Legend Tees Up for Fundraiser

THE Valleys Rugby League Club hit the jackpot when it secured rugby league's man of the hour, Darren Lockyer, as the special guest for its inaugural golf day, sportsman's dinner and memorabilia auction.

Lockyer will come to Gladstone to participate in this event, which is a combined effort of the junior and senior clubs.

It will be the club's major fundraiser for the year.

"We have big plans of progressing our club forward in the future, but to do so money is required, hence the major fundraiser," Jo Davis said.

"We hope to be able to host games on our grounds like Wallabys and Seagulls do, to do this though we need to make a lot of improvements to the fields to meet Queensland Rugby League guidelines.

"It's going to be a huge job; basically the whole field needs to be repositioned."

To get the ball rolling the junior and senior divisions of the club have joined this year to raise funds.

The fundraisers will be held on Saturday, February 18.

The day will start at 9am out at the Calliope Golf Course, where those interested will participate in a three-man Ambrose.

"This is a fun sociable way to play golf so it seemed a good way to get everyone together," Davis said.

"The major sponsor, which is yet to be secured, will have an additional player on their side as Darren has committed to playing, he will be their extra team member.

"Meanwhile our other guest, Sean Hoppe, will play with the silver sponsor."

Lunch will be provided at the golf with prizes awarded.

It will be backed up that night with the sportsman's dinner.

"The dinner will be an 18-plus event at the PCYC," she said.

"Our guests will be interviewed by our MC making it a fun, informative night."

Davis said the club was ecstatic about the fundraiser and was looking forward to the community getting behind them.

"Lockyer only just participated in his first function like this," she said.

"So he is new to this and we will be among one of his first events, which adds to the excitement."

Tickets go on sale this Sunday from noon until 4pm, with a sausage sizzle at the Queens Hotel, Goondoon St, Gladstone.

Everyone is welcome.

The details

What: Valley's inaugural golf day and sportsman's dinner and memorabilia auction

When: February 18, 9am for golf and 7.30pm for dinner

Where: Calliope Golf Course and PCYC

Tickets: On sale this Sunday from noon until 4pm, with a sausage sizzle at the Queens Hotel, Goondoon St, Gladstone.

Heron Island Celebrates Turtle Season

In celebration of the annual turtle nesting season on Queensland's Heron Island, resort owners, Delaware North Companies (DNC) have partnered with the Sea Turtle Foundation, a non-profit, non-government organisation that is dedicated to safeguarding sea turtle populations, migration routes and habitats.

This annual wildlife wonder began in November with approximately 80 green turtles coming ashore every night to nest on this beautiful Great Barrier Reef coral cay.

"Many of our guests come to the island specifically to see the turtles, so we have "hatched a partnership" with the Foundation that provides guests with a greater opportunity to understand and support these amazing creatures" said Michelle Kenna, Director of Marketing for DNC. "The partnership will help to support the endangered turtles of the Great Barrier Reef including up to 900 nesting turtles annually on Heron Island" explained Kenna.

"The partnership will be a phased approach that in its initial stages will see the Foundation personnel and trained Resort staff organising guided beach walks to watch the nesting and hatching," commented Tim Harvey, a Director of the Sea Turtle Foundation. "In addition we will present information sessions and provide materials for the guests. These will also be incorporated into the Island's already highly successful Junior Rangers program for the younger guests," he continued.

The Foundation is even hoping to be able to buy a turtle stretcher for the Island this year which will help volunteers to move trapped or stranded turtles with minimal stress.

In future years the program hopes to set up live webcams which will follow the nesting and hatching real time online. An acoustic telemetry project is also in the early stages of discussion which will allow satellite trackers to be attached to selected turtles to follow their movements and log the data on their migration.

The Foundation and the Resort are hoping these projects will be supported by guest donations. Just a $10 optional contribution on check out will allow the Sea Turtle Foundation to ensure there are 'turtles for tomorrow'.

Heron Island is a true coral cay that sits right on the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and boasts amazing snorkelling and diving all year round, just minutes from the beach.

For reservations to visit during turtle season please call: 1300 233 432 or +61 3 9426 7540 www.heronisland.com

Notes to editors:

From November through to March every year, a breeding population of turtles comes ashore on Heron (www.heronisland.com) to nest, approximately three to seven times during a season. The turtles lay their eggs in the area where they were born, laying on average 120 eggs in one clutch.

As early as Christmas each year, Heron Island offers the captivating opportunity to see one of life's natural wonders up close, the hatching of the early nests. By Easter, thousands of baby turtles will have emerged from their nests to make the annual scurry to the safety of the sea.

With careful guidelines in place to protect these ancient mariners, guests can observe the action on a casual walk around the island's beaches.

Turtles migrate to Heron Island from as far afield as the Solomon Islands, Cape York and Harvey Bay, returning 35 to 40 years after their birth here. Green turtles are the most common turtles around the island and are characterised by a high, domed shell and a smaller jaw than loggerhead turtles.

Loggerhead turtles have large jaws used for crushing the shells of crustaceans and molluscs and their shell is less domed in shape. Loggerheads only make up around 1%-2% of the breeding population on Heron Island, which comprises18-hectares and lies 72km off the coast of Gladstone.

Heron Island Resort is owned by Delaware North Australia Parks & Resorts, owners of Australian resorts including Wilson Island, El Questro, Lizard Island and Kings Canyon Resort.

(Source: Travmedia.com)

Queensland Hotels Bounce Back

A year ago Queensland was hit a double blow from devastating floods and cyclone Yasi.

Twelve months on and tourism in the sunshine state is bouncing back according to local operators.

Australian Bureau of Statistics results show a consistent growth in tourist numbers indicating a positive future for accommodation providers with an increased occupancy rate and average length of stay.

Much of this success comes from Tourism Queensland’s $12 million Nothing Beats Queensland campaign that was released immediately after the summer’s disasters.

Metro Hotels who have three properties in Queensland, have reported a rise in occupancy rates of up to 10 per cent in Gladstone, 12 per cent Brisbane and Ipswich.

The Metro Hotel on Wickham Terrace Brisbane and the Metro Hotel Ipswich International both suffered as a result of last January’s floods. “Luckily, both of these properties are on high ground so they were not directly damaged by the flood waters,” explains Metro Hotels Chief Operating Officer, George Bedwani.

The Metro Hotel and Apartments Gladstone also suffered because of the floods and cyclone Yasi. “Access to Gladstone from the southern and northern parts of the Queensland was completely cut off for a number of days,” said Mr Bedwani. “Gladstone is a mining hub and these natural disasters put a very large dent in their business and ours.”

According to Mr Bedwani, the future is looking positive for Queensland hotels. ”Queensland and Queenslanders are very resilient and the way everyone has pulled together to things up and running again is simply remarkable,” he said.

Queensland Hotels Bounce Back

Hatch Yourself Some Turtle Time - Turtles Queensland

Get set for three months of turtle time this January as hundreds of tiny hatchlings muscle their way out of their sandy nests and make a nightly dash for the warm waters off Mon Repos beach, east of Bundaberg in Queensland.

Just three hours drive south of Gladstone, the turtle encounter which has mesmerised thousands of visitors over the forty years since Mon Repos was classified as the most significant Loggerhead rookery in the South Pacific.

Nightly ranger-guided turtle tours are priced at $10:20 for adults and $5.40 for children (five to 17 years).

According to General Manager of Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism, James Corvan, January is the best time for turtle watchers thanks to the crossover between nesting season, when mature female loggerheads lay eggs and hatching season, when the first baby turtles emerge from their six to eight week incubation period and comically scurry down the beach.

"January offers a double dose of nature with both nesting and hatching a possibility," said Mr Corvan.

"By the end of 2011, around 150 mature loggerhead females had made their way to shore to nest.

"January promises the arrival of even more nesting turtles and at the same time the nightly emergence of hatchlings.

"On one hand, visitors will be able to get within inches of the giant females and watch them lay between 100 and 150 eggs each night. On the other, they will be asked by rangers to form a line-up and shine torches between onto the beach to create a path that will guide the 5 cm hatchlings to the ocean."

The hatching season continues through to the end of March.

Bookings are essential for the nightly Turtle Experience Tours. Please call Bundaberg Visitor Information Centre on (07) 4153 8888, email bookeasy@bundabergregion.org or visit www.bookbundabergregion.com.au.

Gladstone Region Has Been Selected as the Host for the 2012 QICA Conference

GAPDL is proud to be hosting the 2012 QICA Annual Conference, which will take place in some of Queensland's most popular and breathtaking locations.

The conference will begin on Tuesday 21 February with delegates being transported from Gladstone to the idyllic Discovery Coast towns of Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy where you will enjoy a welcome function like no other at Kahunas Bar and Grill.

The Discovery Coast’s Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are relaxed seaside communities linked by kilometres of striking beach fronting the deep blue waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

The picturesque coastline of the twin seaside communities of Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy create an exciting and appealing multitude of experiences. Famously known as the birthplace of Queensland, Seventeen Seventy was named after Lieutenant James Cook and his crew from the ‘Endeavour’ who came ashore on 24 May 1770.

Following a scrumptious buffet breakfast where you will be officially welcomed by Gladstone Regional Council Mayor, Cr. Gail Sellers, Wednesday will return delegates to Gladstone briefly before embarking on a 2 night, 3 day adventure to the magnificent Heron Island where the Conference and Gala Awards Dinner will be held.

Heron Island is a true coral cay, located right on the Great Barrier Reef. The island is ribboned by sugar white sands, crystal clear waters and acres of coral with beautifully coloured marine life. At this World Heritage-listed Marine National Park all flora and fauna is protected, so the island is a nature lover's paradise, where the emphasis is on enjoying natural beauty. Stress is replaced by a sense of adventure, and your days are filled with discovery.

Heron offers many activities such as guided island and reef walks, semi-submersible cruises and private beach picnics. An amazing array of animal and bird life can be discovered throughout the year, such as the delightful Green and Loggerhead Turtles. Heron is also world famous for its fantastic scuba diving and snorkeling.

At certain times of the year, turtle nesting and hatching take precedent over all other island activities. At Heron Island, the resort has been thoughtfully designed to blend with the surrounding environment

(Source: www.qica.com.au)

Metro Hotel and Apartments Gladstone offers Quality Gladstone Hotel Accommodation

Gladstone Regional Tourist Numbers Boosted

TOURISM operators should gain confidence from the latest Tourism Queensland Gladstone Regional Snapshot.

The report, which compares June 2011 to June 2010, shows visitor numbers for the Gladstone region had increased in almost all areas.

"Gladstone recorded increases in domestic visitation in the year ending June 2011, driven by solid growth in holiday and business visitation. In contrast, VFR (visiting friends and relatives) was weaker," the report said.

Gladstone Area Promotion and Development project officer Melissa Dahtler said the region's businesses should take great encouragement from the report.

She said compared to the previous quarter's report, where there was a significant downturn after the floods, tourism had made a great turnaround.

The visitor figures, which Ms Dahtler said were classed as overnight stays, were up by 16% annually and holiday figures, which are stays of one week or longer, were up 30% annually.

SNAPSHOT

Visitors up by 16% annually

Holidays up by 30% annually

Visiting friends and relatives down by 12% annually

Queensland Tourism News: Queensland Tourism Industry Canvassed on China Growth

Tourism Queensland has released a discussion paper on opportunities and challenges facing the industry as the State ramps-up efforts to snare a greater share of the burgeoning China market.

Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business Minister Jan Jarratt said work was well advanced on developing the new Project China Strategy, with industry feedback critical.

"Sustainably growing our share of the China market and giving Chinese visitors a great experience involves everyone and I want industry to have their say, with consultation open until December," Ms Jarratt said.

"The discussion paper raises issues from better catering for Chinese travellers to diversifying target markets such as attracting different age groups and destinations so it is important for industry to think about these issues and give their feedback," she said.

"The resulting Project China Strategy will map out our long-term vision to grow our share of the crucial China market, with potential spending by Chinese visitors in Australia tipped to reach $7-9 billion by 2020."

Ms Jarratt said China was already Queensland's third largest international market and one of the fastest growing, with 198,000 Chinese visiting Queensland in the year ending June 2011 - 25% more than the year prior.

"Chinese travellers are big spenders, outlaying $381 million on their trips to Queensland in the year ending June 2011 - a significant $48 million more than during the previous year," she said.

"With Chinese visitor numbers forecast to continue growing by double digits over the next few years, it's vital that our tourism industry has the skills, products and experiences to ensure they have the best possible Queensland experience, and when they go home they tell their friends and family that Queensland is where Australia Shines."

Queensland Tourism News: Queensland Tourism Industry Canvassed on China Growth