Destination wrap: Utah partners with City2Surf, new experiences in North Qld + MORE!
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Catch up on all the latest news from your favourite tourism boards and find out what new experiences are on offer with Travel Weekly‘s brand new destination wrap!
Australians Dominate World’s Most Challenging Paddle Race
The 23rd annual Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu Paddleboard Race took place on 28 July 2019 HST, with contenders from across the globe taking on the 52km challenge.
Described as the world’s most challenging paddle race, the Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu starts from the water at Kalua Koi on Molokai to the beach at the Maunalua Bay Beach Park bathhouse on O‘ahu.
The 2019 results have seen Australians dominate the leader board, with every participant in the Top 10 from the land down under.
From 1997 to now, Australian men have dominated the Men’s Prone Paddleboard Championships, winning 18 out of 21 years. Similarly, Australian women have conquered the Women’s Prone Unlimited Paddleboard, with 7 of the 11 top times since 2004.
Australians have won the Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu paddleboard race every year since 2010, making this year’s contest more challenging as athletes test their skills to keep the renowned title.
Utah named official tourism partner of City2Surf Sydney 2019
The Utah Office of Tourism has announced its official partnership as the exclusive tourism partner of City2Surf Sydney 2019. City2Surf is the largest fun run in the world and will occur on 11 August 2019 beginning in the Sydney CBD and finishing at the world-famous Bondi Beach.
This is where more than 80,000 runners and walkers will be able to win their way to Utah courtesy of a 12-night prize package and return economy class airfares courtesy of United Airlines. (Terms and conditions apply.)
New Brisbane tourism experiences set to flourish with Lord Mayor’s grants
A tour exploring Brisbane’s food history from its Indigenous cultural beginnings to its present-day cuisine and a guided river journey showcasing Brisbane’s fascinating maritime history are among new tourism experiences set to receive funding from a new grant scheme.
Funds from the Lord Mayor’s Experience Development Incentive Grant Program have been awarded to five city and regional tourism operators who will take the lead on developing exciting new tourism experiences for the region.
Five grants of $10,000 each from Lord Mayor’s Experience Development Incentive Grant Program have been allocated to five projects including Nyanda cultural and food tours, maritime heritage experiences, new self-guided tours at the Brisbane Powerhouse, farm gate, food and scenic tours and pterodactyl helicopter tours.
The new tourism offerings are expected to be developed by March 2020.
The New York Botanical Garden announces 2020 exhibition of work by Yayoi Kusama
The New York Botanical Garden today announced that its major 2020 exhibition will feature the work of internationally celebrated Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
This landmark presentation – exclusive to NYBG and with initial support from Major Sponsor MetLife Foundation – will include works across the spectrum of her multifaceted practice and introduce major new works created by the artist specifically for this exhibition, which will run from May 2 through November 1, 2020.
It offers visitors to New York a unique opportunity to view a range of Kusama’s mesmerising art, including immersive experiences and new works created for NYBG, which lies just 20 minutes from midtown Manhattan and is the only venue in the world for this singular Garden-wide exhibition.
Monaco becomes first state in Europe to be fully covered by 5G
Thanks to Monaco Telecom, the Principality of Monaco is now completely connected to 5G, making it the first in the world to achieve total coverage with the high-speed technology.
The 5G roll-out is the first pillar of the Extended Monaco programme led by the Prince’s Government, which seeks to bring Monaco into the digital age.
New in tropical North Queensland
Music, racing, award-winning beer, dining in the rainforest and new wildlife attractions give tropical North Queensland a variety of fresh experiences for the cooler months in the tropics.
Live music at Paronella Park
Historic Paronella Park is once again alive with music from The String Family as part of the evening tours until 31 October. The award-winning musicians play original compositions inspired by the magic and beauty of the Cassowary Coast rainforest filling the National Trust property with live music, just like the evenings hosted by Jose Paronella many decades ago.
Be charmed by snakes
Seeing snakes in their natural habitat just got easier with the opening of Pathway of Pythons at Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas. The new snake precinct has jungle, olive, amethystine, water and black-headed pythons with each housed in a room designed to look, feel and smell like the place they call home.
Deadly dining on country
Join the Mandingalbay Yidinji people on their country for a four-course Deadly Dinner featuring traditionally inspired local produce and Australian native ingredients.
Drivers rally to Targa
Entries have surged by 40 per cent in Targa Great Barrier Reef with more than 270 vehicles to drive Tropical North Queensland’s roads from 30 August to 1 September. Non-competitive touring groups follow the drivers serious about winning Targa and put on a $25 million display of exotic sports cars and classic vehicles.
Be a cowboy
Discover your inner cowboy on both horseback and an all-terrain vehicle at KUR-Cow Barnwell, a working cattle property in Kuranda. Get a ringside seat to watch a show of bushman’s skills and meet the friendly working dog who can run all day.
Koala joey on show
Monte Carlo, the sweetest koala joey at Rainforestation Nature Park, has emerged from mum Vovo’s pouch at the age of eight months and is putting on a show for visitors by crawling all over his four-year-old mother. Dad Sunny was on loan from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary as part of the captive breeding program. The Kuranda nature park has also welcomed two rescue koalas from the wild.
The race that stops Cairns
The Cairns Amateurs Carnival has secured two of Australia’s most awarded Fashions on the Field competitors, Lindsay Ridings and Emma Scodellaro, to judge this year’s titles. The Carnival on 12 to 14 September is three days of fun, fashion, food and entertainment built around two days of horse racing.
Dine in the treetops
Silky Oaks Lodge is throwing open its doors for lunch in the open-air Treehouse Restaurant set in the Daintree rainforest treetops overlooking the stunning Mossman River. Newly appointed Executive Chef Mark Godbeer has arrived from Longitude 131 at Uluru Kata Tjuta, which is also part of the Baillie Lodges portfolio.
Fly to the Reef
Scenic flights over the Great Barrier Reef can be enjoyed on Nautilus Aviation’s new factory-built Airbus H130s helicopters which seat seven passengers. The luxury transfers and scenic flights are from Port Douglas to the Quicksilver pontoon at Agincourt Reef, from Cairns to Green Island, and from Cairns to the Great Adventures pontoons at Moore and Norman Reefs.
New exhibit in Kuranda
What does a caterpillar eat before it turns into a beautiful butterfly? The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda has introduced an exhibit that answers this question. The Food Plant Walk is a 20-minute guided educational walk highlighting various caterpillar food plants and includes a sneak peek at the sanctuary’s aviary used for disease control and egg collection.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
Destination wrap destinations monaco New York Botanical Garden The Utah Office of Tourism tropical north queenslandLatest News
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SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024
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Journey Beyond launches first brand-led campaign during Paris Olympics
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Ascott Australia partners with Hotels for Trees
Hoteliers can take a 'Lyf' out of this book and improve their green credentials.
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Victoria’s TAC Top Tourism Town Award winners for 2024
Keep looking in our own backyard. There are plenty of places to go.
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Uniworld partners with Camilla Franks with Egyptian-inspired collection
We are in de-Nile about making puns combining Crocs and leopard prints, given this luxe partnership.
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Aussies at Paris Olympics anxious about travel risks, with incidents already recorded
Fortunately one of our biggest gold medal hopes still held onto his pedals.
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Banyan Tree Seaview Villas elevates Laguna Lang Co
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Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales
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Wendy Wu unveils new Japan travel brochure and itineraries
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UK and Europe event organisers look to venues with sustainability integrity, ICC Sydney survey finds
Here in Sydney, you can even eat the table centrepieces. Although we advise they be cooked first.
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Renos Rologas new general manager ANZ for FCM Travel
Two decades in the travel game! Let's hope Renos is in for the long haul at FCM.
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Untamed Escapes to offer Cultural Day Tour from Port Lincoln in partnership with Maba Idi
International visitors travel thousands of kilometres for this experience. Time to share.
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Luxe Finish Line Penthouses offer the best vantage point for the finish of the Sydney-Hobart
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In a busy world, proximity to nature is the new luxury
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Circular Quay welcomes new Korean dining experience to Sydney Place
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MSC Cruises unveils a new outdoor kid-friendly attraction on World America
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Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy
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Australian travellers abandon peer-to-peer stays and gravitate back to big hotels, survey finds
Doom scrolling Airbnb for the best-possible stay options two days out from departure was wearing us down, apparently.
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Quark Expeditions launches the Ultimate Summer in the Arctic sweepstakes for travel advisors
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‘I bet it smells weird’ – Internet divided over floating restaurant in China
I you are still feeling peckish at the end of your meal, their fish tank is full. But can you eat koi?
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‘Turn up in the Northern Territory this Spring’ campaign deals
Agents and airlines get all hot and sweaty over these enticing deals. Or did someone just turn the air-conditioning up?
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‘Like nothing on earth’: Saudi Arabia’s new Treyam resort set in a Star Wars-style landscape
As long as Jar Jar Binks is not there, we would like a seat at the Mos Eisley Cantina please.
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Raffles Hotels and Resorts is set to open in Tokyo in 2028
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‘A true honour’ – Andrew Stark wins Flight Centre Director’s Award for the second time
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Club Med debuts travel agent portal 2.0 with bonus prize for tops sales
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Envoyage announces 2024 Australian Icons and rewards event in the Maldives
We were going to edit our name into the list but we chickened out.
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HIF Global signs collaboration agreement with Airbus on eFuels
We know it's a good thing but can a jet fuel geek out there send in a diagram explaining this please.
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Crystal announces release dates for 2026 itineraries
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Cairns Airport unveils display of support for FNQ youth
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Viking announces six new cruise itineraries
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InsideAsia Tours launches new incentive that doubles agent commission
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