Travel deals, hotel bargains, travel news | Theme Park Mom

Back by popular demand, the award-winning travel experts at Down Under Answers (www.duatravel.com) are offering several “I Love Aussie” travel deals that break down any barriers between a much-needed vacation and the Great Barrier Reef.

These 10 new Australian vacation deals start at the incredible low price of just $1,399 per person (including airfare and accommodation, based on double-occupancy). Interested travelers should hurry, as the sale ends September 30, 2010. These limited-time offers are good for travel between October 11, 2010 to November 23, 2010 and from January 30, 2011 to March 22, 2011, with the option to travel until March 31, 2011. Contact DUA experts to book directly at (866) 792-5458 or visit http://www.duatravel.com/luvpr

“After the response from those who went last year, we couldn’t pass on the opportunity to send more travelers to our favorite Australian destinations, and our partners, V Australia and Tourism Australia, couldn’t agree more,” says Kirk Demeter, President of Down Under Answers.

During the “I Love Aussie” campaign, customers can expect huge savings on customizable itineraries such as:

* For a taste of Australia, look no further than Luv Sydney & Cairns (8-night air and land inclusive, from $1,399 per person/double occupancy). Spend the days exploring the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House, and famous Bondi Beach.

* Enjoy the city and the islands with Luv Sydney, Hamilton Island & Cairns (10-night air and land inclusive, from $1,699 per person/double occupancy.) Enjoy two cities bursting with Australian culture—Sydney and Cairns—plus the luxury of a Great Barrier Reef island stay.

* Experience a little of everything from Luv Sydney, Cairns, Tangalooma & Brisbane (12-night air and land inclusive, from $1,899 per person/double occupancy). Discover iconic favorites such as Sydney and Cairns, plus two nights’ stay at Tangalooma Island Resort and a wild dolphin feeding.

* For the ultimate Australian vacation enjoy Luv Sydney, Rainforest, Noosa, Fraser Island & Brisbane (10-night air and land inclusive, from $3,389 per person/double occupancy). Bounce along with kangaroos in the wild, explore Sydney and Queensland’s best-kept secrets, relish the resort life, and explore Australia’s largest subtropical rainforest and the world’s largest sand island.

For a complete list of all 10 packages, click here.

Each package can be purchased as-is, or the travel gurus at Down Under Answers can help customize a vacation. Even with add-ons, deals abound. “Guests can upgrade the Luv Sydney & Cairns package to higher rated hotels for just $130. That’s a savings of $1,300,” Demeter says.

Thanks to the opposite seasons of the Southern Hemisphere, springtime in Australia means returning to the beach. Each of the ten options allow travelers as much—or as little—time as they want to soak up the sun, while still having time to delight in the best Australia has to offer. Those ready to trade the dreary cold of fall and winter in the States for spring and summer in Australia can book their vacation with Down Under Answers by calling toll-free at (866) 792-5458 or visiting (http://duatravel.com/luvpr).

Founded in 1992, Seattle-based Down Under Answers is the industry leader in travel to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Dubai. Repeatedly voted Best Travel Wholesaler by Tourism New Zealand and Tourism Australia specialists, the company employs seasoned destination specialists to customize tours—ranging from unique, experiential holidays tailored to suite style, taste and budget, to pre- and post-cruise itineraries, shore excursions, escorted tours, destination weddings and honeymoons, private tours to groups of any size and much more. New for 2010 is the launch of Africa Answers. For further information email info(at)duatravel(dot)com, or call (800) 889-1464.

Taronga Zoo is pleased to have retained the position as Sydney’s most popular experience for the fourth year in a row.

During the year ending June 2010, the Zoo received strong support from the community with nearly 1.5 million people visiting Taronga.

Taronga’s General Manager Marketing and Commercial Operations, Paul Davies, said: “Taronga has again been the number one visited experience in Sydney. Public support for our work from conservation education to conservation projects in the wild has helped the zoo expand our efforts for wildlife.”

“This result proves that people are interested in our work for wildlife and that conservation is fascinating and exciting. It also makes us uniquely positioned to educate and inspire the community about conservation issues and hopefully positively influence their attitudes and behaviours. As far as we know, no other zoo or tourist experience across Australia has ever received this level of support.”

“International visitors make up over one quarter of the total, which indicates the growing interest of tourists in experiencing and understanding both the wonder of Australian wildlife and the challenges that face many of our iconic species. The newly opened Tasmanian Devil Breeding Centre at Taronga is already attracting many visitors who want to discover just how this remarkable animal lives, while learning about the threats it faces.

In the last year, the Zoos have announced amazing successes from the birth Australia’s first- ever elephant calf and the return to the wild of endangered Booroolong Frogs bred at Taronga to the first birth in Australia of a rare Francois’ Langur, a leaf-eating monkey from Asia.

“Television documentaries featuring the births of our Asian Elephant calves and our work beyond the zoo gates like taking Corroboree Frog eggs back to the wild have heightened the community’s awareness of our zoos and the all encompassing role in conservation we play.”

Mr Davies said: “There’s a real hunger in the community to learn about wildlife and, most importantly, to do something about helping ensure there’s a joint, sustainable future for humans and wildlife.”

“That’s what makes the Zoos a very different sort of attraction, drawing a very wide cross-section of people from families to international visitors, keen to discover Australia’s unique wildlife. This isn’t a passive thing, because our visitors are learning while they’re here and taking home ways to make a difference for wild creatures.”

The Zoos’ 12-year Master Plan redevelopment, which began in 2000, has delivered a huge and varied range of exhibits that present wildlife as never before. The redevelopment includes the Great Southern Oceans and Wild Asia mega-exhibits

The strength in visitor numbers has enabled the Zoos to expand their conservation activities to include:
• $200,000 in conservation field grants
• School education Programs -Project Penguin and Project Booroolong
• Support of Asian Elephants including Sri Lankan elephant orphan, Moreesha.
• Conservation breeding program for Tasmanian Devils
• Support of Gorillas through the ‘They’re Calling You” mobile phone recycling project.
• Sumatran Tiger support through the “Don’t Palm Us Off” palm oil food labelling program
• Bush Rat re-introduction program

Mr Davies said: “Our Zoos are not-for-profit, so the outstanding community support enables us to plough more funding into wildlife and education projects. We’re expanding people’s experiences at the Zoo including opportunities to sleep overnight at Roar and Snore. This helps change outdated views of what we’re about.”

“Our Zoos are the forefront of modern global conservation which is a very exciting place for us to be and, especially exciting for our visitors and our community which demonstrate this through making Taronga Zoo the most popular experience in Australia.”

The iconic
Park Hyatt Sydney announced today its plans for a dramatic transformation, which is expected to be the largest renovation in the hotel’s 20 year history. The revitalization of the hotel is expected to include the addition of three luxury rooftop suites and significant changes to all areas of the hotel – refreshing the property while maintaining the contemporary luxury for which Park Hyatt Sydney is known.

Positioned between the world-famous Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, Park Hyatt Sydney offers guests an intimate, residential-style hotel with architecture, design and art that reflects the Australian landscape.

The broad scope of the multi-million dollar project will involve a complete redesign of the hotel’s guest rooms, including architectural fixtures and finishes, custom designed contemporary lighting, new furniture and unique artwork by renowned Australian artists. The hotel’s new interiors will offer a natural feel with rich layers of chocolate, cream and beige hues. Designed to celebrate the indoor-outdoor experience, all guest rooms will feature floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto spacious private balconies that honour Park Hyatt Sydney’s exclusive harbourfront location.

In addition to the complete makeover of accommodation, the hotel’s restaurants and bars, private dining rooms, day spa and recreational facilities will also be enhanced to reinforce Park Hyatt Sydney’s position as one of Australia’s premier hotels.

The proposed renovation programme will present Park Hyatt Sydney with the opportunity to extend its environmental initiatives. Energy-efficient lighting and water-saving devices are expected to be added throughout the hotel.

Commenting on the hotel’s renovation plans, Park Hyatt Sydney’s general manager, Andrew Mensforth, states, “Our primary focus remains our valued guests. We look forward to proceeding with our proposed renovation as this transformation will provide for an enhanced guest experience and a new benchmark in luxury.”

Park Hyatt Sydney’s proposed renovation plan is subject to government approval and has been scheduled to coincide with the hotel’s winter period to minimise disruption to guests. The new design will be spearheaded by leading interior designers BARstudio.