Whale watching in Byron, Ballina and Beyond

A fluke might be a rare thing, but not when it comes to whale watching along the NSW North Coast with guests of North Coast Holiday Parks (NCHP) in Byron, Ballina and beyond currently being treated to the playful sight of whales fluking and breaching as they undergo their annual migration.

With daily sightings being made across the Region, North Coast Holiday Parks in Brunswick Heads, Byron and Lennox Head are reporting a rise in guests booking in who are hoping to take advantage of this year’s Whale Watching season. The 2017 Whale Census hosted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and ORRCA is reporting record numbers and the east coast will see as many as 30,000 of the gentle giants in migration mode this year.

NCHP Clarkes Beach Manager Nancy Sparkes said Whale Season had hit Byron Bay in a big way with many guests captivated by the gentle giants as they swam in their family units and enjoyed the water.

“There are plenty of whales to see at the moment whilst they are embarking on their migration north with guests reporting how breathtaking it is to watch tens of whales at a time flapping around, breaching, or just cruising through the bay,” Nancy said.

“It is certainly a major drawcard for our guests at this time of year and overseas backpackers making their pilgrimage to Byron Bay often report the Whales as a major drawcard in visiting the area.

“It’s like a water park with the all the blowholes going off directly in front of the park; anytime you get to see the massive humpbacks breaching it’s a special moment with the majestic beauty, sheer size and power leaving you with a feeling of awe and wonder.

“We especially love it at Clarkes Beach from September to early November when the newborn calves swim with their parents a lot closer to shore.”

NCHP Lennox Head park managers Deb Smith and Aaron Matenga said they regularly spot a number of Whales during their daily morning walks along the beach and make sure they do the rounds to guests to ensure they are able to take advantage of this majestic sight.

“The most common Whale to sight is the Southern Right Whale, who are easily spotted as they are famously slow swimmers who tend to rest with their calves in shallow water just below the surf line,” Deb said.

“It truly is a special experience to see the Whales on their migration and there are plenty of great spots to see them in Lennox Head. Aaron and I recommend checking out the Whales from the Pat Morton Lookout or going for a stroll along the Lennox Head Boardwalk, though you’ll also have a strong chance of seeing Whales breaching the water at Seven Mile Beach and Flat Rock.”

North Coast Holiday Parks are part of the NSW Crown Holiday Parks Trust (NSWCHPT), which is committed to providing unforgettable holiday memories in iconic destinations across NSW. NSWCHPT also manages the operations of Inland Waters Holiday Parks (IWHP) and South Coast Holiday Parks (SCHP).

NSWCHPT CEO Steve Edmonds said the Group was dedicated to providing guests with a unique experience not found in other holiday destinations, noting the opportunity to see Whales in their natural habitat as a particular example of this.

“We pride ourselves in the fact our parks are located in some of the most idyllic tourism hotspots in NSW,” Mr Edmonds said.

“We can offer our guests experiences that may not be found on your typical holiday and we look forward to welcoming anyone hoping for the opportunity to Whale Watch.

“Our goal is to be recognised as a leading provider of recreational destinations in NSW and we certainly see our parks’ vicinity to popular Whale Watching areas as a strong example of our ability to offer our guests exciting and exceptional experiences.”

A Winter getaway in Byron Bay and surrounds provides the perfect prospect to scout out the Whales. With six parks in the local area there is no shortage of accommodation options for your animal adventure.

For a full list of parks and to book your next holiday visit North Coast Holiday Parks

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All new glass bottom kayak tours on Rarotonga ­ Cook Islands

Ariki Adventures on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands has introduced an all new experience to view marine life and coral formations, with guided glass bottom kayak tours.  The glass bottom kayaks are modified so the usual plastic base is replaced with clear viewing glass.  Guests need only bring swimmers, sunblock and a hat.

Rarotonga's world renowned Muri lagoon is the launch pad for the tours, which venture out to accessible tiny islets, known as motus, nestled invitingly in the lagoon.

Home to countless varieties of brilliantly coloured tropical fish and marine life, Muri lagoon also offers some of the best snorkelling and swimming spots on the island of Rarotonga for guests who want to take a dip in the crystal clear waters.

Glass bottom boat tours operate twice daily with a minimum of four people.  Tours for single glass bottom kayaks are $59pp, while double kayak's are $99.  For bookings see http://www.arikiholidays.com/

Ariki Adventures is also the only sea scooter snorkelling operator on the island of Rarotonga, offering sea scooter tours both inside the lagoon and also outside the reef to a shipwreck.  The sea scooters act as an under water towing device travelling at 4km p/hr pulling guests along effortlessly as they swim through schools of fish and coloured coral.

For information on visiting the Cook Islands see www.cookislands.travel

Cairns secures direct mainland China flights

Tropical North Queensland will deliver tens of thousands of visitors to Queensland with the announcement today (June 30) that China Southern Airlines will operate three flights a week direct from Guangzhou to Cairns from December with modern Airbus A330-300 260-seat aircraft.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Chair Max Shepherd said it was incredibly rewarding for the destination to have direct China services confirmed as it would provide a substantial opportunity to build on the growth in arrivals from the region's number one source market.

"Established under the Queensland Government's $33.5 million Advance Queensland: Connecting with Asia initiative, this will be the first direct year-round service from mainland China to Cairns," he said.

"The China Southern flights will inject $30.8 million in overnight visitor expenditure for the region in the first year and $90 million over three years with three flights per week delivering 33,852 seats on an A330-200 aircraft.

"The establishment of scheduled services from the world's largest tourism market will connect new consumers to Australia and create profound opportunities for the Tropical North Queensland industry.

"TTNQ developed the concept for Australia's Tropical Resort Holiday Destination two and a half years ago as a catalyst for the introduction of direct flights to Cairns.

"Since then we have worked diligently with our partners to position our region not only as a group holiday destination, but as a potential mono-destination for the Chinese market, tapping into the rapidly growing free independent traveller (FIT) market.

"Australia caters very well to the multi-destination visitor, but a very large proportion of the FIT market is currently travelling to Guam, Singapore, Malaysia, the Maldives and Hawaii.

"The State Government investment in partnership with Cairns Airport, Cairns Regional Council and TTNQ will open this very rich vein of opportunity, not only for Tropical North Queensland, but for Australia as a whole.

"It will also offer the opportunity for visitors to stay longer and disperse further throughout the region.

"Growth from China continued for the year ending March 2017 delivering 218,000 visitors to Tropical North Queensland, an 8.8 per cent increase which represented more than half of Queensland's 406,000 Chinese holiday visitors.

"Direct flights will allow us to tap into the positive response from both the Chinese travel industry at the recent Australian Tourism Exchange and the rapidly growing online travel agents in China."

Cairns Airport Chief Executive Officer Norris Carter said this was great news for Cairns to receive during the 2017 China Australia Year of Tourism.

"We look forward to rolling out the red carpet for China Southern's first flight in December," Mr Carter said.

"The service from Guangzhou will provide more convenient access to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef for the world's largest visitor source market.

  "In addition, it opens up the 'Canton Route' for travel between Europe and Cairns.

"Whether as a standalone visit or as part of a longer Queensland and Australian itinerary taking advantage of our extensive domestic connections, visitors from mainland China, other parts of Asia and Europe using the China Southern service will be able to spend more of their time enjoying their holiday rather than travelling.

"These flights will also offer new opportunities for our region's high quality primary produce to be exported to China."

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said it was wonderful news for the region and something the Council and its partners had been working toward for a long time.

"Cairns' tourism product continues to grow and the addition of any new international flight contributes to our region's success," he said.

"The introduction of year-round flights will further increase Chinese access to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, with the benefits to flow through to every part of our local economy.

"I'd like to thank Tourism Minister Kate Jones and everyone involved in delivering this great boost for Cairns' and Queensland's tourism industries."

Mr Shepherd said the direct flights were an outstanding example of a great partnership between China Southern Airlines, Cairns Airport, Cairns Regional Council, TTNQ, Tourism Australia and Tourism and Events Queensland to collaboratively develop, invest in, and deliver a fully integrated campaign to market Tropical North Queensland to the resort holiday traveller in China.

Lloyd's List: Report shows majority of coastal shipping in foreign hands

Teresa Lloyd, chief executive officer at Maritime Industries Australia Limited says Australia's coastal trading sector (including cruising) needs help. It needs change. Not one stakeholder is happy with the status-quo.
Read her full comment here

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Aussies Give 'Bleisure' Travel Market A Serious Boost

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Flight Centre Travel Group's latest global survey has revealed Aussies and Kiwis as the biggest bleisure travel consumers in the world.

Derived from the trend of adding leisure time onto a business trip, bleisure travel has become a mainstream employee perk throughout the world.

88 per cent of Aussie and Kiwi respondents said their employer allowed them to take bleisure travel with 71 per cent of global respondents also answering in the affirmative.

Flight Centre's Executive General Manager - Corporate Travel Andrew Flannery said the bleisure travel concept had grown so quickly in popularity that it had become its own niche travel market.

"Bleisure travel isn't just about taking an extra day or two on the back of work trip anymore.  It's morphed into a holiday option that's utilised in a number of different ways by employees," he said.

"In particular, those who have a relationship with a corporate travel manager are using the extra level of booking expertise to parlay work trips into larger holidays."

Mr Flannery said the ability to take bleisure travel was becoming a more important factor for job selection, especially among millennial travellers.

Surveyed millennials had the highest appreciation for bleisure travel with 89 per cent considering it a major work perk.  They were also the most likely group to extend a business trip with colleagues or use the opportunity to travel with a partner or companion.

Millennials also favoured bleisure holidays that enabled sightseeing and exploration whereas older age brackets were more likely to use the time to visit friends and family.

Results also showed the most frequent bleisure travellers were those who flew more than 11 times annually on business, a category dominated by C-suite respondents.

Mr Flannery said the evolution of the bleisure travel concept from an occasional getaway opportunity to major work perk had created a win-win solution for employees and employers.

"If your employer is willing to pay your airfare for work purposes, or even cover a significant part of your journey, you've immediately got a cut price holiday and more spending money," he said.

"On the flip side, employers can benefit from a reduction in annual leave liability by encouraging employees to use business trips as a launch pad for vacation time."

 

New Mantra Hotels masterbrand

Leading hotel and resort operator, Mantra Group, has united the Group's 128 properties across Australia, New Zealand, Bali and Hawaii, consolidating its multi-branded portfolio into a new single consumer brand, known simply as Mantra Hotels.

The new Mantra Hotels masterbrand represents the Group's three brands - Peppers, which offers distinctive stays in outstanding settings; Mantra, which combines convenient locations with stylish comfort; and BreakFree, renowned for providing a relaxed ambience at family-friendly prices - with all properties now featured on one all-inclusive website, MantraHotels.com, offering an overarching consumer brand website for all Mantra Group properties for the first time.

Showcasing the company's entire portfolio and suite of experiences, the new dotcom website conveniently provides curious connected travellers with the experiences they seek in one location and is reflective of the company's ongoing expansion strategy into new international markets.

Mantra Group Chief Operating Officer Tomas Johnsson said the Group is embracing its future with a completely reimagined brand identity that showcases the Group's exceptional offerings and appeal as an integral part of contemporary travellers' aspirations.

"Our new Mantra Hotels masterbrand reflects our intent to encourage guests to live life outside the square and reaffirms our commitment to facilitating genuine and trusted experiences in a meaningful way," said Mr Johnsson.

"We do this by providing spaces with options, where guests can tailor things to their liking within four walls… because only then can they reconnect with what's important to them and discover their own kind of wonderful beyond those walls."

As part of the rebranding, the Group has launched a new Mantra Hotels logo emphasising the brand's holistic, organic approach to servicing the needs of today's travellers, which will be used across all consumer communications channels.



McCann Queensland, part of McCann Worldgroup - the world's largest agency network, developed the innovative Mantra Hotels masterbrand launch campaign, titled 'My Kind of Wonderful' and featuring four stories inspired by real-life events, which Mr Johnsson said was a bold move, amplifying the brand's belief that the best travel experience begins with a space to make your own.

The campaign includes television, social and video advertising, a new brand look and logo, and enhanced social media platforms.

All travel agent log-ins, access to BizBeds and Mantra Group's affiliate program have transferred over to MantraHotels.com.

The Group's newly launched and revitalised loyalty program, Mantra+, is also conveniently located on the new website for guests to receive more offers, more value, and more ways to discover their kind of wonderful.


For more information, visit MantraHotels.com

Meet Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars 3 at Disneyland Resort in California

With the highly anticipated Disney Pixar's 'Cars 3' movie set to open nationwide in Australia on 22^nd June 2017, guests can plan their very own Cars themed adventure at Disneyland Resort in California.  The latest sequel in this blockbusting movie franchise, is set to take viewers on a thrilling new action packed adventure, with cutting edge auto scenes and an array of high tech car models.  The all new story, starring Lightning McQueen captures the meaning of being a true champion by believing in yourself against un-win-able odds.

Visitors to Cars Land at Disneyland Resort in California can look forward to stepping into Radiator Springs for themselves, where they will be able to meet characters from the movies and enjoy electrifying attractions, including car races and dancing.

Cars Land at Disneyland Resort in California attractions:

Radiator Springs Racers combines classic storytelling with a thrilling high speed race as the grand finale. The journey begins by boarding a six-person car for a scenic road trip through Ornament Valley, including driving past the valley's famous plunging waterfall, Radiator Falls. Next, guests head towards the town of Radiator Springs, encountering familiar faces along the way.  For the exhilarating conclusion, guests will be pitted against another car full of guests for a friendly competition to see who can get to the checkered flag first.

Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters is where guests can join the action by hopping into 20 miniature Italian roadsters (Luigi's cousins), which perform traditional dances of gliding, turning and spinning to upbeat music across a trackless dance floor. Each roadster performs an individual routine meaning guests will enjoy a different experience each time, depending on the car and song playing.

Mater's Junkyard Jamboree allows guests to join in a tow-si-do square dance. The adventure begins when visitors board a trailer pulled by an adorable little tractor and swing in time to lively music sung by Mater himself!

In addition, visitors to Cars Land can savour a hearty feast including house-made pies at Flo's V8 Café or chilli 'cone' queso from the Cosy Cone Motel.  Once night falls, guests can watch as Cars Land comes to life with 16 neon signs, lighting up the sky.

To book a magical Disney holiday, please contact your local travel agent.