfort.

30/06/2017

Attractions Australia Daily News Family

Tangalooma Island Resort celebrates its 30th whale watching season!

A record number of whales is projected to pass by Queensland’s Moreton Island this year, home to Tangalooma Island Resort and The Tangalooma Jet, Australia’s largest whale watching vessel.

Tangalooma can boast Queensland’s largest and longest-running whale watching tours – its 30th season in 2017 – offering the closest whale watching experience from Brisbane, and a whale sighting guarantee!

In the 2016 season, the Resort’s whale watching scoreboard recorded 1133 whale sightings, 731 adults, 291 juveniles and 111 calves. The 2017 season began on 1 June and whales can be ‘watched’ until 15 October 2017!

07/06/2017

Attractions Daily News Other cruises Resources

Any excuse to get out on Sydney Harbour! Build your own cruise experience …

Every new visitor to Sydney fancies a trip on Sydney Harbour – even ‘jaded’ Sydneysiders will find any excuse to get out on the city’s glorious blue expanse.

Fantasea Cruising operates a fleet of vessels on Sydney Harbour with cruise experiences ranging from sightseeing and charters to whale watching and build-your-own-cruise. And in response to agent requests for unique and exclusive experiences on the harbour, the company has recently introduced ‘Picnic on the Harbour with Yellow Water Cruises’.

“[These] experiences …offer flexibility and the opportunity to not only see Sydney Harbour, but to walk on the beaches and go to places away from other tourists,” says Fantasea Cruising CEO Anthony Hayes

“Working in partnership with Bel & Brio, a funky deli at Barangaroo, the catering options are of a high quality, with a bottle of bubbles included, or red or white wine options if preferred. Our fantastic water taxis seat up to 16 or 24 people and our experienced skippers will whisk visitors across to Clark Island in the middle of the harbour for a picnic on the lovely green grass. They’ll then return to pick them up 2 hours later, or whenever they prefer. This is a fabulous way to experience Sydney like a local, not just see it out the window.”

Fantasea has also introduced a new on-the-water bar!

“Sydney Harbour has been crying out for an exciting new bar like Joy Bar. Designed with the coolest lounges, chairs and a funky wine bar ambiance, JOY Bar is the newest addition to Sydney’s nightlife scene. Available for charter, Joy Bar is going to be in high demand,” Hayes added.

Joy Bar

“Within the most common zone on Sydney Harbour – Zone 1 – all trips will incur a $40 booking fee plus just $10 per person thereafter. This makes travelling across the harbour more affordable than ever as for two people travelling within Zone 1, it’s just $60! Not to mention if you’re heading to one of the scores of harbourside restaurants, you’ll impress your dinner date and arrive energised for a great night out”.

… and Fantasea experiences are fully commissionable.

Fantasea Cruises on Sydney Harbour

29/05/2017

Attractions Daily News Earlybird offers/Specials/Client savings Other cruises

Murray Princess, Adelaide & Kangaroo Island Combo

Captain Cook Cruises and SeaLink have put together 8-, 9- and 12-night cruise and land packages discovering Adelaide, Hahndorf and Australia’s third largest island – Kangaroo Island.

Start with a two-night stay at the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel in Adelaide, including a full day Ultimate Adelaide and Hahndorf tour, then head to Mannum for a three, four or seven night cruise down the Murray River aboard the paddlewheeler PS Murray Princess.

Following the cruise, a complimentary coach will transfer guests back to the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel in Adelaide and the next morning guests will travel by coach to Cape Jervis to join one of SeaLink’s ferries to Kangaroo Island for a 2-Day Best of Kangaroo Island Tour.

For a few dollars more guests can upgrade to the early evening flight from Kangaroo Island to Adelaide.

The eight-night package starts from AUD$1713 per person twin share and includes three nights on the Murray Princess, four nights at the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel, full day Ultimate Adelaide and Hahndorf tour and one night on Kangaroo Island.

The nine-night package starts from AUD$2026 per person twin share and includes a four night Murray Princess cruise, four nights at the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel, full day Ultimate Adelaide and Hahndorf tour and one night on Kangaroo Island.

The twelve-night package starts from AUD$2597 per person twin share and includes seven-night cruise on the Murray Princess, four nights at the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel, full day Ultimate Adelaide and Hahndorf tour and one night on Kangaroo Island.

26/05/2017

Adventure Attractions Daily News Eco/Sustainable News Resources

New training guide for would-be Tassie Wilderness trekkers!

Travellers planning to undertake a walking tour in the Tassie Wilderness can now benefit from a specially-designed six month training guide launched by Tasmanian Expeditions (a division of World Expeditions).

Tasmanian Expeditions is the only company that offers every single iconic walking holiday in Tasmania, from gourmet walking tours to the Apple Isle’s most challenging bushwalking expeditions – and “How do I get prepare for a trek?” is the most common question they get from would-be adventurers planning to trek in Tassie.

The training guide draws on the experience of the company’s dedicated team of professional guides who are all passionate about sharing Tasmania’s great wilderness areas. One of those guides, Oscar Bedford, guides hundreds of travellers around the Tasmanian wilderness each year.

“The best way to discover Tasmania is by foot so the more time you put into trek training in the months leading up to your trip, the more you will enjoy your experience,” Mr Bedford said.

“Trek training is more than just walking; it’s preparing the body for the increased intensity of undulation, terrain, pack weight, kilometres walked and overall endurance.

“Our six-month Tasmanian Expeditions trek training guide has been developed with a moderately graded trek in mind, such as the Overland Track or the Walls of Jerusalem Circuit.”

Click here for the guide.

Tassie Wilderness Trekkers

05/05/2017

Attractions Daily News News

A new way to snorkel at Whitehaven Beach

Cruise Whitsundays has a new product offering on all Whitehaven Beach tours, the Seabob Underwater Jet Experience, which is easy for all ages, with the minimum age being 12 years old.

Cruise Whitsundays chief executive officer Nick Hortle said the tour will enhance guests’ time at Whitehaven Beach by enabling them to snorkel at ease with Seabob.

“Seabob is a personalised motorised buoyancy aid that guests hold onto while snorkelling. Guests can now enjoy and explore the beauty of the inner reef to its full capacity. It allows you to play on both the surface and cruise underwater,” he said.

*The Seabob experience is available on all Whitehaven Beach cruises except the Camira Sailing Adventure.

20/03/2017

Adventure Attractions Daily News Earlybird offers/Specials/Client savings

Whale sharks ‘on sale’

The whale sharks have arrived early at Ningaloo Reef and to celebrate, Broome, Kimberley & Beyond has released discounted airfares to Exmouth, with hotel deals across the Coral Coast. Return airfares to Exmouth start at $298 from Perth, $718 from Melbourne, $758 from Sydney and Brisbane, and $598 from Adelaide.

Travellers will be able to choose between Exmouth and Coral Bay, with 4-night accommodation packages including bonus offers with each stay.

Deals include a $50 food and beverage voucher and free daily breakfast at Mantarays Ningaloo Resort, car hire and a restaurant voucher with Exmouth Escape Resort, and discounted rates on whale shark and humpback whale tours.

Swimming with the whale sharks is high on the bucket list for many travellers and with their early arrival, it’s expected to be a good year. After a successful inaugural season of swimming with the humpbacks, the tours will be running out of Exmouth again in 2017.

Broome, Kimberley & Beyond are also offering packages to the Mackerel Islands, cruises aboard the Eco Abrolhos and stays at wilderness retreat, Sal Salis.

Airfares must be booked in conjunction with land packages and are on sale until 10 April or until sold out.

Call 1300 357 057 or email [email protected]

17/03/2017

Attractions Events Family Featured Upcoming Events

Bigger, bolder, brighter … Vivid Sydney 2017

Vivid Sydney returns bigger, bolder and brighter in 2017, with a new precinct at Barangaroo, an expanded light walk through the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, and imaginary creatures that will transform the sails of the Sydney Opera House.

From Friday 26 May to Saturday 17 June, Vivid Light will transform the cityscape into a creative canvas, take over Sydney stages with Vivid Music’s biggest program to date, and provide a global forum for creative conversations at Vivid Ideas.

For the first time, Vivid Sydney will stream into Barangaroo, with a trail of installations winding through laneways, past the waterfront and into a foodie paradise.

The festival’s bright lights will return to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney with an expanded trail that will take visitors through the heart of the beautiful harbourside oasis.

At the heart of the Vivid Sydney light walk, the sails of the Sydney Opera House will be brought to life by a series of imaginary creatures morphing and moving between each other across the iconic sails.

City icons will again be transformed, including the façade of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Interactive lighting display Dreamscape will let visitors put their mark on the city’s skyline from Circular Quay along the Cahill Expressway to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Popular precincts Chatswood, Taronga Zoo, Martin Place and Darling Harbour will return in 2017. Once again, the festival includes Vivid Music and Vivid Ideas, as well as Vivid Light.

Image: Lighting the Sails artist impression, Audio Creatures, artist Ash Bolland

15/03/2017

Attractions Events Featured Music and entertainment

Yummy Fun Truck cruising Melbourne streets to celebrate Qantas direct to Tokyo

Melburnians and visitors to the southern city, during the rest of the month and first two weeks of March, won’t want to miss the opportunity to experience The Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck, a Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) initiative that is bringing a special Japan-inspired icy treat to Melbourne streets!

To celebrate the launch of direct Qantas flights from Melbourne to Tokyo Narita, and working with the geniuses at Gelato Messina, JNTO has created a part ice cream truck, part game show experience that lets punters sample yummy Japan-inspired free ice cream, and gives them the chance to win one of five amazing holidays for two people to Japan, courtesy of Qantas. To win, participants have to take part in a Japanese-inspired game show and try their luck at the Yummy Fun Truck vending machine.

Last year, JNTO asked fans to share their experiences, memories and stories from Japan through a social media and radio campaign. Gelato Messina used these insights to develop eight amazing and unusual flavour combinations, and each weekend during the campaign the Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck will have four different flavours on offer.

Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck Flavours

Go ahead Make My Dai Dai – Satsuma mandarin curd gelato with dai dai and strawberry citrus gel
Yam Bam Thank You Ma’am – Banana and Koji gelato with sweet potato ganache
Saké Slinger – Saké and green apple sorbet
Wasa-Berri – Strawberry and wasabi sorbet
Samurai Cheesecake – Umeboshi gelato, plum puree and baked Japanese cheesecake
Matcha Mistachio – Matcha gelato with pistachio milk chocolate fudge
Yummi Umami – Caramel miso gelato with chewy caramel
Balmi Hanami – Cherry blossom gelato with lychee puree

JNTO Sydney office executive director Mariko Tatsumi said: “We wanted to creatively inspire people to experience Japan for themselves, going beyond a straight advertising campaign. Our desire is to surprise and delight audiences with a taste of Japan.

“Japan is a cultural playground; its eclectic experiences and mouth-watering flavours tell an incredible story. We can’t wait to see the public reaction to the Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck, which will be a guaranteed highly entertaining and memorable experience.”

The Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck will visit multiple locations in Melbourne starting at Southern Cross Station on Sunday 19 February and visiting different hotspots every weekend until Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March.

Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck Dates and Locations

Sunday 19th February: Southern Cross Station
Saturday 25th February: Urban Amphitheatre Federation Square
Sunday 26th February: Southern Cross Station
Saturday 4th March: St Kilda Foreshore
Sunday 5th March: St Kilda Foreshore
Saturday 11th March: Queensbridge Square
Sunday 12th March: Queensbridge Square

Click for more information on travel to Japan and the Yummy Fun Truck locations.
Visit JNTO’s social media channels – instagram.com/visitjapanau and facebook.com/VisitJapanAU.

17/02/2017

Attractions Daily News Tips, quizzes, guides, snippets

New animal experiences at Sydney’s Featherdale Wildlife Park

A purpose built walk- through koala sanctuary is just one of the new experiences to launch at Featherdale Wildlife Park this month giving visitors to the renowned wildlife park, just out of Sydney, the opportunity to interact more closely with the Park’s inhabitants.

Home to the largest collection of Australian native animals in the world, Featherdale will use these new experiences to provide fascinating facts about the mammals, birds and reptiles, while also highlighting the important conservation measures that form the backbone of the Park’s work.

“Koalas remain the number one reason people come to Featherdale,” said Chad Staples, Head of Life Sciences for the Park.

“So we felt it was important to provide our guests with even more opportunities to interact with both our northern and southern population, which runs at around 40 koalas year round.”

With the new sanctuary, guests can now get close to the koalas as they walk along the pathway between the eucalypts. For an even closer encounter, they have the opportunity to pat one of the koalas and have their photo taken as a memento.

In addition to meeting the koalas, Featherdale has also introduced a range of Private Animal Encounters. Limited sessions will be offered each day allowing guests to enjoy a hands-on experience from one of three groups – birds, reptiles or mammals. Visitors will be able to spend 30 minutes with three animals from their chosen group, including question time with the keeper. No more than six visitors will be taking the experience per session.

Featherdale has also introduced a Daily Zookeeper Walkabout, a 45 minute walk through the Park with an experienced. The group size will be capped at 18 people to allow for a more personalised experience.

These new experiences are in addition to the existing keeper talks and feeding sessions, which happen regularly during the day with the kangaroos, crocodile, echidnas, dingoes, flying foxes and Tasmanian Devils.

10/02/2017

Attractions Australia

Explore Tangalooma after dark

tangalooma-boat Tangalooma Island Resort has launched a glass bottom boat experience, allowing guests to explore the underwater life with a tour that takes guests through a maze of sunken shipwrecks at dusk, enabling them to see straight through the boat to experience the amazing spectacle of local marine life.

Underwater LED lights activated on the boat offer a view of Tangalooma’s underwater life including colourful fish, starfish, shovelnose rays, schools of squid, beautiful sand formulations, seagrass beds, and even dolphins.

The experience is the first of several new night-time adventures, with illuminated see-through stand up paddle boarding and transparent night kayaking set to launch at the resort over the Christmas period.

The Tangalooma Night-Time Glass Bottom Boat experience is currently available at $55 per adult and $35 per child with the duration of the tour estimated at one hour and 30 minutes.

23/11/2016

Attractions Events

2017 tix on sale now for the Kimberley’s biggest, spectacular event!

Ord Valley Muster Image: Ben Broady

Set against the magnificent backdrop of the Ord Valley, Lake Kununurra, spectacular fresh water gorges, national parks and stunning reserves, the WA town of Kununurra may be remote – some 800km from Darwin and more than 3,000km from Perth – but it’s gearing up for an influx of visitors again to the award-winning Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster in May 2017 – with Jimmy Barnes, Daryl Braithwaite and The McClymonts confirmed to perform.

Ord Valley Muster

11/11/2016

Attractions

QLD Premier pledges counselling for traumatised first responders, Dreamworld staff and visitors after theme park tragedy

Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Image: abc.net.au/news (AAP: Dan Peled)

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, speaking from a tourism conference in Mackay, told Leigh Sales on the ABC’s 7.30 Report last night that she has pledged counselling for all first responders to yesterday’s ‘horrific’ accident on the popular Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast.

The fatal accident claimed the lives of two men and two women who were in one of the ride’s rafts, and just moments from disembarking. Witnesses have reported seeing their raft hit an empty raft in front of them, before a ‘malfunction’ of the ride’s conveyor belt caused the raft to flip, throwing two of the four from the raft and trapping the other two victims. Early media reports have named a brother and sister, visiting from interstate with other family members, among the deceased. The woman’s 12-year-old and 8-month old daughters are also believed to have been at Dreamworld.

The Premier told 7.30 that she was in direct contact with the Queensland Commissioner of Police who advised that witnesses to the accident, and first responders including paramedics, police and Dreamworld workers, are ‘all tremendously traumatised’.

“Understandably, what people have witnessed today at Dreamworld has been absolutely horrific.

“I’m going to provide whatever counselling is needed, including to people who were just enjoying a normal, fun day out,” she said.

26/10/2016

Attractions Australia

See Sydney by Night with AAT Kings

Travel Monitor enjoyed a preview of this new tour last night, with the three-hour tour to be launched on 1 November.

The AAT Kings double-decker coach (with see-through roof and open sides) will offer guests unrivalled views of some of Sydney’s iconic sights … although things could get chilly and more than a little damp, if one of Sydney’s sudden summer storms sweeps in!

From exploring the historic Rocks, taking in the stunning harbour scenery at Milsons Point, to capturing the iconic Sydney Opera House, Sydney by Night covers a good portion of the city’s must-see places.

19/10/2016

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