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With an add-on trip to the Great Barrier Reef March 10-13, 2009!
Zoom Vacations has cooked up a special trip for those who crave stunning scenery, delicious dining, exciting excursions, and likeable locals. Zoom Australia includes accommodations at the perfect 5 star hotel and special Aussie activities prepared exclusively for Zoom travelers, all culminating at Sydney Mardi Gras. Australians have a reputation for being fun, friendly, and fabulous. During Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, they take this to another level, and Zoom Vacations is at the forefront of the excitement! You don’t want to be left out of this one, mate! By the end of your trip, it will be hard to distinguish Australia’s best feature. Its sensational cities, pristine beaches, phenomenal rock formations, lush rainforests, and world-renowned reef are all in the running. However, what you will undoubtedly remember most are the people. This is the 31st Anniversary of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras!
view our photos from last year's trip! |
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PACKAGE HIGHLIGHTS:  6 nights accommodations in a Sydney's finest Five Star Hotel, rated #1 by Conde Nast
Lavish Buffet Breakfast Daily Complimentary Espresso Bar all day long Complimentary Internet
Evening cocktails every night, including an open bar of fine Australian wine, champagne, beer, sushi, and other appetizers--all complimentary! Welcome Cocktail Event where you will get to know your fellow travelers and your Zoom Concierge Services of a professional Zoom Concierge™ throughout the trip. This trip will be personally escorted by Zoom owners Joel Cabrera and Bryan Herb. Zoom Vacations is a certified Australia specialist!
A privately chartered Sensational Sydney Harbor Sunset Cocktail Cruise with open bar and Gourmet Dinner aboard the world’s most environmentally friendly vessel Zoom Solar Navigator. This Zoom Signature private event is an unparalleled welcome to the city. A private Taste of Sydney Tour with our own Sydney pseudo celebrity Diva. See, taste and feel the best of Sydney with humor and style like only our dedicated Diva and Zoom can offer. You will not want this comedy tour of Sydney to end! Sydney Mardi Gras Parade Glamour Bar. This is the most glamorous way to view the parade, within arms reach of the parade. Your entrance ticket to this VIP stand up bar area includes all of your food and drinks for the evening, a raised viewing platform, a DJ performing exclusively for Glamour Bar Zoom guests , and its own toilet amenities. The Glamour Bar menu includes gourmet snack s and canapés served by a team of wait staff and two food stalls offering hand prepared items by special chefs throughout the night. Beer, wine, sparkling wine and soft drinks are all inclusive and served from a number of bars around the Glamour Bar site. Hotel Porterage (maximum 2 bags per person) 10% Government Service Tax Admissions where applicable. Cusomize your trip with Zoom a la carte activities such as a visit to the Blue Mountains with lunch, Opera House tour, Australia wildlife sanctuary visit, Bridge Climb, and High Speed Boat blast of the Harbor. Plus, see below for an exciting optional add-on package to the Great Barrier Reef!
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Accommodations: Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney, 5 stars--winner of Travel + Leisure's 2007 Award for best hotel in Sydney!! Welcome to the luxurious and contemporary hotel that is the Amora Hotel Jamison, Sydney. From the moment you arrive, you'll experience the Amora difference. In the heart of this dynamic city, this award winning hotel combines space, style and warmth to provide the ultimate ambience.
Incredible location! The Amora Hotel Jamison is within walking distance of:
Sydney Opera House, Sydney Botanical Gardens, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Darling Harbor, Pitt Street Mall, Sydney Financial District, The Rocks, Queen Victoria Building, Cockle Bay, Circular Quay, Sydney Harbor, Sydney Aquarium Spa and Fitness Center: Take yourself away from the everyday, and pamper yourself with a whole floor dedicated to the art of relaxation. Escape from the hustle of the city and treat yourself at Angsana Day Spa, a tranquil oasis. This chic, luxurious and contemporary Spa provides a comprehensive range of speciality treatments and places emphasis on the use of aromatherapy and the sense of touch to rejuvenate the body, sense of touch to rejuvenate the body, mind and soul. |
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*Land only Introductory rate, based on double occupancy. Prices are subject to change. Need a roommate? Zoom Vacations is happy to match you with someone, at no additional charge. Or, you may pay a single supplement and go as a single. Please read Terms and Conditions prior to booking Frequently asked Questions about this trip: Click here
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Zoom Vacations is a certified Australia specialist! |
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Add-on Trip to the Great Barrier Reef
March 10-13, 2009
3 Nights from $1499 if booked by May 4th |
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Sail away to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Explore a picturesque reef sand island surrounded by magical coral gardens teeming with an incredible diversity of marine life and seabirds. Enjoy a day on this island paradise and experience snorkeling, sunbathing, relaxing, reading, rejuvenating, sailing, and swimming. Plus, join us on the world famous Kuranda Scenic Railway journey comprising unsurpassed views of Barron Gorge National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Travel through steep ravines, picturesque waterfalls, the oldest rainforest in the world, while sipping sparkling wine or a cold beer and savoring delicious finger foods.
At the end of the rail journey, the rain forest adventure begins when we board the Skyrail Experience and continue through the mountains before gliding over the mighty Barron River. For those who want to take the adventure a step further, enjoy an exhilarating whitewater journey through the Australian Rain Forest before returning to Cairns. PACKAGE INCLUDES
3 nights accommodations at the Five Star Shangri-La Marina Cairns Hotel in sensational Horizon Club Level Rooms
Services of a professional Zoom Concierge™ throughout the trip
Lavish Buffet Breakfast Daily
Complimentary Espresso Bar all day long
Complimentary Internet
Evening cocktails every night, including an open bar of fine Australian wine, champagne, beer, sushi, and other appetizers--all complimentary!
Welcome BBQ Dinner, including a sumptuous spread of meats, gourmet salads, gourmet traditional BBQ "fare" and tantalizing desserts. Kuranda Scenic Railway trip including First Class service onboard with cocktails and appetizers of local delicacies. Skyrail journey through the worlds oldest rainforest including a visit to stunning, roaring Barron River Falls. Great Barrier Reef Five-Star Catamaran Snorkeling and Sailing Cruise and all meals onboard Hotel Porterage (maximum 2 bags per person) 10% Government Service Tax Roundtrip airport and tour transfers in an air-conditioned coach Tropical North Queensland Riverforest and optional Whitewater Adventure, a Signature Zoom Event™ Admissions where applicable. |
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Accommodations: Shangri-La Marina Cairns Hotel, 5 stars. The best hotel in Cairns! You'll enjoy upgraded Horizon Club rooms! Ideally located in the heart of Cairns, the Shangri-La Hotel overlooks Marlin Marina, Trinity Bay and the green mountains that frame this jewel of a city, famous as a jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef. The hotel—which recently completed a comprehensive AU$35 million redevelopment—is a 10-minute drive to Cairns International Airport, and a short stroll to the Esplanade Lagoon, Pier Shopping, Pier Dining Promenade and Great Barrier Reef Departure Terminal. The upgraded hotel offers airy, modern accommodations with elegant furniture and spectacular views of the Marina. And with the renowned Horizon Club, Shangri-La is the only hotel in the area to offer a true five-star club floor facility. Horizon Club rooms: With significantly more space than Superior or Deluxe rooms, plus exclusive Horizon Club privileges, these rooms are an excellent choice for the traveler who desires added attention and services. Located on the hotel’s Mezzanine level, the room offers eye-level views of Marlin Marina from both the bedroom, sitting room and oversized balcony. Rooms feature an executive writing desk and broadband Internet access. All Horizon Club rooms feature comfortable contemporary sofas and furniture from which to enjoy the flat-panel television and stereo entertainment.
view photos from last year's trip. |
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Testimonials From Past Zoom Sydney Mardi Gras Vacations
It was great meeting you, Joel, and the rest of the group. I truly had a wonderful time, and was very impressed by everything y'all did. I look forward to seeing you again in the near future.
Take care,
Mark, Atlanta: Zoom Sydney Mardi Gras Vacation 2008
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It made a huge difference to me to have the Zoom concierge service with us on the trip. For example, when the weather did not cooperate with our scheduled activities in Cairns, Zoom was quick to respond and create an alternate itinerary within a few hours. They really took care of us.
John, Phoenix: Zoom Sydney Mardi Gras Vacation 2008
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I had a wonderful time in AUS. It was great meeting old and new friends, and I’m still living large on this holiday.
Tom, New Jersey: Zoom Sydney Mardi Gras Vacation 2008
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I had a blast on the Australia trip. You guys worked your proverbial asses off, and produced another winning Zoom Vacation.
I thank you once again for a
terrific trip. Here are my ten most memorable
Zoom Australia moments:
1. "Viva La France"! 30 or so gay guys (and one gal) in outrageous wigs
shocking the heck out of the Japanese and other visitors at Sydney's Opera
House. The attention we grabbed made us feel like French rock stars! I
can't wait to see the picture we took at the fountain there. And the drag
queen's performance of Opera in the men's room was hysterical.
2.) Up Periscope! Touring the world's largest coral reef in a glass enclosed semi-submersible. How many times in your life do you have the opportunity to be that close for that long to what has to be one of the most amazing natural wonders I've ever seen--The Great Barrier Reef. And to do it in that cool semi-submersible was incredible. I probably said, "Oh my god...look at that!" about 100 times!
3. Was there a parade? While I remember seeing some pretty fun floats
passing by the Glam Stands, I have to admit that the real memories of the
parade for me were actually in the Glam Stands themselves. I think I had
more fun talking with locals in the crowd, drinking, eating, watching the
crowd antics, and drinking some more. I think I even got groped a few
times. Yippee!
4. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition displayed at the
Australia Museum. If you missed it, you missed one of the most beautiful
and profoundly moving exhibits I have ever seen in any museum! The exhibit,
on loan from London's Natural History Museum and the BBC Wildlife Magazine,
portrayed nature and animal photographs taken by professionals and amateurs
from ages 7 to 65. To call some of the photographs "awe inspiring" seems
too trivial. I have to admit I found myself in tears a few times. It was
an experience I'll likely never forget.
5.) Look Out Indiana Jones! A tour of the oldest rainforest in the world in that World War II amphibious boat/jeep was thrilling. It sloshed through the muddy roads while we heard about the stinging plants and other flora, and next it glided easily into the rainforest river where we spied huge butterflies. Simply cool. But, stopping in front of that huge palm fern, and hearing how they were from the Jurassic period simply floored me. I could truly sense a huge brontosaurus munching on them millions of years ago.
6. Koalas. As you know I'm a big animal fan, I won't ever forget the
thrill of petting the koalas and the kangaroos in the Featherdale Park.
Some people think, "yeah, they're cute", but for me, it was the culmination
of years and years of wanting to see some of Australia's indigenous
wildlife.
7. The Blue Mountains. Wow! 'Nuff said. Snap up, snap down!!! I could
have spent a whole day there just gazing and hiking. Perhaps you could
consider that as an option on a future trip. It was just too beautiful to
rush through.
8. "Get me a schooner mate, I'm as dry as a dead dingo's donger!" Mark the
Bus Driver to Featherdale and the Blue Mountains was a treasure. You might
wonder how a bus driver makes my top 10 list. Well I have been on 100's of
bus tours in my 50 years of life. Some of them were excruciating ("will
someone let me shove that microphone up that person's ass!?"), and some of
them have been downright condescending. Mark was truly brilliant. Few, if
any, bus driver/tour guides have the perfect mix of humor, intelligence,
professionalism, and local interest he does. Teaching us all the Australian
idioms and local jokes was a real treat. I'd recommend you get him again on
any future trips to Australia. In fact, if you could import him to the
Black Sea I'd like to get to know him a little better.
9. "The halls are alive with the sound of music". Did we really get a
private concert of our own in the Sydney Opera House?!! The chance for our
group to hear Bartok being played in a practice session during the Opera
House tour was FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC! The walls were shaking with some amazing
music. I had goose bumps for hours! This was something not EVERY group
tour gets. Thank you Zoom.
10. The Harbor Cruise. It went by too fast. I wanted to turn that boat
around and say "ONE MORE TIME!". Great food. Great atmosphere. Great
people. There is a vision I remember on this harbor cruise of the
approaching dusk slipping slowly into darkness. At just the perfect time a
flotilla of sail boats passed by our own boat. With Luna Park in the far
distance on one side of the harbor, and the sea on the other, the shadowed
image of sail boats was etched into my mind. It was something magical,
surreal, and calming all at the same time. Does life get any better than
that?
Wayne, Palm Springs: Zoom Sydney Mardi Gras Vacation 2008
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We have been thinking about an Australia trip for several years and decided to do Mardi Gras this years. We chose Zoom Vacations because we like the idea of traveling with a group, liked the upscale choices, and liked that you were on hand to personally lead the tour. You hit the balance of group and optional activities just right.
John, Seattle : Zoom Sydney Mardi Gras Vacation 2008
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