| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 28/08/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 46 |
| Copyright: Other |
Olympic flame trail lights the course Down Under
The Games help encourage trail-blazing tours and options around the country
Rail and coach product
The current Olympic torch relay is the longest in the history of the Olympic Games. Encompassing 100 days of travel and 17,000 miles, the route provides numerous opportunities for selling Australia by replicating part of the torch journey.With 10,000 miles of road covered, a whole wealth of opportunities opens up for selling coach tours. The torch also undertook several rail journeys, covering a distance of 940 miles. The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games will take place from September 15 to October 1 this year.
COACH OPTIONS
Great Ocean Road
Beginning 60 miles southwest of Melbourne, this spectacular route winds along rugged coastline through many seaside towns and past landmarks such as the amazing rock formations of the Twelve Apostles.
The flame undertook part of the route of the Great Ocean Road, visited Melbourne (Australia’s original Olympic city) and also went through inland Victoria before riding on the vintage steam train, Puffing Billy, through the Dandenong Ranges.
Australia Pacific Tours offers an independent touring option combining three nights in Melbourne and a two-day tour along the Great Ocean Road, one of the world’s most scenic coastal drives, running 200 miles along the dramatic southwest coast of Victoria.
The beauty of the coastline unfolds as the tour continues into Port Campbell National Park, renowned for its natural features of the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge.
Visitors have a choice of accommodation in Melbourne and also the seaside resorts of either Lorne or Apollo Bay. Tours depart daily. Prices are from £275 including accommodation and touring with guide.
Tasmania
Enjoy the spectacular sites of Tasmania by embarking on a 12-day coach tour. The tour starts with one night in Cradle Mountain National Park before heading into the wilderness of the west coast.
The trip offers a range of activities from sampling wine and cheeses to getting among some of Tasmania’s wildlife.
In the second part of this two-week adventure, visitors can take a boat to Bruny Island and walk through rainforest to see the beautiful Russell Falls.
Evening entertainment including theatre and sumptuous dinners are all catered for. Prices start from £650.
Hunter Valley
Travel from the north of Sydney to the world famous wine-growing region of the Hunter Valley. Enjoy tasting the wines from some of the 50 or more vineyards in the valley.
On the southern side of the valley rise the sandstone ranges of the Wollemi and Goulburn River national parks. The Hunter Valley offers a wide variety of landscapes for such a small area – indeed, Port Stephens, a bay on the coastal stretch, is home to dolphins.
Qantas Holidays offers a three-day, two-night Eagle Reach Hunter Valley tour. Accommodation is at the Eagle Reach Wilderness Resort and the tour includes wine tasting. The price is £400 per person.
Alternatively, Qantas Holidays offers a two-day tour including one overnight stay at the Hunter Valley Resort. Full-day wine tours and meals are included and there is an optional hot-air balloon ride taking in the magnificent valley views. Prices from £123.
Pacific Coast Highway
Incorporate one of the great touring routes of Australia into a visit. Journey from northern New South Wales (Byron Bay) along the coast to the Hunter Valley and on to Sydney, the Olympic city itself, following in the flame’s footsteps.
Stuart Highway
The flame began its journey in Australia at the sacred site of Uluru in the Red Centre.
An outback adventure trip might involve a coach tour from Uluru, through Alice Springs and upwards to Katherine and Kakadu National Park and on to Darwin.
Visitors can trace the steps of the torch and gain an insight into Aboriginal culture.
RAIL OPTIONS
Great South Pacific Express
The first rail journey undertaken by the torch was on the luxurious Great South Pacific Express from the outback Queensland town of Emerald, to the gateway to the Whitsundays, Airlie Beach, in North Queensland.
The Great South Pacific Express is owned by Orient Express and operates between Sydney and Cairns, via Brisbane. It offers a unique travelling experience along the east coast of Australia, linking international gateways to the Great Barrier Reef, tropical rainforest and Whitsunday Islands, plus a whole host of other holiday destinations.
The journey time from Sydney to Cairns is four to five nights. Prices for a four-night tour start from £1,406 in a Pullman Suite.
Alternatively, visitors can take a longer 10-day route which starts off with five days at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Sydney.
Spend one night on the train before stopping off in cosmopolitan Brisbane for two days. The last leg of the journey runs through Kuranda Village where you can enjoy the Skyrail cable-car ride for great views of the tropical Queensland rainforest. Prices for the tailored trip start from £3,258 per person. This includes the outgoing and return flight from the UK with British Airways or Qantas. Reservations for both these trips can be made through Classic Connection.
The Indian Pacific
The second rail journey undertaken by the flame was aboard the Indian Pacific train from the gold-prospecting town of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Port Augusta in South Australia, across the Nullarbor Plain. The journey, running from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide usually takes three days and covers a distance of 2,700 miles. Regarded as one of the finest rail journeys in the world, the trans-continental journey operates twice a week throughout the year and also offers a selection of off-train excursions in various towns en route, making it a truly adventurous holiday.
Jetset offers a two-night trip Perth to Adelaide. Coach class is from £120 (seat only); Holiday class is from £272 (a twin-share cabin with private sink); first class is from £439 (twin-share cabin with private sink and toilet, and all meals). Prices are valid from November 16 – March 31 2001 and are per person based two sharing.
An add-on option is the Barossa Wine Train. One day’s train journey costs £49. The day’s excursion includes a coach tour at Barossa and stops at three wineries. Wine tasting and lunch are included. Valid until March 31 2001.
Kuranda Scenic Railway
The flame travelled on the world’s longest cableway, Skyrail, which covers 4.5 miles across rainforest between Kuranda and Smithfield near Cairns, far North Queensland. This venture was created using the latest in environmental technology and offers stunning views of both tropical rainforest and the coast. Skyrail is a great excursion to incorporate into a visit to Cairns and is a good extension to the Great South Pacific Express.
Puffing Billy
The flame hopped on board the vintage steam train, Puffing Billy, and took a journey through the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria.
This is a great add-on for the Great Ocean Road coach journey, plus this includes a visit to Australia’s original Olympic city, Melbourne.
Key Olympic Torch Route Movements
n First torch bearer, Nova Peris-Kneebone, carried the Olympic flame towards Uluru/Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, on June 8.
n The torch visited the world’s largest sand island, Fraser Island, north of Brisbane, Queensland, on June 19.
n The torch takes a rail trip from the mining community of Emerald, outback Queensland, on the Great South Pacific Express, to a site near Airlie Beach, north Queensland from June 22 to 23.
n A journey on the world’s longest cableway, Skyrail, between Kuranda and Smithfield near Cairns, Queensland, on June 26.
n The Olympic flame travelled underwater on the Great Barrier Reef, off Cairns, Queensland, on June 27.
n Torch bearer carried the Olympic flame at sunset on a camel along Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia, on June 30.
n The second rail journey for the flame on board the Indian Pacific train from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Port Augusta, South Australia, from July 11 to 12 .
n The Olympic flame was carried through the Barossa Valley, near Adelaide, South Australia, between Nuriootpa and Tanunda on July 13 .
n The flame takes a scenic journey along the Great Ocean Road, the most scenic coastline of the southern coast of Australia, from July 20.
n The Olympic flame returns to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria on July 20. The flame was last in the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1956 during the Melbourne Olympic Games.
n Arrival of the flame at Devonport, Tasmania, on August 1 aboard the Spirit of Tasmania trans-Tasman Sea ferry.
n Torch reached Healsville, home to the Healsville Wildlife Sanctuary, on August 1.
n On August 13, the torch reached Mount Hotham in Victoria’s snowfields, a top winter sports destination.
n Some of Australia’s most stunning beaches and surfing can be found on the east coast of New South Wales, from Ballina in the north to Newcastle in the south, where the torch passes through between August 23 and 28.
n The closest wineries to Sydney, in the Hunter Valley, will be visited during the torch journey through Cessnock and Muswellbrook on August 30.
n Evening celebration on the forecourt of Parliament House, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, on September 5.
n Sydney’s most famous beach, Bondi, will shine as the torch is carried on a surf boat offshore on September 12.
n On the evening of September 14, the torch will pass to the Sydney Opera House for an evening of gala celebrations when the Opera House will be illuminated.
n The torch will cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunrise on September 15.
n The final journey by the flame from Circular Quay to Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, on September 15.
Tasmania: the flame visited the island on August 1
United colours: the Olympic livery is hard to miss in Sydney
Town and country: the Olympic Torch will travel through the outback before arriving at the Sydney Opera house