Brilliant Brittany

A Week in Brittany

"Leaning out the window of our accommodations on the rural outskirts of Bordeaux we're assailed by two things: a cat which wants to come in and share our comfort, and the scent of the garden. First to hit me is the strong perfume of lavender; it is everywhere. There was a mist or a bit of rain last night and the dewy drops have settled on the willowy plants and their purple flowers growing in the garden outside and are squeezing the aroma from the leaves.

Picking up the acquiescent cat to slowly wander around the acre or so that makes up the gardens of our abode, there's another scent; the "lawn" or grass meadow is scattered with mint and as we walk it assails our nostrils with the most marvellous scent. Stopping to take it all in there's yet more to tease the senses: the herby aroma of bay laurel mingles with the spice of sage growing wild; a huge fig has dropped over-ripe, purple fruits in profusion onto the ground where they've splattered and the rich heady perfume has joined the cacophony of scent. The air itself seems to celebrate the bounty, and as I type the thyme convinces us that it's time to explore a little more. There is so much more to discover in this verdant countryside".

Australian journalist Jackie Gill and photographer friend Debra Mitchell, along with a group of Aussie friends, found much to love during their recent visit to France.

Part of their five week stay included a portion organised by a Frenchwoman, Pascale Gerson, who lives in Australia and has a passion for introducing her home country to visitors through her popular "Visit My French Village" tourism venture.

The Aussie contingent enjoyed a stay in a property on the outskirts of Bordeaux – which prompted the opening paragraph of this story – and then a week in Brittany. The wonderfully rustic accommodations were once the oxen stables of a large 13th century chateaux which still looms on the landscape behind the chestnut trees.

The accommodations are a short wander to the town of La Chapelle-Caro; and a only a few more steps in other directions to other, equally delightful little towns. Most of the pathways wind through woodlands, or along the side of century-old canals. A half hour walk takes the thirsty visitor to another of the tiny enchanting French villages, with a pub which looks over the canal. It's very easy to settle in and enjoy a vin rouge in the afternoon sunlight.

"Every distant vista has a steeple. From every road there is a horizon cut by green forest and field, and brown paddocks ploughed and ready for planting and, everywhere the evidence of people. Houses – small and large and sometimes enormous – dot the countryside and everywhere there are villages; towns that are home to sometimes a handful of houses and sometimes thousands.

Throughout the country identical houses jam the road sides, dressed in shades of cream and light yellow with high sloping v-shaped roofs of slate. It's hard to go five kilometres without passing through another enclave; many appear to be un-named and unknown as towns to anyone but those who reside there. We have learnt how to tell the difference. True villages are defined by the churches around which all are built. And what churches they are. With Roman, Gothic and Medieval roots they soar above the centre of the town with arched windows and high oak doors. Located in the centre of each village, usually near the town square, and almost always, we have noticed, with a cat, their bell towers pierce the sky, and stone or slate, the steeples make their mark on the horizons of the French countryside."

From the accommodation the visitors ranged across Brittany; exploring ancient megaliths and standing stones; oyster beds at the wide, clean beach; staring awe-struck at Mont St Michel in the afternoon light; wandering through a forest called Broceliande where Merlin the Magician is said to have died.

Pascale's promise is that visitors to her "French Village" will get a taste of the real France. That was certainly the case. With its crepes and apple and its cider and corn fields; its window boxes full of geraniums it was a glorious experience. "Visit My French Village" organised the accommodations, pick-ups and drop-offs and all the little extras that ensure a brilliant, hassle free experience for the visitor.

http://www.visitmyfrenchvillage.com.au/


Journalist Jackie Gill writes a blog called The Blue Hats (www.thebluehats.holiday or FB The BlueHats).

Images: as supplied.

Feature supplied by: www.wtfmedia.com.au

Images

1 Walking along the canal at Le Roc-St-Andre

2 Small village of Montertelot

3 Montertelot drinking with the locals

4 Josselin medieval town

5 Café in a small village in Brittany

6 Local market in Malestroit

STRUTH! Americans have their love of ice cream licked

WE'VE  recently got to wondering: will Australians ever put the third Sunday of July into their diaries – like in America, where the day's been celebrated as National Ice Cream Day for over 30 years.

And it was by presidential decree, in 1984 ice-cream lovin' President Ronald Reagan proclaiming July as National Ice Cream month, and it's third Sunday as National Ice Cream Day.

Yet bizarrely, despite their size and their presidential decree Americans are not the world's biggest consumers per capita of ice cream… would you believe that title goers to tiny New Zealand where the locals lick up 28.4 litres per person of the stuff annually… with the Americans in second place at 20.8 litres per person, and Aussies third at 18 litres per head.

Which should be good enough reason for us all to put the third Sunday of July into our diaries for our own personal Ice Cream Day if industry or government won't do anything about it to make it official.

And incidentally, as far back as 340BC Alexander the Great's chefs mixed him snow, ice, honey and nectar as a summer cooler, Marco Polo in the late 13th century took home to Italy a Chinese recipe similar to what we now know as sherbert and which eventually evolved into Italian ice-cream, while in England "cream ice" was served to Charles I in the 17th century.

America's first ice-cream was recorded in 1744 in a letter written by Maryland Governor, William Bladen, while accounts show George Washington spent a whopping $200 on ice-cream during the steamy summer of 1790, strawberry-infused ice-cream was served in The White House in 1813… and the first commercial ice-creams hit America's streets in the mid-1800s.

ICE CREAM in every imaginable colour and flavour… the Americans have got it licked. (WikiMedia)

Sailing the Orient with ms Volendam

#hollandamerica

Cherry Blossoms brighten the ordinary weather as features editor John Newton sails from China to Korea and Japan.

As perfect days go, the masses of springtime cherry blossoms in Japan that have become a national obsession – and a major international tourism drawcard – were putting on a blooming jaw-dropping show.

For the 1400 passengers aboard our cruise ship – ms Volendam – it was a splendid and welcome sight, first to see blue skies, and then catch their first glimpse of the delicate, majestic pale pink blooms after days of peering out at sea blanketed by fog.

It seemed fitting that the Nagasaki Peace Park should be such a serene place of beauty and colour after what happened to the city on 9 August 1945 when an atomic bomb exploded, killing 73,884, injuring 74,909 and leaving 120,820 homeless.

Nagasaki was the first Japanese port of call on Volendam's 14-day cruise from Hong Kong to Yokohama, the port city of Tokyo – a distance of 3153 nautical miles.

Located in the park at the epicentre of the bomb blast, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum – opened in 1996 - captures life in the city before that fateful day 72 years ago, together with artefacts of the devastation caused by the bomb called 'Fatman'. These include a wall clock which 'froze' at 11.02am – the moment Nagasaki was destroyed. The clock was found in a house near Shinto in Sakamoto Machi, about 800 metres from the hypocentre.

Nagasaki's Omura Park is also filled with 300 blossoming cherry trees in spring and is recognised as one of 'Japan's top 100 cherry blossom spots'.

Not known for prolific cherry blossom displays, Kagoshima – the second cruise stopover in Japan - is a hot spring haven with the second largest number of hot springs in Japan. The city spreads along Kinko Bay and boasts one of the most unusual vistas in the world, with Sakura-jima - an active volcano – rising from the waters, just a few kilometres away.

Millions of people across Japan hold hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties underneath the trees in local parks during the short blooming season (late March-mid-April) of the cherry blossoms, or sakura in Japanese.   In Tokyo, Kawaguchiko at the foot of Mt. Fuji and Arakura Sengen Shrine, are reputed to be among the city's best spots to enjoy sakura.

Japan was like a breath of fresh air after days at sea and disappointing visits to Shanghai and Seoul, although the Great Wall in Beijing more than made up for a couple of pricey excursions. These included a high-speed bullet train (Chinese version) ride from Shanghai to Hangzhou and the city's West Cape Cultural Landscape, a World Cultural Heritage site.

After a long, tedious immigration process off the ship, the train from Shanghai's Hongqiao railway station – Asia's biggest, covering 1.3 million square metres –  lived up to expectations and soon hit nearly 300 kilometres an hour, arriving on time in Hangzhou in just over an hour.

It was after the rush of adrenalin on the train that the tour started to turn sour. First, the set lunch at a so-called four-star hotel was enough to put people off Chinese food forever, while the staff were rude with a 'couldn't care less' attitude. Glad to be out of there, we headed to Hangzhou's West Lake, which spreads over nearly 60- square kilometres. It has more than 100 places of interest, but our fleeting visit took in only a short, uninteresting cruise and a ramble along the scenic shoreline. Back in Shanghai, the mind-boggling city is where we should have stayed in the first place to sample at least a couple of the city's 20,000 restaurants.

Seoul, a soulless city, was yet another disappointment, although the pretty young ladies in national costume at the Gyeongbok Palace and Folklore Museum were far more photogenic than the dour palace buildings that we couldn't enter.

While the Korean-style barbecue lunch was far superior to the Hangzhou experience, the downtown stopover at busy Insa-dong Street followed by an open-air market crush proved to be a letdown for the ship's passengers looking for a quality shopping spree. Tacky souvenirs and cheap quality clothes were not on anyone's list.

An eerie, sea fog (a real pea-souper, as they say in the UK) kept almost everyone off the Volendam's decks as the ship – with its foghorn blaring every two minutes - headed to Tianjin, the port of Beijing, where the sun came out as we set off on a long coach journey to the Summer Palace & Garden of Cultivated Harmony and on to the Great Wall. A memorable hour or so was spent climbing steps and breathing heavily along a restored section with incredible views.

The fog was back the next day when we spared a thought for those who'd booked Beijing excursions on the second day. Police closed the highway to the city, forcing the coaches to turn back to the ship.

Japan was eagerly awaited – and it didn't disappoint in all three cities, with our pre-booked Mt Fuji and bullet train trip in Tokyo capping an exciting end to a cruise of more highs than lows, dominated by gloomy, cold spring weather – down in some places to 7C - resulting in more action in the spa salon than in the indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

HAL ms Volendam

The author was a guest of Holland America Lines

For details on HAL's 2017 and 2018 world cruises, go to: http://www.hollandamerica.com/

or  info@hollandamerica.com

Words and images: John Newton

Feature supplied by: www.wtfmedia.com.au

Images

1.     West Lake Gardens

2.     Gyeongbok Palace

3.     The Great Wall

4.     Cherry Blossoms

5.     Nagasaki clock

6.     Mt Fuji

Heritage rail journey from Sydney to Melbourne

Doing the Locomotion on Grandma's Express

by Roderick Eime

A ride with Grandma and her aging followers is an authentic trip back in time. Roderick Eime is aboard for the ride.

Melbourne Limited (thank you Bradley Matthews)

Grandma's working life began in 1955 taking regular trips between Sydney and Melbourne in the glory days of Australian rail when the shiny Southern Aurora was the bees' knees in interstate travel.

Welcome Back to NSW's Central Coast

With short break holidays becoming more popular amongst Australians, the NSW Central Coast is an ideal place to visit.

Just an hour north of Sydney, this beautiful region is often overlooked by tourists charging along the M1 heading north to the sun. Sadly, the Coast has had a massive downtown in tourism in recent years.

The main reasons include the improvement to the M1 which makes northern tourist spots much more accessible and the decline in camping and tourist type accommodation.

Now, we all know the "jewels of the coast", namely Terrigal and The Entrance, but they are just two of the many gems in this region.

Copacabana, Avoca, Hardy's Bay, Empire Bay, Toowoon Bay and Soldiers Beach are all beautiful, tranquil little spots off the normal tourist routes.

And, it is not just the beaches and waterways that should attract visitors. There are lots of interesting things to do on the Coast.

First up is the Australian Reptile Park which is much more than just snakes and lizards. Australian wildlife including crocodiles, dingoes, kangaroos, emus, Tasmanian devils, echidnas and wallabies are all featured at the park.

There is an impressive playground and the spider display has to be seen to be believed.

The Gosford Classic Car museum is based in the massive former Bunning's warehouse in West Gosford and features a stunning display of 450 vehicles and motorbikes.  All the great names of motoring are represented: Ferrari, Porsche, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Triumph, Austin Healey, the list goes on and on.

Another classic collection can be seen at the Ken Duncan Gallery in Erina Heights. The famous landscape photographer purpose built his new gallery on the Central Coast Highway and made it free of charge to guests. You can have a coffee or a full lunch at the adjacent Sanctuary Café.

Of course, two major shopping centres on the Coast are tourist attractions in their own right. Erina Fair and Westfield Tuggerah always seemed to be brimming with people, which is probably a tribute to the Coast's position as a major retirement area.

Gosford is booming at the moment with dozens of major developments underway. These include the impressive seven storey Bonython Tower luxury residential and commercial project funded by advertising guru and entrepreneur John Singleton. "Singo" is also building a 50 unit site Bonython Waters adjacent to Brisbane Water.

These two projects have gained a lot of media attention and have led to a rush of development applications. These will inevitably lead to new tourist accommodation and "things to do" in the Gosford area.

For the more energetic amongst us, the innovative Treetops Adventure Park at Yarramalong is the place to go. It features an amazing array of rope walkways in the trees, plus obstacles, zip lines, cargo next and dozens of challenges. You could easily spend a day enjoying the many activities and it is ideal for a family to spend the day together.

It also gets the kids away from the I pads and phones and out into the great outdoors. Treetrops is one of the great coast success stories and is expanding around Australia.

Horse riding at Glenning Valley, fishing along the beaches and waterways and hiking in Lake Munmorah Recreation Area are just some of the many activities available on the Coast.

For more information: www.visitcentralcoast.com.au

Words by Dallas Sherringham

Images as supplied

Feature supplied by: www.wtfmedia.com.au


Images

1.     Enzo Ferrari

2.     Ken Duncan Gallery

3.     Australian Reptile Park

4.     Australian Reptile Park

5.     Treetops Adventure park

6.     Treetops Adventure Park

Cruising on Queen Mary 2: Three sides to Cruising

There's something about Mary

With its huge art deco-styled lipstick red funnel, blue and white
livery and wraparound promenade deck, Helen Flanagan was all at sea on
the leviathan ocean liner Queen Mary 2.

Could the grandeur, elegance and romance of the golden age of sea
travel exist today or is that the dominion of the movies such as
Titanic starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio?

After stepping on board the Queen Mary 2, welcomed by a dashing
officer in dazzling whites, gliding along the decks and carpeted
passageways, entering a small but perfectly and cleverly designed
Brittania stateroom decorated in gold and cream, with a generous sized
balcony, it's time for a glass of Veuve Clicquot whilst we unpack.
There's plentiful of robe space and masses of hangers to swallow up
the evening and the less formal albeit casual wear.

If you can afford to step it up several notches the Princess or Royal
Grill categories have lavish staterooms and suites including two 209
square metre grand duplex apartments, plus special restaurants, bowing
butlers and all the upper-crust accoutrements.

All the hallmarks and expectations of glamerama and good taste yet
hints of nostalgia await. From the sweeping staircase in Britannia
Restaurant; the six-storey grand lobby; a ballroom where suave
gentlemen hosts and terribly refined folk in dinner jackets and
sequined frocks, samba to the orchestra; and performing arts in the
Royal Court Theatre; to wide gallery spaces with displays of "stars on
board" such as Greta Garbo, the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Simpson, plus
more than 300 original artworks valued at more than $US5 million,
there's certainly a sense of space and style.

Let's not forget the many outdoor areas with five swimming pools, golf
simulators, putting green, basketball and paddle tennis courts and
more. Plus a cool14 bars and clubs, 10 restaurants of various culinary
persuasions, 8000-book library, spa and gym with aqua-therapy pool,
sauna, ice fountain for the brave, beauty salon and 24-treatment
rooms, the world's first planetarium at sea and eight swanky boutiques
and souvenir-stocked shops with must-buy prices.

The Commodore tells us "the flagship of the Cunard Line towers 62
metres above the waterline - the equivalent of a 23 storey building,
and is the finest ocean liner ever built. Its four diesel engines and
two gas turbines produce the thrust required to launch a jumbo jet.
It's a giant power station run by electric motors…made to take the
heaviest weather…it's as good as it gets."

Grey Goose Citron martinis beckon in the smart Commodore Club,
overlooking the bow, prior to dinner in the Britannia restaurant.
Choices are many, quality and service is excellent, wine list
extensive. Open sandwiches andtarts in Sir Samuel's or British staples fish and chips with mushy
peas and ploughmans are on the menu in the Golden Lion pub. Both are
excellent lunch options as is the Veuve Clicquot Twinings High Tea in
the Winter Garden with white-gloved service of dainty sandwiches and
rolls, choux pastry swans, scones, tartlets and melodious strains of a
harpist.

[Editor's Note: QM2 received substantial updates in 2016. For details about these new features, see here.]

After dinner it's show time with headline acts ranging from opera
singers, comedians, cabaret stars; playing black jack, poker or slot
machines in the casino; or ballroom dancing in the Queens Room, the
largest ballroom at sea. At the G32 night club, sing and dance to
brilliant Caribbean band and after umpteenth stanzas of 'Feelin' hot,
hot, hot', it's time for more refreshments. The night is young and
tomorrow's decisions are easy especially when not in port. Or are
they?

A multitude of options in the daily oracle range from pub trivia,
table tennis, deck quoits, card games, movies, bridge and twist, jazz,
ballroom and line dancing classes, martini mixology, whisky and wine
tastings, fruit and vegetable carving, art classes, scarf tying and
napkin folding to curling up on a steamer chair for a zizz or catching
a few stray rays poolside.

No time to be bored. We're here for a good time, not a long time.

*There are after-all three sides to cruising: starboard, portside and
funside! How true.

For more information and bookings visit www.cunardline.com.au or call 13 24 41.

Words: Helen Flanagan

Images: as supplied.

Feature supplied by: www.wtfmedia.com.au

Captions:

1. Britannia Restaurant
2. Spa
3. Succulent lamb
4. QM2
5. Stateroom
6. St Valentine's Day arrival in Sydney

Laid back Luxembourg

 

Charming and romantic, you'll find it hard to come across a more laid back capital city of the same name as the country.

While it doesn't have the same wealth of attractions like its giant neighbours – France and Germany – Luxembourg, where French is the dominant language, has a rich cultural heritage and is pulling out all the stops to lure long-haul travellers, such as visitors from Asia, Australia and the United States, to the only Grand Duchy in the world.

First-time visitors head straight for the Grand Duke's official residence – the grand-ducal palace – to see the changing of the guards, which happens every two hours in fine weather and every 40 minutes to one hour in snow or wintry weather. A late 16th century Spanish Renaissance-style building, the grand-ducal palace - with its conical shaped turrets that look like witches hats - served as a concert hall and tavern under the Nazi occupation of Luxembourg. It was not until 14 April 1945 that the people of Luxembourg could once again cheer Grand Duchess Charlotte on the palace balcony. The Grand Duke's city residence is open to the public during the summer only, with guided tours from mid-July to September, except on Wednesdays.

A few hundred metres away in the heart of the city is Luxembourg's 'Golden Lady'. Called the Gelle Fra monument, it commemorates the thousands of Luxembourgers that volunteered for service in the armed forces during World War 11. Gelle Fra is the nickname given to the Monument of Remembrance, which is situated in Constitution Square – in the Ville Haute quarter of Luxembourg City. The centrepiece of the monument is a 21-metre tall granite obelisk on top of which stands a gilded bronze statue of a lady – representing Nike, goddess of victory or 'Queen of Freedom' holding out a laurel wreath as if placing it upon the head of the nation.

When Luxembourg was occupied by the Nazi forces in World War 11, the Germans dismantled the memorial in 1940. Several parts of the monument were rescued and, after the war, the monument was partially restored. However, the bronze statue (she's painted in gold) of Gelle Fra herself was missing until 1980 when she was found hidden beneath the main stand of the national football stadium.

The monument was not fully reconstructed to its original design until 1984. Today, it symbolises freedom and resistance for the people of Luxembourg.

Another fascinating Old Town drawcard are the famous Bock Casemates - one of the most envied fortresses in Europe. Carved from the city's rocks, the first casemates, or underground tunnels, were built in 1644, in the era of Spanish domination, with the enlargement of the 23-klometre long network of underground galleries taking place 40 years later under the direction of the military engineer and fortifications builder, Vauban, and later, in the 18 century by the Austrians.  The fortress ramparts and the historically impressive Old Town were registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.

From the Bock Promontory, there are panoramic views of the pretty riverside town of Grund, where you can visit the ancient Abbaye de Neumunster – transformed into a current cultural centre – or explore the cobblestone streets and take a walking break at Scott's Pub bar.

For an insight into the changing day-to-day life of Luxembourg's population – it currently stands around 590,000 – the city's History Museum is home to a comprehensive permanent exhibition illustrates the country's history that spans over a thousand years. The museum occupies four patrician houses, which were built from the 17th to the 19th century and still reveal some medieval structures. In just a few minutes, visitors are introduced to 1000 years of history as they pass the various layers of the city's history – from the naked rock foundations on the lower levels to the panoramic views of the Grund and the Rham plateau on the upper levels.

The National Museum of History and Art, which showcases one of the most beautiful Roman mosaics north of the Alps, together with the city's telecommunications museum, which has a remarkable collection of stamps, and the tram and bus museum are also worth a look.

With its close French connection, Luxembourg City is a gourmet's delight, but you'll have to be quick to beat the locals to the best tables which are taken most nights. While the prices will leave a hole in your wallet, you'll find the food – and the wine selection - at fine dining restaurants, like the award-winning La Brassiere Guillaume overlooking the tree-lined main square, is as good as it gets anywhere in Europe, including Paris.

It seems a perfect fit for this splendid stress-free city with more than a touch of pomp and circumstance.

For further details on Luxembourg City, go to www.lcto.lu

Melbourne-based Rail Plus provided first-class rail travel in Europe, with the writer travelling to Luxembourg City from Vienna via Frankfurt and Koblenz. Choose from Eurail's multi-country passes, single country, passes, Select pass, Global Flexi pass or Global Continuous pass. For first and second-class prices, plus expert staff advice on European rail travel, go to www.railplus.com.au

Words and images: John Newton

Feature supplied by: www.wtfmedia.com.au



1. Market flowers galore

2. Grand Ducal Palace

3. 'Golden Lady' statue

4.Cathedral splendour

5 Picturesque streets

6 Casemates cannons

7.Riverside Grund

The Secrets of Mystery Island:

Generations of Australians have spent "one day in paradise" on Vanuatu's Mystery Island, but few know the many secrets of this stunning coral atoll.

Since 1980 cruise ships have been anchoring in the pristine waters of the island and treating literally millions of Australians to a taste of a genuine paradise.

If you are visiting this amazing, unspoiled place on a cruise, you will enchanted by its white sand beaches, warm waters and friendly locals,.

Even the name of the island is a mystery, but I am one of the few people who can solve that riddle.

You see, Mystery Island is known to the locals as Inyeug, but it gained its fame and more popular European name by sheer chance. PR man Ron Connelly was hosting a group of travel writers on board the legendary Fairstar when the ship made one of its rare visits to the island.

Pressed by members of his press group about the tiny gem, he said: "I have to admit I have never been there; the ship often can't drop anchor…it's a mystery to me." And Mystery Island it became ever after.

Sitmar, owners of Fairstar, were quick to pick up the name and turn it into a clever marketing gimmick.

I suffered the same fate on my first visit to Mystery Island on board that very same ship. Captain Luigi Nappa could not anchor because of the large swell from the south.

The next time I went there, the ship did anchor, but the swell became very treacherous and it was a battle to get everyone aboard in the late afternoon as the seas picked up.  That evening there were nine broken arms and wrists being treated at the ship's hospital.

Today's ships are much bigger and much more maneuverable than the Fairstar and most visits to the island are performed without incident

The most striking feature of the 1.5sqkm Island is the large grassed airstrip that takes up most of the land area. I have heard it described as everything from a WWII bomber base to a fighter base for the Americans.

In fact, one of the locals, Robert, told me it was built as emergency strip in WWII for military aircraft transiting the area. At that time Japan was dominating the war in the Solomon Islands to the north and Mystery Island had the potential to become a major player if they advanced into Vanuatu, which was called the New Hebrides in those days.

Today, the strip is used twice a week as the airport for nearby major island of Aneityum. Robert told me the flights could be quite adventurous as boxes of very much alive lobsters and crabs were stacked beside passengers on board, all bound for the restaurants of Port Vila.

 On rough flights it has been known for the boxes to break open and live crustaceans to cause havoc amongst the well heeled clients. I thought it was just a good story until one day I saw crates of live lobsters being lifted aboard a tiny twin engine commuter plane followed by two very reluctant government officials who were heading back to the big smoke.

Mystery Island's reputation goes far beyond its name. At night, the locals swear that the island is haunted by the mysterious spirits of their ancestors. They won't have a bar of going there after dark.

This had the unexpected advantage of making it a safe haven for European visitors in the 19th century who feared the fierce cannibals on the adjacent mainland.

An array of Europeans happened upon Aneityum with its vast sandalwood forests and a flock of 12,000 locals who just had to be turned into law abiding, god fearing Christians. Other visitors had more sinister motives, capturing or "blackbirding" the local men for work as slaves in the sugar cane fields of Queensland. Whalers first appeared in the 1850s and also found safe haven on the tiny oasis.

Rather than being saved by the well meaning Presbyterian fire and brimstone preachers, the native population was also decimated by introduced illnesses such as smallpox and measles. Within a generation or two, just 500 people were left. Even the massive1000 seat stone church built on the island was gone, destroyed by a tsunami.

Aneityum's main mountain, a dormant volcano, towers almost 1000m above the rainforest which still has mysteries of its own yet to be discovered. Ancient and mysterious totemic petroglyphs have been found carved into the island's volcanic rock.

Recent research has revealed that a sophisticated lifestyle was enjoyed by locals living in an unspoilt paradise in the days before the Europeans arrived. Far from being "primitive cannibals", the various tribes had an intricate community lifestyle.

However, because there no written histories kept amongst those people, the only knowledge was passed down by traditions. This means we will never know what life was like in this isolated part of the world in ancient times or who first populated the region.

Aneityum's equally fascinating flora is also yet to be fully discovered. At this time, there are a recorded 80 species of stunning orchids and the island also has hot springs and substantial waterfalls, thanks to the seemingly perpetual rainfall.

Aneityum's kauri forests were also decimated by visitors, but have since been replanted by the New Zealand government and are a valuable logging resource,

Now, there is fascinating history to be learnt from a much more recent visit. If you know where to look on Mystery Island, you will find a monument to the most famous visitor to the island.

Queen Elizabeth enjoyed an unscheduled beach barbecue on Mystery Island in 1974, en route from Port Vila to Sydney aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. Strangely yet again, I could find no-one amongst the locals who remembered the visit, however on Aneityum there are photos of the big day proudly brought out for guests.

Looking at the island from a ship, it looks inconsequential compared to its towering neighbor. However as you go ashore in the ship's tender you will be captivated by the crystal clear waters and waving coconut palms. As you near the jetty you will hear singing and music.

Stepping ashore you will suddenly be standing on a white sand beach that will take your breath away. It is named after its most famous visitor, Queen Elizabeth II Beach.

And you will at last be in paradise, as close as you will ever get to a perfect tropical escape.

Words and images by Dallas Sherringham

Feature supplied by: www.wtfmedia.com.au

CAPTIONS:

1. An enthusiastic local at the main terminal of Mystery Island airport

2. Boisterous singing in island harmonies is a feature of island life

3 Queen Elizabeth's stunning personal beach with Aneityum in the background

4 The amazing lagoon as enchanted millions of visitors down through the years

5 A shady tropical oasis welcomes Australian cruise passengers