Jetsettersblog

Sydney’s Quay restaurant has been voted in at number 27 on the coveted S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, as well as being named Best Restaurant in Australasia.

Marque restaurant made its debut at number 67 and was also the winner of the Breakthrough Award as the best new restaurant named on the list. Tetsuya’s was ranked at number 38.

A respected group of 800 of the world’s top chefs and food critics judge the placings which were announced at a prestigious awards ceremony in London.

Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay said “This is a fantastic result for the restaurants and for some of Sydney’s best known chefs Peter Gilmore (Quay), Mark Best (Marque) and Tetsuya Wakuda (Tetsuya’s).

“This result is further confirmation of Sydney’s global reputation as one of the world’s best dining destinations.

Ms McKay said that since the Awards began in 2002, there have been at least two Sydney restaurants named in the Best 50 list each year.

“Tetsuya’s has been on the list every year and Rockpool has appeared seven times,” Ms McKay said.

“Last year Tetsuya and Quay appeared in the Top 50 list and Pier restaurant was named in the Top 100 list.

Ms McKay said that Sydney’s extraordinary dining experiences would feature heavily in new domestic and international tourism campaigns to encourage more visitors to the city.

“Sydney is Australia’s only global city, up there with London, New York, Paris and Rome and our restaurant scene has strong appeal for visitors around the world.

“Rockpool owner and chef Neil Perry is one of a number of globally accomplished Sydneysiders helping Sydney share its story with the world.”

Ms McKay said Tourism NSW was helping visitors discover some of the best food and wine experiences in the State, with a new partnership with de Groots Lifestyle Media.

“The new partnership links more than 1000 restaurants from de Groots’
www.bestrestaurants.com.au website with the visitnsw.com website,” said Ms McKay.

“Visitors to the Tourism NSW website can explore reviews on restaurants, make direct bookings, access a Food & Wine calendar and watch video clips of restaurants.”

The dining industry makes a significant contribution to the NSW tourism industry which injected more than $28 billion into the NSW economy last year and directly provided 162,500 jobs, half of those in regional NSW.

The challenge when organising a family holiday is finding somewhere that’s kid-friendly and fun while providing a quiet and relaxing escape for parents. Hyatt Regency Coolum on the Sunshine Coast has managed to combine the two.

Family holidays are about spending time together. Sometimes all it takes is some bicycles and a few kilometres of bike paths to meander along. At other times, more structured activities can help you plan your time and truly relax.

Brett Braithwaite, Director of Recreation at Hyatt Regency Coolum, says that Camp Hyatt is a popular choice for families visiting the resort.

“At Camp Hyatt we have professional childcare staff who run age-specific activities for children from 6 weeks to 10 years. Parents often book their children into Camp Hyatt at the beginning of their stay so that the kids get to meet other children the same age and make friends who they can play with for the rest of their holiday.

It also lets parents take a break and play a round of golf or have a treatment at The Spa,” Brett said.

Three-hour Camp Hyatt sessions start from $55 per child.

The resort has nine swimming pools, all with safety fences. The children’s pool has a shade sail and is located in the Village Square, a central piazza within the resort that has restaurants, retail stores and a large alfresco dining area. Close by is a games room, outdoor table tennis and giant chess set.

If you somehow manage to get through all the onsite activities, a free daytime shuttle service to Noosa is available.

This all inclusive package offers amazing value. From just $435 per night, two adults and two children can stay in a spacious two-bedroom Woodland Villa with separate lounge.

The Villa also includes a kitchenette, although with continental breakfast and dinner included every day, you won’t find much need to use it.

A minimum stay of three nights means you’ll get to dine at all three restaurants – Bruschetta serving modern Italian-influenced cuisine, authentic Asian dishes at Noodles or gourmet pizza at Pizzeria.

Take advantage of low cost airfares this winter and start planning your activities before you arrive at the interactive website: www.happykidshappyholiday.com.au

To make a reservation today, call 07 5446 1234 and ask for the Winter Value Package

Tourism Wollongong launched a new multi-faceted marketing blitz to promote the many attributes the seaside city has going for it.

Unveiling the We Love the Gong campaign beneath the city’s landmark lighthouse, Tourism Wollongong Chairman Matt Davidson said the campaign would run across all mediums from TV, radio, print and billboards to Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter.

“We may be basking in New York’s reflected glory with this campaign, but that’s fine if it enables us to showcase all the wonderful things to do and see in this beautiful part of Australia,” he added.

Mr Davidson said the open-ended campaign will engage Wollongong residents to invite visiting friends and relatives to explore their backyard, encouraging them to take in the beaches, restaurants and attractions.

“We want to harness what the city really means to locals and our regular visitors, to get more people from Australia and abroad to visit and see what this love and affection is all about.”

The campaign will have a traditional media component, but will also focus on getting plenty of positive chatter going about ‘the Gong’ on the likes of Facebook, Flickr for photos, Twitter and YouTube, even setting up a YouTube-based GongTube for video feeds.

Adding to the word of mouth are t-shirts displaying the I Love the Gong mantra, a cheeky blending of one of the world’s great marketing campaigns with an affectionate nickname ‘the Gong’ bestowed on the region many decades ago.

The We Love the Gong campaign includes:

- a niche website www.welovethegong.com.au  to engage the online community with blogs and competitions

- social media activity via Facebook, Flickr for photos, Twitter and YouTube channels

- partnering with local print, TV and radio

- working with local tourism operators to promote discount and value add deals.

Mr Davidson said the campaign had been worked up by the Tourism Wollongong team under General Manager Greg Binskin with support from Tourism New South Wales, Wollongong City Council and local businesses.

Qantas has launched new technology enabling domestic Mobile Check-in as part of its Next Generation Check-in initiative.

Qantas Chief Executive Officer, Mr Alan Joyce, said Mobile Check-in was a key offering of the broader Next Generation Check-in project announced last year which is set to streamline the domestic airport experience for Qantas customers.

“Enhancing the customer experience by increasing speed and ease through our airports is the key driver for the Qantas Next Generation Check-in project,” said Mr Joyce.

“Our research showed us our customers wanted more control over their travel experience. They want to be able to check-in before they even arrive at the airport and then move quickly through the airport to board their flight.

“Mobile Check-in now offers customers the ability to check-in remotely, while on the go, removing another airport process for our busy modern travellers.

“Qantas continues to introduce new services such as Mobile Check-in and domestic Advance Seat Section as part of our Next Generation Check-in roll out, for which a pilot will commence in Perth in July.

” We’ll be unveiling our full Next Generation Check-in service in Sydney later this year.”

Domestic Advance Seat Selection rewards top tier Frequent Flyers, (Platinum, Gold and Silver), with even more choice as these customers now have the ability to preselect their seat online prior to travel.

Mobile check-in provides customers with the ability to check-in for their flight via their personal mobile device, including iPhones, Blackberrys and other web-enabled mobile devices, between 24 hours and 45 minutes prior to departure.

A 2D bar code is sent to their phone which is then scanned by a reader at the gate, and a boarding receipt is printed for the customer with their name, frequent flyer details, flight number and seat allocation.

The Qantas Mobile application was initially launched in 2008. In addition to the introduction of domestic Mobile Check-In,

Qantas Mobile provides customers with the ability to access real time flight information direct to their mobile phone including arrival and departure times, access worldwide Qantas Club lounge locations, contact numbers for Qantas offices worldwide and the up to date timetables for Qantas, QantasLink, Jetstar and codeshare flights for up to 353 days.

Frequent Flyers can access Qantas Mobile with their Frequent Flyer number, last name and PIN to view all bookings recorded against their Frequent Flyer membership, as well as their points balance and date of last activity.

Non-Frequent Flyers can log in with their booking reference and last name to view their booking including passenger details, flight details, check-in information and baggage allowances.

Ports that have launched Mobile Check-in include Sydney Terminal 3, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Gladstone, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Ayers Rock, Alice Springs, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston, Kalgoorlie, Broome, Karratha, Newman, Paraburdoo and Port Lincoln. There are also plans to roll out Mobile Check-in to Adelaide, Cairns, Sydney Terminal 2, Newcastle and Port Hedland in coming months.

The Qantas mobile phone application is accessed by typing qantas.com into a web-enabled mobile browser.

Adelaide, South Australia – The Lobby Lounge, the heart of Hilton Adelaide will transform into a Veuve Clicquot Lounge known as “The Clic” every Friday.

“The Clic”, exclusive to Hilton Adelaide where indulgence is weekly and the Champagne flows freely.

In a joint promotion with Veuve Clicquot, Hilton Adelaide will be serving the fine Champagne at an exclusive price of $14.50 per flute or $99 per bottle every Friday between 5pm—7pm.

Laura Ursino, Marketing Communication Manager, Hilton Adelaide said

“We should all have the opportunity to indulgence all the time. “The Clic” is a great way to end your week and start your weekend.”

Guests who attend “The Clic” will be treated to Seriously South Australian canapés to compliment their Champagne, enjoy the live music and one lucky guest each week will win their own bottle to take home.

LOG IN AND TAKE OFF – NEW TECHNOLOGY GETS TRAVELLERS MOBILE

Brisbane, Australia: Virgin Blue has launched a revolutionary, innovative new process to check in and board on domestic flights via a traveller’s mobile called “Check-Mate”.

Gone are the days of booking the flight in advance at a desktop computer, getting to the airport, lining up to check-in and getting a printed boarding pass, with the new Check-Mate process eliminating all paper boarding passes in favour of electronic boarding passes on mobile devices including mobile phones, BlackBerry Smartphones and iPhones.

New technology will enable Virgin Blue travellers to make flight bookings, changes and cancellations across the entire Virgin Blue domestic network from their personal devices while on the run and at their convenience.

Phase one of the innovative project was launched this week via “mobile.virginblue.com.au” and a special BlackBerry Virgin Blue application. It offers mobile check-in, seat selection and boarding via 2D barcode scanning on personal handheld mobile devices for Virgin Blue passengers travelling on direct flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, said, “Being at the forefront of technological advancements is critical to the Virgin Blue strategy to providing our Guests, especially those who are time poor, with the latest innovations to make their travel experience streamlined and speedy.”

“We are excited to be the first airline in the country to be offering a full suite of mobile options, in particular the ability for people to actually make a flight booking, check themselves in on their way to the airport and then go straight to boarding with their 2D barcode.”

The barcode will feature all the key information including flight number, boarding time, seat number and arrival time at destination.

Brett Godfrey added, “Not only does it eliminate paper boarding passes in favour of the more environmentally friendly electronic boarding pass, it heralds the beginning of a new and dynamic era for travellers who rightly demand more sophisticated and advanced means of going about their business and leisure travel.”

Flyers can easily log on via their personal devices and access other Virgin Blue information including Lounge membership information, details on special travel requirements, Velocity information and more.

Further cementing Virgin Blue’s technology leadership in the airline industry, the carrier has launched the downloadable App for BlackBerry smartphone users.

For Velocity members, Virgin Blue is partnering with WorldMate to provide key business travel planning services such as, itinerary management, travel alerts, currency converter and weather forecasts.

The new application is a feature rich and fast travel tool and offers key business travel planning services such as itinerary management, travel alerts, currency converter and weather forecasts.

While other carriers have introduced some mobile functionality such as mobile boarding passes, Virgin Blue is the first to offer a suite of products. The application was developed as a joint project between Virgin Blue’s own Internet Technology team and Dublin based Mobile Travel Technologies.

Future phases will include a range of functions including Australasia wide airport 2D scanning of bar codes for boarding and enriched mobile functionality across the Virgin Blue Group.

About Virgin Blue Group:

The Australian-based Virgin Blue Airline’s Group includes Virgin Blue, second largest domestic carrier in Australia www.virginblue.com.au and short haul international airlines Pacific Blue www.flypacificblue.com and joint venture with the Samoan Government, Polynesian Blue. Together they operate a fleet comprising of 85 modern Boeing 737-NG’s, Boeing 777 and Embraer E-Jet aircraft flying to 30 Australian and 18 international destinations in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia.

It also includes V Australia www.vaustralia.com.au the three class boutique style airline offering the acclaimed service for which the Virgin Blue Group is renowned and a unique Australian style. The airline has two in-flight bars, mood lighting including twilight and sunset, bathrooms with piped music including a “ladies only” bathroom and other touches of Australiana from salt and pepper shakers to hidden wallpaper murals.

It may be a secret that we ladies prefer to keep from the men, but when it is time to have some fun, we know there is no one better than our best girlfriends to share the good times with.

To celebrate this unique bond, Oaks Aurora has joined forces with one of our favorite girlfriends; the popular travel website Ciao Bella Travel to launch the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” Package exclusively for Oaks Hotels & Resorts.

Enjoy two indulgent nights in a gorgeous two bedroom fully self contained apartment, where four girlfriends can comfortably relax and enjoy the views from Brisbane’s tallest building, but also complimentary treats from Ciao Bella Travel valued at over $100.00.

Spend some time shopping at the luxurious Queens Plaza, chat street side in myriad cafes or dress up and hit the town with restaurants, bars and nightlife close by including Cloudland, The Bowery, Sky Bar or the very sexy, new LaRuche Bar. Or if staying in is preferable, why not book out the Oaks Aurora private in house theatrette and bring along some chic flicks to host a movie night of your own.

And for ladies that like a bit of culture follow the incredible life of a hat through the stages of inspiration, creation and finally its ultimate purpose at Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones showing at The Queensland Art Gallery to – June 21, 2010.

The Oaks Aurora Girls Just Want to Have Fun Package includes:

Two night’s accommodation for four people in a two bedroom apartment
4 x Girl2Go Eye Gel patches with Vitamin E
4 x Ciao Bella Travel Luggage Tags
1 x Cobwebs Girls Best Friend Nail Mini
1 x Girl2Go Foot Revival Wipes Pack of 10
4 x Annabel Trends Sleep Masks

All for the incredible $125 per person

(Total package price $500.00 and package available to – 31 July 2010)

Conditions* rate based on four people twin share in a two bedroom apartment for 2 nights & includes one Ciao Bella Travel “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” gift box.
Offer is valid for travel from May 1 through to 31 July 2010 and is subject to availability.

For more information go to

www.theoaksgroup.com.au  or

www.ciaobellatravel.com.au

For reservations phone: 1800 608438

With the Australian dollar stretching around 30% further in New Zealand, it’s the perfect time to book a ski holiday to the land of the long white cloud.

Queenstown is New Zealand’s most popular winter wonderland. There’s no ski-in, ski out accommodation, with easy access to nearby ski fields via a fast and efficient bus service.

Coronet Peak, with an average snowfall of 2.1 metres is just 25 minutes away via sealed road.

The Remarkables, with an average snowfall of 3.1 metres are 45 minutes away from Queenstown. A one-hour drive will take you to Cardona (average snowfall of 2.7 metres) with the South Island’s most abundant ski fields, Treble Cone with an average snowfall of 5.5 metres being 1.5 hours away.

Queenstown is a party town with great après and dining offerings as well as a selection of boutique and snow-sports themed shopping. There are more than 100 bars, restaurants and cafes in Queenstown.

Diverse accommodation offerings are available.

One of the most indulgent and elegant places to stay is Peppers Beacon which offers four luxurious accommodation styles ranging from hotel rooms to two and three bedroom suites and a deluxe penthouse. Peppers Beacon is a five minute walk along a flat walkway to town.

(Many of the accommodation options are up on the hill, which can be a challenging walk after a strenuous day on the mountains).

Peppers Beacon has a ‘Stay Four, Pay Three’ package for stays between May and December. Prices start from $NZ188 per night in a Hotel Room (approx $AUD144 per night)* www.peppers.com.au/beacon

Other accommodation options include the new Mantra Marina which offers one, two and three bedroom fully self contained ultra-modern apartments, all with Lake Wakatipu facing balconies and plush king size beds. www.mantra.com.au

Queenstown also has a number of top value accommodation including BreakFree on the Point, BreakFree on the Waterfront and BreakFree Highview. www.breakfree.com.au

*some booking conditions may apply.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast has launched its new Segway Safaris on the Gold Coast, taking visitors through the Sanctuary’s bushland and coastal rainforest habitats in a unique guided tour experience.

Popular around the globe, the Segway Personal Transporter is a self, balancing personal transportation device designed to go anywhere you go – in a safe, eco-friendly, efficient manner.

“The Segway Safari is like no other and we’re excited to be able to offer safe and memorable tours using Segway PTs so that visitors can encounter the far corners of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s 27 hectares of scenic tracks and wildlife habitats,” Currumbin CEO Jonathan Fisher said.

“Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary continues to innovate nature and wildlife experiences for our many visitors by offering unique activities they cannot get elsewhere – the Segway Safari gives our visitors that one-of-a-kind experience.

“On the Segway Safari, visitors will go behind the scenes at the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital then explore the Forest Walk through Currumbin’s far-reaching bushland reserves before heading through the Sub-tropical Rainforest Aviary – one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and home to an array of colourful bird species.

“There’s also the chance to see Tree Kangaroos and Cassowaries in lush rainforest habitats, all with an expert guide to provide insights into the many fascinating wildlife species encountered on the way.”

The Segway Safari tours for groups of up to eight people last 90 minutes and include training and helmets. Tours are offered three times a day and can be pre-booked online or at the Visitor Services desk at Currumbin.

The first of its kind, the self-balancing, electric Segway PT runs on batteries and is a zero-emissions, eco-friendly form of transport that is both silent and highly energy-efficient.

Segway technology enables the Segway PT to work with your body movements – you simply lean forward to move forward and lean back to go back.

Turning is controlled by an easy-to-use intuitive Leansteer technology with gyroscopes and sensors in the Segway PT monitor the rider’s centre of gravity 100 times per second.

After a short training session, movement becomes smooth and easy, allowing Segway Safari participants to relax enjoy the view as they glide through Currumbin’s bushland pathways during the tour.

Three chefs and a hunting professional have pooled their expertise to offer courses combining the best of Cornish shooting and cookery.

Guests at Park Farmhouse can spend a day stalking deer or game shooting in the Cornish countryside, and then learn how to cook their quarry with instruction from experienced chefs.

The property, located on the edge of the Pencarrow Estate near Wadebridge, can also accommodate up to seven bed and breakfast guests for private shooting parties or residential cookery courses.

For owners Justin and Sarah Mason, the new courses combine their passions for country pursuits and cooking with the best local ingredients.

Chef Justin said: “We’ve put together a great team which allows us to offer expert tuition from leaders in their respective fields.

“For the cookery courses we have partnered with chef Mark Devonshire, who previously ran Rick Stein’s Seafood Cookery School in Padstow for seven years; while deer management professional Scott Milne’s unparalleled knowledge of shooting in Cornwall – as well as access to around 40,000 acres of ground in the county – allows us to offer bespoke shooting itineraries all year round.”

The cookery school takes inspiration from Cornish ingredients, with the couple running courses based around the preparation and cooking of game and fish.

The teaching style is very hands-on with lessons taught in a friendly and informal atmosphere. The emphasis is on nurturing the student’s natural cooking skills, covering the essential techniques of how to select, prepare and present all manner of meat, fish, seafood, starters and desserts.

Fishing trips can also be arranged to combine with fish cookery courses, while on the game courses Scott Milne brings his experience to the classroom to explain how game is prepared.

Shooting trips are arranged throughout the year, with Scott able to create itineraries around what guests would like to shoot, or tour the 40,000 acres he has access to to take in whatever is best at the particular time of year.

Said Justin: “Scott’s knowledge has become world-renowned and draws in clients from across the globe eager to tap into his understanding of the local roe and red deer, their habits, and how to find them in the land they inhabit.

“His access to game doesn’t stop with deer. He also leads hunts for all manner of other local game including snipe, woodcock, partridge, geese, ducks and more. Depending on seasonal availability, Park Farmhouse can organise shoots to hunt them all.”

Scott is equally happy taking clients out shooting with cameras rather than rifles, going through the process of tracking and stalking deer to observe the creatures in their natural habitat.

For owner Sarah Mason, it’s all about what the clients want: “Shooting parties in particular can be quite demanding guests, and we do everything we can to fit in around their schedules. If guests are up before dawn to go stalking then we’ll be ready with a hearty breakfast when they return, and we love putting on big shoot dinners after a day out in the field.”

The next cookery course at Park Farmhouse is a two-day fish course on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd April. The course costs £360 per person for two days of tuition, with accommodation in a double room at £85 per night for bed and breakfast. Dinnner can also be arranged for £30 per person.

Bookings can be made by contacting Sarah and Justin Mason at Park Farmhouse on 01208 841277 or visiting http://www.park-farmhouse.com