Blog: The Great Australian Bite Tour 2022

Travel agents Ken Garrity of Ken Garrity Travel and Graeme Brett of Westoe Travel are on a month-long self-funded fam trip to Australia to gain up-to-date knowledge for the UK trade following the country’s reopening earlier this year

Check back for updates on the Great Australian Bite Tour 2022!

Port Lincoln: Sea food capital of Australia

After an early fight we were met on arrival by David “lunch” Doudle owner of Australian Coastal Safaris who has put a comprehensive two-day tour of this part of the Eyre Peninsula just 45 minutes flight from Adelaide.

We were taken straight to Lincoln National Park where we stopped for healthy lunch on a dramatic cliff top vantage point with views overlooking the ocean with white breakers, golden beaches, blue sky and a moderate breeze.

The afternoon continued “dune bashing” in his 4×4, a great experience for all his clients. With the sun going down he set up a camp fire where we watched kangaroos with joeys, koalas at head height, easy for photos, and emus with chicks scratching for food.

A brilliant sunset and a couple of drinks finished off a satisfying day. Not another tourist in sight!

Next morning bright blue skies greeted us for our oyster sailing. Onboard we sailed out to the oyster beds where we tried that day’s catch plus a locally made gin!

Our afternoon was at Yarn Bala Learning what plants helped with skin problems, stomach aches, colds , learning bush tucker and a didgeridoo do and a guitar ending by our host .

A meeting with the tourism minister for South Australia Zoe Bettison arranged by Dave was a highlight as we discussed our trip promoting tourism back to Australia together with next year’s FIFA World Cup trips we are promoting.

Our final morning gave us time to look around town and the esplanade, which is small but ideal for weekends or short breaks. We arrived back in Adelaide for our one night stay at the Majestic M suites, which were used for the Australian Open tennis players.

Excellent standard in a huge 86sq m two bedroom appartments with own kitchen facilities , lounge and washing machine…a bonus! We were also shown around by Shaun Brennan, director of sales leisure, and other Majestic properties, – five in total and all great standards and well placed for the city.

The Ghan train

Our treat today saw our check in for The Ghan train, which operates three times a week from Adelaide to Darwin and visa versa at Parklands Station.

Champagne reception and a brief introduction to some of the 45 staff who work on this 35 carriage train with 267 passengers.

Very informal but great to meet them and to get to know other passengers. The train is pulled by two huge diesel engines and offers both gold and platinum standards.

We were allocated two single cabins gold class, comfortable efficient use of space – a day room which converts into a bedroom for the overnight journey. We enjoyed complimentary drinks in the lounge car followed by a sumptuous three course evening meal and then some after dinner drinks.

Talking with our passengers from many countries we found you had to book really early to get on as Australians themselves have taken to using The Ghan, some more than once, and The Indian Pacific between Sydney and Perth. So early booking is essential. Journeys Beyond also operate The Great Southern between Adelaide and Brisbane and The Overland from Melbourne to Adelaide.

Our early morning sunrise call came. We were given teas, coffees and egg / bacon sliders whilst log fires burned as we watched the sun rise over the desert. A great outback experience . On board brunch was served 10 through to 1 pm.

And our arrival into Alice Springs was to be 1 .45 pm where we were taken to our accommodation The Alice Springs hotel.

Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions operate these trains and offer off train experiences on the way .

Tip: With travel on the increase to Australia now is an ideal time for agents to develop their knowledge of this great country. Tourism Australia has put together an Aussie Specialist Program with an online self paced interactive learning module. This will attract more potential clients with a higher value spend. Additional courses cover luxury holidays , indigenous and sustainability models. Find out more here

We spent a night in Alice Springs where you can visit the “flying doctor HQ” and “school of the air”, a radio system teaching children on remote outback farms .

Another early start and a five hour trip to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and tonight the “Sounds of Silence dinner.”

Today we say goodbye to Paul Cooper from Sydney Melbourne Touring after our excellent trip together, and Canberra which is celebrating Floriade flower festival and full off colourful flowers. We are heading south again today over the mountains back to the coast and spring is now showing its colourful head with flowers, blossom and leaves appearing.

Travelling via Batemans Bay our morning stop is at the Mogo Wildlife Park where we were shown around by Sara, director of sales, who told the story of how the animals were saved by the dedication of the staff when fire encroached the grounds . Luckily no animals or humans were hurt. A delightful stop.

We followed this by a late lunch, in fact scones with cream and jam, at Central Tilda, an historic town which was a delight to the eye, very picturesque.

The destination for tonight was Merimbula and Robyn’s Nest accommodation, mainly two-bedroom apartments situated in acres of grounds overlooking a lake, just outside the town.

Kangaroos and a wombat appeared at sunset. Tip: drivers be on alert after dark for animals.

A Delicious evening meal was had at Wheelers Oyster Restaurant where we were served by the very attentive owner Jacqui Smith and her staff.

Breakfast was taken en route next morning after a look around the port area. We stopped at Aslings Beach, a huge white sand beach which was virtually deserted. Bliss. Graeme decided to go for a paddle! We then went to a lookout area and spotted whales and a seal.

Next, a quick stop at Quarantine Bay where a local man had his catch of the day and a huge octopus. We were surrounded by pelicans eyeing us over.

Today was our longest drive day , approximately five hours as we did a side trip to visit Karbathong Lodge at Malacoota and Jenny and Graeme who had a film crew in. A cooking programme may be aired in the future from there!

We were now at the furthest south east part of Australia and heading via Malo on to our destination at Lakes Entrance, a fishing port with long esplanade. Scenic views galore en route. Note: we found most restaurants close around 8pm! Waverley House Cottages were mostly two bedroom and have kitchen facilities and washer / dryer – a must when planning a fly drive! We took advantage and thanked our host Jan and Barnie the golden retriever.

An early start took us to a rather special stop at Metung Golf Course, which is where we met Rachel who is establishing luxury Metung Hot Springs Spa centre with glamping. Really superb luxury “tents” five-star standard will be ready for occupation from the end of October and international bookings from April 2023. This is first stage and more will be added. The accommodation has superb views over the lakes with walks around the area. More is planned for the next few years. We partook in the spa, barrels with bubbling hot water around 40c – really pleasant and relaxing .

Our second last night beckoned at Walhalla and our hosts Michael and Russell. A really quaint village tucked away in a valley full of fern trees , colourful flora , animal life , scenic railways and plenty of history . We stayed at the charming Star Hotel built by the owners to represent the style in gold mining days , from mid 1800 s to 1910, when gold was mined for over 50 years until it ceased to be affordable to mine.

Trips around the gold mine can be arranged. The village walk can include a cemetery visit. Note: there are plenty of ghost stories to be had here! A wonderful evening meal with plenty of stories followed by an early start and walk around the village including the olde world post office, church and cemetery!

We then headed west towards Chadstone, a suburb of Melbourne . An easy drive just over two hours brought us to the biggest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere snd the Chadstone hotel. Our host Anne gave us a quick tour of this high end hotel including roof top pool. Ian was our host for the Chadstone Shopping centre and yes it was huge with all designer names you could think of . It is still being developed to include more eateries and a bowling alley . A great stop for shoppers. TIP: claim your tax back if you spend 300 dollars or more in any one shop!

This part of the “Great Bite of Australia tour “ concluded with drinks at the rooftop bar at the Chadstone Hotel.

Road trip

The day dawned cloudy for our road trip from Sydney to Melbourne.

After picking up our hire car (tip: book well in advance as there seems to be a shortage) we headed south along the main highway.

This portion of our itinerary was organised by Paul Cooper from Sydney Melbourne Touring, which proved excellent for finding those hidden gems along the route.

We took some great photos of deserted beaches and cliff top view points.

Meeting locals on the way at our coffee or lunch stops was funny, illuminating and entertaining, learning basically that we all share the same moans and groans!

Each day consists of 3.5 hours approximately of driving and our first night was at Jarvis Bay, 200 km south, staying at Paperbark, a glamping experience we had not tried before.

The ‘tents’ are on raised platforms with wooden verandah, a loo, bath and shower at the rear open to the air. Inside, there is a huge bed and two smaller beds for children.

You wake to the sound of the dawn chorus, something only Australian birds could do with a mixture of high pitched calls to deep resonating barks. There are plenty of walking trails and flora and fauna unusual to us. A great place for a different stay.

Our next few days took us to Canberra, the nation’s capital, and there was plenty to see and do here with museums, many historic sites and a huge lake, Lake  Burley Griffin.

The nightlife was plentiful with many eating places and bars, an eye-opener.

We stood and watched the daily Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial where every night at 5pm they commemorate a fallen hero chosen from one of many actions Australia was involved with, a moving experience!

Our journey continues…

Arrival in Oz!

Our journey through Sydney airport, from stepping off the plane through immigration, baggage collection, customs and into a taxi took a mere 20 minutes!

The taxi to our fabulous hotel, The Crown Towers Barangaroo Darling Harbour, was a short 30 minutes!

So from landing at 5.10am to check-in at the hotel was just over one hour.

The Crown Towers is one of Sydney’s newest five-star hotels. As we had arrived before our 3pm check-in we deposited our cases with a very friendly, helpful receptionist. We then had time to change and wash before heading out into a beautiful Sydney morning, with crisp air, clear blue skies and morning sunshine.

Tip: A great way to start your Australian adventure is a harbour cruise. We prebooked a cruise – it’s commissionable to agents – for just under two hours. It gives spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, those iconic places great for photos. The cruises depart from either Darling Harbour or Circular Quay and have commentary, ideal for first-time visitors to get their bearings.

We followed this by taking the 20-minute ferry to Manly, a delightful easy-going beachside resort where we had brunch overlooking white sands, watching surfers in the rolling waves and younger, fitter people playing beach volleyball!

Sydney offers visitors so many attractions. We have plans to visit Taronga Zoo a overlooking the harbour and the city. The Sydney Tower, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere and Sydney Harbour Bridge climb – which we did on day two.

Most of these activities are prebookable and can help agents build fabulous itineraries for their clients.

September 21 – today it’s all about Sydney Harbour Bridge. An iconic landmark and a feeling of being at home for Graeme, with it having the same design as Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge.

First we had a walk before breakfast from the hotel in Darling Harbour along the shore through Barangaroo Reserve, The Rocks, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquarie’s chair – and we saw a flock of cockatoo.

Returning to the hotel we met up with Chris Kemlow, general manager, and Michael Fletcher, sales director, of The Crown Towers for a chat about how the hotel is setting new standards and how it is suited for our customers.

After breakfast it was time to head back to Sydney Harbour Bridge and check in for our first bucket list tour in Australia, the BridgeClimb Sydney. Checking in includes medical questions and a breathalyser (remember that if you are planning a drink on the previous night!)

After being kitted out with the safety gear and training for health and safety on the bridge, our guide Jarrad gets us linked up to the safety wires and we set off on the 1332 steps.

We climb the bridge at a nice slow pace, allowing us to take in the awesome views of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House, the navy base, and the iconic landmarks and views, with Manly in the distance.

For someone who used to be scared of heights, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge was the cure says Graeme.

As we reach the top of the bridge with the Aboriginal flag and the Australia flag flying beside us, our guide takes photographs of our achievement. As we cannot take any loose items up the bridge ourselves this will be our proof the ‘we did it’.

Our guide gives us many facts about the building of Sydney Harbour Bridge and how it took nearly ten years to get approval for BridgeClimb Sydney to operate with 198 planning objections to overcome and resolve.

This is definitely the ‘must do’ tour in Sydney for all ages and something to remember forever.

After returning to the visitor centre, and removing our safety equipment, we get our BridgeClimb Sydney Certificates and purchase our photographs.

Then across to the Glemore hotel for the victory celebration drink with our good friend and fellow Geordie Jane Hardie who is the sales director for BridgeClimb Sydney.

After two very full but comfortable flights with attentive, friendly crew on our A380 Qantas aircraft, we arrived in Sydney Australia just as dawn was breaking with its reds, orange and purple colours.

A quick Singapore swing

On our way we had a 24 hour stopover in Singapore, recommended to break up the journey, and stayed at the Miramar Hotel in Havelock Road. We took a hop on, hop off bus tour, which departs from directly outside this hotel and we stopped off at the Marina Bay Sands hotel, a spectacular building , followed by a tour of Gardens by the Bay opposite.

The Miramar hotel is handy for Clarke Quay, ten minutes stroll away, for boat rides of this historic city. We visited a warm-up for the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, where they had on display an F1 car, flashing lights , coloured smoke and a very good local band, all outdoors in balmy 28C!

Tip: Check on entry requirements into Singapore – masks are compulsory on public transport.