Costa Serena- Italian Voyage

I think the poor old Costa Cruise Line has taken a beating in recent times, so I thought I would share a positive story with you!

In 2007 I was lucky enough to be invited on a familiarisation trip to Italy and even luckier to be travelling with a wonderful colleague and friend of mine, Katarina!

Sightseeing in Rome- Niedra at the Trevi Fountain

We spent a night in Rome at the La Griffe Hotel, a really funky spot with a great roof garden restaurant, then travelled to Savona the following morning and boarded the stunning Costa Serena. The cruise was an opportunity for travel consultants and journalists to experience the Serena and get an idea of what our passengers could expect from their holidays.

Boarding the Costa Serena

Having never been much of a cruiser, I was blown away! The decor was elegant, stylish and opulent, there were 5 restaurants,13 bars, 5 Jacuzzis and 4 pools, unbelievable!

We were spoilt with an Ocean View Balcony room for our 4 night cruise, which was such a treat, not that we any time in there... Would you, with that many places to eat and drink??

Over the next few days, we visited Palermo in Sicily, walked around the markets and bought some gorgeous shoes, spent time relaxing by the pools drinking cocktails (and getting quite a sunburn!) and had the unique honour of cruising into Venice at dawn, a moment that I still consider one of the most magical in all my days of travelling.

Relaxing by the pool with cocktails

Another tough day on the job!

Cruising into Venice at dawn was an absolute highlight

The meals were incredible and never ending, we dined in most of the restaurants at least once! We did pay quite a few visits to the coffee and chocolate bar after our nights of dancing in the disco.. and the luxury of a cup of tea on our balcony from the lovely room service staff was a perfect way to end each day.

My beautiful friend Katarina and I on our way to dinner

One of the many wonderful staff that looked after us!

I found the Mediterranean to be a wonderful introduction to the world of cruising, it was calm, the sunsets and sunrises were breathtaking and the weather was perfect. If you are not sure about taking a holiday of the cruising variety, this is the ideal way to dip your toe in the water, I am so sure you will never turn back!

Exploring Venice

True Measure of Happiness

I believe the true measure of happiness is waking every morning looking forward to the day ahead. If you don't, then something needs to change.
Sometimes life gets busy, we all get a bit bogged down with our every day lives and we forget that there are some truly wonderful moments to be had if we open ourselves to them.

I am blessed to own a business that I love, travelling the world every day while planning holidays for my valued clients and giving them the opportunity to create there own lifelong memories. Even given this, I still have my moments when life becomes mundane and I fail to appreciate how good things are.

I had the pleasure this week of meeting with some wonderful clients, an older couple who travel overseas twice a year and have done so for the past twelve years. They visit the same resort each time.
They spoke to me for two hours about the resort they visit, the staff and the incredible affection they feel for everyone they know over there. Imagine the level of service they were receiving to keep them returning for that long? It wasn't the big things either, it was the fact that the staff knew them by names, knew the type of wine they liked, enquired after their family and paid attention to them, small things that take little or no effort but make all the difference!

This story really inspired me to ensure I put this level of service into every dealing I have during every day, from my wonderful clients to my precious friends and family and even my local cafe staff. Imagine how much richer our days would be if we all stepped it up a bit? I think we would all bound out of bed each morning with renewed joy for life!

Have a great week everyone!

Tourists in our home town - Sydney Weekend!

Every once in  a while, we should all take some time out to enjoy our home town as a tourist. The sad truth is that most overseas visitors know Sydney better than we do, simply because they come for that specific purpose!

This weekend just gone, we spent the weekend at the Observatory Hotel in the Rocks, my absolute favourite hotel in Sydney. It is elegant, classic and distinctive and unlike many 5 star hotels in the world, you recognise where you are immediately. Many a time have I woken up in a foreign country and had it not been for the vista outside, I could have been anywhere!

We enjoyed a walk past the Finger Wharves and the Sebel Pier One, under the Harbour Bridge and up through the Rocks. The area was packed with visitors because of the Rocks Markets, a brilliant weekend market that features some really eclectic arts and crafts, wonderful food and distinct Australian souvenirs.

For lunch we retreated into the lovely air conditioning of 'The Argyle' and ate a HUGE BBQ tasting plate while enjoying Pear Cider, what a treat!

Pear Cider at the Argyle

The walk back to the Observatory took us to Observatory Hill which has amazing views of the bridge, harbour and Luna Park and given the number of wedding parties around, it is a prime spot for your newlywed pictures!

Observatory Hill

After a lovely afternoon tea in the foyer, we spent the remainder of the day relaxing in our huge room- I even spoilt myself and had a soak in the fragrant lavender bath, the water infused with the beautiful smelling salts.

What a bathroom!

Our beautiful room

A dining experience at the Observatory is something everyone should have the pleasure of enjoying at least once in their lives. Guests have the choice of two exciting dining options, Globe Bar & Brasserie and the fine dining restaurant Galileo featuring award-winning French cuisine.
I felt as elegant as Audrey Hepburn, dressed to the nines, sipping on a Martini and listening to the pianist play some classic pieces. The Globe Bar also has an extensive library complete with some first editions, my idea of a perfect afternoon!

Globe Bar with my martini!

Our meal in the Galileo Restaurant was one of the best I have ever eaten, every selection was a gastronomic
delight and so beautifully presented, every bite seemed a shame! The service was second to none, the staff were pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable and they truly capped off a wonderful night.

My trout entree

Lemon pie with meringue!

My measure of any hotel I stay in, is the effort put into the little touches. Every one offers basically the same product, a room to sleep in for the night, so it is the small touches that can differentiate a good hotel from a great one. When we returned to our room after dinner, we had bottles of water on the bedside table, slippers beside the turned down bed and hot chocolate and herbal tea laid out beside the kettle. Perfectly unique.

The next morning we enjoyed buffet breakfast  in Galileo, complete with smoked salmon, a honeycomb dripping fresh honey, figs and lychee's and then spent the morning wandering through Darling Harbour and Chinatown.

An incredible weekend spent in a breathtaking hotel in a fantastic city. Spend a weekend in Sydney and be wowed!

 

Port Noarlunga- A Secret Treasure

When my father passed away 2 years ago, his only request was that his ashes be scattered on the beach we have come to know as Dad's beach. His final destination is the sparkling blue water off Port Noarlunga Beach, right out the front of the Southport Surf Club in South Australia.

Dad founded the club with his friends over 50 years ago, so as a mark of respect, we go back annually and have a drink with him!

Port Noarlunga is a small seaside town located a comfortable 40 minute drive from Adelaide Airport.

It was originally created as a sea port but is now a popular holiday destination and also a home for many who commute to Adelaide for work.

Port Noarlunga Beach and Jetty

The focal point of the town is the infamous Jetty. It was built in 1921, replacing the original that was destroyed by storms and it leads all the way out to a reef that is one of only a few in the whole of South Australia, the area is a hotspot for divers and fisherman alike. At the Southern end of the beach, is the mouth of the Onkaparinga River and the estuary which stretches behind the dunes. The Onkaparinga River runs from its source between Mount Torrens and Charleston in the Mount Lofty Ranges and flows south westerly to the estuary at Port Noarlunga. The river is 95km in length.

Onkaparinga River Mouth

Port Noarlunga beach, the sand dunes and the Onkaparinga River mouth was judged Australia's cleanest beach for 2010, quite an accolade and well deserved!

Port Noarlunga Beach

We stayed at McCloud House, a property owned and managed by Julie Wright, that was originally built as a guest house in 1928 by Rebecca, Mary-Anne and Bertha McCloud.

The sisters are the daughters of John Douglas McCloud, a farmer and land owner of “Glenheath” at Lonsdale. He arrived as a 9 year old in 1839, three years after South Australia was proclaimed a state.

The location of the guest house is ideal, directly opposite the beach and a wander to the local cafes and quaint little shops.

View from our Beach Studio at McCloud House

There are 2 Studio rooms on offer, The Beach Studio and Heritage Studio. The Beach Studio is larger with a small retreat area, and a large old fashioned claw foot bath with separate shower in the en-suite. The Heritage Studio looks over the characteristic village of Port Noarlunga, it is slightly smaller and less costly. Each studio has a king size bed, en-suite, air conditioning, its own balcony, and kitchenette. Julie was a fantastic host and nothing was too much bother, we will be staying here from now on! I cannot recommend highly enough!

Lounge area in the Beach Studio

I had a wander around the shops in the afternoon, discovering treasure after treasure, beautiful gift shops, quaint little cafes and of course, the mandatory Cornish Pastry store (no trip to South Australia is complete without a Cornish pastry at some point!).

Enjoying a Cornish Pasty

My find of the trip, was an amazing little hole in the wall Antique store called Noodys Curios! I spent a good few hours fascinated with everything from Golliwog dolls to tea sets to cigarette cases, amazing! 

We spent our first afternoon with family and friends at the Southport Surf Club, then wandered up the beach and over the headland to Christies Beach and our favourite little Chinese restaurant- the Red Ruby! I think the name says it all!!!!! The sunset was breathtaking and the night was full of laughs!

A lovely end to the evening was enjoying a bottle of red wine with family on our little balcony at McCloud House, overlooking the beach.

Having a beer at Southport SLSC

The view from Southport SLSC

The Red Ruby, what a spot

What a sunset!

I woke up at sunrise and spent an hour wandering along the beach, it was one of those perfect mornings when the air was cool, the water and sky seemed to merge into a misty, blue haze and the sand was bursting with shells. I took a pocketful of the sand back with me, a little piece of Dad's beach to keep with me forever.

Unfortunately being a short trip, we had to say goodbye after only 2 nights! Next time we have vowed to return for longer and include a visit to the McLaren Winery region (only 15 minutes away!), Cape Jervis, Victor Harbour and Goolwa. 

Make sure you keep Port Noarlunga in mind when you are next in Adelaide, a picture perfect little seaside retreat!

Fiji for 2

As we all know,  I have done a little travelling in my time and I tend to favour the more adventurous destinations! Somehow I have ended up with a wonderful boyfriend who does not share my love of

the unexplored and tends to prefer holidays I consider tame!

When it came time to plan a little getaway for the 2 of us, we ended up deciding on Fiji, primarily because

he has never been and my suggestions of Thailand, Bali or India didn't appeal to him in the slightest!

Air Pacific Plane

After numerous recommendations from colleagues, we chose to spend 5 nights on Viwa Island and we were

not disappointed. Viwa Island Resort is located in the Yasawa group , about 3 hours via launch and speedboat from Port Denarau. The day we arrived, the water was like a mill pond and the transfer was a breeze, unfortunately for some other guests, this is not always the case with some choosing to go back via helicopter rather than battle the seas again!

The Yasawa Flyer

Our speedboat transfer to Viwa Island Resort

We were welcomed ashore by the staff playing guitars and singing and given beautiful leis full of Frangipanis and vibrant, red Hibiscus flowers and Ian's favourite, a delicious 'Welcome Fruit punch'!

After a run down on the resort and the facilities, we settled into our gorgeous Bure and relaxed the afternoon away.

What a welcome!

There are 11 Bures in total and children under 12 are not catered for, so the majority of guests are honeymooners or couples wanting a quiet getaway. The Bures are in a traditional Fijian style, with thatched roofs, high vaulted ceilings and louvered windows throughout, allowing fresh airflow day and night.

The bathrooms are half open air, with high walls for privacy and a lovely garden, Ian thought it felt like being in an exhibit at the Zoo- complete with geckos!

Inside our Bure

Our foot bath outside our Bure

On Tuesday we joined Bai and some of the other guests on a walk to a local Village on the other side of the island, we had fresh coconut juice and bought shells from the most gorgeous little children, when the boat came and picked us up, the guys took us snorkelling on the reef- the fish were out of this world, an incredible array of colours and sizes, breathtaking, I missed seeing the Reef Shark, thank goodness!

Enjoying a fresh coconut

One of the gorgeous little girls from the village

A relaxing lunch after the snorkelling tour

Ian joined the hand fishing tour one afternoon and managed to land a good size tuna, the biggest fish he has ever caught and on a hand line no less.

Some of the fish from the fishing trip

We snorkelled on the reef in front of the resort, there is a beautiful Clam Garden, something I have never seen before, the clams are irridescent in colour and the patterns are fascinating, the warning not to put my feet too close or risk losing them was a little daunting, but worth the peril! Imagine an underwater wonderland literally steps away from your Bure... paradise.

The Reef out the front of the Resort

The highlight of each day for us was relaxing at the bar for happy hour with the other guests, we would all sit and chat about the day, while enjoying the wonderful cocktails mixed up by Kitte! Our bar bill at the end was testament to how good the cocktails were.

Enjoying a cocktail watching the sun go down

Viwa Sunset Cocktail!

Once it was time for dinner, the beautiful girls would come and let us know personally and take us to our table. Charlie and Pate would bring their guitars and sing us a mix of Fijian and Western favourites, the Fijian people are blessed with voices like angels! On our first night, Charlie made a speech to welcome us to the island then sang us a Welcome song- we were so touched. Other nights we had a Cultural Evening, crab racing and they offer a beach BBQ on Saturday nights.

Cultural Night

Fire Twirling

Food in Fiji is not renowned for being brilliant, in fact, most times I have gone, I have been somewhat disappointed in what was on offer, our trip to Viwa Island blew that opinion out of the water. Caroline is a self taught chef and the food was incredible, every night the menu changed and every night we were in food heaven. We spoiled ourselves with a Private Beachfront Dinner one evening, unfortunately due to strong winds, we ended up having the dinner in our Bure, Caroline cooked us a seafood platter complete with lobster, scallops, prawns and mussels! She met us during the day to discuss what we would like to have for our meal and we designed a menu to suit- such a special, unique opportunity and all for the price of a cheap dinner out in Sydney!

Sunset from our Bure

Private Seafood Dinner in our Bure

We spent our days snorkelling, fishing, sunbaking and reading- I figure it a great holiday if I finish a book and on this one, I managed 3!

Not a bad outlook while lying in the sun

The day we left Viwa, we were farewelled on the beach by most of the staff and even some guests- we were in tears, the connections and friendships we made over such a short period of time will last a lifetime and have guaranteed that this will be a destination we return to for many years to come.

Our farewell from Viwa Island Resort, a very sad day!

A bit about me!

They say a Travel consultant leads a charmed life; all expenses paid trips, spending all day every day researching fascinating destinations, breathtaking resorts, tours to die for and the cherry on top- getting paid for it!

Always working hard to research your next holiday!

I must say I do agree! Although the trips are not as common as they used to be and there are some days we tear our hair out competing with the internet and natural disasters seem to disrupt travellers more and more, travel is still the love of my life and I dare say, always will be!

Now I am running my own business, I am blessed with lovely clients who are loyal and who refer me to everyone! I have the freedom to work flexible hours and I am available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and therefore, can help out clients on the other side of the world when their flights are cancelled at 3am.
There is nothing more satisfying that knowing you have ensured a relaxing holiday will remain just that!!

The freedom of my own business means more quality time with family

So this blog is not about a destination or a trip that I have taken, it is more a reminder of what I do and why you should keep me in mind when planning your next adventure!

Many people see the concept of a Personal Travel Manager as something a little exclusive and therefore very expensive, but what most don't realise is that I have access to all of the same flight specials, accommodation deals and tours that the shopfront agencies have!
The added advantage I offer is that I will come to you, at a time and a place that suits you. No more running down to the Travel Agency during lunch, hoping you will see someone before your 30 minute break is up and then chasing up your quote for a week, believing this is the only way to ensure a cheap deal!
No more wasted hours trawling the internet for the best price, only to end more more confused about your holiday than when you started! and one of the biggest advantages is knowing you will be speaking with the same person every time you call, email or message me!

No matter where I am, you can always reach me!

So why not give me a try next time? The service I offer might be just what you are looking for and you must admit, saying you have your own 'Personal Travel Manager' is a pretty cool thing to mention at your next dinner party!

The list of places that I have travelled is comprehensive and this is not designed to make you jealous or to ensure you dislike me, it is to give you an idea of the areas that I know first hand! Bear in mind, this only covers 21% of the world, so technically, I still have a long way to go!!!

Places I have travelled-

Within Australia

Queensland
Northern Territory
South Australia
Victoria
Tasmania
ACT
Western Australia
Norfolk Island


International   
                                                                                                                                                  UK/Europe/Middle East                                                                                           Belgium
Croatia
Czech Republic
Egypt
England - Lived in London for 3months
France
Germany
Italy - Studied Italian in Florence for 2 months
Jordan
Lebanon
Montenegro
Monaco
Morocco
Netherlands
Oman
Scotland
Serbia
Sicily
Spain
Syria
Turkey - 3 months travelling & working throughout

Asia/Indian Subcontinent
Cambodia
Hong Kong
India
Laos
Malaysia
Phillipines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam


South Pacific                                                                                                    Cook Islands
Fiji
New Zealand
Vanuatu

The Americas                                                                                                     New York
Hawaii
Seattle
Vancouver
Banff
Calgary
Jasper


As well as reading my blog, you can see specials, quotes and quirky stories at my Facebook page below- just click to like the page and you are right to go!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/TravelManagers-Niedra-McLeod-your-Personal-TravelManager/194542960575874?sk=wall

All of my contact details are below, I look forward to making your next holiday a trip you will never forget.
Don't forget my favourite saying- Íf you are starting to look like your passport photo, it is time you took a holiday!'

Niedra McLeod
Personal Travel Manager

M: 0405 500 640
F:  02 8089 1190

niedram@travelmanagers.com.au
http://my.travelmanager.com.au/NiedraMcLeod