IFAJ Cairns | Pre-Congress tour – October 8-12th 2015. JUST 100 days and counting until the IFAJ pre-congress ‘Hot Tropics’ tour kicks off in beautiful Far North Queensland, Australia. Register now you could be the proud owner of an Akubra hat – the preferred head dress of an Aussie ringer.
In a warm up to the New Zealand congress the stop over promises not only a respite from the Northern Hemisphere winter, but a chance to see a unique location where a substantial tropical agriculture industry coexists together with a delicate ecosystem and thriving tourism hub.
Kicking off in Cairns with a welcome function on Thursday October 8th, 2015 the tour will spend three days exploring what the northern part of Queensland has to offer. This will include a visit to Australia’s largest banana growers, a tour of a sugar mill and the chance to meet some of Australia’s leading sugar cane breeders at the Meringa Sugar Experiment Station.
A visit to beautiful Cairns would not be complete without a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef where a marine biologist will talk about the science behind why the Great Barrier Reef is changing. Here you will be able to explore the story behind those headlines and spend time with local farmers who are keenly focused on their own environmental credentials.
Sunday we will pick up the pace with a trip to a crocodile farm to eyeball the world’s largest aquatic reptile. The saltwater croc, only found in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia, is the most aggressive of all crocodiles. Learn about farming this creature for both a sustainable use and ensuring conservation of the species. Take some time also to wander around this incredible park and meet some of the other local wildlife unique to Australia.
The day will finish with an aboriginal rain forest walk at Mossman Gorge. The Gorge and its wilderness is an area sacred to the Kuku Yalanji clan, The Kuku Yalanji are one of the only tribal rainforest people in Australia who still have their own culture and language. This is a unique experience to see this tropical rainforest through the eyes of the traditional owners,
Finally a trip’ Down Under ‘is not complete without a stopover in Sydney. Take some time to soak up the atmosphere of what Sydney has to offer with the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge before heading to a media event showcasing Australian products and the latest research and development in innovation farming.
Register before July 18th and go in the draw to win a ‘true blue’ Aussie Akubra hat.
To register visit www.acaj.org.au/cairns/index.html
Or contact the ACAJ committee on ifajcairns2015(at)outlook.com
