travel souvenirs — part 3

We are still sheltering in place in Northern California. With foreign adventures off the table, I've been fondly recalling some of my favorite travel experiences over the past few years. Looking at souvenirs I've brought home has been a great a way to remember the many wonderful places I've been privileged to visit.

One afternoon, after lunch in Adelaide, Australia, we had time to look (and shop) at the arts and crafts exposition right by the restaurant. Thank you to Swain Destinations for arranging this stop on our 2016 trip. A leatherworker was on hand, making and selling kangaroo leather belts. I thought the belt shown above was quite attractive. He sized it exactly for my waist, and I've been wearing it ever since.

But the best souvenirs are always photographs that I take myself. I combine my best photos each year in a book of travel photography that I give family members for Christmas. On the cover of my 2019 book is a shot of the Sydney Opera House. We stayed at the Park Hyatt Sydney for this return trip. The hotel, located directly across the harbour from the Opera House, is the perfect place to stay if you want to go to the harbour at 5 a.m. to capture sunrise images.

I'd love to return to Australia for a third visit. Melbourne is high on the bucket list for my next trip.

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copyright (c) 2020 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

New Zealand | don't know where to begin?

Sally Forth comic strip, March 31, 2018

Sally Forth is one of a handful of comic strips that I read regularly. In today's episode, Sally asks her family, "What is the one thing you'd like us to do together as a family?" After a moment's pause, Hillary answers, "New Zealand." Ted is immediately turned on by the idea of visiting the beautiful place where the three Hobbit movies (An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug, and The Battle of the Five Armies) were filmed. Sally responds with two practical concerns, the cost of air and where to begin.

"I don't know where to begin" is not infrequently the first hurdle encountered when contemplating our bucket list. Start with Google? 46 million websites come up when searching New Zealand, 3.6 million responses for New Zealand travel, 2.68 million options for New Zealand tours, and 1.79 million answers for New Zealand tourism.

How can anyone evaluate so many options? My answer to the Forth family ... find a travel advisor with experience planning travel to New Zealand, who has relationships with multiple destination management companies there. Instead of starting with millions of choices, I'll begin planning your trip with a half dozen vendors curated in terms of their expertise and reliability. Once I know your budget and the kinds of experiences you want to have, I'll know exactly where to begin.

A knowledgable travel advisor will save you time and money. New Zealand has some of the most gorgeous lodges in the world, and you can benefit from Virtuoso amenities that will provide added value during your stay. Even if your budget is more modest, our on-the-ground partners will know the best moderately priced options for your stay — as well as providing assistance if needed with looking for "bulk" air.

black sand beach (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

New Zealand is one of the two most gorgeous places I've ever been, Norway being the other. To whet your appetite, here are some articles I wrote about my April/May 2009 trip with Swain Destinations.

Kauri Cliffs | New Zealand golf and beach luxury
what to do in Queenstown, New Zealand
Napier, New Zealand | the Art Deco city
morning mist at Huka Lodge
black sand beach near Auckland
New Zealand | incredible scenic beauty
Virginia Fischer | New Zealand luxury lodges
more New Zealand Luxury Lodges

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

koala on Kangaroo Island

Koala on Kangaroo Island (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

A pretty cool way to end a fabulous trip to Australia, a koala siting. The day began with an excursion to Remarkable Rocks. Following a gourmet lunch served in the bush, we headed towards Seal Beach, and on the way our driver spotted this koala right by the side of the road in a gum tree.

More pictures to be posted of a remarkable rock formation and some close ups of seals ... but I wanted to get this out to everyone ASAP. Truly a highlight of an incredible trip... thanks to Swain Destinations, Luxury Lodges of Australia, Southern Ocean Lodge, and our other hotel hosts. Tomorrow, back to Sydney for one night before my UA flight back to LAX-SFO.

copyright  (c)  2016 by David Ourisman LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.