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The Australian Gourmet Traveller’s 2009 Traveller Awards has recently been published and you’ll find some outstanding attractions. The panel of travel experts comes up with a shortlist of nominations in each category then voting is open to Gourmet Traveller’s readers. An enthusiastic 33000 readers voted this year. We can offer you the best deals so please feel free to contact us : info@australiantravel.us

 

 

Here are the Winners and Runners-up;

 

Readers Choice Awards:

Best Eco-tourism experience:

Winner: Wilson Island in Queensland.

 

Runners up: Freycinet Experience Walk and Maria Island Walk in Tasmania.

Best Family Experience:

Winner: Sea World Resort and Water

Park, Gold Coast

Runners-up: Sovereign Hill, (Melbourne) and Australia Zoo ( Brisbane)

Best Small Luxury Hotel:

Winner: Emporium Hotel, Brisbane

Runners-up: Islington, Hobart and Lake

House, Daylesford.

Best Adventure Tourism:

Winner: Orion Expedition Cruises

Runners-up: Cradle

Mountain Walk in Tasmania and

Aurora Expeditions.

Best hosted accommodation ( B & B )

Winner: Hunter Valley Cooperage (

Sydney)

Runners-up: Cotterville, Victoria  and Ooraminna Station Homestead.

Best indigenous tourism experience:

Winner: Anangu Waai, Northern Territory

Runners-up: Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, Western Australia and Guurbi Tours in Queensland.

Best Lodge:

Winner: Cradle Mountain Lodge,

Tasmania

Runners-up: Silky Oaks Lodge ( Cairns) and Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Isl.

Best Resort Accommodation:

Winner: Qualia, Hamilton

Island

Runners-up: Emma Gorge Resort and El Questro  in Western Australia.

Best Health/Spa Retreat

Winner: Salus Spa,Lake House, Daylesford

Runners-up: Qualia on Hamilton Island and Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, VIC.

Best Large Luxury Hotel:

Winner: Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast

Runners-up: The Langham, Melbourne and Park Hyatt, Sydney.

Best new Hotel/Resort/Lodge

Winner: Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island.

Runners-up: A tie for second place between Qualia on Hamilton Island and Emporium Hotel in

Brisbane.

Best Eco Tourism:

Winner: Wild Bush Luxury

Runners-up: Maria Island Walk in Tasmania and

Montague

Island in NSW.

 

In 2006 the Australian Traveller published an article about a pub crawl which I thought I should mention here. It is a great adventure.

No-one’s averse to a pub-crawl. It’s practically what made this nation great. And forget riding through history on the sheep’s back – a South Australian tour operator has taken the Aussie Pub-Crawl and given it wings. As they rather accurately point out: “It’s 500km between hotels, so your ‘designated driver’ is a pilot.”

Taking in some of the iconic – as well as unheard-of – destinations in the deep outback, this is a four-day odyssey through spectacular scenery: the Flinders Ranges and magnificent Wilpena Pound from the air, over Lake Torrens and the opal mining area of Andamooka, on to William Creek and her famous Hotel, then into Queensland to Birdsville and her even more famous Hotel, as well as Innamincka, the Burke and Wills Dig Tree and heaps more – half from the air, half from the ground via 4WD, passing through three states in all.

It’s basically a four-day journey from remote pub to remote pub in your own private aircraft, with loads of rugged terrain, history and outback culture to fill in the gaps. A truly unique way to see Australia.

Book with us to taste the beers of outback Australia !

Guests of Novotel Lake Crackenback Resort will now be given the royal treatment with the opening of The Spa at Lake Crackenback.Surrounded by the beauty of the alpine wilderness, the Spa at Lake Crackenback draws on nature as its inspiration for treatments with only pure and natural ingredients that restore and balance body, mind and spirit. Adjacent to the existing pool and gym facilities, it features five treatment rooms, each with contemporary furnishings, organic cotton sheets and soft bamboo robes. The spa’s full-length windows capture the ambience of the mountains, taking advantage of the stunning surrounds.The Spa uses only 100% organic products, including the Australian brand Kuush which is not tested on animals and is preservative free. All products are packaged in plastic-free containers to maintain purity so the spa’s therapists can provide the best and safest treatment possible and avoid harm to the pristine environment surrounding.

The spa’s signature treatment is the indulgent 24 Carat Gold Facial, utilising the most powerful anti-ageing component known to man, which was said to have been used by Cleopatra and has more recently been enjoyed by the likes of Madonna and Mariah Carey. Priced at $280, the 75-minute Royal 24 Carat Gold Treatment will leave your skin smooth, supple and superbly moisturised.

According to spa manager Nicola Johnson, the 24 Carat Gold Facial is the ultimate in luxury and beauty. “It’s exciting to have the Kuush pure 24 Carat Gold Facial for its natural healing and anti-ageing properties. Our gold facial is pure luxury offering a superior result for our clients.” Nicola brings a world of experience to Crackenback. She was manager for the spa at the famous Rimrock Resort, Banff, Canada and opened up the Spa at Robertson in Perth.

The gold facial is one of a myriad of decadent treatments available including a blissful soak in the luxurious infinity bath, relaxing hot stone massage and clay body wraps plus a selection of tailored and customised spa packages to suit even the most inexperienced spa novice.

To make a booking for the Spa at Lake Crackenback contact us at any time.

At one stage in 2008 the Australian dollar was on par with is American cousin. Now suddenly, you only pay 60 US cents to get an Australian dollar so the cost of visiting us has almost halfed!

This is indeed good news for any Americans planning to visit Australia in 2009. Add to this many special airfares both continental and locally.

 We have been arranging tours in Australia and New Zealand for our US visitors since 1986 and there are two tours that remains the most popular. The first is the Australian Highlights Tour, the second the Australian New Zealand Highlights Tour. Both of them gives you Australia in a nutshell so to say and the advantage of any of these tours is that you can take them at any time of the year. There are no set departures as it is an individual tour.

Individual in that you travel between the centres in Australia by air and you are met by local representatives at each location and local touring is with local guides which is always an advantage.

To make it even more attractive for you in 2009 we will send you a box of two crystal wine glasses for each booking. Have a look at them on the website www.2ecm8.com/9.html. These glasses are designed in Australia then handcrafted and etched by master craftsmen and is an excellent gift for you to keep or give to some friend.

Australia, the much-anticipated action-adventure movie starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, alongside Australia’s Top End’s breathtaking scenery, is the inspiration for one of the more exciting tours in Australia during 2009/10.

With the comparatively stronger US dollar,

Australia offers an amazing value-for-money.

The film by internationally acclaimed director Baz Luhrmann centres on Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), an English aristocrat who reluctantly joins forces with a rugged cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) to save the remote cattle station she inherited from the clutches of local cattle barons.

 The Northern Territory ( the Top End ) provides travellers with the real “Australia” The Movie experience – the dramatic landscapes, the spirit of adventure, a colourful cast of outback characters, abundant wartime heritage, rich indigenous culture and Darwin’s historic

Stokes

Hill

Wharf, the location for a number of scenes in

Australia the movie.

Australian Travel Services has produced a tour that will take in some locations where a number of scenes were taken and in addition enjoy one of the world’s great train journey on The Ghan between Adelaide and

Darwin. One of the advantages of

Australia – the Tour is that it can be taken at any time and it can be personalized as well.   With arrival in Sydney any day of the week you then spend two nights here which includes 4star accommodation, transfers and sightseeing before you move on to Adelaide, where a tour to the famous vineyards of

Barossa

Valley is included. Then, another highlight of your trip. Travel in Gold Class on The Ghan via Alice Springs to Katherine in the

Northern Territory. During the stop in

Alice Springs you will join a highlight tour of the town and a  cruise on the famous Gorge in Katherine, spend a day at an outback cattle station,dine under the stars and enjoy a Stockman’s dinner.  The tour continues to Darwin with a day trip into

Kakadu

National Park and a cruise on the Yellow Waters Billabong.  For more details of the tour please go to website www.australiantravel.us

Australia’s No. 1 national newspapers “The Australian” has just announced the winners of their Travel & Tourism Awards for 2007 and for anyone planning a trip to Australia this should be worth reading. Any bookings and further enquiries please contact us on info@australiantravel.us. Our website: www.australiantravel.us

Full results

• BEST LUXURY ACCOMMODATION - Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa, NSW
• BEST RESORT ACCOMMODATION - Cable
  Beach Club Resort,
  Broome, WA
• BEST VALUE ACCOMMODATION - Vibe Savoy Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
• BEST HOSTED ACCOMMODATION - Kims Beach Hideaway, Toowoon
  Bay, NSW
• BEST LODGE ACCOMMODATION - The Lodge at Tarraleah, TAS
• BEST FAMILY FOCUSED TOURISM - Sydney Wildlife World
• BEST ECO/WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE - Bay of
  Fires Walk, TAS
• BEST ADVENTURE TOUR OPERATOR - Balloon Aloft, Hunter
  Valley, NSW
• BEST INDIGENOUS TOURISM EXPERIENCE - Anangu Waail, Uluru, NT
• BEST HERITAGE TOURISM - Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT
• BEST FOOD EXPERIENCE - Stillwater Restaurant and The Mill Providore, Launceston, TAS
• BEST WINERY RESTAURANT - The Restaurant at Voyager Estate, Margaret
  River, WA
• BEST DESTINATION SPA EXPERIENCE - Mineral Spa, Peppers Springs Retreat, Hepburn Springs, VIC
• BEST INNOVATIVE TOURISM EXPERIENCE - Sydney Seaplanes Fly & Dine Experiences, NSW
• BEST TOUR OPERATOR - Maeve O’Meara Gourmet Safaris

For any visitor to Alice Springs in the center of Australia here is a somewhat unusual tour which involves camels helicopters and the Southern Skies.

Discover more of the camel history of Australia and get to know these gentle characters on a one hour ride.

Explore the Todd River with its varied plant and animal life, followed by a interesting visit to the Camel

Museum and the Camel Shop. “

Continue on with a complimentary glass of bubbly before taking to the skies in your own private helicopter. Fly to Honeymoon Gap, along Mt Gillen ridgeline to Heavitree Gap, taking in the spectacular views of Alice Springs as the sun’s rays light up the desert ranges.

Finally for a perfect end to a perfect day! Enjoy your pre-dinner drinks whilst watching the sun go down over the magnificent MacDonnell Ranges.

As the night sky unfolds above you enjoy a scrumptious 3 course dinner in the Milky Way Café and listen as our star presenter explains the star filled heavens above. Have a look through the high powered telescopes to see the wonders of the universe.

Price: AUD 320.00 per person until 31 March 2008. Check with us for cost after that date.  

By the way; The first Australian camel was called Harry and arrived from the Canary Islands in 1840. He knocked his owner John Horrocks , who was loading his rifle at the time . John died from the resulting injuries, but note before asking that Harry be summarily executed.

Anyone with a computer can become an instant travel agent these days but if you’ve sat down to research, plan and book an extensive trip online, you’ll  know it can turn into a frustrating time-consuming journey.

Unlike many shopfront travel agencies Australian Travel Services decided to leave the High Street already in 1999 and set up a home based agency. One of the main reasons for this was to develop a more meaningful relationship with our customers and specialising in travel to Australia and New Zealand, we can now concentrate fully on this.

We are completely independent, probably the only such in Australia so we are not tied down to selling just a limited range of holidays.

We tailor-make exactly the right holiday to suit any customer’s need and budget.

Call us a boutique style online travel agency designed to cater to the more discerning traveller in search of new experiences in Australia and New Zealand.

 

Whether you come here on business or holidays we are the people to talk to.

Most of our business comes through referrals and recommendations from previous customers. Our staff has an average of 15 years of experience behind them with an intimate knowledge of all destinations within this area.

For 2008 we have announced some specials!

For all bookings made directly with us we will give away a set of 2 limited edition crystal glasses with an Australian motif to remember your trip by.  You want to have a look at them? Sure, please go to http://www.2ecm8.com/9.html  .

Don’t worry about putting it in your luggage when you go back, we will mail it to you.

Need accommodation in Sydney? During 2008 we offer a special at the well renowned The Menzies including a daily buffet breakfast for AUD 247.00 per room per night.

As Australia’s third largest island,

Kangaroo

Island is 155km long by 55km wide.. The

Island boasts outstanding natural beauty and its relative isolation since European settlement has ensured an abundance of wildlife in a stunning and protected natural environment. With 21 national and conservation parks covering more than 30 per cent of the Island’s total area,

Kangaroo

Island has established itself as a premiere destination for nature lovers of all types.

With floor to ceiling windows offering panoramic views over the rugged island coastline, Southern Ocean Lodge, due to open in March, 2008  is the next big thing on the Australian tourism landscape. Southern Ocean Lodge aims to provide a level of style and sophistication not currently found on

Kangaroo

Island. Set in natural bushland overlooking a spectacular section of coastline, the organic luxury of the contemporary Lodge will ensure guests have every opportunity to relax and explore the

Island’s wonders with a dash of indulgence.An ideal venue for boutique meetings and incentives.

Perched atop a dramatic cliff location, twenty-one luxurious suites create the ultimate fusion between nature and luxury. Endowed with majestic views of the awe inspiring Southern Ocean and featuring custom designed interiors, every consideration has been given to navigating the fine balance between nature, comfort and contemporary style.All suites feature lavish king sleeping area/s, sunken lounge, dramatic glass walled bathroom with designer fixtures and outdoor terrace with occasional seating and daybed. Other features include; walk-in robe, complimentary room bar, twice daily housekeeping, optional climate control, heated floors, internet, music system (with MP3 input), premium amenities, safe & telephone (television in selected suites only).Signature design elements including local limestone and recycled timber blend seamlessly with the natural environs, harnessing the beauty of the landscape. A range of suite styles are available, with the premium Osprey Pavilion offering extra indulgences including open fire & private plunge spa.The private suites and retreats ensure guests have every opportunity to experience the coastal wilderness and abundant wildlife for which

Kangaroo

Island is renowned in impeccable style.

Southern Ocean Lodge Spa Retreat will be a private oasis of calm set amongst the coastal drama. Situated high on a dramatic cliff top, the day spa will be a destination in its own right, incorporating the unique landscape and location.A signature spa menu will offer a range of traditional and cutting edge treatments. A steam room, chill out lounge and spa cuisine program will complement an international spa design showcase. Combined with the cleanest air from

Antarctica highly oxygenised from the pounding surf, the spa will provide a pure natural environment in which to rejuvenate and relax.

Rates will be from AUD 900.00 per person, per night including breakfast, light lunch, four-course dinner, beverages, mini bar and local guided tours. For further enquires and bookings please contact  our office in

Australia on phone 61+7+55647585 or send an email to pgordon@aus-travel.com

All new bookings for the Southern Ocean Lodge made through us will receive a couple of the elegant Australian Wine Glass. For more details of the glass please visit http://2ecm8.com

The Observatory Hotel in Sydney

The Australian Gourmet Traveler award was recently bestowed on The Observatory Hotel in Sydney. I am sure this will be of interest to our clients at www.australiantravel.us so here it is;

Best Five-Star Hotel - The Observatory Hotel in Sydney

“When the Orient-Express Hotel group first put down roots in

Australia 15 years ago it chose the historic but neglected

Millers Point to build its 100-room hotel.

It started with one of the city’s first – and arguably still its most indulgent – day spas, then added three floors of five-star comfort, with interiors modelled on the grand 19^th century colonial mansions of

Elizabeth

Bay and Vaucluse House.

And they named it The Observatory, in honour of its grand

neighbour, the 105-year old Sydney Observatory.

But spas, sumptuous rooms and memorable dining at Galileo restaurant aside, the hotel’s reputation has been built on service. This is a five-star hotel that will coddle you with soups when you’re sick or tailor unique experiences to suit any whim. “

Runners-up:  Park Hyatt Sydney and Palazzo Versace on

the Gold Coast.

 

All of these hotels and many more are available through Australian Travel Services which specialize in upmarket itineraries.