MEDIA RELEASE PR35175
G'dayUK Shows There's More to Australia Than Soaps, Sport & Sun
LONDON, June 24 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Commuters passing along the River Thames this morning were greeted by
scenes more reminiscent of Sydney than London with the installation of
pristine white sand beach to celebrate a new initiative from Australia called
G'dayUK, which aims to bring a little bit of 'Down Under' to the UK.
G'dayUK runs from 24th - 30th June and comprises of Australian-themed
activities designed to showcase the best Australia has to offer in terms of
lifestyle, culture, food & wine and business opportunities.
The launch of the beach comes on the back of research, conducted by ICM1,
that revealed that in spite of the growing number of Brits visiting
Australia, we are still largely unaware of Australia's influence on our
lives. Approximately 1,500 Australian companies are active in the UK,
including firms behind some of the UK's biggest projects such as Westfield
shopping centres, the 2012 Olympic Stadium and the new roof on Wimbledon's
Centre Court.
Australia also boasts six of the UK's top selling wine brands, and the
UK's number three selling beer brand, but it would appear that many of us are
unaware where these leading wine and beer brands come from, with forty per
cent of British consumers claiming they never drink Australian(1).
The beach, complete with pristine sand, life-guards, deck chairs and
surfboards is located at Observation Point on the River Thames, overlooking
some of London's most iconic landmarks including St Paul's Cathedral and the
Square Mile's skyscrapers. Phil Aiken, Chairman of G'dayUK, opened the beach
with help from the cast of the hugely successful Australian West End show,
Priscilla - The Musical, and Australian Michelin-starred chefs Brett Graham
and Shane Osborn.
Aiken commented: "We hope G'dayUK makes a big impact on Brits and cements
relations between our two great countries whilst providing a unique
opportunity for Londoners to experience a bit of Australia on their doorstep.
With temperatures in London set to outstrip those in Australia today,
'Bondi-on-Thames' is definitely the best place to be."
Australian activities taking place during G'dayUK include a CEO Forum for
UK and Australian politicians and business leaders, Selfridges' Gallery
Restaurant promoting an Australian menu created by Brett Graham and Shane
Osborn and a wine tasting hosted by renowned wine writer Matthew Jukes to
showcase his choice of Australia's100 best wines.
1) ICM Omnibus survey involving 2,000 UK respondents
Notes to editors:
About G'Day UK:
Planned for 24 June - 30 June 2009, G'dayUK is a week-long, vibrant
celebration of uniquely Australian products, people, places, businesses,
skills and attitude and is part of a broader strategy by Australia to
continue to develop its relations across the world.
G'dayUK 2009 is supported by the New South Wales, Queensland, Victorian,
South Australian and Western Australian State Governments, Austrade, Qantas
and Tourism Australia in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, Wine Australia, Australian Business and key private sector
sponsors.
SOURCE: G'dayUK
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