Sea SA’s new $16 million Sea Spirit 1, a custom-built drive-on, drive-off ferry, commenced services on 20 March. The 64-metre world-class catamaran is capable of carrying 93 vehicles of all sizes plus 300 seated passengers, and will work alongside her smaller sister, Sea Scape 1, in the cross-Gulf service linking the Yorke and Eyre peninsulas. The new ferry features a mezzanine car deck, air-conditioned café, hospitality lounges, disabled access including an onboard lift, two widescreen plasma TVs, kids’ play zone, internet area and tourism booth. In other good news, Sea SA is offering a great ‘half price’ deal for customers travelling across the Spencer Gulf with caravans between 1 April and 30 September 2008. Book and pay for a return ferry trip between the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas, and receive the return leg journey at 50 per cent off the full price.
More information: www.seasa.com.au

Figures revealed in the Adelaide Convention Centre’s Annual Report show the 2006-07 financial year was the Centre’s best, generating $70 million for the South Australian economy. In addition, the Centre covered all of its operational costs, made a $1.08 million net profit and returned $800,000 to State Government revenue, up from $97,000 the previous year. During the period 2006-07, the Centre secured 65 national and international conferences representing more than 30,000 delegates coming to the State, some of these events confirmed as far out as 2015. In other good news, the Adelaide Convention Centre has unveiled the details of its much-anticipated Go for Green conference packages. Under the packages, renewable energy will be provided, food sourced from local markets to cut down on transport pollution while event organisers will have the option of paying a 50 cent plate levy to offset guests’ and delegates’ carbon emissions through a program run by Trees for Life. Recyclable conference bags, notebooks and drink coasters as well as compostable, cornstarch cups will be used, food waste and cooking oils recycled and laundering of tablecloths and staff uniforms will be environmentally friendly.
More information: Deventer PR and Communications on 0427 408 588

A new four-star Resort and Conference Centre has been approved at The Marina Hindmarsh Island and work has begun on Australia’s first waterfront lifestyle village, a $50 million development including 116 homes at the Marina. The resort will set a new standard for resort conference facilities in the Goolwa region, offering 86 bedrooms including 60 hotel rooms, 10 two-bedroom deluxe suite apartments and two three-bedroom deluxe suites as well as a rooftop pool and spa, gymnasium and wellness retreat. A conference room will seat 280 guests while pre-function areas and breakout rooms will cater for a variety of events. The resort will also include an over-water dining terrace, a private dining room seating 60, a bar, café and entertainment area as well as courtyards and terraces where guests can relax.
More information: Deventer PR and Communications on 0427 408 588

Great Southern Rail is offering a special limited time offer of a $99 return fare between Adelaide and Melbourne (and vice versa), celebrating the first anniversary of The Overland’s $4 million refit. The inaugural service from Adelaide commenced in May 2007 and featured reclining seats with plenty of leg room, a modern, relaxing carriage interior, new amenities and a stylish café car. Since then the number of guests travelling has increased by an impressive 50%. Bookings for the $99 return fare are open for sale now up until 28 April 2008, for all travel up to 31 July 2008.
More information: www.theoverland.com.au

The Hon. Bruce Baird is the new Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Australia Chairman, replacing Leslie Cassar AM KSJ who led the Board in this position for five years. Bruce's 35-year professional career has spanned the Australian Trade Commission service and the Parliaments of NSW and the Commonwealth. Tourism and transport have been at the forefront of his career in both the public and private sectors. His other professional achievements include his early years as a Qantas executive, and as an Australian Trade Commissioner in Asia and Europe. Famously, he was the driving force behind the lobbying strategy that won the bid to host the 'greatest ever' 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Before entering Federal politics, Bruce was Managing Director of industry lobby group, Tourism Council Australia, Chairman of the National Rail Corporation and a member of several private sector boards.
More information: www.ttf.org.au

The SA screen industry gathered at Adelaide's Mercury Cinema last month for the announcement of the winners of the State's premier competition for short filmmaking - the 2008 South Australian Short Screen Awards, proudly driven by Toyota. Presented by the Media Resource Centre, the winners of the SASSAs represent the best of South Australian short filmmaking practice across a broad spectrum of 18 genre and craft categories. The coveted Best Film award went to You Better Watch Out - a work by the South Australian husband and wife team - Steve Callen (director) and Jules Callen (producer). You Better Watch Out is a wickedly dark comedy about two disgruntled brothers who kidnap department store Santa - starring actor/comedian Stephen Curry (The King and The Castle), Dan Wyllie (Love My Way) and veteran performer, Chris Haywood. Steve Callen picked up second award for the same film in the category - Best Screenplay.
More information: www.mrc.org.au/sassa/sassamain.html

Brian Lawes, retired chef of the Cookery Division at TAFE SA Regency Campus, was honoured with the Lifetime Achiever Award at the National Lifetime and Young Achiever Awards at Parliament House in Canberra last month. Brian’s long and accomplished career contributing to the hospitality industry in South Australia was recognised with this award, while Kristian Livolsi was awarded the Young Achiever award for his efforts with Number Ten Cucina e Bar, the XO Supper Club, Citrus, The Observatory Function Centre and Catering and Webmenu, an online restaurant guide.
More information: www.rcsa.asn.au/

The Novotel Barossa Valley Resort is undertaking a major push to provide a unique experience for conference and business event organisers in 2008. Winner of the Meetings and Business Tourism category at the 2007 South Australian Tourism Awards, the Novotel Barossa Valley Resort is looking to capitalise on its fantastic location in Australia’s premier wine region by taking business tourism to a dynamic new level. Late 2006 saw the completion of stage one of a multi-million dollar refurbishment of the venue’s meeting space with a substantial investment in IT facilities and increasing the number of meeting rooms from 8 to 10. Exciting new conference and business event inclusions on offer include helicopter rides over scenic wine country, indulgent on-site massages and spa treatments, tours through the twinkling night sky with an astronomer and cooking demonstrations with a famous chef.
More information: www.novotelbarossa.com.au

Zoos South Australia's research and conservation programs have been recognised by the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA) the peak body for zoos and aquaria, with two of the six annual awards going to Zoos SA. Zoos SA was recognised for its outstanding contribution to conservation for the Yellow-footed rock wallaby reintroduction project, claimed to be the most successful mainland macropod reintroduction in Australia. Key supporters and partners: Flinders Power, Flinders University, Department of Environment and Heritage SA, Conservation Volunteers Australia, local pastoralists, Leigh Creek community. In conjunction with Alice Spring Desert Park, Zoos SA also won the award for research with the Red-tailed phascogale research program with this project investigating the basic reproductive biology of these interesting animals.
More information: Kevin Evans on 0431 708 058


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