Queensland News

Port Douglas Carnivale from 20 – 30 May 2010

For 10 balmy days and nights each May, the festival of Carnivale takes over the Tropical North Queensland seaside resort village of Port Douglas offering food, wine, music, culture, fashion, arts, sports, family fun and entertainment. Now 18 years old and recognized as one of the region’s principal events, Port Douglas Carnivale has grown from a street fiesta to a broad and diverse program which involves the entire community. This year’s slogan: A Taste of Paradise.

Green Cabs / Brisbane

Green transport has taken off in Brisbane with the arrival of the city’s newest public transport alternative – Green Cabs. The fleet of cycle taxis, operating out of South Bank, through the city centre and along riverside bicycle pathways, is providing carbon-free and fun transport options in and around the CBD. Green Cabs operate from the Wheel of Brisbane, Southbank on weekends and public holidays from 12 noon until late, and on Friday evenings from 5pm. Green Cabs are also available for private events.

www.greencabs.net.au 

Komune for surf lovers / Gold Coast

The Gold Coast’s newest boutique resort, Komune offers a range of stylish eco-friendly accommodation to suit all budgets only 300 metres from three of Australia’s most famous surf breaks, located on Marine Parade, Coolangatta. The eco-friendly resort was designed by Italian architect Giovanni D'Ambrosio and features a rock star-style penthouse suite on the entire 9th floor and a funky pool bar area. The Gold Coast really is the place to be for surf lovers with surfing and beach culture museum.

www.komuneresorts.com

TOURS & ATTRACTIONS

North Johnstone White Water Rafting / Tropical North Queensland

RnR White Water Rafting offers a combination of thrilling on-water adventure with a rare glimpse of a precious and untouched part of Tropical North Queensland’s World Heritage rainforests. The four day heli-rafting expedition takes place on the North Johnstone River, a steep, natural flowing river which cuts through a spectacular volcanic gorge. All meals are freshly prepared during the trip and all rafting and camping equipment, with the exception of wetsuits and sleeping bags, are supplied. All participants are given comprehensive instruction on paddling techniques and safety procedures. Departures are from Cairns four times a year.

www.raft.com.au/nj.html

Sprint to the reef in just 15 minutes / Tropical North Queensland

14 guests can sprint with up to 40 knots  to the reef in just 15 minutes from Port Douglas on this new snorkelling adventure tour. Reef Sprinter offers the perfect reef snorkelling experience. The two-and-a-half hour tour travels to the Low Isles’ official green zone, a protected World Heritage site only a handful of operators are permitted to explore because of its vast coral gardens and abundant fish life. Reef Sprinter tours operate three times a day from the Port Douglas Slipway jetty.

www.reefsprinter.com.au

Stingray Splash at Daydream Island / Whitsundays

Handfeeding stingrays is the newest attraction at Daydream Island Resort and Spa’s Living Reef, one of the world’s largest man-made coral reef lagoons with 2,650 square meters in size and home to more than 80 species of fish and 50 species of coral. Stingray Splash offers groups of up to four people the opportunity to walk knee-deep into the reef to hand-feed resident stingrays and sharks and pat the stingrays. Free educational feeding sessions are also held twice daily at 10am and 12.30pm daily.

www.daydreamisland.com

New city to country tour / Southern Queensland

JPT Tour Group has launched a new city to country day trip. Departing the Gold Coast at 7.30am and Brisbane at 9.00am, the Aussie Outback Adventure Package includes a tour of Ipswich’s famous Queens Park and  nearby Spicers Hidden Vale, a 5000 hectare working cattle station where guests can participate in a guided 4WD property tour, horse riding adventures, clay pigeon shooting and mountain bike riding. On the journey home, the tour stops at the historical Woodlands of Marburg for wine tasting at the cellar door and a chance to uncover the estate’s diverse history.

www.jpttours.com.au

MISCELLANEOUS

Your pass to adventure on Mount Tamborine / Gold Coast

Tamborine Mountain Tours, have launched a new Tamborine Adventure Pass. The Pass is a four hour tour which explores the big three attractions on the mountain – Thunderbird Park, the Glow Worm Caves and the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk. The daily tour begins with fossicking for thundereggs before moving on to explore the dense rainforest canopies suspended 30 metres above ground on the elevated walkway at Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk. From there it’s on to one of the National Parks for a picnic box lunch before heading to Cedar Creek Winery and the famous Glow Worms Caves. The last stop is Granny Mac’s fudge shop for some sweet treats for the trip home.

www.tamborinemountaintours.com

Etihad Airways will now code-share with Qantas

From March 2011 Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has increased the destinations available for passengers travelling to Australia by expanding its codeshare agreement with Qantas. As part of the agreement, the Etihad  two-letter ‘EY’ code is now placed on flights from Sydney to Ayers Rock (Uluru), Alice Springs, Canberra, Hobart and Melbourne and flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

www.etihadairways.com 

Additional flights to Brisbane and Cairns with Cathay Pacific

In July and August 2010, Cathay Pacific will have additional flights on top of existing daily flights to Hongkong and connections to Cairns and Brisbane on Monday and Thursday with a shorter connection from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

www.cathaypacific.com

• Virgin Blue has appointed John Borghetti as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.
• Danielle Andreuzzi resigns from her position as Reservations, Sales & Marketing Manager with The Fraser Island Company.
• Shirley Dodt has been appointed Manager, Sales and Marketing, at Rendezvous Reef Resort, Port Douglas.
• Adam Letson is the new Sales Manager for International markets at Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. He replaces Alice Johnson.
• Palazzo Versace Gold Coast has announced four new appointments: Andrew StLedger as Director of Sales and Marketing, Catherine Comino, Director of Sales – Groups, Paul Fidock, Business Development Manager and Teneale Harley, Conference and Events Coordinator.
• Daydream Island Resort & Spa has appointed Greg Betty to the newly created position of Resort Manager.
• Karen McMichael replaces Gemma O’Brien as Destination Marketing Manager at Tourism Sunshine Coast.