Prevue May-June 2014 - (Page 76)

5 MEMORABLE MOMENTS * A night "under the stars" via Virgin Australia's mood lighting * Getting lost in Melbourne's laneways * Close encounters at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures * Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef with Quicksilver Cruises * Exploring the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland Alfresco lunch at Central Pier, Docklands experiences." We experienced this ﬁrst hand after a hot rod scavenger hunt across the city that ended at the Carousel at Albert Park with an up close encounter with the Melbourne Cup. Holmes says Melbourne's walkable aspect also helps planners facilitate a creative agenda. "While big attractions can be fun, often it's the subtler 'insider' experiences that leave groups feeling really satisﬁed." BACK TO THE BEGINNING "I don't care where you are from-in Melbourne, you will ﬁnd your cultural group," Mayor Doyle said last night at a welcome event held at the industrial chic Alto event space in Melbourne's central business district. His words echoed through our offbeat band of buyers and media this morning as we ventured out on our last day in Melbourne with a guide from the MCB for an "essentially Melbourne" day. Prior to Dreamtime, we were given the choice between a day of millinery, coffee, cricket, culture or a helicopter ﬂight along Great Ocean Road. Five minutes into a smoking ceremony along the Yarra River's north bank with Dean Stewart, education manager at the Koorie Heritage Trust, and I was sure the Walkin' Birrarung culture walk was the right move. "As a visitor coming into this area, you wouldn't only be cleansed and puriﬁed," Dean says. "What was actually happening as you're walking through the smoke was a physical merge of the old and the young and the entire community." Stewart's tale of the indigenous Kulin people unravels through a comparison of the landscape and people then and now. The story breathes life into Dreamtime, which is based on an Aboriginal creation story that speaks of a time when the ancestors emerged from deep within the earth and sky, taking the form of plants, animals and humans. The 2-hour tour winds along the river, shedding light on A stroll through Federation Square, Melbourne 68 | prevue magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue May-June 2014

Planner’s Pick: Tucson
Fresh Meets: Trump Hotel Collection
Bureau Buzz: Meet Puerto Rico
Good Business: InterContinental Hotels
Sea Shores: Cruise Shipping Miami
The Changing Face of Luxury
SPECIAL SECTION: EUROPE
GAMING HOTELS
FLORIDA
AUSTRALIA
On Location: Toronto
On Location: Jamaica
SOUTH AFRICA
On Location: Cancun Marriotts
On Location: Santa Barbara Curaçao
Checkout: SLS at Beverly Hills

Prevue May-June 2014