B o n - e - V o y a g e u r
The Voyagers Travel Club Online Newsletter
From the President's Desk
by Marie Burns
Hello and welcome to the March issue of The Bonnie. This month we have several excellent articles and fun features about the South Pacific for you to enjoy! As you may know, on March 23, a course entitled South Pacific Destination Specialist begins in the CENTRAM Program. This short-term class meets on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 - 9:50 pm. Destination courses are always a lot of fun, and this one has inspired a whole day of fun! The Voyagers Club has planned a spectacular Polynesian lunch show for its members, to take place in March. Please see Janet Robertson's article, Bringing The Islands To You! for more information.
We have many other exciting activities to offer this semester. We hope to participate in another hotel inspection in May, and will hold our famous Basket Raffle in April! Announcements will be made in your classes regarding these events, so stay tuned!
Don't miss the Word Jumble in this issue for a chance to win a $10.00 Barnes & Noble gift card. You may also wish to try your hand at the Amateur Author's Corner. If your entry is selected as the winning entry, you will receive a $20.00 Barnes & Noble gift card! See details in this issue and on flyers being distributed in your classes.
The first general meeting of the Voyagers Club had a great response. Many of you attended the meeting and joined the club. Thank you! If you still wish to join the club, please contact any officer, or email voyagers@losmedanos.edu. I have been very fortunate to get to know almost all of you, and I am so excited to have such an enthusiastic, engaging, and friendly group of people in the club. You make it a pleasure to be your President. Thank you.
Special Thanks to Molly Padilla, President, honeymoon heaven travel.
She is the guest speaker at the Voyagers Club General Meeting on March 8, 2004.
Thank You Molly!
Join the Voyagers Club on March 27th, 2004 for a Polynesian luncheon and floor show at Tiki Tom's in Walnut Creek located at 1536 Olympic Boulevard. Plan on arriving around 12.30 p.m. allowing yourself time to unwind and mingle. Tiki Tom's offers a wide selection of refreshments from the bar, so we'll leave that up to you! Lunch will be served at 1.00 p.m., so be prepared to have your taste buds tantalized with a delightful choice of tropical delights. You will be entertained throughout the afternoon by the World Champions A Touch of Polynesia with an array of music and dances from Tahiti, New Zealand and Hawaii, with their narrator educating you as they go. The show will end around 4.00 p.m. The cost for the total event is $28.00 for Voyagers members and $30.00 for non-members. Reservations and payment are due by March 15, 2004. Please mail your payment to Kiran Kamath at Los Medanos College.
Tickets to the event are going fast so don't delay in signing up. Please feel free to contact the Voyagers Club at voyagers@losmedanos.edu for ticket information. If you are not already a Voyagers member and wish to join, please also contact us at the above email address for a membership form. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Luncheon Menu:
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French
Polynesia
Finding
Tahiti's Hidden Paradise Islands
Huahine,
Raiatea, Taha'a, and The Tuamotu Atolls
By Jonathan Reap, Tahiti Tourisme
Seemingly
lost behind the legendary shadows of sister islands Tahiti, Bora Bora
and Moorea are the Hidden Paradise islands of Tahiti. Relatively unchanged
by the modern world and long considered as some of French Polynesia's
best kept secrets, these islands lure travelers for their authentic
Polynesian appeal, enhanced by world-class resorts, international cuisine
and pure uncrowded beaches.
Huahine, nicknamed the Garden of Eden, is located northwest of Tahiti and is just a short plane ride away. It is actually two islands, joined by a narrow isthmus and encircled by a barrier reef. The magic of Huahine is felt instantly upon arrival. A 20-mile road winds through the island, passing through small villages and climbing high into the hills to offer spectacular views of the white sand beaches and brilliant turquoise lagoons. Restored Tahitian maraes (temples) and centuries-old stone fish traps tell the story of an ancient culture. International surfing champions seek the massive waves at Avamoa Pass, and the world's largest outrigger canoe race, the Hawaiki Nui Va'a, begins here each October.
Raiatea,
called The Sacred Island, is commonly considered the most revered island
in all the South Pacific. Legend tells of Raiatea's first king, Hiro,
who built a great canoe used to reach other Polynesian islands. Historically,
kings from the neighboring islands would gather at the marae Taputapuatea
for important ceremonies and negotiations. Re-enactments of these ceremonies
on the restored maraes help visitors discover the Tahitian culture.
Raiatea has the only navigable river in the islands, and popular excursions
include exploring the cool, green haven of the Faaroa River in an outrigger
speed canoe. Yachting and sailing enthusiasts gather in Raiatea, home
of the island's nautical bases for the Moorings and Stardust Marine
charter companies. The Pacific breezes and calm lagoons are ideal year-round
for sailing and deep-sea fishing. On the slopes of Mt. Temehani visitors
can discover the Tiare Apetahi, a rare flower that is found only on
this mountain on Raiatea.
Taha'a, just two miles north of Raiatea is called The Vanilla Island, for the many plantations of this sought-after spice, which sweetens the air with its rich aroma. With its lush, green interior, surrounded by a stunningly beautiful blue lagoon and islets with white sand beaches and swaying palms, Taha'a captures the idea of a truly hidden paradise. Each November, this island comes alive with a Stone Fishing tournament. In the method of their ancestors, the villagers wade into the lagoon, beating the water with stones tied to ropes. The frenzy frightens the schools of fish, driving them ashore, where they are easily collected for a feast.
The Tuamotus
(Tahiti's Strand of Pearls), the largest of the Polynesian archipelago's,
are located northeast of Tahiti. Four of these islands Rangiroa, Manihi,
Tikehau, Fakarava offer a host of exciting activities. Rangiroa, a
one-hour flight from Tahiti is the world's second largest atoll. From
the air it appears that a large pearl necklace was gently placed on
the water. Known as The Island of the Long Sky, this ring of low land
creates a seemingly endless lagoon of deep turquoise and lapis blue.
The visibility in the lagoon is over 150 feet and a constant 80 degrees.
The famous Tiputa Pass, which provides an opening to the ocean, is
rich with sea life. It's known as one of the world's greatest shark
dives, and those who shoot the pass, find themselves in the deep blue
with literally hundreds of gray, black-tip, white-tip, lemon and nurse
sharks. Non-divers can try some world-class snorkeling and see schools
of dolphins that gather in the pass. For the true adventurer, a two-hour
boat ride across the lagoon leads to the Kia Ora Sauvage, a luxurious
way to rough it. There's no electricity at this remote property, but
it offers spectacular scenery and complete solitude. Manihi, is a small
atoll called The Black Pearl Paradise, and was the site of the first
pearl farm. The black-lipped oysters, found only in Tahiti and Her
Islands, are cultivated for their prized black pearls. Visitors can
enjoy the plentiful lagoon activities while exploring the many black
pearl farms for which the island is known. Located about 10 miles from
Rangiroa is the secluded island of Tikehau. This oval-shaped atoll
is an important supplier of fresh fish and copra for the island of
Tahiti. Tikehau boasts exotic pink sand beaches and an abundance of
sea life that makes it a must for visiting scuba divers. In Tuheiava
pass, diving enthusiasts can closely observe manta rays, barracuda,
tuna, sea turtles, and gray and white-tipped sharks. This diverse island
is also home to a number of bird colonies that have sought refuge on
the aptly named Isle of Birds. This protected motu is well-known for
its red-footed gannets and brown noddies.
10 Things you should know about Tahiti and her Islands
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Want to learn more about Tahiti and her Islands?
Tahiti Tourisme North America offers many different ways to help travel consultants sell the destination.
You can choose from -
Online Learning - Tahiti Tourisme has partnered with The Travel Institute to offer an e-learning on-line course that educates travel professionals and provides valuable sales tools via the Internet
Tahiti Toursime has recently launched their own on-line Tahiti e-Learning workshop by which travel professionals will also be able to access an educational course on the destination and upon completion qualify to enroll in the Tahiti Tiare Agent Specialist Program. Designed to compliment Tahiti Tourisme's Workshops, and the TTI E-Learning Tahiti Course, the program offers one more alternative and an excellent opportunity for travel consultantsw to obtain the knowledge and tools necessary to sell Tahiti and Her Islands successfully. For details please visit www.tiareagents.tahiti-tourisme.com
Tiare Agent - Travel consultants who want to specialize in selling Tahiti can become official Tiare Agents by completing a comprehensive certification program. Upon completion of the program, agents receive special benefits including leads from the official Tahiti Tourisme Web site!
The exotic animals, natural wonders and shrimp on the Barbie. Now we all have heard a little about the mysterious land down under. The foremost tourist attractions such as the Sydney Opera House, the great performing arts centers of the world and an architectural masterpiece. Uluru, the strange and beautiful fire red rock that rises 348m above the desert floor and measures 9.4km around its girth - the equivalent of a three to four hour walk! This gigantic natural icon is the largest and most famous monolith in the world. Although there are many other amazing attractions in Australia there are virtually unknown to many Westerns who know very little about this vast and exciting destination. Come take a tour of the different discoveries of the land that awaits you in the upside down; down under world.
Kangaroo Island, near the tip of South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, is Australia's third largest island. While you're visiting make sure to check out the wildlife consisting of sea lions, penguins, dolphins, koalas and kangaroos that live in a natural environment. Kangaroo Island has a wild, untouched beauty that has been preserved from over development and excessive tourism. Original plant life remain abundant, cliffs and beaches are untarnished, and many roads are deliberately left unsealed.
Thousands
of huge limestone pillars rising from the shifting yellow sands make
a day trip to the Pinnacles well worth the effort. These strange formations
- some jagged, rising to a point; others more symmetrical - are in the
Red Desert area of Nambung National Park.
Diving the coral depths of The Great Barrier Reef is a scuba diver's paradise.
Queensland's warm subtropical climate is perfect for year-round diving and
the water is clearer than crystal. Introductory dives and lessons are readily
available along the length of the reef. The Great Barrier Reef extends over
2,500 kilometers from Cape York in the north and Bundaberg in the south. It
has the most diverse animal and plant ecosystems on earth.