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A smorgasbord of travel
Exploring diverse farmlands, countries and cultures across four continents was the focus of five separate Greenmount Travel study tours in 2019.
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Travelling through the impossibly green, rolling hills and valleys of the UK and Ireland was a welcome change for drought-weary Australian eyes. And catching up on farming developments from The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal involved a tasty smorgasbord of farming practices, WWI battlefields, fast trains, slow boats and magnificent scenery.
Southern Africa introduced us to spectacular waterfalls, wonderful wildlife and tenacious farmers going about their business in often hostile political and environmental conditions.
Mexico and colourful Cuba revealed many of their cultural and farming delights while giving us a peek into their unique lifestyles. And Japan rounded out our travel year nicely as we learned how centuries old traditions – blended with ultra modern lifestyles and gadgets – create a unique and intriguing country.
See www.greenmounttravel.com.au for the Greenmount Travel farm tours on offer in 2020.
Spain is the second biggest cotton producer in the EU (after Greece). Our group was very impressed with this Pima cotton crop about 70 km south of Seville in the Guadalquivir River delta.
Your spirits are always lifted when Irish farmers ride roughshod over the Queen’s English with very colourful descriptions of their productive operations. James O’Reilly (left) points out some of the electronic wizardry being employed on his Kilkenny district farm to three interested and amused Aussie onlookers.
After checking out how some of the local Japanese farmers grow a vast array of food products, a traditional cooking class in a private Kyoto home completed the paddock to plate journey.
The spectacular landscape of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast easily qualifies the region as one of Greenmount Travel’s more off the beaten track destinations.
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