Saturday, March 31, 2012

Our April 2012 Travel report

April 2012 Travel ReportOur Australia and New Zealand Review
by Zaneta Rochemont,
Owner, Cruise Holidays of Clarkson
Joe, Zaneta, Mairead, Tal, Vctoria

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Welcome to the April edition of Cruise Holidays of Clarkson’s Travel Report. In March I returned from a month-long cruise tour of Australia and New Zealand. I traveled with a group of wonderful travel enthusiasts who made this one of MY favourite trips. Allow me to reminisce on this remarkable adventure, and perhaps awake the travel bug in you.
At Rain Forest, CairnsAustralia is the world’s oldest continent. Even though it was inhabited by the British only 224 years ago (1788), the Aborigines first settled in Australia 60,000 years ago. What started as a colonial penal country is now a vibrant, modern nation with a population of 21 million people.  It is a continent, but it's also an island, which makes it a great cruise destination for anyone looking for a longer, more exotic cruise. Going to Australia and NOT visiting New Zealand, would be an absolute crime. This smaller island nation also in the South Pacific offers spectacular natural beauty and some of the friendliest people on earth.
The land mass of Australia equals that of United States or the European Continent. The landscape is like nowhere else, dominated by the dry Outback, the Great Dividing Range, the lushness of Tasmania, and the coral reef and rainforests in the tropical north. Because of its location, Australia is a land of plants and animals seen nowhere else in the world. Who doesn't think of koala bears and kangaroos in connection with Australia? The dingo was brought to Australia by the Aborigines, and is considered the country’s native dog. The vegetation is like a Hollywood movie setting. Most prominent is the “gum tree”, or the eucalyptus, which is widely represented through its 500 varieties. Its leaves are the only food the cuddly koala bears eat continuously for four hours of the day—the other 20 hours they spend sleeping. There is something very unique to the Australian trees—most varieties shed their bark instead of their leaves.
The heart of the country is in the vast Outback—one of the oldest landscapes in the world. Its dramatic red rocks (Uluru being the most majestic one), ochre plains and purple mountains are topped by brilliant blue skies. A “dinner under the stars” at sunset and a visit to Uluru at sun rise is a must--nowhere else will you see such dramatic display of nature’s beauty. It is here that the indigenous inhabitants of Australia, the Aborigines settled 60,000 years ago. For thousands of years they hunted and roamed the vast Outback freely. This nomadic way of life was interrupted when the English settlers claimed wide plots of land. The early days of European colonialism proved disastrous for the Aborigines. Thousands were killed either in hostilities or by unfamiliar disease. During the 1850’s many of them were confined in reserves in an attempt to overcome widespread poverty. Nowadays, Australians are increasingly aware of the rich heritage of the Aborigines, and the society is trying to reconcile and make amends for injustice committed by their ancestors over 200 years ago. Even though the first European settlers were convicts, and Australia is known as a penal country, very few Australians have true convict origin. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants.
Our group adventure was made up of a one week land tour and a seventeen  day cruise on Oceania’s Regatta. We started out in the bustling tropical city of Cairns, the gateway to the rainforests and the Barrier Reef. Just north of Cairns, we discovered the only place on earth where one can see two World Heritage listed sights side by side: the magnificent Great Barrier Reef and the ancient rainforest areas of Atherton tableland. This area is truly a tropical paradise of beaches, islands, mountains, rivers, waterfalls and lakes.
A visit to the Outback followed; here we witnessed the most dramatic landscape dominated by Uluru. The highlight here was the dinner under the stars overlooking Uluru at sunset, and the dramatic sunrise at the footsteps of Uluru, followed by the Liru Walk where we retraced the paths of the Liru Ancestors through the bush land near Uluru. We then flew to Sydney, Australia’s largest city. Sydney embraces its harbour, taking the sea and natural waterways to its heart. The grand style of the Opera House has made the city the landmark of the South Pacific. We drove through the historic “Rocks” area where Australia was first founded with its maze of terrace houses, pubs and restaurants. Here we boarded Oceania’s elegant Regatta—our home for the next 17 days.
Melbourne was our next port of call. We first embarked on a Savannah Walkabout adventure for a visit to the kangaroos and emus. We walked to the billabong and through gum trees; and we learned how to make delicious ‘Billy tea”—traditional tea of the Swagmen.
After a day at sea, we docked in Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania. We immediately headed towards Port Arthur, undoubtedly the most historic and somber landmark of Australia’s penal past. This open air museum exhibits many of the prison’s original facilities. After cruising the Tasman Sea for two days, we reached the western coast of New Zealand’s South Island and sailed along the fjords of Milford Sound. Our first port of call was DunedinNew Zealand’s oldest city well known for its Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Next, we called on Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city and most northern port in the South Island. Apart from the stunning bays and botanical gardens, Wellington is the home to Te Papa-- New Zealand’s national museum. The museum is famous for its amazing display of Maori heritage, and its interactive exhibitions. We then sailed to the North Island and called on Napier, nestled in Hawke’s Bay, for an introduction to New Zealand’s most popular wine region with over 70 wineries. Bursting with taste sensations, Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand’s leading food and wine destinations. Tauranga was our next port of call. Here we visited the Elms Mission House (the oldest European heritage site in the Bay of Plenty), and we stopped at the Kiwi360 for a tour of the kiwi fruit orchard. Our cruise journey ended in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, home to over 600 dormant volcanoes, the most significant being the youngest volcano of Rangitoto Island.
There are a number of cruise lines that offer cruises of Australia and New Zealand. If you are planning to visit Downunder, call our agency at 905.855.1700; we will be happy to go over the itinerary details and suggest the best option for you.
Stay tuned for Cruise Holidays of Clarkson’s May Travel Report.  Joe is currently on tour with a group of Classical 96.3 listeners accompanied by their on-air host Bill Anderson. They are touring Slovenia and its picturesque country side, cruising on the Danube and admiring elegant Prague. In the mean-time, have a wonderful month of April and a Happy Easter. Stop by our office at 1739 Lakeshore Road West in the Clarkson Village, or send us an e-mail at info@clarksontravel.ca. If you have made arrangements for your 2012 holiday, now is the time to start planning your 2013 vacation, especially if you are thinking of a river cruise. Most river cruise companies are sold out for the rest of 2012 and are now booking their 2013 itineraries. Don’t wait--the time to travel is now.
Cruise Holidays of Clarkson’s 2012-2013 Travel Picks:
12 Jun 2012
AmaWaterways
20 Jun 2012
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
03 Jul 2012
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
12 Jul 2012
Oceania Cruises
06 Sep 2012
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
12 Sep 2012
AmaWaterways
Black Sea: Istanbul to Vienna (River) LIMITED SPACE
07 Sep 2012
AmaWaterways
16 Sep 2012
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
16 Sep 2012
AmaWaterways
Magnificent Europe from Amsterdam to Budapest
TWO STATEROOMS LEFT
29 Sep 2012
AmaWaterways
14 Oct 2012
Oceania Cruises
22 Oct 2012
Silversea Cruises
24 Oct 2012
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Barcelona to Las Palmas, Canary islands
29 Oct 2012
Silversea Cruises
02 Nov 2012
Cruise Holidays of Clarkson
Arabian Adventures: Luxor to Mumbai (with optional pre and post cruise excursions)
14 Nov 2012
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Brazilian Medley: Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires
26 Nov 2012
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Passage to Panama: Miami to Los Angeles w Panama transit
04 Dec 2012
Oceania Cruises
29 Dec 2012
Disney Cruise Line
Between Two Oceans: Miami to Lima (Machu Picchu)
05 Jan 2013
Oceania Cruises
12 Jan 2013
Paul Gauguin Cruises
South Pacific: Tahitian Breeze: Papeete to Papeete
16 Jan 2013
Oceania Cruises
'Round trip Cape Town: Mozambique, East London ...
25 Jan 2013
Silversea Cruises
Indonesia and South East Asia: Bali to Singapore
23 Feb 2013
Crystal Cruises
Caribbean Hideaways: Eastern Caribbean
28 Mar 2013
Oceania Cruises
Malabar Coast Journey: Bangkok to Mumbai
01 Apr 2013
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Panama Passage: Miami to San Francisco
22 Apr 2013
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
British Isles: and Copenhagen
16 May 2013
Silversea Cruises
Eastern Mediterranean Istanbul to Barcelona
18 May 2013
Crystal Cruises
Black Sea and Russia - Copenhagen to Stockholm (ESCORTED)
15 Jun 2013
Crystal Cruises

Best regards,
Zaneta Rochemont
President,
Cruise Holidays of Clarkson


T: 905 855 1700 | F: 905 855 1701 e: info@clarksontravel.ca | w: www.clarksontravel.ca

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the information. I would love to spend cruising holidays. It's such a great experience.

    silversea cruises 2012.

    ReplyDelete