Singapore Airlines’ regional full service airline, SilkAir, recently announced that flight frequency between Darwin and Singapore has been stepped up, with services operating five times weekly from May 30. To showcase this new service, a three-night familiarisation visit to Darwin was arranged in May for a group of business event planners from Singapore, with the joint initiative conducted as a partnership between SilkAir and the Northern Territory Convention Bureau.
The ‘Discover Darwin’ business events famil highlighted the ease of connecting to the cosmopolitan harbour city, which at approximate 4½ hours flying time, is Australia’s closest gateway city to Asia.
Prestigious pearl
The famil participants represented a range of Singapore-based corporate travel management companies which specialise in business events. The itinerary included a range of accommodation and meeting venues, as well as iconic Northern Territory experiences which have strong appeal for business events.
Participants were treated to a shopping stop at the luxury boutiques of prestigious pearl company, Paspaley, as well as di CROCO who produce high quality crocodile skin products. Visits were included to both the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets and also the daytime Parap Markets, which provide a taste of the diverse multicultural cuisine available in Darwin, as well as an amazing array of local fashion, handmade arts, crafts and jewellery.
The group enjoyed dinners at the renowned Hanuman, with its Thai, Indian and Nonya cuisine, and also SKYCITY Darwin’s il Piato, both of which deliver excellent specialty dining options for group events.
‘Cage of Death’
Activity highlights included a visit to Crocosaurus Cove in the Darwin CBD where one famil participant, Tan Su Yin from UOB Travel Planners, braved a plunge in the ‘Cage of Death’ to get up close and personal with one of the many giant crocodile star attractions. A Segway ride through the Botanic Gardens showcased Darwin’s lush greenery and an evening dinner cruise with Sea Darwin included a special stop on a mid-harbour sand bar to watch the sunset.
The participants also took flight with Nautilus Aviation helicopters to obtain a bird’s eye view of Darwin and the ‘Top End’, as the broader region is known. Venturing 50 minutes out of town to the Adelaide River region, the group enjoyed the thrill of being aboard a Jumping Crocodile Cruise, before receiving a special welcome from the traditional owners of the land. Pudakul Aboriginal Cultural Tours provided insights into the 50,000 year old Indigenous culture and also instructed the group on traditional basket weaving and spear throwing.
Extensive network
The final day allowed time for a relaxing lunch at the Darwin Sailing Club, overlooking the picturesque harbour, before participants headed back home to Singapore.
Daryl Hudson, Director Business Events with the Northern Territory Convention Bureau said: “We’re delighted that the NT’s conference and incentive group experiences and product were showcased to the nearby Singapore market. SilkAir’s dual class services offer convenient options for Asian event planners to easily move groups into Darwin from Singapore, or from further afield via Singapore Airline’s extensive network connections.”
Main picture: Daryl Hudson of NT Convention Bureau and the SilkAir fam group at Crocosaurus Cove with the ’Cage of Death’ in the background
