TROPICAL TAHITI

Bora Bora, a volcanic island with a necklace of tiny ‘motu’ or islets, is surrounded by those famous aquamarine coloured waters. On arrival at our accommodation, the beautiful Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, we were met with a very welcome cold face towel, a fruit juice drink and a lei made from frangipanis picked fresh from the garden. We stayed in a garden bungalow which had its own private garden with plunge pool and cabana. The bungalow was air conditioned (essential in this environment), spacious, beautifully appointed and had a three way bathroom complete with outdoor shower! The gardens were just what you would expect in the tropics with palm and coconut trees, hibiscus and frangipani, all creating a soothing rustling sound in the gentle sea breezes.

Our first afternoon here in paradise was spent swimming with and feeding the local reef sharks, stingrays and even black tip sharks! The waters are deliciously warm and home to colourful tropical fish and turtles. Water activities range from swimming & snorkelling, kayaking & canoeing, to scuba diving and jet skiing. For those land lubbers, enjoy a day driving or cycling around the 32 km of Bora Bora Island. You can even climb the rugged peaks for spectacular views of the lagoon. Bora Bora, with its exotic mix of Polynesian and French cultures, has certainly earnt it’s reputation as the ‘honeymoon capital’ of the world! But don’t wait for your honeymoon – Tahiti is perfect for families and singles as well!

MAGICAL MAURITIUS

Mauritius has a raw beauty with its tropical flora and fauna surrounded by aqua blue seas. But the essence of the country is its fascinating people with their unique blend of French, Dutch, British, Indian, Chinese and African cultures. On arrival, I was overwhelmed by the natural ease of the people who welcomed us with open arms.

Our destination is Legends Resort, located in the north-eastern corner of Mauritius near the fishing village of Grand Gaube. Built on the concepts of Feng Shui, this Resort offers visitors an experience in the art of living in complete harmony with the environment. We spent our days either sailing the crystal blue seas on a catamaran, snorkelling amidst colourful tropical fish or bartering at the local markets. Night time comes alive with music and learning their local dance, the Sega, is a must!

My favourite thing about Legends was the service. You may be relaxing on the beach and someone will offer you cucumber for your eyes, or clean your sunglasses, or offer you a little mini pizza as a snack before dinner. To experience this exotic country at a beautiful resort just tops it all off as a wonderful holiday!

BRAMPTON ISLAND

Our helicopter transfer from Mackay airport offered magnificent views of the Whitsundays before we landed at Brampton Island. On arrival, we were greeted by friendly, smiling staff and transferred to the resort reception area where more smiling staff were waiting with our welcome drinks! After a quick orientation, we checked in to our beautiful premium ocean view room then slipped into our togs and set off to explore. Brampton Island is huge and, being a National Park, has an abundance of wildlife including huge monitor lizards, kangaroos and rainbow lorikeets (or the Brampton Island Mafia as they are affectionately known by the staff!). A bat colony also lives on the island during the day and at dusk the sky is full of them as they migrate for the night to nearby Carlisle Island.

All three delicious meals are included in the daily room rate and drinks were at a small additional charge. Our days were full of activities including archery, water aerobics, nature talks and slide shows (all based on the nature of Brampton Island) fish talk and feeding session, croquet and trivia sessions, tennis, night golf and touch football games. We also took a walk to Brampton Peak which takes about 45 minutes and gives breathtaking views out to the Whitsunday passage. There are several different walks that can be taken, depending on how physical you want to be. Brampton Island is a place that you can literally be busy all day, or do absolutely nothing! Please contact Renee for more details.

THE LOST CITY OF THE INCAS

If you love to travel there will always be places you want to visit but perhaps for each of us there is a single place that you need to see with your own eyes – perhaps it is one of the man made wonders of the world such as the Taj Mahal, the Egyptian Pyramids or Machu Picchu in Peru which, for me, was the place I had always wanted to see.

For travelers who have time and are fit and healthy, your arrival into Machu Picchu can be quiet and uninterrupted if you have walked the Inca Trail. This is a 4 day tented hike through the mountains but you only need carry a day pack as the camp sites are permanent and your gear is carried by porters. You will arrive through the Sun Gate and the city will unfold beneath you. Our journey to Machu Picchu began from Cuzco, 70kms away – a fascinating and historical city where we began to acclimatize to the altitude of the Peruvian Andes. The Valley follows the Urumbamba River and so does the spectacular train journey. Like most visitors to Machu Picchu we took one of the regular buses up the snaking road from the station at Aquas Calientes to begin our visit with our personality-charged guide, Darwin. We arrived like most people around 10 am which is a very busy time with Darwin suggesting we have our first glimpse of Machu Picchu alone and then rendezvous just outside the gate for our tour a little later.

The morning was cloudy but the first view as the clouds parted revealed green terraces with feeding alpacas, polished grey stone walls and the towering Huayna Picchu backdrop to this most magical of places. It was hard to believe we were really there – this wasn’t a National Geographic photograph. The afternoons are quieter so this is a more peaceful time to explore and enjoy the ruins and to walk to the Sun Gate and Inca Bridge.

Anni recently returned from South America and can tailor a handmade experience for you.

CAROL’S CHINA EXPERIENCE

“Sing a song”, “Jingle Bells”, “Happy Room” – these are all ways to ask for the bathroom when you are visiting China! I spent an amazing 9 days seeing some of the major highlights of China on a ‘snapshot’ visit there in November. Our Wendy Wu tour, consisting of 17 travelers from Australia, New Zealand and the UK, commenced in Shanghai where we were met at the airport by our National Guide, Kelly, who stayed with us throughout the tour. Known as the “Pearl of the Orient”, Shanghai is a vibrant, modern city of skyscrapers, lights and trendy shops. In one day we were transported back to the century old traditional water canal town of Wuzhen built on a network of tranquil waterways and canals, where we walked the narrow cobbled laneways. Later the same day we sped from the airport to the city at 431 kph on the mag-lev (magnetic levitation) train, followed by an 88 storey elevator ride to the Jin Mao Observatory at the top of the tallest building in China. Definitely a city of contrasts!! Leaving modern Shanghai behind, we took a short 2.5 hr flight to Xian but travelled thousands of years back into history! We have all heard of the Terracotta Warriors created over 2,000 years ago in the Qin Dynasty by the egotistical Emperor Qin, but did you know they were only discovered in 1974 by a farmer on the outskirts of Xian when he was digging a well? Amazing! So far they have unearthed approximately 7,000 warriors, but feel there are probably thousands more yet to discover!

Leaving behind this fascinating city, we flew another 1.5 hrs to Beijing – the jewel in the crown! With big ticket items like the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the Great Wall, Beijing deserves much more than the brief 3 day stay we had. The beauty and attention to detail in these historic buildings is awesome! In between all these historic visits, we managed to bargain at the markets, be entertained by Kung Fu shows, have foot massages, visit silk and jade factories and, of course, enjoy Chinese banquets every day! Call in and see Carol for a brochure or to discuss the best tour to suit you.

ANTARCTICA - VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

In November 2005, Carol experienced an unforgettable journey to Antarctica on board Hurtigruten Line’s ‘MS Nordkapp’. Our 14 night cruise commenced in Puerto Montt located approximately half way down the coastline of Chile. Leaving the protected waters of the Chilean Fiords, we crossed the Drake Passage and arrived at the Antarctic Peninsula. The sky was gunmetal grey and matched the color of the seas, snow was falling and the wind was whipping around the ship. In stark contrast, the blue of the icebergs was electrifying and dotted occasionally with small black spots – penguins!! We rugged up and spent the morning on deck absorbing this fascinating environment before sailing into the calm waters of Whalers Bay for our first shore excursion. For the next five days we enjoyed crystal clear skies and brilliant white landscapes with no wind so were able to make all the scheduled landings. We had close encounters with various breeds of delightful penguins as well as the cumbersome Weddell Seal and were blessed with the sightings of both Killer and Hump Backed Whales.

Our cruise ended at Ushuaia, the world’s most southerly city, located at the tip of Argentina in a spectacularly picturesque setting. Here I sadly left the ship and headed for home, hoping that at least some of the 1,000 photos I took can do justice to such an incredible journey of discovery! See Carol for more information.

SPECTACULAR SEVEN SPIRIT BAY

Having never been to Australia’s ‘Top End’ before, I am excited as we board the 12 seater Cessna at Darwin airport headed to the multi award winning Seven Spirit Bay Wilderness Lodge. The Lodge is located on the tip of the Coburg Peninsula in the Northern Territory’s beautiful and rugged Arnhem Land. The 45 minute “transfer” from Darwin is a spectacular scenic flight and on landing we spot several water buffalo scattered along the edges of the red dirt Midjari airstrip, curiously watching our arrival. We are met by the General Managers, load into 4WD Jeeps and make our way 15 kilometers through the bush to the Lodge. My accommodation is in a free standing ‘habitat’ with gorgeous Balinese style bathrooms. The Lodge itself is lovely with manicured lawns and gardens, all overlooking the aqua waters of Coral Bay. The main Lodge is open plan with all dining outdoors so as not to miss a minute of the spectacular vista! Lush tropical trees and plants surround the pool area creating a heavenly backdrop as we slip into its crystal clear cooling waters. There are several nature walks on offer, ranging from very easy paced beach walks to those requiring a moderate level of fitness. Water bottles are supplied on all walks which were a must in the humid environment. All nature safaris are led by extremely informative guides who offer you the chance to try genuine bush tucker. If you’re lucky you might see a croc, although we did not see any of these prehistoric beauties! We did, however, see sting rays, Bantang (a kind of wild bush cattle), water buffalo, wild pigs and even sharks! A highlight is the Sunset Champagne tour where we are taken to a permanent viewing platform to watch the glorious sunset with champagne and delicious canapés in hand. We then return to the lodge for our first five course degustation meal– another definite highlight of the trip! Sleep comes easily with the sounds of nature all around and we don’t mind a bit when woken by the beautiful hot pink and orange sunrise start to our day. Seven Spirit Bay has no televisions, radio or mobile phone reception so, with its awe inspiring remoteness, it is a perfect escape from anything and everything! Call in and See Renée for more information.