Australia Day Celebrations!

Over on the other side of the world our Antipodean friends are about to commence their Australia Day celebrations, with the annual public holiday on 26th January commemorating the arrival in 1788 of the First Fleet. Today the celebration focuses less on the dubious beginnings and very much more on the great nation that Australia has since become, uniting Indigenous and European heritage in a unique modern culture.

Here in the DTW office we'll be marking the event with a few cold stubbies and a bumper pack of Tim Tams - if you want to sample this Aussie delicacy for yourself (it's not just any old choccy biccy you know!) then head down to Waterloo or Liverpool Street Station tomorrow morning and pick up a free pack!!

South Australia on the Big Screen

This Friday, 22nd January, sees the UK release of 'The Boys are Back', a beautiful film based on the book of the same name by Independent journalist, Simon Carr.  Whilst the film changes various details - relocating the story from New Zealand to Australia for one! - it doesn't lose any of the poignancy of the book.

The film charts Carr's life after losing his wife to cancer, with Clive Owen in the leading role as he portrays the true story of a widower's struggle to bring up his young son alone. Heartbreaking in places but also incredibly uplifting, the action is complemented by the spectacular scenery of South Australia - endless beaches, rolling hills, lush vineyards and the inquisitive wildlife... kangaroos were regular visitors on set! 

If you're inspired by the film then why not incorporate some of the key filming locations into your own Australian adventure?  Our team of Aussie Specialists can tailormake a South Australia itinerary to take in the best of the wildlife and outback for which the state is renowned, or you may wish to consider one of our holidays in this region such as our exclusive Southern Wildlife Wanderer or our Kangaroo Island Coast to Coast.

  

Start training for the first ever Australian Outback Marathon!

If your 2010 New Year’s Resolution was ‘this will be the year I run a marathon’, then why not look further afield, beyond snow-covered London, to the spectacular Australian Outback... 

The Red Centre will host the first ever Australian Outback Marathon on 31st July 2010, with the majestic Uluru (Ayers Rock) as its backdrop. The Marathon, Half Marathon, 11km and 6km courses will be predominantly off-road, made up of bush trails, access roads and tracks as well as unsealed roads. Only a small amount of the course will be run on sealed roads. The running surface will consist mainly of the famous ‘red earth’ that is such an iconic feature of Australia’s vast outback. And whilst running through a desert sounds a little daunting, July is winter in Australia with average daytime temperatures at Uluru of around 21 degrees Celsius. 

Proceeds from the marathon will go to the Australian Heart Foundation, helping to improve the cardiovascular health of Aboriginal Australians, who currently are nearly three times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than non-indigenous Australians.

If marathon-running didn’t quite make your list of resolutions this year (there’s always next year, eh?!) then why not cheer the runners on, before slipping off to enjoy a glass of champagne as the sun sets over Uluru…  Now that’s a New Year’s resolution I would happily keep!

Meet our Lapland Specialists at the Taste of Christmas!

What better way to start the festive season than by enjoying the vast delights at this year's Taste of Christmas event from the 4 to 6 December. Come and meet our Lapland specialists too and find out how you can make this Christmas and New Year truly magical by experiencing Swedish Lapland’s winter wonderland.

Taste of Christmas is the ultimate festive ‘foodie’ event of the year where you can discover Michelin star secrets, taste your favourite restaurants’ seasonal dishes and feast your eyes on delicious produce with many opportunities to taste the treats on offer!  

Our Stand Name: Discover Swedish Lapland
Stand Number: A15 - Located opposite the Waitrose Cookery Theatre
Show Dates: 4-6 December 2009
Time: 10am-6pm each day
Venue: Excel, London

Click here to find out more and to book your tickets to this year's Taste of Christmas

Passionate about Wildlife and Photography?

Friday 23 & Saturday 24 October sees the return of Wildscreen’s WildPhotos event, the UK’s premier photography symposium for those passionate about nature photography. With a sensational line-up of the world’s finest nature photographers and industry experts, including winners from the prestigious Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, this two-day event, held at the Royal Geographical Society in London, promises to inspire and enthuse.   
 
WildPhotos is aimed at anyone with a passion for wildlife and high-quality imagery, whether amateur or professional photographers, working in the photography or publishing industries or wanting to make more use of the power of nature photography to move and inspire people.

This year’s event, hosted by Springwatch presenter and wildlife photographer Chris Packham, includes a keynote presentation by Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols, National Geographic Editor at Large for Photography.
  
Over the course of the two-day event, more than 20 expert speakers will present their work, deliver inspiring talks and offer technical advice on topics ranging from marine, black and white and macro photography to how to sell your pictures.  

A one-day ticket costs £105; two-day tickets are £175. You can register online at www.wildphotos.org.uk or please contact WildPhotos on +44 (0)117 328 5975
/ wildphotos@wildscreen.org.uk

Western Australia - a holiday to remember!

Last year my best mate and I went on what turned out to be one of my most memorable holidays - a 3 week exploration of Western Australia.  This truly amazing destination offered unexpected diversity, incredible wildlife and some very interesting locals!   Hiring a car in Perth we first spent a few days in the South West, enjoying the produce of the local vineyards at Margaret River, strolling all the way to the end (and back again) of Busselton Jetty - the southern hemisphere's longest wooden pier - and braving the magnificent Treetop Walk at Walpole (not easy when you're as scared of heights as I am!!)
 
But the best was yet to come as we followed the coast road north, taking in the fascinating Pinnacles at Nambung National Park and the resident dolphins of Monkey Mia.  We were more intrigued by the humble dugong, which eventually put in an appearance for us at Shark Bay, but nothing could compare to our experience swimming with the whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef.  I'll be honest, jumping into the ocean with the world's largest fish - growing up to 18 metres long, and did I mention it's a SHARK! - is pretty terrifying, but it's also an incredible experience. And once you accept that they really aren't going to mistake you for some tasty krill, you can start to relax and enjoy this great privilege.  The whale sharks are only in the area from April until June, but Ningaloo Reef is spectacular year-round and offers great snorkelling opportunities with manta rays and turtles.
 
Other highlights of our trip included the vivid red gorges of Karijini, the unimaginable sunsets over Cable Beach and flying over the bizarre striped hills of the Bungle Bungles.  The wild kanagaroos we encountered at Point D'Entrecasteaux, the sparkling blue waters of the Indian Ocean, the endless outback stretching as far as the eye could see... Every day contained a new 'wow' moment!
 
If you'd like to hear more, or want to start planning your own WA adventure, why not join us with Tourism Western Australia and the Telegraph next Thursday, 15th October.  Professor Lyn Beazley will be giving a lecture on Western Australia's incredible biodiversity, whilst travel writer Richard Madden will be sharing his own recent experiences in his favourite state and Discover the World's Aussie Specialists will be on hand to answer your travel queries.
 
Tickets are limited so to register your place please click here. 

Cravings in Sydney

As if you needed any more reasons to visit Sydney - well, just in case, here's another one... This October sees the inaugural 'Crave Sydney' festival, an International Food Festival that brings together the best of Australia's chefs and cuisine. 

Highlights include The World Chef Showcase Weekend, 10-11 October, which will see over 30 chefs from around the globe come together for for a weekend of cooking, talking and tasting.  A fortnight of Night Noodle Markets offers a chance to sample Asian-inspired food at affordable prices, whilst special lunch menus will be available at restuarants across Sydney and beyond throughout October.      

And of course the food fun doesn't stop there - if this has whet your appetite then why not continue your gourmet Australian adventure with a visit to the nearby Hunter Valley or further afield to the Barossa Valley or Margaret River - all home to numerous vineyards and well-stocked farmers markets offering a wealth of local produce.

My mouth's watering just thinking about it so why wait? - contact us today!

Invitation to our Travel Day - Saturday 10th October

TRAVEL TALKS * WINE-TASTING * PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP * STANFORDS

Whether you’re looking for travel ideas or purely wishing to discover delightful wine from the stunning countries of New Zealand and Australia then join us for a day of travel inspiration!

Enjoy a day of talks on travel to Iceland, Lapland and the ICEHOTEL, New Zealand and the Polar Regions and discover the wonder of the northern lights and where best to observe them.

Sample fine New Zealand and Australian wine with Great Western Wines and perhaps pick up your favourite travel book at the Stanfords stand and take advantage of a 15% discount. Then learn how to capture the perfect shot during a photography workshop with Icelandic photographer Ragnar Sigurdsson.

A fantastic opportunity to meet our team of travel specialists, look around a Maui Motorhome first-hand for your adventure to New Zealand or Australia and meet our worldwide travel partners before your trip!

Places limited. Click here to RSVP

 

Iceland Airwaves Music Festival

Just as you thought the joys of music festivals were over for the year up pops the annual international Iceland Airwaves Festival! Attracting thousands of people each year, it is THE place to be from the 14 to 18 October. You will find each person at the festival there for a different reason whether it be those in search of new talent, inspiration or to those wishing to purely enjoy the sounds in a special destination – one aspect that unites them all is a love of music. With over 150 artists performing in various venues throughout Reykjavik there is something for everyone so what are you waiting for? Hop over to Reykjavik on a city break and discover new tunes this Autumn. 

Visions from Iceland's Past

Iceland’s extraordinary history has been previously well documented in this blog, and as a continuation we would like to introduce you to a historical theatre production which you may find of interest on your travels to one of the most intriguing islands in the world.

‘Visions from the Past’ is a production from the Light Nights theatre company and is running in Reykjavik’s Idno Theatre which lies in one of the city’s prettiest spots, nestled just next to City Hall and the calming Lake Tjornin.

This show features a host of stories about Iceland and Reykjavik in the twentieth century, from the occupation by the British and American armies during WWII through to the Mt. Hekla eruption in 1947.

Performed entirely in English and interspersed with short films focussing on Icelandic history and culture, this performance is well worth taking in whilst you are in Reykjavik – and it is just one of a host of cultural highlights in Europe’s northernmost capital, none more impressive than the National Gallery.

'Visions from the Past' is showing every Monday and Tuesday at 8.30pm throughout August.