Where have we been?
Royal Caribbean 3 Night Sampler Cruise for the Helloworld Frontliners 2019 Conference
In mid-November 2019, 2 of our consultants were extremely lucky to get the opportunity to attend the amazing Helloworld Frontliner’s Conference on board Ovation of the Seas! A Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship – one of largest in the world.
Over 3 days of conferencing, socialising and learning more of the fantastic brands within the industry and their product available so we can best suit the right holiday, to the right personality.
They were privileged to sit in on some wonderful and inspiring key note speakers such as, Amanda Stevens, Justin Jones(Jonesy), Emma Murray plus many more great motivational and inspirational speakers!
Working in this industry doesn’t just require travel knowledge. You need to know WHO you are speaking to, and WHAT they are trying to say, therefore you can provide them with actual tailor-made journey’s right for them.
It’s not all work and no play – they experienced some of the finest dining with quality service. That’s just what you get when on-board Royal Caribbean. Amazing entertainment after hours with the band ‘Furnace and the Fundamentals’. They were lively, excitable and delivered their music with infectious energy! They even did a cover of the ‘Home and Away’ theme song which had everyone laughing, singing along and in good spirits.
On the last night of our conference, we had the opportunity to get dressed up and attend the Awards Dinner and After Party. Live band Furnace and the fundamentals once again kept us entertained with amazing covers and using their own personal twist, not to mention they keep you excitably engaged. A conga line was in action at one point - thanks to the band! This was an opportunity of a life time and our consultants can not thank Helloworld and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines enough for the amazing hospitality, entertainment and overall service they experienced while on-board this grand and magical vessel – Ovation of the Seas.
AND… A huge congratulations to Tara McPherson and Lyn McNaught for receiving the Elite Sales Award!!
Southern Western Australia has much more to offer than you may realise.
Starting the trip south from Perth was a great stop at the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury. Recently re built the discovery centre now has a great café to enjoy a meal or a cup of coffee overlooking the water. The philosophy behind the Centre is to promote research, conservation and education of the Bottlenose Dolphin and other native marine life. After some lunch have a look at in the Interpretive Centre where big and small kids alike will find something to discover, enjoy and get hands on with. If getting up and close with dolphins is something that you would love to do then jump on one of the Eco Cruises that will take you out into the bay in search of the wild dolphins that call the bay home. I was lucky enough to be able to watch a pod of about 20 dolphins hunt for food and play in the water around the boat. If you’re a little more adventurous then you may enjoy the Swim with the Dolphins program. Head out on the boat to find the pod of dolphins, then it’s your turn to get a little wet by hopping in the water nearby. I have been told that dolphins are just as adventures as we are so if you make yourself interesting enough then you may have some visitors of the dolphin variety coming to check you out!
If you are a fan of food and wine like I am then I’m sure you have heard about the Margaret River area. There are many restaurants and cafes in the main street of Margaret River to choose from while you are there if you do not want to travel too far. We got to taste amazing food from Morries and Swings Taphouse & Kitchen while we were there. Great places to sample and share smaller tapas style plates and sample some great wines!
Being such a good wine region it was great to ditch the cars for the day and get the team at McLeod tours to take us out for the day. Starting off our day with coffee tasting at Yahava coffee was a real kick-start to the morning that we needed. At out next stop we got some olive oil tasting in at Olio Bello to add something to our stomachs before our first wine tasting of the day. Vasse Felix was a great introduction to wine as they are the oldest winery in the region. The Black brewing Co was where we had our lunch and it didn’t disappoint. With amazing food we sat on the veranda area at the water’s edge. I sampled some of their beer while others sampled more wine and even a cheeky gin. With stops at Fermoy Estate, Margaret River Dairy Company, Fraser Gallop and the Margaret River Chocolate co our day then sadly came to an end. With full belly’s, a new appreciation for wine with a few new favorites and plenty of laughs along the way it really was a standout day. McLeod’s 3 day tour is now on my to-do-list!
To start off our next day the Margaret River bakery was a great place to start, really quirky and great food. Heading further south don’t miss the Gloucester Tree. If you dare climb the 58m up to the retired fire lookout. Make sure to wear some good enclosed shoes and have your courage with you that day! The highlight of our day was the trip with Graeme from Pemberton Discovery Tours for a mix of 4WDing through the bush, onto the giant sand dunes and down to the ocean. With beautiful scenery everywhere you look, some afternoon tea in the bush and a bit of adventure what more could you ask for. Graeme is so knowledgeable of the area so has all the answers to the questions you didn’t know you had. We spend the night on a beautiful lake at RAC Karri Valley Resort. Staying here was a highlight with a room right on the water’s edge. RAC not long took over this property and are slowly doing it up. The main restaurant/common area is new and beautiful. Located on the water’s edge as well it was beautiful to end the day watching the sun set over the water while having dinner, then having breakfast there as well.
If you’re ever heading down to Albany then a trip to Elephant rock/Greens pool is a must! The water was like glass and so clear. The best part was that it is sheltered by lots of large rocks further out so it doesn’t have the waves coming in. We had a quick dip in the water but I would have loved to spend more time. The Valley of the Giants was along the way and the Tree Top Walk features a stunning walkway positioned 40 metres about the ground, amid the spectacular heights of the tingle forest canopy.
The National ANZAC Centre in Albany is definitely worth a look. Dedicated to WW1 it talks a lot about the first 2 fleet of ships that left Australia for the war and mentions the 41,265 Australians on the first and second fleets that departed from Albany in a beautiful memorial overlooking the water. War history is not something that I am into but was moved by this exhibit. They give you a card when you arrive and it has the name and photo of someone from the war. You can take this photo and see photos as well as what their involvement was in the war and what happened to them. I loved it and was engaged and moved.
Southern Western Australia has so many hidden gems that I didn’t even get to see them all! Another trip at some stage is definitely on the cards.