More Adventures from Melbourne

Here Josie continues her tales of her recent trip to Melbourne, Australia...

 

Melbourne is well connected and is served by a fantastic bus, train and tram network. So making good use of our Metcard, we hopped on the tram – first stop: St Kilda! The best known landmark of this seaside precinct is the historic Luna Park fun fair – the laughing face façade and roller coaster have both been classified by the National Trust and it’s a real favourite for families. Or, for those who prefer a more natural and tranquil setting, St Kilda Botanic Gardens offer a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the CBD. For me though, my favourite place in St Kilda is one of Melbourne’s Food Precincts, Acland Street! Spoilt for choice with all the cake shops, what better way to enjoy a morning coffee, than sat on the promenade overlooking the sleek Melbourne skyline, listening to the sound of the waves on the shore and devouring a delicious Acland Street cake!  

 

Delectable delights done with, it was time to hop back on the tram and head to the heart of the CBD, Federation Square - affectionately known as ‘Melbourne’s meeting place’. With more than 2000 events annually, and a real buzz in the Square’s air, Fed Square is where you want to be for arts and craft exhibitions, live music and an array of al fresco dining and copious amounts of coffee! Very much the pulse of Melbourne’s cultural and creative heart, Fed Square offers something for everyone and good times for Melbournians and tourists alike.

 

For those who really want to explore the city, why not lose yourself in Melbourne’s Laneways … a labyrinth of alleys, unique boutiques, concealed cocktail bars, and tantalising restaurants, the Laneways offer some of Melbourne’s hidden gems and a superb shopping experience.

 

So whether it’s art, music, sport, beach, gardens or shopping that make you smile, you will certainly find them all in abundance in Melbourne, and you can always be sure to find a serene spot to while away the evening, planning the next day’s adventures, sipping a glass of Yarra Valley wine. 

New Outdoor Bar at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland

It's a hard job, but somebody has to do it... Next time we're in Iceland, in the name of research (ahem!) we're heading straight for the NEW Blue Lagoon Outdoor Bar, where visitors can enjoy bathing in the milky warm water at the same time as supping a cocktail (try the vibrantly-coloured and originally-named 'Blue Lagoon'). For youngsters and the health-conscious, why not order an 'Energy Shot'; a refreshing vitamin drink, which we understand will 'energise body and soul'.  

If you're not feeling thirsty, then treat yourself to an application of the natural 'volcano and algae mask'.  The scrub claims to 'stimulate the removal of dead skin cells and exposes a supple layer of younger skin, making you feel fresh and rejuvenated'.  As if we needed any further excuse to visit one of our favourite places in Iceland......!

The Blue Lagoon is just 15 mins from Keflavik International Airport, and can easily be visited enroute to/from Reykjavik, on a day's excursion by coach from the capital, or easily included on an independent self-drive itinerary.  For a relaxing 3-night break staying at the Northern Light Inn, take a look at our Blue Lagoon Spa Break.

Luxury in Iceland

If you fancy a dose of luxury on your Icelandic adventures this summer then ranch-style Hotel Ranga is the place for you. Recently named in The Times’ ‘Hot 100 Best Hotels in Europe”, Ranga delivers on many levels. From the hotel’s fine dining and luxurious rooms and suites to the picturesque surroundings of glaciers and mountains and its vicinity to the vast array of natural wonders, a stay at Ranga will be one to remember! With such superb uninterrupted 360° skies for miles around, it isn’t surprising that the Ranga is blessed with some truly amazing displays of the northern lights during the months of September to March. And for the summer months enjoy a ‘golden light’ cast over the entire area by the midnight sun. Perfect.

Want to find out more? Click here

Festival of the Sea, Iceland

Summer festivities are fast approaching and if you have a great love for the ocean then Festival of the Sea in Iceland is ideal.

Originating from the traditional Icelandic Seaman’s Day, the festival is a celebration of Icelanders who make their living from the ocean. Events include sea bound activities (of course!), from fishing and rowing to sailing and swimming, it is a chance to embrace all that is sea-going. For land lovers there is plenty to keep you occupied too, gorge on delicious seafood (my personal favourite), watch cultural displays, get creative with arts and crafts or simply enjoy the good old sea shanties…

So, when and where is this great celebration? It is on 6-7 June in Reykjavik and surrounding harbours.  Think sea - think Iceland this June!

Bring Icelandic Happiness into your Home

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you are in need of a little inspiration then Hjónabandssæla, Iceland’s “Happy Marriage Cake”, may be the answer! Although the origin of the cake name is a mystery, Icelanders claim that it is so easy to make and truly delicious it will make your partner smile... 

Happy Marriage Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal flakes
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 cups coconut flakes
2 tsp baking soda
250g butter
Rhubarb jam

1. Mix the flour, oatmeal flakes, sugar, coconut flakes and baking soda together in a bowl
2. Add the butter and mix well using your hands
3. Put half of the dough into the tin, spread rhubarb jam on top and then add the rest of the dough on top
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 200°C until golden

Good luck!

(Recipe courtesy of Drífa Magnúsdóttir, Project Manager, Visit Reykjavik)

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

'Big Mac' leaves Iceland

...recently it was announced that all three McDonald’s restaurants in Iceland would be closed down because the master piece of culinary art "The Big Mac" has become far too expensive. Therefore, the story goes Iceland must be in a hell of a state...this rarely shows what a pickle a country can get into when its three main banks go belly up! What these reports fail to reveal is that this great American institution insisted that all materials for their infamous Big Macs had to be imported from Germany and this meant that the far inferior ingredients became twice as expensive as a hamburger made from local produce (yes even tomatoes and lettuce are grown in Icelandic greenhouses - heated by natural geothermal energy!). There may well be a moral in this story!

Incidentally - Iceland did not implode after the financial disaster which befell it (honestly, I took my family there in August!), far from it - during the good times they invested sizeable sums of money wisely building a dynamic modern society whose population are the most literate in the world. Even before the 'Viking Bankers' they had an extremely good standard of living, built mainly on harnessing their natural resources such as fisheries and geothermal energy, which of course is still the basis of their economy. Even better, the devaluation of their currency means that a holiday to Iceland has never been better value for money. So if you have always wanted to go but thought it was too expensive take another look…it’s not cheap but one of the most beautiful countries in the world can now be explored without selling the family jewels - and this won't last forever!!

Take me there…

And for burger lovers out there, fear not, Iceland is home to a wealth of truly delicious food. Head to west Iceland and try Hotel Hraunsnef’s phenomenal burgers whose beef is sourced from the farm across the valley!

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

 

Treat Yourself in Sydney!

Indulgence, something I find is required every now and again so when I found the site, Luxury Sydney, divulging unique experiences it had there and in New South Wales “…from the classically sophisticated to the shamelessly indulgent…” I just couldn’t resist.

At first glimpse I caught site of Tetsuya's Restaurant, ranked as one of the top 20 restaurants in the world where one dines on Japanese and French influenced cuisine overlooking an exquisite Japanese garden. If that excites but leaves you desiring more then look no further than Berowra Waters Inn, set on the Hawkesbury River in secluded native bush and only accessible by boat or sea plane. For me this is dining at its best, a mini-adventure before the meal, a whirl wind sensory experience with cuisine, stunning views and the knowledge I am experiencing all this in a foreign land. But enough about food, that is my indulgence. Luxuriant spa’s, cocktails in an array of Sydney’s stunning locations and much more are just a click away…visit here

So go on, spoil yourself in Australia, a land of inspiring landscapes, lush rainforests, intriguing wildlife and infinite experiences…need I say more!