Pretty in pictures

Cruise control: New Zealand cruise travel consultants have picked up top honours at the International Cruise Council Australasia’s 2009 annual awards event held in Sydney on January 23. Fourteen awards were presented at the gala night with New Zealanders taking home six in recognition of their contribution to the region’s growing cruise market. House of Travel, Howick picked up the award for Gold Cruise Agency of the Year. Pictured (l to r) for the Gold Cruise Agency award are: Channel 9 Today presenter Steve Jacobs with Alison Kearney, House of Travel Howick and Cruise Passenger Magazine's Fergus Stoddart.

Whack from the Track: Etihad Airways, a diamond sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, hosted European Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia at its inaugural Whack from the Track golf challenge at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit. Sergio was invited to drive a golf ball along the longest straight of the Yas Marina Circuit, attempting to beat the Asian long drive record of 721 yards set by Sweden’s Henrik Stenson in 2007. Sergio was unsuccessful in beating Henrik’s record, but still drove a massive 675 yards.

Garuda goodness: Garuda Indonesia and Garuda Orient Holidays took a group of New Zealand agents to Indonesia to check out the best of Bali and Java.  GA escort Elodie Hazera said highlights included lots of hotel and resort options, friendly people, cheap massages, great factory shopping at Bandung and artworks from Ubud, activities like white water rafting and Bali Safari Park.  The group was also impressed with GA’s new A330 on the direct flight JKT to SYD.   Pictured is the famil group. Top (l to r):  Sandi, Flightworld United Tauranga; Alyson, Harvey World Travel Papakura; Megan, Travel Trenz Rotorua; Marie, United Cambridge; guide Natha; Judith, Mondo Travel Motueka; and GA escort Elodie Hazera. And bottom (l to r): Ririn Low, Ubud Village Resort and Spa director sales and marketing; Haiyanto, Ubud Village Resort and Spa sales executive; Andrew, House of Travel Whangarei; and Vicky from House of Travel Merivale.

Doing good deeds: Two Flight Centre consultants decided to help out with the Red Cross relief efforts in Samoa. Claudette Howearth, St Lukes Flight Centre team leader and Teryl Tukuitonga, Westgate Flight Centre assistant team leader, raised $1500 tala and took four suitcases, four bags and one large box (93kg in total) to Samoa for the Red Cross. They booked their own flights, travelled in one day and used their own annual leave. Pictured (l to r) are: Cisco Fido, Red Cross volunteer; Claudette Howearth; Teryl Tukuitonga; Viona Tuta'ia and Tala Mauala, the Red Cross secretary general in Samoa.

Tahiti on film: Tahiti Tourisme hosted more than 50 wholesale travel agents along with representatives of Air Tahiti Nui at a sneak preview of the Couples Retreat movie – which features the scenery of Bora Bora and the St Regis Bora Bora Resort. Pictured at the screening at Berkley Cinema are: Top: House of Travel staff with Jane Merwood from Tahiti Tourisme (fifth from right) and bottom: Lifestyle Travel and GO Holidays staff with Toriki Manjard from Tahiti Tourisme (centre).

World Cup fever: Emirates NZ manager Chris Lethbridge (centre) with members of the 1982 All Whites team Keith Mackay (left) and Duncan Cole (right) launching Emirates’ 2010 FIFA World Cup travel packages. As an official tour operator for the event, Emirates is offering travel packages that will include flights, accommodation, ground transportation and match tickets. New Zealand plays Bahrain for a qualifying spot over two matches on October 10 and November 14.

VIP winners: The VIP team, Alana Eli, Jacquie Carson and Laura Wadsworth, did a wholesale training evening which sparked some competition between wholesale shorthaul reservations teams. The evening featured product updates followed by team participation with questions, a wild card round and a quiz to see who the most knowledgeable VIP wholesale team was. Mel at Infinity won the ‘dance off’ and House of Travel came out on top as overall winners to retain the VIP wholesale trophy. Pictured here is the VIP most knowledgeable wholesaler team – House of Travel.

A stay in the South: The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) and Air New Zealand recently hosted eight travel agents on a seven-day famil of South Australia. The famil focused on Adelaide and the state’s food and wine regions, with day trips to the Barossa and Adelaide Hills. The group also enjoyed an extended stay on the Murray River. Pictured is the group enjoying a meal on the Unforgettable Houseboat. (L to r): Angela Bertram, Richard Johnson, Joellene Guttenbeil (all from Go Holidays), Jody Manning (House of Travel Christchurch), Julia Broadley-Ryan, Adrienne Bell (from Sales Development Services), Joanne King (Flight Centre Auckland) and Teresa Steegstra (House of Travel Rotorua).

Tahiti treat: Agents flew with Air Tahiti Nui and spent four days in Tahiti, visiting every hotel on Tahiti and Moorea, experiencing a dolphin encounter, ray feeding and shark watching, a Motu Picnic and sunbathing by the pool. Pictured: Front row left to right: Jo Matthews (Flight Centre Parnell), Fauzia Janif (GO Holidays), Jessica Lea (HOT Product), Sarah Lee (HWT), Caryda Garcia (Flight Centre Featherston St), Stacey Nancarrow (United Travel) Back row right to left: Jo Clarkson (Flight Centre Whangarei), Ruth Warren (Flight Centre Sylvia Park), Toriki Manjard (Tahiti Tourisme), Kate McGlynn (HOT Product), Roslyn Johnson (Adventure World)

Postcard from Bhutan: World Journeys took a group of travel agents with Singapore Airlines to Bhutan, South East Asia recently – where they discovered alpine villages, ancient monasteries, hot chilies and charming people.  “Bhutan is really such a special place; it’s like stepping back in time to a place where tradition and culture are treasured and fiercely protected,” said World Journeys director Kate Gohar.     The Punakha Dzong Group pictured left to right are: Don Menzies (Travelcom Greerton); Kerry Graham (Travel Directions AKL); Lynne Hardie (Adventure Travel CHC); Karen Bowring (Globe Travel AKL); Rachel Thompson (Travel Managers Broker); Kate Gohar (World Journeys) and Ali Izard (United Travel Glen Innes).

Music to the ears: A Kiwi group of wholesalers and agents attended Melbourne’s Jersey Boys premiere at the Princess Theatre last weekend, courtesy of Tourism Victoria and Qantas.   Posing for the camera on the red carpet are: Tamsyn Alley, Flight Centre; Jodie Burnard, Stella Travel; June Thomas, Travelplan; Kim Pearce, Travelsmart; Wayne Deed, Go Holidays; Sharon Martin, Lifestyle Holidays; and Michele Murphy, Bon Voyage Travel.

Luck of the Irish: Tourism Ireland joined their partners Enterprise Ireland in promoting all things Irish at the recent Fieldays at Mystery Creek in Hamilton. There were lots of visitors to the Irish site to talk of Ireland, ancestry, planned trips and also the opportunity to win a case of Bushmills whiskey. They also scooped the Merit Jubilee Award for most contribution to Fieldays by an international company. Pictured (L to R) Mary Galway of Tourism Ireland, Maggie Hunt of Enterprise Ireland, Eimear Murphy of Enterprise Ireland Australia, and Maria Maguire of Enterprise Ireland Australia.

Romantic Fiji: Tourism Fiji recently invited 12 of the country’s top wedding specialists to sample the destination and see for themselves first hand why so many Kiwis get married in Fiji. Pictured are: (back row l to r) Rachel Rhind – House of Travel Wellington, Kelly Tawhai – Go Holidays, Sabine Schulte – ANZ Nature Tours Wellington, Amanda Hiroti – Harvey World Travel Wanganui, Ragigia Dawai – Tourism Fiji, Maria Nowak – Green Lite Travel Auckland; (middle row) Jennie Burt – Air Pacific, Lorna Ly Tang – House of Travel Auckland, Melanie Salisbury – Frontier Travel Tauranga, Jill Ryan – Mondo Travel Takapuna, Pamela Hardley – Travel Managers Auckland, Priscilla Fairbrass – House of Travel Masterton, Jeryl Bromley – Waiheke World Travel; (front row) and Olivia Bolatagici – Tourism Fiji.

New Caledonia scholarship: New Caledonia Tourism has picked Anthony Read of the Crown Institute as its 2009 scholarship winner. Read is studying Travel and Tourism at the Crown Institute and will undertake work experience at the New Caledonia Tourism office until the end of the year as well as receiving $1000 at the completion of his studies to go towards course costs.

Fiji-bound Flightie: Flight Centre Westgate consultant Brenda White booked her way to a Fiji holiday. She is pictured receiving her prize from Tourism Fiji’s Ragigia Dawai and Esava Nadalo. White made the most Fiji bookings in the Nov 08-Mar 09 period following a famil.

Meeting the boys: Kiwi trade and agents got a sneak peak at Jersey Boys before it opens in Melbourne on July 4. Pictured alongside the Jersey Boys are Loren Taylor of Loren Taylor Events Creative and Trish Panapa of Premier Events.

Speed racer: Olympian Barbara Kendall was in a spin after taking a ride on the world’s most exciting jet boat ride – Shotover Jet. She is pictured with her Dancing with the Stars partner Jonny Williams

Speed racer: Sitting back and enjoying the ride was a breeze for the three-time medalist boardsailer, while for Jonny it was a highlight of his first visit to the South Island

Fiji famil: Tourism Fiji Matai agents took part in the Denarau Dash in Fiji last week. The Dash was designed to showcase individual hotels and resorts and was based on Amazing Race . Back: Nicholas Lorentz, Flight Centre; Isobel Clair, HOT; Esava Nadalo; Michelle Clark HWT; Michelle Green, Galaxy United Travel; Gina Salt, North Shore Business Travel and Janice Ferens, Travel Smart. Front: Ruzann Keresoma,  Stella Travel and Haylee Bolton HOT.

Flight night: Sam and Pat from Accountability Net Limited are pictured with the captain at the Flight Centre Business Travel launch

British Bash: Judy Watkins and Tourism Ireland's Mary Galway

EK A380: Ek's Andy Bruce in Business Class