So what exactly is this conference that brought me to Australia you ask, and why Perth?
The conference itself is called Corroboree West 2019 and is designed to provide continuing education and familiarization to travel professionals from assorted Western nations. It takes place every two years and is put on by the country's tourism authority, Tourism Australia, in an effort to help non-Aussies better know and understand what they are recommending to their clients. The reality is that you can't Google experience, and who better to invite to the country than the people working hard to sell the country to tourists? Here's a little bit about the conference itself.
"CW19 is a combined training workshop and familiarization event held exclusively for Aussie Specialist advisors from our Western markets. Here, Aussie Specialists will meet with around 100 Australian tourism operators during the workshop and networking events, followed by a six-day/five-night famil in a different part of Australia."
And then here's a little bit about "why Perth".
"Perth is the ideal location to host Corroboree West 2019 as it is regularly ranked in the top 10 most liveable, friendly and attractive cities in the world. The sun shines for an average of nine hours per day and finding ways to enjoy them is easy, with a huge variety of things to do. New attractions, accommodation, restaurant and food & wine offerings, cultural and entertainment precincts are continuing to change the face of Perth."
The conference is divided up into a combination of seminars, one-to-one networking opportunities with tourism suppliers and operators, and getting out to explore and see the city. Each day of the three-day conference will feature a little of all three of those things, as each smaller sub-group, named for native land or marine animals found only in Australia (my group is the DINGO group), will gather and do some local exploring of assorted sights in and around the greater Perth area. And then at the end of the actual conference, we'll head out for our familiarization throughout the Northern Territory and the Outback.
On the first day of CW19, the Dingos enjoyed a tour of King's Park & Botanical Gardens, one of the largest inner-city parks in the world at over 400 hectares filled with towering trees, lakes, views of the city, WWI and WWII memorials, and the gardens feature 3,000 of Australia's 12,000 plant species.
After Kings Park, we ventured into the heart of the city to try our hand at a Segway tour, but first a little practice is required!
Following our quick training and practice, we set out to explore the city! Our Segway adventure around Perth this morning was such a kick!
