Most world travelers have Australia on their wish lists, making it a perfect destination choice for an exciting incentive trip. While it would take months to see the whole country (it's only slightly smaller than the United States), winners will love a sampling of Down Under via these experiences in Sydney and Hayman Island.
Urban Escape: Sydney Sights
Exploring the country's iconic city is a great way to get acclimated after the long flight. Book winners in a hotel right on the harbor — properties like the sophisticated 509-room InterContinental Sydney looking out to the Sydney Opera House, and the cozy 155-room Park Hyatt Sydney under the Sydney Harbour Bridge are prime options. The following city experiences were arranged by ID Events Australia.
A favorite way to get another view of Sydney Harbour, and hear stories of its history, is to climb the bridge itself on the Burrawa Aboriginal Experience, where First Nation storytellers guide the group. While the climb might sound daunting, an outing in June included three people who thought they might have trouble with the heights — they all took it in stride and completed the whole trip with panache. Participants are tethered to a wire the entire time, and taking in Sydney from such a special spot is entirely worth the trek.
Lunch among the flowers in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Botanic House is a delicious choice. It's obvious the ingredients for Vietnamese-Australian chef Luke Nguyen's nine-course tasting menu are just plucked from the garden or the sea. Two recent options on offer were tempura eggplant sticks, sesame seeds, cranberries and plum sauce for an appetizer, followed by fried-fish fillet served with Vietnamese caramel sauce, karkalla (an Australian succulent, commonly called "pig face"), cauliflower, tomatoes and local sesame rice crackers.
Winners can take their own aerial videos on a flight with Sydney Seaplanes, sweeping out over the harbor and its inlets, then heading out to cruise up the coast over picturesque spots such as Bondi and Manly beaches. (The above photo was taken with an iPhone 14 moments before said phone landed in the drink as the photographer deplaned. Said phone is working just fine after one of the pilots kindly dove in after it. The owner is still incredibly grateful.)
The Sydney Opera House has a number of event spaces available to groups throughout the complex, including a foyer that holds up to 1,200 people. But for more intimate gatherings the facility has a new spot called TIDE (the Tours Immersive Digital Experience space), where up to 30 guests can dine at a long table with a beautiful curved ceiling for digital projections. The elegant, immersive space makes for a lovely evening. The room is available as a package with a tour or a performance.
Island Base: The Whitsundays
After the excitement of the city, heading north to the InterContinental Hayman Island, among the Whitsunday Islands on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, is a lovely launch pad for some tropical adventures in the Coral Sea. The resort is the sole occupant on Hayman, and there's no airport there; guests fly into Hamilton Island about 20 miles away, before arriving at Hayman by helicopter, yacht or catamaran.
The property's own helicopters, which seat a pilot and two or three guests, take off from the resort's lawn, banking and soaring over nearby islands and tropical waters, and heading out to the Great Barrier Reef. The spectacular colors of the sand and water swirl in an ever-changing painting. In June, adding to the view below, humpback whales by the hundreds were migrating north to breed and birth in warmer climes; they were visible just below the surface, occasionally breaking through to breathe.
The resort also can take visitors for up-close tours to the inner reef's amazing snorkel and dive locations (about an hour from the property); getting to the outer reef takes about 2.5 hours, but can be arranged. A little closer in is Whitehaven Beach, a lovely day trip in itself.
Wildlife is abundant all around Hayman and in the waters. Flying fox bats (some of the world's largest bats), wallabies and cockatoos are among the fauna wandering the island, and it's worth taking a nature tour early in the morning to watch the fruit bats fly in to roost in the trees after a night of feasting.
In view of the property is a small, uninhabited island with a long spit of sand; guests can be motored over and dropped on the beach for a few hours of snorkeling and picnicking. Along with the fishes skirting around the bits of coral, you might get a sighting or two of sea turtles.
The InterContinental Hayman Island features a full-service spa, and has four dining options: Pacific, for international fare; Bam Bam, serving a Vietnamese menu; Amici, focusing on Mediterranean dishes; and Aqua, for seafood. Groups can arrange special events on the beach and in the Rainforest Grove, a private-dining platform in a tropical garden.
