Office News

• Stéphanie Karst-McGrath attended ATE (Australian Tourism Exchange) in Adelaide in June.
• We had staff traveling to South East Queensland, Fraser Island, Whitsundays and Port Douglas.

Product of the Month

 

Australian Soul Tours & Events

Australian Soul Tours and Events offer language city tours, private touring, small and large group luxury travel in South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory. A variety of tours includes touring in Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Great Ocean Road, Flinders Ranges, the Red Centre including Uluru and much more. you!

6 Day Alice Springs - Adelaide Tour

This six day tour offers the traveller an in depth cultural, natural and outback experience.

On this tour the guests have the opportunity to experience the real outback of Australia as well as touristic highlights such as Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (Olgas). The journey follows the steps of the early explorers, Coober Pedy- the opal capital of Australia, the old Ghan line, the legendary Oodnadatta Track and one of the oldest landscapes on earth - the Flinders Ranges. Experience Aboriginal culture and get in touch with the people.

The philosophy about their tours is that the traveller should not be bound by time, rushing madly for a photo snap. The guest should get the feeling of this wonderful and amazingly-rich country. Anyone who has not felt the infinite vastness and freedom has not experienced the real Australia!

All guests will travel comfortably in small groups, away from large touring buses and huge crowds of people. Their goal is to make holiday wishes come true and give our guests the possibility to really experience this country.

Highlights:

• Red Centre with Uluru (Ayers Rock) an Kata Tjutas (Olgas)
• Breakaways
• Coober Pedy town tour with underground church and opal mine
• Dog fence
• William Creek
• Oodnadatta Track with the old Ghan railway line
• Marree
• Blinman
• Aboriginal culture in Iga Warta
• Aboriginal rock paintings and engravings
• Wilpena Pound
• Clare Valley

Travel into the breathtaking beauty of one of the oldest landscapes on earth. See with your own eyes the spectacular rock formations, picturesque ravines and the amazing flora and fauna in the real outback. Drive into remote areas of the Australian Outback, and explore the magic of Uluru (Ayers Rock). Learn more about the Aboriginal culture and witness an indescribable natural habitat and come along on some beautiful bushwalks…

What’s New

Australia wide

Virgin Blue

• Virgin Blue is launching a new direct service from Sydney to Ayers Rock.

New South Wales

Sydney Attractions

• New operating hours for Sydney Aquarium and Sydney Wildlife World.
• Sydney Aquarium is now open 9:00 AM- 8:00 PM and Sydney Wildlife World is now open 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney

• Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney now offers a refreshing, 100% smoke-free environment. The policy applies to the entire hotel inclusive of public areas, guest rooms, meeting rooms, lounges and restaurants.

Leisure Inn Spires. Blue Mountains

• Leisure Inn Spires now offers twin bedded studio rooms.

Queensland

Fitzroy Island

• Fitzroy Island Resort has just reopened in July 2010.
• Located only 29 km off the coast of Cairns, this tropical island paradise is easily accessible for short or long stays. Fitzroy Island is a large and unique continental island featuring distinctive granite outcrops, open woodlands, tropical rainforest and mangroves.
• Offers affordable 4 star tropical paradise in a range of exquisite accommodation (99 rooms.
• Resort facilities include a contemporary restaurant, large pool with a pool bar and swim up bar, internet cafe, games room, indoor movie theatre, resort mini supermarket and wellness area.

Hamilton Island Reefsleep Experience

• New package: Incorporating Fantasea Adventure Cruising’s overnight stay at the Great Barrier Reef aboard the exclusive Reefsleep platform and accompanied by one nights accommodation on Hamilton Island pre and post Reefsleep.

Kingfisher Bay Resort

• The Kingfisher Bay Resort’s new River Heads Mainland Reception in Hervey Bay is now open.

Holiday Inn Cairns

• Straight off the back of its refurbishment, Holiday Inn Cairns has received a 4½ star rating from AAA Tourism and a coveted Green Star.
• The hotel is the first internationally branded property in Cairns to receive a Green Star.

Pullman Reef Hotel Casino

• The Café China has recently opened their flagship Chinese Restaurant in the Reef Hotel Casino complex.

South Australia

Kangaroo Island Odysseys

• It has been officially announced that Kangaroo Island Odysseys has been acquired by the SeaLink Travel Group effective June 2010.
• This purchase expands the SeaLink Kangaroo Island products with a luxury division of small group 4WD touring complementing the product range.

Northern Territory

SEIT Outback Australia

• SEIT Outback Australia has introduced two new tours.
• On the SEIT Uluru Trek clients will walk around the 14km base trail of Uluru at sunrise and embrace the culture, geology and environment that is the essence of the monolith.
• Travelling on the SEIT Kata Tjuta Domes, clients will visit a place where unique flora and fauna thrive, Kata Tjuta.

Wayoutback

• Wayoutback has a new two-day culture and country safari. This 2-day tour visits four Aboriginal locations set in the outback of Central Australia.

Tasmania

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys

Bruny Island Cruises and Tasman Island Cruises aren’t taking a break for winter and are now operating their eco-cruises every day of the year, except Christmas Day

Specials

New South Wales

Smartvisit Solutions

• Smartvisit Solutions has a promotion for the month July. Buy a 2-Day See Sydney or See Melbourne pass during July and receive an extra day free.
• Booking has to be placed before 31^st of July 2010, but travel date can be until 31 March 2011.

Queensland

Daydream Island Resort and Spa

• Daydream Island have extended their Hot Winter Special for sale, until the 27^th of August 2010 for travel until 31 August 2010

The package includes:

• 4 nights in a luxurious Garden Balcony room
• Return transfers with Cruise Whitsundays
• Scrumptious full buffet breakfast daily
• Over 20 FREE guest activities including non motorised water sports, open air cinema (Mon, Wed, Fri) wild fish feeding, gym, rainforest walk and more!

Thala Beach Lodge

• Stay 4 nights, Pay 3 nights
• Valid for bookings in Coral Sea Bungalows and Eucalypt Bungalows.
• Valid until 31 August 2010.

Leisure Inn Plaza Townsville

• Special offer for groups, subject to availability.
• Valid from 01 September 2010 to 31 Mat 2011, excluding long weekends and public holidays.
• Please contact our office for a group quotation.

Fantasea Adventure Cruises

• Their Great Barrier Reef Special from mainland Airlie Beach has been extended and is now valid for sale & travel until 31 December 2010.

Northern Territory

Longitude 131

• Voyages Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce a Stay 3/ Pay 2 offer at Longitude 131. 
• Sale dates and Travel dates : Until 30 September 2010
• Minimum stay is 3 nights.

Victoria

Cooks cottage

• Winter in Melbourne and Cooks’ Cottage go hand in hand. If you book a group visit of 10 or more people to Cooks’ Cottage and every person will receive a complimentary postcard on arrival.
• Offer is valid until the 31 August 2010

South Australia

Hotel Grand Chancellor Adelaide on Hindley

• Offers attractive B&B rates
• Valid until 30 September 2010.
• For new FIT bookings.

Australian Capital Territory

All Seasons Olims Hotel Canberra

• Special group offer is available at the All Seasons Olims Hotel Canberra.
• Valid for new bookings only and cannot be used for groups which have already been booked.

Please request a quotation from our office

Changes & Refurbishment

New South Wales Blue Line Cruising Restaurants

• Showboat Dinner Cruise will not be operating their regular departures on Monday nights from July to September, as the vessel will be on periodic routine maintenance.
• They have planned and scheduled this maintenance program on a weekly basis, to minimise disruption to our agents.
• Cruising Restaurants will be operating regular nightly departures on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The Grace Hotel

• The hotel is currently undergoing a refurbishment program. This will ensure more eco-friendly accommodation rooms and a higher level of comfort for guests.
• The work has recently commenced with a few levels at the time.

Grand Mercure Apartments Darling Harbour

• The owning company of most of the Grand Mercure Apartments Darling Harbour has commenced sale of its apartments to individual owners.
• Accor Hospitality has advised that all apartments will be sold by 30 September 2010.  Accordingly Grand Mercure Apartments Darling Harbour will no longer be managed by Accor Hospitality or available for sale from 01 October 2010

Mantra 2 Bond Street, Sydney

• Effective immediately the below room types have been removed: Junior 2-Bedroom, 1-Bedroom Penthouse, 3-Bedroom Penthouse
• Any existing bookings will be honoured:

Sydney Harbour Marriott

• Sydney Harbour Marriott is undergoing a change in the coming months with a major renovation program to update the hotel rooms.
• Startingmid July, they will be renovating all 550 of the hotel bedrooms and the program will finish mid December. The renovation program will be undertaken in numerous stages, with work taking place on several floors.

Mercure Sydney Airport

• Current refurbishment program is due to be completed by the end of July.
• The guestrooms will be upgraded with new wall coverings, floor coverings and new furnishings.

Northern Territory

Novotel Darwin

• Apartment development in the adjacent block to the hotel - excavation work and construction. Site will be fully fenced and all vehicle access will be away from the hotel boundary.

Aurora Kakadu

• There’s now a viewing platform on the beautiful billabong located at the rear of Aurora Kakadu.
• It is 50 metres long with a 10 metre T-section at the end and allows guests to observe the wildlife activities in the billabong.

Holiday Inn Darwin

• Holiday Inn Darwin has completed a full guest room refurbishment.

Skycity Darwin

The refurbishment of 15 deluxe rooms has now been completed.

• A new resort is going to be built. The work is expected to start in September 2010, with a planned opening date of May 2012.

Queensland

Flames of the Forest

• Flames of the Forest has announced due to an increase in demand, the Flames of the Forest Aboriginal Cultural Experience will begin operating on Tuesday evenings from the 6th of July 2010. 
• This experience will continue to operate Thursday and Friday as normal.
• Saturday evenings will remain as the Intimate Rainforest Dining experience.

Peppers Ruffles Retreat & Spa, Willow Vale

• Peppers newest Retreat - Peppers Ruffles Retreat & Spa, Willow Vale, Queensland has joined the Mantra Group portfolio.

Kuranda Scenic Railway

• On the indicated dates, the following Kuranda Scenic Railway Services will not be operating:
• Nov 2010: Tue 16 & Wed 17
• Dec 2010: Wed 1 & Thu 2 and Tue 14 & Wed 15.

Mantra Sun City, Surfers Paradise

• Mantra Sun City will be undergoing a building external repaint which includes abseiling and scaffolding around certain parts of the property.  Work will only be carried out from 7am to 3pm Monday to Friday from July until 13 September 2010.

Crown Towers

• As a part of the ongoing upgrade work to Crown Towers, the next phase will be that the Crystal Club lounge is going to be located on level 29. The relocation will be taking place in early July and will be re-open for breakfast on the second week in July.
• During this closure, guest with Crystal Club access will have use of ‘28′, a new experience lounge at Crown Metropool.

Brampton Island Transfers

• Due to repairs currently being undertaken on the Brampton Island Jetty, the scheduled daily launch transfer between Mackay Marina and Brampton Island will not operate between the 16th and the 30th June 2010.

• Any existing bookings already confirmed to travel by launch for the above dates will be transferred onto the Australasian Jet service at no additional charge.

Voyages Hotels and Resorts

• The completion of sale of Voyages Brampton Island occurred on Wednesday 16 June, 2010.

Rendezvous Reef Resort

• Rendezvous Reef Resort will undergo a complete repainting of Stages 1 and 2 of the Resort commencing 22 July 2010.They will be painting 2 blocks at a time with minimal impact to the guests.  They expect the external upgrade will be completed by December 2010.
• All their villas will have a soft refurbishment including replacing of our current bed linen, bedding and lounge cushions.  This is estimated to be completed by 15^th August 2010.

Western Australia

All Seasons Geraldton

The hotel will undergo painting/ maintenance work between 30 June and 31 August, all 60 guest rooms will be refreshed with new paintjob.