Sandra Walliss – Tour Manager

“Royal and Celebrity are bringing two of the world’s best ships down here, so for the first time in Australia, I think ships will become the destination, and the ports of call will be complementary,” he said. Agents can expect to see a strong marketing push for Voyager of the Seas and Celebrity Solstice over the next few months.

“Until now we have been focused on telling the consumer about the current summer season, but in Jan/Feb we will delivering the imagery on the onboard amenities – the ship will be the hero. “We will bring the visual appeal of the ships to life during the first half of the year, and I am very confident that we can generate a lot of excitement.”

The new Voyager campaign is designed to highlight the introduction of the Dreamworks program, which was quietly announced last year.
“We haven’t wanted to confuse people who might think they would get the Dreamworks characters and parades and breakfasts on Radiance and Rhapsody, but now we will really be promoting our great family appeal.” The Solstice advertising will highlight unique features such as the Lawn Club.
Pricing for both brands will be “very genuine, to make us more relevant as a holiday option,” Smith said.

“I don’t think we can leave aggressive pricing until later in the year because those passengers will just travel with someone else.” The arrival of the two new ships will also affect the focus of others ships in the fleet next season.

“As agents will note in the summer deployments for 2012-13, our ships are spending a lot of time in Australia, and not so much time in the South Pacific, so Voyager and Solstice will become our Australia-New Zealand ships and Radiance and Rhapsody will become our South Pacific ships,” Smith said. “This is because the Royal and Celebrity model is very dependent on Americans and Europeans travelling to Australia – 35-50% of our guests are inbound – and they are most interested in coastal Australia and New Zealand.”

Visit www.cruiseoffers.com.au for fares.

As the train rolled though the western plains of Sydney spread out on either side we snatched glimpses of backyards and into the lives of the way people live in this vibrant city. Then the climb into the Blue Mountains commences.

This escarpment held back the further inland settlement for many years until a way was found. The railway travels over part of the original route. Passing through towns such a Katoomba and Leura stirs reminiscences of a slower time, a time of Sunday drives and Greek Cafes’ in every small town.

Cocktails in the lounge car, a sumptuous dinner then returning to our cabins finding our beds prepared and turned down ready for our excited but weary heads. It’s like being transported into a 1930’s Hollywood movie. Luxurious, comfortable, sophisticated train travel, a true delight.

Our first morning on the train found us in Broken Hill. Most passengers took the opportunity for a sunrise tour through the place where ‘the big Australian’, BHP was founded. Then back on the train for a welcome breakfast, as we rolled through the outback to Adelaide.

We arrived in the relaxed and pretty city of Adelaide in the mid afternoon. Where we took advantage of a tour to see the highlights and be delivered back in time for our evening departure.

The next day we crossed the Nullarbor Plain. We wake to rolling red sand hills covered with small desert trees dotted about. Many ask the question, is this it? Is this the Nullarbor Plain? No it’s not but quite suddenly we come out onto a large expanse of very flat, very wide plain with not a tree to break the horizon, ‘the’ highlight of this fabulous train journey.

A day of watching this plain rolls by with a short stop in Cook which has a population of five and finally in the late evening Kalgoorlie. As we crossed the plain we were privileged to watch the rare event of thunderstorms rolling across the horizon and occasionally over the train. Stopping in Kalgoorlie allows you to stretch your legs or join a bus tour of the city.

Our third and final day found us racing through the wheat belt of W.A. on our way to Perth. We are sad to end this part of our journey but excited for the next step. A city sights tour through the bustling expanding city opens our eyes to both its’ history and the great potential of its’ future. Then off to Freemantle to this bustling port put on the world map when Australia won the Americas Cup.

Three days in Fremantle; to rest, or explore interesting and historic towns of the region. Our included day trip to Rottnest Island allowed us stroll the beaches and get great photos of cute quokkas.

Next we board the Sun Princess. What a sight, this beautiful white ship bright in the afternoon sun. With the paperwork complete we boarded with a minimum of fuss. Some rushed off to their cabins others chose lunch first then off to their cabin then most spend the rest of the afternoon finding our way around our home away from home for the next 2 weeks.

Our first day ashore is a tour of Geraldton, one of the sparkling gems of the Western Australian coast. A town based on farming, mining, fishing, and growing very quickly. But also a place of reflection with the only National Memorial outside of Canberra, built and financed by the people of Geraldton, a memorial to HMAS Sydney, where the storey of the battle between it and German raider Cormorant is told.

Spending the next two days at sea, being as active or relaxed as you choose to be. I know for a fact an afternoon nap on a sun lounge was popular.

Ubud, Bali, a place of artists, markets and some tasted bubi gooling an iconic dish of this island. A quick visit to Ubuds’ market for that perfect gift, then onto a Balinese compound or home. This intimate glimpse of another culture was a highlight with many questions asked and answered.

Our wonderful cruise finished with stops in Broome, Darwin, Port Douglas, Townsville, Brisbane and then returning to Sydney.

If you interested in experiencing this wonderful cruise/rail package please select either of the two links.

Package 1, depart 24 April 2012
http://www.travelrite.com.au/circum_aust_cruise_rail_dawn.shtml

Package 2, depart 4 July 2012
http://www.travelrite.com.au/circum_aust_cruise_rail_sun.shtml

I last visited Kuching in 1992 and the city has grown and changed since then. Our group hotel was the newly built Pullman Hotel in the heart of Kuching and within walking distance to many of the attractions and the waterfront. The next morning our local guide Teddy met us in the lobby for our City Tour and visit to the Kuching Museum. Such an amazing place full of different cultures and traditions. In the afternoon we headed out of town to the Sarawak Cultural Village for an insight into the different tribes and cultures of Borneo and enjoyed a cultural dance performance and seeing the different house styles of the traditional people.

From Kuching we made a stop at the Semongoh Orang Utan Rehibilation Centre were we lucky to see 4 Orang-utans at the first feeding station. Wow what a highlight. After our visit we headed to Batang Ai about a 4.5 hour drive stopping along the way at a wonderful market in the town of Serian where some of us tasted the exotic fruit called Durian. Durian is grown around the area and is known for its horrible smell with the sweet tasting fruit inside. Also enroute was a stop at a local Pepper farm to see the Pepper trees and how the pepper is harvested. We arrived at Batang Ai Reservior where a local ferry service was required to get to our next overnight stop at the Hilton Bantang Ai Longhouse Resort. The resort is set into the wilderness and is an eco friendly resort. The Longhouse is set with a huge corridor space or enclosed verandah with rooms off the corridor. What an amazing place. Our Dinner setting was outside on the Verandah overlooking the lake just in time to see the sunset.

The next day we traveled to the town of Sibu to board the Pandaw Orient our home for the next 5 nights. Pandaw cruises are well known for the Mekong River cruises along with cruises in Mynmar. Our cabin had all the facilities you need and we settle in for our adventure. Over the next few days we experience life on the river, market towns, long houses, villages, visit a local school to meet the children and teachers along with the local doctor, enjoy a special picnic set up on the river bank, jungle walks, onboard lectures from our local guides, fabulous meals including local dishes, western style and vegetarian options. The locals are very friendly and we receive many waves and hello’s along the way. Every evening before dinner we gather on the Sun Deck for cocktails and the briefing for the next day’s programme. The Pandaw Orient can accommodate up to 60 passengers and we have 40 passengers including our group onboard this sailing. The other passengers are from all over the world including Germany, New Zealand and Thailand but the majority are from Australia and vary in age groups. We were lucky to travel with Connie a 94 year old who has made Thailand her home.

We celebrated 3 birthdays while on our tour. The staff onboard the Pandaw were wonderful and made the girls feel very special with cakes and gifts. Something they will treasure and remember fondly I am sure.

Our time onboard the Pandaw went very quickly with always something to see and do. We arrive back in Sibu a very busy town with one of the largest markets in the country. After a short city tour we boarded our flight back to Kuching. That afternoon we enjoyed a Sunset cruise on the Sarawak River. What an amazing sunset. Dinner was at Topspot a popular local hawker style restaurant. More fantastic food!

What a fabulous tour and experience we had. We all boarded our Singapore Airlines flight back to Australia with great memories.

Michelle Maher

Travelrite International

Call me if you are interested in Borneo or Pandaw Cruising (03) 9836 2522 or sales@travelrite.com.au

I have just returned from an amazing trip to Japan. It was my first time to this beautiful country and it will not be my last! I loved learning about the culture and learning to say a few words, which the locals love, but they love speaking English to us even more.

Walking around and seeing the green gardens, the mountains, and all the different scenery was magical. I felt very safe everywhere we traveled. The Japanese people were so polite and very generous. With all that has happened in Japan, I was surprised how quickly everything has returned to normal and I am happy to say Japan is very safe to travel to.

Food – is oishii (delicious). Presented so delicately, so many different varieties and the portion sizes, all I can say is you will never go hungry.

Wow is all I could say about the Bullet Train. I wish we had them in Australia. Traveling comfortably for a couple of hours and then being in a new city was amazing. The train carriage was so roomy and stable that you do not even feel like you are traveling and the scenery just makes the train ride so much more enjoyable. The best way to travel in Japan!!!

Two highlights of my trip was – Shirakawa-go & Kinkakajui Temple in Kyoto

Shirakawa-go is a preserved town with original streets and old wooden houses. The way they have preserved the buildings is spectacular and beautiful.

Kinkakajui Temple in Kyoto is amazing. Again the temple is well preserved and covered with gold leaf. Amazing!! I was able to get some really great photos and thoroughly enjoyed my time there, which wasn’t enough.

Travelrite International have a number of tours and cruises that are traveling to Japan. For more information follow the link:
Quilting Tour to Japan November 2011  www.travelrite.com.au/quilting_japan.shtml
Queen Mary 2 Wonders of the Orient Cruise March 2012 www.travelrite.com.au/hongkong.shtml
Diamond Princess Singapore to Beijing Cruise March 2012  www.travelrite.com.au/beijing_sing.shtml

We would also be happy to organise your own personal itinerary or tour to this amazing country. Please give us a call.

Courtney Abblitt
Travel Consultant

Our 2011 group of travellers were amazed and delighted with our first destination and while we had several activities as a group, many spent hours exploring this city with new friends. Some took the opportunity to visit the Burj Al Arab for a sumptuous afternoon tea with million dollar views and also Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world.

On our last night in Dubai we visited a Bedouin camp enjoying a sumptuous feast while relaxing in traditional Bedouin style on cushions and carpets. The ladies tried henna tattoos and all enjoyed the excellent belly dancer.

Boarding the Dawn Princess for the cruise section of our holiday is always a joy. As always, staff are welcoming, cabins well appointed and cuisine excellent, our home away from home for the next 4 weeks. Easing into shipboard life with a few sea days before our first port of call encourages people to wind down into holiday mode while familiarising themselves with the ship.

Salalah, Oman is a non tourist type of town yet it appears the Queen of Sheba may have lived nearby. We toured the ruins of an ancient palace, overlooking a lagoon, watching flamingos feed. Off out into the rugged rocky desert to view 2000 yr old frankincense trees, along a jagged coastline with blowholes and soaring cliffs. Returning to town we visited the souk for frankincense and myrrh, oils and perfumes, with many other delights available.

More sea days to enjoy the many activities of the ship and those organised by tour leaders Amanda, Gretha and Leeanne.

Petra, Jordan is hidden in one of the many folds of the mountains of the Negev desert. Walking into Petra along the narrow winding canyon it’s easy to see how this community was kept secret for so long. Finally we stepped out to view the treasury building made famous in the movie, Indiana Jones and the last crusade. But there is more to see of this hidden city, a roman amphitheatre, Nabataean rock tombs and amazing geological features.

Following sea days include a transit of the Suez Canal and an early arrival in Port Said. The canal is an awe inspiring piece of engineering; all dug by hand with shovels.

Cairo, Egypt is the biggest city in Africa, busy, bustling, bursting with life and home to the mighty Pyramids of Giza. Nothing can prepare you for your first visit it is everything you imagine and more.

Jerusalem, Israel, historically fascinating and of great religious importance to many people the world over. A walking tour through the old city finishing at the Western (wailing) Wall and a stop in Bethlehem on the West Bank opened our eyes to the differences and similarities of people and religions.

Mykonos, Greece an island of blue and white buildings, clear blue water on golden beaches with the hot sun in a wide expanse of blue sky. Picture perfect and we all took lots of pictures. A day to drink Greek coffee, send postcards or just laze away your time shopping, snoozing, or visit the beaches where swimsuits are optional!

Istanbul, Turkey a city thought to be the jewel in the crown of so many empires, as it is the gateway to Europe or the Orient depending which side of the Bosphorus you stand. A walking tour though the home of Sultans, St Sophia, Blue Mosque and the roman ruins highlight the richness of over 1000 years of history.

Anzac Cove, Gallipoli Peninsula allowed us to see what our soldiers saw in that early morning in April nearly 100 years ago. A moving service and wreath laying was held with a performance of the Dawn Princess Choir, made up of over 150 passenger volunteers, who practised every day for the service. Nearly the whole ship attended with standing room only.

Athens, Greece, settled as a place to worship the goddess Athena and birthplace of democracy but only if you weren’t a woman or a slave! However both women and men made it to the top of Acropolis with great city views and temples that amaze the mind and lift the spirit. Of course we also made time to wonder the plaka, the old part of the city with interesting shops and restaurants

Citivecchia, Italy, gateway to Rome the eternal city. The Vatican and the Colosseum are highlights for many, so stops were included but we also travelled through the city like locals; on foot. A walking tour lets you discover the treasures hidden down cobbled lanes and squares no bus could ever reach.

Livorno, Italy, stepping-off port for the Tuscan countryside and the picturesque village of San Gimignano. This hill top village is everything you imagine a Tuscan village could be. City walls built to protect the village. Cobbled narrow streets which twist and turn with unexpected vistas across rolling hills covered in sunflowers, wheat fields or vineyards.

Monaco, a tiny principality surrounded by France made famous when Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier and put it on the jet set map. We landed by Tender going past multimillion dollar yachts anchored in the harbour some with helicopters! Touring along the corniche gave us extensive views, while walking past the ‘Palais du Prince’ less than a week after Prince Albert got married with all the decorations still in place was a treat . We also crossed the border to Nice for coffee and a chance to sample local delicacies at the market such as socca, cherries and flat peaches.

Barcelona, Spain, famously home of many Gaudi architectural wonders including the Sagrada Familia. Strolling along La Ramblas to see the ‘living’ statues, sampling tapas and sipping sangria filled many peoples time on a hot lazy afternoon.

Lisbon, Portugal, a city shaken to near obliteration but rebuilt into a people friendly city with verdant green gardens and ‘wild’ lands through and around the city and a short drive to Sintra the home of palaces, castles and luxury homes. Returning to the ship via the coast road allowed us to gasp with wonder at windsurfing skills this area is world famous for.

Le Havre, France a huge bustling container port but it took only minutes to leave the hustle behind heading for Giverny and Monet’s Garden. Our only day of rain for the whole trip didn’t dampen our spirits.

Dover, England, white cliffs of ‘that’ song fame and rolling green downs of southern England are a delight to drive through on a sunny day heading to one of the most iconic cities in the world, London. Disembarkation off the Dawn Princess was a breeze with just a short holdup due to misplaced luggage. Located a short stroll from Harrods, our hotel was welcoming and comfortable which eased some of the sadness we felt as out amazing journey was coming to an end. Our final organised activity was a tour of London with some of the famous blue badge guides. These guides hold so many interesting stories and facts in their memories that any question asked was answered with ease.

On our final day there was time for shopping before the small group who were returning to Australia headed to the airport. The majority of the group took the opportunity to extend their stay in Britain and Europe to visit friends and family or visit that special place on your bucket list.

Visit http://www.travelrite.com.au/wondersqe.shtml for information on a fully escorted Dubai to London cruise on the Queen Elizabeth in 2012.

Visit http://www.facebook.com/Travelrite for photo’s of the cruise

PETER SIMIC

ITALY is a land of tribes, and in some ways this is what makes it so fascinating. Family is all-important and if you are lucky enough to get a ‘slow food’ invitation to a winery or a family home, grab it with both hands and wipe off the rest of the afternoon.

Winestate magazine and Travelrite International completed their third tour of Italy recently and we were overwhelmed with great acts of kindness and generosity. Our slow food adventure that evolved on this trip made it one of the best wine tours we have conducted. This time we travelled north from Rome with great anticipation for visits to some of the world’s most romantic places; the wine regions of Tuscany, Piedmont, Franciacorta and Verona quickly come to mind, along with the food experience of Emilia-Romagna.

To me the ideal tour group is one that has about 20 -30 persons on the tour, ideally with a specialist guide (I call them colour commentators) and a travel operator who handles the logistics. You then have enough people to find some you relate to, whilst avoiding those you don’t and you are secure in the knowledge that the guide can focus on giving you a good time, without the pressure of finding out why the tap in your hotel room doesn’t work.

Like a good wine, a tour should be balanced, offering a number of memorable visits, some hosted lunches or dinners and free time in old towns for lunch/ coffee/church/museum visits, whatever takes your fancy. Of course, all accommodation B&B, and bus travel must be included.

Here is a follow up report on an Italian wine tour that I conducted last year.

Our first visit took us through the wine region of Umbria, home of the quaffable soave, the step off before Tuscany and a very much underrated area. We were hosted by Lady Livia of Castello Della Regine, a winery owned by her and her famous Milanese lawyer husband, Paolo Nodari, for a marvellous gourmet lunch and an interesting tasting of their unusual red and white blends, which were combined to produce the best possible wine rather than as an afterthought. However, their 100 per cent sangiovese-based Riserva was also a great surprise and would sit well with the best from nearby Tuscany.

After settling in for a three-night stay in the delightful ancient town of Siena, the next day we ventured to the historic Fattoria Della Talosa winery, with a cellar door underneath the town of Montepulciano, gateway to a Tuscan wine experience. Here, while sipping sangiovese, we admired the ancient caves with seashells in the walls and ceilings  proclaiming a previous prehistoric period. Another ‘light’ lunch was enjoyed, with our host Allessandra proclaiming  “typical Tuscan food – salami, prosciutto, pecorino and bruschetta”, with the request for us to “feel emotion and passion(s) from our wine.” We certainly did!

After lunch, a quick trip took us to the super-modern Poliziano winery, with great attention to technical winemaking detail and all the whizz-bang stainless steel and premium oak barrels  you would want to see. It was not surprising that we enjoyed a range of their finely crafted wines. We finished the evening with a hosted walking tour of Siena, with notes taken on likely enotecas for later visits.

The next day saw us in Montalcino, home of the Brunello di Montalcino wines. These wines are the higher-priced versions of sangiovese found in the Tuscany region and have a reputation to match. Our first visit was to Argiano, a classic, stately Tuscan villa built during the Renaissance period. Here we enjoyed a nice range of wines, with drinkability the hallmark. Not far away was the boutique winery of La Togata, everyone’s idea of a summer wine retreat, with a Roman lawyer in charge. They offered nicely crafted wines, with artisanal sensitivity.

That night we enjoyed our first Winestate-hosted Celebration Dinner at the La Bottega del 30 restaurant in a small village north of Siena. The love story of French chef Helene, who followed her Italian husband, Franco, to this town can be seen in the beautiful food that had our tour group raving. Some said it was the best meal they had ever eaten. If you dream of an Italian cooking school holiday, look no further. See their website for more details.

In the Chianti region we visited the extraordinary ancient walled town of San Gimignano where, after a cancelled late-evening winery visit, we commandeered a local enoteca, shut the doors, took over their cellar and ordered the best wines in the store. A nice consolation!

Then we travelled onwards and upwards to the Villa Sensi winery, a superb former hunting lodge of the Medici family, where the hospitality overflowed and our host Massimo delivered the ultimate Italian slow food experience. The wines kept coming and we were amazed at the great-value prices they commanded. Their wines are also available in Australia.

Nothing in Italy is predictable. With wine gifts for all, including lime green winery T-shirts (which made us look like Irish tourists), our tour group voted to stay on and enjoy the sumptuous hospitality rather than move on to our programmed next winery visit. “Cest la vita!”

Now staying in Florence, the group enjoyed a hosted morning tour of the city with free time for lunch before an afternoon visit to the Castello di Gabbiano winery, owned by Australia’s Foster’s Wine Group (now Treasury). This location offered a spectacular view over the hills from the top of the castle. After tasting a nice range of wines, we liked the 2004 IGT 100 per cent sangiovese, which we were told wasn’t labelled as riserva because they had “run out of labels”. Great value!

Now that our Tuscany wine sojourn was over I found it interesting that, compared with previous tours, many wineries were now admitting that a percentage of their sangiovese wines contained cabernet or merlot, following the lead of the “Super Tuscans” from the Bolgheri Coast. Others were proudly pushing their concentrated 100 per cent sangioveses. It did seem odd that quite lean merlot was widely used to “soften” the sangiovese fruit. Sangioveses can be quite tannic and acidic, often with a herbal bitterness on the finish, which makes them great food wines, but less so at wine competitions. Merlot, as a variety has marginally less acids and tannins (although can still be quite lean as it is part of the cabernet family) so maybe the thought is that it can reduce the impact of sangiovese toughness. However, I would have thought that a blend with well-ripened syrah (shiraz) would have been a better option, and I noted that a few houses were experimenting with this blend.

On our third wine tour of Italy, for the first time we did a detour through the “food bowl” of the country, Emilia Romagna, and we were so glad we did. After a few hours enjoying our own free-time long lunch and exploration of Bologna, the mother ship (bus) headed on to the outskirts of Parma, where we were introduced to the delights of premium lambrusco, made in a dry and semi-sweet fashion rather than the sickly-sweet, commercial style sold in bucketloads around the world.

Here at the Medici Ermete winery we experienced another ultimate Italian family experience, where the whole family, including children, served us courses of food, with varying ages of parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. Our host, Pierluigi Medici, proudly showed us his “hobby”, cellar where row after row of miniature barrels of balsamic vinegar dating back 10, 20 and 40 years were on display. Then, to top it off, Pierluigi organised a special morning visit to the local parmesan factory. We felt very privileged.

After the optional parmesan visit, with some in the tour group venturing on to the Ferrari museum, we had a free day in Parma, followed by the evening Winestate Celebration Dinner at the two-hatted, elegant Parizzi restaurant, with a superb wine list and food to match.

Before beginning our tour of Piedmont I advised our group that we were about to encounter the “toughest” wines in Italy, with mouth-ripping tannins and acid to boot, with tea leaves and herbs a feature of these noble nebbiolos. By the time we had completed our tour I had to embarrassingly explain why we didn’t find any (maybe one). In the ever-increasing globalisation of wine, it seemed that producers were making softer, more consumer-friendly wines that could be drunk earlier and without fear. Unfortunately, the trade-off is that we are unlikely to see as many of  the great masterpieces (but also fewer sump oil wines).

To launch our Piedmont experience, we began by visiting our old favourite, Produtorri del Barbaresco, where el supremo Aldo Vacca gave us a masterclass of the region. I simply sat back and enjoyed the response from our tour group. If you get a chance it is worth a trip just to get to hear his amazing knowledge of the terroir and wines of Barbaresco and Barolo. Although his winery is a co-operative it actually chooses and picks the best fruit from its many growers to make premium wine, unlike many others. We greatly enjoyed a range tasting, followed by a hosted lunch at the local restaurant.

This was followed by an amazing vertical tasting of barberas, dolcettos and barolos at the Cantine Paolo Manzone, where the man himself took us through the complexities of the varietals and the region. Here we saw at first hand the trend towards New World, earlier-released styles of winemaking. The vista from this winery overlooking Barolo has to be one of the world’s most beautiful wine region views!

Next morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, we arrived at the Antinori-owned Prunotto winery, a classy establishment. There we enjoyed a mini-masterclass of eight Piedmontese wines, all reflecting the purity of the grape from this high-tech, high-expertise winery. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the lovely town of Alba, home to the white truffle.

More enjoyment was in order the next morning as we visited Azienda Agricola Marrone, another lovely family winery, halfway through creating a traditional-style Italian villa winery with all the natural elements: solid wood beams, terracotta tiles and iron. When it is completed it will truly be a delight for visits by tourists and winelovers alike.

After a relaxing tasting of Barolos with the obligatory prosciutto and soft Italian cheese from the delightful daughters, we ventured up the planks and railing to the third-floor balcony-in-waiting to enjoy the view. No dangers of occ. health and safety here. What we found hilarious was the story about their miniature dog, which we were told was like a cat and liked to the climb the building. We thought “Yeah, right,” until the next minute there he was, running over the terra cotta roof tiles, three floors up.

The coach was buzzing as we travelled on to Milan for a two-night stay, including a tour of the city the next morning and a Winestate Celebration Dinner that night. The next day was one of our most memorable, with a visit to the fabulous La Montina winery in the region of Franciacorta, This was organised by our Italian wine writer, Georgio Fragiacomo, who made sure all stops were out. Here the sparkling wines are made in the French methode champenoise style, offering great flavour at amazing value. When we arrived we were treated like royalty in a beautifully designed winery which had its own chef and culinary staff worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant. After endless toasts by our host through sumptuous courses, we all voted to cancel the next winery visit and continue on with the ultimate expression of our Italian “long lunch”.

Needless to say, the bus was very quiet as we arrived at our next destination, Riva del Garda, a small town on the northern end of Lake Garda, with the regions of Alto Adige to the north and Verona to the south. Here we appropriately booked into a spa and massage resort hotel, the Hotel du Lac et du Parc. Set among old, cool-climate rainforest and next to the lake, it’s a highly recommended destination for those wanting to chill out for a few days. We used this idyllic location as our base the next day to travel south to visit the Azienda Agricola Monte del Fra winery, where food and wine was again laid on by our charming hostess and a book on winery dogs could have been written about this location alone. After waving farewell, we were left to our own devices in the ancient town of Verona, where some of our group hunted down the enotecas while others kept abreast of happenings at Juliet’s balcony.

A truly great Michelin-starred meal was enjoyed that night as our last Winestate Celebration Dinner at Verona’s Il Desco, with chef/owner Elia Rizzo and his wife and son (and staff) putting on a superb spread in a restaurant exuding style and substance. It was a nice official ending to the tour and worthy of the great days enjoyed before. Throughout the tour we enjoyed some of Italy’s finest wines in our Celebration Dinners, including cabernets from Ornellaia, Tignanello and Sassicaia, sangioveses from Antinori, nebbiolos from Gaja and Angelo Cesare, amarone from Masi and too many others to mention; lovely aged wines that best showed off this amazing country.

As an epilogue and wind-down, the next day was organised as a leisurely tourist experience for our group, with a ferry ride from Riva del Garda to Limone for lunch, then an optional extension to Malcesine, with spectacular water and granite hill scenes abounding.

I say this at the end of each tour round-up: what makes our tours so enjoyable is the extraordinary hospitality shown to us by our winery hosts, the interesting agenda of old-town visits (and free time to mooch around), along with some superb Winestate Celebration Dinners, but also the wonderful conviviality of our tour group, where widely diverse personalities become friends – which maybe is not difficult when good wine and food is involved! Personally, my great enjoyment is seeing people enjoy themselves through these great experiences.

Peter Simic is the owner and Editor/Publisher of Winestate magazine. He has conducted 11 wine tours to France, Italy, Spain & Portugal and one on the QE2. The next tour is the Winestate Wine Tour of France , September  10 – 26 September 2011.

Details: www.travelrite.com.au/wine_tours.shtml

Carnival Cruise Lines is thrilled to be dropping anchor in Australia for the first time, with the launch of year-round itineraries on Carnival Spirit in October 2012.

Carnival Spirit will offer eight to 12-day cruises to the Pacific Islands from Sydney with limited sailings to New Zealand and select cruises from Melbourne.

Offering Australians the best in cruising holidays – Carnival Spirit combines the quality, excitement and fun that makes Carnival the world’s most popular cruise line.

At first glance, you’ll notice that Carnival Spirit is as long as three footy fields and has 10 different open-deck spaces to choose from, each offering a distinctive experience.
Kids and “big kids” can splash, swim, scream and slide into action at one of the three pools, or Carnival WaterWorksTM featuring a splash park and two speedy water slides. Exclusively for the Australian market, guests can go for action adventure by testing out the steepest water slide
to feature on a cruise liner.

If social is more their thing, guests enjoy good times with good friends by indulging in the full onboard entertainment program including live band karaoke and ‘The Punchliner’ comedy club. While others test their Aussie trivia knowledge with regular quizzes on the outdoor lido area or become a master of mixology with a cocktail making contest.

When rest and relaxation is in order, Carnival can guests indulge in some quality time-out in the child-free, SerenityTM pool area or an intimate table for two in the Steakhouse.
Whatever the mood, Carnival Spirit has been enhanced specifically for Australians and our Aussie Cruise Director, Stu, will have an experience to suit everyone’s holiday – day and night.

The first ever Australian brochure from Carnival Cruise Lines features eight to 12 day cruises to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji as well as 13 day cruises to the wonders of New Zealand and two Australian coastal samplers.

Whether cruising as a couple, group of friends or family, Carnival Spirit has a wide range of spacious and well-appointed staterooms to choose from, including over 600 balcony staterooms. Families in particular will appreciate the interconnecting staterooms and the quad balcony staterooms, but book soon as these will fill up quickly.

With bookings open now we’re inviting Aussies to come aboard, join us and have the kind of holiday they’ve only imagine.  Visit www.cruiseoffers.com.au or call 1800 616 434 to book .

Source: Complete Cruise Solution

Nigel Walliss
Tour Manager