Europe Floriade Tour

The European garden tour of 2012 consisted of 4 parts. The first week we joined our guide in Amsterdam,  Truus, and spent a week exploring gardens and the culture of the Dutch. Keukenhof gardens were a real highlight in full tulip season – perhaps the best bulb show garden in the world. We visited the once a decade Floriade on an incredibly cold and misty day and it provided much interest and enjoyment amongst the showers of icy rain. Next a week long Romantic Rhine River cruise through the castle gorge was an experience not to forget. Beautiful towns, scenery and food.  We then arrived in Switzerland and were again met by Truus for a great 8 days – Swiss Alps on the Jungfrau railway up to the highest railway station in Europe on a stunning blue sky day, Chateaux gardens in the Loire Valley before 4 nights in Paris. Gardens included Villandry, Monet’s garden, Versailles, Chambord and the parks and monuments of Paris. We finished this section of the tour with an afternoon cruise on the river Seine and a superb dinner in the Eiffel tower all accompanied by a spectacular electrical storm! A group of 24 from the original 35 then ventured on to London to for 4 nights to visit the Chelsea Flower Show and numerous other sights. Chelsea was again spectacular. Thanks to all who came along for making the tour truly memorable and great fun.

South America

The 2012 South American Tour visited 5 countries – Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. The main part of the tour visited many of the well-known South American attractions including Santiago, Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Iguacu Falls, Sacred Valley of the Incas including Lake Titicaca and Machu Pichu. The tour was memorable for these attractions as well as some spectacular national parks and gardens including  the gardens of Roberto Burle Marx, Japanese gardens in Buenos Aires, Rio Botanical gardens and the rather dilapidated but interesting  gardens of Valparaiso.  The tour group was comprised of 22 travellers who enjoyed the hospitability of no fewer than 7 different guides (one for each new location).  After the main tour concluded 8 people travelled back to Australia and 14 carried on for an optional extension into Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. This part of the tour was also a great success with the wildlife and natural beauty of both Ecuador and the Galapagos truly unforgettable. The standard of our tour guides, accommodation and meals made the tour a pleasure for all with all arrangements working beautifully. Well nearly. The flight home for the second group had several delays meaning we had a bonus night in Ecuador and another in Chile eventually arriving home some 40 hours after schedule!