Travelbeat Eco & Adventure News Including Cultural and Historical travel news Update: July 23, 2008 [1 Story] Australia The Roof Of Australia Open To The World The Roof of Australia is now open to the world with the release of Kosciuszko Alpine Guided Walks, a fully guided and catered international and domestic product. In a first for the flagship product Kosciuszko Alpine Guided Walks is now available for bookings/sale/distribution through wholesalers in Australia and overseas, allowing visitors to the region to book their walks experience in advance. Following the June 2008 launch of the Australian Alps inclusion on Tourism Australia’s “National Landscapes top eight iconic destinations” Kosciuszko Alpine Guided Walks is a perfect fit for the experience-seeker market. The guided walks satisfy the needs of the 'Experience Seeker' by providing participants with a unique and inspiring travel adventure, offering the opportunity to experience the beauty and wilds of the Kosciuszko National Park without the hardship of planning and catering for day or overnight treks. Novotel Lake Crackenback Resort provides the perfect base for the mountain treks. The resort is set on 73-hectares adjoining Kosciuszko National Park and on the shore of tranquil Lake Crackenback. (Accor Asia Pacific) Update: July 21, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Funding For Yellagonga Regional Park The Western Australian Government has provided a further $250,000 to improve visitor facilities in Yellagonga Regional Park. The latest allocation follows a $425,000 improvement programme that began last year. Environment Minister David Templeman said the improvements were part of the State Government’s commitment to create a world-class parks system. “Our parks and reserves attract more than 11-million visits a year which reflects the strong connection people have with these areas,” Mr Templeman said. The Minister said the Government had committed substantial funding for works in Yellagonga Regional Park because of community concerns over the safety of the road network around the Woodlake Retreat area, also known as Water View Estate. The works undertaken in the past 12-months include extending Woodlake Retreat through the park to a controlled intersection at Kingsway and Wanneroo Road to provide a safe alternative access. The works also included an interpretation shelter and a shared bicycle and pedestrian path linking to the existing path network around Lake Goollelal and to Kingsway. Resting points with seats had been provided along the path network and a 30-bay car park had been installed. “These works will significantly improve access for local residents and visitors to Yellagonga Regional Park,” Mr Templeman said. (Government of Western Australia) Update: July 19, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Boost For West Australian Reptile Park Environment Minister David Templeman has presented the West Australian Reptile Park in Henley Brook with a $10,000 cheque from the State Government’s Community Grants Scheme. “The West Australian Reptile Park is a wonderful facility run by the incredibly passionate and dedicated Doyle family,” Mr Templeman said. “At this site, which has been in their family for more than 40-years, the Doyles have built a diverse, interactive and educational facility that is helping teach all of us how much we need to value and care for our native wildlife, and our native bushland. “The park is home to an impressive array of creatures including non-venomous and venomous snakes, lizards, freshwater crocodiles, a southern hairy nosed wombat, emus, quokkas and dingoes. “This grant will be used to help further conserve bushland around the park as well as protecting fauna on the property.” The Minister said the State Government was committed to supporting volunteer-based wildlife rescue and rehabilitation groups. “We are committed to assisting grass-roots conservation groups and individuals through our Community Conservation Grants scheme,” he said. The Community Conservation Grants Scheme is an annual scheme which assists conservation groups undertaking activities that benefit the environment and nature conservation. (Government of Western Australia) Update: July 14, 2008 [1 Story] Malaysia Melaka And George Town Named World Heritage Sites The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee has inscribed the historic cities of Melaka and George Town, Penang, on to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The two Malaysian capitals now join the ranks of Malaysia’s Gunung Mulu National Park and Kinabalu Park, both inscribed on to the list in 2000. Director of Tourism Malaysia Sydney, Mr Shahrin Mokhtar, said the listing is weighty international recognition of Melaka and George Town’s unique multicultural natures. “UNESCO’s acknowledgement of the historical and architectural importance of Melaka and George Town is significant. "These cities have developed over 500-years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. “Asian and European influences together have given the towns distinct flavours - culturally and architecturally - that are not found elsewhere. “Historically, Melaka has had Portuguese and Dutch periods since the 15th-century, while George Town’s British era influences have emerged since the 18th century. “According to UNESCO, the “two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.” Malaysia has also submitted two other nominations for future consideration: the Taman Negara National Park in Pahang and the Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and Batang Ai National Park in Sarawak. (S2i Communications) Update: July 13, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Sydney Aquarium Celebratess 20th Birthday Sydney Aquarium has celebrated its 20th birthday, with Olympic swimmer Brooke Hanson collecting a special birthday kiss from Burleigh the seal to mark the occasion. Watched by Burleigh and friends, Brooke cut the first piece of a large shark-shaped cake to recognise the milestone. More than 21-million visitors have passed through the Aquarium's doors since its 1988 opening. The attraction has more than doubled in size over that time with the addition of displays and experiences including the creation of the Great Barrier Reef exhibit, a revamp of Australia's only all-natural Seal Sanctuary and the introduction of the glass-bottomed boat ride, Shark Explorer. The Aquarium is now home to more than 12,000 animals across 451 different species ranging in size from its grey nurse shark, Josephine, at three metres and 250 kilograms to its hula fish, weighing in at two grams and reaching just two centimetres long. While all are popular, visitors consistently rank the aquarium's sharks as its number one must see attraction. Sydney Aquarium plays a leading role in the conservation of marine life with the rehabilitation of injured animals from turtles and seals to lobsters. They also support numerous scientific research programmes such as seahorse and anemone breeding. Sydney Aquarium CEO Kevin Bush said reaching the 20-year milestone was a testament to the attraction's ongoing appeal, with one in three international tourists to Sydney visiting the aquarium. (MG Media Communications) (Photo: James Morgan) Update: July 12, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Touring The South East Queensland Countryside The best wineries, arts and crafts galleries, national parks and B&Bs in South East Queensland's countryside will feature in the recently released visitor's touring guide for the region. Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said the 2008 South East Queensland Country Touring Guide had a wide range of escape ideas to help people get away, recharge the batteries and rekindle a romance through drive touring. "The new Guide highlights the touring treasures of the region, including perfect short-break getaway ideas," she said. "This magazine-style guide is packed with magnificent photographs of the region and pages of useful information. "And for the first time this year the guide includes a pull-out map of all the wineries in the South East Queensland Country region. It is all about indulging in with what country life has to offer. "Drive holidays are becoming increasingly popular. In the last ye ar alone, more than 1.9-million drive visitors headed for the hills of the great South East to experience the region's fresh air, and even fresher foods and wines." Ms Boyle said the 10th edition of the South East Queensland Country Touring Guide was compiled by Tourism Queensland, in partnership with the regional and local tourism organisations including Brisbane Marketing, Toowoomba and Golden West Tourism, Southern Downs and Granite Belt Tourist Association, Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism and Tourism Sunshine Coast. 150,000 copies of the guide have been produced and will be distributed through RACQ offices and accredited visitor information centres throughout Queensland as well as consumer shows nationally by the regional tourism organisations. (Government of Queensland) Update: July 11, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Wide Choice Despite Reports Adventure World continues to promote a wide choice of 6-, 7- and 10-day voyages featuring the Galapagos Islands despite industry reports of limited availability. Marketing Manager Emi weir said that there is availability of a range of G.A.P Adventures’ products with various itineraries including a broad choice of island visits and sightseeing arrangements on land. She said that G.A.P had six exclusive vessels it operates itself in the Galapagos. Each yacht carried between 14-20 passengers and could offer regular departures from Quito. (David Baker & Associates) Update: July 07, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Report Calls For Increase In Green Options New research from Sustainable Tourism CRC (STCRC) has shown that 'Green Tourism' is a key emerging market for tourism providers, with many consumers willing to pay extra for sustainable tourism products. However, the research also found evidence to suggest that operators are not active enough in conveying messages about their green activities to customers. As a result, operators are potentially missing out on key opportunities to drive Green Consumers to their business. Using a Green Consumer Index, the research measured levels of consumerism and environmental activism. The active consumers with high scores for environmental awareness displayed the following characteristics ... · more likely to take the environment into consideration when planning a holiday and while at the destination · more likely to pay more for products and services provided by accredited and award winning tourism service providers · more likely to chose accommodation promoted as green · more likely to make a donation to environmental causes while on holiday. Australian Hotels Association CEO Bill Healey said the research is invaluable for providers of tourist related services. "Visitors are increasingly expecting hotels and other tourism related businesses to be environmentally responsible and sustainable," Mr Healey said. "This report highlights this fact and provides a valuable way forward." Funded by the STCRC, the Sustainability practices and awards and accreditation programs in the tourism industry report was undertaken by researchers Dr Suzanne Bergin-Seers and Dr Judith Mair. For more on STCRC and a Free download of any of its 700+ tourism reports, visit www.crctourism.com.au (Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre) Update: July 06, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Music For All At WYD08 Pope Benedict XVI may be the ‘rock star’ attraction of World Youth Day Sydney 2008 (WYD08), but many headline and emerging artists will also take centre stage during the week. More than 165 outdoor concerts will take place during WYD08 week, July 15-20, as part of the Youth Festival. Headline acts include the likes of Damien Leith, Guy Sebastian, Paulini, the Tap Dogs, Diesel, Vanessa Amorosi and Australian Idol finalist Joseph Gateau. They will be joined by some of the world’s leading Christian artists, multicultural wonders, eclectic bands and emerging local and international acts. “Dance and song is just some of the ways we can express our faith,” said Fr Mark Podesta, WYD08 spokesman. “Apart from the Liturgy, they seem to be the most popular ways for young people with over 165 different acts performing during the week. “WYD08 will be a great celebration, and by the fantastic array of musical genres that will be on stage, there will be something for everybody.” All Youth Festival acts are available to registered pilgrims and members of the public, and are listed at the website: www.wyd2008.org/youthfestival (World Youth Day Sydney 2008) Update: July 03, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Two Peas In A Whale Pod Two popular events in Hervey Bay have joined forces to create one vibrant coastal festival with the help of the Queensland Events Regional Development Programme. "Despite some initial apprehension in terms of ownership and identity issues the amalgamation of The Harvey Bay Whale Festival and The Harvey Bay Seafood Festival has been extremely positive," said Premier Anna Bligh. In the Round 14 QERDP assessment process it was noted that two applications received from Hervey Bay were for events held 2-weeks apart but not working together or undertaking any cross promotion. "Given their location and respective dates, the two events received $20,000 funding through my government's Regional Events Innovation Scheme to investigate the feasibility of combining the festivals into one," said Ms Bligh. "The result is a new and exciting future for both events under the banner of 'Celebrate the Sea' which will not only benefit the organisers but also the local community and the region. "It is fantastic to see the organisers now sharing resources including event management skills, combined marketing and infrastructure. "The event now promotes 2-weeks of activities in the beautiful Hervey Bay/Fraser Coast Region which is sure to encourage visitors to stay longer." The festivities begin with The Harvey Bay Whale Festival's blessing of the fleet August 2 at the Hervey Bay Marina. The Harvey Bay Seafood Festival will take place at the Urangan Boat Harbour on August 17. (Government of Queensland) Update: July 01, 2008 [1 Story] Australia Ready For Whale-watching Season A $5-million state-of-the-art smart whale-watching boat will be ready to take to the water on July 18 as part of the 2008 whale watching season. Premier Anna Bligh yesterday unveiled the name for Streamline Catamarans latest boat. "The new Spirit of Hervey Bay - MV Grant Dorn is the ultimate example of Smart State craftsmanship," said Ms Bligh, who was attending Community Cabinet at the Hervey Bay. "The new boat, named for the owner Greg Dorn's late son, follows on from the Spirit of Hervey Bay which was the first whale-watching tour vessel to feature underwater viewing rooms and the new boat is even more innovative. "It's a 24-metre ocean going catamaran with four levels of viewing decks so that passengers can see the whales from every angle. "There are underwater viewing windows below the waterline in each hull of the boat, as well as specially located TVs including 'Dolphin Cameras' which will give tourists unparalleled view ing of whales, dolphins and other marine animals. "In 2007, 671,000 domestic and 204,000 international visitors travelled to the region. Around 66,000 people, mostly domestic tourists, went whale watching. "This boat, which will be operated by Spirit of Hervey Bay Whale Watching Cruises, can take 247 passengers on the trip of a lifetime," the Premier said. The official whale-watching season begins today - July 1. (Government of Queensland) Update: June 29, 2008 [2 Stories] Australia Western Desert Aboriginal Culture On Display Opening at the Australian Museum in Sydney this July, local audiences will be treated to a spectacular exhibition of rarely seen artworks, ‘Papunya Painting: Out of the Desert’, that will transport people of all ages into the epicentre of Western Desert Aboriginal culture. ‘Papunya Painting: Out of the Desert’, brings together some of the early masterpieces of the renowned Papunya Tula art movement that spanned the 1970s and early 1980s. Set against the backdrop of their ‘desert studio’ at Papunya in Australia’s Northern Territory, Central and Western Desert artists created a body of work that transformed understandings of Aboriginal art. On large canvases and suitcase-sized boards they experimented with colour and style to tell their Dreaming stories linked to land, nation, people and history while uncovering the perpetuation of a living culture. Developed and presented by the National Museum of Australia, almost 50,000 people visited the exhibition while it was in Canberra last year. Now Sydney audiences will have the opportunity to view 37 of these powerful paintings and 24 cultural objects. Visitors will not only marvel at the impressive scale and beauty of the designs - many of the paintings tower over 2m tall and 3m wide - but they will also have the rare chance to discover the real meanings behind these significant artworks. ‘Papunya Painting: Out of the Desert’ will be at the Australian Museum from July 5 until November 2. (Australian Musuem) Indonesia Bali Coastal Clean Up Day Australians and other visitors travelling to Bali in the July school holidays are invited to take part in a unique local environmental project - the Coca-Cola For Bali Coastal clean up day. The inaugural clean up day will be launched by the Group Managing Director of Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA), Terry Davis, on Legian beach, Kuta on Sunday July 13, at 8:00am, Bali time. The Clean Up will proceed to Mertasari, Sanur beach and Nusa Lembongan where volunteers will clean the beaches, and surfers and divers will also collect rubbish from the sea and the reef area. CCA, which owns Coca-Cola bottling operations in Indonesia, is partnering with environmental organisation Reef Check Indonesia Foundation, and local environmental organisation Yayasan Gus, in a long-term commitment to clean up Bali’s major beaches. The ongoing programme will ensure that Legian, Sanur, Nusa Lembongan and Jimbaran beaches are kept clean throughout the year for the next 2-years. The clean up will also concentrate on collecting rubbish and debris, like plastic bags, from the surf and waterways. This will be done by teams of divers, led by Indonesian celebrities, Nadine Chandrawinata (Miss Indonesia 2005), and her brother Marcel, who are both divers and environmentalists. The surf board team will be lead by Tipi Jabrik, Indonesia’s champion surfer and CEO of the Indonesian Surfing Championships. The beach cleaning team will be lead by Nugie, a well-known musician and one of Indonesia’s Olympic torch-bearers. (Map And Page) Update: June 28, 2008 [1 Story] Zimbabwe Victoria Falls Free Of Politics Whilst the latest Australian DFAT advisory on Zimbabwe might be generally appropriate it should not apply to the isolated major tourism centre of Victoria Falls on the border with Zambia, according to leading Zimbabwean tourism figure Ross Kennedy. Mr Kennedy is Chief Executive Officer of the recently established Africa Albida Tourism Group and a spokesman of the GotoVictoriaFalls.com marketing campaign whose main task is the portrayal of the Victoria Falls region as an outpost basically unaffected by the political problems of the capital Harare and major cities like Bulawayo. Mr Kennedy said Victoria Falls is nearly 900kms from Harare and there were no signs of political militancy in the area as the town "remains calm, safe, secure and stable as it has been over recent years. "Victoria Falls is a tourist town, entirely dependent on the industry for its livelihood. This is well appreciated by all in the small Victoria Falls community whose collective priority is to ensure that all visitors have a positive and memorable stay.” He said that only last weekend a delegation of Japanese travel industry officials had visited the town and have returned home to press their Ministry of Foreign Affairs to release a Decreased Travel Advisory on Victoria Falls. The Africa Albida group operates three divisions, namely AAT Hospitality, AAT Restaurants and AAT Parks in the Falls area and includes organisations which host with hundreds of tourists every week of the year. (David Baker & Associates) Update: June 26, 2008 [3 Stories] USA Cutting Edge Website Recognized By Awards Austin-Lehman Adventures has been refining and fine tuning its website to make it as informative and user-friendly as possible. These efforts were recently recognized by the 2008 Communicator Awards announced by the International Academy of the Visual Arts. The adventure travel company's website won a Silver 2008 Communicator Award of Distinction, announced Austin-Lehman Adventures' (ALA) Director Dan Austin. "We're trying to help our website visitors experience as close to a virtual adventure as possible," said Austin. "Such features as flash maps, guide profile pages and detailed itinerary information make it possible for folks to decide if an ALA holiday will be a good fit for them." Austin said the web site www.austinlehman.com is "steps ahead of our competition" when it comes to ease of navigation and search functionality with features that allow potential clients to search for an adventure vacation by region, date, activities, age suitability and keyword. "We also believe it's important to share as much about the actual ALA experience as possible. So we've added trip reports, blogs and photo galleries to our site so folks can get a good feel for a trip before taking one," said Austin. Austin-Lehman Adventures will soon be launching a new social networking site for their current and past guests. This site, akin to MySpace or Friendster, will allow users to connect to one another based on trips they've taken, chat on a community forum, and share their photos and thoughts with one another by way of their personal profiles. (Widness PR) Australia Feisty Boy Turns Out To Be Fiery Girl On Queensland's Gold coast, in the wee hours of Monday June 9, three tiny cubs were born at Dreamworld’s Tiger Island; two little girls and their feisty baby brother. But during routine health checks last week, Dreamworld veterinarian Vere Nicholson and Tiger Island Manager Patrick Martin-Vegue stumbled across something very interesting; our feisty little guy is actually a fiery little girl. “At the time, our main focus was to check the health of the cubs and get them back as quickly as possible. Determining the sex was a bonus,” said Vere, before adding that, “It’s a bit difficult to differentiate the sex of tiger cubs when they are small as there is literally a millimetre of difference.” “The three girls have helped redress an imbalance towards males in the Australasian region. From a genetic management perspective it’s good to have an equal breakdown for regional planning of the captive breeding population.” (Dreamworld / WhiteWater World) USA Toy Story Mania! Launched At Disneyland Resort Last week, in a spectacular ceremony featuring sky divers, fireworks and Disney executives, along with NASA Astronauts and Buzz Lightyear on board the International Space Station, the new Toy Story Mania! attraction premiered in Disney's California Adventure. Inspired by the Disney-Pixar films Toy Story and Toy Story 2, Toy Story Mania! raises the bar for interactive ride-game attractions. It's a high-energy, immersive adventure in which guests don 3-D glasses and enter a wild and wooly 4-D world of Woody, Buzz and other favorite Toy Story characters. Special effects add a 4th dimension of fun. "Through the years, millions of people around the world have enjoyed the humour, excitement and wonder of Toy Story and its unforgettable cast of characters," said Bob Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. "With the opening of Toy Story Mania!, we celebrate the enduring popularity of Woody, Buzz and their friends as our Disneyland Resort guests become part of their adventures through this new and imaginative theme-park experience." Also premiering at Disneyland Resort last week was the new Innoventions Dream Home, in Tommorrowland at Disneyland park. Innoventions Dream Home is both a show and a showcase, offering guests of all ages a hands-on experience with the newest in-home technologies as they interact with members of the fictional Elias family in a fun, home environment. (PMA PR) Back to Front Page