Queenstown - New Zealand's Adventure Capital

Queenstown, New Zealand, is nestled on the shores of Lake Wakitipu and lies in the shadow of the the Remarkable Ranges. We were in Queenstown for a family Christmas holiday and our accommodation was at Peppers Beacon. As we walked into our spacious three bedroom apartment, our senses were assailed by the aroma of freshly baked bread and the breathtaking view of Lake Wakitipu. What better way to start our holiday then sitting on the balcony, looking out over this amazing view and eating freshly baked bread with butter and jam!
We had been told about the amazing food and wine from this region of New Zealand and couldn't wait to try it. Our first foray out into the vineyards was to Gibbston Valley Winery for lunch. There were eleven of us and after some banter with our very friendly "Kiwi" hostess we let her have free rein in the ordering department. We were definitely not disappointed. We started with an array of tapas style entrees that we shared and then we had amazing main meals followed by equally delicious desserts. When it came to the wines we had a private tasting at our table then settled on the chilled rose, a sauvignon blanc and an amazing pinot gris. What a way to while away the afternoon. A tour of the cellar topped off a very enjoyable day.

Queenstown calls itself the adventure capital of the world and when you see the amount of sporting activities on offer you can understand why - jet boating, white water rafting, paragliding, parasailing, snow skiing and, of course, the thing that New Zealand is most noted for - bungee jumping. So how many of them did I do? None, I'm afraid to say but we really were going to do the tandem paragliding from the  Skyline Gondola, however, the weather changed and became too dangerous to attempt - oh well - next time! Our eldest son, Ryan did attempt the bungee jump and the Jet boating - two things off his bucket list.

What we did do when we went up the Skyline Gondola was to have lunch in the restaurant with the best view of Queenstown. It was Christmas Day and we had a very enjoyable lunch - we didn't have to cook or clean up or drive home - and there was even two complementary rides on a luge - I did do that. Although not quite as thrilling as, or with the adrenaline rush of, a bungee jump or paragliding, it was still enjoyable. A very relaxing way to spend Christmas with all the family.
Coffee, or should I say, a good cup of coffee, can be very hard to find. We have found the best way to get a good cup is to ask the locals. We were directed to two places - Vudu Cafe and Joe's garage. Both of these hit the mark and Joe's Garage served an amazing breakfast, which was really appreciated before our long drive to Milford Sound.
For our final night in Queenstown, we decided to have dinner at a rather unusual sounding restaurant - Botswana Butchery. The name conjures up all sorts of images but the reality was that it is, apparently, one of the best restaurants in New Zealand. Situated on the shores of Lake Wakitipu, this two storey dwelling offered various areas depending on the type of evening you wanted - outdoor barbecue areas, trendy bars and private dining rooms. We were all totally impressed with the menu, which did seem a little on the expensive side, but then it was in New Zealand dollars so, with that 30% discount, it wasn't so bad. My rabbit risotto followed by Eton Mess was amazing. One of the best meals I have had in quite a while. A perfect way to end the Queenstown part of our holiday.

One of the best things about Queenstown is that it is a good stepping stone to quite a lot of other attractions. From here you can do a day trip to Milford Sound to view the amazing Mitre Peak and cruise on the fiord, drive into Wanaka - some would say even more beautiful than Queenstown- and Lake Hawea, or drive out to Glenorchy and Paradise where parts of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit were filmed, and if you're feeling like a long drive you can go to Dunedin to the Chocolate factory. It is quite easy to fill a week to 10 days in the Queenstown area and feel like you have had a real holiday at the end of it.

Great food and a conspiracy theory

Sometimes the best meal you eat is somewhere or something totally unexpected. When we were staying in the Carcassonne region, our hosts suggested that we might like to venture to a little village called Rennes-le-Chateau. It had a contentious history in more recent times with the discovery of a possible conspiracy theory, suggesting blackmail of the Catholic Church and the possibility of a descendant of Jesus - the real Da Vinci Code!!
So we drove to this tiny little village on the edge of the Pyrenees, not really sure what to expect but open to any suggestion that this may be real. It was an uncharacteristically cold day and as we climbed higher into the mountains it became colder and windier. Neither of us had brought a jumper so by the time we started wandering around the streets of the village looking for the church we were starting to get really cold.
What better way to warm us up then a good meal and a decent cup of coffee. In Rennes-le-Chateau there are only 2 restaurants - the first looked dark and cold but the second - Amarante- looked warm and inviting. The daily menu included a hearty soup and duck confit, both of which sounded perfect on a cold windy day. My soup was excellent and my husband commented that his duck was the best he had eaten on the entire holiday. That was quite a statement as he had eaten so many ducks that I was half expecting him to lay an egg!! The house wines were also good but then again what house wine isn't good throughout France. However, the highlight for me was dessert. I wasn't going to order anything until I saw it being served to the table next to us. Chocolate fondant! It was so yummy that I wanted more - I actually scraped out the bowl and if it hadn't been hot, I probably would have licked it as well. Compliments to the chef.
Anyway, onto the conspiracy of Rennes -le-Chateau. The church had fallen into disrepair by 19 century but suddenly priest Father Berenger Sauniere had at his disposal funds to totally renovate the church. An investigation was conducted into how he suddenly had funds to not only renovate the church but build a large villa for himself as well. The investigation centred on documents that he is alleged to have found hidden in his church, and his alleged wealth. There has been a BBC documentary and  a novel "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" explaining possible scenarios and, of course, the Da Vinci Code. Sauniere was temporarily suspended with reinstatement on the condition that the "misappropriated goods" be returned to their rightful owner. Of course, he was unable to do this so lived the rest of his life in poverty.

Like a local

We have found travelling is most rewarding when you live like a local. Staying in upmarket hotels and eating out at Michelin star restaurants is one way of seeing a city but it is very artificial. You don't get to see how the real people live, where they shop, where they eat. During our recent holiday in France we found that staying in self contained accommodation gave us the opportunity to see the other side of travel. The side that says, yes, I could live here. It also means that it is quite affordable to stay for extended periods of time so that you get a real feel of what life could be like if you decided to make a life changing decision to move here.

Our Paris accommodation was a well equipped apartment in the 6th arrondissement, just metres from the Seine and near to Boulevard Saint Germain and it's designer shops. This district is an eclectic mix of people - tourists, students, locals - thus giving lots of options for shopping, eating out or dining in. The local market at Rue de Buci offers an array of shops selling food and wine but, remember, that like most of France (and Europe) not many shops are open on a Sunday. Wandering around the back streets to the Luxemburg Gardens, window shopping at some of the amazing antique shops or strolling along the Left Bank of the Seine to Isle St Louis are some activities that can be done on a Sunday. The other thing that we really enjoyed was the number of talented buskers that wander around the streets in the evening, particularly near restaurants and bars. Some of the jazz players were exceptional.

In the countryside, the benefits of living like a local are even greater. The lower cost of accommodation and the ability to shop at markets at a different town or village every day means that your holiday suddenly becomes really affordable. To be able to buy direct from the producer means you get the freshest produce at the best price and you know that the producer is getting all the profit - a win-win situation. When we stayed at Vitrac on the Dordogne River we were surrounded by market towns, where they sold not only fresh produce but local arts and crafts. Sarlat has the biggest market but we also found St Cyprien, Domme and Cenac had good choices for a quick, fresh lunch or a gourmet dinner. In fact, the foie gras and duck, bread and cheese, lovely fresh asparagus and the most amazingly cheap cherries became our staple diet for this part of our holiday.

Add to that the amazing history of the area and you have, what we believed was the best place to holiday. Not only are there the usual chateaux and cathedrals but there are prehistoric caves and modern troglodytes, beautiful gardens and quaint villages. Entry prices to tourist attractions were really reasonable so you left feeling that this was an experience everyone could enjoy - it was not an exercise in ripping off the tourist.
A few years ago, I had read a book called Europe through the Back Door by Rick Steves. His philosophy about living like a local, trying to learn a few words of the language and not advertising the fact that you are a tourist made so much sense that we have adopted this. We enjoy blending in and soaking up the ambience of every place we stay.

Segway- a different view of Paris

If you are looking for a different way to see Paris then Segway it!! We had been to Paris a few times before so really didn't need to climb the Eiffel Tower, go inside Notre Dame or the Louvre - what could we do that was different? Segway, of course. We had seen them on travel shows back home and they looked like fun so we decided to book with City Segway Tours. These tours have a maximum of eight people plus a guide and last for 4 hours including training and a coffee break. So they are more intimate and you get to know your fellow tourists.

We met our guide at the Eiffel Tower who took us back to the Segway offices where we were given lessons on how to ride a Segway and safety tips. I was really apprehensive about stepping onto the Segway as I thought I would look totally uncoordinated. I needn't have worried because it felt so natural and before long we were all zooming along as though we had been born on a Segway.
Our guide was a young American  who was studying drama in Paris and who was knowledgeable about the tourist sites and  a mine of information about where we could eat and other activities that we wanted to do during our Paris stay. The sights visited on the tour included Les Invalides and Napoleon's Tomb, Pont Alexandre III, The D'Orsay, The Louvre, The Tuileries (where you stop for coffee and to recharge the Segway batteries) and Place de la Concorde. Obviously because you are on the Segway you can only see the outside of these but our guide made them so interesting that we decided to visit Les Invalides Military Museum and Napoleon's Tomb in the following days.
However, don't be fooled into thinking you are riding around on a platform that requires no effort. You really need the coffee stop to rest tired legs. Whether it is tension because you are on a contraption that is alien or the slight muscle movements that are required to maneuver the machine it is really quite tiring. On top of that you need to be able to maintain your centre of gravity. For two days after our Segway jaunt, my stomach muscles were as sore as if I had been doing multiple sit-ups or had a big Pilates workout.
I didn't realise how exhilarating tearing around Paris on a Segway could be - we were like celebrities - people stopped to look at us and take photos -  riding at 20km/h in bike lanes with the breeze in your face.
I want to buy one!!

Adelaide Hills

The Adelaide Hills is a terrific destination – you get the benefit of being in a semi rural setting but still have the luxury of travelling into the “big smoke” of Adelaide if you want to. We stayed in the historic village of Hahndorf – a reminder of the German heritage of South Australia – with it’s typical German style pubs and food. The town has also retained many of its old buildings and makes you feel like you have gone back to a more relaxed carefree time.

The other benefit of staying in Hahndorf is that you are pretty central to all the attractions and winegrowing areas.

The Adelaide Hills area has plenty of wineries, notably “The Lane” and “Shaw and Smith”, but less than an hour away you can sample wines in the Barossa to the north, McLaren Vale to the southwest or Langhorne Creek to the southeast. On top of that you are only a 30 minute drive to the Murray River, where you can go up stream in a paddle steamer and another hours drive south to the seaside town of Victor Harbour.

For the flying enthusiasts I would suggest a visit to the little town of Aldinga in McLaren vale. They have a small airstrip that does joy flights as well as flying lessons. We found the locals really friendly and if we lived there would definitely become involved at their aero club – it had such a great, welcoming feel.

We stayed in a delightful little family run self-contained apartment with a good array of provisions for breakfast. Amble at Hahndorf overlooks fields with a horse galloping around and sulphur crested cockatoos that visit daily and is a short walk from the main street – far enough away from town to be quiet but close enough that you can walk in for dinner or a drink at one of the pubs. The variety and quality of the food was exceptional and in most cases the prices were totally affordable.

The history of the area is everywhere you look, from the old mill in Bridgewater to Sir Hans Heysen's historic home in Hahndorf. This homestead is well worth a visit and you get the opportunity to see Heysen’s inspirations for his paintings as well as hear about some of the famous people he and his wife entertained. We also found looking through some of the old grave yards enlightening with many famous wine growing names dating back to the mid 1800s.

This area is a great place to visit and I’m sure we will be going back again.

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Our most relaxing overseas holiday – ten days in Kota Kinabalu (KK) in the north east corner of Borneo. We stayed in the Sutera Harbour Resort in the Magellan wing and were treated liked royalty. The staff was so friendly and helpful, the rooms were luxurious, the food was delectable and to top it all off it wasn’t expensive. This resort also boasts a golf course with night lighting, 5 swimming pools, a 10 pin bowling alley, cinema, marina and is only a five minute shuttle ride from the heart of KK.

In KK itself, the shopping was great. There were plenty of clothes, shoes, electronic gear and all at great prices. Air conditioned shopping centres such as Centrepoint, KK plaza, Merteka Plaza had a huge variety of shops. We were fortunate enough to visit during one of their Mega sales. These occur in March, August and December where you can get up to 70% discount off already unbelievably cheap prices.

There are also plenty of fresh seafood places to eat at in KK. Kampong Ayr is an open air market and impressed us with the quality and the prices. There are also many restaurants and food halls in the shopping centres which offer a large variety and great prices.

If you’re into nature trips then this has it all as well. The Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is just 20minutes from the resort. The waters are crystal clear and brimming with marine life. Snorkeling reveals all types of coral, sea cucumbers and colourful fish. Visiting the orangutans is another highlight. There are two places in Sabah where you can see rehabilitated orangutans – Sandakan (about an hours flight away) or Rasa Ria resort (about an hour away by shuttle or taxi). At Rasa Ria we saw two cheeky apes – one with the name of “Tiger Wud” because of his penchant for finding golf balls at the nearby golf course.

No trip to KK is complete without a trip to Mount Kinabalu. For the adventurous an overnight stay and early morning climb to the summit to see the sun rising is a must. For those of us with a little less energy then a stroll around the botanic gardens at Mount Kinabalu can be rewarding with the number of orchids, pitcher plants and , if you’re lucky, a sighting of the rafflesia. This is the world’s largest flower, taking ten months from bud to flower and only staying in bloom for 7 days.

Kota Kinabalu is a great destination for Australians – it is only a 5 hour flight, the exchange rate is great and the people are so hospitable and friendly. We would love to go back but are so worried that it won't be as good - maybe we will live with the memory.

Tuscany - Off the Beaten Track

A journey to Tuscany isn’t complete unless you visit well known towns such as Florence, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano, Montecatini, Montalcino to name but a few. However it is often the smaller, less well known villages that remain in your memory – the highlight of an unforgettable trip to Tuscany.

Travelling around Europe in a car you quite often manage to stumble across a little gem of a village that isn’t mentioned in any of the glossy tour brochures and sometimes barely rates a mention on road maps. Bagno Vignoni in Tuscany, east of Montalcino, was one of these villages. Small and unprepossessing on first glance, it surprised us with its thermal waters and friendly residents (apparently the total population is 36!).

As we drove up we noticed people wading in channels of water. On closer examination we noticed steam arising from them. These channels were the overflow from the hot spring in the centre of town where the water temperature is 52°C. One by one we took off our shoes and dipped our feet in the very warm water. It was almost a surreal experience to be wading in bath temperature water in irrigation channels carved out of the limestone embedded ground.

The thermal waters of this village were first known by the Etruscans and then by the Romans who built the village square, closed in on 3 sides by town walls about one a half metres high, into baths. The Romans consecrated these waters to the Nymphs. From the 12th century and throughout the 13th century, Bagno Vignoni became a stopover point for Christian pilgrims travelling from Northern Italy on their way to Rome. Around this “square” there are buildings designed by Bernardo Rossellino in Pope Pio II’s honour. Legend also has it that Saint Catherine of Siena stopped here.

Around this square of water are a few shops selling typically Tuscan fare and also a tavern with a very friendly host who expounded the virtues of his red wine over the more famous Brunello of Montalcino. While our experience of Italian wines was minimal and those we had tasted were “weaker” than our Australian wines our host showed his knowledge of his wine and our tastes by choosing a full bodied red that, while relatively expensive, was very good. During our visit we elicited that he and his French fiancé had worked on an Australian vineyard so were very familiar with Aussie tastes.

On another foray into the Tuscan countryside we visited Volterra. While this is a better known village than Bagno Vignoni it was still a treat to visit as there were fewer tourists and therefore a more authentic feel to the town. Volterra is west of San Gimignano and can be reached by a scenic and very windy road. Views across to the coast are spectacular. Originally it was founded by the Etruscans as one of twelve cities of the Etruscan Confederation and they constructed a town wall nearly seven kms long. A significant proportion of this wall still stands although it was replaced by a shorter medieval wall in the 12^th century. Its population of 25,000 had a brisk trade in metal, timber, wheat and alabaster. Roman rule was evident from about 300BC and an amphitheatre was built about the 1^st century BC. Roman baths were also built nearby but probably after the decline of the amphitheatre. Volterra had its share of ups and downs over the centuries due to wars with Florence and varying markets for its produce of grain and alabaster. Today it is an industrial, agricultural and tourist centre with many alabaster workshops.

A wander around the streets evokes strong emotions as there are many reminders of all its inhabitants in the architecture of the town although it has a decidedly Medieval feel. More detailed information can be found in the museums, such as Museo Etrusco Guarnacci. The highlight for
us was the amphitheatre where it was easy to imagine actors playing to their Roman audiences. We also indulged in some alabaster eggs and I have to admit to not being able to leave without buying a stunning glass dish.

Living in Australia it is hard to imagine buildings and sculptures that have survived for thousands of years yet these are so common in Europe, particularly in this part of Italy. Being able to visit magnificent examples such as in Volterra without the hordes of crowds that one comes to expect from travelling throughout Europe is a real treat. I can’t wait to pack up my suitcase and make the journey back to Europe and its incredible history again.