New season of travel podcasts

Travelradio Australia host Ren Zwiers has returned to the microphone following a month-long break visiting family and friends in the UK. A new series of Travelradio Australia has commenced and the fo9llowing show is now online at travelradioaustralia.com

• John Crook reviews Angalong Wines from Orange (NSW).
• Ren Zwiers advises on how to make the most out of a seven hour lay-over at Changi Airport (Singapore).
• Geoff Harrison visits Mansfield Shire, north of Melbourne (Victoria) and chats with local tourism officer Judy Dixon.
• Frances Beasley provides an overview of Croatia.
• From our US-based sister program Around the World, hosts Arthur von Wiesenberger and Martha Bull chat with author Kim Horton Cavesque about her latest book on travelling to Paris with children.

Travelradio Australia #165

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Amazonian cruise, lunch in Munich and Paris tour in na Citroen 2CV

In the first edition of our Travelradio Australia podcast for 2013, longtime stalwart John Crook presents an Australian wine review. Host Ren Zwiers follows with details of a five-star seven night cruise in the upper-Amazon reaches aboard Seadream II departing early March 2013. European-based contributor Frances Beasley reviews a business lunch at a popular five star hotel in Munich (Germany). Our man in Ireland, David Gordon visits Paris (France) and enjoys a city tour in a classic Citroen 2CV car.

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Montmartre still has a village feel

Montmartre is probably one of the most colourful districts in Paris. It still has that vibrant village feel about it with a myriad of cafés, little shops and interesting locals wandering the streets.

Our base for a two night stay was the very cute and comfortable Hotel des Arts in Rue Tholoze, a typical narrow Montmartre street a five minute walk from the renowned Moulin Rouge, metro stations and the main stop for 'Le Petit Train' which will take you to the Sacre Coeur cathedral high above the Paris skyline. The Hop On, Hop Off tour doubledecker tourbuses also stop just up the road from the Moulin Rouge. The video in this post will explain the story much better than can be put in words, so I hope you enjoy viewing it.

Return from halfway around the world

Posing for a snapshot in front of a Paris landmark.

I’ve covered a lot of kilometres (or nautical miles, in some cases) over the past month visiting some great destinations in Europe. The highlight of the epic journey was an 11-night voyage on the huge Independence of the Seas, until recently the world’s biggest cruise ship boasting a full complement of almost 4000 passengers.

Royal Caribbean International treated us to a return cruise from/to Southampton visiting many Spanish and Portugese ports along the way. Our stops included Vigo, Lisbon, Las Palmas, Tenerife and Funchal and La Coruna.

I have always been very impressed with the quality of service delivered by Royal Caribbean aboard its ships and this cruise did not disappoint. Along with great service, good quality food and reasonably priced drinks, the cruise was a memorable event.

Not surprisingly, most of the passengers were British. I’m pleased to say, overall the term of endearment ‘whinging poms’ we often lavish upon Britons here in Australia did not apply. Sure there were a few obnoxious passengers onboard, but their nationality was not identified, they could have been Aussies for all I know!

All jokes aside, it was a very pleasant cruise and we will definitely return for more before we get much older. Thank you Royal Caribbean for providing us with a great time.

Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas moored at Funchal, Madeira.

Praise should also go to Etihad Airways for getting us everywhere on time and safely, although that last leg from Abu Dhabi to Sydney in Economy Class was a task I’m not keen to repeat in a hurry. 

However, if you live in Australia and want to visit Europe, there is no choice but to endure about 25 hours upwards of laborious travel.

And now I’m back at my desk – almost ready to record another podcast in the Travel Radio Australia series. Keep an ear and an eye out for the next show! 

Luckily on the outward route from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow we paid a small fee to upgrade to vacant Business Class seats which also included entry to the Etihad lounge in AD…well worth the money! Unfortunately the finances did not permit another upgrade on the return leg, even though they phoned several times to offer the opportunity to upgrade.

-Ren Zwiers

It's travelling time!

The regular Travel Radio Australia podcasts will take a break for a few weeks as I'll be hitting the 'road' (well, actually 'the air', 'the road', 'the train' and 'the ship').

I'll be visiting 'exotic' destinations like Luton and Southampton in the UK, Amsterdam (Netherlands), Paris (yep, the one in France) followed by an 11-night cruise on Royal Caribbean's mighty Independence of the Seas to ports in Spain, Portugal and almost near Africa - the Canaries.

No doubt this trip will provide me with plenty of fodder for both my youtube travel video channel and Travelradio Australia podcast upon my return.

Meanwhile, I'll enjoy some time away from my computer! We'll renew acquaintance late next month!

Main destination: Europe!

There's a definite European flavour to this week's travel podcast. David Gordon takes listeners to London, England. Frances Beasley  enjoys the beach at Lyme Regis (UK) and Kathy Borrus visits Paris, France. Just to break the monotony, our own Aussie-based contributor John Crook sends an audio postcard from the Barossa Valley, South Australia's predominant wine production region with a strong German heritage.
Listen to the show on the player below.

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'Bern' there, done that! Visit Switzerland

Euro correspondent Frances Beasley visits Bern, Switzerland in this week's ATW Travelradio Australia podcast. Also on the show, Aussie contributor John Crook is in Hobart, Tasmania and interviews Greg Illingworth, the GM of the historic Hotel Collins. From the US studio, Martha Bull chats with guest reporter Kathy Borrus about Paris, France.
Podcast link - click here

PODCAST: Around the World #06-09

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CRN (Australia) broadcast date: Wednesday, 11 February

Program details:

• John Crook has a wine and dine report on the Victorian town of Talbot.
• US co-hosts Arthur von Wiesenberger and Richard Mineards highlight the ski resort town of Park City, Utah.
• Euro-based correspondent Frances Beasley spotlights Paris in Springtime.
• Back in Victoria, Australia, John Crook interviews Ken Fothergill at Carmen’s Tunnel, Maldon.