At House of Travel Riccarton we are a dedicated team of Travel specialists who love to plan travel arrangements and deliver on our brand promise – the best holidays are created together. Once again House of Travel has won the Best Travel Agency Brand, Retail for 2016, 4th year in a row. We’re all about delivering our customers unique and personalised travel experiences at the best price possible. We like to combine your ideas with our experience and expertise to create you the best holiday possible.

Once again thanks for your enthusiasm to travel and choosing to make your bookings with us. We have extended our opening hours on Thursday’s to 7:00 pm for your convenience.

Moray Johnston has re-joined House of Travel previously from the North Island has now settled in Christchurch. Her goals are aligned with House of Travel – that’s why our clients love her. Moray creates not just a great trip but an experience of a lifetime.

With an extensive background in customer service Moray has developed strong communication skills and works hard to build successful client relationships to ensure high satisfaction levels and repeat clients.

Moray has travelled extensively throughout the world and for the past 6 years was based in the Middle East where she had the most amazing time exploring the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt. She has a special interest in antiquities and especially enjoyed Ephesus, Istanbul, Petra, Jerash, Abu Simbel and of course cruising the Nile with one fabulous temple after another. Her European highlights were exploring some awesome sights, fabulous little B & B’s and some really memorable food and wine highlights in Portugal, Sicily, Slovenia and Croatia. Moray is escorting a small group tour of garden enthusiasts to the Melbourne International Flower Show for 3 nights from 29 March – 01 April 2017 and will include a Lunch & garden tour of Coombs Estate a Chic winery & restaurant in the former home of opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. If you are interested contact Moray on morayj@hot.co.nz

New to House of Travel Riccarton, but not the industry, Ron Montgomery has joined the selling team and brings much enthusiasm, and a thirst for knowledge with insight about what makes a great holiday. This passion to do a good job has earned him the title of House of Travel 2014 Rookie of the Year. Recently returned from India after completing The Great Rickshaw Roadtrip, he looks forward to sharing his experiences. In his own words it was “the best time of my life” Ron has teamed up with Total Holiday Options, a travel company specialising in travel to India and is holding a consumer evening on Thursday 29 Sept, showcasing India as a life changing destination – come along RSVP ronm@hot.co.nz

For the past 2 years we have participated in the NZ Wedding Fair held at Cossars Wineshed. This year the date is Thursday 13 Oct from 4-8 pm ‘Your Big Day Market’ is a collaboration of talented boutique wedding vendors and Anna will be on hand with information on honeymoon destinations and Bridal registrars. Contact Anna for details on annab@hot.co.nz.

Looking for inspiration for your next overseas trip ? we have our annual World Travel Expo on Sunday 16 October and have continued with our ever popular format of inspirational talks on destinations such as Alaska, River Cruising Europe, Coach Touring, South East Asia and lots more plus on the ground suppliers with brochures, travel packages and great airfare deals. Lock this important date in your calendar and call us for a show schedule.

We hope you enjoy reading our Newsletter. Thank you for your business and we look forward being part of your next travel experience

September 2016

Julie, James, Kristen and the team at House of Travel Riccarton

Spring into action.From the team at House of Travel Riccarton.

We invite you to like us on Facebook before 15 December and follow our social posts. We will draw a winner from our new likes and one of you will win a Bottle of Moet in time for Xmas celebrations. www.facebook.com/houseoftravelriccarton

During July school holidays my family and I travelled to Norway to visit friends. Emirates was our choice of airlines and we enjoyed Dubai as a stopover. We arrived in 40+ degree temperatures but spent most of the days relaxing in Madinat Jumeirah Resort’s lagoon pool. The resort is a 5 star themed Arabian Town, beautiful setting, water features and close to the Mall of the Emirates. My family loved Dubai, lots of activities. The city of world records (largest shopping mall and tallest Building) The Burj Khalifa looks stunning and has a musical water and light fountain at its foot.

Oslo’s architecture is stunning and eye catching. From its modern Opera House, and developed waterfront to the cities historical Akershus Fortress, and Grand Palace. Oslo has a compact city centre and short distances to major attractions, makes exploring by bike easy & fun, hiring from 1 of 200 bike racks. Highlights from my trip include, visiting the many fjords on the west coast, the small town of Vikedal is my favourite. Travelling by train from Oslo to Myrdal which is 867 meters above sea level and connects with the Flam Railway, which is one of the steepest trainlines in the world, the 1 hour journey takes you to the town of Flam on the Sogneford through mountains passes, 20 tunnels and breathtaking waterfalls. I can see why National Geographic Traveler Magazine has named the Flam Railway as one of the top 10 train journeys in Europe.

Another city favourite was Bergen, a World Heritage city. The historic centre known as Bryggen features colourful wooden houses on the old wharf, The Fløibanen Funicular goes up Fløyen Mountain for panoramic views on a clear day !

A day visit to Prekestolen is recommended, also known as the Preacher's Pulpit or Pulpit Rock, is a steep and massive cliff is 604 metres above Lysefjord and takes a 3 hour hike to get there… the achievement and stunning views are incredible.

Norway was an incredible country to visit in lots of ways and we felt safe travelling as a family. Like us on House of Riccarton’s facebook page and you can view a collection of photos from my trip

FROM JAMESjgreer@hot.co.nz I 03 341 3902

“Travelling leaves you speechless then turns you into a story teller”

Having recently returned to NZ , home was previously the Middle East - Dubai and Saudi Arabia. This is an area I have come to love, Jordan’s ancient “Rose City” of Petra, the magnificently preserved Roman library of Ephesus, the Hagia Sofia and Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, the gleaming white marble of the grand mosque of Abu Dhabi, the heady heights of the Burj Khalifa, the iconic pyramids and cruising the Nile river with its ancient temples and Valley of the Kings. I have been lucky to have done it all and much more.

Being so close to Europe, meant I could explore more in depth an area I know well, most recently Croatia, walking the city walls of Dubrovnik, exploring the Adriatic coastline and admiring the cascading waterfalls of the 16 lakes in Plitvice.

To the other side of Europe – Portugal, a country steeped in history, driving from the Algarve in the south to Porto and the Duoro Valley in the north on the way discovering some hidden gems, picturesque cobbled villages and some amazing food and wine.

After so much sand and desert, it is now time to enjoy my garden and closer to home the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show next March. Why don’t you join me on my exclusive small group tour to the Garden Show and so much more, I look forward to sharing with you another city that I have enjoyed living and working in.

FROM MORAYmorayj@hot.co.nz I 03 341 3904

“We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us”

Hard to believe another year has rolled around. One of the reasons I love my job is I get to feel like I have travelled to so many countries with my wonderful clients travelling to all 4 corners of the globe.

I did manage to do a long weekend trip to Fiji to celebrate a birthday milestone for my husband.

I'm looking forward to an adventure in Kenya & Tanzania, looking forward to some fantastic game parks staying at some rather nice Safari Lodges, and seeing some wildlife! Then in early December I head away on an family adventure to Thailand. We will be in the Kanchanaburi area known for nature and peace – so called “The garden of Bangkok” and will be travelling down the river Kwai staying on a floating bungalow. Onto Chiang Mai for the Northern Thailand sites before heading to the beach at Krabi for some beach R & R. I look forward to telling you all about my adventures when I see you next!

FROM JULIE juliew@hot.co.nz I 03 341 3901

“The world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only a page”

2015 has been a busy year travelling. I’ve had some incredible opportunities recently to explore many parts of the world. Attending a wedding in Scotland, a side trip to Italy with Globus tours, experiencing Rome, the Cinque Terre, Florence, and Venice. No matter how often you hear how magical Italy is, the experience always surpasses expectations and it sure took my breath away. Next I was off to Singapore and Thailand in April, where I joined a G Adventures tour through the northern parts of the country and one of the many highlights was exploring the famous Golden Triangle area and a home stay, where the people from the local village showed us their way of life, and let us get our hands dirty with it!

Lastly, and the crown jewel of this last year; I travelled by Auto Rickshaw (tuk tuk) for three weeks through India with my best mate. We had too many experiences to list here, but ask me when you are next in!

The list of options and my dreams of travel grows faster than I can possibly keep up with, but my top 5 destinations are, More of India, Peru, Cuba, Western Australia and Route 66!

For me the best part of my job is seeing the passion and excitement people have for their dream holiday, and being able to be a part of it. I know the good travel does for me, and I believe in the good it does for others.

FROM RONronm@hot.co.nz I 03 341 3907

“Travel is the only thing you buy which makes you richer”

This year Shane and I were lucky enough to head to Fiji in March – after the devastating Cyclone Winston whipped through Fiji in February, St Teresa’s School in Riccarton pulled their community together and collected clothes and basic essentials to donate to the local Orphanage – Treasure House Children’s Home, we were incredibly fortunate to be able to take these items with us … six 23kg bags full and drop them off at the Children’s Home. The children and carer’s were thankful, appreciative but what stood out to us the most was that these children were happy and carefree and it was really humbling to be able to witness this first hand. A true testament to the work this orphanage does for these children ! If you are heading over to Fiji, put a couple extra bars of soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes in your suitcase, go and visit the Treasure House Children’s Home, you won’t be disappointed – if you would like more information please let me know!

A few days later we climbed on board the Boutique Fiji Princess and spent 4 days cruising up through the Sacred islands and then up to the Yasawa Islands – we got to Laze in the sun on the stunning Nanuya Lailai Beach, Blue Lagoon Cruises private beach, snorkel in crystal clear water, swim through the Sawa-I-Lau Caves which was pretty special and every night we were able to watch the stunning sunset. A trip to the Yasawa Islands High School was another highlight, again we were humbled to see the happiness the Fijians have for life, even after suffering though the cyclone and its destruction, some classes were being held in classrooms without roofs and yet the laughter and welcome smiles were evident – a trip we promise to do again !!

My next trip is in the school holidays – Zara and I are off to the Gold Coast for a girls week away – Movie world, Outback Spectacular, Australia Zoo are all on the to do list – as well as a few lazy days around the pool !

FROM KRISTENkristent@hot.co.nz I 03 341 3906

“ The most dangerous risk of all – the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later”

My family holiday this year will be to the Gold Coast, always a great destination, close to home, clear days and always warm weather… with kids in tow, a relative short flight… and a wonderland for theme park activities.

Dreamworld is my favourite as it caters for a variety of ages, an array of animals, extreme rides, and theme areas, we ‘ll be visiting Seaworld, Australia Zoo….

I’m visiting Melbourne for some R&R and much needed shopping. I love Melbourne…if you’re a mall shopper then you'll be kept busy in Melbourne Central, Queen Victoria Building (QV) or the GPO. Outside on Bourke Street itself, it's a different story. Here you'll find mainstream shops and Melbourne's biggest department stores, Myers and David Jones, as well as the very popular Zara, or head Swan Street, Bridge Road and Smith Street for the bargain boutique and outlet stores….. what I recommend…. Melbourne Cafe and Coffee Culture Walking Tour … where you will discover Melbourne’s unique café culture that thrives off the beaten track among the city’s iconic laneways and arcades….. Melbourne attracts world class events, highlights are their Broadway style shows, currently running until end of November is ‘Kinky Boats’ and ‘Matilda’, the musical… or join Morays small group tour to the International Flower Show departing 29 March.

FROM LARNAlarnar@hot.co.nz I 03 341 3900

“Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport”

The best holidays are created together1 3 8 R I CCARTO N R D | 0 3 3 41 39 0 0 | R I CCARTO N @ H OT.CO. N Z Follow us on Facebook

My goal for 2015 was to become a Top Seller for Contiki Tours and I did it ! my achievement meant I had earned a place on Contiki’s ‘Rock Around The World’ tour.

This year it was in Japan, I got to experience this awesome country with 35 other travel agents from around the world. We spent most of our time in Tokyo and getting to explore this city was definitely a highlight of the trip – I went to many markets including the Tsukiji fish markets, the traditional parts of the city such as the Sens-ji Temple which is Tokyo’s oldest Temple located in Asakusa, An area where I spent a lot of my time was Takeshita Street which is an open shopping street lined with many clothing shops, cafes and restaurants. The underground train network makes getting around the city so easy – well once you have your head around the place names!

Japan is definitely an exciting and different destination so I look forward to being able to share more tips and tricks with all of you.

I recently spent two awesome weeks in Fiji with family & friends to do much needed relaxing in the warmth. I enjoyed a day trip out to Cloud 9, Fiji’s only two level floating platform with lots of water sports activities, lounge bar & restaurant. Another day was spent hiring a car and travelling to gorgeous Natadola Beach, a great swimmers beach with beautiful white sand.

For 2017 is going to be an exciting year as I get to plan my Honeymoon to Tahiti! French Polynesia is the name of the group of islands which make up this beautiful part of the world, I am looking forward to seeing Bora Bora and Moorea which are two of the more popular islands where you can swim with stingrays and dolphins, relax in your over water bungalow and enjoy a romantic beach dinner! Looks like I’ll get to experience it first hand.

FROM ANNAannab@hot.co.nz I 03 341 3908

“The shared experience of travel can bring people together. Family vacations, a trip with a significant other, or a girls’ weekend will build a lifelong bond.”

Exclusive Melbourne International Flower show

2017 Melbourne Cup Cruise & Fly Package

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Includes:• Return Economy class flights • Return transfers • 3 nights twin share accommodation • Entry to the International Garden Show • Lunch & Garden Tour of Coombs Estate • Fully escorted and services of a representative from House of Travel Riccarton

Once again House of Travel Riccarton have put together a Fly/Cruise package to the 2017 Melbourne Cup, this race day sits at the pinnacle of the Australian racing calendar and is the focal point of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Enjoy 6 nights onboard P&O’s Pacific Explorer. Presently sailing as Dawn Princess will be refurbished and cruise under her new name from June 2017. Pacific Explorer will offer new dining concepts, including The Black Circus, a supper club venue with cabaret-style entertainment and a new pizza restaurant.

29 March – 01 April 201704 November 2017

RON I S RETU RN I NG TO I N DIA AN D E SCORTI NG A S MALL G ROU P I N OCTOBE R 2017E XP R E S S I O N O F I NTE R E S T

S I N G LE S WE LCO M E – AD D $ 275 .

Contact us for

details

Contact us for

details

Join Ron Montgomery from House of Travel Riccarton on an escorted 14 day journey through India, where we will visit the Best Exotic Marigold hotel, made famous by the two movies starring Judy Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy. We will also have the opportunity to experience the Pushkar Camel fair, one of India’s greatest annual attractions, which has been around for hundreds of years.

CONTACT RON FOR INFORMATION & A DETAILED ITINERARY

Glorious Rajasthan and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

HIGHLIGHTS: OLD AND NEW DELHI, AGRA, BHARATPUR, JAIPUR, PUSHKAR, KHEMPUR, UDAIPUR, AHMEDABAD

Fully escorted by House of Travel Riccarton from Christchurch - 14 Days/13 Nights