Stories from the road: Wild Western Australia

The latest dispatches have arrived from the far side of the world - as we enjoy the
grey skies of a wintry Surrey, ex-Australasia Specialist Lauren is struggling to cope in the glorious sunshine Downunder...

Western Australia is AMAZING and even better than we had expected... We hired a motorhome and spent our entire time touring the coast! After a couple of nights in the chilled out city of Perth we headed north via the small towns of Dongarra and Kalbarri. Having lived in flip flops (or Thongs as the Aussies would say!) we were eager to whack on our hiking boots and explore the coastal cliffs and gorges of Kalbarri National Park and Western Australia's second longest river - The Murchison River. We spent a couple of long, hot days enjoying the spectacular scenery of the National Park before heading further north to Monkey Mia.  

Monkey Mia is located in Shark Bay Marine Park and is a World Heritage Site. The resort is famous for bottlenose Dolphins which have been visiting the shore of Monkey Mia for around 40 years! We woke early to head down to the beach and see the daily feeding of the dolphins. This is an incredible experience, the dolphins are litterally at your feet, swimming between your legs! Due to restrcitions not everyone can feed the dolphins but fortunately, I was one of the lucky ones selected to feed a dolphin called Shock. Shock was so calm and gentle - feeding her was a real highlight of our West Coast adventure.  

After Monkey Mia we spent a few days travelling south again towards the Margaret River region. We spent our last few days on the West Coast exploring the famous wine region, enjoying a few short walks to Margaret River itself, visited a fantastic chocolate factory and relaxed on the beaches, soaking up the rays! Fabulous!  

If you're inspired by Lauren's tales why not start planning your own Western Australia Adventure - self-drives start from just £292 per person for a 4-night exploration of the Margaret River region.

The Puffin Story

Last week I brought you the phenomenal migratory journey of the Arctic Tern, well, this week it’s the Puffin!

Little has been known where Puffins migrate to in the winter as their entire time is spent at sea, however, thanks to ‘geolocators’ (also used in the Arctic Tern research), Puffins have now been tracked out into the Atlantic Ocean. This was a complete surprise to researchers as it was previously thought they remained in the North Sea but it has now been discovered that they make a 1 to 3 month trip to the North Atlantic. 

If you’re a fan of the little Puffin then you’ll be interested to know that the Westman Islands, just off Iceland’s south coast, is home to the largest colony of Puffins in the world. So visit Iceland and see for yourself the delightful little Puffin. Take me there >>

The Arctic Tern's 50,000 mile Migratory Route Uncovered...

Upon reading the news recently I was fascinated to discover that for the first time ever a team of international scientists have tracked the complete migration of the Arctic Tern. Whilst this incredible bird has always been known for its vast migratory journey, researchers using traditional bird ringing methods have only previously been able to track the birds as far as South Africa. However, using miniature ‘geolocators’, researchers have managed to follow the birds complete route, one that is largely dictated by food availability.

Research suggests that the Arctic Tern makes not only the furthest journey of any creature on Earth, a mere 50,000 mile year round trip but also sees the most daylight by travelling between the Arctic and Antarctic summers. Furthermore, despite this extraordinary migratory route, few Terns die each year and can live for up to 34 years! Truly fascinating.

Not only is this a wonderfully curious piece of research it is significant for us here at Discover the World as the Arctic Tern has long been part of our history. Discover the World began in 1983 operating holidays to Iceland and the Arctic and appropriately we adopted the Tern as our logo. Soon, we began introducing new holiday destinations with our expanding portfolio reaching as far as Antarctica. The Arctic Tern thus then became even more symbolic of our company, embodying not only the destinations we travel to but the unique and specialist operator, that is Discover the World.

Discover Iceland's Wild West Fjords

Whilst we all enjoy cosying up in the winter months it is also a great time to explore the outdoors, especially Iceland’s wild West Fjords. This remote and stunningly beautiful region is blessed with countless magical fjords, precipitous mountains and hidden gems off the beaten track.

Our new West Fjords Winter Adventure is the perfect way for the adventurer in you to delve into this truly special region whilst trying a host of experiences such as fishing, hiking, snowmobiling and hot spring bathing. And by night, remember to watch out for the northern lights!

Discover more »

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

My Australian Adventures: The Great Barrier Reef

Australia boasts several claims to the ‘biggest this’ and ‘grandest that’; standing proud in Western Australia is the world’s largest monlith, Mount Augustus; in Queensland vast sweeping beaches make up the world’s largest sand island, Fraser Island. And then of course we have possibly the most well known and best loved of all these ‘Aussie boasts’ – it can be seen from space and is home to some 500 species of vibrantly coloured and wonderfully textured coral, 1500 varieties of fish and 4000 kinds of molluscs - the largest marine reserve in the world, it is of course the fanstastic Great Barrier Reef.

Recently, I was lucky enough to experience this incredible natural wonder and this is the story of one of the (many!) greatest moments of my trip to Australia - snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef...

With clear blue skies and calm, glistening waters, we spritzed on the sun cream, donned our sun hats and from the elegantly tropical Port Douglas boarded our Reef bound vessel, the Quicksilver. The 90 minute trip from land to the Reef pontoon was filled with a brief commentary from the captain and a refreshing ‘wind-in-hair’ experience sat atop the top deck – a great way to blow the cobwebs of a few days’ coach travel away and feel ready to fully embrace the wonders of the Reef!

The anchored glass-bottom platform on which the pontoon sits was our base for the rest of the day and was a real haven of activity for all things aqua! I was so impressed by the range and quality of options; certified divers could explore the depths and wonders of the under-water world, while novice divers and snorkellers could immerse themselves in the turquoise waters and experience the colours and textures of the stunning marine from the platform.

Intrigued by the sound of the Bond style ‘semi-sub’, I decided to also experience the reef the dry way. As the sub vessel glided smoothly alongside the coral and fish, I felt a real sense of just how vast and complex the reef is – for me, it was great to have a guide to draw our eyes to various features and to explain exactly what we were looking at. Being so close, you can really appreciate the intricacies of the coral and the kaleidoscope of colour as you find yourself alongside an exotic fish. My highlight of the semi-sub experience was floating alongside two baby turtles swimming and splashing around in their underwater playground!

I felt both relaxed and exhilarated from our day on the Reef; the marine life is absolutely stunning and the Quicksilver was a perfect way to experience it. For anyone visiting North Queensland, a trip to the Reef is an absolute must!

Josephine Ball, Australia Specialist

Conserving Iceland's Nature

If you’ve ever travelled to Iceland or seen imagery of this incredible country you will undoubtedly have a strong appreciation of its breathtaking natural beauty and extraordinary diversity of landscapes. Understandably there is a need to protect these fragile natural environments and we are helping to do just that.

Over the years, we here at Discover the World have donated significant funds to conservation projects which underline our responsible attitude to tourism and this year is no different. 

We are proud supporters of the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) which was established in May 1997. It is a conservation NGO, with the primary objective of conserving and protecting the wilderness of Iceland. From the outset, INCA's primary objective was to establish a national park in the highlands, which constitutes some 40% of Iceland's 100.000 square km. The Vatnajokull Glacier Park which encompasses some 15.000 square km of this area was established in June of this year - and is in fact the largest national park in Europe.

INCA has been heavily involved in a diverse range of projects from the debate on the sustainable and wise use of hydroelectric and geothermal resources to calling for a global moratorium on deep sea trawling in the high seas. INCA has also focused on the climate change issue from the outset.

We here at Discover the World are especially interested and supportive of INCA's work in respect of campaigning against whaling, an issue very close to our hearts. We were in fact the first company in the world to operate whale watching tours in Iceland and we believe quite simply that whales are much more valuable alive, in their natural habitat where they rightly belong.

Through the years we have lobbied against whaling, as have many members of the Icelandic travel industry and in 2007, Arni Finnsson, chair of INCA's board, was awarded the Animal Action Award, for their engagement in the conservation of whales. At a time when there is a strong debate within the country we encourage our clients to make their views known locally, in a polite and coherent way. 

If you would like to experience the beauty and magnificence of the wild marine life surrounding Iceland then look no further than our whale watching excursions.

Please also visit www.INCA.is if you would like to learn more about INCA’s conservation work in Iceland.

For further details on all our conservation projects we support please click here

Exclusive Film: Sir David Attenscarf Explores Swedish Lapland

As the Swedish Lapland experts, this year we thought we should send our very own expert anthropologist Sir David Attenscarf to the region to provide a real insight into how people choose to enjoy themselves on holiday in the Arctic.

While he was on location in Swedish Lapland, he created an exciting film to show how people enjoy this stunning natural wilderness. He uncovers what it is like to sleep at the world famous ICEHOTEL and certainly comes unstuck a few times having a close brush with some of the inhabitants!

So whether you wish to rekindle your fond memories of your time at the ICEHOTEL or are dreaming of your magical break this winter to Swedish Lapland - watch our exclusive film knowing it’s all just waiting to be discovered this winter!

Plus! Watch Sir David for your chance to win £500 worth of vouchers from top outdoor clothing specialist, Haglöfs. Find out more!

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.