VA & NZ Experience Australia Famil

Western AustraliaPerth highlights: Convict tunnels, gold pouring and Kings Park .............. 2Romance in the Swan Valley and Broome ................................................ 3Camel riding, dinosaur footprints and lantern festivals ............................. 4Glamping on the Dampier; hunting for pearls ........................................... 5

Incorporating Tabs On Travel

A Travel Today Destinational FeatureSeptember 2015

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Tunnelling Under A Convict PrisonFremantle Prison was built by convicts in the 1850s and used as a prison through until 1991—but now its only visitors are tourists, who come to take one of four different tours including underground Tunnels Tour and an evening Torchlight Tour.The prison itself is free to enter but the tours come at a cost and pre-booking is advised. Agents on the famil took part in a tunnel tour, which involved donning a hardhat and overalls then climbing down a 20m ladder to explore the network of tunnels. See fremantleprison.com.au

Perth has just been listed as the world’s eighth best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit, and the city’s outdoor attractions and nightlife were on show on for agents this week in the second Vir-gin Australia and Air New Zealand Experience Australia famil.Ten Kiwi agents who won their place on the trip have been experiencing the highlights of Western Australia.They arrived first in Perth, which in the next few years will be home to a brand new billion-dollar waterfront development, underground train line, sports stadium, transformed Perth Airport, a new museum, out-door community spaces and several new hotels.They were immediately whisked off to the Laneway Lounge in arriving in the city. The lounge, tucked away off Murray St, offers a mix of local and international acts in its own private Live Music Room, and prides itself on a selection of jazz-era cocktails.The next day the group headed off to explore Perth, including a guided tour of the Perth Mint, wandering

Kings Park botanical gardens and taking in the Kings Park festival.The Port City of Fremantle was next, including a tour of Fremantle Prison, Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and an afternoon pint at Little Creatures Brewery.

Little CreaturesLittle Creatures Brewery is set inside a huge converted boat shed on Fishing Boat Harbour, and its ‘cellar door’ bar and restaurant has become a must-visit in Fre-mantle. Pictured at the brewery is Natalie Jowett, Travel 2U and Deb-bie Bradford, NZ Travel Brokers.

Nature In The Heart Of The CityThe Kings Park and Botanic Garden sits on Mt Eliza, and it’s one of the best places to get views over the city of Perth and Swan River. There’s 400ha of trees, bushland, ornamental lakes, lookouts and botanic gardens to explore, free guided walking tours, and it’s also one of the top places to see the state’s famous wildflowers. This month is the Kings Park Festival, showcasing a variety of wildflowers found throughout the state. Pictured at the garden’s Botanical Café is John Stewart, Air New Zealand.

Gold Pouring At The Perth MintVisitors to the Perth Mint can check out a display of more than AUD25 million worth of natural and refined gold, including the Australian Kangaroo One Tonne Gold Coin, recognised as the largest coin ever made. There’s the chance to handle a solid gold bar, valued at more than half a million dollars, and see liquid gold transform into a solid bar. See perthmint.com.au

VA & NZ Experience Australia Famil Incorporating Tabs On TravelThu 03 Sep 15 p2

Perth On Show On Next VA/NZ Famil

VA & NZ Experience Australia Famil Incorporating Tabs On TravelFri 04 Sep 15 p3

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Day two of the Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand Western Australia famil sounds a little like a recipe for romance—chocolate tasting, wine tours, an evening walk on the beach and movies under the stars.The Swan Valley is just 25 minutes from Perth and is home to world-class vineyards, food, art and scenery. A great way for clients to experience the region is by the 32km Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail, which takes in more than 150 wineries, breweries, restaurants, cafes, distilleries, shops, accommodation outlets and roadside stalls.After exploring the valley the group

hopped on a 2.5 hour flight to Broome, the pearling capital of Aus-tralia which serves as a gateway to the Kimberley Coast. Top attractions include the ocean sunsets of Cable Beach and the Staircase to the Moon phenomenon.Following a walk on the beach, they took in the Mud and Saltwater Short Film Festival, part of the Shinju Mat-suri Festival of the Pearl.The 10-day festival celebrates the waking of Sammy the Dragon, and is held every year around Aug or Sep’s full moon and spring tides, to coin-cide with the Staircase on the Moon. See shinjumatsuri.com.au

Wine, Chocolate And Outdoor Cinema

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At the Margaret River Chocolate Company: 1 Allison Fairless, Feilding Flight Centre; Christina Ripley, United Travel New Lynn; and Anne-Marie Ryan, Harvey World Travel Browns Bay. 2 From left is Louise Mizen, World Travellers Queenstown; Allison Fairless, Feilding Flight Centre; Anne-Marie Ryan, HWT Browns Bay; and (front) John Stewart, Air New Zealand.Pictured at the Mandoon Estate is: 3 Tim Gonzales, Flight Centre Mosgiel and John Stewart, Air New Zealand, sample the beers. 4 Elizabeth Sherry, HWT Mt Maunganui; Debbie Bradford, NZ Travel Brokers; Natalie Jowett, Travel 2 U Christchurch; Louise Miz-en, World Travellers Queenstown; Anne-Marie Ryan, HWT Browns Bay; Allison Fairless, Feilding Flight Centre; and Christina Ripley, United Travel New Lynn.

VA & NZ Experience Australia Famil

TWO AIRLINES ONE TASMAN TEAMWith over 200 flights every week, we’re bringing you a bigger, better Trans-Tasman network.

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Incorporating Tabs On TravelMon 07 Sep 15 p4

Camel safaris, a tour of Broome and releasing lanter ns were among the highlights of day three of the Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia WA famil.The group took in the stunning tur-quoise and blues of Cable Beach from camel-back with Broome Camel Safaris, which offers camel rides on the beach with the choice of an afternoon or sunset ride. See broomecamelsafaris.com.auThen Broome’s culture and history was on show through a half-day Broome Sights Tour with Kimberley Wild Expeditions.Agents learnt about the town’s heri-tage and colourful lifestyle, including the precinct of Chinatown, calling in

Camels, Lanterns & Broome’s Heritage

at a pearl shop, and enjoying a sound show at the famous Sun Pictures, the world’s oldest operating open air picture garden.They heard about the One Day War at Town Beach, sampled handmade ales and ginger beer at Matso’s Broome Brewery, visited the Japanese Ceme-tery and Broome Port, travelled to the Broome Race Course, then wandered to Gantheaume Point, known for dinosaur’s footprints and Anastasia’s Pool.They finished off the day by releasing lanterns for the Floating Lantern Mat-suri festival, part of the Shinju Matsuri festival. The lanterns remember those who have gone before and are released on the outgoing tide at sunset.

Exploring Cable Beach With Broome Camel Safaris1 The group on their camels. 2 Susanne Hahn, Flight Centre Wellington broker and Christina Ripley, United Travel New Lynn. 3 Tim Gonzales, Flight Centre Mosgiel. 4 Natalie Jowett, Travel 2 U Christchurch takes a camel selfie.

Sunset And Lanterns At The Shinju Matsuri Festival1 Sunset at Cable Beach. 2 Lanterns at the Floating Lantern Matsuri festival, part of the Shinju Matsuri festival. 3 Enjoying sunset. 4 Louise Miz-en, World Travellers Queenstown.

Highlights Of Broome With Kimberley Wild1 Jack Michael, Flight Centre Wellington takes in the view. 2 Elizabeth Sherry, Harvey World Travel Mt Maunganui, at Gantheaume Point. 3 Debbie Bradford, NZ Travel Brokers, tries on an AUD140,000 pearl necklace at Allure Pearls. 4 John Stewart, Air NZ; Tim Gonzales, Flight Centre Mosgiel; Jack Michael, Flight Centre Wellington; and Debbie Bradford, NZ Travel Brokers.

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VA & NZ Experience Australia Famil

TWO AIRLINES ONE TASMAN TEAMWith over 200 flights every week, we’re bringing you a bigger, better Trans-Tasman network.

book now | virginaustralia.com/agents | airnzagent.co.nz

Incorporating Tabs On TravelTue 08 Sep 15 p5

The final days of the Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia WA famil were spent exploring the Dampier Peninsula and Cape Leveque, hunting for pearls and a touch of glamping on the beach.St retching 220k m nor th f rom Broome, Dampier Peninsula and Cape Leveque offer the perfect get-away for the adventurous traveller, with the only access to the area via the partially unsealed Cape Leveque Rd.A Dampier Peninsula experience can include secluded beaches at Middle Lagoon, swimming or snorkelling, spending the day fishing on a charter boat or hiring a dinghy, and experi-encing the unique culture of the local

Indigenous people.The area is made up of many small indigenous communities, and visi-tors can meet the locals and take part in tours including looking for bush tucker or mud-crabbing. Visitors are asked however to respect the land, culture and privacy of local people where access is restricted.Agents on the famil visited the Beagle Bay Aboriginal community, set up in 1890 as a mission before becoming a pearling centre, and home to the Sacred Heart Church, built by local people and Pallotine monks in 1917.They also headed to One Arm Point and visited a pearl farm, before stay-ing overnight at the Kimberley Wild Expeditions Camp.

A Pearler Of An AfternoonSituated on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula is Cygnet Bay, and agents spent the afternoon here, visiting the Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm and glamping at the Kimberley Wild Expeditions Camp.There’s a large range of land, sea and air tours available from Cygnet Bay, of-fering a glimpse into life on an operational Pearl Farm. It’s also popular for ex-periencing the world’s largest tropical tides, which feed the famous Horizontal Waterfalls phenomenon.Pictured at Cygnet Bay is: 1 Elizabeth Sherry, Harvey World Travel Mt Maun-ganui, with the oyster. 2 Having the pearl valued—the 12mm circle pearl with good lustre is worth around AUD195. 3 Cracking open an oyster to look for a pearl. 4 The pearl. 5 Natalie Jowett, Travel 2 U Christchurch, tries on AUD19,000 worth of pearls.

Red Red Rocks And Cool Blue WaterCape Leveque is famous for its Aboriginal heritage, and dramatic red-rock cliffs, bone-white sand and turquoise water. Agents on the famil were able to experience all of this at Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, an aboriginal-owned wilderness-style luxury camp.Pictured at Kooljaman is: 1 Flighties take flight: Tim Gonzales, Flight Centre Mosgiel; Jack Michael, Flight Centre Wellington; and John Stewart, Air New Zealand. 2 John Stewart, Air New Zealand; Allison Fairless, Feilding Flight Centre (front); and Debbie Bradford, NZ Travel Brokers (back.

Dampier Peninsula Glamping & Pearls

Absolute Beachfront At Cygnet Bay1 Kimberley Wild Expeditions’ private campsite in Cygnet Bay, where the agents spent the night. 2 Cygnet Bay adventurers. 3 Jack Michael, Flight Centre Wellington in his tent.

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