Tagged: australia travel

A Mountain Island Wedding

Hayman A Mountain Island Wedding

Hayman Island, Whitsundays, Australia.

Fancy a mountain island wedding?  Then think about the ultimate island weddings on Australia’s Hayman Island, Whitsundays.

In February, aka A Month of Love, couples who become engaged on Hayman will be invited to a complimentary Romantic Wedding.

On the mountainous continental island, the wedding will be complete with wedding celebrant, ceremony location and set-up and the assistance of a Hayman wedding planner.

For the ultimate proposal, couples can enjoy a candlelit dinner; a rose-petal scattered bath and champagne or an escape to a private island.

La Fontaine and Oriental restaurants will feature specially created aphrodisiac-laden Valentineʼs menus.

Dishes will include Perle Degustation, a ʻPerleʼ dessert, handcrafted from white Valrhona chocolate draped in white gold pearl earrings.

Hayman is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Recently, the resort opened new Beach Villas and plans the first Hayman Private Residence.

For more info, visit the Hayman site.

Image courtesy of Hayman Island.

Birding In The Rainforest

AustraliasMountainvillas Birding In The Rainforest

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, Australia’s premier birding destination.

Fancy a birding holiday in the rainforest and mountains?

Think about heading to Australia, January 29-31, 2011, for the birding marathon, ‘Twitchathon’, a full day birdwatching expedition at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.

Called “Australia’s premier birding destination”, the retreat’s fun-filled weekend will be dedicated to setting a record for the number of birds spotted in 24 hours.

The event will be led by birding gurus Tim O’Reilly and Sean Dooley.

In 2002, comedian/writer Dooley broke the Australian twitching record which he chronicled in his book ‘The Big Twitch’.

Within World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park, O’Reilly’s is known for its vast array of native birdlife.

Twitchathon leader Tim O’Reilly says the most coveted sightings will include the Albert’s Lyrebird, Noisy Pitta and Rufous Scrub-bird.

“We regularly spot over 200 species of birds during our annual Bird Week, which is Australia’s longest running birding event and has been running now for over 34 years, so we will be aiming for high tally during the Twitchathon,” says O’Reilly.

For more info, visit the O’Reilly’s website.

Image courtesy of O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat

Climbing The Sydney Bridge

AustraliaSydneyclimbingthebridge 1024x679 Climbing The Sydney Bridge

Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Have you climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge?

Lonely Planet has included climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb as one of the ’10 Best Things to Climb’ in the world.

The trek to the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is 134 metres above sea level.

Says Todd Coates, BridgeClimb’s managing director:

“The climb we craft to the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge creates a lifetime memory for our customers. We are proud and humbled to have our climb recognized alongside other legendary ascents.”

The recognition was included in Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel 2011′ which covers trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for 2011.

For more info, visit BridgeClimb.com.

Image courtesy of BridgeClimb

Great Australian Mountain Holidays

BlueMountains APanoramaFlickr Great Australian Mountain Holidays

Blue Mountains – A Panorama. Image: t3rmin4t0r

Paige Green writes for Quickbeds.com, Australia’s number one online booking spot for cheap accommodation and the latest hotel deals.

When you consider Australia as a travel destination, most of us think of beautiful beaches, the Great Barrier Reef and plenty of red, red dirt where kangaroos frolic about.

Australia offers many spectacular mountain escapes with unique bushland and hiking trails to explore.

If you’re looking to spend some time in the mountains of Australia, consider these great destinations:

  • Snowy Mountains. Australia’s ultimate skiing destination, the Snowy Mountains form some of the highest peaks in the continent, with Mount Kosciuszko standing at 2,228 metres tall. During the warmer summer months, the Snowy Mountains offers great walking trails and nature hikes for keen travelers.
  • Tasmania. The only other true alpine region in Australia can be found on the island of Tasmania, about 240 kilometres south of the Australian mainland. Among the most noteworthy peaks on the island is Cradle Mountain, which also serves as the start of the world famous Overland Track – a 6-day walk through the spectacular Tasmanian wilderness.
  • Blue Mountains. Part of Australia’s Great Dividing Range that separates the fertile East Coast from the dry, harsh plains of the Outback, the Blue Mountains are some of the best known mountain ranges in the country. Named for the unique blue haze that seems to cover the surface of these peaks, the Blue Mountains are World Heritage Listed and a must-see day trip if you’re in the Sydney area.  Find a bed and breakfast nearby or for cheap accommodation, Sydney is just an hour’s train ride from Katoomba, your gateway to the Blue Mountains.

Which mountains have you visited in Australia?

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Cool Summer Mountain Packages

AustraliaRamsheadRangeSunset 1024x681 Cool Summer Mountain Packages

Ramshead Range Sunset. Photo credit: Mike Edmonson.

In Australia’s Snowy Mountains, The Denman Hotel & Spa in Thredbo is now featuring Coolest Summer Packages.

At an altitude of 1,400 metres, Thredbo’s summer temperatures average 10ºC cooler than Sydney or Canberra.

This year, The Denman Hotel & Spa is collaborating with guiding company K7 Adventures.

Here are Denman’s coolest summer packages:

  • Coolest Summer Adventure Package. The package includes 2 nights’ accommodation, Continental breakfast daily, half-day mountain adventure walk through the Ramshead Tors to Mt Kosciuszko, gourmet picnic lunch, 2 full day lift access pass and dinner for two in The Terrace Restaurant.
  • Coolest Summer Indulgence Package. The package includes 2 nights’ accommodation, Continental breakfast daily, welcome drink, a 1-hour spa treatment, an alpine wildflower walk with gourmet picnic, French Champagne and dinner for two in The Terrace Restaurant.

For more info, visit the hotel site.

New Mountain Gourmet Getaways

AustraliaTambourineCookingClass 1023x770 New Mountain Gourmet Getaways

Fancy a mountain gourmet getaway? If you’re living or traveling in Australia, there’s a new Gold Coast food and wine experience.

A gourmet getaway on Tamborine Mountain will feature a cooking class and boutique accommodation.

This Tamborine Food & Wine Experience will includes two nights’ accommodation for two at Witches Falls Cottages.

This package will also include:

  • Gourmet or barbecue breakfast hamper;
  • A cooking class with professional chef Terri Taylor at the Tamborine Cooking School and
  • Transfer to the cooking school in the morning.

Guests can visit the nearby Queensland Wine Centre which showcases some 100 wines from 14 Queensland wineries.

For more info, visit the Witches Falls Cottages site.

Image courtesy of Witches Falls Cottages

New Wild Waterfall Tours

AustraliaAmarooFalls 1024x682 New Wild Waterfall Tours

Amaroo Falls.

Australian resort El Questro Wilderness Park now offers new tours of Amaroo Falls.

In a land of red-rock mountains, El Questro is situated in Western Australia’s East Kimberley, 110km from Kununurra.

The falls are located in the south eastern corner of El Questro, 25km south east of the main hub of El Questro, The Station Township and 25km south of Emma Gorge Resort.

Amaroo Falls means ‘beautiful place’.

They are a collection of around 15 waterfalls and cascades of varying heights from 2 metres to 45 metres.

Falls vegetation includes Kimberley heather, grevilleas, acacias and spinifex, maidenhair ferns with tropical box trees and rock figs.

The Amaroo Falls Tour will take two passengers on a scenic flight with guided commentary and interpretation and a gourmet picnic lunch.

Image courtesy of El Questro Wilderness Park

Air New Zealand Specials

NewZealandskies 1024x816 Air New Zealand Specials

Are you traveling in New Zealand or Australia now?  New Zealand has announced reduced economy fares and new inflight product options for flights between New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

The new “Seats to Suit” options provide product choice of Seat, Seat + Bag, The Works and Works Deluxe.

Says John Whittaker, spokesperson, Air New Zealand:

“The four new ‘Seats to Suit’ options enable us to tailor each flight to our passengers’ needs. Customers can even choose one option for their outbound flight and another option for their return.”

For more info, visit the Air New Zealand site.

Image courtesy of Air New Zealand

New Aboriginal Outback Adventures

AustraliaBookabeeTours New Aboriginal Outback Adventures

Fancy an aboriginal cultural adventure?  Then check out the Aboriginal-owned and operated Bookabee Tours Australia.

Based in Adelaide, the company specializes in providing authentic Aboriginal experiences in Adelaide and the Outback in south Australia.

Bookabee Tours Australia recruits only native Adnyamathanha guides to show visitors their homeland and explain their culture and Creation Stories.

Tour options for 2010 include:

  • Adelaide Full Day Tour – This tour explains traditional Aboriginal life and the role of Aboriginal people in the development of the city. Highlights include the Adelaide Botanic Gardens; the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery in the South Australian Museum, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute and lunch in Adelaide’s East End.
  • Wilpena Art & Culture Tour – This half day tour from Wilpena Pound Resort visits Arkaroo Rock and includes the Adnyamathanha interpretation of the ancient paintings; the creation story and a bush walk.
  • 2, 3 & 5 day Flinders Ranges Trips – These tours showcase the landscape, Aboriginal culture and wildlife.  Accommodation is either at Wilpena Pound Resort, Leigh Creek Township or the Nepabunna Aboriginal Community.

Image courtesy of Bookabee Tours Australia

Heli-Skiing Australia & New Zealand

TravelPlanRoko Heli Skiing Australia & New Zealand

Fancy going heli-skiing in Australia and New Zealand?

Legendary Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) guide Roko Koell will be giving heli-skiing talks and guiding in Australia and New Zealand in July.  For the last two ski seasons, Koell has met and skiied with heli-ski enthusiasts in Australia.

Koell is director of CMH heli-skiing Powder Introduction & Powder Masters Programs.  Born in Austria, where he became a certified ski instructor, alpine ski coach and U.I.A.G.M. mountain guide, Koell has worked with CMH for 20+ years.

Koell will be presenting on CMH heli-skiing in:

  • MT BULLER: Saturday, July 3, 2010, Ski Club of Victoria, “The Whit”
  • MELBOURNE: Tuesday July 6, 2010, Hilton on the Park, “Epicurean Room”
  • AUCKLAND, NZ: Wednesday, July 7, 2010, Stamford Plaza,“Raffles Room”
  • BRISBANE: Thursday, July 8, 2010, Customs House,“The Charitable Trusts Room”
  • SYDNEY: Tuesday, July 20, 2010, Australian Maritime Museum, “Tasman Light Room”

For more info and to RSVP, visit Travelplan.

Image courtesy of Travelplan.