Why you should plan to travel to Australia NOW ...
- By Michelle Streicher
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- 15 Jan, 2020
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| Long before the fires, drought and cyclones, the value of tourism to regional Australia was undisputed. With the onslaught of these life and status changing events, the viability and existence of our tourism community is at risk and the finely interconnected, vast web of small and medium enterprises that make up much of tourism and support industries needs quality tourism to Australia more than ever before. Why? Looking at just the Luxury Lodges of Australia collection as a small (but globally acknowledged) sample set… 19 lodges in 17 diverse regions across Australia – a continent the size of the USA, with just 25 million people. Many of the lodges are leaders in their own right in sustainability in all its forms, a mandatory for businesses in today’s world. But these lodges between them partner with well over 1600 tourism-based businesses supplying products and services that are clearly visible to their guests, that are part of the appeal, the delivery of real, memorable, Australian experiences. These are our expert guides, our artists, gin distillers, winemakers, organic and specialist food producers, our craftspeople… the people of our places, our storytellers. They are essential to the rich fabric of our luxury lodge travel experiences. This doesn’t include the businesses and services that are not visible to guests – the tradies, the mechanics, the behind the scenes local businesses and suppliers. The vast majority of all these businesses are small to medium and family owned enterprises. They contribute enormously to the sustainability of the region they are based in and beyond.
All are essential to the economic survival of regional Australia. The economic contribution of a single lodge impacts deep into regional communities. Positively in good times, a potentially crippling void in bad. This degree of impact is mirrored across our tourism industry. So yes, while some areas are facing devastating bushfires, the vast majority of our island continent is safe to travel in and our Luxury Lodges are ready to welcome guests. For those who fear this may be insensitive to those impacted and even destroyed by very recent fires, it is these people who are often the first to plead for people to not desert Australia’s tourism operators. Southern Ocean Lodge was one of our treasured tribe. We have all shed many a tear since the Kangaroo Island fires ravaged it just over a week ago. But as one of the Baillie team said to me, the outpouring of love and support has been strangely but beautifully uplifting. James and Hayley Baillie were fast to plea for people to still travel to Australia. (See their letter here). Their leadership, empathy, vision and resilience have been an inspiration to many globally and truly set the tone for how we can survive this, stronger, better, more purposeful and more impactful than ever. Southern Ocean Lodge’s sister properties Longitude 131˚, Silky Oaks Lodge and Capella Lodge, along with fourteen other lodges across this vast continent, are welcoming guests daily, and operating as normal, to deliver their amazing and uniquely Australian experiences. Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley is undamaged by fires and will reopen shortly. So yes, base your decision to travel on facts around safety. A good place to start: Tourism Australia Bushfire Information. Do keep perspective on the sheer scale of Australia, and do take out travel insurance. And do plan to visit Australia. It is times like this when the Australian character shines through and you will receive the warmest of welcomes, deepened by the shared experience of our land – a land that we have had a stark reminder is both fragile and resilient – all the more precious to us all. Now more than ever Australia needs you… Written by Luxury Lodges of Australia |
Package Includes:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner onboard Oceania Regatta
Group Transfers Kingston/Toronto/Kingston for departures ex Kingston
Group International Flights ex Toronto (Economy Class)
Return Airport/Pier Transfers in Papeete
Pre-Paid Gratuities
Welcome Bottle of Wine per stateroom
Choice of OLife Choice Amenities:
$600 Shipboard Credit per stateroom ($300 pp) OR
6 Shore Excursions per stateroom (3 pp) OR
Drink Package
$100 Aquamar Spa Credit per stateroom
Mind, Body & Soul Experiences including yoga, pilates and fitness classes
Specialty Dinner at Bloody Mary's Restaurant in Bora Bora
Half Day Island Tour in Papeete upon disembarkation
Day Room in 4 Star Tahiti hotel post-cruise (1 per couple)
On a recent trip to Sydney, Australia I was introduced to Spice Alley. What a special culinary experience.
Unless a local makes the introduction, it is unlikely a visitor will find this little gem on their own….so let me introduce you.
Spice Alley, located on Kensington Street, is tucked away on the city side of Central Park just off Broadway on the eastern fringe of Chippendale. The Kensington Street area is steeped in colonial history and presents an idiosyncratic profile of heritage buildings and soaring steel structures.
Spice Alley is home to the Kopi-Tiam; four hawker-style diners under glowing lantern ceilings. This laneway which meanders through the landscape of Asian cuisine is bordered by two small restaurants. -Japanese dining hall KYO-TO and Vietnamese fares from the glass-faced Mekong . Dine on Singaporean dishes at Alex Lee Kitchen, Bang Luck Kitchen, Bang Luck Thai Street Food and Old Jim Kee’s Malaysian spices and Cantonese street food. Spice Alley unites family recipes from across the Asian continent.
Looking to dine where Sydneysiders dine? Spice Alley is the place to visit.
Recently my daughter and I had the opportunity to experience Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island.
From the moment we landed in Kingscote, we were treated like royalty. We were quickly whisked away in a comfortable and luxurious van for our hour long roadtrip to the southern side of the island.
Upon arriving at the gated property, each guest receives a warm welcome and glass of bubbles. No queues at this check-in. With your own Guest Services member, guests are seated in the Great Room facing the magnificent view that is the Southern Ocean. Here guests receive an overview of the Lodge, their accommodation, the meals and their personalised touring itinerary.
Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm has THE experience for all you oyster lovers. Don a pair of waders and visit a working oyster farm located in a beautiful setting within an internationally significant wetland and ornithological site. Develop an understanding for wetland and marine ecology, plus a taste for prized Pacific oysters.
Where? The beautifully situated Saffire Freycinet located on the East Coast of Tasmania.
Saffire Freycinet’s complimentary Marine Oyster Farm experience is one of the many activities included at this Luxury Lodge of Australia. Where else can you shuck oysters straight from the farm?
Chin Chin Restaurant focuses on South-East Asian cuisine with Benjamin Cooper as its executive chef. This super trendy and popular restaurant is modelled on the hawker dining halls of Asia with a shared-eating concept. Chin Chin Restaurant has a walk-in only policy except for one table of 10-12.
They aim to serve their diners the freshest ingredients with all of their sauces, pastes and relishes made in-house.
Located at 125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne – Chin Chin is open every day except for Xmas Day from 11am till late, 7 days a week.
Where are you going to dine when you visit Melbourne?
Twelve Apostles Lodge Walk is an exclusive 4 day 3 night guided experience and is the perfect short break hiking holiday. Taking in the last half of the Great Ocean Walk from Castle Cove (40-56km), this walk is east to west and ends at the Twelve Apostles with a scenic helicopter flight showing you the end of the track you just walked. An Apostle in its truest sense is a messenger, a wanderer, a journeyman, but one with a destination in mind. For four days your anticipation grows for the limestone rock stacks that stand strong against the wild southern ocean. Twelve originally, but four have succumbed to the relentlessness of nature.
Fear not, time will ensure other sections of the cliff take their place. There’s no doubt you will come with the Apostles as your goal, but perhaps another section of the trail will ambush your heart and make itself your favourite. Personal epiphanies are often had while walking the two kilometre stretch of Johanna Beach, moments of realisation that the simple things in life are what matter from the lookout at Ryan’s Den, new friendships cemented in the wide Australian bush trail from Moonlight Head to The Gables and many a “Day 2” is gasped at the end as being both challenging and rewarding. Tackle that and people can take on the world.
The sum of our parts add up to something pretty special, but a large piece in the puzzle is the trail. We utilise a trail known as the Great Ocean Walk, which runs from Apollo Bay in the East to the Twelve Apostles in the West. The Twelve Apostles Lodge Walk uses the second half, the section from Castle Cove to the Apostles themselves, via Johanna Beach and Moonlight Head. It is up to 55km in length, but there are options for shorter days and of course our team and the comfortable lodge are your support along the way.
BridgeClimb equips you to scale to the summit of the nationally-adored Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The brainchild of businessman Paul Cave, this incredible local experience became a reality after Paul pioneered a group climb as part of the Young Presidents Organisation World Congress in 1989. Nine years later, BridgeClimb opened to the public.
With in excess of 3 million local and international visitors who have climbed the Bridge, it is the #1 unmissable experience of Sydney.
On a recent visit to Australia, I had the opportunity to climb the bridge for the 5th time. It was just as exhilerating as my first climb. It is hard to beat the views from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge not to mention the sense of accomplishment.
