Eight Flight Centre consultants from around New Zealand were chosen to explore Brazil and Argentina courtesy of Adventure World and Lan Airlines. Highlights included experiencing two nights in Buenos Aires, learning to Samba at the famous Rio Scenarium, viewing Iguazu Falls from both Argentina and Brazil, a Tango lesson in Buenos Aires, wandering around La Boca and getting drenched on a boat ride under Iguazu.

Left: Alex, LAN Airlines; Dionne Ryder, FC Invercargill; Davina Bicker, Adventure World); Sovann Lay FC Cambridge; Nat Soma, FC Dominion Rd; Karla Weston, Remarkables Park FC; and Wendy Hailwood, FC Corporate. Right Curtis Crosswhite, FC Central City; Sovann Lay, FC Cambridge; Robby Melhpot, The Palms FC, Dionne Ryder, FC Invercargill; Karla Weston, Remarkables Park FC; and Davina Bicker, Adventure World.

Exotic Holidays, wholesalers for Asia & Middle East product, in association with Emirates hosted 10 Travel Managers Group Brokers on a famil to Dubai in November. Exotic director, Rahul Sharma said the group explored the city, embraced the cultural heritage in Bastakia, visited the Gold Souq and made purchases of oriental spices at the Spice Souq. They also experienced the Abra ride, the traditional taxi service to cross Dubai Creek, as well as seeing the city lit up at night while on an evening dhow cruise. The group dined at some of the finest restaurants in Dubai and are part of the few who have seen the view from top of the world – from Burj Khalifa. Sharma says feedback received points to the highlight being the Desert Safari followed by an evening entertainment with barbeque dinner at the desert campsite - a must-do for anyone visiting Dubai.

Exotic location in the desert. Standing from left - Megan Batterton, Pauline Watson, Johnny Parulian, Kelly Ogilvie, Andy Bruce from Emirates, Rachel Thompson, Geraldine Jenkin, Roger Glynan, Sheryl Hayde, Jo O’Gorman, Vicki Hyslop. Front row kneeling- Sanjeewa from Arabian Oryx, Safari Driver Dennis and Pam Hardley   Right - exploring the city

New Zealand and Australian travel agents travelled to Ireland on a famil early November. The group happily posed outside the Newbridge Silverware museum and retail shop. Newbridge Silverware is based in County Kildare, about a 45 minute drive from Dublin City. Its museum section regularly hosts visiting collections and artefacts of the rich and stylishly famous – such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly,  Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, The Beetles – to name just a few,

The group  travelled to Ireland courtesy of Etihad Airlines and VAustralia (NZ to Australia).

Travel agents had a full-on weekend of activities when they were hosted at Oreti Village, on the southern shore of Lake Taupo, early August. Renowned for its adventure activities, the southern lake town of Turangi and its surrounds showcased high-end accommodation and dining, nature, Maori history and culture, white water rafting, fishing and quad biking with flair and warm hospitality.

Ready for action at Tongariro Quads are, from left, Amanda Inglis, Flight Centre St Heliers and Ferne Batchelor, Flight Centre Albert Street Auckland	From left, host Fleur Ashford, Oreti with Frank Hildebrandt, ANZ Nature Tours; Amanda Inglis, Flight Centre St Heliers; John and Malcolm Sutton, Tongariro Quads and Ferne Batchelor, Flight Centre Albert Street Auckland	Trish Freeman, TRAVELinc magazine, tackles a muddy incline with Tongariro Quads
During a forest walk, Pure Ora Walks' Ngahuia (right) teaches Ferne Batchelor, Flight Centre Albert Street Auckland about edible ferns	Frank Hildebrandt, ANZ Nature Tours takes a lesson in how to 'hongi' from Ngahuia, Pure Ora Walks	Michael Paul Abbot from Rafting New Zealand delivers a safety briefing to an attentive Ferne Batchelor, Flight Centre Albert Street (left) and Amanda Inglis, Flight Centre St Heliers
Enjoying the thrills of the Tongariro River with Rafting New Zealand are, clockwise from bottom left, Amanda Inglis, Flight Centre St Heliers; Libby O'Brien, Taupo Times; Janine Mitchell, My Wedding; Raumati Brown, Rafting New Zealand; Trish Freeman, TRAVELinc; Frank Hildebrandt, ANZ Nature Tours and Ferne Batchelor, Flight Centre Albert Street Auckland	Fishing with AJ's Charters, Amanda Inglis, Flight Centre St Heliers hopes her technique with the fishing line will help land her the big one	Although it was too small to keep for the plate, Ferne Batchelor, Flight Centre Albert Street Auckland was happy to catch her first trout with AJ's Charters

A group of New Zealand incentive and conference organisers enjoyed a whirlwind tour of Queensland's Sunshine Coast late July that travelled up the coast from Caloundra, through Mooloolooba, Coolum and Noosa as well as a touching on the hinterland and Glasshouse Mountains. Exciting activities undertaken were a Harley Davidson motorbike (or for the more sedate in the group, a vinatage car) transfer, helicopter tour, go-karting, theme park rides, ocean jet boating and a sneak peak at the animal hospital at Australia Zoo.

The familiarisation took in a range of accommodation options including Crowne Plaze Pelican Waters and Rumba Resort (in and around Caloundra), Novotel Twin Waters and Hyatt Regency Coolum, with site inspections of Mantra Mooloolaba Beach, Sheraton Resort Noosa Resort & Spa, Outrigger Little Hastings Street and RACV Noosa Resort. Full reports will appear in the August issue of TRAVELinc and September's Meet in Australia supplement in Meeting Newz.

Marina Nola, Eventive and Carol Spence, Realize Ltd with Harley rider, Mark Sun	Sarah Siebert, Massey University tries out the driver's seat with Cam Holloway	Samantha Keen, The Extra Mile Company and Julia Clancy, Eden Event Management with Al Howard
Frank Van Haeren takes Tui Harwood, Driving Force Incentives for a spin	Heading off for an aerial tour of the Glasshouse Mountains are, from left, Tui Harwood, Driving Force Incentives; Lesley Aldridge, Chimaera Group & Sales Incentive Travel; Carol Spence, Realize Ltd; Kristie Campbell, Orbit Travel; Julia Clancy, Eden Event Management; Sarah Siebert, Massey University; Marina Nola, Eventive and Sam Keen The Extra Mile Company	Famil hosts extraordinaire: Lauran Hofman (left) and Pippa McCreery, Business Events Sunshine Coast
Enjoying the funky surrounds of the Sunshine Coast Function Centre are, from left, Carol Spence, Realize Ltd; Sarah Siebert, Massey University; Tui Harwood, Driving Force Incentives and Marina Nola, Eventive	The group heads out for a spot of jet boating and dolphin spotting with Brett Bam on Liquid Getaway	Lesley Aldridge, Chimaera Group and Sales Incentive Travel; Trish Freeman, ProMag Publishing Ltd and Julia Clancy, Eden Event Management
The group was hosted at Crowne Plaza Pelican Waters for the first night of the famil.	'Feeding the girls' at Australia Zoo are Marina Nola, Eventive (front) and Trish Freeman, ProMag Publishing Ltd (back)	Sarah Siebert, Massey University makes new friends at Australia Zoo
At Australia Zoo, from left: Pippa McCreery, Business Events Sunshine Coast; Sam Keen, The Extra Mile Company; Sarah Siebert, Massey Universtiy; Trish Freeman, ProMag Publishing Ltd; Julia Clancy, Eden Event Management; Carol Spence, Realize Ltd; Lesley Aldridge, Chimaera Group and Sales Incentive Travel; Tui Harwood, Driving Force Incentives; Marina Nola, Eventive and Lauran Hofman, Business Events Sunshine Coast	A site inspection with a difference: Tricia Cornelius, Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa (left) set a series of challenges for the Kiwis. Dressed for the challenge are: Sam Keen, The Extra Mile Company; Marina Nola, Eventive; and David Hughes, Conventions & Incentives International and Taschi Maxwell, Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa	Celebrating napkins folded in record time: Julia Clancy, Eden Event Management; Trish Freeman, ProMag Publishing Ltd; Marina Nola, Eventive and Pippa McCreery, Business Events Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast has its theme park thrills as well as its southern neighbour - some of the PCOs were brave enough to ride 'The Red Back"	Carol Spence, Realize Ltd and Julia Clancy, Eden Event Management enjoy authentic Australia at offsite dinner location, Yandina Station	Enjoying pre dinner drinks at the bar at Yandina Station are, from left, Marina Nola, Eventive; Sam Keen, The Extra Mile Company; Tui Harwood, Driving Force Incentives and Sarah Siebert, Massey University
On the jetty at Novotel Twin Waters are, from left:  Kristie Campbell, Orbit Travel Wellington; Lesley Aldridge, Chimaera Group and Sales Incentive Travel; Julia Clancy, Eden Event Management; David Hughes, Conventions & Incentives International; Sarah Siebert, Massey Universtiy; Tui Harwood, Driving Force Incentives; Carol Spence, Realize Ltd; Marina Nola, Eventive; Sam Keen, The Extra Mile Company; Steven Cooper, Sunshine Coast Destinaiton Ltd; Lesley Aldridge, Chimaera Group and Sales Incentive Travel and Pippa McCreery, Business Events Sunshine Coast	At Novotel Twin Waters are, from left, Kristie Campbell, Orbit Travel Wellington;Lauran Hofman, Business Events Sunshine Coast and Sam Keen, The Extra Mile Company	Expansive views from one of the swimming pools at Outrigger Little Hastings Street

Pictured doing it ‘hard’ at the family-friendly Hard Rock Fiji in Denarau Marina last week, a group of Kiwi agents participated in Tourism Fiji's first-ever educational programme specifically geared to showcase Fiji’s appeal to the New Zealand family market.  From June 25 to July 1, a total of 24 consultants participated in three separate ‘Free Me – Fiji Me’ itineraries visiting family friendly hotels and resorts on the Coral Coast and Denarau on the main island of Viti Levu and Toberua Island Resort in the Lomaiviti region.

Pictured back row (from left to right): Jeffrey Liu, Midday Travel, Auckland; Bev Wallace, Travel Managers, Auckland; Debbie Evans, Green Spot, Taupo; Rebecca Leonard, Harvey World Travel, Bayfair; Kate Ovcharenko, Stella Travel Services, Auckland; Toni Williams, Gilpin Travel, Auckland and Esava Nadalo, Tourism Fiji New Zealand. Front Row (from left to right): Senia Asiata, AMA Travel, Auckland; Candice Prendergast, Avondale Travel, Auckland and Kasey Cooke, Flight Centre Petone.

Key to each itinerary was an opportunity for each group to island hop in the idyllic Mamanucas which offers the most concentrated range of family friendly resorts in the South Pacific. The programmes were also designed to allow the agents to experience Fiji’s unique ‘living culture’ and a number of the newer ‘adventure’ oriented activities that have recently come on line within the destination.  The programme culminated with a gala dinner held at Plantation Island Resort in the Mamanucas for all three groups, a key part of which was a presentation enabling all agents to see the hotels and resorts each individual group had experienced during their stay.

Acknowledging the huge support received from both Air Pacific and Air New Zealand in making the familiarisation a possibility, Tourism Fiji regional director New Zealand, Sala Toganivalu said the further establishment of Fiji as one of the world’s foremost family friendly destinations remained a critical part of the NTO’s marketing strategy in the New Zealand market.