Australia needs our support

We are all aware of the ongoing bushfires in Australia. They have been all over the news, but it's important to know where they are burning. One of my travel partners, based in North Queensland, writes this:

We are totally unaffected by the bushfires currently causing havoc in the south. We are seeing clients cancelling travel unnecessarily due to media coverage.

Only two areas often visited by international visitors have been affected — Kangaroo Island and the Blue Mountains. 

Sydney, Melbourne and other major cities, Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, Great Ocean Road, Winelands, Uluru, the Kimberley and more are unaffected. 

Affected areas — Kangaroo Island is a small island, 100 miles south of Adelaide (I have circled it on the map above). The Wolgan Valley, in the Blue Mountains, is 115 miles west of Sydney.

Unaffected areas — The Great Barrier Reef is 1200 miles north of Sydney. Uluru (Ayers Rock) is 1260 miles west of Sydney. Would you cancel a trip to Chicago, Illinois because of fires burning in Key West, Florida, 1243 miles away?

The fires have been tragic. An estimated one billion animals have perished in the blazes, and their natural habitat has been destroyed. Southern Ocean Lodge has been totally destroyed, but Baillie Lodges is committed to rebuilding.

Australia needs our tourism support to assist in its rebuilding. Don't cancel your trip at a time when it's most needed. Travel instead to areas unaffected by the fires. Australia is a vast nation, virtually the same size as the continental United States ... and a most incredible place to visit.

copyright (c) 2020 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

where to stay in Sydney, Australia

reflections at the Park Hyatt Sydney (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

I have stayed at three different hotels during my various visits to Sydney, Australia. During the most recent visit (earlier this month), we spent three days ensconced at the beautiful Park Hyatt Sydney. We were fortunate to be upgraded to a Deluxe Opera room, really the size of a Junior Suite. Our room boasted a direct view of the iconic Sydney Opera House. Large and beautiful, it was decorated with the cool contemporary styling you'd expect of Park Hyatt. Ask for #343, located at the section of the building's curve with the best, dead-on view of the Opera House.

I'm partial to staying in or near The Rocks, the neighborhood of Sydney in which the first British settlers built their homes and businesses. As you can see in the picture to the left, Four Seasons Sydney is adjacent to The Rocks. I highly recommend booking a Premier Opera House room here, twice as large as Deluxe rooms for just a small premium in price. You'll love the panoramic views — the Sydney Harbour Bridge at your left and the Opera House on the right. If you visit during Vivid Sydney, you'll enjoy the colorful light show right from your room.

Highly recommended is the Langham Sydney, also located in the Rocks. The Langham features a more residential, less corporate feel. It is set on an historic street in the midst of dozens of original houses and shops. Its interior has recently been renovated, and guest rooms feature the largest King beds I've ever seen. While you will not have an opera house view from any of the rooms, I loved the sense of place and the pleasure of stepping out the front door into the most historic part of town.

Virtuoso and preferred partner amenities are available at each of these hotels — meaning you'll receive complimentary daily breakfasts for two, $100 credits, and room upgrades if they are available.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Sydney Opera House | take the tour

Sydney Opera House at dawn (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Sydney's Opera House is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dominates the skyline of Sydney's harbour. Our Deluxe Harbour room at the Park Hyatt Sydney (# 343) directly faced this landmark, and we were able to enjoy this sight whenever we were in the room.

If you're into landscape photography, you'll want to venture outside your room to get shots like the one above. I set up my tripod about a half hour before sunrise. The morning was still and clear, and the surface of the harbor was smooth and reflective.

during our Opera House tour (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

You can get tickets for a tour of the Opera House. The number of visitors in each group is limited, so book online to get the day and time you want ... and a 10% discount. Tours last about one hour and run daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Our very interesting guide told the story of the competition that led to the building's unique design and the challenges encountered in actually building it.

Great opera house views can also be found from guest rooms at the Four Seasons Sydney and Shangri-La Sydney, and you can enjoy significant savings (complimentary breakfasts and hotel credits) by booking through a Hyatt Prive, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, or Shangri-La Luxury Circle travel advisor.

good morning, Sydney

Opera House at dawn (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

We're now in Sydney, and with our return from the Outback, we again have ample bandwidth to post on Travel Horizons. I got out of bed at 4:45 a.m. this morning to capture the sunrise. The heavy cloud cover prevented any meaningful dawn colors ... but they created drama. I converted this photograph to black and white and am happy with the image.

Taken from the boardwalk in front of the Park Hyatt Sydney, located in the historic Rocks district, this is an ideal location if you're into sunrise or sunset photography of the Opera House.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Australia | bucket list trip

Sydney Bridge & Opera House (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Australia is a bucket list destination for me. I've been once already, traveling with a group of travel advisors. I enjoyed amazing experiences — viewing hundreds of marsupials at Wolgan Valley, a koala in a tree on Kangaroo Island, sailing under the Sydney Bridge during a private cruise of the harbour. While my travel colleagues were all busy drinking wine, I was in the stern of the boat snapping photos, including the one above, one of my favourite travel photos ever.

But the Great Barrier Reef was not on my previous itinerary. As it's a place my wife has always wanted to see ... when I was presented with the opportunity to spend three nights at Lizard Island, I grabbed the chance! Here's the trip I've put together:

Cairns, the Pullman Reef Hotel — We fly from SFO to SYD, then continue on to Cairns. We're spending a night at the Pullman Reef in a Junior Suite, hopefully the one with the view down Trinity Inlet toward The Pyramid and Bellenden Ker Range.

Lizard Island — One of two Virtuoso resorts on the Great Barrier Reef (the other being qualia) Lizard Island is an adults-only 40-villa resort. Guests have access to 24 private beaches with a motorised dingy provided for complimentary use, or book diving trips to nearby Cod Hole.

Silky Oaks Lodge — a luxury eco lodge high above the Mossman River set within the Daintree Rainforest. Guests enjoy one complimentary Rainforest hike during their stay, and there are opportunities to explore the Great Barrier Reef from Silky Oaks.

Longitude 131 — I've heard amazing things about this tented camp in the Australian outback. With just 15 luxury tents, guests at Longitude 131 enjoy seclusion as well as direct views of Uluru (Ayers Rock) from their tents. I'm looking forward to photography at dawn and sunset.

Bamarru Plains — Finishing up our "wilderness" time with a safari, Bamarru Plains is found near Darwin on the northern coast of Australia. This will be my first time in the Bush. Bamarru Plains has one of the largest crocodile populations in the world, and the annual migration of over one hundred thousand magpie geese is supposed to be amazing.

Park Hyatt Sydney — Last time in Australia, I stayed at the Four Seasons Sydney in a wonderful Premier room facing the Opera House. This time, I'm looking forward to ending our trip at the Park Hyatt Sydney. Practically under the Sydney Bridge, Opera rooms at the Park Hyatt directly face the famous Sydney Opera House. Nothing is better than a room with an iconic view!

Though my trip is more than 7 months away, much of the pleasure of travel is the anticipation that builds when looking forward to a trip.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or

Australia | first time? many times?

I visited Australia earlier this year, but this You Tube video from Tourism Australia has me ready to go back. It's an easy trip with non-stop flights to Sydney from Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas and Honolulu. I was able to use United miles to fly business class on United's Boeing 787 Dreamliner — highly recommended. It's a l-o-n-g flight, but the Dreamliner's lie flat seats, higher air pressure, and diverse entertainment possibilities let me travel in comfort. Just one tip when flying United: bring your own travel pillow, as UA's supplied pillow is too thick and stiff for comfort.

Even better than the flight is the destination. Sydney is a gorgeous city with stunning views. At Wolgan Valley, I saw numerous kangaroos and other marsupials. And nothing surpassed the luxury and sea vistas at Kangaroo Island's Southern Ocean Lodge.

Australia is as large as the United States, and I have two outstanding items on my bucket list — (1) snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef and (2) staying at Longitude 131º to see the iconic Uluru.

We will work with you and our travel partners in Australia to orchestrate the bespoke vacation of your dreams. Just drop us an email, and we'll help you Discover More ... Down Under.

copyright (c) 2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

sydney afterglow

Sydney Opera House (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Still in the afterglow of my trip to Australia, and the picture above is my favorite memory from the trip. Our group enjoyed a private harbour cruise that included lunch. Towards the end of the trip, we passed the Opera House and passed under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, providing the beautiful framed view in the picture above. Sydney is a truly beautiful city with some great hotels. I had the opportunity to stay at and/or visit three of them.

Four Seasons Sydney is perfectly located right at the entrance to the Rocks area of Sydney — full of shopping and dining possibilities. A beautiful city hotel, Four Seasons has two categories of guest rooms, Deluxe and Premier. You should definitely go for the Premier category! Though the Deluxe room (280 sq. ft.) will suffice for a single traveler, it may feel cramped for a couple or for someone staying more than a couple of nights. The Premier Rooms are double the size (a very spacious 570 sq. ft.) and not very much more. Looking at rates for 28JUN, 2016, Deluxe Rooms range from 275 AUD - 355 AUD depending on view. Premier Rooms begin at 375 AUD. Double the space for just $73 USD ... it's a no-brainer! These rates include the Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities; though contractural obligations prevent me from listing the amenities (such as the complimentary breakfasts and other perks you'd expect), email me for complete details; you won't be disappointed.

What about views? I actually found the view from the City rooms to be quite interesting, especially from the higher floors, but the splurge to book a Full Harbour room is worth it. My view from an "09" room looked directly at the Opera House; check out the view of Vivid Sydney as photographed from my window.

Langham Sydney is the boutique choice in Sydney, just 98 rooms and suites. Formerly The Observatory, an Orient Express (now Belmond) property, Langham has totally renovated the property. Rooms are much lighter, the original dark wood paneling now painted in shades of off-white with pastel accent colors. The interior style of guest rooms is more feminine than the other hotels I visited in Sydney, and The Langham would be a good choice for couples who prefer a less corporate-feeling hotel.

What about location? The hotel is located on an attractive residential street lined with two-story historical buildings. Just a 10 minute walk from the Rocks area of Sydney, the one thing you won't get is a view of the Opera House from your room. Some rooms have a Western Harbour view. I can provide Virtuoso amenities at the Langham which include an upgrade if available, daily buffet breakfast for two, $100 F&B credit, and complimentary WiFi.

Park Hyatt Sydney is a recently constructed low-rise hotel right on the harbour with a direct view of the Opera House. Though more expensive than the other two hotels, you will not be disappointed with a stay. I recommend booking a room with a direct, uninterrupted view of the Sydney Opera House — either the Opera Room (430-485 sq ft) or an Opera Deluxe (807 sq ft).

Truly a WOW hotel, book the Harbour Suite for a most incredible view. Virtuoso amenities include an upgrade if available (but not from room to Suite), full breakfast, and $100 spa credit.

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Vivid Sydney | seen from the Four Seasons

Sometimes, pictures are quite enough to tell a story. Vivid Sydney is underway in Sydney, Australia from May 27 to June 18. A sound and light show using the Sydney Opera House as a giant projection screen, visitors can enjoy a constantly changing array of colors and patterns from 6 - 11 p.m. nightly. You can even download a Vivid Sydney app.

Shot from my Premium Opera House View room at Four Seasons Sydney (room 1509), any of the "09" series of rooms will get you this direct view of the Opera House.

copyright  (c)  2016 by David Ourisman LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

One&Only Wolgan Valley

bounding wallabies (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Clients have raved about One&Only Wolgan Valley, so being given the opportunity to visit, I grabbed the chance to spend two evenings here. I can report that Wolgan Valley is one of the finest luxury resorts I have ever visited. Here are answer to questions you might have about the property.

How to get there. Three hours west of Sydney by car, there are several ways to arrive. Least expensive is to rent a car, but bear in mind that they drive on the wrong side of the road in Australia. I wouldn't recommend a self-drive for jet-lagged American tourists arriving Sydney at 6 a.m. Rather, spend a few days in Sydney to get acclimated, and then rent that car for the drive out west. Your other options are hiring a driver ... or taking a helicopter. Flight time is just 45 minutes, and you'll enjoy views of Sydney Harbor and the Blue Mountains en route. Helicopter transfers are expensive but not exorbitant.

The suites. A boutique property that is part of a 7,000 acre nature conservatory, there are just 40 freestanding casual elegant "suites" (actually, self-contained cottages) measuring 1800 square feet in area. The front door leads into your large living room with sofa and easy chair with a wall-mounted flatscreen. Through a door to the right is an indoor-outdoor lap pool (about 8' x 23'). A large screened porch behind the suite overlooks a lawn toward the mountains beyond; at this very moment, there is a wombat grazing on the grass! The bedroom features a very comfortable four-poster King bed (or two twins), a second flatscreen, a built-in desk, and two chairs by a round table. A large walk-in closet area has plenty of hanging space, and the brown slate-tiled bathroom has dual vanities, soaking tub-with-a-view, step-in rain shower, and a WC with toilet and bidet. A two-sided gas fireplace stands between the bedroom and living room.

All-inclusive. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included in the price of your room (including local wines and beers), and I can report that the food is excellent. Each dinner features a six course degustation menu, or you can order a la carte if your appetite is not quite so ambitious. The non-alcoholic snacks and beverages in the minibar in your room are also complimentary, as is the fast wireless internet.

Why come to Wolgan Valley? Not just a gorgeous suite, come for the beautiful scenery and wildlife.  You'll see kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats during your stay! Complimentary scheduled activities include guided nature walks, children's activities, and a colonial heritage tour. Signature experiences, available for additional charge, include the Wildlife & Sundowners Tour (on which the photo above was shot), a trail ride on horseback (which I skipped, opting instead for a great massage at the One&Only Spa), and a nocturnal spotlighting and stargazing tour.

Virtuoso guests receive added value in the form of the Virtuoso amenities, namely a $100 resort credit towards one of the activities described above (or perhaps towards a premium bottle of wine).

copyright  (c)  2016 by David Ourisman LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

#wolganvalley #swaindest