FAM-TASTIC! An Aussie ripper!
WHAT GOES ON TOUR... GOES IN SELLING LONG HAUL! IF YOU MISSED OUT ON THE FAM, FEAR NOT, BECAUSE WE’VE GOT THE GOSSIP. EMMA BUNNING FROM TOURISM AUSTRALIA REPORTS ON CORROBOREE AND THE QUEENSLAND FAM, BELOW
WHO: TOURISM AUSTRALIA, TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND, TOURISM EVENTS QUEENSLAND AND QANTAS WHAT: CORROBOREE 2013 WHERE: CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA WHEN: MAY, 2013 WHY: A TRAINING EVENT AND MEGA FAM FOR 300 AUSSIE SPECIALISTS FROM 14 COUNTRIES
“I've been to Australia before and I was again still impressed by the friendly people, the stunning scenery and the Great Barrier Reef. There is just no other country like Australia and it will always draw me back”
Joanne Britton, Travelux
“My expectations were exceeded with amazing hotels and excursions across Tropical North Queensland. Snorkelling and diving the Great Barrier Reef was a dream come true” Stacey Gregory, Westgate Travel
T
his year’s Corroboree in Cairns marked the sixth staging of the event. As well as fams
across the country, a three-day workshop saw 160 Australian seller companies meeting with the agents in 101 10-minute appointment slots – strewth, that' a lot of meetings! Agents were lucky enough to
experience a taste of the region with trips to the rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as attending top-notch evening functions showcasing the best of Australian food and wine. Cairns Esplanade played host to a spectacular firework display
marking the end of the workshops before the agents parted ways to take part in 24 fam itineraries across Australia – all named after Aussie animals!
Whilst the 'Kookaburras' headed to Jervis Bay on the NSW coast for surfing and dolphin spotting, the 'Echidnas' hit the bush in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, and the 'Crocodiles' went to the Northern Territory for some glamping. My group, the 'Green Tree Frogs', stayed in North Queensland:
DAY ONE: We kicked off with a scenic drive to holiday town Port Douglas and a visit to Wildlife Habitat for a guided tour of the creatures and a chance to have our
photo taken with a koala! After crossing the Daintree River on a cable-driven ferry we entered Daintree National Park and stopped at Alexander Lookout. Lunch was at Cape Tribulation where the group enjoyed flying through the trees on zip lines, with bird’s eye views of the canopy. DAY TWO: It was time to take the plunge, with a full-day snorkel and dive tour on the Great Barrier Reef’s Outer Reef. We also enjoyed a dinner hosted by Doug Ryan from Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree before an overnight stay at the glam QT Port Douglas, which has fantastic dining and an outdoor cinema! DAY THREE: We headed to Hartley’s, one of the best places in Tropical North Queensland to see wildlife. There's over 2,100 metres of boardwalk through the rainforest, from which you can look out for creatures like the fierce- looking Cassowary bird and crocodiles. On a boat tour we saw a croc jumping right out of the water. The night was spent at eco-property Thala Beach Lodge, located on a private
headland between Carins and Port
Douglas. Our stay included a nature tour and a stunning sunrise breakfast. DAY FOUR: The authentic timber carriages of the Kuranda Scenic Railway & Cable Car took us from Cairns to the pretty village of Kuranda, meandering through a lush green tropical paradise framed by rugged mountains and waterfalls. After lunch at The Bottom Pub we returned on the Kuranda Skyrail cable car for our overnight at the beachfront Angsana Great Barrier Reef in Palm Cove. DAYS FIVE TO SIX: Rest time, at the beautiful Bloomfield Lodge. Transfer was via scenic flight over the Barrier Reef on a single-prop aircraft, a short truck ride and a boat. It’s truly remote, with no WiFi, no phone signal and no reason not to switch off! We took a river cruise and spotted five wild crocs. The rooms are rainforest hideaways and I was lucky to have a hot tub looking out over the jungle – bliss!
Clockwise from top left: meeting a kangaroo, ; Kuranda Skyrail;
Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef; Zip lining, Cape Tribulation; Plane to Bloomfi eld Lodge. Left: The divers.
What they said...
www.sellinglonghaul.com
July/August 2013 71
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