Cultural Attractions of Australia is a collective of 17 leading cultural, historic and sporting attractions. Uniting Australia’s landmark attractions, it offers 30 curated VIP, behind-the-scenes, pre-bookable experiences that have been designed for travellers who are looking for meaningful and authentic experiences, and are an ideal way for visitors to immerse themselves in Australian culture.
Fancy being a Diva for the Day? With Opera Australia, guests can have their own full hair and make-up session before a private photo shoot at Sydney Opera House. For art aficionados, a dinner with David Walsh – the controversial creator of Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) could be in store. From all-access tours of iconic art galleries, museums and sporting venues, to immersive VIP experiences at historic sites, Cultural Attractions of Australia (CAOA) provides memorable must-do experiences that are all pre-bookable.
“We are a collective of landmark cultural attractions across Australia joining together to offer inspiring premium experiences,” said Cultural Attractions of Australia’s Executive Director, Annabel Sullivan.
“Our experiences tell the Australian cultural story from an Australian perspective with an Australian voice – experiences that reveal our country’s living culture expressed through sport, arts, culture, music, history and heritage.”
The collective represents attractions across Australia and offers immersive experiences that enrich travellers.
As Australia’s purpose-built capital, Canberra preserves national treasures within iconic institutions such as Australian Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia and National Museum of Australia.
In the National Gallery of Australia, for example, guests can experience an exclusive evening with Cultural Attractions of Australia with A Feast of Icons experience. This after-hours tour allows visitors to join an expert guide where stories of iconic works from the National Gallery of Australia’s extraordinary collection are shared before enjoying a bespoke dinner in the Skyspace Garden with accompanying cocktail inspired by James Turrell’s ‘Within without’ and specially curated local wines that have been paired to embody the works of art within the surroundings.
Sydney’s cultural landscape is adorned with esteemed institutions like the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Bangarra Dance Theatre, the Australian National Maritime Museum, the country’s national opera company Opera Australia and the world renowned Sydney Opera House. They all offer behind the scenes and immersive experiences.
Sydney Opera House can be explored on a deeper level with a range of special access, behind-the-scenes and immersive experiences delivered by both Sydney Opera House and the country’s national opera company, Opera Australia, with their thrilling marriage proposal experience, Diva for the Day or an actual walk-on role.
In Brisbane, the Queensland Art Gallery I Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) is one of Australia’s most ambitious and dynamic art galleries. Offering an exceptional First Artists experience, visitors can experience a Welcome to Country Smoking Ceremony and Didgeridoo performance before hearing from an Australian First Nations storyteller, artist and curator as they undertake a private tour of magnificent artworks.
Sports fans can head to elegant Adelaide and visit the Adelaide Oval. Established in 1871, this historic venue offers behind the scenes tours including the Adelaide Oval Legends Tour, allowing guests to delve into its rich history. Additionally, visitors can take in the vistas of the city with a RoofClimb and very special RoofClimb Game On! match experience.
In Tasmania, travellers can immerse themselves in the life of early colonial prisoners at Port Arthur Historic Site – a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, or visit Mona, the Museum of Old and New Art, where the owner of Australia’s largest privately owned museum and art gallery, David Walsh, offers lavish experiences with Cultural Attractions of Australia.
Melbourne’s cultural and sporting precinct proves that big is definitely beautiful. The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) houses the nation’s largest permanent collection of Australian art, while the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has the most seats in the Southern Hemisphere – as enjoyed by the many Swifties who recently flocked there. Built just 15 years after Melbourne was established in 1853, the priority given to sport in this city remains and with Cultural Attractions of Australia guests can enjoy the MCG through premium all-access tours, as well as taking in the Australian Sports Museum.
Just 75 minutes west of Melbourne lies Ballarat, home of Australia’s foremost outdoor museum, Sovereign Hill. This heritage site recreates the original township of Ballarat to depict life during the gold rush of the 1850s. Visitors can step back in time as part of the Taste of Gold or stay overnight for a fully immersive life on the gold fields experience.
In WA, Fremantle is Perth’s ‘old town’ and the World Heritage Fremantle Prison allows visitors to ‘step inside and do time’ on a range of fascinating tours, including; Fremantle Prison Art Tour, Tunnels Tour, Torchlight Tour, Behind the Bars Tour, Convict Prison Tour or a True Crime Tour – featuring some of the most notorious inmates.
Cultural Attractions of Australia (CAOA) provides a single point of contact for travel trade. The curated experiences offered through the collective are pre-bookable and fully commissionable to trade. CAOA has a dedicated trade website where rates and images can be accessed. While CAOA works as a collective, each attraction will need to be contacted to obtain net rates, reservation details, booking and payment conditions. Relevant contact details for each attraction are available on the CAOA Rate Sheet accessed by registering via this link tradepartnerservices.com/c/culturalattractionsofaustralia
