Jetsettersblog

Qantas Customers to Benefit From Canberra Airport’s Multi-User Terminal Development

Qantas today joined Canberra International Airport in celebrating the commencement of construction of its new AUD$350 million Multi-User Terminal.

Qantas will be the largest tenant of the new terminal, with 546 Qantas and QantasLink flights operating each week between Canberra and the cities of Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Qantas Regional General Manager ACT Allan Williams said the Multi-User
Terminal project represented a boon for Qantas passengers.

“The new Multi-User Terminal will give Qantas access to state-of-the-art facilities including additional check-in counters, aerobridges and gate lounges, improved baggage facilities and new and larger lounges,” Mr Williams said.

“Canberra has experienced strong domestic passenger growth for a number
of years, which has necessitated these improvements to the airport’s infrastructure.

“The Terminal will provide a sustainable long-term solution to this traffic growth and it is exciting for us to see the new facility entering the construction phase.”

Qantas has just completed a AUD$10 million program of improvements to its existing domestic terminal at Canberra Airport to provide enhanced facilities for passengers, aircraft and baggage services in the period leading up to the completion of the new Multi-User Terminal in 2012.

The improvements at Qantas’ current Canberra domestic terminal include:
•
upgrades to Qantas lounge facilities including a new Business Lounge;
•
expanded check-in facilities;
•
installation of an additional security lane, providing extra space for periods of peak demand;
•
expansion of the baggage system to provide added capacity, improved access and quicker delivery times; and
•
installation of an additional aerobridge.

The Maldives can easily be described as the ultimate destination to chill out, however, with a bountiful array of activities on offer, the four-star deluxe Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort is encouraging guests to ditch the deckchair this year.

Nestled amidst tropical vegetation and surrounded by a vast sandy, award-winning beach and a crystal clear lagoon, Olhuveli offers the perfect setting for couples and families alike to enjoy not just a holiday but a complete activity experience.

Diving Delights

The resort boasts an all-encompassing watersports centre which includes a PADI five-star diving school, giving guests an unrivalled choice of dive courses from Discover Scuba Diving classes to specialist Nitrox and RE-breather courses.

The emphasis here is on personal service and small groups to ensure an amazing dive experience for everyone.

Famed for its nearby wreck dives and big fish, Olhuveli is great for those wanting to swim alongside whale sharks, manta ray, sea turtles and dolphins.

Sail & Surf

Back on the surface, sailing along on a catamaran in a stiff breeze is about as different to reading a book on the beach as it gets, especially for those who feel brave enough to get out on the trapeze.

Olhuveli was the first to introduce kite-surfing in the Maldives in 2001 and remains the sole licensed kite-surfing school to date.

The location is perfect for this extreme sport as beginners can be let loose in the lagoon with shallow water and a smooth, sandy bottom so those getting to grips with the sport won’t have to suffer cut feet when falling off.

For the more advanced, a nearby famous surf spot beckons from May to October – great fun for kite-surfers, windsurfers and just plain surfing! If this isn’t cutting-edge enough, wakeboarding definitely will be.

A stylish mixture of water-skiing, surfing and snowboarding, it is guaranteed to cause a splash.

Boat Antics

For a more gentile watersport and a great way of seeing a different view of the island, single or double canoes are available for those to explore the paradise waters, as well as the neighbouring islands, at a more leisurely pace.

If all this activity works up an appetite, Olhuveli boasts a selection of restaurants and bars to tempt the taste buds. Other facilities include a Sun Spa which provides a variety of treatments based on aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Swedish, Balinese, Thai and Shiatsu practices.

Destinology (www.destinology.co.uk  / 0800 072 2227) is offering seven nights at Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort on a half-board basis (based on two sharing) .

Available for departures between 16 May and 14 July 2009, the price includes flights from London Heathrow or Manchester with Qatar Airways, resort transfers and accommodation in a deluxe room.

Book Individual Rooms At Don Arcangelo All’olmo, The Finest Villa In Sicily

thinkSicily is delighted to offer discerning guests the chance of booking individual rooms at Don Arcangelo all’Olmo, Sicily’s finest rental villa… for a limited period only!

This special offer, available exclusively through thinkSicily and only for a few weeks in May and June 2009, represents an unmissable opportunity to experience the exquisite delights of Don Arcangelo all’Olmo, its stunning seaviews, its private sea access, the privacy and peace of its grounds, the caring professionalism of its staff and the chef’s divine cuisine…

…all at extremely competitive prices and without having to book the entire villa…

Nominated the “best villa in Sicily” and one of “the 30 best villas in the Med” by Conde Nast Traveller, Don Arcangelo all’Olmo is a superbly finished luxury villa in a stunning and perfectly peaceful setting between the sea and Mount Etna.

Prices

€320 per room per night (min. 3 nights) including full continental breakfast.

Gourmet dinners(including aperitif and wine)and light lunches are available at €45/pp and €25/pp respectively.

To book, write to info@thinksicily.com  or call +44 (0)20 7377 8518 or, toll free from the US and Canada, 1-800-490-1107.

For The Discerning Traveller

John Vaughan has been instructed to manage the marketing and public relations for Chateau D’Arnac, near Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, in the Correze region of central France: http://www.chateauarnac.co.uk

This beautiful and historic chateau, dating mainly from the 15th century, is now available as a venue for weddings, musical performances, vintage car rallies, conferences and for house parties.

The chateau was acquired by Lady Sarah Tetley Hall in 2005 and has been restored to a very high standard. It is regarded as one of the loveliest and most romantic properties in this part of France.

There are two other exceptional properties at Chateau D’Arnac that are also available for honeymoons, weekends and holiday lettings: the Gatehouse within the grounds of the chateau and Les Noyers, a house in the nearby village of Curemonte, listed as one of the most beautiful ‘Villages de France’.

The chateau was a popular retreat for the late Duke and Duchess of Windsor who were regular guests before World War II. During the war the chateau was used by the French Resistance as a safe house, particularly for airmen en route to the Pyrenees. Napoleon’s most famous general, Marshall Ney, also took refuge at Chateau D’Arnac following the battle of Waterloo.

With its fascinating history, beautiful rooms and its location in the heart of ‘la France profonde’, Chateau D’Arnac has already proved a popular venue for musical evenings, held either on the huge terrace or in the grounds. It is the ideal destination for the discerning traveller seeking a memorable holiday or for couples seeking a romantic wedding or honeymoon.

Zippy, yellow story-telling cars are the latest city sightseeing trend

Throw away the map and put away the guide book, city sightseeing in the Spanish city of Valencia is about to get a new lease of life. GoCar is a new tourism concept which uses three-wheeler talking yellow convertibles. Valencia will be the latest addition to its European network.
The story-telling cars launched in Barcelona and Lisbon last year and have proved to be a fun, groundbreaking way to see the cities. The concept originally launched in the USA and now operates successfully in San Francisco, Miami and San Diego.

GoCar’s zippy yellow cars feature a GPS guided audio tour that takes a driver and one passenger on a tour providing clear directions and a running commentary, available in 6 different languages.

“This is such a refreshing way for tourists to see a city and it has become a great talking point.

Drivers get such a buzz out of it and are always on an adrenalin high after they’ve done the tour.

Valencia is a buzzing city with so much to see and do and lends itself perfectly to the GoCar storytelling car experience. It’s home to the stunning City of Arts and Sciences which has become a major tourist attraction. It is also host to the formula 1 Grand Prix due to take place in August, an event which attracts thousands of visitors and motorsports fans every year,” said GoCar’s European Director, Damien Harris.

He added: “In Barcelona alone more than 10,000 people have been on a GoCar city tour since it launched in June 2008 and the feedback has been phenomenal.

The Valencia launch is an exciting development in our European expansion and we are planning a high profile promotional campaign to promote our newest Spanish location.”

GoCars look great, are simple to operate and fun to drive. They are street legal and fully equipped with turn indicators, break lights, a horn and headlights. Dual disc front breaks ensure crisp, reliable stopping power.

GoCars in Valencia is a joint partnership with Cooltra, the leader in scooter rental tours in Spain and Europe. Unlike the traditional tours the true advantage of both Scooters and GoCars are that they give tourists complete autonomy over where, what and in what order they want to see things and also how long they want to spend at any given point. This flexibility and independence is the future of urban tourism.

You just need to hold a driving license, the friendly staff will take you through a thorough vehicle briefing and then you’re ready to go.

Prices are 35€ for the first hour, second hour 25€, additional hour 20€ or for a full day 99€ (prices are inclusive of all costs for 2 people).

To book in advance call Cooltra Motos Valencia on (+34) 96 339 47 51 or visit www.gocartours.es  or simply turn up at the Cooltra office located Avenida del Puerto 47, Valencia 46021.

Walkers keen to explore the superb countryside of the newly announced South Downs National Park should check out the range of walking options available in this region with HF Holidays, the UK’s largest specialist walking and leisure activity holidays company.

Based at Abingworth Hall – the company’s Country House which is set beside its own lake amid eight acres of mature grounds in the South Downs – the holidays include a choice of guided walking itineraries – easy, medium and hard – guided trails, self-guided freedom breaks (ideal for the independent walker) as well as a range of leisure activity options such as golf, photography and Nordic walking.

As an example of price, a three-night guided classic walking holiday costs from £215 per person, based on two sharing and inclusive of full-board en-suite accommodation, the programme of organised walks and evening entertainment, walk leaders, plus coach transport to and from the start and finish of each walk.

Alternatively, for those who prefer to explore the South Downs at their leisure, a two-night freedom break – in May – costs £159 per person, twin-share, inclusive of full-board en-suite accommodation, full use of the facilities at Abingworth Hall and a Freedom break guide – including an OS Explorer map of the local area.

Facilities at the Country House include an outdoor heated pool, games room with table tennis and board games, lounges, bars and drying rooms.

Reservations: 0845 470 7558, www.hfholidays.co.uk

Contemporary Town House Living

The Kensington Hotel officially opened its doors today following a nine-month, twenty-million pound renovation. The new incarnation is a stylish piedá- terre offering 150 rooms and suites in South Kensington, one of London’s most exclusive enclaves.

Located on the corner of Queen’s Gate and Old Brompton Road, The Kensington Hotel is an amalgamation of four grand Victorian townhouses. The design team, led by the Designer, Dennis Looby, have followed a brief which was as much about restoration as it was about renovation.

The buildings’ original ceiling heights and volumes have been brought back to life, as have the period mouldings and details. The decorative treatment, however, is more eclectic. The design team has used a combination of finds from antique shops on London’s Pimlico Road, intermixed with other British and global brands, such as; George Smith Furniture, B&B Italia, GP & J Baker and Colefax & Fowler.

Walking past the large Bay trees and across the wide flag-stone floored entrance from Queen’s Gate, visitors have the impression of entering a private home or club. The Hall houses a “jewel-box” like reception, where red wine coloured velvet lines the alcove and a 1950’s Dejeres metal sculpture hangs on the wall.

A vintage 1960’s Murano glass and brass light fitting hangs centrally, lighting up an imaginative mural on all four walls, which depicts French formal gardens in muted sepia tones. Walking on through to the Morning Room, guests will find French-inspired interiors, where monochrome silk damask curtains frame the bay windows and oak herringbone parquet covers the floor. In contrast, 20th Century contemporary art pieces line the panelled walls and a large 1960’s Murano glass chandelier gives a vintage twist to the overall design.

This leads on to the Drawing Room which takes its influence from the traditional British drawing room where guests can sink into oversized distressed leather furniture.

Large Persian rugs sit on the original oak parquet flooring, giving a feeling of warmth. This is further amplified by the ‘Dutch Pink’ painted walls by Farrow & Ball, 1930’s silver and gilt chandeliers and the traditionally framed Victorian landscapes.

Floor to ceiling 1930’s glass and bronze double doors lead through from The Drawing Room to The Bar. Lying at the centre of the ground floor, it will have a more intimate feel, with slate flooring, distressed mirrors, walls lined with raw oak panels and a deep-blue Yves Klein inspired glass ceiling, that will reflect light from six circular chandeliers. Velvet and soft mohair fabrics will provide an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.

The Bar leads through to ‘Aubrey’, a British inspired restaurant, catering for 96 covers in a relaxed, club-like atmosphere. Textured walls, combined with leather banquette seating and chrome lighting fixtures evoke 1930′s glamour.

The rooms and suites at The Kensington Hotel will feature a combination of luxurious fabrics and wallpapers alongside 19th and 20th Century furniture and artwork.

All the rooms have a different style and colour scheme, in keeping with the individuality of each of the bedrooms.

The corner rooms benefit from floor to ceiling windows on three sides which lead out on to the balconies.

Large cosy bedspreads lie on contemporary four-poster beds, surrounded by textured wallpapers and lush rugs.

The lavishly wallpapered bathrooms have flat screen TV’s built into the wall, for guests to watch whilst relaxing in the freestanding claw footed bathtubs.

The hotel also offers free wireless Internet access through-out the hotel as well as a comprehensive gym and spa room.

Singita has introduced Balloon Safaris on site in Tanzania’s Singita Grumeti Reserves, to present guests with game-viewing experiences.

The one-hour Balloon Safaris are chartered by professional, commercial balloon pilots from Serengeti Balloon Safaris.

Situated in one of Africa’s most pristine wilderness areas, Singita Grumeti is known for the exclusive, five-star safari experience on offer at its three lodges: Singita Sasakwa, Singita Sabora and Singita Faru Faru.

Traveling at tree top level, and up to approximately 1,000 feet above the ground guests are afforded extraordinary perspectives of the panorama of this untouched wilderness reserve, scene of Africa’s annual wildebeest migration.

On-site Balloon Safaris are available to four to eight people, with charter options available for larger groups.

Pre-requisites are that guests should be over the age of 7 and fit to fly. Balloon Safaris begin at 5:30 a.m. when guests leave their respective camp for a pre-dawn, 20-minute game drive from the camp to the balloon launch pad on the reserve.

Balloon Safari rates are $500 per person (minimum four persons). For more information, visit www.singita.com

FINE -The world’s leading Fine Wine Magazines, has selected the most profitable investment wines and created the list of TOP 50 investment wines. FINE’s Top Three list is: 1. Chateau Lafite 1982, 2. Romanee-Conti 1999, 3. Chateau Haut-Brion 1989

Top 50 List

ESPOO, FINLAND, — Which wines are the best investment wines today?

FINE – The leading Fine Wine Magazines, has created a TOP 50 Investment wines list based on wines average auction prices during the last six years.

The wine investor is all alone when he or she takes a decision. One of the biggest problems still existent today with investing in wine is the general dearth of reliable and impartial information on price, authenticity, and where to buy and sell. There have only been a few books written on the subject, and they are pretty limited in scope. There are also some Internet sites that specialise in information on wine prices – and that is it!

Fortunately, this situation is to change a little because next autumn FINE will publish the world’s first wine investor’s specialist magazine: – Fine Wine Investing Magazine. It will be an addition to the other FINE publications.

The 200 page magazine, out twice a year, will primarily focus on wine investor markets, where to buy and sell, the wines themselves, as well as the recent, and possibly future, trends in their prices.

We are also going to rank in order of priority the best wines to invest in, their outlets, wine-growing regions and vintages, in which we will also be talking about fake wines.

As a little foretaste of things to come, we have made a list of what we think are the 50 best wines to invest in that have proven to be successful on the market.

Whether they continue to do well in the future remains to be seen. However, at least their glorious past is not a barrier to that and, indeed, it is difficult to believe that these wines’ golden years are now over.

Love and marriage New Zealand-style is on the up and up, if weddings at Aoraki Mount Cook are anything to go by.

The iconic Hermitage Hotel, one of New Zealand’s most romantic retreats, has reported its busiest wedding season ever, hosting a record 11 weddings this summer with 13 still to go before the end of the year.

Hotel wedding planner Nyree Schaar (pronounced Ngaire Shaar) and marriage celebrant/Hermitage General Manager Denis Callesen, believe the 60 percent increase is due to ‘destination’ weddings becoming more popular, particularly amongst British and American couples.

“The natural beauty, isolation and versatility of locations within the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and World Heritage Area give weddings here the real wow factor, whether they’re casual, formal, traditional or adventurous,” says Mr Callesen.

“Panoramic views of lakes, rivers, glaciers, icebergs, Mount Cook and the Southern Alps mean couples can choose their dream wedding backdrop to make their day a truly unique and memorable experience.

“The beauty and serenity of the locations add a quiet reflective atmosphere, making ceremonies all the more intimate and special.

“Quite a lot of the couples come by themselves to escape the pressure of families, social responsibilities and the cost of a big wedding. Flights and landing locations for helicopter-assisted weddings are obviously weather dependent but if there are delays couples seem happy to stay, soak up their surroundings and enjoy a bit more romance.”

Some of the most popular ceremony locations at Aoraki Mount Cook are:

• Helicopter up to Liebig Dome (pronounced Lee big) (7600ft) at the edge of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park looking back to Aoraki Mount Cook. Rated 17th best wedding location in the world according to UK newspaper The Independent

• Fly by ski-plane to marry in the snow or on the Tasman Glacier

• On the shores of Lake Pukaki with its beautiful turquoise waters and Aoraki Mount Cook towering in the background

• Blue Lakes Shelter, a quaint stone building nestled in the Tasman Valley

• Braemar Dome (6,600ft overlooking Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo)

• On the lawn in front of the historic Hermitage hotel with Aoraki Mount Cook as a backdrop

• The Hermitage Snowline Bar with its roaring open fire and comfy leather chairs

Because of its range of venues, restaurants, accommodation and activities, The Hermitage caters for weddings or receptions of all sizes, from an intimate ceremony for two to a function with up to 300 family and friends.

A dedicated wedding team takes care of every detail.

Couples can bring in their own celebrant (which may require a Department of Conservation concession) or use Mr Callesen who has officiated at more than 200 hundred weddings during the last 10 years and donates all fees to the local school.

“Living in a remote location means that the children of Aoraki Mount Cook Village sometimes miss out on opportunities their more urban peers enjoy. However this year, through donations and fundraising, the kids are going on an action-packed field trip to Wellington,” he says.

Another reason why couples choose to get married at Aoraki Mount Cook is the diverse range of activities they can offer their guests pre or post-wedding.

These include the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre with 3D movie, planetarium and museum, Tasman Lake/Glacier boat trips, scenic flights, glacier landings, hiking and mountaineering, heli-biking, fishing, and amazing local food and wine.

For those with a celestial interest, the region’s also the best place in New Zealand for stargazing because of its brilliantly clear night sky and lack of light pollution.

Couples can find out more about weddings at The Hermitage or within Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

or by visiting www.hermitage.co.nz