The Favourite Season



Even though the sky is grey.. with every raindrop the colours of nature intensifies. And the sound of every raindrop soothes the soul. There is allot to be said for the phrase "just add water". D. Gushue

Fall is definitely my favourite season! This is true for many reasons; the most obvious is how beautiful everything looks. From the yellow leaves of the Ash trees, the multitude of colours of the different variety of Maple trees, fire red leaves of the Sumac and the golden colours of farmer’s fields when the sun hits them just the right way. I feel compelled to grab my camera and record this beauty especially after it rains as the water drops intensify the vibrant coloured leaves against the blackened tree trunks and branches. There is nothing like a walk in the woods, breathing the crisp fresh air and hearing the crunch of fallen leaves beneath your feet! And for this reason and this reason alone it would be the one season I would truly miss if I were to move to a tropical climate.


It’s the season when kids go back to school and mom’s are secretly saying a “woohoo” ! As the Staples commercial says “it’s the most wonderful time of year”! It is time to for families to meet during Thanksgiving and eat copious amounts of turkey and pumpkin pie while giving thanks for our many blessings!

It’s the time when most Canadians start to get serious about their work again after having summer holidays and/or a number of visits to the cottage. And with this we also know it is the season of transition from sweaters and rain jackets to snow boots and parkas! It’s a season of preparation for the long winter ahead.

This leads me to another reason I love fall as a travel consultant, everyone now is thinking about going south or further afield to escape the undeniably long and cold Canadian winter that lies ahead. Sure we love our snow shoeing, skating, skiing and hockey but there is nothing like sitting on a beach, cruising on a ship or zip lining across the rainforest canopy to warm up our bodies and lift our spirits! And fall is the best time to book for the winter months, as you have more availability, especially if you are planning to travel during peak times like Christmas or March Break. It is also the time when many travel suppliers have Early Booking Bonuses and promotions so they can fill their ships, hotels and planes early in the season. And as a consumer it is also a good time to commit to a vacation because by leaving it too late to book you will often feel the drain of the expenditures that comes with the holidays. This often leads to putting that holiday on hold till next year. And by the time February comes along you realize that maybe that toaster oven or tread mill that is collecting dust is no match for sitting on a beach, cruising on a ship or zip lining over the jungle canopy.

So before changing your front hall closet from summer/fall clothes to winter clothes take a moment to plan your winter escape. With that in mind I leave you with some wise words from Mark Twain.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

Denise Gushue - CTC (Certified Travel Counsellor)

e. denise.gushue@gmail.com

In the beginning there was Maui – A Maori Legend.

New Zealand is known as one of the youngest countries in the world geologically, and actually is the highlands of the submerged continent called Zealandia. But to the Maori there is another story of how New Zealand or Aoterora, the land of the long white cloud came to be. It is the legend of Maui and his magic fish hook, this is his story.

“Maui was a demi-god, who lived in Hawaiiki. He possessed magic powers that not all of his family knew about.

One day when he was very young, he hid in the bottom of his brothers' boat in order to go out fishing with them. Once out at sea, Maui was discovered by his brothers, but they were not able to take him back to shore as Maui made use of his magic powers, making the shoreline seem much further away than it was in reality.

So the brothers continued rowing, and once they were far out into the ocean Maui dropped his magic fishhook over the side of the waka. After a while he felt a strong tug on the line. This seemed to be too strong a tug to be any ordinary fish, so Maui called to his brothers for assistance.

After much straining and pulling, up suddenly surfaced Te Ika a Maui (the fish of Maui), known today as the North Island of New Zealand. Maui told his brothers that the Gods might be angry about this, and he asked his brothers to wait while he went to make peace with the Gods.

However, once Maui had gone his brothers began to argue among themselves about the possession of this new land. They took out their weapons and started pounding away at the catch. The blows on the land created the many mountains and valleys of the North Island today.

The South Island is known as Te Waka a Maui (the waka of Maui). Stewart Island, which lies at the very bottom of New Zealand, is known as Te Punga a Maui (Maui's anchor), as it was the anchor holding Maui's waka as he pulled in the giant fish.”

Source: The New Zealand Encyclopedia 4th Edition – Batemen

Today Maui’s Fish the North Island is the most populated island in New Zealand as it is home to the largest city, Auckland, which has a population of about 1.3 million people. It the major gateway to New Zealand as with it’s international airport welcoming many overseas visitors on a daily basis. At the bottom of Maui’s fish (the North Island) is Wellington which is the capital of New Zealand and also where one would catch a ferry across the Cook Straight to the South Island (Maui’s Waka).

The South Island is sparsely populated but is home to the Southern Alps, Mount Cook, and the iconic tourist spot Milford Sound.

At the bottom of the South Island we have Maui’s Anchor or Stewart Island. Stewart Island is known for it’s aquaculture, tourism and conservation, and is the least populated of the 3 islands with a total of 390 or so residents.

Even though New Zealand is three separate islands it is still considerably compact and it is easy to visit all three within a two week stay. However after being there most would say that in order to fully explore this wonderfully beautiful place that was pulled out of the sea by Maui two weeks doesn’t always do it justice. Most visitors want to come back again!

denise.gushue@gmail.com

Travel advisor 

Kiwi Specialist

Follow the path of the heart and discover it's only the journey that matters.



The Days of Summer 2011 - A Photo Diary.

Sunset on Lake Huron, near Penetanguishene.

Although this summer we didn't have any solid plans to vacation with our kids due to a family member's illness we did try to do some things to make it special.

Here are some pictures I took during that time.

Wild flower - Foley's Mountain, near Westport, ON.

 

Sumac lined path at Bonnechere Caves.

Clematis, really close to home - in the backyard.

Another glorious sunset on Lake Huron.

Penetanguishene - impatiens I believe. 

John's beach - Lake Huron.

Incredible sky outside my front door -
probably the only good thing left by Hurricane Irene. 

another outside my door.

and another - I was busy clicking away that evening!

Julian's halo on Lake Huron ..rarely seen...lol.

My crowd - my two and my two nephews -
they had so much fun!

Enjoying the day at Foley's Mountain.

Look mom I can hike and drink at the same time.

Purple cone flowers, Westport.

White cone flowers.

Cottage life.

Lovely garden in Westport.

playing with shadows - backyard.

having fun at Saunders Farm

Tranquillity on Lake Huron

Tranquillity on Lake Huron - an end to a perfect day! August 2011.
Denise Gushue

If Travelling over Christmas or New Year’s Book Early!

Just recently I have been working on a quote for 5 Adults (all singles) for a hotel in Sydney Australia over New Year’s, I believe this has been one of the most challenging things I have done to date. We are still 6 months away but trying to find suitable accommodations has been difficult. However I did manage to come up with some options for my client.



Courtesy of City of Sydney

So I am here to offer some suggestions while travelling over these times especially if you want to go to a major city like Sydney, Australia which is known for its iconic New Year’s fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge.

1st - Plan early! Six months earlier may be too late especially if you want to be at a certain hotel in a certain area and especially if there are more than 2 of you.

2nd - If you are travelling with more than two, as a couple or singles, be prepared to pay for more than one room or look for a suite, especially if it is outside of North America. Most hotels in Australia for instance only have one bed and have a max occupancy of 2-3 per room, so if you are travelling with a family of four your choices are limited as rooms with 2 beds are not as common. This is often true in Europe as well, were the 2 queen or double beds is not the standard like here in Canada.

3rd - Decide what is most important to you, ie. the accommodation or the location? Keep in mind that getting around in a major city during New Years’ can be a very busy so choosing a hotel that is within walking distance of where you want to be for New Year’s Eve is important. This would also apply if you are travelling while there were any special events happening in that particular city, ie. Rugby World Cup in New Zealand this year.

4th - Be prepared to stay for at least 3 nights or even up to 5 nights as most hotels over the Christmas and New Year’s have a minimum stay requirement. You may only need 2 nights but may have to pay for 3, 4 or 5 nights depending on the hotel policy.

5th - Be prepared to pay up front! The booking terms and conditions may change over the holidays, you may have to pay the whole shot upon reserving and it may be 100% non-refundable if you had to cancel. This brings me to another point, buy travel insurance to cover cancellation/interruption and medical coverage if you do not already have it. At least if you have to cancel for a covered reason you will get your money back.

6th - Use a travel agent that specializes in the destination you are going to! They can often sort out what hotel suits your needs and may have direct contacts with the desired hotels. Let them handle the research that is what they specialize in!

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Alan Lakein

Denise Gushue

Aussie Specialist, Kiwi Specialist, Peru and Ireland Specialist.

If this is communication I disconnect ….

In a world where everyone is electronically connected pretty well 24/7 we fail miserably to connect with ourselves and the world around us. All this electronic communication via Facebook, Twitter, LInkedin , Texting etc, is great because we can gain knowledge quickly at our fingertips with computers and our smart phones. But, there needs to be a balance, electronic communication in a way isolates us to what may be right in front of us or under our feet. Often I’ve seen people engaged in talking with someone on their cell phone or texting while they are sitting with someone in front of them, a real person. There is no substitute for direct personal contact with those we care about and choose to spend our time with, that’s why when travelling with family or if you are getting away from it all maybe it is a good idea to leave the smart phone and laptop at home.

In order to get the full impact of travel we need to engage with those we are travelling with, the local people and the environment. Being present while travelling allows us to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures and philosophies, more understanding than we could ever gain by googling the subject. We also get to slow down and ponder our own existence and our place in the world. The world would be a better place if we just took off our shoes and socks and felt the earth under our feet, sat quietly with our thoughts, looked the person we are with directly in the eyes and listened with our hearts.

So when travelling the next time disconnect electronically and connect spiritually!

If you are interested in where I got the title from check out the song Communication by the Cardigans, the lyrics always get me thinking.

http://youtu.be/9ocmdyvVDhg

Denise Gushue – CTC

Denise.gushue@gmail.com

Navigating summer holidays and maybe an Irish roundabout?

Summer is fast approaching us and soon before we know it will be September so if you have not already considered what you want to do for vacation while the kids are out of school it’s not too late.



Often families rule out travelling overseas due to the cost and logistics of travelling with kids. This is not always the case there are some options that are family friendly that may not break the bank. One that comes to mind is a driving holiday in Ireland. Ireland is family friendly, rich in history and beautiful landscapes abound.


A driving holiday offers good value for money and flexibility to go at you own pace. I would suggest using a go as you please type package which includes your car and vouchers for either B&B or farm stay type accommodations. You could even stay at a castle; I know most kids would jump at the chance to do that especially if they love any books like the Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter!


Although driving in Ireland may take a little getting used to especially since you have to drive on the opposite side of the road and learn how to navigate the roundabouts, the comfort of being able to stop when and where you want is a blessing when kids need to stretch their legs or have a bathroom break. Here are some basic rules to navigating the roundabout:


1. Traffic in the roundabout has the right of way so you must signal in the direction of traffic in order to merge into it.


2. Once in you can stay in there until you figure out where you want to turn then signal to exit.


Another piece of advice I can offer is the Irish mile is never a mile so if you are getting directions from a local especially if it is an old guy on a lonely road chances are they won’t be accurate! A mile is never a mile but remember sometimes a few wrong turns can end up being serendipitous. You may find ancient church ruins or Dolmens (ancient tombs) or a pub full of local history, great music and delicious Guinness stew!



Dolmen

Personally I love hearing “will you be having an Irish breakfast this morning”? There is huge value in having such a breakfast as it can keep you going for a good part of the day! Who can say they are hungry after having Irish bacon and sausages, beans, fried tomato, black pudding and eggs. In Ireland breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day and maybe the largest!


When using B&B vouchers I recommend pre-booking your first night and last nights’ accommodation before you depart home with maybe the exception of July when it is quite busy. This leaves flexibility in your itinerary allowing your adventure to unfold while you are there. Often the B&B owners will make suggestions on what you can do next.


So round up the kids, fly across the pond to the Emerald Isle and return with stories of fun and adventure! Maybe you’ll even find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow with a little Irish luck!  

Denise Gushue - CTC
denise.gushue@gmail.com