23 June 2019

When people talk about Australia nobody talks about Perth, it’s like it is the forgotten city out there on the West Coast! And if I’m being truly honest I was one of those people, always raving about the good food in Melbourne the vibrant city of Sydney and the chilled out vibe in Brisbane….. well let me tell you after our recent trip to Perth I can’t wait to go back and explore even more of the beautiful Western Coast of Australia. We flew down on the direct Emirates flight into Perth, yes, it was brutal setting off for the airport just after midnight for a 2.45am departure but after a relatively quick 10 hours we were landing into Perth at 5.30pm. We were staying in the city at the Park Hyatt Hotel which was in a great location right on the Swan River and a 15 minute amble into the city centre. Once we were all checked in, a quick shower and change we were heading out for dinner in an Uber (there are so many you never wait for long) to a restaurant called Mister Walker which was right on the Swan river and had a lovely view looking back across to Perth City. After a yummy dinner we were all ready for bed and tucked up by 10.30pm. I went to bed fearing the worst as I suffer terribly with jet lag whenever I travel to Australia and I fully expected to be wide awake at 2am. Imagine my surprise when we all stirred after 9am!! There is only a 4 hour time zone change from Dubai to Perth and boy does that make a difference. None of us suffered the dreaded jet lag one bit, yippy! Or room in the Park Hyatt more than comfortably fitted a roll away bed for our son, Noah and all our luggage….. If you have read any of my other travel blogs you will know that The Eadons don’t travel lightly! The hotel is probably geared more towards business travelers and those just wanting a few nights sightseeing around Perth before continuing their holiday elsewhere. We fell into the latter category and for our 4 night stay we were pleased with our choice, the staff were friendly, the room was spacious and clean. Perth is a small city with a picturesque river running through it, with lots of walking paths to enjoy the water and the greenery. We did a 15km loop from the city, up to Kings Park where we admired the view and had brunch in the park café before heading over the Narrows Bridge to walk along the other side of the river up to Windan Bridge by Belmont Park Racecourse and then back into the city to our hotel. We took our time and stopped for several glasses of wine along the way and watched the world go by on the river. It was the beginning of autumn when we were there in mid May so the mornings were a tad fresh but the sky was bright and clear blue with not a cloud insight. It was definitely jeans and jumper weather with a light jacket needed for first thing in the mornings and evenings. A trip to Freemantle or Freo as the locals call it, is worth a visit and from there you can catch a 30 minute ferry across to Rottnest Island to see the Quokkas. Quokkas you say what are they? Well if you can picture a baby kangaroo and a rat that’s them! They are about the size of a domestic cat and are mainly found on Rottnest Island, and trust me there were lots of them! They aren’t shy or afraid and quite boldly beg for food which you aren’t supposed to give them for obvious reasons. We hired bikes once we got to the island and off we set to see how much of the 11km long and 4.5km wide island we could see. The island is car less except for the free shuttle busses driving around so it is very safe cycling with little ones. After a bit of huffing and puffing we found a gorgeous bay called Little Salmon Bay. The water was so clear and so blue you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Caribbean or the Maldives. Each time we stopped along the way to admire another bay we were greeted by lots of quokkas, they would have been cute except for their rather long rat like tails! You can stay on the island in chalet style self catering accommodation or in the Hotel Rottnest. There are several restaurant/cafes on the island and a really good well stocked supermarket. Before long it was time to cycle back across the salt lakes to hand the bikes back and catch our allotted booked return ferry. Our time in Perth went really quickly, and we felt four days was more than enough time to see the sights. So now it was time to pack up, checkout and collect the hire car to head down to Margaret River. The journey took just over 3 hours which included a stop at the Crooked Carrot. The Crooked Carrot had been recommended to us as somewhere to stretch our legs and sample some homecooked food. This is no ordinary roadside café this is a little gem. Noah happily played on the rope net, on the wooden jungle gym and clambered over at least 20 old tractors whilst we enjoyed a hot drink and slice of cake….it would have been rude not too! We arrived in Margaret River having gone via a supermarket to stock up on dinner and breakfast essentials, a few bottles of local wine sneaked in too!. We were staying at Eight Willows Retreat in Metricup which is in the heart of the wine region just 20 minutes from Margaret River to the South and Busselton to the North. Eight Willows Retreat is 4.5 star luxury self catering chalets set in 75 acres of natural bush and parkland. The chalets are fully self contained homes from home. We had booked a 2 bedroom chalet which came complete with a full working kitchen including a washing machine and tumble dryer, lounge with a gas fire, bathroom with a bath and separate toilet. We had soon unloaded the car, got the fire going and dinner was underway.

23 June 2019

We had three days to make the most of what the Margaret River region had to offer and so off we set to explore the region. We found ourselves on Caves Road which we soon found out was aptly named due to all the caves in the area and so we pulled in to see Mammoth Caves. These caves are self guided by means of listening to a pre recorded audio tape explanation are you walk amongst all the stalagmites and stalactites. It was quite breath taking especially when we saw a 50,000 year old fossil of a zygomaturus jawbone in the limestone cave wall. From Mammoth Caves it is a short drive to Lake Cave which is totally different and included a guide to take you down into the cave. This cave involves climbing down over 300 steps into the cave which is the easy part, you then obviously have to climb back up them which is the equivalent to a very good gym session! Having said that the caves are totally worth seeing. Deep inside the cave is a lake where you can see all the limestone formations, one even looks like a table and is suspended over the water, weighing more than several tonnes, it certainly defies gravity. We also went to Hamelin Bay to see the stingrays, they come right up into the shallow water. Unfortunately, it was a bit windy and the sea was too choppy, so we didn’t see any stingrays, which was disappointing but is a good excuse to go back! A visit to Margaret River wouldn’t be complete without a visit to several wineries. We have tried several bottles of wine over the years from Margaret River and so decided to visit them. First up was Voyager which looked like we were pulling up at a winery in Stellenbosch with the Dutch architecture. I choose to sample the white wines and Mark the red wines none of which disappointed and after chatting to the lovely wine connoisseurs we bought several bottles. If you buy a bottle after wine tasting you don’t get charged for the tasting. Next stop was Cullen Winery which is family owned and run, and again after spending some time chatting with the staff and tasting several wines we bought a few more bottles to add to our growing collection. Next door to Cullen was Vasse Felix where we decided to stop for lunch in the restaurant. We had a delightful three course lunch whilst sat over looking the vineyards with a roaring log fire burning, we highly recommended this if you’re hungry for excellent food. We payed to go on a private vineyard tour to learn more about the history of Vasse Felix, gain a better understanding about the vines and the process of actually making the wine. Two hours went by in a flash and before we knew it we were back in the wine tasting room. Several bottles of wine bought and safely wrapped up off we went back to our chalet to cook a light dinner. We would happily have stayed longer as the staff were so knowledgeable and welcoming. The next day we packed up and headed towards Dunsborough as Noah wanted to go horse riding at some nearby stables. We arrived a little too late to join the main two hour trek but Noah still managed to go riding for a little bit on a horse named Wimpy. Then it was time to start the drive back up to Perth for out flight home that night at 10pm. Needless to say we made sure lots of fragile stickers were put all over our luggage and l’m happy to report all 8 wine bottles made it back to Dubai safely! Would we go back to Perth? Absolutely! Next time we will spend longer in Margaret River and then travel further south to Albany and Denmark, hopefully between June and August to see the whale migration. P.S NO jet lag going back to Dubai either!!

23 June 2019

My TC App Why not have a look at downloading our amazing My TC App? It really is easy to do…… here are a few of the main benefits and features of it: • It’s free to download. • It’s very easy to use and navigate around. • After setting up the App, all new bookings will automatically update on it. • All quotes can be received via the App, not just by email. • No need for paper documents…..unless you want them! • You’ll have all my contact details stored in one place :) • You can take part in our preference center survey. That way l can personally send you offers via email that will interest you! No marketing is sent via the App. • Any surprise bookings wont show on the App so they’ll still be a surprise! • If there are any flight alerts they will be sent to you. • If your anything like me and permanently counting down the days till your next planned adventure, then nip onto the App as there is a countdown feature……..Love it! • Easy to make secure payments through the payment link. • Make a payment at anytime to reduce your balance – its a great feeling seeing the balance getting smaller! I’m super impressed with the App and love looking at my up and coming planned adventures. It is also great for easy reference…you can check the App anytime, anywhere!! So, if you think you’d like to download this great App then please get in touch.

28 May 2019

We have just got back from the best skiing holiday in Lech and l can’t wait to start planning next year’s! Lech is a beautiful Austrian town 2 hours and 120 miles from Zurich Airport. So, after a quick night stop in Zurich, we had a private transfer up the mountain to Lech. The service was great as it was door to door and a turn key solution, we wouldn’t need a car whilst we were skiing in Lech. The car was a large Mercedes minivan which accommodated 4 adults 3 children, our huge amount of luggage and as prearranged enough booster seats for all the children. Driving along the road and seeing all the trees starting to turn a vibrant green was a real treat, spring was in the air and boy was it a lovely sight to see. As we wound our way up into the mountains, we started to see snow and the excitement started to mount. It wasn’t long before we were driving into the scenic town of Lech to our hotel which was going to be home for the next 7 nights. We were staying at the Hotel Panorama which is a family owned and run chalet style hotel spread over 3 floors. As we were three families travelling together, we all had our rooms on the same floor. The room we had for my husband, son Noah and I was lovely and looked out onto the snowy mountains. The room had a large double bed, sofa bed which Noah slept on, bathroom with a bath which is definitely needed after a hard days skiing and a separate toilet. The wardrobe space was amazing, plenty of hanging space and the top shelves were even deep enough to hide all our suitcases in….. and trust me the Eadons don’t travel light!! The room had under floor heating and was incredibly efficient which meant that we slept with the window ajar every night. Breakfast was a hearty traditional continental style, lots of cheeses, cuts of smoked salmon, yoghurt, fruits, not to mention all the yummy different breads, honey and homemade jams. Cooked eggs of your choice were also offered, the omelet and scrambled eggs were a winner with all of us. Afternoon tea was offered in the bar/ lounge area as an after skiing sugar boosting treat, the homemade cakes were delicious and much needed after skiing all day. The ski and boot room was conveniently located on the ground floor and had its own separate entrance. Upon leaving the hotel to go skiing you could catch a bus that stopped directly in front of the hotel which would drop you in the town center near to the ski school meeting place and central chairlifts or you could walk for 5 minutes to a chairlift that would take you up into the ski area of Lech. The skiing in Lech is vast as it links several other big resorts all together on the one lift pass. You could ski as far as Saint Anton if you wanted to! The skiing is varied and caters for all abilities with well groomed and marked pistes, some of the chair lifts even had heated seats!! We certainly ate and drank very well and I was blown away by the standard of food being served. Even stopping for lunch in the mountain restaurants everything was delicious, beautifully served and a welcome treat. We were skiing at the beginning of April over the Easter Holidays and towards the end of our week in Lech the afternoons were beginning to get a bit slushy but other than that we had perfect conditions and even had fresh snow fall whilst we were there. The days flew by and before we knew it we were packing up, saying goodbye and making plans to return next year. Having skied in several different resorts over the last few years Lech has got our seal of approval and it won’t disappoint if you choose to give it a try.

05 May 2019

I couldn’t pack quick enough for our upcoming and much anticipated Fijian holiday. Fiji has been on the top of my bucket list ever since I first saw glossy photos of beautiful islands surrounded by crystal clear turquoise water in the Conde Nast Traveler many many years ago! I can happily say that whilst I write this, sitting on my sun lounger, white sand at my feet and gazing out upon never ending green and blue water that no amount of words or photos will ever do it justice, I can honestly say that Fiji hasn’t disappointed. Yes it was a bit of a mission to get to but totally worth it. We flew down to Sydney on the direct Emirates flight from Dubai which took 13 hours. We then broke the journey and explored Sydney for 4 days. We stayed in the InterContinetal in Sydney which was in a great location for the Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay and The Rocks. Catching the ferry to Manly for lunch was a real highlight as you get amazing views of the Harbor Bridge, Sydney Opera house and lots of stunning properties that will give you house envy! We certainly ate well in Sydney and I loved having dinner at the Sydney Oyster Bar. Sitting right on the harbors edge with the Sydney Opera House behind us and the Harbor Bridge in front you certainly couldn’t forget where we were. Before we knew it our 4 days were up and it was time to make our way back to the airport for our early morning flight to Fiji. We flew Fiji Airways for the 4 hour journey and quickly learnt that Bula means hello in Fijian. Once we landed and cleared customs we had a 20 minute taxi ride to the ferry terminal for the 50 minute ride out to Castaway Island which was going to be home for the next week and makes up part of the Mamanuca group of islands in Fiji. We were quickly at our destination and were greeted by lots of the hotel staff singing to us in Fijian which was so lovely. A quick check in process was completed and we were armed with all the resort information and taken to our beach bure. The room was right on the beach and 20 steps to the waters edge. The room had a sitting area at the entrance which doubled up as 2 single beds for children to sleep on at night and day beds by day. Moving further into the room was a king sized bed and then the bathroom was behind. There was no bath but the shower was walk in, his and her sinks and a separate toilet. There was also plenty of wardrobe space. Outside the thatched beach bure we had table and chairs and sun loungers. There were several restaurants and as we had the all inclusive meal deal we could eat in any of them. They had a daily buffet and a la carte menu in the main restaurant, bar with wood fired pizza ovens. We loved Restaurant 1808 which requires a dinner reservation as there are only a few tables set up on the sand. The kids club (age 3 up) was fantastic and the staff were great fun, lots of activities were organized such as rock pooling, sandcastle competitions, bush walks, treasure hunts and Fijian dancing of which the children did a show one night for the parents. There are also two pools one being adults only with a swim up bar, a spa which offers basic massage, facials and a tennis court. The watersports team have all sorts of kayaks, 2 man sailing dingys, and snorkeling gear all free of charge. For a charge you can go fishing, scuba diving or take a boat to the outer reef to go snorkeling. We did this and saw colourful tropical reef fish, turtles, sting rays and a shark! We also hired 2 jet skis for 4 hours and went exploring some of the other islands, we moored up at Cloud 9 which is a floating bar complete with a DJ and had a drink. You have a guide with you to help navigate the reefs. I should also mention that the only place to get wifi on the island is in the main restaurant…….. it has been an absolute pleasure to be phone free and just checking my phone once a day for messages! The staff were also extremely friendly and very quickly learnt our names which was a lovely personal touch. This is a great resort and extremely family friendly, if you were after a romantic holiday for two this wouldn’t be your resort! We have loved our time on the island and it will be very hard to pack up and leave tomorrow, but all good holidays have to end in order for new holidays to be planned and taken. So, I know we will leave tomorrow for another few nights in Sydney before the final long journey back to Dubai having had the best relaxing family holiday where so many happy memories have been made.