In this edition - Cyclone Yasi recovery update, new audio GPS tour experience in the Hunter Valley, INXS to light up Canberra, Brisbane wining and dining update, Noosa food and wine festival and the historic Busselton Jetty re-opens.

Cyclone Yasi recovery update
The majority of tourism operators in Queensland are open for business. Major tourism hubs such as Cairns and The Great Barrier Reef are mostly back to normal business operations. Ferry services between the Whitsunday Islands and Whitsunday Coast have been restored. Whitsunday Coast and Great Barrier Reef airports are operating normally. All Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree properties are open. Daintree Eco Lodge is closed but due to reopen in the month. Bedarra and Dunk Island resorts are also closed with bookings prior to 31 August 2011 cancelled without charge. For the latest information visit official tourism websites for Tourism Queensland & Tourism Whitsundays.

The Yellow Brick guide announces new audio GPS touring experience in the Hunter Valley, NSW
The Yellow Brick Guide has announced the release of the first in its series of GPS audio driving tours, providing independent travellers a stress-free way to explore a region using in-car satellite narration. The tours incorporate music, narration, characters and directions responding intuitively to the changing scenery as you drive. The Hunter Valley in New South Wales is the first region experience, with three half-day tours to be unveiled including Mount View Vistas, the Heart of Pokolbin and Lovedale Loop. The Yellow Brick Guide will be available for hire through tourism contact points in the Hunter Valley including the Hunter Valley Visitors Centre, Pepper Tree Wines, Poole’s Rock Wines, Ballabourneen Wines and the Sebel Kirkton Park Hotel. 

The Langham, Melbourne opens new Terrace Rooms
The Langham, Melbourne has created an exclusive city hotel experience with the launch of their stylish Terrace Rooms this month. The new rooms offer a private terrace, complete with sun lounges and outdoor dining setting where guests can enjoy the fresh air and bask in the sunshine whilst taking in city skyline views. The new rooms feature Langham's signature Blissful Beds and a marble bathroom with double basin, separate shower and bath complete the experience. Contemporary in-room features include an LCD high-definition TV with Media Hub and iPod docking station. 

INXS stars set to light up Canberra
Canberra’s newest major event, ENLIGHTEN has added INXS stars Kirk Pengilly and Tim Farris to the musical line-up. INXS are the latest addition to the entertainment, which includes concerts by George Benson (11 March), Chris Isaak (18 March) and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (19 March). ENLIGHTEN will run from 11 to 19 March and includes spectacular lighting on the exteriors of some of Australia’s most famed national attractions. Highlights include: Live at the Sculpture Garden, a visual art and entertainment event at the National Gallery of Australia plus late night viewing of the Ballet Russes: the art of costume exhibition; a tour of Spies, Leaks and Scandals exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House uncovering some of the stories that made Australia; a behind the scenes tour of the Parliamentary art collection and architecture of Parliament House.

Brisbane wining and dining update
The newly revamped inner city Eagle Street Pier has reopened with a multicultural mix of restaurants and cafes all vying to make the most of the location’s expansive river views.

• Queensland’s very first Bavarian Bier Café featuring a dazzling glass stein chandelier suspended over the main bar. Bavarian-inspired delights include crackling pork belly and an impressive range of Pure Biers.
• Executive Chef Shaun Presland demonstrates his skill with contemporary Japanese cuisine at Saké Restaurant & Bar. The Saké bar offers a mouth-watering range of sake and shochu-based cocktails but also features Head Chef Shinichi Maeda’s (ex Wasabi Restaurant, Noosa) Otsumami menu - ‘snacks to go with alcohol’ – with a focus on local ingredients.
• Nagomi is a new venue from the fine dining kitchen of award winning Sono Restaurant with a focus on fresh, high quality sushi and bento boxes to go.

New vehicles arrive at Australian Eco Adventures
Tour operator Australian Eco Adventures have added two 14 seat 2WD's and an eight seat 4WD to their fleet of vehicles. Providing the ultimate in luxury and comfort, they offer leather seating and polished wooden floor interiors. They will be made available for all travellers including regular tours, group series tours, and of course our Diamond Series private charter tours. 

Facelift for Perth hotel as the Sheraton becomes Pan Pacific 
The Sheraton has rebranded to Pan Pacific Perth, opening its doors under its new name and management in January. The 486-room hotel on Adelaide Terrace offers great views of the Swan River and boasts extensive meeting and banqueting facilities, with 11 spacious function rooms as well as an entire level dedicated to seven boardrooms with state-of-the-art technology.  

Hidden Secrets Tours launches new Melbourne café culture walk
Melbourne’s love affair with freshly roasted coffee continues with the launch of the new Melbourne Café Culture Walk from Hidden Secrets Tours. Melbourne has some of Australia’s most sophisticated coffee scene and the new tour exposes visitors to some of its coffee secrets - especially the hole-in-the-wall cafes Melbourne is renowned for. Explore cobblestoned laneways filled with the aroma of espresso and discover a breeding ground for some of Australia’s most unique coffee houses from old-school Italian espresso bars to the growing network of ‘third wave’ coffee houses, social enterprises, and local entrepreneurs that offer the ‘bespoke coffee’ experience – coffee made, exactingly, to the drinkers specification. 

Indigenous culture on show along Great Ocean Road at Cape Otway
Learn about the traditional culture and lives of the Gadabanud people at Cape Otway Lightstation’s new Aboriginal heritage trail. Located on the Great Ocean Road, the new heritage trail includes replica stone huts similar to those once used by the Cape’s first inhabitants, as well as a collection of traditional weapons and tools and a “keeping place” featuring a bark canoe and other relics. The trail has been designed to partly follow an ancient traditional Aboriginal trade and fishing route, which features important archaeological sites and middens. People employed at the heritage site are from regional Aboriginal families and share their knowledge of the Cape’s edible plants, once used as food and medicine.

Tangalooma Island Resort adds sunset cruises and water sports to list of activities
Tangalooma Island Resort has acquired a 12-metre smooth-water catamaran to facilitate a nightly sunset cruise. On the water, surrounded by marine and national parks, the sunset cruise experience provides the perfect way to welcome in the island nightlife. Visitors can also put their balancing skills to the test on the new Segway and stand-up paddle board tours.

Indigenous flavours tempt tastebuds in the Atherton tablelands 
An Indigenous catering company will soon be cooking up a storm at Jabiru Safari Lodge at the Mareeba Wetlands from 1 April 2011. Replacing self-cooked BBQ packs, the meals will feature Indigenous flavours and will be prepared by a qualified chef and assisted by local Indigenous hospitality. The dining changes follow the introduction of custom-built open 4WDs for enhanced wildlife viewing to provide an experience modelled on African private game parks. The Mareeba Wetlands is a 2,000 hectare reserve which is home to prolific wildlife and birdlife, offering an all-inclusive Outback experience in luxury African-style ensuited tented safari cabins.

Sunshine aviation launches new tour of Fraser Island
Take to the skies for a bird’s eye view of Fraser Island onboard Sunshine Aviation’s newest day tour. A scenic flight departs from the Sunshine Coast Airport, flying over Mount Coolum, Noosa, the spectacular Cooloola National Park and the Coloured Sands at Rainbow Beach. After landing on a remote island strip, the plane is greeted by a 4WD island taxi and personal Fraser Island tour guide. Highlights include a swim in a fresh water lake before a visit to the island’s famous rainforest growing in sand at Central Station. Enjoy lunch at the old loggers’ camp before driving along 75 Mile Beach and the return flight.

Noosa food and wine festival
Foodies should head north to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast for the Noosa Food and Wine Festival from 13 - 15 May. Around 150 leading chefs, iconic winemakers, high profile food and wine media, restaurateurs and serious foodies will take over Noosa for one of Australia’s premier food and wine events. The three day program offers a feast of experiences including degustations, food trails, leisurely lunches, guest chef demonstrations, food and winemakers’ exhibitions, live entertainment, food and wine kiosks and cooking competitions. One of the highlights is the ‘Best Dinner in the World’ featuring seven chefs from San Pellegrino’s Top Restaurants in the World creating a degustation menu.

C-ique Design Bar opens in Surry Hills, Sydney
C-ique is an avant-garde cocktail lounge and gourmet dining experience in the heart of Surry Hills, just 50 metres from Crown Street and Taylor Square.  Enjoy delicious cocktails, fine wines, amazing deserts, gourmet canapés and main course specials designed by award-winning Chef – Roshan Rodrigo. 

Tiger Airways continues Queensland expansion
Tiger Airways is continuing its expansion in Queensland with the launch of new flights to Brisbane from Sydney and Melbourne (Avalon) commencing in early February 2011. Services to Queensland will be boosted further with the launch of direct flights from Sydney to Maroochydore on 27 March 2011.

Aboriginal guided Mala Walk added to Uluru safari for groups
Adventure Tours Australia has teamed up with Anangu Tours, an Aboriginal touring company based at Uluru, to provide Red Centre Safari guests with a guided cultural tour of the iconic landmark. The Mala Walk is an exciting cultural experience and is a new inclusion to the three-day Red Centre Safari. An Aboriginal guide, accompanied by a language interpreter, shares the story of the Mala people, who lived at Uluru with their friend the Itjaritjari (marsupial mole). The walk also includes a visit to sacred Kantju Gorge.

Busselton Jetty re-opens
The Busselton Jetty will open later this month for the first time since its multi-million dollar refurbishment program that commenced in May 2009. Spanning 1.8 kilometres across Geographe Bay, Busselton Jetty is the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Visitors will once again have the option to descend to the depths of Geographe Bay in the Underwater Observatory to view amazing marine life as they descend 8 metres to the ocean floor via a spiral staircase. There are eleven viewing windows at various levels within the chamber allowing visitors to view Geographe Bay’s amazing underwater garden.

Thredbo gears up for annual Jazz, Funk and Groove Festival
Thredbo is gearing up to host the Thredbo Jazz, Funk and Groove Festival - a new take on the old Thredbo Jazz Festival. Taking place over three music filled days on 15 – 17 April 2011, the festival will entertain both long time jazz fans and new with a broad range of music from the traditional and mainstream styles that have made Thredbo’s name, to jazz fusion and funk styles whose high energy keeps the dance floor busy into the early hours.