National Grandparents Day is Sunday 27 October, so treat them to a Captain Cook Cruises’ lunch or high-tea cruise on beautiful Sydney Harbour.
Let them enjoy million-dollar harbour views and live commentary, while feasting on a delicious hot and cold buffet selection on the Sydney Harbour Buffet Lunch cruise, with the buffet including oysters, prawns, mussels, and fish and a variety of non-seafood and vegetarian dishes, salads, desserts, cheeses and tea and coffee.
The Sydney Harbour Buffet Lunch Cruise is priced from $69 per adult.
Or become a favourite grandchild after treating nan and pop to a relaxing afternoon on the three-hour Long Lunch cruise with a three-course a la carte lunch priced from $99 per adult.
A high-tea menu includes a glass of bubbles and features a variety of savoury and sweet foods and an extensive tea menu with 15 different teas to choose from.
The High-Tea cruise is priced from $59 per adult.
All lunch and high-tea cruises are aboard the Sydney 2000, which features three dining decks and an open top deck offering 360-degree views of Sydney Harbour.
Phone 02 9206 1111 or visit www.captaincook.com.au.
Gourmet Escape: a 10-day culinary extravaganza. Image: Lauren Bath.
The expanded Western Australia Gourmet Escape is a 10-day culinary extravaganza running from November 8-17, with signature events across the Swan Valley (November 8-10), Perth (November 11-14), as well as its spiritual home of Margaret River (November 15-17).
Guests will be invited to design their own foodie adventures, with a range of mouth-watering new culinary experiences, including events with festival headliners Marco Pierre White and Colin Fassnidge.
Tickets for all events are limited and are on sale now.
Jamberoo Action Park: a great family experience.
Looking for a great family experience with something for everyone? This summer, experience Jamberoo Action Park in the Kiama area on the NSW South Coast.
Just an hour south of Sydney, NSW’s largest family-owned and -operated water theme park features a host of world-class rides and attractions.
Set amongst the mountains in Jamberoo and with the back-drop of the spectacular Illawarra escarpment, Jamberoo Action Park is certainly positioned to deliver an entertainment experience.
Those brave enough to enter the belly of The Taipan, for instance, will experience a high-intensity thrill as the raft twirls mysteriously down a completely tubular waterslide in and out of darkness.
Or visitors can try tackling Surf Hill’ a speed slide which features an 18-metre drop and wave-like rollers, on which competitive fun seekers will revel as they race their friends in one of eight lanes of action.
And when all the fun gets too much, Jamberoo Action Park’s many places to eat provide just the energy kick needed to keep the action going.
Admission covers all rides and attractions, and parking is free.
Visit www.jamberoo.net.
‘Ocean Invaders’: guests will be immersed in the beauty of a jellyfish invasion.
Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium will in December open ‘Ocean Invaders’, a new $1.5 million jellyfish exhibit which will feature three interactive zones.
Guests will be immersed in the beauty of a jellyfish invasion as they are surrounded by thousands of creatures and lighting projections, including a transparent sphere filled with swarming jellyfish.
In a third zone, visitors can escape the invasion by crawling through a cylindrical tank filled with oscillating jellyfish.
‘Ocean Invaders’ will also educate guests about the causes behind the increasing population of certain species of jellyfish in our oceans and the actions people can take to limit these exponential and sometimes problematic population increases.
Visit www.melbourneaquarium.com.au.
Queensland’s Mary Valley Rattler: crosses some of Australia’s richest farming land.
Queensland’s Mary Valley Rattler is celebrating the first anniversary of the heritage rail experience’s return to the tracks on October 6 with the launch of a new service and a birthday party that all are welcome to attend.
In addition, a new ‘Tasting Train’ experience will be launched in November, highlighting Mary Valley’s renowned food produce.
The weekly service on Tuesdays will include tastings on board the RM76 rail motor, The Red Rocket, and local food showcased at the various stops along the way.
The heritage railway line dates back to the 1880s, when gold and agriculture opened up the Gympie region to a massive population increase.
The service ran until the 1990s, when the Rattler was relaunched as a tourist train until it closed in 2012, due to the need for an upgrade of the line.
Visit www.maryvalleyrattler.com.au.
Waterlicht: the first time the immersive exhibition has been shown in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Fremantle Biennale will present a distinct visual arts program, ‘Undercurrent 19’, from November 1-24, featuring more than 40 local, national and international artists presenting works that respond to the city’s history, landscape and communities.
Opening the event from November 1-3 at Esplanade Reserve is the light installation Waterlicht, by Studio Roosegaarde.
Calling attention to rising water levels and climate change, this will be the first time the immersive exhibition has been shown in the Southern Hemisphere.
Visit www.fremantlebiennale.com.au.
Santiago’s Compostela Cathedral. Image: Esther Taboada.
Camino guided tours are available with regular departures from April until October next year in Europe, and are ideal for those looking to share a special walking experience with a group of friendly hikers.
For 2020, there are more than 40 departures for Camino de Santiago and Via Francigena guided tours with a selection of tours on special dates such as Easter and St James Day and a couple of trips dedicated exclusively to solo travellers and women only.
Easter is not just a fascinating time of the year to experience the Camino, but to also take in the Via Francigena, the Camino-to-Rome.
For 2020, there are two Easter guided tours, including experiencing Rome’s impressive Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis) on Good Friday.
Visit www.caminoways.com.
Norwegian Cruise Line: will replace over six million single-use plastic bottles every year.
Norwegian Cruise Line will replace all single-use plastic bottles across its fleet by January 1, beginning with Norwegian Encore.
The initiative will replace over six million single-use plastic bottles every year in a program which commits to minimising waste-to-landfills, reducing the line’s carbon-dioxide emissions rate, increasing sustainable sourcing and investing in emerging technologies.
“It is imperative that we take meaningful steps to preserve our oceans and the destinations we visit,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line.
JUST, the line’s partner in the venture, takes an innovative approach to sourcing and packaging water, using 100 per cent spring water in a plant-based carton.
Visit www.ncl.com.
American Queen: the largest river steamboat ever built.
Save almost US$1600 per couple on a classic cruise down the mighty Mississippi River, which Mark Twain immortalised in his novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
The offer, from the American Queen Steamboat Company and available through Cruise Traveller, includes a saving of US$200 per person and the choice between two free cruise extensions, either before or after the voyage, worth US$599 per person each.
Two cruises from Memphis to New Orleans aboard the largest river steamboat ever built — American Queen — are available in March and November next year, exploring the legendary lands of bawdy blues, southern belles and drawls, majestic colonial mansions, cotton plantations, Civil War battlefields, Cajun and Creole cuisine and the iconic home of Elvis, Graceland.
The packages for both cruises begin with a one-night, pre-cruise stay in musical Memphis.
Phone 1800 507 777 or visit www.cruisetraveller.com.au.
Ready for the picking: grapes hang from the vine in Sonoma.
Sonoma County is one of Northern California’s top food-and-wine destinations, home to more than 425 wineries ranging from rustic to regal.
Celebrate harvest by lifting a glass and experiencing all the area’s winemakers have to offer.
On October 20, for example, join the Healdsburg Crush and enjoy a fun-filled day of wine tasting in the beautiful town of Healdsburg.
Stroll through the historic plaza while sampling from 60-plus wineries as well as several local food vendors.
The event will feature a silent auction boasting a large collection of locally produced pinot noir, and raffles for instant wine cellars and premium large-format bottles.
Visit www.sonomacounty.com.
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