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Home & Away with Robert Walshe
Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio Network & Travel Editor for numerous print & online publications on the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe.com
Founded over 30 years ago, Hastings Hotels are Northern Ireland’s premier hotel group. The Hastings portfolio includes the 5 star Culloden Estate and Spa, the world famous Europa and the Stormont Hotels in Belfast, the Everglades in Derry, the magnificent Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in Newcastle and the 17th centuary Ballygally Castle on the Antrim Coast.
Holiday Hotspot – Wolgan Valley, Australia Charles Darwin arrived at Wolgan Valley in the Blue Mountains in 1836, the emotions he felt then described in his travel diary were self explanatory and having recently returned from the new world I share that sentiment! Just 30 kms from Lithgow and a three hour drive from Sydney the term ‘getting away from it all’ really becomes a reality. The Emirates owned Wolgan Valley is for guests only, providing complete exclusivity to do as much or as little as you like. Leaving your car at the gate seems right adding to the sense of arrival. It comes as no surprise that local skilled craft workers including glass blowers, stained-glass window makers, carpenters, blacksmiths and iron workers, were employed during the initial building phase. Recreating the rustic style of the Federation period, the resort’s buildings offer a range of unique spaces in which to enjoy quiet moments with a good book with a glass of bubbly or catch up on the events of the day in a truly luxurious setting. With a range of suites to suit couples, families or small groups, the stand-alone villas are your home from home offering a lounge with open gas fire, fourposter bed, separate toilet and bathroom plus your own indoor lap pool. The landscape and the views of the bush are breathtaking and the villas all have floor to ceiling glass windows showcas-
ing the views from every angle. The holistic experience at Wolgan offers the “Sodashi “range in the “Timeless Spa” & also in the guest suites. Native to Australia, Sodashi is considered by many to be the purest spa brand in the world and translates from the Sanskrit word to ‘wholeness, purity and radiance’. Made using the highest quality plant essences and natural ingredients, Sodashi products are 100 per cent chemical free and have been developed based on the knowledge and wisdom of ancient philosophies and natural healing traditions. Wolgan Valley delivers a uniquely Australian, yet world-class cuisine experience enhanced by a seasonal, regional and organic food and wine philosophy. Wherever possible, the resort aims to source the majority of its produce and ingredients within a hundred miles, providing the finest in culinary dining whilst supporting local producers. The homestead also features a functioning kitchen garden and supplies fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and herbs to the resort kitchens. Not to be missed is the Colonial Heritage Tour, which showcases the painstaking restoration of this old building where Darwin stayed when the valley functioned as an outstation to a nearby farming property. Emirates has gone to great lengths using the best in sustainable development practices priding itself on a resort that blends naturally and harmoniously with the natural beauty of the valley. To date, over 175,000 indigenous trees have been planted in
wildlife corridors and along creek banks on site, while not a single tree was destroyed by the construction of the resort. The Emirates conservation program at Wolgan Valley is based on ■ Wildlife at Wolgan Valley the principle of clearing sites of all but indigenous flora discerning & eco conscious and fauna, so foxes and travellers. www.wolganvalwild dogs are being eradilley.com My preferred car cated to make the reserve rental company on this trip feral-free. The population was Hertz & pick up is availof eastern grey kangaroos, able in downtown Sydney or red-necked wallabies, at the International airport. wallaroos and wombats A reminder also that gold has increased, and native plus rewards members enjoy trees and grasses have fast pick up and drop off car been encouraged. rental including exclusive benefits. To experience the valley itself, Hertz consumer discounts with guests can choose from a range of full details are available at www. field activities; a 4WD wildlife tour hertz.ie or call Hertz on (0035) (1) of the property promises sight- 676 7476. Earlier this year Emirates ings of indigenous species; guided and Qantas formed a global partmountain bike and horse rides nership, working together to operoffer a bit more adventure — and ate 14 flights daily between Dubai, there’s wildlife and stargazing in Australia and beyond - along with the evening. extensive Australian domestic The overall carbon footprint of flights, frequent flyer advantages the resort is low, due to the appli- and shared lounge access. cation of ecologically sustainable Emirates customers are now able design principles in its construc- to choose from 32 Australian destition, including the use nations to which Qantas operates of solar power and including Canberra, Port Lincoln, heat recovery. In fact Cairns and Hobart, opening up the resort was the first Australia to passengers from all hotel in the world to over the ever expanding Emirates achieve carbon neu- network. Emirates operate a daily tral certification from departure from Dublin to Dubai CarboNZero, an inter- daily at lunchtime with onward connationally accredited nections to five cities in Australia greenhouse gas certifi- – Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Briscation scheme. bane and Adelaide. Current Sydney The Emirates Wol- prices ex Dublin are economy class: gan Valley experience €1116 & business class: €3429. The is pure indulgence main talking point amongst those and is must do for who have flown on the upper deck
of the A380 operating on the Dubai to Sydney route and back is the onboard lounge, where business class and first class travellers can exchange tales and talk business over a drink at 40,000 feet. All Emirates’ A380s are fitted with Wi-Fi, allowing full connectivity with the ground. Emirates earlier this year opened “Concourse A”, the dedicated home of its A380 fleet and the world’s first purposebuilt facility for the aircraft at Dubai International. The concourse, part of Terminal 3, comprises 20 A380capable contact gates, as well as Emirates’ flagship First Class and Business Class lounges, the largest in the world. A reminder also that the airline’s chauffeur-drive service is available to both First and Business Class passengers across the island of Ireland. All Emirates’ customers can enjoy in-flight telephones, SMS and email and children’s activity packs. Highly trained cabin crews from across the globe, including Irish & UK nationals are on hand to serve gourmet chef prepared meals. www.emirates.com and for all travel information www. sydney.com
Home and Away Extra Next winter’s Trans-Atlantic schedules ex Dublin are taking shape. Delta will use a B763 instead of a B757 for the winter to JFK and a mix of B764 and B763 to Atlanta. Atlanta will be suspended between Jan 12 and March 9. When it returns a B764 will be replaced by a B763 until March 30 when rt , Australia.
■ Wolgan Valley Reso
the A332 is scheduled to start on the route, two months ahead of what happened this summer. United’s Washington service will go from five weekly to four weekly for four weeks in January and February, a week less than 2013. American Airlines will fly four times weekly to JFK