Post-PBEVENT Getaways with Tourism and Events Queensland

March 11, 2014 By Darren Rowse

When tickets for PBEVENT went on sale we told you Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and its regional partners had plans in the making to offer post-event getaways for bloggers to join after the conference.

We had NO IDEA how fabulous these trips were going to be! Take a look at how you can experience @Queensland and share your #thisisqueensland moments:

ITINERARIES

REGION: CAPRICORN

Trip name: Stub your toe on a fortune – Sapphire Gemfields

They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But that’s about to change when we take you into the heartland of sapphire country in Central Queensland and show you fields filled with hidden sparklers like the golf-ball sized blue sapphire found earlier this year. If you have an appetite for central Queensland adventure, then this trip is all about gem fever. We will meet local characters like ‘Jim the Gem’ and hear tall tales of great finds at one of the world’s most significant sapphire bearing grounds, visit the ‘Gems by Day, Jewels by Night’ Observatory and take a tour into the wonders of the night sky. If it’s treasure that you’re seeking or the opportunity to experience a real-life mining town, the Sapphire Gemfields has it all with its array of gem shops, galleries, jewellers, underground mines and digging areas.

• Departs QT Gold Coast on Sunday 31^st August at 7.30am for a transfer to Brisbane Airport. There you will catch a 9.30am flight to Emerald for a 3 day/2 night famil of the Sapphire Gemfields.
• Ends on Tuesday 2 September (flights departing Emerald at 3.00pm and arriving into Brisbane around 4pm) for your 5.00pm homeward connection.
• What’s covered: Flights to and from Brisbane + all on ground accomodation and food costs.
• Suggested niches: Travel and adventure bloggers

REGION: SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND COUNTRY

Trip Name: Slow down and breathe

Tucked away in Southern Queensland Country is one of the coolest places in Queensland (literally – its 3000 feet above sea level) and home to several wineries master vigneron James Halliday rates highly. Join us as we unearth the Granite Belt, taste testing some of Halliday’s top picks. But it’s not just about wine. With the romance of the country all around and fertile farmland on its doorstep, Southern Queensland Country will help you slow down and just breathe. We’ll spend our nights glamping in luxury tented accommodation or lodging in cute country B&Bs. We’ll take in Killarney’s rolling green hills, secluded valleys and dramatic waterfalls, enjoying fine culinary experiences and uncover the region’s secrets with a local 4WD guide adventurer.

• Departs QT Gold Coast on Sunday 31st August at 9.30 am for a 90 minute drive into SQC country
• Ends on Tuesday 2 September at QT and Gold Coast Airport around 3.00pm for your mid-afternoon connection back to your home town.
• What’s covered: Transfers to from Gold Coast + all on ground accomodation and food costs.
• Suggested niches: food bloggers and travel / lifestyle bloggers. Ideally these are Queenslanders who haven’t ventured inland as yet.

REGION: WHITSUNDAYS

Trip Name: Sail the 74 Island Wonders

Right in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef lies the Whitsundays, the best sailing waters in Australia. With Hamilton Island Yacht Club now confirmed as the Challenger for the 35^th America’s Cup, we think it’s time for a small group of bloggers to get their sea legs and set sail for the 74 Islands. This three day trip will have you clambouring aboard a million-dollar yacht where you will learn to tack and jibe to secluded coves and isolated beaches. After a few tips from our knowledgeable skipper you will be slicing through the crystal clear waters, snorkeling fringing reefs and dipping your toes into the soft silica sand at Whitehaven Beach. It’s not just about the boat, we will also take time to taste the fresh, local seafood (and maybe a little rum for the sailor in you) at one the Whitsundays most popular restaurants. Experience the true serenity a sailing holiday can bring.

• Departs QT Gold Coast on Sunday 31st August around 8.30 am for a transfer to Brisbane Airport
• Fly Brisbane to Whitsundays Airport for a 3 days/2 night sailing tour of the Whitsundays
• Ends on Tuesday 2 September with your flight arriving in Brisbane in the afternoon.
• What’s covered: Flights to and from Brisbane + all on ground accomodation and food costs.
• Suggested niches: lifestyle bloggers and/or travel and adventure bloggers

REGION: GOLD COAST HINTERLAND

Trip Name: A hidden oasis 

The Hinterland… Even the name hints at a hidden Oasis, and this is exactly what you will find behind the stunning beaches of the Gold Coast. Start your sensory adventure with a knowledgeable guide from Southern Cross 4WD Tours and experience the sights, sounds and smells of the majestic sub-tropical rainforests surrounding Mount Tamborine. The Rainforest Skywalk – your next destination – offers a spectacular birds-eye perspective on the world. Finish your day at the multi award winning Song Birds Restaurant, in the heart of the rainforest before tucking in for the night at one of Queensland’s tree house retreats with vaulted ceilings, a huge stone fireplace, wrap around decks and a waterfall below. Day two is all about the Tamborine Cooking School, where you get to taste some of the freshest local produce and also learn how to cook delicious dishes in a private and relaxed atmosphere. There’s also plenty of time to wine and dine after the cooking lesson is over and check out the local beer and cheese factories.

• Departs QT Gold Coast on 31 August at 9.00am
• Ends on Monday 1 September at QT around 3.00pm or Gold Coast Airport around 4.00pm to catch early evening flights to your home town
• What’s covered: Transfers to and from Gold Coast + all on ground accomodation and food costs.
• Suggested niches: lifestyle and culture bloggers/and or food bloggers

REGION: FRASER COAST

Trip Name: Iconic World Eco Adventure

Where else in the world can you experience two of the most iconic natural experiences on the planet back to back? Fly in the Fraser Coast to be met by your private guide to go exploring incomparable Fraser Island – the largest sand island on earth. This World Heritage-listed icon has ancient rainforests, over 100 fresh water lakes, huge sand blows, rock pools and an amazing 75 mile beach highway – complete with a shipwreck and cliffs of stunning coloured sands. Overnight it’s time for go ‘glamping’ at Cathedrals on Fraser. The next morning see this incredible island and the waterways of the Great Sandy Strait by air, and experience taking off and landing on the beach. After another day exploring the island, cross the strait for a night of wining and dining on Hervey Bay, where accommodation will be five star Bay Apartments. Early the next morning, it’s time for the world’s closest encounters with humpback whales in the clear calm waters of Hervey Bay.

• Departs QT Gold Coast on Sunday 31st August at 9.00am
• Ends on Tuesday 2 September at Brisbane Airport around 4.00pm to catch early evening flights to your home town or QT on the Gold Coast at 5.00pm
• What’s covered: Transfers/Flights from Gold Cost and to Brisbane + all on ground accomodation and food costs.
• Suggested niches: travel & adventure bloggers (max 3 people)

REGION: FRASER COAST

Trip Name: Coffee, culture and cuisine 

Food in Fraser? Of course! Spend time with some of the Fraser Coast’s most lovable cooks, who have teamed up to create Fraser Coast’s newest dining experiences. Join My Kitchen Rules winners Dan and Steph Mulheron at their new restaurant called Eat @ Dan and Steph’s. Next door is a new gourmet burger bar founded by Julia Paussa, manager of the award-winning Coast restaurant.  Relax and unwind with five star accommodation at The Bay Apartments, right on the Hervey Bay esplanade and offering stunning ocean views.  The next day head to neighbouring Maryborough to discover streets filled with architectural delights, colonial museums and a stunning art gallery. Lunch at Liqurious, one of Maryborough’s oldest pubs transformed into a vintage gourmet food and liqueur hub.  Spend the afternoon searching for vintage treasures at charming antique and collectables stores. Recharge with afternoon tea at one of the quirky, boutique cafes and ice-cream parlours dotted around the city centre.

• Departs QT Gold Coast on Sunday 31st August at 9.00am for a transfer to Brisbane Airport to catch a flight to Hervey Bay
• Ends on Tuesday 2 September (flights arriving into Brisbane around 2.00pm) for your homeward connection.
• What’s covered: Flights to and from Brisbane + all on ground accom and food costs.
• Suggested niches: food bloggers and lifestyle bloggers

TOWNSVILLE

Trip Name: Raise the Sails – Magnetic Island 

As the sails are unfurled and the whales are passing through, there is no better time to discover Magnetic Island. Located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park just 20 minutes off the coast of Townsville, ‘Maggie’ is an idyllic paradise that provides the perfect tropical escape Join us as we discover many of its 23 beaches and bays, spot koalas in the wild, ride horses on the beach and drive colourful topless cars on its winding roads. Couple all of that with a day on the water during the Region’s world class regatta – SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week – and you’ll never want to leave.

• Departs QT Gold Coast on Sunday 31st August at 8.30 am for a transfer to Brisbane Airport to catch a flight to Townsville
• Ends on Tuesday 2 September (flights arriving into Brisbane around 3.00pm) for your homeward connection.
• What’s covered: Flights to and from Brisbane + all on ground accom and food costs.
• Suggested niches: food bloggers and lifestyle bloggers

BRISBANE

Trip Name: Australia’s Hippest City

You’ve probably heard the news about Brisbane; Lonely Planet rates us as Australia’s hippest city. GQ has gushed about our thriving restaurants, intriguing arts, stylish boutiques and live music scene.  We have it all, really… but we don’t have you. Not yet anyway. We’d love to show you what makes Queensland’s capital so great. Join us as we hunt through trendy cafés for the perfect coffee, explore GOMA, Australia’s largest gallery of modern art, and take a jaunt through the casual-cool James Street before a drink at a sleekly renovated heritage-listed cottage. We’ll check out the new fringe bar scene in the Valley and dine at restaurants so new that they’re yet to debut.

• Departs QT Gold Coast on Sunday 31st August at 9.30 am for a transfer to Brisbane
• Ends on Monday 1 September at around 3.00pm for your mid-afternoon connection back to your home town.
• What’s covered: Transfers 1 way from Gold Coast to Brisbane + all on ground accommodation and food costs.
• Suggested niches: food bloggers and lifestyle bloggers

HOW TO APPLY

PBEVENT ticket holders….it’s time to bring your A game and give Tourism and Events Queensland all the reasons in the world why you need to be on one of these trips. For more details and to apply to take part in a getaway complete this form. This is a commitment to providing Queensland the exposure it deserves, so please only apply if you can commit to going on the trip and covering it on your blog and social media.

Note: Beverages, minibar, additional communications and anything over and above the famil inclusions will be at the your own cost.

Application form: Click here

Closing date : 15th April 2014 5pm AEST  (successful applicants only will be notified by 22nd April 2014)

GOOD LUCK!