Selling Travel
This week saw me start at my new workplace “Queanbeyan City Travel and Cruise”. After a whole day of being bogged down in setting up new log in’s to all of the travel suppliers systems and getting the technical side of things up and running I finally got selling on Wednesday. And what a day Wednesday was! All of the bookings I did for the week were generated on Wednesday (in amongst the many unconsummated quotes that fills a typical week). |
| New job, new uniform |
So of these bookings the most surprising was a trip for a family of four to go skiing in Queenstown, New Zealand. It isn’t the destination that is surprising, Australia’s proximity to New Zealand does mean it is a very popular destination, it was the price that astounded me. I found a 3 star hotel in the reliable Mercure chain just on the outskirts of Queenstown with a great view from it’s hillside perch for $1056 for 10 nights! Now that is amazing value and just goes to show that even travelling with two kids you can still find a great deal. Of course there are many other costs involved in a package such as this, there is the cost of the flights, car hire and ski gear and all in all the cost came out around $7000 but if you have ever looked at the costs to Ski here in Australia at our own ski fields you will know this is a good value trip and you are getting an international destination to boot.
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| Queenstown, NZ |
Podcasts
I am an avid listener to the Amateur Traveller Podcast, a podcast which I have also been a guest on and you can listen to my interview on Canberra right here. It is a wonderful way to pass the time on the commute to and from work, it takes you on a little journey each episode and with 400 odd episodes in their back catalogue and new episodes each week you will never be lost for content.This week the Podcast took me to Nigeria (Episode 228) which sounded just as wild and crazy as I had always imagined. Not really a destination for the faint-hearted but if you are keen for adventure this episode will get you started in your planning.
Episode 291 took me to Honduras which made me realise that on our trip to Mexico, Guatamala and Belize a few years ago on route to a wedding in Tulum we probably should have extended and also taken in Roatan, a 4km long island off the coast of Honduras. But Hey you can’t do it all. We also focused our trip in the Yucatan region of Mexico and Mexico being such a diverse country there is plenty of scope to go back on another trip. That also reminds me I should mention that speaking of Tulum, what a great beach destination. Around 2 hours south of Cancun it kicks Cancun’s butt (unless you are into sprawling American all inclusive resorts, not my thing really). The locally owned shack style accommodation nestled discreetly (compared to Cancun anyway) on the stunning beach with it’s unreliable electricity on rickety shutters was heaven.
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| Tulum, low key beach paradise in Mexico |
I also went to Lesotho with episode 292 where the guest described her week long pony trek through the rural villages of Lesotho. Not sure if I will be racing out to partake in that but the visions of village life with the locals dressed in the rug style garb and the tinkling of cow bells as the soundtrack to the trip did transport you far away from the Western culture you know.
Cooking Journeys
Shock horror, I barely made it into the kitchen this week! With starting a new job, settling into a new routine and two week night work functions the kitchen was a lonely soul this week. My staff meeting did take me to a Greek restaurant called Olive in Mawson, Canberra. Being an Asian food aficionado it was good to me forced outside of my regular restaurant routine and this place was the real Greek deal, with a real greek Yia-Yia running the front of house (and the back too I’m guessing). As our group were pretty comfortable eating pretty much anything and everything we put ourselves in the hands of yia yia and she did not disappoint. Entree’s of marinated octopus, Oysters, breads and dips, some out of this world deep fried olives and saganaki it set the scene for the homemade Moussaka, lamb shoulder and slow cooked pork that followed. It made me long for a Greek holiday where the food is as important as life itself and where every kitchen has it's own yia yia. Strangely the desserts of Creme Brulee, Sticky Date Pudding and Tiramisu were not Greek at all which was a little disappointing but were delicious all the same. Not a bad way to conduct a staff meeting, looks like I have walked into the right workplace. |
| Olive Restaurant conjurers up thoughts if a Greek Paradise |
Holiday at Home
This weekend my hubby and myself had a spontaneous holiday at home in Canberra. We had booked to go to the movies to see Reese Witherspoons “Wild” at the Palace Electric Cinema’s in the trendy suburb of New Acton (get your hipster pants on to fit in around here) and whilst having post work drinks at the Fellow’s Bar at the Australian National University where Martin works (the university not the bar) we decided to check out the rates at the design property in New Acton called Hotel Hotel which has been tempting us ever since it’s unconventional form emerged from the ground. Lo and behold they had a deal on which they sweetened by offering a further industry discount (perks of the job) so we checked in with not a skerrick of luggage or even a change of clothes. The hotel itself was just as you expect, crazy retro/industrial decor, a luxurious lighting design and amenities and a room with a view over the lake and Parliament house, not a bad way to treat yourself. We had dinner at A.Baker across the road which never disappoints. It’s modern almost experimental menu is crafted by talented chef’s who are not afraid to innovate. So good in fact that we went back for breakfast they next day.The movie “Wild” was a good escape from reality. Having done some very novice hiking with the hubby and having read the book by Cheryl Strayed that the movie is based on it was an experience to see the Pacific Crest Trail come to life and to know that even with little to no experience and a monster sized back pack called Monster anyone can undertake an epic journey. I just hope "Wild doesn't do for the PCT what "Eat, Pray, Love" did for Ubud. I think the trekking itself might ward to the hoards of lost 30's something women though.
We topped off the Saturday with a visit to the exhibition “In the Flesh” at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia which incorporated hyper realism sculpture my favourite being that of Sam Jinks. For $10 well worth the cost of admission and put Madame Tussaud's to shame. I couldn't help though look at some of the sculpture and think “wonder if I could make that in cake” that is what a cake decorator does, see’s the world in cake.
Originally posted on Monday, 19 January 2015 by Tenele
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