“Bruce Hodge founded Goway in 1970, after emigrating from Australia, and since then Goway has grown and evolved into one of North America’s largest travel companies for the South Pacific,” commented Cathy Mulrine, Vice President of Goway’s wholesale division. “In celebration of our close connections with Australia, we wanted our staff to enjoy a “taste” of Australia, and will be providing a traditional Aussie lunch for everyone on Australia Day.”

Staff gathered in the lunchroom on at Billabong House (Goway’s Toronto Headquarters) and enjoyed traditional meat pies, while listening to Australian music including Men at Work, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and INXS.

L-R: Cathy Mulrine, VP wholesale, Goway kangaroo and Alice Teramoto, South Pacific and Islands Wizard.

Kangaroo boxing with Alice Teramoto and Bruce Hodge, President of Goway.

Goway staff on top of the Goway Toronto rooftop.

Goway offers the Red Centre Self-Drive for four days from $619CAD. This drive takes travelers from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon for spectacular views, then on to Ayers Rock. Just west of Ayers Rock you can find the Olgas, a collection of massive red domes. This package includes hotel for 3 nights, Hertz car rental and Goway’s co-pilot kit of goodies (maps, directions, discounts).

Another great itinerary is Goway’s Adelaide to Darwin for a 6,9 or 12 day self-drive option from $846CAD, which includes 5 nights accommodation, 6 day Hertz car rental with unlimited kilometers, vehicle insurance, Goway’s co-pilot kit of goodies. From Adelaide you head north via Wilpena Pound and Coober Pedy – the opal capital of Australia towards Alice Springs and Ayers Rock before heading to Darwin and Kakadu where you can enjoy billabong cruises and witness jumping crocodiles, not to mention some of the most spectacular national park scenery in the country.

Hamilton Island

A trip to the Great Barrier Reef is a must when going to the land Downunder as it is one of the natural wonders of the world with its breathtaking beauty. This area is home to the most amazing marine life and coral formations of the entire world and truly the most exhilarating experience a traveller can have and take home as a great memory.

Goway offers a perfect island getaway, the 4 day Hamilton Island package is priced from $738 CAD and includes 3 nights hotel, transfers, use of resort activities and non-motorized watercraft, unlimited use of resort shuttle, full day reef cruise including lunch and breakfast daily.

“There is definitely a huge market of travelers who thrive on doing strictly active and adventurous vacations,” says Meghan Boyd, Product Manager for Australia & New Zealand at Goway. “Our adventure products for Downunder really encompass an excellent variety of opportunities to truly have the ultimate voyage.”

A fantastic New Zealand adventure Goway offers is a 5 day Walk & Kayak for $1536 CAD. This trip combines the best of both adventure and relaxation. Trip includes kayaking and walking along the Abel Tasman Coast Track while staying at two beachfront accommodations: Meadowbank Homestead Awaroa and Torrent Bay Lodge. Enjoy sunbathing, canoeing, swimming or hike inland to experience all that the Abel Tasman National Park has to offer.

A great active experience by Goway is the Rock, Olga’s Canyon Camping Safari in Australia’s Northern Territory for $585 CAD. Discover the Outback’s three biggest attractions in three jam-packed days in an amazing camping adventure. This trip includes all transportation, accommodation in twin share tents, sleeping bag, pillow, bath towel, services of a driver with guide and cook, National park entry fees and most meals.

Goway prides itself on the level of expertise shown by its sales team and has an intense staff training program to qualify genuine wizards, with weekly quizzes and bi-annual Wizard tests and are proud to have the majority of reservations qualified for the company to genuinely promote themselves as the Wizards of OZ. Those that are not yet qualified are designated “wizards in training”. As well as the designation, other privileges for Goway Wizards include the opportunity to go on a special in-house familiarization tours.

“When it comes to Downunder we are always looking for ways to better ourselves, our products and our services to agents” states Meghan Boyd, Product Manager for Goway “Our industry requires our sales team to be more knowledgeable than other wholesalers, and we want professional retail agents to know they can expect only the best from Goway.”

Australia is one of the largest countries in the world and lends itself to endless possibilities for visitors. New South Wales (NSW) is one of the “must see” States which lies on the east coast of Australia, between Queensland and Victoria. One of the highlights of NSW is Sydney, the most cosmopolitan city in Australia, surrounded by modern and historic architecture, a beautiful harbour, dazzling beaches and a sunny climate. The surrounding regions include popular wine regions, beaches, World Heritage National Parks and spectacular coastal and country scenery. The farthest west is the Outback where visitors can catch a glimpse of Australia’s Aboriginal heritage.

“People visit Sydney due to the many attractions and activities available. You can walk along the harbour then catch a performance at the Opera House, or you can easily go beach hopping by taking ferries or short bus rides. Sydney is a city where everyone will find something to do” comments Meghan Boyd, Goway’s Product Manager for Australia and New Zealand

Goway has many touring options from Sydney such as; Hunter Valley wine tours, day trips to the Capital of Australia, Canberra, exploring Sydney by helicopter, discovering the lush Blue Mountains and the wildlife, cruising the famous harbour, even the opportunity to spend the night at the zoo for a unique experience!

The perfect way to explore New South Wales is with Goway Travel’s V Australia Sydney Starter package that starts from $1499CAD per person. This includes Round trip airfare from Los Angeles with V Australia and 4 nights hotel.

Australia is known for their great wines, and many travelers opt for Goway’s 2 Day Hunter Valley Wine Country Tour from $581. This gives a great contrast from the action-packed city and includes overnight accommodation, some meals, wine tasting, transfers from Sydney and sightseeing. Visitors will have a chance to view panoramic views of the wine areas.

R.to L.: Bruce Hodge, Cathy Mulrine, Robbie Bastion, Meg Boyd, Emma Cottis Click for High Resolution

After 22 years, travelling the world promoting Australia’s far north Queensland, Parker Travel Collection’s International Director of Sales, Robbie Bastion celebrated his 50th sales mission to North America. Robbie celebrated this accomplishment with the Management and staff of Goway Travel, North America’s largest wholesaler to the South Pacific. Seen here with Robbie and “his book” are Goway’s Owner/President, Bruce Hodge, and Goway Management, Cathy Mulrine, Meg Boyd and Emma Cottis.

In his 22 year tourism industry career, Robbie has worked for only three organizations; Quicksilver Group of Companies, Down Under Tours and now the Parker Travel Collection 2001. With 49 sales missions to North America under his belt Robbie has a wealth of specialized knowledge and developed loyal and long serving contacts that have been invaluable for securing business from this key market. He has visited the USA under four Presidents – Bush, Clinton, Bush Jnr and now Obama. Similarly, he has worked with several heads of Tourism Australia and Tourism Queensland in Los Angeles and yet maintains many old ties. Earthquakes, blizzards, airline dramas and even a quintessential New York mugging have all been part of the experience, an experience that Robbie catalogued in his 2007 book ‘In Continents – Tales of Road Warrior’. “I am still calling on companies and individuals I started calling on in 1989 and they have become good friends as well as work colleagues.”

Robbie has seen many changes in this important market to Australia – the many different marketing campaigns following the successful Paul Hogan advertisements to the ‘Nothing Like Australia’ creative of today.

According to Robbie, “I have also seen the consolidation of many wholesalers into a handful but conversely the growth of the Aussie Specialist (American retail travel agents) Program continues to put Australia in front of the agent and hopefully the consumer. However, the biggest factor influencing North American visitation always has been and will continue to be aviation.

“I’ve seen the rise and fall of airlines like Continental, American and North West try to cash in on the Australian market. Yet, the most steadying influence on the trans-Pacific sector has been Qantas Airways. Their new service into Dallas/Fort Worth will open a whole new market and is a sign of their continuing commitment to Australia. I’ll be doing my best to emphasize this during my upcoming round of calls,” he said.

On his return to Australia Robbie will fly to Melbourne to meet with 150 Aussie Specialist agents for Corroboree USA.

Tasmanian Devils are an iconic Australia species, unique to Tasmania. Due to a deadly disease called Devil Facial Tumour Disease (or DFTD) there is a very real chance that they could be become extinct in our lifetime. This devastating disease, discovered in 1996, is sweeping through Tasmania’s population of Devils at an alarming rate, in some densely populated areas up to 90% of Devils have disappeared. There is a very real chance that they could be become extinct in our lifetime.

The University of Tasmania manages a Save The Tassie Devil program which monitors DFTD and also accepts tax deductible donations from Australia and North America, see details at Tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf. This website is updated regularly and is the best resource for those wishing to keep up to date with the Tassie Devil’s plight.

Goway has dedicated the month of September as “Save the Tassie Devil Month” and have undertaken a number of promotions to raise awareness and financial assistance for this very worthy cause.

Some of the activities undertaken include Staff Casual Dress days where staff dress in casual clothes for a small donation, a portion of all trips booked to Tasmania will be donated and barbecue’s will be hosted in Goway’s Toronto and Vancouver offices where staff will pay for burgers and hot dogs with all proceeds again going to the Save the Devil fund. All confirmation emails sent out in the month of September will also carry a message explaining the plight of the Tassie Devil with how they can be helped.

Australia and New Zealand are generally considered two of the safest travel destinations in the world, and the people of both countries also are considered to be among the most hospitable and friendly.

Journeying south through New Zealand, visitors can expect to see the very best of New Zealand: Auckland, the harbor city; Rotorua’s geothermal activity and the nearby glow-worm caves; cruise on serene Milford Sound and the popular English-style city of Christchurch. Continuing across the Tasman aboard award-winning airline, Qantas Airways, travelers arrive at the tropical city of Cairns. Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest. After a few days of exploration the tour continues through Australia’s “Red Centre” with the option to take the world-famous Ghan train to the Festival City of Adelaide. The trip is completed with time in two of Australia’s best Southern cities, Melbourne and Adelaide.

All of Goway’s exclusive HOLIDAYS OF A LIFETIME are first class fully escorted touring experiences, and are also available in Africa and Asia. Virtually everything is included, including tips. Every departure has a fun theme. Guaranteed departures are available on the Waltzing Matilda and prices start from $4619 CAD.

“Our extremely high passenger satisfaction virtually guarantees future repeat business” states Bruce Hodge, founder and President of the 41 year old company. “It is not unusual to see past travellers booking on three or all four itineraries. They are even requesting we create more HOLIDAYS OF A LIFETIME itineraries” he continued, “and they are very easy for agents to sell in the first place, offering very lucrative commissions”.

In North Queensland, Goway offers a 3 day package at Daintree Eco Lodge from CA$709) per person. Nestled in the world’s oldest living rainforest this ultimate getaway features experiential travel. It offers boutique “hideaway” accommodation, innovative cuisine with a hint of bush tucker, unique spa and wellbeing treatments using natural ingredients and Aboriginal techniques, pristine waterfalls and authentic Aboriginal cultural experiences. These elements have earned the Daintree Eco Lodge the “No. 1 Spa Retreat in Australia and the South Pacific” by Conde Nast Travelers Readers Choice.

In New South Wales, stay at a unique Australian world class resort situated in the pristine Hunter Valley wine region just north of Sydney. Eaglereach is a nature based resort with over four square kilometers of natural adventure land featuring an amazing array of native flora and fauna. There are many ways to discover Eaglereach; on foot, escorted horseback trail rides, mountain bikes, even passive 4WD. Facilities include tennis, volleyball, a saltwater rock pool and you can even try your hand at catching ‘Yabbies’. After the days’ activities you can retreat to one of 36 custom built lodges. Each is sole use and complete with every luxury. Goway’s 3 Day package starts at CA$393.

The Flinders Ranges, in South Australia, is a region that was once a seabed and now carries some important 600 million year old fossils. The Flinders Ranges are home to a vast number of native animals and birds, and Goway’s 4 Day Outback & Wine Self-drive package from CA$896 includes accommodation at Wilpena Pound Resort, at the base of Wilpena Pound, a spectacular natural amphitheatre.

There are few places on the planet that offer the total tranquility and unspoiled natural beauty of Maria Island. A special place just off the east coast of Tasmania where the fresh air, the crystal clear waters, the breathtaking beauty and spectacular wildlife work in harmony to invigorate and recharge anyone who is lucky enough to venture there. Goway’s 4 Day Maria Island Walk package starts from only CA$2193including transportation from Hobart, gourmet meals and more.