LATEST NEWS

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR OPENING HOURS, NZ OFFICE

New Zealand Christmas / New Year Office Hours:

CLOSED: Friday 25 December - Monday 28 December 2009

OPEN: Tuesday 29 December - Thursday 31 December 2009, 8:30am to 5:30pm

CLOSED: Friday 1 January - Monday 4 January 2010

OPEN: From Tuesday 5 January, regular office hours (8:30am to 5:30pm Mon-Fri; 9:00am-1:00pm Sat).

All times are in New Zealand Standard Time, GMT +13 (daylight savings)

> More details on New Zealand Standard Time.

CRAFT, CUISINE & CULTURE IN VIETNAM

Vietnam, more than any other country in Asia abounds with its eclectic mix of cultures, traditions, crafts and foods. The lifestyle, food, clothing and crafts of the colourful hill tribes of the Flower Hmong in Bac Ha lends no resemblance to the Mekong Delta river people and their home industries of rice paper and sweet making or of the superb craftsmen, wood turners, tailors and shoe makers of Hoi An. We have designed a tour that will give you first hand experience of the land of colours.
 
Here is a firsthand account:

We stepped into a world of delightfully unforgettable experiences…. This journey took us to the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City where we visited silk and lacquer ware factories, on to a meander through the Mekong Delta visiting home industries and meeting the friendly folk of the Delta, before whisking us off to sample delicious morsels of Vietnamese cuisine at the cooking school in Hoi An. This quaint little town with its narrow streets and historical buildings offered us much more than tantalising smells and tastes, it also had wonderfully skilled artists, tailors and cobblers which helped to empty our purses and fill our suitcases!  And for some we even had time to be pampered – loved those manicured nails with their fancy designs.

Our guide whisked us away to our next destination Hanoi, Vietnam’s graceful capital with its early morning flower and produce markets and its old walled city where the streets are named after the trade, carrying out business on it. The water puppet theatre gave us a wonderful glimpse into the country's folktales and their music, and the museum a better understanding of Vietnam's troubled past. From Hanoi we travelled to Halong Bay, boarded our boat, sat back and relaxed as we sailed through the thousands of limestone castes that make up this world heritage site.  

An overnight train journey to the Northern towns of Lao Cai and Sapa rewarded us with spectacular scenery, rugged terrain and a diverse array of ethnic minorities all dressed in their colourful traditional clothes. But all journeys must come to an end and after returning to Hanoi we bid farewell to our fellow travellers. This tour is a must for anyone who enjoys sampling wonderful food, getting off the beaten track to explore the culture and mixing with the local artisans to admire their craftsmanship.
 
Tours departing 03 January, 11 April, 27 June 2010 – limited numbers.


LOCATION > Saigon to Hanoi, Vietnam
DURATION >  14 days / 13 nights
DATES > 03 January, 11 April, 27 June 2010 (plus on demand for independent travellers - min. 2)
COST > from USD$2995 (escorted journey); from USD$2600 for independent travellers
INCLUDES > Western tour manager (escorted tours only), local guides, meals as indicated on Fact Sheet, internal flights, trains and vehicle transfers, cooking school, entrance fees and permits, accommodation.
LIMITED PLACES STILL AVAILABLE.

Contact our team for more information or bookings.

CYCLE THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAIL TRAIL - LIMITED AVAILABILITIES!

Don't miss this chance to cycle the Otago Central Rail Trail in 2010, with only a few spots left on our 4-day and 5-day supporter rail trail tours.

Central Otago Vineyard & Rail Trail Cycle Tour – 5 days

Vineyard Cycling; Jet boating/Gold Mining Tour; Otago Central Rail Trail; St Bathans; Naseby; Curling; Taieri Gorge Train – the complete Central Otago Cycling Experience!
LOCATION > Queenstown to Dunedin, NZ (option to return to Queenstown)
DURATION > 5 days / 4 nights
DATES > 05/01/10, 02/03/10, 09/03/10, 23/03/10, 13/04/10, 20/04/10 - PLACES LIMITED
COST > NZD$1650.00 per person including cycle hire / NZD$1510.00 per person BYO cycle or non-cyclists
INCLUDES > Tour Guide, transport ex Queenstown, accommodation and meals as indicated, cycle hire, all entrance fees for activities indicated in the itinerary (wine tastings, jet boating or goldmining tour, Hayes Engineering Works, curling).

Otago Rail Trail Cycle Adventure – 4 days
Otago Central Rail Trail; St Bathans; Naseby; Taieri Gorge Train, includes travel to the trail and accommodation before the start – complete the trail over 3 days with full support!
LOCATION > Queenstown to Dunedin, NZ (option to return to Queenstown)
DURATION > 4 days / 3 nights
DATES > 06/01/10, 03/03/10, 10/03/10, 24/03/10, 14/04/10, 21/04/10 - PLACES LIMITED
COST > NZD$1185.00 per person including cycle hire / NZD$1080.00 per person BYO cycle or non cyclists
INCLUDES > Tour Guide, transport ex Queenstown or Dunedin , accommodation and meals as indicated, cycle hire, all entrance fees for activities indicated in the itinerary (Hayes Engineering Works, Curling).

Contact our team for more details or to reserve a place.

TOUR DOWN UNDER - JOIN THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE IN 2010!

The Adventure Collective is once again thrilled to be selected as an Official Tour Operator for the Tour Down Under, held in Adelaide, South Australia from 17-24 January 2010.

Details of our packages can be found here. These include our Go Pro Package (8 day/7 nights), Weekend Warrior Package (3 days/3 nights), a new Legend's Weekend Package (2days/2 nights) and our daily Lead Out Tour Packages.

Amongst these packages, we've got something for everyone! If you have a special interest group, we can put together a custom tour for you, or your group of six or more can book onto one of our packages at a special group rate. For the first time at the Tour Down Under, we are offering optional helicopter flights for race viewing, with a choice of a quick 10-minute look, or a half-hour journey.

Places are limited, so don't leave it too late to book!

We look forward to seeing you in Adelaide in 2010.

Contact us for further information or to register your interest.

TRAVEL MERGER MEANS ACTION (AND ADVENTURE!)

A merger spanning Australia and New Zealand, between The Adventure Collective Pty Ltd, and NZ-based Active Travel, SLS Tours and Cromwell Travel Centre*, will come into effect as of 01 April 2009.

With a focus on eco adventure tours and leisure travel, the merger will see the new company, Travel Collective, at the forefront of Australasian travel companies. The merger is a natural synergy between the nature-based tourism operators, with the merged business now offering product that spans Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Vietnam, Borneo, Laos, Cambodia, China, Tibet and South America, including cycling, walking, active travel and cultural experiences.

“I’m excited at the bringing together of these two companies,” commented Active Travel and SLS Tours founder and Director, Ms Irene Schrieber. “The combined skills, experience and expertise will ensure that Travel Collective is a force to be reckoned with in the travel world.”

Travel Collective CEO, Mr Peter Solly, shares these sentiments.

“I am excited by the merging of The Adventure Collective, Active Travel, SLS Tours and Cromwell Travel Centre* under the banner of Travel Collective, adding to the great brands ROC Tours Australia and Ecotrek and the other brands under The Adventure Collective.

“The merger ensures our customers have a wide range of product to choose from. Adventure, active or luxury – we will be able to provide it throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, South America and beyond,” Mr Solly said.

“As the CEO of Travel Collective, I am looking forward to working with the team to reach our vision of being among the top ten active and adventure tour companies across Australia and New Zealand in the coming years,” he commented.

Travel Collective will be based in the Cromwell Travel Centre*, Central Otago, New Zealand, and Adelaide, South Australia.

*Cromwell Travel Centre is a division of Travel Managers Group

2009 IS A FANTASTIC YEAR

The TOUR DOWN UNDER was a blazing success with hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets around South Australia. As an Official Tour Operator of the TDU, The Adventure Collective was again thrilled to enable our customers to get up close and really experience the Tour.

But 2009 does not stop here! We have fantastic trips coming up across our whole range of brands. Do an outback cycle tour through the Victoria Desert, the Red Centre or across the Gibb River Road with ROC Tours.

Take on a serious challenge by doing the  Great Outback Bike Ride from Cairns to Broome or do some Kangaroo Island or Flinders Ranges walking with Ecotrek.

It is TIME to BOOK your Tour Down Under package!

Well it is getting very close!
Don't miss the opportunity to see the 7-time Tour de France winner doing what he does best.  Have you booked?   Will you miss out?
8 Days 7 Night Package...
Join the official AvantiPlus tour operator, The Adventure Collective, for the ultimate Tour Down Under experience. This partnership will guarantee participants within our package not only an exciting eight days at the Tour Down Under, but also the opportunity to win $2500 to spend at any Avantiplus retail outlet, and an exclusive 20% off bike and accessories package. With this tour you can upgrade to include Club Tour (only available until the 25th of November).
3 Days 3 Nights Package...
Short on time? Check out The Adventure Collective's Weekend Warrior package for three days and three nights of action and excitement including the Mutual Community Challenge Tour
Daily Package...
Our daily Lead Out Tour, aimed at the avid spectator. Each day we will follow the stage and view the race from a number of great vantage points. Includes a gourmet lunch, wine and beer, great sights of Adelaide and its surrounds. All for just $89 per person per day!

The Adventure Collective is a nationally accredited tour operator that can also organise some great pre- and post-event touring opportunities. Why not check out our Kangaroo Island active adventure?