Destination Wrap: BridgeClimb’s ‘Karaoke Climb’ is back, Scotland’s Sydney supper + MORE!

Do you consider yourself the karaoke king and/or enjoy wearing a kilt? If so, this week’s Destination Wrap will be right up your alley.

BridgeClimb Sydney brings back ‘Karaoke Climb’ for Chinese New Year

Sydney’s iconic BridgeClimb is bringing back the ‘Karaoke Climb’ to reign in the Lunar New Year.

The Karaoke Climb will operate daily between Saturday 18 January to Sunday 2 February, following the Summit Express (Mandarin) route with a maximum of 14 climbers per group.

The summit will host a karaoke station with a plasma screen, microphones and a song list featuring karaoke favourites (available in Mandarin and English), inviting climbers to sing their heart out with family and friends.

Guests on the climb will receive an eight-second video and photography of their pitch-ure perfect moment 134 metres above the glistening Sydney Harbour.

During the celebration period, Karaoke Climbers will receive tickets in limited edition red envelopes as a bid for good fortune and welcome the Lunar New Year with lucky red flags as they ascend to the summit. Exclusive Lunar New Year prints will also be a part of the Karaoke Climb package.

BridgeClimb’s base will house a fun-fuelled photobooth where climbers can pose for a selfie moment with Year of the Rat-themed props, and have access to direct social sharing to family and friends via Weibo, WeChat and Instagram.

Climbers sharing photos with #迎新春K歌攀登 and #BridgeClimbCNY will have the chance to win some BridgeClimb Lunar New Year goodies.

Scotland comes to Sydney for Glenturret Burns Night Supper

One of the flagship events within the Year of Scotland in Australia 2020 will help raise funds in support of those affected by the unprecedented Australian bushfires.

For every ticket purchased for the Glenturret Burns Night Supper, held at the Sydney Opera House on 25 January, $50 will be donated between the Australian Red Cross and World Wildlife Federation.

The Glenturret Burns Night Supper will reimagine the traditional ‘Burns Night Supper’ by showcasing indigenous Australian culture alongside conventional Scottish customs in a “once-in-a-lifetime” event, held as part of the year-long program of cultural and musical events planned across 2020.

Fresh from their headline appearance at the world-renowned Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, the multi-award-winning Scottish band Breabach will make the journey to Sydney for the event.

In celebration of their 15 years on the road, and in collaboration with The Glenturret, the band have released a limited edition single-malt whiskey.

To help support those communities affected by the bushfires, the first bottle distilled will be auctioned off, with all proceeds in aid of the bushfire campaign.

Taiwan to attract tourists with tea

To transform Taiwan’s tea industry into national cultural assets, the country’s Ministry of Culture is establishing an online database of tea industry and culture through the Taiwan Cultural Memory Bank project.

Tea has played an important role in the modern history of Taiwan. The history of the tea industry can be traced back to the Dutch East India Company, which used Taiwan as a trading port in the 17th century.

The tea industry has since gradually taken shape, starting with the selling of indigenous and native tea, followed by the introduction of tea varieties, types and tea drinking culture from southern China, as well as the Western ones.

To preserve Taiwan’s tea culture systematically, the Ministry of Culture launched the Improving Tea Industry through Cultural Approaches project, utilising digital preservation and value-added application methods to plan a tea cultural route for the public.

In 2019, the project has registered a total of 2,036 data relating to the tea industry, spanning tea manufacturing equipment, tea plant varieties, cultivation, and tea diseases.

It has also collected information and documents on tea activities, tea factories, and tea shops, as well as authors and researchers engaging in tea culture and studies.

In addition, the project planned the first tea culture route based on Dadaocheng, a district in Taipei that was once a major trading port, to promote tea-themed tourism.

Featuring cultural heritage spots and tourist attractions, the tea culture route will become an attractive travel path in Taiwan.

AFL Masters Carnival to help WA kick tourism goals in 2020

More than 1,000 AFL Masters players are expected to pull on their footy boots in Perth this year to represent their state at the 2020 AFL Masters National Carnival.

It will be the first time Western Australia has hosted the annual event since 2003, with the eight-day men’s and women’s competition to run from 26 September to 4 October 2020.

The competition is Australia’s largest mass participation Australian rules football carnival with an average of 40 teams taking part.

The event is supported by the WA government through Tourism WA.