Social events and tours
Social and touring events: Wildlife tourism workshop 2012
Social events during the workshop and tours before and after
For all bookings, contact Ronda on platypuscorner@bigpond.com
Vikings, seen from the beach
See below for details of:
- Opening Cocktails by the beach
- Yungaweh – spectacular show and dinner (Wednesday)
- Tours
Map to right shows Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (venue of workshop and Yungewah), Vikings (cocktails) and two local accommodation venues
Pre-workshop cocktails at Currumbin Beach Vikings, Tuesday 15th May, 5.30pm
Vikings from cocktails room
(free of charge to all who are registered for the three days, cost for others $20pp)
Enjoy drinks (first one free) and nibbles while socilaizing with other delegates and looking out across the Pacific Ocean
Vikings Restaurant is just a 5-minute walk from the workshop venue, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (and a 2-minute walk from some accommodation venues).
Vikings is also a handy venue for breakfasts and night-time dinners, and for exploring the rocks outside for intertidal animals.
Yanguwah Dinner and Show at Currumbin Willdife Sanctuary
Wednesday 16th May, at the close of talks for the day.
“Yanguwah” (meaning “welcome” in the local Yugambeh language) is a spectacular new show, including a full dinner (a range of fruit and traditionally-cooked meat and vegetables), that immerses guests in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and Australian wildlife by night. We can go straight from a day of intensive presentations and discussions to a few pre-dinner drinks (own expense) and on to this total immersion event, all within the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
The experience of Yanguwah is well described by ExperienceOz, or you can read about it on Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s Yanguwah page (but if coming that night, book through WTA, to get the special delegate discount.
Special price for delegates $59.00 (normally $79.00).
Pre-workshop tours
Draft only at this stage:
Sunday/Monday 13-14 May (i.e. before workshop): overnight tour from Gold Coast and back to the Scenic Rim, visiting glow worms, rainforest, waterfalls, wildlife kangaroos, seek wild platypus, visit wildlife ecology centre, sample local wines etc.
Tuesday 15th May: behind-the-scenes tour for small group (max 6) at the David Fleay Wildlife Park, famous for conservation breeding of rare and endangered species (this is also their 60th anniversary) and to Fingal, a glimpse of what the Gold Coast looked like without all the buildings, and a chance to spot dolphins, turtles and other marine life from the cliffs
Australia’s rarest glider, the endangered Mahogany Glider, pictured here, has been breeding well at the David Fleay WIldlife Park, with several pairs of twins successfully raised, and is found nowhere else in captivity. Other threatened species seen here include Julia Creek dunnart, Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo, bilby, Proserpine rock wallaby (progeny being released into a predator-free island) and many others.
rainforest in Lamington National Park: photo by Araucaria Ecotours
Post-workshop tours
Draft only at this stage:
- Overnight tour to O’Reilly’s Rainforest retreat (stay several nights if you wish)- wonderful birdlife, and one of the world’s best networks of walking tracks through extensive and safe rainforests. May include a visit to Binna Burra Mountain Lodge as well, in a different section of Lamington National Park, also with great birdlife and walking tracks, one possibility being a walk through varied vegetation including beech forest (cool temperate rainforest), other kinds of rainforest, open forest and heathland, and a picnic on the cliff top.
- Day-trip or overnight (depending on bookings and interests) to Cedar Creek glow worm caves (good example of positive impact on conservation: the cave is artificial and very convincing, but there is nothing artificial about the glow worms, about 300 of which were introduced and now number in their thousands), a forest walk to a waterfall, and on to the opening of a wildlife art display by Sandra Temple (including some of the species that could be affected by the proposed CSG pipeline in the Scenic Rim) and a talk on the ecology of local wildlife, followed by champagne high tea.
Mid-conference activities for accompanying persons
None as yet planned – let us know if you are interested, or visit Southern Gold Coast for ideas
How do I book on the fleays tour?
Book all tours and social events by contacting Ronda on platypuscorner@bigpond.com