Brisbane Stop Over 26th June 2010

On our recent cruise to the Whitsunday Islands we needed to fly into Brisbane to board our cruise ship. On the to-Brisbane flight we opted to go straight to the wharf and board the ship as the timing was convenient. After the cruise we opted to stay over for a night in Brisbane City as we had not been there for some years and in fact had never stayed in the city before.

I booked the Medina Apartments on the Internet (Expedia.com) before leaving home & was able to get a good deal for an overnight (Saturday) stay. For a small extra amount we were able to book a one bedroom apartment that had all the comforts of home which included a full kitchen, Laundry including automatic washing machine and dryer as well as a big bathroom & lounge area. That suited us nicely as we could take all our clothes home clean which is always a bonus.

I would recommend the Medina Apartments as a very convenient & comfortable place to stay. The Restaurant/breakfast area was conveniently placed in the hotel foyer but the waterfront restaurants were a comfortable walking distance as was the city area. The swimming pool area has a great view of the city and the Story bridge is just a short walk from the apartments.

I wished that we had taken an extra day as there is quite a bit of Brisbane to see. As we only had one day we opted for a hop on/ hop off bus ride around the city which gave us a good overview. We had lunch on the waterfront & had a walk through the city area & over the Story Bridge. That evening we dined at the Medina's Restaurant which was very convenient.

If I have the need to stay in Brisbane again I would choose the Medina Apartments for the comfort & convenience.

Kelvin Heights Golf Course Queenstown NZ

Kelvin Heights course at Queenstown NZ is a "must do" for keen golfers. The Course is visable across the water from Queenstown & has the most fantastic views around the course.

Some of the holes are quite difficult but compared with Jack's Point it is quite a friendly course although it is hard to concentrate on golf with such beauty surrounding the course.

We were lucky and got some lovely weather so we all had a very enjoyable day. We played this course as part of our "Go Golfing" Tour of Queenstown in Feb/March 2009 and it is a course that I would recommend that you do not miss.

Jack's Point Golf Resort, Queenstown NZ

Jack's Point Golf Resort at Queenstown NZ was one of our favourites of the NZ tour. It is a links course nestled at the base of the mountains and has wonderful views across the water to Queenstown. This course has on recently been open to the public and is still work in progress in many places.

We loved this course. It was very challenging, with long grassed areas off the fairways that were deadly. Once the ball dissapeared into the grass it was rarely seen again. The views over the water were spectacular.

We played this course twice and would have no hesitation in playing it again. The grounds were still in 'development' stage where more areas were opening up. Once finished this will be one of the top courses over there. It was quite cold early in the morning before the sun rose over the mountains, after that we were lucky enough to have a glorious day.

The clubhouse was also at early development stage - so I would love to go back in a couple of years to see the finished result. I will be sure to take plenty of golf balls as it is so easy to loose a ball in the long grass.

Queenstown NZ - Gondola and Luge Ride - March 2009

Queenstown NZ is such a happening place. The Gondola and Luge ride are a "Must Do". Just the views make it worthwhile & the rides are a lot of fun. At the top there is a nice restaurant with stunning views over Queenstown.

We had our farewell tour dinner there on our last tour day in Queenstown. Try & pick a nice weather day when you go up & you will feel as if you can see forever at the top on a cloudless day.

We could see Kelvin Heights Golf Course accross the water & Jack's Point Golf Course was further out snuggled up against the mountains.