Recommend July 2013 - (Page 64)

Q&A with Ian Swain, President SO: Since Australia traditionally has been popular and deeply ingrained in U.S. travelers’ minds about it being an “active” place to visit, what destinations within the large country do you recommend to those making a ﬁrst trip? IS: First-time visitors should deﬁnitely visit Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Kangaroo Island, the Great Barrier Reef and Cairns. It really depends on the length of time that they have. SO: What are your own personal activities while Down Under? IS: I took my family (six kids) to Australia in March and visited and enjoyed Southern Ocean Lodge, Wolgan Valley, Hayman Island, the Gold Coast and Sydney. We loved the Bridge Climb in Sydney, horseback riding, nature safaris and archery at Wolgan Valley. We walked among sea lions and did some cliff walking on Kangaroo Island while at the Southern Ocean Lodge, and explored the Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven Beach by seaplane on Hayman. SO: How would you advise a travel agent inquiring about booking adventure travelers to sell Australia? IS: Seek out a good wholesaler who can give the right advice for their clients. Have a 3-way conference call with the client so that [the client] can ask ﬁrst-hand the questions they need to have answers to and, in turn, the agent will learn more. SO: Are there any previously undiscovered “hot” and “exciting” spots in Australia that are inching their way into the active traveler’s itinerary? IS: There are always new and exciting experiences being delivered in Australia. That is why me and others in my ofﬁce spend so much time exploring to ﬁnd them all and assist in bringing them to market here. SO: How do you see Australia growing as an adventure destination? IS: It already is one of the world’s great adventure destinations and will continue to grow as such. SO: What can new travelers expect upon landing in Australia? IS: Friendliness and eager to impress and help from the locals. SO: What bulk of Swain’s clients are adventure seekers and what are the company’s most popular tours? IS: As you know, we customize every travel experience to the client’s needs. So we don’t have “popular trips” per se. We do have some popular destinations/lodges that offer extraordinary adventure experiences such as the Southern Ocean Lodge, Safﬁre, Silky Oaks, Wolgan Valley, Sal Salis, Bamuru Plains, True North Expedition vessels and many more. 64 july 2013 60-65 SP Australia.indd 64 History buffs may opt for a tour of Port Arthur (from about $145 pp), at one time the most dreaded and remote penal colony of the British Empire. This tour also offers a trip around the Isle of the Dead, a visit to the colonial village of Richmond and a stop at odd geological formations along the Tasmanian Peninsula. From Launceston, visitors can venture deep in the Tasmanian forest (from about $185 pp) to see glacial lakes, rainforests and the magniﬁcent wildlife of the island where wombats, potaroos and wallabies are common. In addition, Swain offers guided hikes for those wishing to see a feral world where natural oddities seem the norm. accommodations Some of Swain’s accommodations, too, are idyllic for true adventurers. Take the Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, which encompasses nine spacious wilderness tents located just a few feet from the water’s edge. Here, guests can expect wild bush luxury as they set out to go swimming with whale sharks, go snorkeling along the Ningaloo Reef, hop on a kayak to get a “bird’s-eye” view of the reef, or take a walk through the gorges that offer a step back in geological history. In the Wolgan Valley, Swain uses the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, a luxurious 40-suite (all have private indoor-outdoor swimming pools) retreat that boasts of a private conservation and wildlife reserve where guests enjoy activities like 4WD excursions, nature hikes, interpretative tours, wildlife viewing and horseback riding. Tasmania’s Safﬁre Freycinet, meanwhile, is rapidly gaining a reputation as Tasmania’s top luxury resort. It’s situated in Freycinet National Forest and surrounded by pink mountains and fronts talcum beaches. Here, guests can go on a half-day quad bike tour along 4WD tracks through the coastal heathland to southern Friendly Beaches in the Freycinet National Park. They can also opt to take a helicopter tour, which can be completely customized for them. ● Archived related articles (available on recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive): New Zealand’s South Island is Sheer Eye Candy (August 2012) contact information Swain Tours: (800) 22-SWAIN; swaintours.com recommend.com 6/19/13 2:58 PM CIT-054 http://www.recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive http://www.swaintours.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Eleven Experience
Tour Talk: DuVine Cycling + Adventure
Expedition Cruising: Explore the Unexplored
Eleven Experience's Chalet Pelerin
Brazil Travel Planner
Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa
Guatemala Travel Planner
Latin America Specialist Courses
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
5 Ways to Adventure in North America
Swain Tours Shines in the Land Down Under
Seeing African Wonders Through a Viewfinder
Trinidad & Tobago
Soaring to New Heights in Saint Lucia

Recommend July 2013