Jetsettersblog

Ever dreamed of exploring the underwater kaleidoscope of the Great Barrier Reef, the natural wonder of the world, or sailing the azure waters of the Whitsunday Islands? Then now is the time to make 2012 the year to learn a new skill.

Whether it’s diving into new depths or improving your culinary prowess, Queensland, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef State, is the perfect place to start adding talents to your New Year’s resolution.

Dive straight in

The Great Barrier Reef is the natural wonder of the world, so of course is THE place to earn your PADI Scuba Certification. Not only is there 1400 miles of incredible coral kingdoms to explore, but the waters are warm and crystal clear. And once you have your certification you can set out to see it all including minke whales, turtles, rays and clown fish.

Lady Elliott Island – Internationally renowned for its superb underwater visibility, this island resort offers a $150 ‘Discover Scuba Diver’ course for beginners. www.ladyelliot.com.au

Pro Dive Cairns – With a two-day pool and theory training course followed by three exciting days living and diving the reef ex Cairns, you will be hooked in no time. Not literally, hopefully. www.prodivecairns.com

Aristocat – Take up to three introductory dives with certified divers and explore the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs in Tropical North Queensland. www.aristocat.com.au

Still burning shrimp on the barbie?

If you are terrified of poisoning your friends and family or simply bored with the same old dishes, a cooking class is the easiest way to earn new skills.
Tamarind Cooking School, Sunshine Coast – The ultimate Thai cooking school including 5 hours of cooking, lunch and matching wines at $165 per person. www.spicersgroup.com.au

Wild Lime Cooking School – Learn to cook with wild finger limes, lemon myrtle, warrigal greens, macadamia nuts, kangaroo meat, mints, peppers and bush tomatoes in the beautiful Lost World Valley, in Brisbane’s Scenic Rim. www.worendo.com/cooking-school

Spirit House – The award-winning restaurant in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland offers a range of Asian influenced cooking classes culminating in a meal enjoyed in a tropical dining pavilion. www.spirithouse.com.au

Surf your way to the top

Why not discover your inner-grommet and surf your way into 2012?

‘SUP!, Gold Coast – Justin is ex-world champ at paddle boarding and one of the best instructors around for just $50 a lesson. As Justin says, ‘Pure stoke in every stroke!’ Enough said. www.jmsup.com

Get Wet Surf School, Gold Coast – Offering a money-back guarantee if you don’t stand up on your first lesson…what could go wrong. www.getwetsurf.com

Sail away…

Don’t wait until you retire, or you can afford your own yacht, to take up sailing. Get someone else to show you how.

Whitsundays Sailing Adventures – Learn how to sail on a crewed sailing ship, or race a maxi yacht throughout the islands. www.whitsundaysailingadventures.com.au

Sail Capricornia – Board Grace and explore the Keppell Bay islands while learning the ropes. www.sailcapricornia.com.au

Sunsail – Join a sailing school in the incredible Whitsundays for whichever level you are at.

www.sunsail.com.au

ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA; – The Santos Tour Down Under is Australia’s premier international cycling race and will be staged in the state of South Australia from January 15-22, 2012. The week-long race brings top World Tour professional cycling teams to race in the capital city of Adelaide, as well as iconic regions of South Australia.2The Santos Tour Down Under attracts thousands of fans from across Australia and around the world to Adelaide each January. The 2012 competition begins in Adelaide on January 15 with The Down Under Classic, a closed-circuit road race of approximately 32 miles. The challenging six stages of the Santos Tour Down Under commence on January 17, and cyclists will cover a distance of nearly 500 miles across several regions of South Australia.

Competitors will race along the roadways framed by bright vines of the Barossa and Clare Valleys, quaint neighborhood streets in the Adelaide Hills, and through the picturesque routes into the Fleurieu Peninsula. The Santos Tour Down Under invites spectators from across the globe to enjoy South Australia’s beautiful scenery, food, wine and experiences that are showcased in the state’s most iconic regions, from vines to the sea.

Stage one of the race begins in Prospect, a suburb of Adelaide just outside the city’s center, and journeys up through the vineyards of the Barossa and into the Clare Valley—a scenic path framed by vines.

Stage two travels throughout the Adelaide Hills, staring in the town of Lobethal and into Stirling, venturing through the winding roads of the lush hillside.

The Fleurieu Peninsula is the stunning destination in stage three, which starts just outside of Adelaide and travels to the breathtaking seaside town of Victoria Harbor.

Stage four begins in the Adelaide suburb Norwood and into Tanunda, the heart of the Barossa Valley.

For the first time in its 12-year history, stage five will finish on top of Old Willunga Hill, rather than following the usual descent to the town of Willunga.

The Tour Down Under finishes with a circuit race around the iconic Elder Park on the banks of the River Torrens in its sixth and final stage.

Riding enthusiasts looking to catch the action and follow the Tour Down Under race will enjoy the new Tour Down Under Scenic Flight helicopter experience. The four-seater choppers offer spectators joy flights throughout any of the six stages, as well as city and race transfers. Visitors who would like to explore the various regions can book exclusive private charters to a winery to spend the day tasting and watching the race ride pass along the hillside.

The 2012 Santos Tour Down Under will be held in Adelaide and regional South Australia from January 15-22, 2012. For more information, race routes and results visit the official website at www.tourdownunder.com.au and on the official Santos Tour Down Under Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT SOUTH AUSTRALIA
South Australia is home to Kangaroo Island (known as the “Galapagos of Australia”), the famed Barossa wine region, and Adelaide, the charming capital city. The fourth largest of Australia’s six states, South Australia is located in the southern half of the country. Adelaide itself is a delightful jumping off point for exploring the region. Surrounded by parklands, the capital is home to just over 1 million people and the Central Business District is one square mile, perfect for exploring the fine museums, great restaurants, and the famed Central Market, the largest covered market in the Southern Hemisphere. South Australia is a haven for wine lovers. Over 60% of all exported Australian wines come from the state’s top wine regions—the Barossa Valley, the Clare Valley, the Coonawarra, and more. Soft adventure activities such as hiking, diving, and mountain biking abound in this nature-filled state. In fact, South Australia arguably has the most accessible wildlife in the country. Some of the best places to glimpse it are the stunning Kangaroo Island, rugged Flinders Ranges, and enchanting Gawler Ranges. Known as the “Gateway to the Outback,” South Australia is also home to Coober Pedy, the world’s opal mining capital.

For more information on travel to South Australia, contact the South Australian Tourism Commission at 323.871.1151 or visit www.us..southaustralia.com 

Ten Day Group Tour Departing 18 August 2012
£3459.00 Per Person (Twin/Dble Share) including all transportation, accommodation and return flights from Gatwick.

Train to the Arctic is a chance to experience this remote yet accessible region of Arctic and Northern Canada offering a combination of two historic working railroads and a remote wilderness island retreat in a million acre game reserve.

A hidden gem of an adventure which takes a step back through history, to an era of European fortune seekers and fur traders, who had grand territorial ambitions for Canada’s north. Starting in downtown Toronto, you will travel north-west along the shore of fabled Georgian Bay and the Muskoka Lakes.

After breaking your journey in Cochrane Ontario, you continue next day onboard the aptly named “Polar Bear Express” to the Arctic shores of James Bay and the community of Moosonee.

Enjoy the thrill of a freighter canoe ride, across to Moose Factory Island where you will stay for two nights in this historic trading center, before you will travel south on the fabled Algoma Central Railroad and finally transferred to a waiting boat for the short journey to the wilderness retreat.

For more information and a full itinerary please contact Sarah Punter on 01892 779900.

SkySearch has officially launched their mobile application earlier this week. Now available for IPhone and Android, this easy to use, one of a kind online charter application allows users to get instant charter prices straight from their mobile phone.

“This is truly a milestone for us” said Commercial Manager Claire Brugirard. “From SkySearch’s conceptual birth we have been working hard to provide this extra service to our loyal customers”.

The mobile application comes out just in time for the hefty holiday season where executive and passenger travel will be in full swing. To avail of this amazing tool, people that charter frequently, travel agents and other service providers can download the application for free from their respective App stores.

“The SkySearch web and mobile phone application are both so unique because they give the client instant charter prices on executive jet and passenger aircraft worldwide” said Ms Brugirard.

The mobile applications for Iphone and Android are available for free on the SkySearch website (www.skysearch.aero/mobile  ) and the respective App stores of Apple and Android.

to offer some great deals in 2012.

Your big day can be held in locations you will always remember such as Central Park, an elegant Yacht on the Hudson River, City Hall or All Souls Church.

A 4 Night/5 Day New York ‘Central Park’ Wedding Package in May 2012 would cost from £2899.00 Per Couple. Price includes return flights from London, hotel accommodation at The Ramada New Yorker and the Wedding Package.

It includes Wedding Ceremony at Central Park, Assistance & guidance on all aspects of Wedding Planning in New York, a Pre wedding meeting with a Wedding Specialist, Minister Fee and permit fee, Accompaniment of Wedding Coordinator on day of wedding, Personalised Wedding Ceremony, Marriage License, Transportation, Bottle of Champagne, Bridal bouquet & grooms buttonhole, taxes.

For more information please contact Sarah Punter, Manager: 01892 779900 or visit www.awwt.co.uk

Mossman Gorge Centre, an Indigenous eco-tourism development in Northern Queensland, will open in April. The new visitor center will enhance the overall tourism experience through a number of services and facilities such as a contemporary café, Indigenous art gallery and retail store, booking area for guided walks, extensive car and bus parking and an eco-friendly bus service to take visitors to and from the gorge itself.

The center will also have rangers on site to answer questions about the unique native flora and fauna of the area. For more information, call 310-695-3253.

Goway Travel is offering packages for Chinese New Year, which takes place Jan. 17 to Feb. 6, 2012, ushering in the Year of the Dragon. Hong Kong will come alive on Jan. 23 with a Night Parade that features more than a dozen floats with international and local performing groups. The floats will be on display after the parade.

Goway’s Vibrant Hong Kong three-day package offers a choice of accommodations, roundtrip airport transfers, a half-day sightseeing tour and free time to take advantage of the festivities in Hong Kong. Goway offers travel packages to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and island destinations with offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia. For more information, call 800-387-8850

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, best known for its famous Civil War battle in 1863, is also a place to get a glimpse into the lives and legacies of two of America’s most-known presidents – Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower.

On President’s Day Weekend – Feb. 18-20, 2012 – Gettysburg is inviting Americans to learn more about the short, but monumental visit by Lincoln in 1863 to deliver the Gettysburg Address, and the retirement of Dwight Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

“This weekend is a great opportunity to honor America’s presidents,” said Norris Flowers, President of the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Both Lincoln and Eisenhower made an incredible impression on Gettysburg, and their legacies live on through the great historic sites now open to the public to enjoy.”

Lincoln visited Gettysburg on Nov. 18-19, just five months after the tragic battle that summer. The 16th president made his mark on history with his 10-sentence Gettysburg Address, a speech that helped Americans understand the sacrifice in Gettysburg and helped the nation begin the path to healing.

Lincoln was in Gettysburg only 25 hours, and today visitors can trace his footsteps during his visit. Visitors can start at the Historic Gettysburg Railroad Station where Lincoln began his trip, tour the David Wills House museum where Lincoln put the finishing touches on the Gettysburg Address, and Soldiers’ National Cemetery where the president delivered his immortal remarks. Travelers can hire the expertise of a Licensed Town Guide or take a self-guided tour to explore Lincoln’s visit and understand the weight of the war and how his remarks helped turn Gettysburg from a place of tragedy into one of hope, a sentiment that still lasts today.

After World War II in 1950, Dwight Eisenhower hoped to retire in Gettysburg, a place he spent many months as commander of Camp Colt, an Army tank training facility on the fields of Pickett’s Charge. He and his wife, Mamie, remembered their days in Gettysburg, and the couple bought a home on 189 acres adjacent to the Civil War battlefield.

His retirement was delayed, however, when he was asked to be president of NATO and later, President of the United States. He and Mamie, the kids and the grandkids, found enough time during his presidency to visit Gettysburg many times, including a five-week stint when he recovered from a heart attack. His home in Gettysburg was referred to as the “Temporary White House.”

Today, his home and grounds are open to the public as the Eisenhower National Historic Site. Visitors from around the world tour the historic home, appreciating the simple and typical life the Eisenhowers led during their time in Gettysburg. The site also includes a working farm, the skeet range and putting green, and Eisenhower’s collection of automobiles.

Visitors can also enjoy sites around town, including the Gettysburg library in which Eisenhower once had an office, the Majestic Theater where the president would often hold press conferences, and Gettysburg College, where Ike spent many days writing his memoirs.

Additionally, visitors are encouraged to visit the Hall of Presidents and First Ladies, a collection of presidential figures chronologically staged to detail more than 230 years of American history. Tour the gallery of First Ladies, adorned in their dresses from respective inaugurations.

During this holiday weekend, three getaway packages are available:
For visitors wanting the full presidential experience, the Best Western Plus Gettysburg Hotel est. 1797 offers its “Memories of a President Package,” a one-night stay for two that includes tickets to the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the David Wills House, dinner and breakfast for two, along with several presidential keepsakes. Prices over the President’s Day Weekend are $240 for a traditional room, $270 for a suite. For more information on Gettysburg Hotel’s package, visit www.gettysburg.travel/visitor/ps_detail.asp?ps_id=660

Gettysburg’s Gaslight Inn Bed & Breakfast also offers a package that helps illustrate the presidential experience in Gettysburg. Starting at $329, two guests can enjoy two nights of lodging at the inn, tickets to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, a two-hour battlefield tour and tickets to either the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the David Wills House, or the Shriver House Museum. For more details on the Gaslight Inn package, visit www.gettysburg.travel/visitor/ps_detail.asp?ps_id=770

For President’s Day Weekend only, the Brickhouse Inn is offering “Lincoln at Gettysburg,” an event that includes a tour of Soldiers’ National Cemetery with Historian Roy Frampton and dinner at the Historic Dobbin House restaurant with famous Lincoln presenter James Getty. Tickets are $120 plus lodging. For more information on Brickhouse’s event, call (800) 864-3464.

In addition, each day over President’s Day Weekend, renowned Lincoln artist Wendy Allen will host an event, from 1-4 p.m., at her Gettysburg gallery, Lincoln Into Art.

The Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, the official tourism promotion agency, markets Gettysburg – Adams County as a premier travel destination, producing a positive economic impact.

Seven Hilton Worldwide Hotels in New York City are offering Triple Hilton Points with Shopping on Top for a limited time only.

Available now through June 30, 2012, this package includes overnight accommodations PLUS triple HHonors base points and a 10% savings certificate to Macy’s Department Store.

This package is valid only at Hilton Times Square, Hilton New York Fashion District, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Times Square, DoubTetree by Hilton Metropolitan Hotel, Hampton Inn Manhattan Times Square North, Hilton Garden Inn New York/West 35th Street and Hilton Garden Inn Times Square – ONLY!

Guest must request Plan Code “H3 or HH3″ in order to book the reservation.

Book your stay today by visiting us online at www.hilton.com/nyc and visiting the specials page for your hotel of choice, or by calling 1-800-HILTONS and mentioning plan code H3 / HH3. One Macys’ coupon will be distributed upon check-in.

St. Lucia’s all-inclusive Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is offering deluxe garden view accommodations starting at $148 per person, per night, double occupancy. The special offer is valid for travel from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31, 2012. Guests must book by Jan. 15, 2012.

For more information, call 877-352-8898.