This
is a
custom
designed trip for baseball players.
It's the only one of it's
kind to provide a baseball vacation to Australia with these type of
activities. Baseball
is one of many mediums between our cultures. We'll eat at
some
great restaurants, be entertained by a full time agenda, see some great
sights and Play Baseball, Aussie style.
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Trip
is open
to any adult person who plays baseball.
The average age of
our
teams is usually in the mid 40's with players ranging in their 20's
through their 60's. The trip will be scheduled for
mid to late Spring of 2006. Players, wives, girl
friends, family
members, kids and tourists
are all welcome. We'll be limiting ourselves to a maximum of 14
players.
We will need 3-4 good pitchers, a couple of catchers and some good
position
players. Come as a team or come as a pool player and join the
team.
You
will
need a valid passport and be able to obtain a tourist visa. You
can obtain a valid Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) online. Electronic
Travel Authority
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| The
trip is far
more economical than any travel agent could do. This
is a unique opportunity that we have for local Australian baseball
associations to sponsor
us and give us use of their fields, teams and ball parks. No
travel
agency
could put together a trip like this, they don't have the baseball
contacts. Australia is not as expensive to visit as European
countries but it is certainly not a third world country. We'll be
going at a
reasonable cost that includes first
class
treatment in every step of the way. The trip will include
all
lodging, ground transportation, all baseball, all tours, lots of
sightseeing,
shopping sprees, and some meals. Our trip is
customized first class trip with us in mind
at a reasonable price of less than $2,400 not including airfare. |
Most
every day
we'll tour a different area, see the local attractions and play a local
baseball team. Some evenings will have group outings or
dinners.
Occasionally there may be joint meals with the local teams that
will
allow the Aussie and USA players to get together, exchange ideas and
make
new friends. You'll find baseball enthusiasts of a variety of age
groups and levels.
They are eager to meet and play ball with you.
Don't
be just
a tourist, be an International Baseball Ambassador, get to know
the people not just the postcards.
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Baseball
Baseball
has
only
been played for decades in Australia. They now
have professional leagues, youth leagues, adult leagues, local and
national
tournaments. You will often see teams from Australia in some of
our national tournament. There best amateur teams are about high
school level
and their professional leagues are probably A or AA level. We'll
be starting our trips with 2 games in the Brisbane/Surfers Paradise
area. We'll see the sights, enjoy the night life and see the
beaches before heading to Cairns
for our 3rd game and snorkeling the barrier reef. We'll travel to
Alice Springs and the Outback for our 4th
game, camel safari and Ayres Rock. From there, we'll be traveling
to our new home in Sydney where will have 2 more game against the local
teams between seeing the sights and enjoying this beautiful city.
We'll be
playing against local amateur and
low level professional teams at various parks around the city. Fields
in Australia vary from good to very good. Some of our games will
be in minor league stadiums and some in local parks or schools. We'll be playing at least
6, maybe 7
games. Our
team
will
be made up of US players from various leagues and organizations from
all over the country.
Transportation
We'll
be taking advantage of Qantas Air and their Airpass program. This
includes flights to and from Australia and 3 flights within the
country. Our flights will be Los Angeles to Brisbane, Brisbane to
Cairns, Cairns to Alice Springs, Alice Springs to Sydney and Sydney to
Los Angeles. You'll need to get to and from Los Angeles on your
own which you can do by adding a small amount onto your air ticket, so
we can rendezvous for our flights to
Australia. You will need to pay for and obtain the air fare on
your own, it is not included in the price of the trip.
Once there,
you'll be met at the airport and transported to our hotel for check
in.
We will have a team bus
that will transport us
from
the different venues and tours at each in the cities we visit.
Upon
departure,
you'll
be transported to the airport and assisted by our tour guides.
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Food
Breakfasts
are general not included with the rooms at the hotels, they will be on
your own. Lunches and dinners
will
be at your own expense. At least 1 welcoming dinner and 1 final
dinner banquet
is included.
There may also be some dinner or lunch get together with the local
teams.
Restaurants are in our hotels and others within easy walking
distance.
Food
in
the Australia is very good. Lots of seafood and of course "shrimp
on the barbie", ..big ones. There is also many international
options that include French, Italian, Japanese, Lebanese,
American, Chinese and Indian. They are also famous for great
beers,
which I am sure we'll be sampling quite often. Forget Fosters,
there will be lots of other local beers available, XXXX is my favorite.
McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and many other US food chains are also present.
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Entertainment
You'll
be overwhelmed by all the choices and activities. We'll have an agenda that will
occupy you every day and some evenings. We'll also have some time
for you to explore on your own in each city. Each city will include Baseball,
daily tours and other activities. The locations and hotels have
all been selected to provide you with easy access to local restaurants,
bars, discos, night clubs and other activities. There will be
more to do than you will have time. Australia is a 1st world
country that likes to have fun and they have the places for it.
You'll have things to keep you busy every day and night, Australia
Rocks!!
With the baseball, tours and your own outings, you'll be exhausted by
the end of the trip. Sleep when you get back to work.
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Sightseeing
After
our
first
day of arrival, we'll be doing extensive
sight
seeing each day and then evening baseball games. We'll
visit some of the most attractive and interesting places of these
interesting cities and their surroundings. Brisbane is a
metropolitan city with lots of new buildings, great restaurants and a
beautiful river walk. Surfers Paradise is part of the Gold Coast
of Australia and home of some of the best beaches in the world.
It's the Aussie version of Waikiki. It's also the amusement park
capital of Australia. We'll be exploring the local attractions
each day before our games.
In Cairns, we'll be taking a boat ride to the Barrier Reef where we'll
do some snorkeling. We'll visit Greens Island and perhaps some
tropical forests. Cairns is a quaint town with beautiful beaches,
great hotels, beautiful views and the gateway the the Barrier Reef.
Alice
Springs is where we'll have a chance to do a safari ride on camels and
visit the most famous natural wonder in Australia, Ayres Rock and Uluru.
Sydney
is the largest city in Australia and is reminiscent of San Francisco,
except much cleaner. We'll climb atop the Sydney tower, have
lunch at the Opera House and visit some of the surrounding
neighborhoods and sights.
At typical day will
consist of day time tours and afternoon or evening games. Each
day will consist of tours to different places so you'll have lot's of
opportunities to see the cities and the surrounding areas.
There will be some
half days off
for touring on your own.
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Accommodations
When you
travel a long distance to a foreign land, you want a comfortable place
to stay. Each city has lots of expensive or high end hotels so
we'll be choosing
one that is close to various tourist activities and one that is easy to
get to and
from our various events. It's nice being close enough to local
attractions, bars, restaurants, discos etc. so that it is a short walk
or taxi drive. We'll be
staying
in at least 3, probably 4, and maybe some 5 star hotels. The hotels are
all very modern with the necessities and amenities you are accustomed
to. Australian rooms are much like American rooms in terms of
size and amenities.
In Surfers Paradise, we'll be staying at the Canard's
Jupiter Hotel and Casino.
I've stayed here before and it's a great hotel. Lots of
restaurants, 2 floors of casinos, discos and close to the beach and
downtown. It's very comfortable and you'll like this place.
In Cairns, we'll be staying at the Sofitel Reef Casino or Rydges Esplanade Hotel.
The Reef hotel offers ocean views, easy walk to the
esplanade, downtown, the beach and harbor. Plus, the Reef Casino
has the largest disco in town and is the place to be in Cairns.
The Rydges is a 4 star quality hotel on the Esplanade with great views
and lots of nice facilities.
At Alice Springs, we'll either be staying at the Crowne Plaza. These are about the best rooms available and within easy access to downtown and Lasseters Casino.
While in Sydney, we'll be staying downtown, near the Opera House.
Possibly the Novatel Darling Harbor, or Rydges Jamison. All offer great view of the Opera House, the Sydney Bridge and
great rooms.
Any of these hotels seem centrally located, have
adequate to very good facilities and all the amenities we will probably
need. Actual locations will be determined as we get closer to
the trip based on cost, comfort and convenience.
Requirements
This
trip is for
amateur baseball players. Most our players are members of local
amateur baseball leagues. Ages ranging in the 20's through the
60's. Average age of the teams is generally in the
mid-40's. Wives, family
members, kids or
other tourists
may also attend as this is a family friendly trip. You will need
a valid passport and be able to obtain a visa.
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Schedule
and Agenda
This trip is scheduled to take place in the spring of
2006, fall in Australia. Hopefully, it will be right after the
rainy season in Queensland and the weather will not be as hot as it
would be in their summer months. The further we wait into our
summer the more it gets into their winter. The flights to
Australia will be departing from Los Angeles. You'll need to be
there in plenty of time, perhaps arriving the night before, depending
on where you live. We'll
start the
trip when you arrive at the airport in Brisbane where we'll be met at
the
airport by one of the travel agents who will help us get to the hotel
for check in. Our departure flight will be in the
evening, we'll fly all night and arrive 2 days later. Our return
flight will be late morning or early afternoon and arrive back to the
US on the same day early to mid morning. It's a direct flight
both ways of about 13-14 hours. Upon the first day of arrival,
we'll have the first day to check into the hotel and
decompression. In the evening, we'll have a welcoming dinner at
the hotel or close by restaurant. You are, of course, welcome to
stay later on your own. If you do, you'll be responsible for your
own transportation and accommodations during those times. A
preliminary detailed agenda is shown
below.
The 1st day, you'll depart the US.
We will all be taking the same flight so it will be necessary to
rendezvous at LAX in plenty of time for the flight to
Australia. You'll travel a day and loose a day on the way as we will cross the international date line. You'll arrive 2 days
later if we leave LAX late at night.
The 2nd day will be arrival where we will be met at the airport and whisked away to our luxury hotel, Jupiter's Hotel & Casino,
for check-in, rest, decompress and see the local sights of Surfers Paradise on your own.
We'll have a dinner on our own to celebrate our arrival in Australia.
On the 3rd day, we'll tour some of the
local sights in Brisbane. This
will include a boat ride to see the city and past the Botanical Gardens, Parliament House and the Treasury
Casino. We'll cross the river and head past the Arts and Cultural Center and
South Bank Parklands.
visits to local sites and a tea. We'll have lunch on our own and
then you'll have time for shopping and sight seeing on your own before
returning to the hotel and get ready to play Game #1
against the local team on
the Gold Coast area at the Mudgeeraba Baseball Complex. We may
also have an after game bar-b-que with the local team. We'll return to Jupiter's and dinner on your own if no bar-b-que.
On the 4th day, you can tour some of the sights in
Surfers Paradise
area on your own. Everything is within easy commute or tram
ride. You'll have the day off so you can shop and so some
things on your own. Late afternoon, we'll leave
for Game
#2 against the local team at the Mudgeeraba Baseball Complex before we return for our last night at Jupiter's and dinner on your own.
On the 5th day we'll travel to Cairns.
We'll have a morning flight out of Gold Coast/Brisbane Domestic Airport. It's the
quickest and the only direct flight so we will need to make sure we are on time. We'll arrive in plenty of
time to check into the hotel,
get some rest, see some of the city and then off to play Game #3 that evening. Night and dinner on the
town on your own, possibly a bar-b-que with the local team.
On the 6th day we'll take a day off and go
snorkeling on the Barrier Reef.
This will be an all day
adventure. We'll take a boat that will provide snorkel lessons, all the
equipment, a morning tea, brunch on the boat and at least 1 maybe 2
areas where we will be able to snorkel. We'll
be back we'll visit Greens Island before heading back to land and the
hotel. We'll have time clean up for dinner and a night on the
town.
On the 7th day we'll explore some of the sites around Cairns.
We'll be taking the train through the rainforest on route to Kuranda
Village. This is an Aboriginal village where you'll be able to
see local craftsmen, do some shopping and have lunch. You'll be able
to take the tram back to the lower elevations where we'll be shuttled
back to the hotel. The remainder of the afternoon will be for
exploring
the town or enjoying the local beaches. Dinner on your own this night.
Day 8 we'll travel to the outback and Alice
Springs. We'll
have a late morning flight so we can arrive in
plenty of time to check into the Crowne Plaza Hotel and do a little
exploring of the town. We'll be shuttled off to the Lyle Kempster Baseball Complex at Traeger Park for our evening
baseball Game #4 against the locals before returning to the hotel for dinner on your own.
Day 9 will be a travel and site seeing day. We'll
need to be up and out early as we'll be shuttled off to meet our camels
for a morning safari and breakfast with some of gods strangest
creatures. After breakfast and saying good by to your new best
friend, we'll be transported to the airport for a flight to Ayres
Rock. There will be some time to visit this local town before we
are shuttled to the base of Ayres Rock for a Sound of Silence
Dinner. This will include a sunset view of Uluru and an evening
guide to the stars, weather permitting. Here we'll have a chance to dine on
barramundi, kangaroo and buffalo. We'll return to our Pioneer
Hotel for a very
early wake up call the next day.
Day 10 will be a site seeing and travel day.
Need to be up early for our Sunrise Tour of Ayres Rock by local
Aboriginal guides. We'll go directly from there to the airport
where
we'll fly across the outback to Sydney. We'll be met at the
airport and transported to the Novatel Hotel for check in. Dinner
and evening will be on your own.
Day 11 will be a tour day of the Sydney area.
We'll be escorted through various parts of the downtown area including
a trip to the Sydney Tower and Bondi Beach areas. Afterwards, we'll be transported to
the Opera House for a tour and lunch. We'll return to the Novatel
Hotel for a little rest and then it is off to Game #5 against the local teams.
Day 12 you can tour Sydney on your own. This will be your chance to see or do some of the many activities available. There are several options for things to do, the Bridge Walk (across the
top), jet boat rides in the harbor, shopping, China Town, The Rocks and
more. Our
hotel is within easy walking distance to the metro and other local
sights. After you return to the Novatel, we'll be transported off
to Game #6 against the local team for our final victory.
Day 13 will be a full day on your own.
This is your chance to see other sites and other activities. Feel
free to explore the area but be back in time as we will need to rally
up for our final dinner boat cruise on the MV Sydney 2000 on Sydney
Harbour where you'll have an opportunity to dine on a choice of delicacies, sip some wine and enjoy the bay.
Day 14 will have a leisure
morning,
do some last minute shopping. Lunch on your own but we'll have to
be back in time to be transported off to the airport in the
mid to late afternoon for our flight home.
Day 14 again, arrive in the USA
the same day you left after flying backward into the rising sunrise.
All in all, between the baseball
and the tours,
this will be a very
busy schedule that will give you a great experience and a chance to see
lots of Australia. You'll have lots of opportunities for
evenings out after the games or tours. There may be some nights where
we'll go out as a group or you are welcome to go on your own.
Outline
of Schedule for 14-day Road Trip, 12 nights
Optional Days
A
number of people have expressed interest in some additional days in
Australia. If you are interested, here are some other activities
we might consider as a group. You are, of course, welcome to go
out on your own, visit other cities or go where you want. After
we get our minimum number of people signed up, we'll work out what may
happen on optional days. You can of course go out on your own and
do as you like.
Optional Day
1
Day 15
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Optional Day
2
Day 16
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Optional Day
3
Day 17 |
Breakfast on your own
Morning on your own
Lunch on your own
Transfer to Airport
Evening flight back to US
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Day 17 |
Arrive back in the
USA at LAX, the same day you left Australia |
Dates
May
14-27, 2006, note these are preliminary dates.
Since
this is a package deal for our group, we will all need to be taking the
same flights at the same time. Some of us may want to stay a few
days later. If so, we'll work on the schedule above for optional
days and activities, or you can do it on your own.
Cost
We need at
least 10 players with a minimum of 15
people for this trip to happen.
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Trip
|
Airfare
|
Tax
|
|
Total
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Cost for Players
|
$2,875
|
$1,300
|
$328
|
=
|
$4,503
|
Cost for Non-Players
|
$2,750 |
$1,300 |
$328
|
= |
$4,378 |
Cost for Kids 11 and under
|
$985
|
$1,300 |
$328
|
= |
$2,613 |
Single Supplement
|
|
|
Add
|
+ |
$1,095
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Costs are subject to change from airlines for fuel surcharges or prices increases. These
costs are current costs and not fixed until reservations have been made
and deposits paid to travel agents. All funds are due in full in the hands of the travel agent at
least 90 days prior to departure, February 14, 2006.
Universal
Currency #1
Currency
Converter #2
Current Exchange
Rates
Approximate exchange rate, 1 Australian Dollar .7525 USD, 1 USD=$1.329 AUD
If you
would like
more information on playing in Australia send an email to Dennis@DennisMc.com
Included is: Transfer to and from Airports in Australia
Hotel accommodations for 12
nights.Air fare from LAX to Australia
All flights within Australia
All local transport to scheduled activities
Admission to scheduled tours and eventsBrisbane River/City Tour
1 Day Snorkeling on the Barrier Reef w/LessonsSkyrail & Tram to Kuranda & RainforestCamel Breakfast Safari
Sounds of Silence Ayres Rock Dinner
Sunrise Ayres Rock Tour
Sydney Tower TourSydney Opera House Tour
Sydney City and Outlying Area Tour
Sydney Harbour Dinner CruiseMaybe a BBQ or 2 with local teams
7 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 2 Dinners, 1 Teas
All baseball costs, 6 Games (umpires,
fields, etc.)Australian Travel Authority Pass
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Not
included is:
Air fare from your home town to and from LAX
Non-scheduled
trips
(taxis, buses, trains etc.).
Some Breakfasts, Most Lunches
and Dinners$22 Entry Fee into Uluru National Park
Each
player to bring 6 new leather baseballs
Each
player to bring
their own playing gear & uniforms.
Visa,
international travel, import or other similar costs
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Contact
Dennis
McCroskey,
Baseball Adventures
P.O. Box 707
Mendocino, CA
95460
707-937-4478
707-937-2349
fax
email: Dennis@DennisMc.com
Sign
Up
To sign up for
this
trip you need to fill
out the application form and send a $500 deposit. The balance
of funds will be due by January 15,
2006. If
for some
reason, the trip does not happen, all deposits will be returned in
full minus charges from travel agents and their vendors. Other than threat of war or natural disaster, the only
reason it would not happen is if we do not the min of 15 people on the
trip. We currently have about 20 players interested so all looks like it will be a go.
This trip is for amateur baseball
players.
Wives, girl friends, family members or other tourists may also
attend. You will
need a valid passport and be able to obtain a visa. You can do this online at: Electronic
Travel Authority however, our travel agent will take care of this for us.
Roster
We
need a minimum of 10 players with a maximum of
14 players and a minimum of 15 participants. It looks like we have that at this point. Friends, wives,
relatives, girlfriends, kids and others are encouraged and may
attend as support staff or tourists. This trip is currently
full. If you would like to get on a
waiting list, please let me know, there will be people who decide not to go. If we get enough people, we can
maybe have a 2nd team.
Roster of Interested
Participants
| Player |
Status |
Positions
|
Dennis
McCroskey
Allan Green
Mike Souza
Gordie Woo
Blair Doyle
Steve Bennett
Gary Cook
David Crain
Anrey Soto
|
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Maybe
Maybe
Maybe
Maybe
|
P,IF
OF
1B,P
OF
IF,C,P
OF,IF,P
OF
C
|
Non Players
|
Status
|
Positions
|
Marianna Lehr
Sue Joe Souza
Joanna Woo
|
Yes
Yes
Yes
|
|
We need 2 more pitchers
and another catcher. |
|
|
|
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Brisbane
Surfers Paradise at Night
Mudgeeraba Baseball Complex
Conrad Jupiter's Hotel & Casino
Surfers Paradise
Typical Aussie Motor Coach
Reef Casino & Hotel Cairns
Rydges Esplanade Hotel Cairns
Cairns Wharf & City
Snorkel with the fish on the Great Barrier
Reef
Boat to the Reef
Green's Island
Hang on to your Dingo
We're headed for the Outback
Lyle Kempster Baseball Complex, Alice Springs
Aboriginals will be in Cairns & Alice Springs
Crown Plaza Hotel Alice Springs
Ayres Rock
Sounds of Silence Dinner
Your new best friend.
Camel Safari
Sydney Tower
Hotel Novatel in Sydney
Dining at the Opera House
Harbor at Sunset
Dining on the Harbor
Face Paintings Optional
Roo Pelts on the Move
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