Australia's Gold Revolution

SOVREIGN Hill has announced that its new multi-sensory sound and light show Aura will officially open on February 8th, 2019. The new show, featuring state-of-the-art projections and detailed historical sets, will place the visitor right in the centre of the action, as stars explode in front of eyes, land is transformed by the gold rush, and the Eureka Rebellion comes to life as never before.

Designed by Accolade, the brains behind White Night and the Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies, together with Sovereign Hill’s own historical experts, Aura is the story of how gold revolutionised Australia, and will take guests of all ages on an adventure as they witness the creation and discovery of the world’s most precious metal. Be one of the first to experience how gold changes everything.

aurasovereignhill.com.au

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Forces of mass construction

VOLCANOES 3D: THE FIRES OF CREATION, blasts into the California Science Center IMAX theater on January 21, 2019. Join intrepid explorer Carsten Peter as he dodges boulders at the edge of an active volcano in Indonesia, descends to a boiling lava lake in Vanuatu, and visits incredible acid ponds, geysers and mineral deposit fields in Ethiopia.

Peter also explored the archeological ghost town of Pompeii, hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean and witnessed the devastating effects of the 2018 Kilauea eruption in Hawaii. With over 500 active volcanoes, Earth is bursting at the seams with these forces of mass construction. The story of volcanoes is the story of the planet's creation, and the story of us.

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Best Adventure Specialists for Families

FAMILY travel specialist, Activities Abroad, based in Stannington near Morpeth, has been named Best Adventure Specialist for Families at the prestigious Family Traveller Awards 2018.

Activities Abroad was thrilled that its commitment to providing active family holidays to create precious, lasting memories has been recognised on a national scale. Activities Abroad offers a wide range of sun and snow family holidays to destinations including Croatia, The Azores, Sicily, Finland, Sweden, Norway and South America.

Central to Activities Abroad’s ethos is the idea of shared family experiences, meaning that their family holidays don’t feature any kids’ clubs and, instead, offer a wide range of fun and educational activities that the whole family will enjoy – be it sea kayaking in the Galaápagos, ice fishing in Sweden, taking a reindeer sleigh ride in Finnish Lapland or cycling in Madeira.


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Rising above Pulau Melaca

SITTING atop the 14th floor of a 30-story development, this first-of-its-kind waterpark combines ultramodern innovation on a new reclaimed foreshore of Melaca, a UNESCO city, which already makes the area a tourist draw with its rich heritage and cultural attractions currently with 16.5 million tourists per year..

Splash World Theme Park is part of an ambitious, US$198 million project being built off the coast of Pulau Melaka, Malaysia, by Hatten Group. Designed as a unique holiday destination for the entire family, Splash World comprises multiple entertainment options on a tropical, manmade island in a strategically located city just three hours' drive from Singapore and two hours from Kuala Lumpur. The building itself - shaped like a towering, giant cruise ship - pays homage to the area's historical beginnings as a port city.

Eleven of the rides at Splash World are extreme waterslides offering breathtaking speeds and sharp, sudden curves. The total length of all slides combined is more than 1 km with more than 2,000 square meters of leisure river alone that flow at 3 km per hour and include a wave ball and torrent river for added adrenaline excitement.

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Picture Credit: spettacolopuro 24113168@N03/3873746187 standing tall.. via photopin

Roaring to life in the Blue Mountains

SCENIC World Blue Mountains is a private, family owned tourist attraction located in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, about 100 kilometres west of Sydney. 

Their new attraction, Dinosaur Valley has opened, bringing the ancient rainforest to life with prehistoric dinosaurs, daily events and family fun from November 1 – January 28.

Marking the first event of its kind in the Blue Mountains, Dinosaur Valley will take visitors on a journey through time to explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs among towering Jurassic rainforest.

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A splash of colour

THE iconic family brand announced at a press conference today that it will open a Crayola Experience at Chandler Fashion Center next summer. This is the fifth location for the popular family attraction, which also has facilities in Orlando, Florida; Bloomington, Minnesota; Plano, Texas; and Easton, Pennsylvania – the home of #Crayola crayons since 1903.

At Crayola Experience Chandler, guests will enjoy classic experiences such as naming and wrapping their own Crayola crayon (Wrap It Up!), starring in their own coloring page (Be a Star), using their touch to bring art to 4-D life (Color Magic), creating melted wax spin-art (Drip Art) as well as some new experiences that will debut in #Arizona.



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One free for every three

STINGRAY City Cayman Islands is offering one FREE ticket for every three tickets purchased on our Stingray City, Coral Garden and Starfish tour. This end of summer special enhances the exceptional value of tours offered by Stingray City Cayman Islands, which is located in the North Sound of Grand Cayman, within stations on the Royal Watler cruise ship terminal and Seven Mile Beach Safe Haven Marina.

This offer extends to the Stingray City, Coral Garden and Starfish tours booked between September and October and can be applied to tours throughout 2018 and 2019. Stingray City Cayman Islands is one of the leading tour companies selected by cruise ship visitors in the Cayman Islands, with an average rating of 4.8 on TripAdvisor.



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Discounted San Francisco

SHORT stay and weekend travelers can now experience the benefits of the original San Francisco CityPASS program—deeply discounted prepaid admission to premier visitor sights—with San Francisco C3 tickets, customizable mobile tickets that allow entry to three top attractions.

San Francisco C3 tickets allow users to select any three attractions from a curated list of eight options:

• California Academy of Sciences
• Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure
• Aquarium of the Bay
• Exploratorium
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 
• Bay City Bike & Parkwide Bike Rentals
• de Young Museum + Legion of Honor
• The Walt Disney Family Museum

Unlike the original San Francisco CityPASS ticket booklet—which is available for those enjoying a longer stay in the City, San Francisco C3 tickets aren't booklets at all. Available for purchase only through citypass.com, they are mobile tickets delivered directly to the purchaser's email. The email can be saved to a smartphone and easily scanned at each attraction. Designed to be flexible, the tickets do not require the buyer to pre-select the attractions that will be visited; travelers are free to choose as they go.


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Great Northumberland

THIS summer, the great county of #Northumberland will demonstrate why it’s one of a kind when it serves up a summer of arts, culture and heritage to tempt visitors to enjoy and discover this unique and stunning corner of Northern England.

Great Northumberland 2018 is an eight-week extravaganza of events, exhibitions and activities starting from Saturday 7 July. Great Northumberland offers something for everyone, regardless of age, whether they’re families, art lovers, history buffs or they're simply looking to explore and find adventure.

Spurred on by the Great Exhibition of the North 2018, Northumberland County Council is bringing together, for the first time, a diverse range of summer activities under ‘Great Northumberland’, with a variety of the county’s best-loved visitor attractions playing host to events, including Lindisfarne Castle, Cragside, Vindolanda, Cherryburn and many more.

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A major new exhibition: Titanic Stories

NEW at the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall is an exhibition, Titanic Stories, which will examine the stories of the Titanic’s momentous sinking on 15 April 1912, re-appraising many of the myths, controversies and assumptions that still linger around one of the most well-known historic events of the 20th century.

Working in collaboration with private collectors from overseas and national museums in the UK, ‘Titanic Stories’ presents rare and never-seen-before objects and items, as well as retelling the personal stories of many of the survivors, victims and descendants of the #Titanic disaster, including those from #Cornwall. The exhibition will offer new contextual information around the iconic sinking and what happened next.

Alongside documentary and personal photographs, letters, newspaper cuttings, compelling items such as a handkerchief waved from a lifeboat and a First-Class passenger list found in the pocket of a victim, will intimately bring this historic voyage back to life.

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Picture Credit: By Boris Lux - Lux's Type Collection, Ocean liners - Titanic, commons.wikimedia.org

Jump the queue

TRAVELLING to Disneyland & Disney California Adventure this Summer Season? Book Southern California Private Tours' Early Family First Disneyland VIP Tours, effective May 1, 2018, guests will be able to book the Early Family First Disneyland VIP Tour.

Early Family First #Disneyland VIP Tours allow guests to experience the park at a special and serene time of the day. Excitement, in a more relaxed environment is perfect for families with children, or those wishing to have a fully immersive visit without the large crowds.

Guests won't miss out on anything when booking these specially planned Disneyland VIP Tours. These tours are designed to allow guests the time to enjoy all the "must-do's" in just the first 6 hours of the day. Families and groups always have hours left during the rest of the day to do anything they like, such as shopping, indulging in holiday treats, or spending a little more time in the park.

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Rev up for a great family fun day

MOTORCYCLE stunt riders, live music and supercar passenger rides are just a few of the excellent activities planned for the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance annual Family Fun Day at North Weald Airbase on Sunday 20th May.

Brimming with entertainment, activities, local food and drink and much more, the all-day event is the finishing point of this year’s Motorcycle Run, which will see hundreds of motorcyclists embark on a 60-mile ride from Welwyn Garden City to North Weald to raise vital funds for the Charity.

The popular Motorcycle Run and Family Fun Day is one of the Air Ambulance’s biggest events and last year, a convoy of 800 motorcyclists raised thousands of pounds.

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Warner Bros Abu Dhabi to open its doors late July

MIRAL, Abu Dhabi's creator of destinations, announced today that Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, an indoor theme park, will open its doors to the public on 25th of July 2018.

When the highly-anticipated Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi opens this summer, it will feature six immersive lands including DC's Metropolis and Gotham City, as well as Cartoon Junction, Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch and Warner Bros. Plaza. When guests step through the iconic Warner Bros. shield, they will enter a world where Super Heroes like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman fight for justice and animated stars like Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote and Scooby-Doo come to life in the most brilliant and awe-inspiring ways.

www.wbworld.com


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Get down with Dippy in Dorset

HAVE you ever spotted a dinosaur in a cathedral, a parliament building or a community centre? Dippy on Tour is kicking off its journey on the Jurassic Coast with a visit to #Dorset County Museum.

Never before on public display outside of London’s Natural History Museum, Dippy is travelling the length and breadth of the country from 10 February 2018 to late 2020. The British icon is on a mission to inspire five million people to experience nature, encouraging families and schools to explore nature on their doorstep.

#Dippy has delighted visitors since he arrived in London in 1905. In partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, it is hoped the tour will spark the imagination of the next generation of scientists and connect the nation with nature.


Dippy is at the Dorset County Museum until May 7, entry to see Dippy is free but be sure to book your space on the Musuems website.


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Picture Credit: Angela Suter

Happy Easter!

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Flying high above San Francisco

THE Flyer – San Francisco—the world’s first and only flying theater attraction in 3D—will take flight this summer at PIER 39 in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Featuring cinematic artistry and state-of-the-art HD film footage captured with the help of drones and helicopters, and blended with computer-generated imagery (CGI), The Flyer – #SanFrancisco creates an immersive experience and takes guests of all ages on an unforgettable ride, soaring over the biggest attractions and iconic landmarks throughout the City and the surrounding Bay Area. 

Following an opportunity to take a souvenir photo the floors will slip away and the 28 guests will be suspended in front of the 1,100 square foot (50 foot by 22 foot) curved screen as they take a six-minute 3D flight through some of Bay Area’s iconic landmarks and neighborhoods, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Coit Tower, Marin Headlands, Chinatown, the Castro, and more!

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Easter delights in London

EASTER egg hunts and special Easter events for kids and grownups, to the best chocolate shops and Easter opening hours in #London, plan a fun-filled #Easter break in the capital.

• Watch a spectacular free performance of The Passion of Jesus, featuring 100 performers, in Trafalgar Square on Good Friday.

• Join an Easter weekend service at one of London’s churches or cathedrals, including Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Southwark Cathedral. March 30 -Apr 1

• Visit London’s top chocolate shops for beautiful chocolate eggs and Easter treats.

• Look out for chocolate-themed afternoon teas in London at Easter, including May Fair Kitchen’s Charbonnel et Walker afternoon tea and a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea at One Aldwych.

• Hunt down Lindt chocolate bunnies and learn some chocolate-themed history about the palace’s past at Hampton Court Palace.  Mar 26 - Apr 15

• Follow the Peter Rabbit trail among spring daffodils and crocuses at Kew Gardens, stopping off for lots of fun activities along the way. Mar 30 - Apr 15

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Puppets on a stage

PUPPETS of every kind will take over the town at the 1st Annual Santa Barbara International PuppetPalooza from March 1-4. This four-day family focused festival will feature some of the world’s best puppet talent from across the globe. From giant puppets and toy puppets to hand puppets, shadow puppets, micro puppets and more.Children, families, and performing arts fans from across the country will look forward to this first-of-its-kind festival on the West Coast.

Be sure not to miss the headline performance, “Meet The Muppets and the Performers Who Make Them Great!” The Muppets—and the remarkable performers who bring them to life – will enthrall audiences with an evening of story-telling, interviews, exclusive footage, musical puppetry madness and improvised mayhem.

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Making a splash in Cyprus

CYPRUS top tourist destination, WaterWorld Water Park which was ranked the #1 in Europe and #14 in the world is set to open its doors for the summer in April 2018. 

The Ancient Greek themed water park, located in Ayia Napa, features mythical rides and attractions, restaurants and souvenir shops. The largest themed water park in Europe, WaterWorld Water Park provides a day of fun for the entire family. Take a relaxing dip in Aphrodite’s Baths or, if you’re a risk-taker, dare to take the plunge on the Drop to Atlantis. 

WaterWorld also offers unique water park experiences with their Thea VIP Suite, a private cabana and hot tub overlooking the park or their Hygeia fish spa where visitors can dip their feet in a tub of fish and receive a fish pedicure. 

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400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage

THE official countdown to the 400th anniversary of the #Mayflower voyage will begin this Thanksgiving with a series of Illuminate events being held across eight destinations in the UK with links to the Mayflower Pilgrims. Each Illuminate event will include a range of events and activities including innovative light-based artworks, local choir performers and parades which reflect themes of freedom and liberty. 

This four nation commemoration aims to unite the nations of the UK, US, Netherlands and Native American people. The origin of the event and the light symbolism at the heart of Illuminate comes from a quote by William Bradford, one of the Mayflower Pilgrims who later became Governor of Plymouth Plantation: “‘…just as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many”.

In 2019, Illuminate will open the year-long #anniversary programme, and the commemorations will culminate in 2020 with a final Illuminate event. The aim is that the events of Illuminate do not stop after 2020 and that Illuminate will become a traditional and annual event. Each destination will have improved and developed their ability, knowledge and expertise to deliver high quality, high spectacle, light based, artist led participatory events for years to come.

www.mayflower400uk.org

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