New Attractions and Adventures for Israel, Canada, Australia
Published 04/15/2010
(Emek Hefer, Israel) – A massive garden has opened up in Israel’s Emek Hefer area, a new platypus is making waves in Brisbane, Australia and those who love snow sports with helicopters will now love parts of Canada even more.
The recently opened Utopia Orchid Park features a unique 131,500-square-foot indoor botanical garden at Kibbutz Bahan in the Emek Hefer region north of Tel Aviv.
The Utopia Orchid Park includes an indoor orchid garden with more than 20,000 orchids from different species from around the world; a rainforest with tens of thousands of tropical plants, including carnivorous plants, waterfalls and lush greenery; and a butterfly garden and animal park with a wide range of animals and birds.
The park also features two plant mazes - a classical English-style maze and a 6,560-square-foot obstacle maze.
"The Utopia Orchid Park is a unique outdoor attraction that will provide some additional excitement to travelers arriving in Israel this summer," said Arie Sommer, Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America. "The park's display of orchids, tropical plants, animals and butterflies will attract a new wave of nature and outdoor-lovers to Israel."
The Utopia Orchid Park also features a shaded outdoor picnic area, playground, café and nursery.
For more information, visit www.utopiapark.co.il. For more information about travel to Israel, visit www.goisrael.com.
For those who love heli-skiing and heli-snowboarding, Canada just got a little cheaper for this adventure.
British Columbia and Alberta’s CMH Heli-Skiing announced it is rolling back its 2011 and 2012 Heli-Skiing prices to the published 2010 rates. No increase, no gimmicks, no fine print, they said. The move comes as a response to the fluctuating economy and is CMH's effort to enable guests to book with greater ease.
Marty von Neudegg is Director of Corporate Services at the company's base in Banff, Alberta, and said this has been a long time coming.
"Since its inception 46 years ago, CMH Heli-Skiing has stayed out of the last-minute discount game; and while 'price insurance' may be a new phrase in travel, it's always been our way,” von Neudegg said. “Guests can rest assured that the skier sitting next to them in the helicopter didn't pay any less by booking at the last minute. We are excited to be able to offer these steady rates and it is one more way of showing our guests that we're looking out for them."
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Brisbane, Australia has a new attraction that has a cuddly element.
Barak, the first platypus to be bred in captivity in 55 years, has arrived at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary all the way from Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria. After journeying on an aeroplane seated amongst passengers and getting escorted by the captain of the aircraft, Barak arrived safely in Brisbane and went on display March 30.
It has been 20 years since there was a platypus at Lone Pine and Barak is now ready to show off his wonderful new $1 million dollar home by splashing, grooming, hunting yabbies and hanging out with his new keepers in his 24,000 litre tank. Lone Pine is delighted to welcome this bizarre-looking venomous monotreme (egg-laying mammal). Many locals are unaware that the platypus is native to the Brisbane area and it is hoped this will help educate them about keeping our water ways clean.
The Platypus is expected to help Brisbane compete with Sydney as a tourist destination. At a special event, Barak’s home was open for a sneak peak. “Everyone there loved the platypus and his new home and I am very excited about opening it to the general public,” said Jacqui Brumm, Lone Pine's Curator.
For more details about Barak the Platypus and the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, see www.koala.net. |
