GIPPSLAND TRAVEL YtAM

1988-2018

We are very proud to announce that this year marks the 30th anniversary since we took over the reins of Gippsland Travel in April 1988 and turned it into one of Australia's leading independent travel agencies.

INVITATION To help us celebrate this very special milestone, you are invited to join us for a 'Birthday' BBQ at Gippsland Travel on Saturday, 28 April.

Please contact the office for details and we look forward to catching up with many of you then.

TOUR LAUNCHES

During this time we have faced the Global Financial Crisis, the introduction of travel booking on the internet and increased competition from larger players in the industry, but we have overcome these challenges with our focus on personalised service and innovation.

We believe that our commitment to treat each client as a unique individual with their own specific travel needs, to nurture our staff and ensure that they are qualified to more than meet your expectations and to be a part of, and support, our local community are the reasons we have not only survived for 30 years but have continued to thrive.

So I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and our dedicated staff for making Gippsland Travel the success it is today. It gives us all tremendous pleasure to help our clients discover new and exciting destinations or return to much loved ones, as

Canada & Alaska 2019 Wednesday 27 June 2018 at 7pm

independent travellers or as members of one of our fully escorted tours.

In Postcards this edition we have Brianna's report on her educational trip to New Caledonia, Mary's report on her trip to Antarctica as an independent traveller and extracts from Tour Group Member Sandra Cathie's report on our tour of South America. Sandra's most entertaining full report is available as a Travel Experience on the homepage of our website www.gippslandtravel.com.au

If you would like to share your experiences of visiting a special destination with readers of our newsletter, please let us know.

Staff news We welcome back Claire Brown who has come back from maternity leave to work part-time on Reception.

Until then, Jacquey and the team. Ja.GtJue;J

Early in 2019, I will be escorting one of our most popular escorted tours departing in February. We will start with an extensive exploration of Egypt walking in the footsteps of the pharaohs, and including a magical first-class Nile Cruise.

We will then spend three nights in fabulous and fascinating Dubai before embarking on our wildlife safari tour of Kenya and Tanzania.

East Africa combines breathtaking game viewing with world-class lodges and hotels situated in unique locations like the Masai Mara and Serengeti as well as Ngorongoro. Seeing animals like lions, elephants, giraffe, baboons, rhinos, crocodiles, zebra and flamingos in the wild, will g~e you memories that will last a lifetime.

You have some flexibility with this tour to extend your itinerary after Tanzania to include the Victoria Falls or incorporate the Egypt and Dubai leg with independent travel to other destinations.

Please contact the office for details of the tour and add-on options.

National Parks of Western America & Mississippi Cruise Wednesday 17 October 2018 at 7pm

Postcards

New Caledonia By Brianna Van De Ven

In November I was lucky enough to travel on an educational trip to Noumea, capital of New Caledonia, a French territory comprising endless islands in the South Pacific.

On arrival into La Tontouta Airport we were met by our transfer service and enjoyed the 45-minute coach journey into Noumea. After checking into our first hotel, the boutique family-run Hotel Le Lagon, we explored the restaurant and main beach areas, which were only a block away.

The following day we headed off to Amedee Island and its white sandy beaches. Snorkeling and glass bottom boats where among some of the activities available on the Island. It also has a lighthouse, the smallest post office and lots of water creatures including sea snakes. It was here that I got to swim alongside green sea turtles in amongst the reef and we were only around 1 0 metres

from the beachline. After a big buffet lunch and a very engaging cultural show, we returned to Noumea to check into our new hotel Le Meridien.

Le Meridien is a gorgeous resort with every watersport you could imagine, a wonderful spa and fantastic restaurants. The hotel is also right on the beachfront and only a 1 0-minute walk to the town centre.

Day three saw us heading off to another close-by island Le Escapade, home to a beautiful hotel with lovely affordable overwater bungalows on the lagoon and cute garden view rooms. After a hotel inspection we had the most amazing buffet lunch then time to relax by the pool. On the return to Noumea we had a little free time to explore the town centre which is full of boutique shopping, great restaurants, delicious gelato and a lot of gift stores.

Whilst in Noumea we used our nights to explore and try out different cuisines, including the amazing Le Roof French cruising restaurant where we were lucky enough to see our own dolphin show.

On our second-last day we packed up and moved next door to the Chateau Royal, which is another beachfront hotel. Travelling is all about trying new things so we went

South American Spectacular By Tour Group Member Sandra Cathie

Following are some extracts from Sandra's wonderful report on her tour of South America with Jacquey in 2017. To enjoy the full report, please go to Gippsland Travel's website www.gippslandtravel. com.au

Argentina Our rooms at the Sheraton overlooked the Devil's Throat, one of the most spectacular areas of the lguazu Falls. I was delighted when a monkey walked along the railing of my balcony.

On our second day at the falls, we rounded a bend in the path to see before us a table spread with all sorts of savoury delicacies and the biggest and most delicious looking fruit platter I have ever seen- just for us.

to the Noumea Golf Driving Range to get personalised lessons from an ex-golf pro and hit 50 balls in the range. We finished off with a putting session before having some lunch. We all had such a fun morning!

On our way back to the hotel the driver took us to visit a large supermarket where we could compare prices and see the huge range of French imported goods, including amazing cheese and bread selections.

Arriving back to the Chateau Royal, we met the hotel manager and had our hotel inspection. Chateau Royal has amazing, affordable room types mainly all apartments, a beautiful pool area, a lot of common areas, some nice restaurants and a fabulous health and spa centre where they offer lots of massage options and even have aqua bike classes which looked like a lot of fun.

We enjoyed yet another beautiful hosted dinner before packing up for our flight home the following morning.

New Caledonia has a great range of options on the mainland and so many islands only a short flight away, offering split stays and still enjoying stay pay deals.

New Caledonia is a beautiful place and I feel so blessed to have experienced its natural beauty.

Brazil We arrived in Rio de Janeiro on a Sunday so we saw just how popular Copacabana beach is with the locals and in the early evening we enjoyed a walk along the famous black and white mosaic path, which separates this playground from the rest of the city.

The afternoon was very entertaining with our visit to a Samba School. No, this is not a dance school but a studio/factory where the floats for Mardi Gras are constructed and we were able to model some of the costumes. I got the Carmen Miranda outfit, complete with enormous fruit headpiece.

Peru A visit to the Huaca Pullan pyramid, nothing like those in Egypt but no less fascinating, was followed by lunch at the covered but open-air restaurant at the site. Victor Delfin, age 90, is a well known artist in Lima and we were treated not only to a visit to his studio but also a meeting with the artist.

Antarctica & New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands By Independent Traveller Mary

This is my report on a 25-day voyage on 'Akademik Shokalskyy' with travel companies Heritage Expeditions and Chimu, and involvement of Mawsons Huts Foundation.

'Remember, one hand for the ship and one hand for you!' This message came over the ship loudspeaker every time the rolling or pitching resumed. Forty-six passengers, those who were not flat on their bunks with seasickness and frustration, grabbed handrails and held on!

In reality, for the notorious Southern Ocean, the seas were quite benign. However, this small, 'nimble' vessel did not guarantee smooth sailing as she was built for scientific work, not for luxury cruising. The voyage was a rare opportunity, a wonderful privilege, definitely not a typical cruise. Almost all visitors to Antarctica take ships out of Ushuaia at the bottom of South America. Ours was the only voyage this summer from Hobart, adding several more days to the sea voyage to the frozen continent.

Six of us started the next day with an early morning walk and discovered a statue of Paddington Bear 'from darkest Peru', complete with his suitcase and Union Jack coat.

Our train to Machu Picchu followed the Urubamba River with the Andes rising from the banks around - many a photo was taken of the majestic scenery.

We woke to a beautiful sunny day and our first visit was to Sacsayhuaman, an Inca sacred site with foundation stones even larger than at Machu Picchu, but with the same tight fit.

With the Mawson's Huts Foundation, the adventure began at Hadley's Orient Hotel, central Hobart. This business had accommodated and been central to many historic Antarctic heroes, notably Sir Douglas Mawson and the Norwegian, Amundsen. Their brave trips to the Antarctic over a hundred years ago were in our minds the entire time.

Our expedition left in mid-December, concluding in Bluff on New Zealand's South Island. Zodiac off-loads occurred at Macquarie Island, in Commonwealth Bay Antarctica, then the sub-Antarctic Islands of Campbell, Enderby and Auckland.

We were in the windiest waters on earth, with pack ice, penguins, whales, snow, icebergs, katabatic winds (cold, dense air flowing out from the polar plateau down the steep vertical drops along the coast), wild seas, gliding albatross, charming Russian crew, wonderful expedition leaders and compatible, informed fellow passengers.

Despite six days of determined effort by Captain Igor, we could not land safely at Mawson's Huts, yet could see them on Cape Denison from the ship. At least we reached

Another amazing engineering and transport achievement as these stones had to be moved considerable distances.

Bolivia Once in Bolivia we drove to the town of Copacabana on Lake Titicaca and were taken to the main square where the novelty of the blessing of the cars was explained to us -yet another fascinating and colourful aspect of South American culture.

Our day in La Paz and El Alto included an overview of the two cities from Killi Killi Viewpoint, the old colonial area, main square and San Francisco Church, where mass was in progress accompanied by very trendy and loud music.

Our hotel for the next two nights was at the world's first salt hotel, Palacio de Sal, where the ceilings of the rooms were built of salt blocks and curved like that of an igloo. Timber walkways throughout the public areas were surrounded by crushed salt and signs saying, "Please do not walk on the salt".

the S Magnetic Pole, crossing the Antarctic Circle six times in thwarted efforts to get on the elusive, frozen shore!

The 22 crew included Russians, two French naturalists, a medical practitioner, two Australian and New Zealand cooks and experienced expedition leader, Howard Whelan.

The professionalism of the Heritage Expeditions team was impressive, especially the leadership and daily communications from Howard. For the many days at sea there were opportunities to spend hours on the ship's bridge, in the bar-cum-library or in the lecture theatre. Daily presentations about history, wildlife, ice formations and personalities were informative and appreciated by most passengers. With Christmas and New Year at sea, lots of fun was organised too.

The size of the ship and lack of space for exercise may have bothered some and the food was variable in appeal, but our delightful Russian stewardesses and deck crew more than made us welcome, comfortable and now proficient in a word or two of their language- 'spasseba!'

Chile Our destination was San Pedro de Atacama, a delightful town in the Atacama Desert, our hotel set in tranquil and private grounds. Sightseeing involved a pre-Spanish village, desert scenery, high plateau lakes and another salt/wetland area with a large colony of flamingos.

Our second day in the Atacama area began in the dark as we drove to see the geysers at sunrise. When we walked back to where our bus was parked breakfast was waiting and we warmed up on hot chocolate and muffins, even hot toast, and the best scrambled eggs I have ever tasted.

This has been my first tour with Jacquey and already I am looking forward to the next one. The organisation was faultless and each day delivered something interesting and surprising on top of what we were expecting. So if you want a first rate travel experience and really special memories to treasure, along with some new found friends- vamos -let's go.

Personally Escorted Tours with Jacquey Turner

TOURS SCHEDULED FOR 2018 Jacquey's tours for 2018 tours are fully booked but we are still adding names to the Waitlist for Sri Lanka. Please contact the office for details.

MAY: EAST COAST USA & CANADA - Fully booked SEP: CORSICA, SARDINIA & SICILY - Fully booked NOV: SRI LANKA - Waitlist only

TOURS SCHEDULED FOR 2019 Please contact the office if you would like to leave an expression of interest in any of these tours.

FEB: EGYPT & EAST AFRICA with VICTORIA FALLS OPTION One of our all-time favourite tours, our itinerary incorporates an extensive tour of Egypt, including a first-class Nile cruise, a 3-night stopover in Dubai and a wildlife safari of Kenya and Tanzania that combines breathtaking game viewing with world-class lodges and hotels in unique locations. Also included is the option to visit Victoria Falls. Limited places still available

JUN/JUL: GRAND TOUR OF CANADA & ALASKA

This spectacular joumey includes travelling through the fabulous Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer Railway as well as coach, plus a couple of days in Vancouver. We then have a relaxing 7 -night cruise through the inside passage of Alaska visiting quaint towns and enjoying magnificent views of breath-taking glaciers. Tour will be launched on Wednesday 27 June 2018 at 7pm.

SEP: NATIONAL PARKS OF WESTERN AMERICA & MISSISSIPPI CRUISE Our inaugural tour of this spectacular part of the USA will feature the best of the region's national parks: The Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Mt Rushmore and much more! After the grandeur of these amazing natural environs, we will enjoy some time in the South relaxing on a Mississippi cruise as we visit some well-known musical hot spots. Tour will be launched on Wednesday 17 October 2018 at 7pm.

NOV: INCREDIBLE INDIA This highly memorable tour will feature a Ganges River Cruise, a trip on board the luxury train, the Deccan Odyssey, and includes such highlights as the Taj Mahal and Varanasi.

TOURS SCHEDULED FOR 2020 MAY: EXPERIENCE CHINA & HONG KONG On mainland China our itinerary will include Shanghai, Guilin, Xi'an and the Terra Cotta Warriors, plus Beijing, as well as a Yangtze River Cruise visiting the Three Gorges. Stunning Hong Kong is one of Asia's most attractive and exciting cities, with a spectacular skyline, beautiful harbours and beaches, superb restaurants, bustling markets and much more.

JUL: CENTRAL AMERICA & CUBA This is a region famous for its fabulous landscapes, wonderful wildlife and rich and diverse cu~ures. The tour will include colourful Mexico with its Mayan history, Cuba's colonial architecture, music, food, colourful old cars and beautiful white beaches, as well as the smouldering volcanoes and steamy jungles of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica. You'll find this region is a treat for all the senses.

SEP: SPAIN & PORTUGAL These two countries have rich histories and distinct cultures. Our tour incorporates a 7 -day river cruise through the UNESCO designated Duoro Valley and the vibrant cities of Madrid, LJsbon and Barcelona, along with the enchanted towns and celebrated wineries of Portugal. From cosmopolitan cities and inspiring architecture to beautiful beaches and charming local villages, discover the delights of Spain and Portugal with us.

2019 TOURS ESCORTED BY OUR SENIOR CONSULTANTS If you are interested in joining any of the following tours, please contact the office with an expression of interest.

MAR: Norfolk Island - escorted by Jacinta Anderson Come and discover Captain James Cook's "paradise", as he called it. From its early beginnings as a harsh penal colony, Norfolk Island today is home to the descendants of the Bounty Mutineers whose barefoot manners, warmth and hospitality have been woven into the island's unique and timeless rhythm - a special charm that draws visitors back time and again.

AUG: Christmas Island & Cocos Keeling Island- escorted By Jacinta Anderson Visit these two extraordinary Extemal Australian Territories: Christmas Island is an island full of natural wonders. Famous for its red crabs, sea birds, whale sharks and spectacular coral reefs , there's nothing quite like it anywhere else on the planet. The Cocos Keeling Islands are a group of coral islands that form two atolls and only two of the 27 islands are inhabited. Australia's last unspoilt paradise lies in the azure waters of the Indian Ocean offering spectacular water sports as well as the opportunity to simply relax on empty beaches, visit uninhabited islands, watch spectacular bird life and discover the cu~ure and traditions of the Cocos Malay people.

Sep: Birdsville, Longreach & Winton - escorted By Linda Owen LJnda toured the area in 2015 and found it a truly fascinating region. The tour will take in the spectacular landscapes, iconic landmarks and fascinating historical sites on this 14-day round trip. You will stay at the famous Birdsville Hotel, toast the outback sunset atop Big Red, see where the country meets the desert, visit the top dinosaur attractions in Winton and retum to Brisbane by an overnight rail joumey on the Spirit of the Outback. We recommend you register your interest in any of our escorted tours with a $250 holding deposit which is fully refundable, should you change your mind.

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Gippsland Travel Centre Pty. Ltd.ABN 70 065 385 337 Shop 3, 126Aibert Road,Warragui,Victoria 3820 Telephone (03) 5623 5151 Emergency No. 0419 213 274 Fax (03) 5623 4952 Email info@gippslandtravel.com.au www.gippslandtravel.com.au

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