Monday 13 Apr 2015 Issue 3050

9 Pages This IssueNews..............................................p1-4Cruising Today................................. p3Brisbane Any Day ............................ p9

I n c o r p o r a t i n g Ta b s o n Tr a v e l

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Whitsundays RoadshowAgents are invited to attend a roadshow in Auckland on 22 May to learn about the hidden treasures of the Whitsundays, including a ‘huge range’ of experiences, activities and accommodation. It’s on 1730-2030 22 May at the Mercure in Britomart, for details and to RSVP see t-mail sent today or CLICK HERE

QLD Sculptures UnveiledFour Queensland-themed sand sculptures have been unveiled at Mission Bay in Auckland this morn-ing, as part of plans by Air New Zealand and Tourism and Events Queensland to showcase what the state offers besides beaches. The event will run 13-16 Apr, and each day Travel Today will have details of one of the sculptures as well as the region it represents. Today’s destination is Brisbane, for more on what the vibrant city offers your clients see p9.

L ast year’s airline tragedies (including the loss of MH370 and QZ8501) appear to have done little to dampen Kiwi demand for travel to Malaysia, with the region wel-coming increasing arrivals, says Tourism Malaysia.Malaysia saw the largest percentage increase of visitors during Feb, up 78.8% on Feb 2014, while in the year to Feb they’re up 11.2%. Tourism Ma-laysia’s New Zealand director Zalina Ahmad says more and more Kiwis are drawn to Malaysia with a bal-anced split between business, leisure and VFR travel.Feb was a big month in particular, she says, due to the Chinese New Year and a host of other festivals in Malaysia. Other draw-cards, she says, are the competitive fares to Kuala

Lumpur, ease of getting around, that English is spoken fluently, and the ‘great exchange’ rate - $1 = MYR2.74. Ahmad says Kiwis have reacted prag-matically to the airline tragedies of 2014 and backed MH’s previous ‘sterling track record for safety and service’. Kiwis are also taking advantage of New Zealand and Malaysia’s Free Trade Agreement to both invest and export which is adding to the growth of travel.

. . . Feb Outbound Travel All in all, outbound trips by New Zealand residents in the Feb 2015 year reached a record high of 2.29 million, up 4% from the Feb 2014 year, show Statistics New Zealand figures. Australia was again the most popular destination, followed by the US (up 15%), Fiji (+15.8%), the UK (+5.8%), China (+5.3%) and the Cook Islands (+4.8%). Australia and China saw the biggest increase of New Zealand travellers in the month compared to Feb 2014, show the figures. Departures to Australia were up 2700; and to China up 2200, which is being attributed to Chinese New Year.

NZD/EUR New HighThe NZD rose to a new record against the EU over the weekend, reaching EUR0.7120, and it’s expected to keep rising.

More ‘Pragmatic’ Kiwis To Malaysia

More Seats, Less RoomBoeing and Airbus are currently work-ing on new aircraft ranges which are reported to include a greater number of seats. The Boeing 737 MAX is reported to increase seats from 160 to 189 for most airlines, however Ryanair will squeeze in 200, whilst Airbus’ A320neo will see an increase from 180 to 195 seats. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary was quoted as saying the increased number of seats could see prices go down as rival airlines compete for business. It has also been reported that not all space to accom-modate the new seating will come at the expense of leg room, with some experts suggesting the gaps between rows could also be reduced.

Mon 13 Apr 15 P2

News & Product

2 day program ex Chiang Mai Trek through lush tropical forest, to a Palong Village, staying in Hilltribe House.Learn about their traditions, history & daily life, and the secrets of Thai cooking, before trekking out and kayaking downstream.$361 per pax (min 2 pax)

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THE TAAP TOP TENThe most popular 10 destinations booked by New Zealand travel agents through TAAP for MAR15:

1 London 2 Sydney 3 Melbourne 4 Auckland 5 San Francisco

6 Kowloon 7 Singapore 8 New York 9 Los Angeles 10 Paris

Expedia TAAP users earn Expedia+ points (2 points per $1) available Now. TAAP reported a huge trading month in March with growth to 392 different destinations booked by NZ Agents. The top destinations booked through Expe-dia TAAP NZ in March were London, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, San Francisco, Kowloon, Singapore, New York, Los Angeles and Paris. Dubai, Brisbane, Fiji and Oahu performed strongly, just outside the top 10. EMEA was particularly strong up 5% to 30%, Oceania down 2% to 28%, AMER down 1% to 22% and APAC down 1% to 18% of the traffic mix. Although EMEA is dominating the destination mix there are some great deals to be had in Asia right now with up to 70% off Bali right now.Some of the out of the way destinations booked last month included Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Albuquerque NM, and Wuxi China.

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There have been further updates on replacement regional services be-ing launched around the country as carriers look to step into the spaces being left by Air New Zealand as it discontinues certain routes.Air Chathams’ new Auckland-Whaka-tane operation, launching 29 Apr, has appeared in the GDS. The flights operate twice a day, with fares priced from $89 through to $339 for a fully flexible fare. See airchathams.co.nz

. . . Kiwi Air NelsonMeanwhile Kiwi Regional Airlines, the new airline set up by Kiwi Air’s Ewan Wilson, will make Nelson its

Developments In Regional Services

hub when it launches regional flights, Wilson has said. He plans to have the airline flying late this year or early next, offering regular flights to Queenstown, Palmerston North, Hamilton and Tauranga, re-ports Fairfax.

IE’s A320 ReturnSolomon Airlines has advised its flagship Airbus A320 is now expected to return to full service on 30 Apr. The aircraft is currently undergoing a scheduled annual maintenance in Manila and in the meantime IE is op-erating the chartered Nauru Airlines Boeing B737-300. Visit flysolomons.com for further details.

Kenya Risk UpdateThe New Zealand Ministr y of Foreign Affairs and Trade has re-viewed its travel advice for Kenya due to the ongoing threat from terrorism. It’s now advising against all tourist and non-essential travel along the A2 Highway (Thika Road) between Isiolo and Moyale due to sporadic civil unrest (high risk). This is a decrease to the risk level for the area. See safetravel.govt.nz/kenya

EK’s New A380 RoutesEmirates is launching a daily A380 to Copenhagen and a double daily A380 service to Zurich. From Dec New Zealand travellers will be able to fly ex Auckland to Copenhagen with the launch of a connecting daily A380 service ex Dubai to Copenhagen. Along with this, from Oct, EK will go to double-daily A380 service to Zurich, meaning New Zealanders will have direct connections at Dubai in both directions.

Tonga WholesaleAir New Zealand has released new shortlife economy class wholesale fares to Tonga, effective immediately for sales to 20 Apr. Wholesalers have details. The GDS will be updated in due course.

Oman Roadshow To AKLT he O m a n Tou r i sm In du st r y Roadshow will return to Auckland on 24 Aug after a five-year break, show-casing Oman’s secrets, entertainment and ‘prizes aplenty’. The events will provide agents the tools and knowl-edge they need to sell the destination, with full details to follow soon.

VA, EY To EDI, MADVirgin Australia has expanded its codeshare with Etihad to include Ed-inburgh and Madrid. Passengers will be able to earn Velocity points and status credits on all sectors, as well as benefits like lounge access and extra checked bags.

APT’s New India TripAPT has added a new itinerary to its India River Cruising program for 2016.The new 20-Day Wonders of India (from $17,795pp) is an all-inclusive itinerary combining a 12-night land journey showcasing the icons of India with a seven-night lower Ganges river cruise on the RV Gan-ges Voyager. Guests stay at leading hotels like The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur and The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, and sightseeing highlights include seven APT Signature Expe-riences, such as a unique cooking demonstration with a local Delhi family.Lead-in itinerary in APT’s fully-in-clusive India program is the 15-day Spirit of India (from $14,995pp t/s), with three nights in Delhi, a night in Agra, three nights in Jaipur and a seven-night river cruise.APT also has two SuperDeals—book any itinerary of 15 days or longer before 30 Jun 2015 and fly to India for free, including air taxes; or fly business class from $4250pp.See aptouring.co.nz

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Silversea CulinarySilversea is adding a number of sailings that will feature either a culinary or wine—or both—fo-cus. The culinary voyages will fea-ture the ‘L’Ecole des Chefs by Relais & Chateaux’ cooking school at sea with highlights including workshops, demonstrations, competitions and more. The wine cruises will allow guests to sample vintage wines, learn about winemaking, tastings, lectures and more. For guests who want to experience the perfect pairing of culinary and wine, they can board the Silver Spirit: Voyage 5534, 15-day transatlantic crossing from Barce-lona to Fort Lauderdale on 09 Nov or Voyage 5603, a 21-day Brazil-focused sailing for Barbados to Buenos Ai-res on 25 Jan 2016. For details visit silversea.com/onboard/enrichment/culinary-and-wine-voyages/

Princess Cruises has announced it will sail on its first circumnaviga-tion of South America, from Auck-land, in 2017 as part of its 2016-17 programme.The 76-night Circle South America cruise on Sea Princess will visit 26 ports across 17 countries, including

Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Uruguay. De-parting Auckland on 15 Jan 2017, the cruise is priced from $17,849pp s/t. Also featured in the 2016-17 pro-gramme is a line voyage from England to Australia on the Emerald Prin-cess as she sails south for her first ever season down under. Departing Southampton 28 Sep 2016, Emerald will sail on a Four Continents Grand Adventure from Europe to the Middle East, Asia and Australia where she will make her maiden calls to Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney. Fares start from $7979 for the 48-night voyage.

…On Sale Soon Princess Cruises’ 2016-17 Australia and New Zealand programme has 120 cruise options with 112 destinations across 39 countries. Highlights in-clude an 11-night cruise on the Emer-ald Princess from Auckland to Sydney from $1789; a 42-night Dawn Princess journey to Asia, sailing from Sydney and Brisbane from $6929; a 14-night Pacific Islands cruise from $2219; a 15-night Indonesia cruise from $2629; an 11-night Papua New Guinea cruise from $2099; Roundtrip voyages from Brisbane and Fremantle from $5039.

Explore Your WorldCruise Holidays’ latest Explore Your World brochure is out now, featuring sailings to Europe, South America, the South Pacific, Alaska, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Featured voyages include the 30-night Marvels of Time from Dubai to Cape Town, from $8995 in an inside stateroom including USD300 shipboard credit per state-room. There’s also a 10-night Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires South Ameri-can Rhapsody, from $3025 departing 12 Dec, including USD200 shipboard credit per stateroom.

Princess South America Ex-AKL

Freestyle CruisingGO Holidays advises its Freestyle Cruising with Norwegian Cruise Line’s seven-night cruise is priced from $1119pp s/t. Choose from the Med, Alaska, Mexico, South Ameri-can, Caribbean and Hawaii. Gra-tuities are included. Contact your wholesaler for details.

Amazon Cruise ChangeChimu Adventures says due to high water conditions in the Peruvian Amazon, Delfin Amazon River Cruis-es has moved its departure point from Nauta to nearby Iquitos. This has minimal impact on guests as once boarded the cruise will continue as normal, says Chimu. Delfin offer luxury cruises through the Amazon with four-day cruises on 14-suite Delfin II starting at $4059pp, and the four-suite Delfin I from $4950pp.

Mon 13 Apr 15 P4

News & Product

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Autumn AnaheimGO Holidays has five-night Anaheim packages from $1499 per adult s/t staying at the Castle Inn & Suites. Plus, take the kids 2-15 years from $929 per child. The deal includes return economy class airfares flying Air Tahiti Nui from Auckland, Wellington or Christ-church to Los Angeles and all pre-payable airport and government costs. It’s on sale until 17 Apr for select travel dates between 23 Apr-15 Dec.

NZ Analytics BuyAir New Zealand and Canada-based analy t ics company Aimia have bought Waikato’s 11Ants Analytics business. The company has devel-oped a cloud-based retail analytics platform allowing retailers to ‘un-derstand their customers better’, says NZ.

EY’s Investment In F7Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation has approved Etihad Airway’s 33.3% investment in the Swiss re-gional carrier Darwin Airline. FOCA’s approval of EY’s investment now enables the two companies to leverage fully the benefits of their partnership, including code sharing on each other’s flights within and beyond Europe.

NSW Pub QuizzesDestination NSW is giving agents in Auckland and Wellington the chance to win a five-night holiday in Sydney and Port Stephens at its pub quiz events 21-22 Apr. Agents will be tested on their knowledge of what Sydney has to offer in winter. For details and to RSVP see t-mail sent Fri or CLICK HERE

Flight Centre Birkenhead is the latest in the chain to re-open as a ‘shop of the future’, a new-look store concept described as an ‘inter-active space designed to enhance the experience of customers’.The stores feature a discovery zone, inspirational travel footage and im-agery, and are being rolled out across the country.“We have basically taken the concept of a traditional travel store and flipped it on its head with the main priority being our customers and what is go-ing to benefit them,” says Flight Centre

Flight Centre’s Latest Shop Of The Future

managing director Chris Greive. “The feedback so far has been tremendous and we can’t wait to continue rolling out our new stores across the country.”Pictured is: 1 The FC Birkenhead team Thaddeus D’Souza, Justine Sau-ssey, Alyssa Taylor and Justine Saussey.2 Chris Greive speaks with customers.3 Flight Centre North Shore team leaders Gemma Jackson (Shore City), Jessica Oswald (Milford), Thaddeus D’Souza (Birkenhead), Amy Steyn (Hurstmere Rd), Emilie Sutra (Glen-field) and Adele Ostapenko (Devon-port).

Turkey SavingsClients who book Adventure World’s Highlights of Turkey private journey by 31 May 2015 will save 15% per person. The 10-day private journey starts in Istanbul visiting historic sites such as the Blue Mosque, before travel-ling to Cappadocia and visiting the Underground City of Kaymakli, the Mevlana Museum in Konya, the ancient city of Hierapolis in Pamuk-kale and Gallipoli. It’s priced from $1729pp includ-ing accommodation, entrance fees, sightseeing tours, some meals, transportation by deluxe vehicle and an English speaking local guide, for travel until 02 Oct.

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News & Product

ITC Kids To DisneyEight students from the International Travel College are off to Disney World in Aug after having been accepted in the Disney World Cultural Exchange Program. The students will live and work at the Walt Disney World Re-sort, and the ITC says it only puts forward those students who are com-mitted to their studies and will be excellent ambassadors. All of the stu-dents who applied this year from ITC were accepted. They include Taryn Brown (pictured) who says it’s been her dream and goal since starting at the ITC to make it to Disney World.

Havannah NominatedThe Havannah is happy to report it’s still being nominated for awards de-spite currently being closed following damage sustained in Cyclone Pam. The Havannah has been nominated in the fifth annual World Boutique Hotel Awards and also as a finalist in the Luxury Travel Magazine Gold List Awards in the Best Overseas Boutique property: Villa or Lodge and Best Overseas Romantic Prop-erty categories. The resort is set to re-open in Jun.

Chimu Chile DealsChimu Adventures has up to 50% off many of its itineraries and proper-ties in Chile, Viva Expeditions has advised.Deals include up to 50% off the new Altiplanico Bellavista Hotel Santiago when booked by 30 Apr; and free nights at Tierra Hotels. Clients who book an eight-night package at three Tierra hotels receive 15% off and a free night at The Ritz-Carlton, Santiago or dinner aboard private vessel The Williche at Tierra Chiloé. With seven-night Spirit of Chile packages (seven nights at two Tierra hotels) clients receive 10% off and one free night at the Ritz-Carl-ton, Santiago or USD100 spa voucher. CLICK HERE

North America on sale now ADMIRE

Book your clients today

Hurry sale ends midnight

28 April 2015

Excluding Honolulu. Travel periods and conditions apply, visit airnzagent.co.nz

A helicopter ride to a golf hole 1400 metres high in the Southern Alps, self-drive vintage car rides in Napier and a tour of New Zealand’s only tea plantation in the Waikato are among the new products that will be on show at TRENZ 2015. More than 320 travel and tourism buyers will attend this year’s event in Rotorua 17-20 May. The event will feature 290 New Zealand tourism ex-hibitors, including 52 new products.

Tourism Industry Association New Zealand chief executive Chris Rob-erts says attendees will be seeking new and exciting visitor products and experiences they can sell to con-sumers in their home markets. He says highlights include a new eco lodge due to open in Dec, a hands-on sheep shearing demonstration and a food and fashion walking tour of Auckland. The new products that will be on show at TRENZ 2015 highlight the innovation and investment being made in New Zealand’s $24 billion tourism industry, says Roberts. “This investment into new quality visitor products and experiences will help achieve our industry’s goal of almost doubling annual tourism rev-enue to $41 billion by 2025.”

What’s On Show At TRENZ 2015

Frequent Flyer BonusMembers of the KrisFlyer frequent flyer programme are now able to redeem miles for vouchers to travel on Scoot or Tigerair flights, advises Singapore Airlines. Vouchers are available for redemption on the Kris-Flyer website in three denomina-tions—3200 miles for SGD30; 5300 miles for SGD50; 10,500 miles for SGD100. The vouchers can be used to offset airfares, ancillary charges and booking fees for Scoot and Tigerair itineraries booked through their re-spective websites. Visit krisflyer.com for further details.

Sth Africa On FacebookSouth African Tourism has launched a Facebook page to specifically up-date agents, wholesalers and retail companies with news, events and competitions. Visit facebook.com/southafricatravelindustryanz

Mon 13 Apr 15 P6

News & Product

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Country Music FestivalTickets are still available for Norfolk Island’s Country Music Festival, held from 18-22 May. This year festival-goers will be spoilt with a line-up of Australian and New Zealand per-formers, including James Blundell, Anne Kirkpatrick, Glen Moffatt, Suzanne Lynch and more. Visit norfolkisland.com.au for details.

TNQ’s InstamapTropical North Queensland has launched an Instamap which reveals the region’s most ‘Instagrammable’ locations. Tourism Tropical North Queensland says it hopes the Instamap will inspire visitors to the region to get out and explore some of its most scenic locations. The Instamap is available online and will be included in Passport to Tropical North Queensland, a new visitor magazine of 200,000 copies published by The Cairns Post to be distributed to visitors arriving in the region through Cairns Airport, from 15 Apr. See blog.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au to view the map.

1 The Tryin’ Hawaiians (Darragh Walshe, Malcolm MacLeod, Gordon Gillan and Steve Tanner).2 Nigel Taylor and John Willson (men’s best gross).3 Richard Elliott, Mike Graham, Tim Butcher and Steve Allen.4 House of Travel Gang: Ken Freer, Paul Otway, Kevin Salmon, Cullam Murchison, Andrew Phillips, Steve Gillingham and Dave Fordyce.5 Margaret Holden (ladies best gross).6 Travel Managers Group: Gary Grut, Dave Wallace, Derek Sullivan and Kim Hagan.7 Malcolm MacLeod and Gordon Gillan look like they are up to some-thing.8 In-cart refreshments (the Tryin’ Hawaiians were sponsored by Long-board Lager)

Industry Golf Day A SuccessThe Travel Industry Golf Day has a long history of being a fun event, with this year’s event being the 48th. It was attended by 54 golfers . . . with varying levels of golfing ability, Travel Today understands.The winners of the day were — Women: Best stableford and winner of the Japan Cup, Margaret Holden

(Tandem Travel); and best gross, Jane Reese (Accor).Men: Best stableford and winner ATC Cup, John Willson (United Travel); and best gross, Cullam Murchison (House of Travel).Teams prize: Travel Managers (Derek Sullivan, Dave Wallace, Gary Grut and Kim Hagan).

Several door prizes were won: Emir-ates: return tickets to SYD/MEL/BNE: Stephen Thomas. Five nights Edgewater Resort Rarotonga: Jane Reese. Three nights Scenic Matavai Resort Niue: Kevin Salmon. Three-day Avis Rental: Mark Kinchley. One night Heritage Hotel: Kimberley MacKay.

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News & Product

EXPERIENCED WHOLESALE CONSULTANTSWe’re growing! Due to expansion, we have two full time positions selling our fantastic range of Escorted Journeys as well as intricate and diverse FIT itineraries around the world. You must have in-depth knowledge of several World Journeys destinations, 3 years minimum experience in a similar environment, strong computer skills and attention to detail. Airfares and ticketing knowledge would be an advantage.

We offer a hardworking but fun atmosphere and good remuneration for the right person.

Applications in writing only please by Friday 17 April to:

careers@worldjourneys.co.nzPO Box 47954 Ponsonby

New To Do In NapaLegends of Sabrage, Craft Beer Trail Tour, Yoga in the Vineyards and Tee Time are new visitor experi-ences from the Verve Napa Valley Events and Destination Management Company. The first is a champagne experience; the second all about beer—handcrafted local brews, beer gardens, microbreweries and mi-cropubs. Yoga in the Vineyard is a one-hour session of vinyasa flow yoga and Tee Time is a guided tour to exclusive member-only clubs at some of the region’s golf hotspots. Details vervenapavalley.com

Knife-Making In SAA one-day knife-making workshop with Barry Gardner at JamFactory Studios at Seppeltsfield is a very dif-ferent option for your clients visit-ing the Barossa Valley. Due to demand for workshops, Gardner Knives have decided that it’s easier all round if knife making enthusiasts nominate their own date/s to come and do either a one-day, two-day or Damascus knife making workshops. However, dates are filling quickly so it pays to get in early—May is filling fast, warns the studio. No workshops will be held in Nov-Dec, and there’s a maximum of two people per work-shop unless otherwise negotiated. T h e on e - d ay wor k sh op co st s AUD450 (0800-1800) and includes tools, materials, safety gear and morning tea. Participants need to bring their own lunch or there is a café at Seppeltsfield Winery. Details, gardnerknives.com

T h e r e - e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f diplomatic relations between the USA and Cuba, has seen interest in the South American country grow over 50% year-on-year says Contours Travel.But spokesman Ted Dziadkiewicz says potential visitors rarely know of or request experiences beyond the usual tourist traps or activities and common concerns include food and accommodation, so he offers some tips.It is worth visiting the sugar mill township of Australia from which Fidel Castro once operated his ad-ministration office to repel the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. The office is now the Museo Memorial Coman-dancia de las FAR. Cuba may not have the best reputa-tion for its food but it has plenty to offer, especially fresh lobsters for AUD10. Other local delicacies that are a must-try include traditional roast pork or pork chops, fried plan-tain and fruit marmalades. An accommodation option is home-stays. However, it is important for travellers to look for the official house rental license logo outside the house to ensure industry standards are met. Cuba is surrounded by thousands of kilometres of some of the world’s richest and most diverse marine life, so divers will love it. Dive sites include many caves and caverns throughout the island, some of which feature ancient native pictographs. Some of the best and less touristy diving spots are found on Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth). The best time to dive in Cuba is between Dec and Apr when water temperatures are around 25°C.The currency is the Cuban Peso

(CUP) for locals and the Cuban Con-vertible Peso (CUC) for tourists, which is pegged to the USD. The best currencies to bring to Cuba are GBP, EUR or CAD. It is useful to note also that the banknotes to be exchanged must be clean and cannot be torn, marked or written on. It is also ad-visable for travellers to only change currencies at the CADECAs (official exchange houses) or banks. Dziad-kiewicz says the best time to visit is Nov and Feb. And the most efficient and direct route to Havana is via Los Angeles and Mexico City.

Tips For Cuba Travel As Demand Grows

Skal Helps VanuatuSkal Auckland all but took over Rick Felderhof ’s Mamma Mia restaurant at Mission Bay on the Thu before Easter for its monthly luncheon. Members do-nated $300 towards the Vanuatu Cyclone relief fund, which was accepted on the country’s behalf by Air Vanuatu’s Richard Elliot, a longtime Skaleague. Elliot also took the opportunity to brief everyone on the latest situation there. Pictured at the lunch is 1 Danny Frew, FTM with Wendy D’Arcy, The Travel Brokers. 2 Richard Fletcher, TravelCafe and Lisa Linn, TT Reps.

QLD Bed & BreakfastMidway between Kenilworth and Kandanga at Imbil (QLD) is the new Mary Valley Views guesthouse offer-ing modern accommodation posi-tioned to take advantage of impressive views of natural bushland, Imbil vil-lage and the Mary Valley. Suitable for couples, business travelers or groups with special events or family celebra-tions, the modern pavilion-style de-sign has not sacrificed comfort while incorporating environmentally con-scious and energy efficient materials. As part of the Mary Valley hospitality, a breakfast featuring local produce is included during the stay. Rates start from AUD70 per night mid-week or AUD80 over a weekend. Details, maryvalleyviews.com.au

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Into The Sky At SkyeSkye Seaplanes is a new seaplane operation from Loch Lomond Sea-planes, the UK’s only commercial seaplane company. Visitors to the Isle of Skye can take a flightseeing tour departing from the ‘stunning’ little airfield of Broadford on the south east corner of the is-land with water take-off and landing during the tour. Cost is from GBP89 and flights depart Apr-Oct. Visit Scotland says the excursion was voted by Scots as the country’s top “must do” activity.

Good Lion CocktailsInspired by an Ernest Hemingway short story, the Good Lion Cocktail Bar has opened next door to The Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara. Its cocktails are described as in-novative and are crafted with lo-cal seasonal ingredients. These, combined with weekly live mu-sic and Spanish style tapas makes the perfect place for a fun get-together, says the tourism office. See goodlioncocktails.com

Voyages Indigenous Tourism Aus-tralia advises Ayers Rock Resort’s self-contained accommodation, the Emu Walk Apartments, has had a total refurbishment, with a mod-ern-Indigenous inspired design. All 63 apartments have undergone a total internal refurbishment with 40 one-bedroom and 23 two-bed-room apartments, all offering fully-equipped kitchens, laundry with washer/dryer and a separate dining and living area ideal for families or larger groups. The apartments are centrally located to dining and tour-ing opportunities across the resort

and right next to the hub of the re-sort, Town Square, featuring a mini supermarket and specialty shops.

. . . Free SouvenirGuests will receive an Ayers Rock Resort backpack with every new booking made between 01 Apr-30 Jun. The three-night Uluru Pack-age starts from $360pp s/t, in-cluding buffet breakfast dai ly, return airport transfers, free in-digenous activities program and children 15 years and under stay free using existing bedding. Visit ayersrockresort.com.au/emu

Ayers Rock Emu Walk Refurbishment

Exotic’s Escorted IndiaExotic Holidays has released three special tours to India escorted by photographer and journalist Liz Light.The tours include the 14-day Impe-rial India, departing 26 Sep with highlights including Victorian Delhi, Shimla, the Arki Fort, a steam train journey, Darjeeling, and walking tours of Kolkata. It’s priced from $6640pp t/s including airfares ex New Zealand, accommodation, daily breakfast, sight seeing and entrance fees, local guides and air-conditioned transport.There’s also the 15-day In the Foot-steps of Buddha (dep. 14 Oct, from $6935pp t/s), including the Ganges River, walking tours of Varanasi, the Sarnath Buddhist Museum and learning centre, Holy Buddhist pil-grimage site of Bodhgaya, meditating at the Mahabodhi Temple and visit-ing Rajgir, where Buddha lived and taught.On the 15-day Textiles of India (dep. 29 Nov, from $6600pp t/s), clients will explore India’s textiles including a Bandhani workshop in Bhuj, shop-ping in bazaars, and learning about local embroidery and weaving.Flyers are available for agents.See exoticholidays.co.nz

Industry DiaryAdventure World Around the World roadshowTue 12, venue etc TBA.

Travelport RoadshowChristchurch: Tue 12, The Oak Room, The Atrium, 1730-2000.Wellington: Wed 13, Rydges Hotel, 1730-2000. Auckland: Thu 14, Gallery Three, Pullman Hotel, 1730-2000.

South Australian RoadshowAuckland North: Fri 15, Spencer on Byron HoteL, Takapuna, 1700-1930.Auckland: Sat 16, Orakei Bay Function Centre, Orakei, 0930-1100.Auckland East: Sat 16, Howick Golf Club, Bucklands Beach, 1400-1600. Hamilton: Sun 17, Novotel Tainui, 1400-1600. Tauranga: Mon 18, 59 The Strand Function Venue, 1200-1330. Rotorua: Mon 18, Novotel Rotorua Lakeside 1700-1900. Palmerston North: Tue 19, Kingsgate Hotel, 1630-1900. Masterton: Wed 20, Masterton Club, 1200-1330. Wellington: Wed 20, Shandon Golf Club, Petone, 1730-2000.

Amazing Thailand RoadshowAuckland: Thu 21, Sky City Grand, 1700.

Whitsundays Travel Agent WorkshopAuckland: Fri 22, The Mercure, 1730-2030.

JULYHawaii Tourism MCI RoadshowMon 27, Dates and venue TBA

AUGUSTBula Marau Fiji Roadshow – Around Viti LevuChristchurch: Mon 3, Novotel Christchurch, 1730-2030. Wellington: Tue 4, InterContinental, 1730-2030. Auckland: Wed 5, Stamford Hotel, 1730-2045. Hamilton: Thu 6, Novotel Tainui, 1730-2030.

Oman Tourism Industry RoadshowsAuckland: Mon 24, venue and time TBA

OCTOBERBula Marau Fiji Roadshow – Luxury & CouplesNelson: Mon 12, Grand Mercure Monaco Resort, 0730-0930. Christchurch: Mon 12, Peppers Clearwater, 1730-2130. Wellington: Tue 13, Amora Hotel, 1730-2030 Auckland: Wed 14, Pullman Hotel, 1730-2045. Hamilton: Thu 15, Novotel Tainui, 1730-2030.

Destination NSW Sydney Agent Pub Quiz NightsAuckland: Tue 21, Atticus, 63 Fort St, CBD, 1730-1900.Wellington: Wed 22, The Establishment, 14-16 Courtenay Place, 1730-1900.

Asia NowAuckland West: Tue 21, Hong’s Kitchen, Westgate Shopping Centre, 1730. Auckland Central: Wed 22, Grasshopper, 26 Albert St, CBD, 1730. Wellington: Thu 23, Monsoon Poon, 12 Blair St, Te Aro, 1730.

MAYAsia NowTauranga: Tue 05, Thai Thani 2, 15 Wharf St, 1730. Hamilton: Wed 06, Ibis Hotel, 18 Alma St, 1730.

Avalon 2016 LaunchWhangarei: Tue 05, Dickens Inn, 0715, breakfast. Dunedin: Tue 05, Park Regis, 0715, breakfast. Kerikeri: Wed 06, Velvet Café, 0715, breakfast. Invercargill: Wed 06, Kelvin Hotel, 0715, breakfast. Queenstown: Thu 07, Prime Waterfront, 1730, drinks & canapes. Wellington CBD: Tue 12, Mac’s Function Centre, 1745, drinks & canapes.

Aloha Down UnderAuckland: Mon 11, venue and time tba.

APRILAvalon 2016 LaunchHamilton: Mon 13, Waikato Stadium, Gate 5, 128 Seddon Road, 1745, drinks & canapes. Timaru: Tue 14, Mocca Café, 0715, breakfast. Christchurch: Tue 14, Christchurch Casino, 1730, drinks & canapes. Tauranga: Wed 15, Trinity Wharf, 1745, drinks & canapes.Nelson: Wed 15, Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco, 1730, drinks & canapes. Blenheim: Thu 16, Watery Mouth Café, 1730, drinks & canapes. Napier: Mon 20, Globe Theatre, Ahuriri, 1800, presentation & movie. Palmerston North: Tue 21, Distinction Hotel & Conference Centre, 1745, drinks & canapes. New Plymouth: Wed 22, Devon Hotel, 1745, drinks & canapes. Auckland East: Thu 23 Apr, Pakuranga Golf Club, 0715, breakfast. Pukekohe: Tue 28, Sugar Shed, 1745, drinks & canapes. Wellington Lower Hutt: Wed 29, The Dowse Art Museum, 1745, drinks & canapes. Auckland West: Tue 28, Quality Inn Lincoln Green, 0715, breakfast Auckland Central: Wed 29, Maison Vauron, 0715, breakfast.Auckland North Shore: Thu 30, Bruce Mason Centre, 0715, breakfast.

Escape to the crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches of Tangalooma Island Re-sort on Moreton Island, just over an hour from Brisbane by catamaran. Surrounded by Moreton Island National Park, Tangalooma offers guests of all ages the perfect destination for unique adventure, edu-cation, or nature-based experiences in a truly relaxed environment.A highlight of any stay at Tangalooma is the opportunity to closely interact with nature. Included in selected packages is the unforgettable wild dolphin feeding experience - hand feed them as they gather at the jetty each evening. Between June and Oc-tober join our awe-inspiring whale watch cruise for the chance to see these gentle giants up close

in their natural environment.Tangalooma has over 80 activities on offer and more than half are free. Choose from sand tobog-ganing on the Desert Safari tour, quad biking, snorkeling, Segway tours and so much more. For more information www.visitbrisbane.com.au

• Walk through the City Botanic Gardens and dine alfresco along Eagle Street Pier.

• Climb the Story Bridge and abseil down the side, James Bond style.

• Run the 107 steps at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs . . . or just relax and enjoy a barbecue overlooking the city as the sun goes down.

Brisbane’s Packed Events Caledar There are many fantastic events year-round in Brisbane – sporting, art and culture, and the amazing Brisbane Festival to name but a few. Check out our events calendar for the full year : CLICK HEREEnsure your clients make the most of the very strong NZD, and en-courage them to extend their stay, and explore beyond the city !

Experience the festival buzz of South Bank, with markets, bars, restaurants, live performances and Australia’s only inner-city beach, providing the ultimate free family playground.• Watch Broadway shows and ex-

plore the museums and art gal-leries of the Cultural Precinct.

• Discover independent dance, theatre and comedy in Fortitude Valley’s eclectic performance spaces.

• Shop in boutique-filled inner-city boroughs – each with their own special personality.

• Hand-feed wild dolphins on Moreton Island or camp on the beachfront at North Stradbroke Island.

• Indulge in local wine at a family-run vineyard.

• Hike through national parks and get high in the mountains of the Scenic Rim.

Getting Out Of The City There are plenty of decidedly un-city places and hidden gems to explore within a short drive of Brisbane’s CBD.

Blessed with sunny days and plenty of action, Brisbane is one of the fastest growing capital cities in the world while still remaining uncomplicated, laid-back and fun-loving.

Outdoors Lifestyle: High Culture, No Pretension:

MORETON ISLANDTangalooma Island Resort

SAND SCULPTURE EXPERIENCE :

Brisbane’s year-round subtropical setting is best enjoyed with the grass beneath your feet and the sun on your back.

Travel Today, Monday 13 April 2015 Page 9

BRISBANE ANY DAY