Office News

 

• Staff will be attending workshops on new products in the Gold Coast & Melbourne.

• Stephanie Karst and Annika Leslie will be attending the ATEC Meeting Place.

• Katja Filter is back from a sales trip to South America. She was in Chile and Argentina to introduce new products to potential and established clients as well as giving general information about Australia as a travel destination.

  

Product of the Month

‘Australia‘ - The Movie

Australia is an epic and romantic action adventure. Set in Australia on the explosive brink of World War II. An English Aristocrat (Kidman) travels to the faraway continent, where she meets a rough-hewn local (Jackman) and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together they embark upon a transforming journey across hundreds of miles of the world’s most beautiful yet unforgiving terrain, only to still face the bombing of the city of Darwin by the Japanese Forces. With his new film, Luhrmann is painting on a vast canvas, creating a cinematic experience that brings together romance, drama, adventure and spectacle.

Filmed throughout the Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, the land of Australia plays a pivotal role in this captivating work.

With the release of ‘Australia‘ the movie many companies have provided us with ‘Australia‘ inspired itineraries, so that your clients may recreate their favourite movie moments.

Discovery Ecotours and Odyssey Tours and Safaris have created ‘Australia- The Safari’. This safari will take clients from the Top end to the Red Centre and will capture some of the main themes of the movie such as romance, adventure and self discovery. Traveltrain Holidays are offering some incredible rail experiences that take clients to places such as Bowen, Bundaberg, Longreach, the Carnarvon Gorge and many more. Tourism Queensland along with South Australia Tourism, Tourism Western Australia and Tourism Northern Territory are all offering special packages and itineraries for those who fell in love in with ‘Australia’ and hope to experience the beauty themselves.

Fans of Baz Luhrmann’s epic production Australia can get their own slice of Australia’s vast and rugged outback without having to rough it in swags. Voyages Hotels & Resorts can offer king-sized beds, refreshing swimming pools and gourmet food and wine, all to be enjoyed within Australia’s rugged outback. From horseriding at El Questro Wilderness Park, to cattle mustering and early morning sunrises at Uluru, Voyages can offer three Outback Aussie destinations, with style.

To find out more information on ‘Australia‘ experiences and packages please contact us at travel@aptc.com.au

What’s New

Ibis Sydney King St Wharf

• The brand new Ibis Sydney King Street Wharf will open its doors on 18 December.
• Enjoying pride of place on the waterfront in Sydney’s newest financial district, the vibrant Ibis Sydney King Street Wharf offers affordable comfort in one of the city’s most desirable locations.

Quamby Estate

• On 7th October 2008 Anthology opened the doors toQuamby Estate - a luxury lodge development in Tasmania.
• Quamby’s magnificent homestead was built in the 1830’s and is located on 64 hectares of stunning grounds with a beautifully manicured 9-hole golf course, just 20 mins drive from Launceston.
• Anthology plan to complete the development of the homestead into a 17 roomlodge by mid 2009.

The Southern Star Observation Wheel

• The Southern Star Observation Wheel is Melbourne’s newest attraction.
• At 120-metres high the Southern Star is Australia’s first and only observation wheel and is one of the highest of its kind in the world.
• The wheel features 21 enclosed air-conditioned glass cabins that will showcase views of Port Phillip Bay stretching as far as Geelong.
• At night a world-first 3.7km LED lighting system will be used for ever-changing displays.

Adventure North

• Adventure North is the only tour company operating 1 Day 4wd Adventure tours from Cairns to Cooktown.
• If your clients are into history, botany, adventure, getting away from it all, seeing the rainforest and the outback, or 4 wheel driving then this is the tour from them.

Intercontinental Melbourne the Rialto

• The AU$60 million resurrection of Melbourne’s grandest heritage hotel is close to completion. The iconic The Rialto will reopen in December 2008 as InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto, bringing one of the finest brands in international hotel luxury to Australia’s most cosmopolitan and vibrant city.

Specials

Full Luxury for Half the Price

• Cable Beach Club Resort has released a Full Luxury for Half the Price special. This offer is valid for stays from the 1st December 2008 to 31st March 2009 and includes;

• 50% off rack rate for Pool View, Pool Terrace & Ocean View Studios, Villas and Suites
• Return Broom Airport transfers

The following conditions apply;

• No minimum stay required
• Valid for stays from 1st December 2008 to 31st March 2009
• Excluding dates 20th December 2008 to 4th January 2009 and 1st to 27th February 2009
• Valid for new bookings from November 1st 2008

Voyages Alice Springs Resort- Red Centre Sale 

• 20% discountoff the Nightly Rate
• Sale Dates: 01December 2008- 31stJanuary 2009
• Travel Dates: 1stDecember -31stMarch 2009

STELLA Sale Extended

• Pleased to advise that the sale date of Stella’s stay4/pay3 offers have been extended until 15 February 2009 for stays up until 31 March 2009.

Hayman Special- Stay 5 and pay 4

• Pay for four nights, and receive the fifth night complimentary
• Offer includes daily buffet breakfast for 2 in Azure
• Valid for Sale: Immediately until 31 March 2009 (subject to availability)
• Valid for Travel: 12 January until 31 March 2009

Whitsunday Rent A Yacht

• Book and travel for the Christmas New Year High season -26 December 08 - 04 January 09 and receive a 10% discount.

Angsana Resort & Spa

• Stay 4 / Pay 3
• Valid: 21 Nov 08 - 31 March 09 (block out 22 Dec - 3 Jan)

Changes & Refurbishment

Doherty’s Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre

• Doherty’s Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre has been re-branded to Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre.

Sofitel Reef Casino Cairns

• The Sofitel Reef Casino Cairns will re-brand to Pullman Reef Hotel Casino from 01 December 2008.

Terraces on Wickham

• Terraces on Wickham in Brisbane has been re-branded to Urban Brisbane with immediate effect.

Manly Pacific Sydney

• As of 01 December, Manly Pacific Sydney will be known as Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific.

Novotel Barossa Valley Resort

• Novotel Barossa Valley Resort commenced a complete internal refurbishment of their rooms
• The expected completion date is 30th November 2008.

Kangaroo Island Seafront

• The brand new Garden Villas have been completed and offer 4-star accommodation set amongst tropical gardens.
• Renovations have also started on their 3-star heritage rooms. These rooms will be total gutted with new bathrooms, furniture, etc. The final result will be larger rooms with a 4-star rating.

Wilpena Pound

• On September 1, 2008 Anthology completed the purchase of Wilpena Pound Resort from the Rasheed family.
• Anthology is completing plans for a major resort upgrade by April 2009.

360 Bar and Dining

• 360 Bar and Dining will only be open for lunch from Wednesday to Friday each week.
• 360 Bar and Dining will continue to operate 7 nights a week for dinner.

The Grace

• There will be changes to the Grace Brasserie and Bar77Grace Breakfast & Lunch Buffets, along with late night Room service. These changes will take place from January 5^th- 27^th January.

Melbourne Museum’s Science and Life Gallery

• Melbourne Museum’s Science and Life Gallery will receive a $7 million makeover by May 2010.
• The plans for the gallery include four new exhibitions featuring many never-before-seen objects from the Museum’s extensive natural sciences collection

Crown Towers Melbourne Premier rooms and suites

• Crown Towers new Premier rooms and suites have been dramatically upgraded through extensive remodelling, all featuring superior craftsmanship with a host of contrasting textures and a refreshing colour palette that varies from room to room and suite to suite.

Wilderness 4WD Adventures

• Wilderness 4WD Adventures has been sold to Adventure Tours Australia.

Destination Management Company