IATG News

World Tourism Day FREE guided tours of Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 03:41:00 +0000

Come celebrate United Nations’ World Tourism Day with a FREE guided tour of Sydney’s Bridge Street and surrounds.

Our professional tour guides will make Sydneysiders feel like a tourist in their own city on Sunday, 27 September.

When locals walk through the city, how much do they really know about the places they walk past?

Bridge Street is a site of many firsts in Australia’s history: First Government House, first bridge across the Tank Stream, first public place, first bank and more.

From 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, our free tours run approximately every 15 minutes from Museum of Sydney, finishing at Customs House in Circular Quay and they are wheelchair and pram accessible.

Each tour is 45 minutes. No booking required.

This year, additionally, we are running an audio-described and tactile tour for blind and vision-impaired people. This tour starts at 11.00 am and bookings are required. Email info@iatg.com.au

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 05:33:00 +0000


	BUSY WHALE-WATCHING SEASON COMING UP

With 48 whales already sighted in NSW waters this year, the 2015 whale-watching season is set to be a busy one. And with thousands of whales beginning one of the world’s largest wildlife migrations along the coast of NSW, it’s an exciting time to see these beautiful creatures.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service estimates that 20,000 whales will make the journey north along the NSW coastline this year. As national parks make up almost 50 per cent of the NSW coastline including around Sydney, they provide the best vantage points to spot the ocean’s most majestic creatures.

Find out where to spot whales along the NSW coast.

VIVID SYDNEY 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 03:18:00 +0000

Vivid Sydney is an annual outdoor lighting festival with immersive light installations and projections. Part of the lighting festival also includes the performances from local and international musicians and an ideas exchange forum featuring public talks and debates from leading creative thinkers.

www.vividsydney.com

ABOUT VIVID SYDNEY

Vivid Sydney is an 18-day festival of light, music and ideas. Vivid Sydney features many of the world's most important creative industry forums, a mesmerising free public exhibition of outdoor lighting sculptures and installations and a cutting-edge contemporary music program.

Vivid Sydney is where art, technology and commerce intersect.

Vivid Light transforms Sydney into a wonderland of 'light art' sculptures, innovative light installations and grand-scale projections for all to enjoy - for free. It is a magical celebration of light-design excellence and the world's largest outdoor 'art-gallery': a unique Vivid Sydney experience.

Vivid Light engages lighting artists, designers and manufacturers from around Australia and the world to illuminate, interpret and transform Sydney’s urban spaces for 18 nights through their creative vision.

Vivid Music presents a cutting-edge contemporary music program.

From local and international acts performing at the iconic Sydney Opera House, to other large venues and small bars, Vivid Sydney 2015 will host a lively and eclectic range of live performances and ground-breaking musical collaborations.

At the heart of Vivid Music is Vivid LIVE, a program of cutting-edge music which takes place at the Sydney Opera House, Australia’s most famous building.

Vivid Ideas is the Asia Pacific's annual celebration of innovation, creativity and community, building audiences and markets for the creative industries, and offering professional development opportunities across the sector.

Over the Festival’s 18 days, Vivid Ideas brings together business and creative leaders for professional development, information updates on their industries, market opportunities and innovation: gathering all the conversations, conventions and big announcements in Sydney.

The Dockside Group

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 05:15:00 +0000

IATG recommends the Dockside Group

Take advantage of many special offers from the Dockside Group. Click on the link below to find special deals at many of the restaurants featured below. Deals will not be valid during VIVID festival 2014.

www.docksidedeals.com.au

Venues

Dockside

Offering the best delivering more. The ultimate Sydney function venue Dockside is ideally positioned within Cockle Bay Wharf.

L'Aqua
Situated on the rooftop of the Cockle Bay Wharf complex and only moments walk to the CBD.

Star Room

Sydney s most enviable location high above the bustling IMAX theatre complex with sweeping 180 degree water views of Darling Harbour

Restaurants

Waterfront

Boasting awe-inspiring views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the world-famous Opera House Waterfront offers guests the finest harbour front dining position in Sydney

Wolfies

Nestled in an original sandstone storehouse at Campbell's Cove in the historic Rocks precinct Wolfies offers unrivalled views of Sydney's iconic Opera House.

Italian Village

Boasting Sydney s most spectacular views of the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge Italian Village offers an extensive international menu.

Eat Love Pizza

We LOVE EATing PIZZA. We LOVE cooking PIZZA. Located below the Imax Theatre Complex in Darling Harbour.

Jack Mundey honoured by IATG

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 01:06:00 +0000

Jack Mundey is known as the Father of The Rocks. Forty years ago he led an extraordinary conservation campaign to save many of Sydney's beautiful historic precincts. The Green Bans as they were known, were a well known feature of the Builders Labourers Federation which he led, and we have Jack to thank for saving some of Sydney's most treasured attractions.

In honour of Jack Mundey the IATG committee organised a special event where Jack addressed guides and dignitaries alike right in the heart of the Historic Rocks precinct which he helped to save.

We want to thank Jack for his time and wisdom and we would also like to thank the many special representatives from government and tourist organisations, who came to support our wonderful day.

IATG guides provide the highest standard in professional guiding services and pride ourselves in learning from special people involved in the shaping of this great city.

Desiree Nahoum IATG Event Coordinator with Jack Mundey

The Hon. Helen Westwood AM MLC with Jack Mundey

Jack Mundey in front of the Wall Sculpture at The Rocks
which pays tribute to his achievements.

A Fine Tour Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:18:00 +0000

DIY apps and Googling will never replace a fine tour leader, writes Kate Humble.

You can buy a guidebook to almost any place in the world, from Antarctica to Zambia, and find it full of ideas of places to go and people to organise it for you. The internet will enable you to book everything from your bus ticket to a tree house and help you find the best places to eat. Are we travelling in an age in which a tour guide is surplus to requirements?

Well, no amount of Google searching or guidebook trawling beats a person with local knowledge and know-how. But however knowledgeable that person, is he or she someone with whom you really want to spend all or part of your eagerly anticipated holiday? A good guide will undoubtedly make your trip a rich and rewarding experience; a bad one could make you cut up your passport and never leave home again. So what is it that makes a good guide?

It is a difficult question to answer, because every traveller has his or her own idea of a guide's role. Some people seem to require more nannying than guiding; others will be happy with a city tour on an open-top bus with someone who can tell a few jokes.

I certainly don't want nannying. Nor do I want to listen to the bored drone of someone leading his fourth group of the day.

For me, the perfect guide, whether with me for an hour or a fortnight, gives me an insight and some understanding of where I am that I wouldn't get from a guidebook or Wikipedia.

I was working recently in Ecuador. In a rare hour off I went with our guide, Paul, for a walk in the rainforest where we were filming. Tropical rainforests have among the greatest biodiversity of species of any habitat on the planet but they can seem curiously devoid of life, especially if you're unfamiliar with them.

Paul spotted and caught several species of frog, so tiny and camouflaged that I would have missed them. He identified birds and insects hidden in the canopy from their calls and was able to describe what they looked like and explain why they lived on particular trees and how they fitted into the amazingly complex jigsaw that is the rainforest.

I had endless queries about why the trees were so shallow-rooted, why the soil was considered poor when it was bursting with life, why there was a need for such diversity among plants and animals when, with year-round sun and rain, there seemed little need for a species to adapt to survive. All these he answered as enthusiastically as if he had never been asked before. He brought the forest to life and taught me more in that hour than a month of reading.

You might think a crucial attribute would be a guide's ability to speak your language. But probably the greatest guide I have ever had was a man who spoke not a single word of English.

Amin Beg is an Afghan from the Wakhan Corridor, a spectacular, mountainous finger of land in the far north-east of Afghanistan. In 2009 I went there with a group undertaking a two-week trek in an area rarely visited.

The walking was tough, much of it at about 3000 metres, and the ability and fitness of the group wildly mixed. Amin Beg, despite never having worked with tourists before and having no linguistic or cultural references in common with us, appeared from the outset to read everyone's mind. He knew exactly who was tired and would carry that person's pack. He would spot nerves at a river crossing and help, or even carry, the nervous one across. He would bounce ahead in his plastic shoes and jaunty turban, removing rocks from the path so no one would trip. When he and I were first to reach the highest point of our trek, we celebrated with a snowball fight at 4800 metres. Rarely have I met anyone with such a capacity for kindness and consideration, and such an infectious grin.

But perhaps what makes a good guide is also what makes a good friend: someone whose company you enjoy, who can surprise and delight you, whose advice and comfort you can seek but who also knows when to leave you in peace.

Kate Humble was one of the judges in the World Guide Awards 2011.

- Telegraph, London

Australian Tourism outperforms World

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:04:00 +0000

Click here to enlarge media release for easier reading

Flora Seminar 23 March

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:45:00 +0000

Please click on image to enlarge for easier reading.

Minister For Tourism Press Release

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:45:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge it for easier reading.

International Tour Guide Day Feb 21

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:22:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge it for easier reading.

Tours start at 10.00am, leaving from the forecourt of St James church, opposite Hyde Park Barracks on Macquarie St.

Tourism Media Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:51:00 +0000

Two media releases from Minister for Tourism which may be of interest.

Click on image to enlarge for easier reading.

Tourism Funding for Cairns

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:40:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge for easier reading

Tourism Australia's New MD

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:33:00 +0000

Minister for Tourism
welcomes new Managing Director
to Tourism Australia board

Click on media release image
to enlarge for ease of reading

New Hospitality Skills Investment

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:41:00 +0000

Media Release from the office of Martin Ferguson, Minister for Tourism.

Please click on image to enlarge document for ease of reading.

World Tour Guide Day - TOURS

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:57:00 +0000

Please click on the image here to enlarge for easy reading.

To celebrate World Tour Guide Day, IATG will be co-ordinating FREE tours of Macquarie St, featuring commentary on the historic area, as well as talking about Governor Macquarie's place in Australian development.

No Leave, No Life - Minister for Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:14:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge and read the press release from the Minister for Tourism

Governor Macquarie Seminar 15 October

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:59:00 +0000

Click on images to enlarge detail

Famil to Cockatoo Island - Wed Aug 19

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:07:00 +0000

Click on image to enlarge for easy reading

Mentoring Program

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:42:00 +0000

IATG is committed to helping nurture new guides, or even established guides, who might strike a problem and seek input from other experienced guides.

To this end, IATG has created a mentoring body of guides who are experienced in many areas, are patient and have a great understanding of the problems faced by guides today.

Our mentors are available to talk through specific guiding problems and advise members how to handle situations, either for immediate reference or as a future suggestion for a problem they've already encountered.

Just one of the variety of professional development opportunities presented by IATG. For further information contact: info@iatg.com.au

Medical Aid - Identifying a Stroke Can Save A Live

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:40:00 +0000

STROKE IDENTIFICATION It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness can spell disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today.)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

Professional Development Workshop May 21

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Click on the image to enlarge for ease of reading

Lake Eyre Comes To Life

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:39:00 +0000

Edited from an article in The Australian - Feb 25, 2009

It began as a monsoonal deluge in distant Queensland, flooding the channel country, isolating towns, and filling rivers and creeks that have not run for years. Now it's here at Lake Eyre.

This is the moment of magic when the flood empties into Australia's dead centre, bringing life to a parched and pearly expanse of saltpan that is most devoid of it, and hope to communities that have endured more than their share of drought.

The vast, salt-encrusted basin is the end of the line for the floods that have spread devastation across north and central Queensland, and now northern NSW, providing a poignant counterpoint to the misery unleashed on Victoria by the deadly Black Saturday bushfires.

The flood's headwaters have taken nearly a month to wend their way south from Queensland, along the swollen Diamantina and Georgina rivers, through the veined tracts of channel country straddling the state border, before reaching this corner of desert in South Australia, 700km north of Adelaide.

Last week, the waters filled Goyders Lagoon, about an hour's flying time from Lake Eyre. Then, they reached bone-dry Warburton Creek, pushing forward at a rate of up to 40km a day.

Finally, yesterday, the flood spilled into Lake Eyre, a finger of greenish water shimmering in the heat haze against the vanilla shell of the dry lake bottom.

Pelicans, gulls and terns have followed in prodigious numbers. Camels, drawn by the scent of open water, have come down from the Simpson Desert. Soon, Lake Eyre will live up to its name, spawning yellow-bellied fish and fingerlings for the birds to feast on. The 9690 sq km basin, which at 15m below sea level is the lowest point in Australia, has filled to brimming only three times since it was first sighted by Europeans 160 years ago, and it has been a long time between drinks for locals waiting for this drought to break.

Already there is talk among the locals of reviving the dormant Lake Eyre Yacht Club, as well as a rowing competition. At Mungerranie, a stopping point on the Birdsville Track, north of the lake, publican Pam Farrington said the good news about it filling was spreading and she was fielding calls from people wanting to book in once the flood had passed and the road links opened up.

After the lean years of drought, which had hit the local cattle stations particularly hard, it was a relief to have the district jumping again.

Q Station Famil Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:47:00 +0000

FAMILIARISATION

Wednesday 25th March @ 2pm

Q STATION

NORTH HEAD, MANLY

Includes a history tour of the site, a viewing of the new accommodation facility and a light afternoon tea.

And it's Free!

Meet at the Day Visitors Car Park at Q Station at 1.45pm.

The Manly Ferry operates regular services to Manly from Circular Quay.

The 135 bus operates a service from Manly Wharf to Q Station and North Head.

Call 131500 or view Transport Info website or take the new Manly Fast Ferry service.

DONT MISS OUT!

This is a brilliant opportunity to learn about what's new and old at the Q Station!

NUMBERS ARE LIMITED, so please call ASAP - Janet Lomax 0404 463 664 or email Janet at lomaxwin@yahoo.com.au

Please provide your phone & IATG membership numbers.

Don't forget to wear your IATG badge on the day!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Volle Jewellery

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:18:00 +0000

Members of IATG who attended the event last night, wish to thank the management and staff of Volle Jewellery for their wonderful hospitality.

(Double 'click' on image to enlarge)

Breakaway Travel Club

noreply@blogger.com (Institute of Australian Tour Guides (IATG)) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:27:00 +0000

To all Professional Members of IATG,

Don't forget that you are eligible to become a member of the Breakaway Travel Club and can benefit from cheaper travel deals and associated products.

You will need a letter of confirmation from Susie, our IATG Secretary who will send to you upon your request. It quick and easy to join, to find out more go to their website www.travelclub.com.au to down download the application form.