Adventure World, which has enjoyed a 10-year partnership with the Australian Museum, yesterday joined fellow partners LATAM, as the Australian Museum unveiled more details about its upcoming exhibition opening on 23 November. Karryon attends to learn more.
Following on from the highly successful RAMSES and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition, which saw more than 500,000 people through the doors of the Australian Museum and more than $57 million generated for the NSW economy, the newest exhibition launching this month will celebrate the ancient empires of Peru.
Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru is presented in partnership with Neon Global, Museo Larco and the Ministry of Culture of Peru and proudly supported by Major Exhibition Partner, Adventure World; Airline Partner, LATAM Airlines; along with Hotel Partner, Pullman Sydney Hyde Park.
To launch the Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibition, a group of media were invited to join José Alberto Ortiz, Consul-General of Peru; Dr. Jacob Bongers, Andean Archaeologist at the University of Sydney; Neil Rodgers, Managing Director at Adventure World; and Kim McKay AO, Australian Museum Director and CEO for an informative lunch.
Consul-General of Peru, José Alberto Ortiz, spoke passionately about his homeland and the biodiversity of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Machu Picchu site, where there has been more than 377 species of butterflies recorded in this area alone.
Kim Mackay noted that she had discovered that the Consul-General was an “expert Pisco Sour maker” – and he kindly agreed to a live demonstration and insider tips on how to prepare the perfect version – as guests sipped on Pisco Sours (prepared earlier)!
Neil Rodgers, Managing Director of Adventure World spoke about the tour company’s 10-year partnership with the museum and of a synergy between the two.
“We’re all about continuous learning. We are about travel with purpose and purpose is something that we share with the museum wholeheartedly. It was great to see so many people come through to be educated on Egypt, particularly at a time when we had the Israeli war kick off, and everybody was cancelling their trips to Egypt – but we now see them rebounding back to learn, and seeing the next generation coming through,” said Rodgers.
“When I look at the Australian Museum’s mission – to ignite wonder, inspire debate and drive change – that’s why we work with them so closely because we drive change through travel with purpose. We’re taking you to the destination authentically, by giving back to the destination, by only supporting sustainable wildlife experiences, and getting you to the heart of the real people there. Peru is a phenomenal destination, and we are looking forward to showcasing it because if it gets any of the traction that Egypt did, that was phenomenal,” said Rodgers.
“We have an amazing, once in a lifetime, 10 day authentic Peru trip with our friends from LATAM. And this is an uber luxury trip going through Lima, Cusco and, of course, into Machu Picchu,” said Rodgers.
Visitors to the exhibition will be able to enter the trip competition, valued at more than $20,000.
“I love all of the events that go around the exhibition, the festivals… it brings Peru to Sydney and the ‘conscious wayfarer’ which is our traveller…. are motivated by a combination of connection and a curiosity to learn more about the world,” added Rodgers.
LATAM Airlines Country Manager – Oceania, Christopher Ellis was also in attendance at the event. LATAM has just celebrated the return of its highly anticipated non-stop Sydney to Santiago route.
In support for the exhibition, LATAM is offering an exclusive Australian Museum promo code for a 10 per cent discount on flights from Australia to Peru (conditions apply).
“It is a fantastic time to be part of this celebration of one of South America’s greatest cultural and historic landmarks as we’ve recently relaunched our direct Sydney to Santiago route, which sees travellers arrive in South America in less than 13 hours. This service connects seamlessly with our routes to Peru with four daily connecting flights to Lima and three weekly to Cusco. We hope the exhibition and our exclusive promotion code will inspire Australian Museum visitors to plan a trip to experience the wonders of Peru in person,” said Ellis.
Meanwhile hotel partner Pullman Sydney Hyde Park will be offering packages for Australian Museum visitors including tickets to the exhibition, a morning buffet breakfast at Windows on the Park, overnight accommodation, and an activity pack for children.
About the Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibition
- It opens on Saturday 23 November 2024
- The exhibition will feature the first VR aerial tour of Machu Picchu, filmed by drones during Covid when the UNESCO site was free of visitors. VR participants will feel like they are literally soaring above Machu Picchu (tickets for the VR experience are an additional $22).
- The exhibition is the largest collection of gold created by ancient societies in Peru to travel outside of Museo Larco, Lima, Peru, to Australia. Many of the artefacts come from Andean royal tombs.
- Sydney is the fourth stop in an international tour organised by World Heritage Exhibitions, who presented the recent record-breaking exhibition, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. Previously, the Machu Picchu exhibition has been on display in Boca Raton, Florida; Paris, and Milan.
- Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru will be supported by a rich variety of Peruvian themed events every month, including exclusive conversations, experiences, music and tours.
- Perched on a mountain ridge in a cloud forest high above the rainforest, Machu Picchu is an enduring symbol of the great Inca Empire that was brought to an abrupt and violent end by the Spanish Conquest of 1572. The exhibition takes you on a journey through the vast expanse of Andean history, starting from Machu Picchu, travelling alongside the mythical hero, Ai Apaec, and discovering the mysteries of Andean cosmology through a selection of 200 artefacts and funerary objects from royal tombs that include the spectacular gold and silver royal burial garments of legendary Andean lords.
For more information visit australian.museum
