Jetsettersblog

Due to popular demand Captain Cook Cruises is extending its 40th Birthday sale until March 31st 2010.

The sale offers up to 40% off Sydney Harbour, Murray River and Fiji Islands discovery cruises and is valid for travel to 31 March 2011.

Cruising is the fastest growing form of travel in Australia and the 2 night Sydney Weekender Cruise is a great way for passengers to try out their sea legs and experience a side of Sydney they’ve never seen before.

The Captain Cook’s Explorer sails every Friday night, for a leisurely weekend packed full of fine food and wine, spectacular views, sightseeing, excellent service, exciting shore excursions, music, dancing and relaxation.

The 2 night Sydney Weekender Cruise starts from only AU$399 per person, normally AU$470 and includes AU$40 onboard bar credit per adult.

The cruise departs every Friday at 6.00pm from Wharf 1, King Street Wharf and returns on Sunday at 3.00pm.

Discover the secrets of the South Australian outback aboard the Murray River’s only paddlewheeler, the PS Murray Princess with a choice of 3, 4 and 7 night cruises..

Passengers will cruise past towering limestone cliffs, through picturesque gorges, go on guided nature walks and eco-tours, learn about the ecology of the river and visit historic ports, sacred Aboriginal sites, a sheep station and woolshed and a native wildlife shelter, while enjoying all the delicious food and wine the region has to offer.

The 3 night package starts from AU$619 per person, normally from AU$775, the 4 night package from AU$819 per person, normally from AU$1033 and the 7 night package from AU$1279, normally AU$1596 per person.

Visit the remote villages of the ‘real’ Fiji, secluded tropical islands and pristine beaches on Captain Cook Cruises 3, 4 and 7 night Fiji cruises.

Offering a truly cultural experience passenger will visit unspoilt Fijian villages, churches, schools and handicraft markets, take part in a traditional village sevusevu ceremony and Meke and Lovo feast, discover secluded islands, snorkel over amazing coral reefs, laze on warm white sandy beaches and swim in crystal clear waters.

The 3 night Southern Yasawa Islands cruise starts from FJ$1049 per person, normally FJ$1560, the 4 night Northern Yasawa Islands cruise FJ$1349 per person, normally from FJ$2080 and the 7 night Yasawa Islands cruise from FJ$2249 per person, normally FJ$3458.

The seven night Northern Fijian Dateline Cruise is an amazing cruise that reveals the unique history, art and culture of the Northern Fiji Islands and allows passengers the ultimate experience of standing’ on the International Dateline.

2010 departure dates are: 4th May, 1st June, 3rd August, 7th September, 5th October and 2nd November.

The 7-night Northern Fijian Dateline Cruise package is priced from FJ$2249 per person, normally FJ$3458 per person.

All cruises include meals, accommodation, most tours and all onboard facilities and entertainment.

http://www.captaincookcruises.com

with Kelly Slater on 3D IMAX Big Screen

Join surfing champion Kelly Slater to see Tahiti and her islands like they’ve never been shown before in the new big screen film Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D.

Opening at IMAX cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne from February 19, Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D sees the world’s most famous surfer set out to conquer the world’s most dangerous wave, Teahupoo on Tahiti Iti (little Tahiti).

Slater teams up with Tahitian big wave surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer to depict the power, majesty and danger of waves reaching their crescendo, providing viewers with a mix of thrills and intense beauty never before seen on the giant screen.

Directed by award-winning IMAX filmmaker Stephen Low, Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D uses extreme surfing to explain where waves come from, their essential make-up and their effect on the ecology and culture of island life.

Tahiti Tourisme Regional Director Robert Thompson said Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D was the first full-length IMAX film to feature the islands and culture of Tahiti.

“Experiencing Tahiti in 3D on an IMAX giant screen is the closest experience to actually holidaying in Tahiti and her beautiful islands,” he said.

“Australians already know Tahiti is one of the world’s most stunning and romantic holiday destinations but we hope Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D will show moviegoers that islands like Bora Bora, Rangiroa and Tahiti itself have so much more to offer as holiday destinations.”

Kelly Slater said filming Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D while surfing Teahupoo was an amazing experience, using new photographic techniques to take the viewer into the very heart of the giant wave.

“The technology used to create this film is going to help audiences understand the incredible power behind waves and will further educate future generations to protect the world’s oceans,” he said.

For more information on Tahiti and her islands, contact Tahiti Tourisme on 1300 655 563 or visit www.tahitinow.com.au. To see more about the movie, go to www.ultimatewavetahiti.com

A 16-night coach, rail and sail holiday to Canada and Alaska in May this year that includes such unique excursions as a glacier helicopter tour, a ranch visit and the famous Columbia Icefields tour – and which was selling from $12,049pp twin-share a few months ago – is now selling under half-price through ecruising.travel from just $6,149pp twin-share if booked by March 12.

Departing Australia on May 14, this remarkable package is built around 5-nights touring from Calgary in the Canadian Rockies to Banff, two nights aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train from Banff to Vancouver, and 7-nights on the 116,000 tonne mega-liner Diamond Princess to Anchorage.

After an overnight on arrival in Calgary, there’s a guided “lake stroll” around famous Lake Louise, an Icefields and Glaciers Experience including a glacier helicopter tour and a ranch visit, the unique Columbia Icefields Ice Explorer on the way to Banff where there’s a Banff Gondola ride and a Summit Helicopter Flight see, an overnight in Banff, and the 2-night Rocky Mountaineer to Vancouver including an overnight in Kamloops.

All rail station transfers in Banff, Kamloops and Vancouver are included, and the Rocky Mountaineer includes two onboard breakfasts and three lunches; in Vancouver there’s a choice of free excursions and an overnight, before joining Diamond Princess’ 7-night sailing to Anchorage by way of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and cruising Glacier Bay and College Fjord; all onboard meals and entertainment are included.

Prices include return air from Sydney and all taxes; phone 1300 369 848 or visit www.ecruising.travel

Nominated For World Heritage Status

The Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia has been nominated for World Heritage listing due to the area’s outstanding natural beauty, biological richness and international geological significance.

The Ningaloo Coast is home to a virtually untouched fringing reef stretching 260km on the north-west cape, an area that includes Coral Bay and Exmouth. It is home to more than 500 species of tropical fish and 220 varieties of coral, as well as the largest fish in the world, the whale shark which visits Ningaloo between late March and June each year.

Currently 224,000-hectares of the coast form a protected marine park but if the United Nations agrees to World Heritage listing then more than 700,000 hectares of the oceanic wilderness will get special protection.

WA’s Environment Minister Donna Faragher said, “The reef is part of a marine ecosystem that ranks seventh on the world’s list of coral reef biodiversity ‘hotspots’ and is second in terms of the number of species to be found within a limited range,” she said.

“The Cape Range peninsula is an evolutionary laboratory that emerged from the sea over 26 million years, built from the skeletons of ancient marine creatures.

“The Ningaloo Coast represents the best opportunity in the world to encounter whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, together with globally significant populations of manta rays, dugongs, marine turtles, humpbacks, other cetaceans, rays and sharks.”

The heritage listing could boost tourism to the area, which has enjoyed growth as a destination for snorkellers and divers over the last few years thanks to its diversity of sea life and the opening of eco-luxury camp Sal Salis and the Ningaloo Novotel at Exmouth.

Ningaloo Reef and the adjoining Cape Range National Park currently attract more than 100,000 visitors a year, injecting approximately $127million into the local economy.

“World Heritage listing is the highest global recognition of a site’s importance and if listed, Ningaloo Coast will be recognised with the greatest of the world’s heritage sites such as the Grand Canyon, Egypt’s Pyramids, Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Stonehenge,” she said.

Ningaloo Reef differs from Australia’s other famous reef, the Great Barrier Reef, as it is a fringing reef, meaning visitors can snorkel over corals and exotic sea life just metres from the shore.

The nomination will be assessed during the next 18 months. Western Australia already has two World Heritage listed areas, the Shark Bay area most famous for its wild dolphins at Monkey Mia and Purnululu National Park, home to the beehive Bungle Bungle Range.

Visit Ningaloo Reef between late March and June on a 10-day tour which includes domestic flights, three nights in the 5-star Richardson Hotel in Perth, two nights at the luxury Sal Salis and a full day diving with whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef.

Prices start from £2806 per person.

Please contact Audley Travel on 01993838810 to speak to an Australian Specialist who will design a tailor-made trip for you.

For more information on Western Australia please visit www.westernaustralia.com

In The Northern Territory’s Red Centre

• Dawn walks around Uluru
• Aboriginal cultural tours
• Walk through the Valley of the Winds
• 4WD trip to Mt Conner
• Harley Davidson motorcycle cruises
• Star-gazing
• Camel rides to Sunset or Sunrise
• Cultural Centre
• Visit ancient rock art at Cave Hill

From Aboriginal story-telling in a traditional wiltja (shelter) to the Sounds of Silence dinner in the desert under the stars, Ayers Rock Resort offers visitors a superb range of touring, excursions and day trips to have them lingering longer in the heart of Australia’s aptly called ‘Red Centre’.

Once, people simply came to climb Uluru (Ayers Rock), watch the sunset and then leave the next day. Now visitors are staying on to immerse themselves in an array of new experiences, ranging from dot painting with local Aboriginal artists, sunset barbecues at Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), day-long 4WD safaris to more simply relaxing in the absolute peace of the outback on a quiet dune or beside one of the resort’s picturesque swimming pools.

With over 65 different tours to choose from, Ayers Rock Resort has become the hub for exploring the Red Centre. With half day or day trips to Mt Connor, Cave Hill and Kings Canyon; scenic flights over Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Lake Amadeus; and an excellent selection of walks in and around the area, travellers soon realise that there is so much more to discover.

TOUR OPTIONS, ranging from AAT Kings coaches, helicopters, light aircraft, through to 4WDs and Harley Davidson motor cycles, include:-

Anangu Tours, an Aboriginal-owned touring company, offering walking tours escorted by Aboriginal guides who provide a rich insight into Aboriginal history, culture and Tjukurpa (traditional law).

Tours include:

- Mala Uluru Walk: a vehicle based tour of the rock and then an Aboriginal Guided Mala Walk. Learn the sensitive story of the Mala (Hare Wallaby) people who lived at Uluru, with their friend the Itjaritjari (marsupial mole).

- Aborginal Uluru Tour: after enjoying the sunrise with breakfast overlooking Uluru, join your Aboriginal guides on the famous Liru Walk as you retrace the path of the Liru Ancestors. See demonstrations of ancient bush skills such as making kiti (bush glue), making fire without matches and carving wooden tools with only a sharpened stone. Learn to hold and throw a spear.

- Dot Painting Workshop: Join Aboriginal artists at the Uluru Cultural Centre for a fun introduction to Aboriginal art. Providing an introduction to their culture, join the artists to complete your own painting, which you can take home as a personal memento.

The Cultural Centre is where Aboriginal design, art and traditional stories come together.

The architecture of the Cultural Centre is curved in the shape of two ancestral snakes, built of natural timber and mudbrick with roof shingles representing the scales on the snakes’ backs, the Centre is an eloquent story of Aboriginal history, culture, lifestyle and beliefs. Exhibits, videos, audios, interactive displays and crafts for sale make it a destination not to be missed.

Desert Awakenings takes guests away from the crowds to a secluded sand dune to watch the spectacular sight of sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

In the company of an expert guide with no more than 20 passengers, Desert Awakenings delivers an insight into the ancient landscape, ecology, culture, heritage and history of what is now regarded as Australia’s spiritual heartland.

At a private dune top, a traditional bushman’s breakfast is prepared over the fire as the guide explains the retreating night sky with Billy Tea and Damper served as sunrise brings spectacular vistas of Uluru and the surrounding landscape.

Visit the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre to learn about the local lore of the Anangu (Aboriginal people), the guide takes the group to the base of Uluru to explain some of the rock paintings and the stories from the creation period, as told by the Anangu people, which make it such a powerful and spiritual place for visitors and Anangu alike.

An award-winning dining experience, Sounds of Silence takes guests to into the desert for an unforgettable evening.

Arriving at a quiet sand dune for sunset over Uluru, champagne and canapés are served to the eerie sound of a lone didgeridoo. Guests then feast on an array of the Northern Territory’s culinary delights – barramundi, kangaroo, emu, crocodile, bush salads, and classic Australian desserts, as the red and orange hues fade to reveal the bright blanket of Southern hemisphere stars.

Regaled with stories by the resident astronomer, the evening concludes around a campfire with a mulled wine.

Uluru Camel Tours offer a choice of camel backed adventures, the two most popular being the “Camel to Sunset” and “Camel to Sunrise”. These tours take about two hours and include a peaceful ride through the dunes to one of the best vantage spots to watch either sunrise or sunset. On return guests are invited to have billy tea and damper with the sunrise tour or a glass of champagne and canapés on the sunset tour.

Discovery Ecotours specialise in offering small group walking and vehicle based tours around both Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Continue reading Linger Longer At Ayers Rock Resort…

Outback Encounter

South Australia (www.southaustralia.com ) is world renowned for its innovative cuisine, fabulous wines and some of the top restaurants and chefs in the country.

Food and wine loving travellers can now experience the best the State has to offer on a new three-centre, seven-day ‘Flying Food Safari’ created by luxury operator Outback Encounter (www.outbackencounter.com ).

They promise “a feast that matches stunning scenery with superb ingredients and exciting cuisine”.

Prices start from AUD$9,995 (approx. £5,600) per person based on eight passengers travelling in a group and includes:

• private air transfers from Adelaide and to all three locations in a Beech King Air B200
• private guide
• six-nights accommodation
• all meals and beverages
• all tours and activities per the itinerary.
• international flights to Australia are NOT included.

Tour highlights include:

• meeting local producers and watching them work
• being cooked for by the region’s top chefs at some of Australia’s best restaurants
• wine tastings with some of the world’s finest winemakers
• visiting unique places such as the 35-acre ‘Food Forest’ dedicated to sustainable living
• being guided by local Mark Gleeson, an authority on South Australia’s gourmet produce

The three featured regions, Kangaroo Island (renowned as Australia’s Galapagos), the Eyre Peninsula and the Barossa Valley, are renowned not only for their fine produce, but also for their scenery, wildlife and hospitality.

In each location, local producers will tell their stories and offer their finest hospitality, giving a unique insight and perspective into the region’s produce. Highlights include:

• meeting artisan food producers like Justin Harman who tells the fascinating story of abalone, one of the seas’ most valued foods and a delicacy to rival truffles and caviar

• meeting Susan Berlin’s ‘girls’ at the Island Pure Sheep’s Dairy
• going behind the scenes at KI Fresh Seafood
• learning about rare breeds at Australia’s first Rare Breeds Farm
• the opportunity to swim and feed the mighty southern blue fin tuna
• private wine tastings at several Barossa Valley wineries including Penfolds

Accommodation is some of the best in Australia including:

• two nights at Lifetime Private Retreats on Kangaroo Island where guests can choose from only three secluded and beautiful homes
• waterside living in an apartment overlooking the exciting Port Lincoln Marina on the Eyre Peninsula
• The Louise, in the Barossa Valley, a five-star vineyard retreat

Dining highlights include:

• Del Giorno’s Restaurant in Port Lincoln, South Australia’s finest seafood restaurant 2007
• Appellation at The Louise in the Barossa
• Hutton Vale, a premium quality vineyard and working farm in the Barossa Valley
• ‘Dining with Kangaroos at the Shearing Shed’, a 50-year-old-shearing shed made from iron bark trees and corrugated iron evocatively lit with candles offering views of kangaroos grazing at twilight.

Established in 1989 and still run by original owner Mick Murdoch who represents the fifth generation of two Outback pioneering families, Heading Bush Outback Adventures (www.headingbush.com) is offering a new three-day Mountain Safari into South Australia’s Flinders Ranges and Outback (www.southaustralia.com ).

The new itinerary is packed with highlights. From the moment participants head in to Alligator Gorge National Park for lunch on the first day, there is so much to see and experience.

The journey takes groups to:

• the picturesque Pichi Pichi Pass into the deserted Willochra Plain
• Aboriginal art sites at Yourambulla Caves and the Flinders Ranges National Park
• walking in awe inspiring Wilpena Pound
• Brachina Gorge, also known as the Corridors of Time
• wine tasting in the Clare Valley wine district

Whatever type of accommodation selected at Rawnsley Park Station, guests will wake up to the call of the kookaburra and enjoy glorious morning views of South Australia’s iconic Wilpena Pound and the surrounding area home to elusive yellow-footed rock wallabies, as well as kangaroos, emus and bold wedge-tailed eagles.

Prices for this small group, three-day Flinders Ranges & Outback Mountain Safari start from AU$445 (approx £250) per person based on camping accommodation, going up to AU$1,155 (approx. £645) per person for an eco villa. Prices include all touring, plus main meals.

Heading Bush Outback Adventures is an eco-accredited company which at its inception established guidelines for responsible travel, supporting Aboriginal communities and Outback businesses, boasts guides who are both professional “bushmen” and accredited tour guides happy to share their extensive knowledge of the Outback’s wildlife and history.

Heading Bush, which specialises in small group tours of the Australian Outback in comfortable off-road vehicles, features a number of South Australia’s most important highlights in the new tour, including Wilpena Pound, Rawnsley Park, Aboriginal art sites and wine tasting in the Clare Valley.

Aiming to target the new tour at a wide audience, Heading Bush is offering a range of different types of accommodation, with prices to suit all budgets. Camping, bunkhouse, deluxe ensuite cabins and eco villas are among the options available at Rawnsley Park, the former sheep grazing station in the heart of the Ranges, so there’s something for everyone.

Other touring options include:

Adelaide to Alice Springs – 10-day, four-wheel drive expedition:

Mick Murdoch was one of the first people to operate Outback tours between Adelaide and Alice Springs, offering travellers the chance to see the genuine Australian Outback taking small group, eco-accredited 4wd expeditions and exploring remote areas with a focus on Aboriginal culture.

Itinerary highlights include:

• camping in the bush and sleeping under the stars

• hiking, bushwalking, wildlife spotting and swimming in desert springs
• the Flinders Ranges including Wilpena Pound
• camel safari into a mountain camp
• meeting local Aboriginal elders to hear about their culture and history
• enjoying a cool Aussie beer at a real Outback pub in William Creek – population eight!
• exploring the famous underground opal mining town of Coober Pedy
• travelling on the famous Oodnadatta track
• exploring rarely visited regions including the Painted and Simpson Deserts
• bathing in natural hot springs at Dalhousie (winter only)

• 4WD to Australia’s geographical centre at Lambert’s Pole
• experiencing Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata-Tjuta (The Olgas), King Canyon and the
Western MacDonnell Ranges

Some trips also offer the additional opportunity of delivering mail and provisions to remote cattle stations.

At the end of every day a bush camp is set up in some of Australia’s most remote and beautiful locations where guests are treated to delicious food, great campfire stories and a peaceful night’s sleep under the stars listening to the sounds of the Outback.

This guided 10-day expedition starts from A$1,540 (approx. £850) per person plus A$120 for land content fees which are paid to the National Parks, Aboriginal Communities and outback businesses that Heading Bush visit and support. This cost includes all meals, camping equipment and fees.

Alice Springs to Adelaide – 2-day Express:

Travellers on a budget can take a two-day express trip from Alice Springs to Adelaide that includes free pick up from accommodation in Alice, free overnight underground stay in Coober Pedy, and one free continental breakfast. Prices start from A$169 (approx. £95) per person.

Be inspired by vast landscapes and a palette of colours at a unique artists’ camp in Outback Queensland.

Annabel Tully’s Outback artists’ camps, held on Bunginderry, a cattle and sheep property near Quilpie in south-west Queensland, are a week of creativity, relaxation, rejuvenation and shared passion.

Beginners and experienced artists are invited to stay in authentic shearers’ quarters, discover life on the land and create their own Outback inspired masterpieces.

Each day Annabel and her guest tutor will accompany visitors to a stunning place in the Bunginderry area to create in the open air, drawing inspiration from an abundance of wildlife, birdlife and Queensland’s best Outback vistas.

Enjoy wholesome homestyle cuisine, bushwalking trails, art workshops and plenty of fresh air on this one-of-a kind outback retreat.

Group artists’ camps are being run May 23-30, July 11-17 and 25-31, and there are opportunities for self-catering camps and artists-in-residence.

www.annabeltully.com

Queensland spas have claimed half of the top 10 spots in the 2010 Conde Nast Travellers Readers’ Spa Awards (Australasia and the South Pacific), polishing the Sunshine State’s crown as the Australian ultimate destination for spa-lovers.

Palm Cove beachside spas, the Sebel Reef House & Spa and Angsana Spa, Angsana Great Barrier Reef, claimed the number two and three positions. Reef House Day Spa was also voted in the Top 25 spas in the world.

The Whitsundays also shared the limelight with island-based Spa Hayman and Spa Qualia on Hamilton Island voted number six and seven. The Azure Spa on Lizard Island Resort off Cairns was named number 10.

These awards are highly prized within the spa industry and thousands of entries are received from readers and spa enthusiasts the world-over keen to cast their vote for their favourite spa. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony staged at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London earlier this week.

More about the Queensland winners

Queensland’s Sebel House & Spa in Palm Cove , named Australia’s top spa n the prestigious survey, offers luxuriously pampering experiences based ancient Aboriginal techniques and medicines, combined with aromatherapy healing methods and Li’Tya natural spa products.

The purpose built-facility embraces different architectural styles from around the world, complete with white-washed walls, terracotta tiles, native timbers and a freshwater moat complete with bridge.

The signature treatment is Mala Mayi – a 90 minute full-body rejuvenation. Guests are cleansed, revitalised, energised and exfoliated, cocooned in Mapi mid while enjoying a Paudi scalp massage. www.reefhouse.com.au

Palm Cove also claimed Australia’s number two position with a spa that boasts air-conditioned beachfront treatment rooms and open-air, sheltered roof-top spa pavilions, both with soothing sights of the Coral Sea.

Angsana Spa’s roof-top pavilions each feature two side-by-side massage beds and a private plunge pool.

Therapists are flown in from the Banyan Tree Spa Academy in Phuket, Thailand, and offer a contemporary holistic, non-clinical range of treatments including Jasmine Frangipani Sparkle, Aloe Sunkisser and Cloud Nine. www.angsana.com

Spa Hayman on the Great Barrier Reef, voted number six, offers guests an expanded range of health and spa therapies, 13 individual treatment rooms including a dedicated wet treatment room and a therapy rooms with peaceful garden views.

The award winning spa also boasts two separate relaxation lounges complete with a mediation suite, a beautiful Hydrotherapy area, separate female and male sauna and steam rooms and a hair salon. Hayman’s signature treatment – the Ocean Massage – allows guests to enjoy the ultimate sensorial experience surrounded by tranquil waters, tropical fish and the warm Whitsunday sun. www.hayman.com

Spa Qualia on Hamilton Island, awarded the number seven position, offers six deluxe treatment rooms complete with Roman baths, a relaxation area with steam room and outdoor tropical shower, and an open air yoga and meditation pavilion. www.qualia.com.au

Rounding out the Queensland award winners is Azure Spa on Lizard Island. The beauty of the Island is infused in every treatment to provide an experience of total harmony between health, beauty to refresh the body, mind and spirit. www.lizardisland.com.au

For more information on Queensland’s award winning spas visit www.queenslandholidays.com.au

Western Australia’s incredible array of extraordinary travel experiences will be showcased to the world as part of its new brand position and innovative marketing campaign, launched today by Tourism Western Australia (Tourism WA).

Experience Extraordinary – the new brand positioning – highlights all that is unique about Western Australia including many natural wonders exclusive to the State such as the Bungle Bungle Range in World Heritage Listed Purnululu National Park; the Horizontal Waterfalls in the Kimberley; Ningaloo Reef – the largest fringing reef in the world; and, WA’s wildflower season, which features the largest collection of wildflowers on Earth.

The Extraordinary will be brought to life for travellers with an epic journey, the likes of which has never been seen before – The Extraordinary Taxi Ride.

Over nine weeks, 22 lucky people from Australia and around the world will explore WA in a taxi. The journey itself is broken into 11 ‘legs’ that are easily achievable but cover the entire State.

“We wanted to showcase our amazing natural wonders, fantastic people and extraordinary offerings to Australians, and to the world, in a truly unique fashion,” Tourism WA’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Stephanie Buckland, said.

“Our extensive research tells us that our target consumers don’t know what there is to do and see in WA, which is a barrier to travel.

They are not aware of the unique experiences on offer here, experiences which can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

“We want people to know that for an extraordinary holiday, you need to come to an extraordinary place – in short, this is what led us to the creation of Experience Extraordinary as our new brand, and in turn, the Extraordinary Taxi Ride.”

Tourism Western Australia has scoured the State to find Western Australia’s five most extraordinary taxi drivers. The ‘chosen one’, as voted by the public, will be a true local character who will showcase some of WA’s most loved and extraordinary locations.

“We wanted a driver who could tell a good story, share a joke with passengers, play up for the cameras, and importantly, a driver who is passionate about WA,” Ms Buckland continued.

“Our five finalists are from diverse backgrounds, and the public will vote for their favourite driver, who will head off on this amazing journey in April.

“The driver’s passengers will be decided by an online competition – with consumers from around the world invited to enter what is set to be the holiday of a lifetime.

“Among the journey’s stops will be stunning beaches, tall-timber forests, premium wineries and the world’s only horizontal waterfalls – and that’s just the beginning.

There’s a swim with the whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef, a sunset camel ride on Broome’s iconic Cable Beach and a visit to the world’s oldest rock gorges – it’ll be a unique holiday adventure.”

The personal stories of all involved will be captured on film and the story of the journey will be told online, in press, on radio, outdoors and on TV.

Surrounding this content will be travel packages enabling consumers to book an extraordinary experience. The content collected along the journey will then form the basis of an ongoing campaign.

As part of the campaign, Tourism WA partnered with the Taxi Council of WA and the Department of Transport to recruit a taxi driver to embark on the journey. More than 10 per cent of the State’s taxi industry applied for the chance of a lifetime, with five finalists selected.

“Taxi drivers are an important part of the State’s tourism industry – they’re often the first point of contact for our visitors, and taxis are a universal image,” Ms Buckland said.

Voting for the taxi drivers is now open at www.extraordinarytaxiride.com  and closes March 11 2010.

Potential passengers will need to demonstrate why they should be part of the journey, with the competition opening  until March 26 2010.

More details on passenger recruitment will be provided in the coming weeks.

To find out more and to follow the Extraordinary Taxi Ride on its epic journey, visit www.extraordinarytaxiride.com.

To discover more extraordinary experiences go to www.westernaustralia.com