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

The Stunning Cook Strait -Guest Blog by Laurence Norah - Finding the Universe

I am by no means an expert on ferry crossings. Most of my experience in this area comes from childhood trips to France or Spain from the UK, and memories in this area are fairly vague, usually involving my olfactory sense.

The smell of fuel, the smell of old sick, the smell of the sea. Ferries have not, for a long time, been a mode of transport that I have seen through a romantic viewpoint, being about the destination, and not about the journey.



Recently however, my thoughts on ferry crossings have been radically overhauled, as a result of the journey I took between New Zealand's North and South islands, across the Cook Strait, from Wellington to Picton, a trip that clocks in at a little over three hours.



I should point out that circumstances were clearly conspiring to force me to enjoy the trip. Presumably the ferry gods of old were looking down on me and deciding to bless me with an unusually pleasant voyage.



So the weather, which is pretty much the make or break for a ferry trip, was incredibly good. There is a saying about mill ponds. I have never sailed on a mill pond, so I can't really know if the saying is accurate, but if a mill pond is a glass like environment where the thought of a wave is about as far from your mind as you can imagine – then this was the state of the sea on the day of our crossing. Nary a breath of wind was pushing through the air, and even the clouds had taken the day off, replaced by blue skies from horizon to horizon.



Our sailing was in the afternoon, onboard the Bluebridge ferry, which I have to say was also a rather convivial experience. A large passenger deck, equipped with incredibly comfortable reclining chairs, and even flat screen TV's showing a range of films. Not a bad option for passing a trip if the weather was poor – although in our case, the weather was so good that we spent much of the trip on the open air viewing deck on the top of the ship.



The Cook Strait itself is not that wide – the distance from North to South island is a mere 20km at it's narrowest point – so much of the time is spent winding through the incredibly picturesque Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte sound.



Here the ferry seems to pass impossibly close to the land as it meanders its way up the sound to the final destination of Picton. Houses dot the shoreline, mollusc farms are passed, and fishing boats ramble on past the hulking might of the ferry.



The Sound itself takes up at least 40% of the journey time, and is the sort of trip I would happily pay to go on as a scenic voyage, so having it included as part of my transport was rather handy.

If you don't have a vehicle, there are other ways to get from New Zealand's North island to it's South island. But if the weather is good, and you aren't in a hurry, then I can very much recommend the ferry option. It's not particularly expensive, and the experience is very much worth it. Two companies operate this route, Interislander and Bluebridge, and it's worth shopping around as prices fluctuate based on season and your requirements.

Laurence Norah - Guest Blog from Finding the Universe

Making Air Travel Comfortable with comfortable pricing!

Even though domestic airlines seem to be cramming us in like sardines and charging us for meals and baggage these days some long haul carriers are focusing on passenger comfort. Now you don’t have to fly business or First anymore to enjoy more space and better food. One such airline is Air New Zealand and this all started when they launched their Premium Economy fares which offered better seats with more pitch and better food a few years back. Because these seats were often the first to sell out on their flights they have expanded on it. There are now more premium economy seats on more of their flights and on the new Boeing 777’s they have introduced the new Space Seat in Premium Economy.


The Space Seat offers allot more personal space, 50% more than regular economy. It provides lots of personal storage for small electronics, a table between the seats that can be lowered to make room for your feet if you want to curl up. It even has a bean bag foot rest that cuddles your feet during the flight. The seat in front of you does not recline so your space is not imposed on like the traditional economy seats. Because of the orientation of the seats (they are angled) no more getting out of your seat to let the inside person out to go to the washroom. And, no more praying for the person seated on the aisle next to you to wake up so you can go to the washroom. The Inner Space Seat is ideal for couples and the Outer Space Seat for those travelling on their own. Premium Economy comes in less than half the cost of Business Premier. My advice on booking Premium Economy is don’t delay these seats are very popular and sell out quickly.

Air New Zealand didn’t stop there though they wanted something that could work for families or for those couples who really wanted to cuddle at 35,000 ft over the South Pacific Ocean. They’ve introduce Sky Couch otherwise known as “Cuddle Class”. Basically it is three Economy seats together that have foot rests that fold upwards level with the seat and flush to the back of the seat in front of you. The armrests lift into the back of seat making a flat bed, voila Cuddle Class! This works great for a parent with 2 small kids; they have room to spread out their coloring books and stuff toys. And when it comes to nap time mom or dad does not have to sacrifice their lap to the much desired sleeping child. Please note the Sky Couch is not offered on all of Air New Zealand’s aircraft, it is currently only on the B-777-300ER which operates between Los Angeles and Auckland.

A short video on the Space Seat and Sky Couch, http://youtu.be/P4AC2CFDrnM

And by the way, Air New Zealand’s Sky Couch Economy seat has won the Aviation category in Conde Nast Traveller’s 2011 Innovation and Design Awards.

Quite frankly I think Air New Zealand should have won an award for “Most Fun Safety Video” featuring the one and only Richard Simmons!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iaTEgoezNQ&feature=player_embedded

Denise Gushue – CTC

e. denise.gushue@gmail.com

Here I am trying out the new Space Seat with Sarwan Singh, Director of Sales for the Langham Hotel, Auckland.

The Miracle of Flight!

Do you ever wonder about how amazing it is that we travel by plane to places all over the world in less than a day and hundred years ago it would of taken us anywhere from a week to a month to cover that same distance?


I just recently went to a travel conference for those who sell New Zealand in Seattle and one of the highlights was a visit to the Boeing plant in Everett, WA. We got to visit the assembly line of the 747-8 which now back in production, the 777 and the brand new 787.

It really blew me away to see the sheer scale of the assembly line which is in constant motion at a very slow rate of something like an inch every 2 minutes or so. These aircraft consist of millions of parts and lots of attention to detail is needed to assemble them. I wonder if in 1915 when William E. Boeing first started building his float planes in a boat house on Lake Union, Seattle did he ever imagine that now in 2011 his company would own the largest building by volume in the world and would produce some of the most innovative aircraft that the world has ever seen.

One such aircraft is the new 787 or Dreamliner which is not made of primarily of aluminum but a composite material which makes for a simpler structure, is lighter and reduces fuel usage. It also has a new wing design which makes it more aerodynamic, faster and more fuel efficient. This new wing design also allows passengers a smoother ride. This is an aircraft built with the comfort of the passenger in mind with full spectrum LED lighting that adjusts for work, leisure and rest. The windows are 65% larger and you can darken or lighten your window with the touch of a control. The new state of the art filtration system also removes bacteria, viruses, fungi, irritants, odors and gaseous contaminants making for less headaches, dryness and eye irritation.

These aircraft are really our modern day wonders of the world, not unlike the engineering genius and precision of the pyramids we marvel over! This really struck me on my flight home to Ottawa from Seattle as we flew amongst the clouds with unseemly little effort while the sun was setting behind us and the glow of city lights shone before us, all I could think is it’s a miracle!

Scientific American was real spot on with this quote.

To affirm that the airplane is going to revolutionize the future is to be guilty of the wildest exaggeration.

-- Scientific American, 1910



Denise Gushue – CTC

e. denise.gushue@gmail.com