Latest news with #RedBalloon
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Best gift ideas Australia: Save on travel and adventure deals this Afterpay Day with Red Balloon
Father's Day is just around the corner, and if you're determined to switch socks for something a little more adventurous, we've got just the solution for you. Rather than materialistic gifts, why not treat him to a memorable moment instead — perhaps even ticking something off his bucket list. Red Balloon is a one-stop-shop for thrilling activities, unique dining experiences and more, and it can be purchased in voucher form with five years validity and unlimited exchanges. Thanks to the August Afterpay Day sales, you can take 12 per cent off a range of exciting activities, from skydives to five-course dining experiences. Available across a wide selection of unique activities with a minimum spend of $129, simply enter the code AFTERPAY12 at checkout to unlock your discount. You heard it here first: you've got four more days to snap up this rare discount. Gift vouchers can be redeemed on any experience available through RedBalloon, giving Dad the freedom to tick a unique activity off his bucket list. Whether he has always want to jump out of a plane or experience a hot air balloon ride, Red Balloon has plenty of activities for an adrenaline junkie Dad. Or if you think he'd prefer an overnight getaway or dining experience, lock in a winery stay in Hunter Valley, or consider a degustation dinner curated by Luke Nguyen himself. Offering a wide variety of experiences suitable for every budget, Best Picks has rounded up some of the top experiences you can gift him based on voucher values. What a $50 voucher can buy: What a $250 voucher can buy: Sydney Harbour Cruise with three course lunch for two. One night stay at Huntingdon House. Clay target shooting with live ammo. What a $350 voucher can buy: Switch material gifts for something he'll remember forever at RedBalloon.
Time Out
4 days ago
- Time Out
Your guide to Australia's best Afterpay Day travel deals, plus hot sales on right now
We've got a lil' something to brighten up your frosty faces this winter. One of Australia's biggest sales of the year is about to kick off, meaning you don't have to wait until Boxing Day to snag some epic travel deals. Running from August 14 to 17, Afterpay Day sees big brands slashing up to 70 per cent off everything from hotels and holiday packages to flights and experiences. To help you out, we've rounded up the best Afterpay Day travel deals. Plus, we've added in some other sizzling sales happening right now across the country. Now go on, treat yo' self! Holidays and experiences Red Balloon – 12 per cent off sitewide (min spend $149) Experience Oz – up to 20 per cent off experiences Expedia – 10 per cent off bookings – up to 20 per cent off with a Getaway Deal – 10 per cent off Wotif – up to 25 per cent off select WA holidays Luxury Escapes – up to 63 per cent off packages to places like New Zealand, Bali, Maldives and more Contiki – up to 25 per cent off trips to destinations like the Middle East, Canada and Africa Intrepid – up to 20 per cent off small group trips to destinations like Vietnam, India and Turkey Flight sales Fiji Airways – flights from $639 return to Fiji Jetstar – flights around Australia from $49 Virgin Australia – flights to Melbourne from $99 Qantas – flights around Australia from $105 Hotel sales IHG Hotels – up to 30 per cent off selected stays Pan Pacific Hotels – up to 30 per cent off selected Pan Pacific, Parkroyal hotels and resorts Rydges – up to 25 per cent off
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney had free trains for 54 hours. A lot of us went whale watching
Did Sydneysiders use their fare-free train days at the start of the month to go whale watching? It seems many of us did. There will never be a precise way to tell who went where in the 54 hours between 12.01am on July 31 and 6am on August 2, when the Opal card readers were turned off at railway and metro stations. There were office zombies among us who walked through the darkened Opal gates while feeling awkward about gripping their cards in an automated response Pavlov would be proud of. (Guilty, your honour.) Then there were others who actually got out and did things. (Not guilty of this, I'm afraid.) The free travel was pitched as consolation for months of disruption as the industrial dispute between the government and half a dozen rail unions dragged on. Some consolation, you might think, as many of us would have endured 54 hours of transport hell and the estimated $7 million cost will be borne by taxpayers, really, but there are clues it worked. Loading Big Red Group has some idea about what Sydneysiders got up to on the free train days. The company behind RedBalloon and about '10,000 experiences' across Australia says bookings were up 5.6 per cent during the fare-free period compared with the previous week. The company says five of the top growth categories were whale watching, up 300 per cent, watching the V8s (up 60 per cent), romantic getaways (up 44.4 per cent), aquariums and zoos (up 13.7 per cent) and eating out (up 4.8 per cent). Big Red Group chief growth officer John Boris acknowledges it is impossible to draw a direct causal relationship, but says the company's data shows a correlation between the fare-free days and extra bookings. 'And that was in the face of a pretty terrible weather weekend as well.'
The Age
6 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Sydney had free trains for 54 hours. A lot of us went whale watching
Did Sydneysiders use their fare-free train days at the start of the month to go whale watching? It seems many of us did. There will never be a precise way to tell who went where in the 54 hours between 12.01am on July 31 and 6am on August 2, when the Opal card readers were turned off at railway and metro stations. There were office zombies among us who walked through the darkened Opal gates while feeling awkward about gripping their cards in an automated response Pavlov would be proud of. (Guilty, your honour.) Then there were others who actually got out and did things. (Not guilty of this, I'm afraid.) The free travel was pitched as consolation for months of disruption as the industrial dispute between the government and half a dozen rail unions dragged on. Some consolation, you might think, as many of us would have endured 54 hours of transport hell and the estimated $7 million cost will be borne by taxpayers, really, but there are clues it worked. Loading Big Red Group has some idea about what Sydneysiders got up to on the free train days. The company behind RedBalloon and about '10,000 experiences' across Australia says bookings were up 5.6 per cent during the fare-free period compared with the previous week. The company says five of the top growth categories were whale watching, up 300 per cent, watching the V8s (up 60 per cent), romantic getaways (up 44.4 per cent), aquariums and zoos (up 13.7 per cent) and eating out (up 4.8 per cent). Big Red Group chief growth officer John Boris acknowledges it is impossible to draw a direct causal relationship, but says the company's data shows a correlation between the fare-free days and extra bookings. 'And that was in the face of a pretty terrible weather weekend as well.'
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The perfect last-minute Mother's Day gift that every mum will love: 'Deliciously serene'
One of the nation's top chefs has created the ultimate gift for mums this Mother's Day - and it's the ideal 'all-in' present from family members. Tucked away in a lush corner of Sydney lies the spectacular Botanic House - a gorgeous hideaway in the iconic Royal Botanic Gardens. And as a delectable treat, renowned chef Luke Nguyen has curated a very special degustation experience on RedBalloon, blending South East Asian flavours with native Australian ingredients - many of which can be found in the surrounding gardens. Designed to awake the senses, the $380 1.5-hour experience for two is served share-style with paired wines. As guests are sat in their garden oasis they can admire glimpses of Sydney Harbour while they savour delights like dumplings, chicken rice paper rolls, steamed coral trout and sticky date tamarind pudding. Highlights include seared Hokkaido scallops, Nem Nuong lemongrass pork, BBQ roasted duck and smoky char-grilled beef short ribs, with wines from Orange, NSW, France and Germany. Botanic House is widely regarded as one of the nation's 'hidden gems', with the multi-level dining adventure, as they describe it, perfect for long lunches, laid-back coffee dates and gorgeous dinners. Nguyen is all about 'celebrating nature's bounty', with the chef prioritising fresh, locally sourced ingredients as he infuses Vietnamese flavors with an Aussie flair. The chef famously also offers the ultimate date experience, with special curated picnic boxes designed for couples looking for something a little different. The $90 boxes serve two and are available Monday to Sunday between 11am and 3.30pm (pre-ordered). The boxes include an array of mouthwatering treats, from Vietnamese prawn crackers to coral trout, prawn and scallop spring rolls. Other highlights include caramelised pork belly bao buns, lemon myrtle chicken, jellyfish, cabbage and Asian herb salad and a Pandan lava cake with jackfruit sticky rice, coconut cream and seasonal fruits.
