travellers good buys: with david ellis
PARTIES AND PINOT ON THE PENINSULA
VICTORIA's Mornington Peninsula is readying for its annual Harvest to
Table Festival that will showcase the region's classic foods and
wines from February 29 to March 10. There'll be everything from High
Teas to chefs' lunches and a 3-course dinner party, a 3-hour
horseback winery tour with a head and neck massage to ease the aches
from tossing down all those wines, a strawberries and chocolate
spectacular and wine, wine and more wine. Full details including
accommodation options on (03) 5987 3078 or
www.visitmorningtonpeninsula.org
BOOK before January 30 for a getaway to idyllic Mauritius in the
Indian Ocean and Adventure World will give you a saving of $510 a
couple, with the price including return air, transfers, windsurfing,
kayaking, tennis, pedalos, glass bottom boats and use of a gymn. Six
night packages on select dates in February and March start from $2208
from Melbourne and from $2228 ex-Sydney. Phone 1300 363 055 or
check-out www.adventureworld.com.au
MEDITERRANEAN-inspired Casa Belle guest house at Bellingen, half-way
between Sydney and Brisbane on the NSW Mid North coast has a package
from early February to June 30 that includes Deluxe Room, breakfast,
and either afternoon tea or cheese and wine on arrival. Price starts
from $225 per room per night; the hilltop guest house overlooks
mountains and valleys, and its three private suites that run off an
Italian-style courtyard include fresh fruit, nuts and chocolates,
flowers, and complimentary port. Brekkies feature home-baked bread
and the guest houses' own organic herbs and eggs. Details
www.roamfree.com
A 7-DAY cruise through the Dalmatian Islands is part of 18-day
packages that include 2-nights in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, the
Slovenian capital Ljubljana, the Istrian Peninsula, Mostar and
Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kotor and Budva in Montenegro.
There's also a visit to the Plitvice Lakes, 3-nights in Dubrovnik and
stops in Hvar and Korcula – the supposed birthplace of Marco Polo.
Book and deposit by March 31 for tours in 2008 and the $5,600pp price
includes a saving of $300pp, the cruise, twin-share hotels, meals,
sightseeing and gratuities. Phone 1300 363 554 or visit
www.beyondtravel.com.au
THE prehistoric fortress of Dun Aengus on the cliffs of Ireland's
west coast is a highlight of 9-day Irish Legends escorted tours this
year from Dublin with Tempo Holidays. Also included are Kilkenny,
Waterford, Blarney, Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Aran
Islands, and Clonmacnoise. The price starts from $1762pp including
twin-share, and 15-meals – one an Irish Dinner at Abbey Tavern in
Dublin; phone 1300 558 987 or visit
TRUE: Managing Director of car rental company Holiday Autos, Chris
Hamill has given his award for the most bizarre Lost and Found item in
2007 to a family who had to rush back from checking-in at Palma
Airport in Spain to where they'd just dropped off their rental car –
after realising that in their haste to get their flight to London,
they'd left in the car's back seat their elderly grandfather.
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