Dear Escape Club Member,

Welcome to the June edition of Escape Club News - the easiest way to keep up to date with specials and developments within the Constellation Hotel Group.

Winter is now upon us and it is time to organise your next break  - whether you prefer to enjoy the delights of a warm fire and Christmas in July celebration, or to escape to more sunny climates, Constellation has the ideal getaway for you!

In this edition we visit the beautiful region of the Tamar Valley near Launceston in Tasmania and also the many attractions of the Penrith and the Nepean in New South Wales.

Our newest property Chifley Eastern Creek is proving very popular with its exciting location opposite Eastern Creek International Raceway.  With no need to drive home you can enjoy a full day at the track followed by a cold beer at the bar or a swim in the indoor pool!  Major events can be viewed on the calendar so you can get a group of friends together for a fun weekend away.

Click here to view more Hot Deals and we look forward to welcoming you back again soon.

Regards,

The Escape Club Team

Constellation Hotel Group welcomed Melbourne to its Sundowner portfolio this month with the signing of Sundowner Jika International Motel.

The 4 star motel is conveniently located just six kilometres North East of the Melbourne CBD, in Fairfield, and just a short stroll from the Yarra River.

With a diverse mix of 50 fully refurbished guest rooms ranging from Standard to Deluxe Spa Suites, Sundowner Jika International Motel has accommodation options and facilities to appeal to both leisure and business travellers.

Separated from the mainland of Australia by the 240km stretch of Bass Strait, Tasmania is a land apart - a place of wild and beautiful landscapes, friendly welcoming people, a pleasant temperate climate, wonderful wine and food, a rich history including some of Australia's earliest settlements, and a relaxed island lifestyle.

Launceston and its river valley blend history, scenery, creativity, adventure, entertainment and superb flavours of fine food and wine. Set on the Tamar River, Launceston is the centre of Tasmania's north and its second oldest city which has developed into a thriving commercial hub.

Country Comfort Launceston is situated 5 minutes walk from the Launceston CBD. Close to cinemas, hospitals, local attractions, gardens, the football and basketball stadiums and ideally located to take advantage of all Launceston has to offer. The exhilarating Tamar Valley, golf courses, professional and manufacturing hubs of Launceston are all easily accessible.

Going back to those old beach holidays of yore Sally Macmillan discovers a classic Aussie holiday gem on the NSW mid North Coast.

It's just like the beach shack holiday of yore: kids ... running free; zooming round on bikes and scooters; cozzied and flip-flopped up, towels over shoulder and with zinc-creamed noses, threading their way through the resort village to beach or pool; instantly making new friends to play cricket on improvised pitches. Parents ... taking turns at beach and pool supervision; a communal lunch barbie poolside or inviting the neighbours to an evening one on their deck. Welcome to Australis Diamond Beach near Forster- a reinvention of the great Aussie family beach holiday where kids cavort safely and Mum and Dad, Grandinum and Grandpop can truly chill out.

The "shacks" are no ancient fibro affairs, but wood and metal beach houses, cottages, detached and semi-detached villas and plush apartments. But it has a beach village feel, built amid existing native trees with grassed surrounds, timber walkways and no fences - bar around the pools; games, rec and playground areas; tennis courts and apartments, which are private and more suited to couples. Flanked by a nature reserve with visiting kangaroos and native birds, the resort sits on 6km of white sand beach, reached by boardwalk through dunes just beyond the huge saltwater pool. Couples have plenty of room to get right away from families. So too can beach anglers get plenty of their own space. This visit there's a cluster of families romping in the pool, two anglers way down near Red Head and ... the rest of the 6km stretch, we have all to ourselves.

All accommodation is selfcatering with fully equipped kitchens, indoor dining areas and alfresco entertaining areas with stainless steel gas barbecues. You can load up supplies at any of the towns on the drive in, or pick up items from the general store on site. There's also a top-class bistro - the Three Nippers - with a huge covered deck overlooking a lotusflowered lagoon, serving lunch, cocktails and dinner daily (breakfasts at weekends and school hols), also offering golf cart room service delivery, including breakfast, picnic and barbecue hampers. There's a range of accommodation to choose from to suit any budget, family or couple. Family cottages offer a combination of queen-size bedroom and two single bunks, or queen and two double bunks, or queen and one trio, for four to six people. Other family options include two-bedroom garden villas (sleeps five) and two bedroom resort villas (four).  All are a few minutes walk from all eating and recreational facilities, pools and the beach. If holidaying extended-family-style, you could get cottages or villas next to each other. The three-bedroom beach house would more suit a multiple couples' getaway: one king-size bedroom, two queen-size, three bathrooms and spa, taking six people. The three-bedroom resort apartment has a king and two queens, with bath, shower and spa for six and two bedder apartment with a king and queen or king and two singles, bath, shower and spa.

For a one-couple getaway there's one-bedroom beachside apartments - ground floor with outdoor covered alfresco area and yard. All come with flat-screen TV,  free-to-air movie channels, highspeed broadband Internet, airconditioning, dishwasher, microwave, fridge, crockery, cutlery, utensils and stove tops. All except the two-bedroom suites have a washing machine and clothes dryer. And apart from improvised cricket, footy, frisbee and beach cricket and volleyball games for the kids, the on-site resort facilities include two resort pools, a toddlers' pool, tennis court, gym with treadmill, cycling, universal machines and flat-screen TVs, bike and canoe hire, kids' club for 5-12s; teenagers' E-activities room and facilitated access to massages and surfing schools. The resort is within five minutes drive of golf courses, 15 minutes from Forster with a range of holiday activities close by including deep-sea fishing, scuba-diving, rainforest walks, lake cruises and horse-riding. If you have kids this is grand for a long weekend break or school-holiday stay. For young and older couples, it's ideal for a midweek, weekend or non-school holiday break.

Cellar Door Pass for NSW and VIC is now 40% off!

A Cellar Door Pass is an essential when exploring the wine regions of VIC and NSW, giving you a host of benefits including VIP access to the Hunter Valley, Mudgee NSW & Geelong & Bellarine Pennisula, Bendigo & Heathcote, Yarra VIC best wineries, the opportunity to taste and take home some of the best iconic and boutique wines in the country, and great value - add to your wine collection - all with the flexibility and convenience of lasting for 12 months! “The gift which keeps on giving”

** Included in the Cellar Door Pass is 6 free bottles of boutique wine.

Buy online now RRP $99.00 BUY NOW for only $59.00

Visit: www.cellardoorpass.com – select BUY NOW - choose either NSW or VIC enter coupon code  Escape 40

As part of Western Sydney, the Penrith Valley is alive with tourism offering excitement for the whole family. Chifley Penrith Panthers is the ideal base for your break and has recently undergone a full refurbishment. The newly appointed rooms have stylish decor and state of the art facilities so you can be rest assured that your stay will be both comfortable and relaxing.

Experience all that the city has to offer from the foothills of the Blue Mountains to the outskirts of the Hawkesbury Valley.

The spectacular Nepean River at Penrith is one of the region’s primary natural attractions. It is not surprising to discover that water based recreation is a key focus within the area. The Nepean River is also a great place for fishing, swimming or simply enjoying a relaxing picnic on the river bank with family and friends.

One of the region’s icons is the Nepean Belle, an old style paddle steamer which can regularly be seen touring the river. The Nepean Belle offers lunches, dinners, morning and afternoon teas as you cruise along the stunning Nepean Gorge.

 With so many water recreation areas, it’s no wonder that Penrith was awarded as the host city for the Sydney 2000 Olympics rowing and canoeing. Sydney 2000 Olympic events were held at the new Sydney International Regatta Centre north of Penrith just four kilometres along Castlereagh Road. The centre is open to the public daily with many picnic locations, walks a well as a cycling track around the rowing lake.