Pittwater Life April 2017 Issue

Travel Life
Travel Life
Myriad ship options all
add to cruising appeal
Australians continue to
embrace cruising with
enthusiasm and are consistently
cruising in larger numbers and
more often, says specialist mobile
travel agent Amanda Erwin.
“Cruising is a fantastic way
to travel and these days there
are so many choices,” says
Amanda. “There are large
ships, small luxury ships, amazing
river cruising options, from
Europe, to Asia, North and
South America, North Africa –
and of course we can’t forget
the Murray River here at home.”
Amanda says cruising can enhance
the experience of a visit
to a bucket list destination.
“I often think of the time I
spent in Egypt and the wonderful
cruise we enjoyed down
the river Nile,” she said. “We
would start our day early (to
escape the heat of the noon
sun) to visit all the amazing
monuments and incredible
sites (pictured), returning to our
cruise boat for lunch and siesta
and then venture forth again in
the late afternoon.
“I was lucky on a couple of
occasions to have the top deck
to myself, a deck chair and
book and the tranquility of
watching the passing villages
and gardens of the river bank.
Being an avid ABC viewer, the
Agatha Christie detective series
would immediately spring to
mind.”
Something out of the ordinary,
says Amanda, are expedition
ships for the adventurist
souls of all ages, visiting the
Antarctic, the Artic and small
nooks and crannies of the
Alaskan coastline.
“There are also cruises taking
in the gorgeous Pacific Islands,
around Australian cruising,
New Zealand, Hawaii, Tahiti,
the Galapagos Islands, Caribbean
islands… the list goes on
and on. The choices are wide
and varied and really cater for
everyone.
“And the beauty with cruising
is that you unpack once, the
fares include all meals, accommodation,
entertainment, and
of course your transportation.”
She said many cruise
companies offered even more
inclusions, with fabulous cruise
packages available to suit every
budget.
* Need help planning your
next cruise? Call Amanda on
0423 056 815 or email aerwin@
mtatravel.com.au.
Plan your
own Driving
Adventure
T
o many, the thought
of sitting in a packed
coach for hours, sneaking
a glimpse of scenery as a
holiday tour bus hurtles
through the countries of
destination, lacks appeal.
Ditto the idea of planning a
self-drive vacation.
Local tour operator
David Thomas has come
up with a happy medium
– a sort of ‘holiday rally’
where you can choose to
drive (a luxury vehicle) to
designated destinations
with other members of
your tour group or set
your own pace and road
route, meeting up at your
overnight accommodation.
David’s ‘Driving
Adventures’ has two great
tours on the horizon. From
May 13-27 he’s heading
to the US West Coast,
taking in the mountains
and deserts of California,
Arizona and Nevada with
sights including the Grand
Canyon, Las Vegas and
Death Valley.
His new UK tour from
June 11-23 kicks off in
the picture-perfect Lakes
District, driving the
east and west coasts of
Scotland and into Wales.
More info
drivingadventures.com.au
74 APRIL 2017
Celebrating 25 Years