Outback meetings, amazing incentives

ALICE SPRINGS
BEST HOTELS
Novotel Outback Alice Springs
First-rate facilities and cheery rooms are the norm at this four-star hotel thanks to its recent comprehensive refurbishment.
The Novotel is located on the eastern side of the Todd River, sitting by itself on a plot opposite the Alice Springs Golf Course. For  meetings, there is a single room that can hold as many as 40 people.
The hotel is a popular option for conference groups so bookings need to be made well in advance.
www.novotel.com

Lasseters Hotel Casino
Set among the brilliant MacDonnell Ranges and adjoining the Alice Springs Convention Centre, Lasseters offers superior four-and-a-half-star accommodation.
The resort’s 127 guestrooms and 13 suites have stylish and comfortable furnishings.
The Alice Springs Convention Centre can cater for up to 1,200 delegates in the MacDonnell room with further capacity for another 500 in the Ellery Room.
Construction industry suppliers Kennards Hire held an event here for 140 delegates.
www.lassetershotelcasino.com.au

Crowne Plaza Alice Springs
Crowne Plaza Alice Springs has 235 guestrooms and suites. All rooms offer great views of the MacDonnell Ranges or the hotel’s poolside area. Facilities include a gymnasium, tennis courts, spa and sauna, and swimming pool that is heated during winter. The hotel has seven meeting rooms that can accommodate events ranging from small boardroom meetings to full-scale
residential conferences.
The Indigenous Service Delivery Conference was held here and attracted 90 delegates.
www.crowneplaza.com.au

Crowne Plaza Darwin
Darwin’s only true five-star hotel, the Crowne Plaza commands fine sea views.
Beyond its concrete exterior, the full range of high-tech gadgetry awaits business groups.
There are excellent onsite restaurants and bars, a barbecue area and a funky swimming pool with plenty of shade cloth to keep the sun at bay. Brown Brothers recently held its annual conference here for 90 delegates.
www.crowneplaza.com.au

ALICE SPRINGS INCENTIVES
Alice Springs Helicopters
On this exhilarating scenic flight, you will fly over the historic Old Ghan Railway Station of Stuart and the Ilparpa Ranges, along the Todd River to Heavitree Gap, revealing extensive views of Alice Springs that most travellers never see. St George Bank hired Alice Springs Helicopters for an incentive for a group of 92 delegates.
www.alicespringshelicopters.com.au

Alice Springs Desert Park
This is a walkthrough lesson in the key habitats of the central Australian environment. Groups can explore sand country, woodlands and desert river ecosystems and meet some of the residents.
This predominantly open-air park also touches on the traditional relationship of Aboriginal people with the land.
Self-contained exhibits include an aquarium where you can examine life around a waterhole, in the form of catfish, freshwater shellfish and burrowing frogs. The nocturnal house displays fascinating arid-zone mammal species – some of which are endangered or extinct in the bush – such as bilbies, thorny devils, kowari (marsupial mice) and carnivorous ghost bats. There are birds of prey exhibitions twice daily, and ranger talks at various exhibits throughout the day.
A café serves refreshments and the gift shop hires out strollers.
www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au

DARWIN INCENTIVES
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
A highlight of this bright, well-presented museum at Fannie Bay is its collection of Aboriginal art. It is particularly strong on bark paintings from Arnhem Land and burial poles from the Tiwi islands.
Other essentials include the Cyclone Tracey display, the vast Maritime Gallery and the natural history exhibits including a huge stuffed crocodile.
There’s also a good collection of artefacts from the Pacific and Southeast Asia, including Indonesian ikat, or woven cloth, musical instruments and a sea gypsies’ prahu, or floating home from Malaysia.
www.magnt.nt.gov.au

Jumping Crocodiles
Just 60km from Darwin, the Adelaide River is home to 1,600 deadly saltwater crocodiles and offers some of the best crocodile viewing in the world. Experience superb close-up action with these ancient predators and witness their raw power as they launch themselves out of the water to snatch the food offered by your guide. Van Der Meer Consulting took a group of 140 here as part of their annual conference in August.
www.jumpingcrocodilecruises.com.au

UNIQUE VENUE
Ooraminna Station Homestead
Ooraminna Station Homestead is half an hour’s drive south of Alice Springs, among red sand hills and rocky outcrops.
Ooraminna offers an authentic outback cattle station experience. Accommodation is in unique bush dwellings, each with private facilities, or guests can sleep under the stars.
The station provides a backdrop for a number of events, from a dinner for 1,000 or product launch.
Country-style menus include bush barbecues or a beef roast. A bush balladeer entertains in the true bush way – with stories, singing and dancing. A didgeridoo player complements any sunset and can then entertain your group into the night.
Ford Australia held an incentive event for 100 guests here recently.
www.ooraminnahomestead.com.au

UNIQUE VENUE
Pee Wee’s at the Point
Perched on an inner-city headland, Darwin’s Pee Wee’s has great views of Fannie Bay. It
is in the East Point Nature Reserve, a park of remarkably undeveloped bush with a resident colony of friendly wallabies.
This restaurant features modern art and impressive corrugated iron and glass architecture. The cuisine is modern Australian with a tropical accent and locally grown produce is used whenever possible.
An indoor area seats 150 people, there is an outdoor deck and patio area that fits 80 and a lawn area that can accommodate 300.
The Australian Association of Convention Bureaux took a group of 70 here.
www.peewees.com.au

DARWIN CONVENTION CENTRE
www.darwinconvention.com.au

ALICE SPRINGS CONVENTION CENTRE
Tel +61 8 8950 0200
Web www.aspcc.com.au

NORTHERN TERRITORY CONVENTION BUREAU
Alice Springs Tel +61 8 8951 8427
Darwin Tel +61 8 8999 3871
Web www.ntconventions.com.au