G'Day Mate! From May 5-15, 2024 I was one of 2 Travel Advisors from Canada asked to join 38 US agents for an intense tour of the country as well as attend an industry conference in Australia. Here I would inspect resorts, test out tours, learn about my region and liaise with a new network of colleagues and friends. All in the hopes of bringing these experiences back to my amazing clientele. I hope you all are learning from my experiences abroad, and thinking that perhaps you too can get out to see and do all that I have. Taking the 'scary' away from travelling so far to unique bucket list destinations is what I am so proud of. As a woman who frequently travels the globe alone, I want to show others that they too can experience what I do. Do not limit yourselves to known territory because of fear that may be holding you back. I believe that most of humanity is good.
With that, here is my report on Australia!
Itinerary
Saturday, May 5
Depart Calgary for Los Angeles. I had a 5.5-hour layover so I found four team members and enjoyed getting to know them. We left Los Angeles at 9:00 pm on Qantas Airways for an overnight flight.
Tuesday, May 7
Arrive in Brisbane in the morning. We had a 5-hour layover before flying off to Cairns. Jumping into an amazing air-conditioned vehicle we toured a little bit of the area and went for breakfast before heading back to the airport and onward.
Stayed at the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/cnssi-sheraton-grand-mirage-resort-port-douglas/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0
Enjoying the Tropical North Queensland with our fellow ‘Koala’ group members, we travel to the coastal tropical city of Port Douglas where your journey begins with a sunset cruise on a section of the Great Barrier Reef. It was a long day of travelling to get here. This cruise was INCREDIBLY windy and choppy. Many fell ill and did not enjoy themselves! I was glad I took my gravol before boarding, but did feel incredibly bad for those who were not able to enjoy themselves.
Wednesday, May 8
Experience the best of the Daintree with FNQ (Far North Queensland) Nature Tours. The day included a wildlife cruise complete with many crocodile sightings, lunch in a tropical rainforest and an exploration of Mossman Gorge to uncover ancient complexities of this world heritage rainforest. There was time to enjoy the walking tracks and the option for a swim in the incredible freshwater gorge.
Thursday, May 9
Start the day with a private ‘Breakfast with the Birds’ experience at Wildlife Habitat.
Our group will then head to the Mossman River to take place in Backcountry Bliss’ award-winning River Drift experience, the ultimate in forest bathing. After lunch, we travelled back to Cairns to meet up with our fellow Travelers at the Australia Showcase.
Friday, May 10
‘Day of Adventure’ in Cairns. We joined the other advisor groups and had a chance to choose from four exciting experiences. My experience was snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, followed by a heli-tour of many reefs. It was one of the best experiences of my life!
Saturday 11 May Destination Showcase in Cairns. Today we met with representatives from Australia’s State & Territories, Tourism Australia and some special products during a full-day workshop.
Sunday, May 12
Depart Cairns and fly to Brisbane. We reached Brisbane by lunchtime and received a classic welcome with a rooftop lunch overlooking the river.
From here we walked the city on a ‘Donuts and Discovery walking tour'.
At night, we celebrated with some rooftop drinks at the Emporium Hotel
We ended the day with a lovely dinner at the iconic SameSame.
Monday, May 13
It was a full-day island exploration with a private journey to Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island). Our guide was Alisha, a proud Quandamooka woman who calls the island home and was honoured to share her history and culture with us. Our day continued with Oyster shucking, fresh from the farm, and a delicious seafood lunch on the beach before heading back to Brisbane for our farewell dinner.
Tuesday, May 14
Depart Brisbane onwards to the USA/Canada with Qantas Airways. I had no flight options from Los Angeles to Calgary that evening, so stayed the night in Los Angeles.
Wednesday, May 15
I was back at the airport by 4:00 am to catch my 7:00 am flight back to Calgary and make the drive home.
Trip Take-Away
This trip was remarkable in every sense. The experiences I have had, the people I have met, and the beautiful resorts we were lucky to inspect and stay in, Australia exceeded every expectation I had.
Too Far Away?
It's funny because I would never hesitate to travel the 17.5-hour flight from Vancouver to Singapore (plus two other flights!!) to get me to Thailand. Ever! So why do we in Canada feel that Australia is 'too far away'?
It was slightly less in travel time from Calgary to Cairns. There are direct flights out of Vancouver to Brisbane with Qantas Air which is a quick 1 hour flight from Calgary.
Too Expensive?
Australia is no different than Canada. The Australian dollar is virtually the same value as our Canadian dollar. Costs of hotels, food, trinkets, etc are relatively the same as here in Canada. Fuel is quite a bit more in Australia so keep that in mind as you travel by car.
Too Dangerous?
While it is true that Australia has some pretty unique animals and insects that can harm a human being. But when you think about it - so does Canada! In chatting with my new Australian friends, they would much rather have their large spiders, crocodiles, killer birds, and dangerous kangaroos than our Grizzly bears, Polar bears, cougars, and tarantulas! It all comes down to knowing what to look for and where to be/not be.
Final Thoughts
I loved this trip! Surprises of the rainforest, beautiful coastline, lush mountains, vibrant cities, unique wildlife, and the incredible Great Barrier Reef, this trip will remain one of my favourites and I will return again one day.
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