26 September 2023

Sydney, Canberra and more…

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By John Rozentals.

Sydney Harbour Bridge: offers an entirely new perspective of the city.

On September 6, BridgeClimb will introduce the Ultimate Climb, inviting climbers to the other side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Ultimate Climb path will follow a new route up to the summit before covering untouched ground on the north side journeying over the full length of the arches towards the north-side pylons.

It will allow climbers an entirely new perspective of Sydney, with highlights including Milson’s Point, Lavender Bay, McMahons Point, Luna Park, North Sydney Olympic Pool and Kirribilli.

The 3.3 kilometre adventure is priced at $348 for adults.

Visit www.bridgeclimb.com.

Floriade: virtual, on-demand experiences on offer.

While Floriade in its traditional format in Canberra is not proceeding, a reimagined festival will see its spring spirit bloom on screens across Australia with virtual, on-demand experiences on offer.

As one million bulbs and annuals planted across the nation’s capital city and suburbs create a tulip trail for the Canberra community, Floriade has not forgotten its interstate fans.

From September 12 to October 11 fans across the nation can connect with the festival through on-demand, virtual experiences to keep gardens green and minds inspired.

Fan favourites will include the marketplace, Let’s Talk series, mindful colouring-in sheets, children’s entertainment, and online horticulture workshops.

Visit www.floriadeaustralia.com.

Art Gallery of WA: rooftop is set to transform into a multi-use gallery space.

The Art Gallery of WA’s rooftop is set to transform into a multi-use gallery space and rooftop venue — bringing art and entertainment together against Perth’s city skyline.

Due to open in early 2021, Elevate will create what is thought to be the largest, commercially available rooftop venue in Perth, accommodating up to 500 people.

The new rooftop will feature an open-air sculpture walk, with works from the State Art Collection; a new internal gallery space for exhibitions and events; and two outdoor multi-purpose spaces with stunning view of the city, Perth Hills and WA Museum.

The centerpiece of the rooftop will be a new 34-metre contemporary Aboriginal art piece by Noongar/Minang artist Christopher Pease, which will wrap around one third of the rooftop wall.

The project will also feature an external lift and sky bridge from the Perth Cultural Centre precinct — allowing visitors access to the rooftop when the gallery is closed.

Visit www.artgallery.wa.gov.au.

Adrenaline-pumping action with Rafting Australia.

The wild rapids of Arizona’s Colorado River and the Zambezi may be out of reach for Australians this year, but Rafting Australia can scratch the adrenaline itch in Victoria’s alpine region — and spring is a good time for it.

East Gippsland is one of only a handful of places around the world where visitors can surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon, with mountain ranges within a two-hour drive of the popular seaside holiday towns of the Gippsland Lakes.

Rafting Australia’s Linton and Tracey Smith have been operating white-water rafting trips since the 1980s.

During the spring, Rafting Australia offers one or two days of adrenaline-pumping world-class white-water rafting at Mitta Mitta River Gorge, where visitors will find 60 rapids classed from two to four.

During the summer, the Lower Mitta Mitta River at Dartmouth provides some of the best summer rafting in southern Australia, with an enormous volume of water is pumped out of Dartmouth Dam to create a deep, fast-flowing river with big waves giving conditions similar to the rivers of New Zealand and Canada.

Visit www.visitgippsland.com.au or www.raftingaustralia.com.au.

Lining up to taste rum: Bundaberg Rum Distillery.

Australia’s ‘Best Distillery Experience’ at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery has restarted.

Guests can cross the distillery experience off their bucket lists and visit the home of the iconic Bundy R Bear.

In line with the current Queensland Government directives, visitor tours will have limited capacity, with a maximum of 20 guests allowed on each ‘Distillery Experience’ tour.

The Bundy Distillery Guides will showcase the five-million-litre-capacity molasses well, and share some of the secrets behind fermenting, distilling and maturing one of Australia’s favourite locally made spirits, before inviting guests to sample any of the top-shelf rums in the range.

Visit www.bundabergrum.com.au or call (07) 4131 2999.

The Sydney Science Trail: bubbling over with immersive games.

The Sydney Science Trail, presented by The Australian Museum and the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, will run to audiences across Australia until September 15.

The trail features more than 50 pit stops to visit and is bubbling over with immersive games, virtual panel discussions with pre-eminent scientists, explosive science shows and tours from world-class scientists.

Discover the beautiful treasures and deadly threats of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in The Living Laboratory 360-degree virtual tour; beam live to the Coral Sea and uncover its mysterious, briny depths with ‘Exploring Unseen Oceans’; gain a timely understanding on how bushfires can be both friend and foe; and become a certified citizen scientist tracking Australia’s cane-toad population with your smartphone.

Visit www.sydneysciencetrail.net.au.

Crystal Symphony: a 15-night voyage to Auckland.

Cruise Traveller has released a new fly-cruise-and-stay package for December next year, offering guests free domestic and international flights and savings of up to 51 per cent for couples and 43 per cent for solo travellers for bookings made by September 30.

The 17-night, all-inclusive ‘Facets of Australia’ package begins with free flights to Perth from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Brisbane and a two-night stay in a five-star hotel in Perth and a free day trip to Rottnest island before boarding Crystal Cruises’ ultra-luxury, 848-passenger Crystal Symphony for a 15-night voyage to Auckland.

Ports include Bunbury, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island with its spectacular scenery and wildlife, Melbourne for pre-Christmas shopping, Sydney and the beautiful Bay of Islands in New Zealand.

Including the flights, an onboard open bar, a specialty dining experience, wifi and gratuities, the 17-night luxury package is available from $10,340 per person twin-share and from $13,520 for solo travellers.

Visit www.CruiseTraveller.com.au or phone 1800 507 777.

The Rees: upholding its commitment to the environment.

The Rees Hotel Queenstown has upheld its commitment to the environment by launching a sustainability initiative to reduce plastic waste.

The hotel’s milk will now be supplied by Windy Ridge Farm in reusable and recyclable glass bottles, saving over 13,000 plastic bottles from going to landfill each year.

Mark Rose, CEO and general manager of The Rees Hotel said: “We are proud to demonstrate that our commitment to sustainability across all our operations continues even in the toughest of times for our industry.”

Based in the heart of the Clutha District on New Zealand’s South Island, Windy Ridge Farm, owned and operated by Andrew Moir and his sons Ezra and Seth, has been supplying local stores with pasteurised, full cream milk in reusable bottles since early 2017.

When customers return their empty glass bottle to local stores, they are given a full bottle of milk for half the price.

Visit www.therees.co.nz.

NOTE: Potential travellers should check the status of individual events and establishments with regard to the coronavirus outbreak.

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