For adventure travelers, is Australia or New Zealand the more extreme down under experience? – Part 2

New Zealand is the adventure playground of the world, with fun and excitement at your finger tips.

Where else can you ski, bungee jump, and jet boat ride all in the same day, risking life and limb at every turn?

Indeed New Zealand inventors inspired by the landscape are the creators of the leap of death known as the bungee, and the jet propulsion unit that powers the river boats.

The adventure junkies who flock to “the land of the long white cloud” seeking spills and thrills have a plethora of activities to choose from. Ask Anthony Bourdain.

One little known adrenaline thumping excursion is a guided hunt for wild boar. Anthony experienced the thrill. However his gumption was lacking when it came time to knife the screaming pig in the throat. Maybe he should have used a bone?

His spill occurred when he went 4 wheel bike riding on the wild sand dune beaches of the far North Island. If anyone has seen the video on youtube and watched the bike tumbling over him, you’ll concord he was very lucky to survive alive.

Sir Edmund Hillary survived Mt Everest by practicing his climbing prowess in the mountain ranges of New Zealand, as do many who care to follow in his footsteps. Guided mountain guides are available throughout the country with some of the best mountaineers in the world.

Whale watching in Kaikoura is a popular daily excursion. Other aquatically inspired pursuits include diving, and deep sea Marlin fishing. If you’re interested in having 280 kilos of fish flesh hanging on the end of a line for 5 hours, then the Bay of Islands is the spot.

Christchurch is a sleepy English inspired city but a “jump in the park” isn’t. Tandem parachute jumps from 12000 feet into the heart of New Zealand’s 2nd largest city are not for the faint hearted. Throttling at speed, your face mirroring a broken fried egg, screaming for mercy, and praying for the chute to open is a kiwi’s idea of fun.

Aussies live for the sun and surf. Kiwi’s live to die. God gave New Zealanders a paradise they love to share with the world. C’mon down and get your feet wet.

Got Room The Rugby World Cup Is Closer Than You Think

Attention rubgy fans! Are you an aficionado of the ruffians game played by gentlemen? Are you thinking about heading to France for the 2007 Rugby World Cup? Surely you want to be on hand to see if England will keep their champion standing, or watch as some other country wrests the top spot away from them. France, Australia, and New Zealand were right in there for the 2003 Cup; they will surely be back in force. And who knows? There is always the possibility that a team could come out of nowhere and prevail. No way you want to miss any of that action!If you are anywhere near serious about getting as immersed in the games as you can, the last thing you want to do is deal with arranging multiple accommodations and then bounce around from venue to venue with luggage in hand. Your best bet for maximum rugby enjoyment is to rent a short term apartment for the duration of your visit and use it as your base camp. And your best bet for base camp is Paris.With all the advantages of Paris (oh, and there are other interesting things there besides rugby stadiums), there is one disadvantage: vacation apartments will be at a premium, if they arent already. Places with good amenities in interesting neighborhoods and enough space for your whole party are getting snapped up as you read this.

If you are any kind of rugby fan, you have a responsibility to be in the best shape possible to go nuts rooting for the team(s) of choice. This means that you need to pay as much attention to your between-game experience as you do to your in-stadium one. Your best strategy? Follow up your ticket purchase by nailing down a place you can hang out between games. Right now.

Best place for holiday vacation with reasonable budget

If you are planning for holiday vacation to any stunningly beautiful country then you must go to New Zealand. It’s most famous and lively cities are the major tourist attractions in the world. You will get the freedom and flexibilities to visit everything from the Franz Josef Glacier on the South Island to the vineyards in Hawkes Bay on the North Island and multimedia tour of the universe. Most loveliness lies in the paradoxes in its ecological heritage and Art Gallery New Zealand boasts a series of unparalleled golden-sand beaches and most famous Karangahape Road or parts of South Auckland.



If you want to go New Zealand, then you can plan for independent holiday vacation plans as well as short excursions from the cities. Don’t waste a minute of limited time waiting for. You know that you need a New Zealand rental campervan or motor home to benefit from all that country had to offer. Quickly discover campervans supplier like Backpacker campervan, Apollo campervans with affordable rates and best deals on Campervan Rentals in New Zealand.



New Zealand has a network of NZ campervans rental branches providing campervan on rent and 4WD vehicle’s at budget car rental prices.





There are some very important tips before going to holiday package with campervan.





• Check Vehicle is well prepared and without any defect.

• Stock up enough delicious food, snacks for any lengthy road trips and also Hot & Cold Running Water storage.

• Check seat belts of your campervans to avoid any kind of accident.

• Don’t ignore engine warning lights and head lights.

• Check it out inside campervan toilet/shower facilities is there?

• Comfortable sleep and easy cooking facilities available?

• Most needed 2 Burner Gas Stove, available or not?

• Cooking devices that can be the basis of fires, catch fire facilities is there?



Essential is to arrange a driver for long period of the campervan tour as you expect trip to be hassle free and peaceful. Long stress less journey with enjoyment, we should always be aware off campervans facilities before vacation to make a memorable trip.



Last but not least, always examine the terms and conditions of the campervan rental contributor’s website carefully. When you go with holiday tour with campervan keep the campervan rental company’s contact information with you. In case of tragedy you may require to contact them.

Activity Packed Tours Of New Zealand

The best way to experience the spirit of New Zealand is with one of the activity filled New Zealand tours. There are many different companies that you can book a trip through, but if you are someone who thrives on adventure and the unknown, then you definitely want to choose one that offers activities along the way. These types of New Zealand tours are especially great for young couples or a group of friends who are seeking travel adventures. Many newlyweds choose these types of New Zealand tours because they are a great way to bond while exploring the most incredible parts of the world.



There are different levels of activity for a variety of New Zealand tours, depending on how active you are looking to get on your vacation. The first decision you should make when you are looking into outdoor adventure New Zealand tours is what part of the island you want to explore the most. The North Island is the 14th largest island in the world and is home to the largest city in New Zealand, Auckland, and Wellington, which is the capital of New Zealand. The North Island is very popular among tourists and has many beaches, parks and forests to explore. The South Island is the larger of the two islands, but is less populated than the North Island. The South Island is often referred to as the mainland which is funny and ironic because only about one fourth of the entire population of New Zealand lives there.



Both the South and the North Island offer a wide variety of outdoor adventure tours so regardless of which one you choose you will have a lot of fun. There are trips that combine many different outdoor sports, but there are also tours that concentrate solely on just one activity. Some of the activities that you can expect to do on one of the outdoor adventure New Zealand tours are: snorkeling, hiking, mountain biking, scuba diving, kayaking and canoeing. There are even New Zealand tours that are designed specifically for families. This allows people with children to partake in an amazing adventure and it proves that there is something for everyone. These New Zealand tours will take you on adventures that are truly once in a lifetime experiences. A trip like this will completely revolutionize the way you want to travel in the future and it is a great way to bond and spend time with those who you love.

Travel experiences: Australia

Don’t Judge an Island by its Cover

*The Flight Over*

I was five minutes away from landing on my new home, Hamilton Island. The water was as blue as you see in the photos, and the island looked absolutely perfect from above. I stepped off the plane to be greeted by a blistering heat, but I was too excited about the journey ahead to really care. My mate Ian came around to pick me up in his ute, dressed in Steve Irwin-like attire and smelling of sweat. He had been here for a week already with another friend of mine, which made my introduction to the island life a lot easier. I thought I had a good idea of what I was in for, but I soon found out how far off my perception really was.

*Background*

Hamilton Island is 1 of the 74 islands that comprise the Whitsundays, and only 1 of the 7 that accommodate resort facilities. The island is quite big, roughly 750 hectares of white sand and awe-inspiring fauna and flora. The island is not just known for its relaxing atmosphere, but also for its party scene, with activities such as nightclubs and bars, a karaoke restaurant and party cruises. The island has a diverse range of activities, from water-skiing to reef fishing, scenic walking trails to snorkeling and more. The accommodation is top-notch as well, all the way from 3 star to 5 star (with a 6 star complex in development). The island is perfect, and I came to realise that in many different ways.

*New Places, New Faces – and a whole lot of alcohol*

We initially had to set up camp in a backpackers resort on the mainland just outside of Airlie Beach. As developed as the island was, they had no room to house the influx of holiday workers. This was fine with me, because I had my mates to keep me company. I was not starting work for another five days, so in the meantime I would be hiding in their cabin watching movies or sleeping. On occasions I would head over to the pool and have a swim or walk to the shopping centre to buy some food. I soon made friends with a group of New Zealand backpackers who were also working on the island, and we would spend most nights at the pub getting stuck into each other about our accents.

The night before I started my first day of work was a memorable one to say the least. The nightlife on the mainland went off; the crowd was friendly and the company was plentiful. Wednesday night was known as ladies night’ said my mate Jake when I spoke to him, which meant free drinks at happy hour for our female companions (laughs). It

Travel Pre and Post Internet

Title: Travel: Pre and Post Internet.

By: The Nomad

Travel Pre Internet:

I’ve been travelling for over 40 years – by thumb in my early days, by boots in the Scouts, a Lambretta came next and then my first old banger followed by newer old bangers to the beaches of the Costa Brava.

My thumb, boots, bikes and bangers took me all over Europe and the UK before finding that a charter flight to Spain on an old ‘Connie’ could get me to the beaches and bars a lot quicker and allow more time to enjoy the local travel opportunities by horse and cart and the occasional bus and train.

‘Go West and Prosper’ seemed to be a good idea so instead of taking an 8 hour flight I took an 8 day transatlantic crossing from Tilbury to Montreal on the Stephan Batory of Polish Ocean Lines ensuring that jet lag did not trouble my travel plans. Some years later I crossed the pond again on a ship but this time it was 5 times bigger and I travelled in style on the QE2 and dined in the Queen’s Grill somewhat removed from my earlier experience. I highly recommend ocean voyages but cannot see myself on one of the modern cruise ships going from port to port with constant line-ups to get on and off to buy t-shirts. However, I have done 10 Windjammers and a Star Clipper cruise in the Caribbean which were all memorable (let’s hope Windjammer Barefoot Cruises recover from their woes). But I digress.

I had read that Canada is a spectacular country, from sea to shining sea, and my entrance into the St. Lawrence River to Montreal and then heading west in an old Econoline van from the Great Lakes, across the Prairies to the Rocky Mountains before ending up whale watching off of the Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island was a trip of wonder to a bloke from London. Today the scenery is still spectacular and the best way to go is still by road so rent or buy a car, motorhome or motorbike, take the train or tour bus but remember the maps, a fly rod, good boots and take your time.

My favorite part of Canada / USA for adventure travel has to be Northern BC / Alaska, to hike the Chilkoot Trail in the steps of the goldseekers of 1898. The Northwest Territories to canoe the Nahannie River and the Yukon to drive from Dawson City to Chicken, Alaska. If you like the outdoors and can put up with a few bugs, cast a fly and scale a few hills or drive on endless dirt roads sharing the space with moose, caribou, elk, bears and eagles, then these are the places to put on your list. The pleasures and experiences in driving to Inuvik on the Dempster Highway or to Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton Highway or even the Canol Road can only be felt by doing them. I would have mentioned the Alaska Highway but now it is an easy drive unlike the aforementioned.

Today the costs of driving these distances may mean that sharing the journey with others is required, but RVing or simply vanning and camping is a great way to see beyond the horizon. Some enroute adventures now need to be booked in advance whereas when I hiked Denali and the Chilkoot Pass it was just a case of turning up, registering with the local ranger office and heading on out. A little more forward planning is needed for today’s traveller and cost considerations of lengthy flights or drives have to somehow be countered with more careful planning. In the days of reasonable gas prices I would not even consider the driving or flying costs and have driven to Key West from the northwest coast, down the west coast to the Baja and to the west coast from New York. I once even flew my 1946 Fleet taildragger from the Pacific to the Atlantic and back using around 5 gallons an hour of avgas. Before the oil and credit crisis I drove from Rio de Janeiro to Lima, down to Tierra del Fuego and back to Rio covering over 15,000 miles of spectacular scenery and with no consideration about the cost of gas. South America should be on your itinerary too! Some other memorable drives that may now require a mortgage with the gas companies include London to The Nordkapp, Norway, Skippers Canyon in New Zealand and the loneliness of the far north of Australia and the amazing coast of Western Australia stopping by at Monkey Mia and Wave Rock.

We tend to forget that the real cost of travelling is often less today than over the 40 years of my travels. In 1977 my round-trip airfare from Canada to Australia cost over $1700 in 1977 dollars so today it is far cheaper to fly, even with the airlines gouging for fuel, extra baggage, no service and no pleasure. The ‘Big Mac’ method of price comparison as developed by The Economist newspaper gives us a good gauge for most expenditures of today compared to yesterday but my $1500 cost to get a private pilots licence in the 1970’s seems cheap by comparison to today, but obviously not when using this Big Mac principle. Other travel costs are also far cheaper today but this should not mean that travellers should disregard the many methods of saving costs that can then be put to extended or improved travel experiences

Travel Post-Internet:

In my 40 years of travel I have had to use travel agents to make even the simplest of reservations and buy tickets, not even thinking to ask them if they had “been there, done that?” It was just a case of there being no other options to buying travel. Now we have unlimited choices and can seek out better travel agents, better prices, better selections and information about anywhere in the world for our travels – without even leaving home.

The Internet now gives travellers ideas and options of Where to go, When to go, Why to go, What to do, Who to book with and How to save money and offset costs. We can search and find experts for every travel option. If we are comfortable with the Internet we no longer have to go to a travel agent to make reservations and buy tickets except to book with some of the larger travel companies that still produce glossy brochures and offer all inclusive packages or tours that only sell through the agency system. The Internet also allows those of us who are smart enough to know when to seek out a top travel agent with knowledge, experience and expertise (KEE skills) of destinations and activities about where to find them. There is no longer any need to only use our local agents when we can find one somewhere else in the world. When we do not need ‘the knowledge’ and can do it ourselves we simply surf the web so that we can book directly with tour and travel operators wherever we have decided to go.

Some travel agents operate their own tours, some are both wholesale and retail, some limit consumer selection by only selling their ‘preferred’ suppliers and some have professional consultants with years of experience invested in gaining knowledge, experience and expertise and are worth their weight in gold to the savvy traveller. Beware though, as some are also called destination specialists and some of these designations merely require the agent to take a rudimentary test offered by tourism offices, destination marketing groups or even tour operators and in my opinion can harm the reputation of the travel industry. A specialist is not necessarily an expert.

Travel is probably the most used commercial aspect of the Internet and if retail agents want to harness this exciting medium to offer ‘the knowledge’ and their ‘kee’ skills to a global audience, not just their local community, they must embrace the changes that are happening. Travellers now have the ability to seek answers to the 5 W’s of travel and the important ‘How to’ save money and offset costs by having information just a click away.

And then it occurred to me that even internet travel prices often include a commission element even when sold directly to the consumer. If we book directly with operators we should not have to pay full retail prices as we are doing for ourselves what a retail agent would normally do for us. A dilemma for the operator is that to show a both a retail and a cost price option could deter many agents from selling the services as travellers could use an agent for free advice and book directly with the operator to get a ‘net of commission’ price. Obviously this two tier pricing is not often available but travellers who do not need advice should also not be penalized by retail pricing. A new way had to be found and I think I have found it!

The need for fairer fare prices is why I developed the Top Travel Voucher program at The Top Travel Club and I even found a dot com for it. All travel selections on the site are at ‘net of commission’ prices for members who handle there own travel arrangements directly with the operators linked on the club website using our voucher program.

I am inviting travel operators from around the world to join this program, from B&B’s, Motels, Hotels, Luxury Lodges, Eco Resorts, Beach Resorts and Tour and Adventure Operators who want to promote their products and services to travellers who are comfortable with direct bookings and reservations.

I am also inviting Travel Agents with knowledge, experience and expertise of destinations and activities to showcase their skills to a global audience of travellers and to the members of this new travel club. I am leery of ’specialist agents’ and only want experts to showcase their services.

This opportunity is available to the travel trade at no cost except for them to offer net, wholesale or outlet prices to club members and visitors to the website using top travel vouchers. I believe this program offers fairer fare prices to direct-booking travellers. The operator would normally be paying commission anyway but now travellers get the savings because they make their own arrangements.

The Top Travel Club opened in mid-April 2008 offering thousands of top travel vouchers for travel in over 70 countries with around 150 travel operators onboard. Every week we add more travel operators with more choices for members. Currently you can get savings on accommodations, adventure travel, boat charters, culinary tours, hike, bike and dive tours, auto and RV rentals fishing lodges and guides, safaris, vacation rentals, single travel, women only and dude ranches. Members get the vouchers free of charge by paying an annual membership fee and non-members can buy the vouchers on the internet at Top Travel Sites at deeply discounted prices to the face-value. The future growth will include restaurants, travel clothing, travel insurance and the opportunity to access air ticket consolidators who want to deal directly with consumers.

The way I have travelled and the way I see travel is that consumers should have unlimited access to every travel opportunity with the ability to do their own due diligence or to find a professional who can offer quality advice and services at fair prices, and to find all of this without needing endless hours of searching.

To find out more about the new way of cost offsets for travel please go to The Top Travel Club and my apologies for some of the spelling (traveller / traveler) but that is what I was taught. As long as we all understand the meaning, vive le difference!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to know about traveling in New Zealand – Part 3

What to know about a New Zealand Holiday.

Interested in traveling to this country at the bottom of the world?

If you’re keen to find the best value for your travel dollar, discover some of the best tips to enjoying your experience in NZ.

Wilderness

If you’re keen to get the most enjoyable experience from your visit down-under, then forget about the pastoral scenery of the Kiwi landscape or the idyllic existence of the alternative life styler in the Coromandel. Don’t bother exploring the pristine waters of Fjiordland or the majestic alps stretching the length of the South island (the longest alpine range in the world, according to some sources). Leave the gorgeous mountains, found smack in the centre of the North Island, to the aerial photographers as they wing their way through azure skies aboard flimsy aircraft.

Stay out of the dense, dripping forests, where the term ‘wilderness’ was surely invented for this land. It’s frighteningly easy to get lost even for the experienced. Unless, of course, you’re a deer hunter seeking that elusive twelve-pointer heard of in the last ‘Roar’ and simply can’t help yourself. Forget too, the natural hot springs that can be found from one end of the country.

Many are primitive, although others do have resort-style facilities. Some even have an entire city built around them. That’s “RotoVegas”, the colloquial term for the most pungent city in the world (Rotorua-for those who need to know its proper name). The stink is noticeable for a radius of 30 kilometers in any direction and that’s on a good day. It’s all bursting up from the ground as though the earth just farted.

Thrill

Avoid the rugged coastline where the seas can sweep the unwary fisherman off the rocks or drag the imprudent swimmer away in the undertow of a hidden rip. Oh and don’t mention dancing with the Grim Reaper, attached by the legs to a giant rubber-band on that death defying thrill; the Bungee jump, pioneered by arguably the World’s Extreme-Sports Originator, A.J.Hackett. No, never let the the wind whistle past your face as you plummet head first, at rocket speed, off the edge of a bridge.

Ignore the relatively tame glow-worm caves also found nationwide, for the crush of tourists likely to be found at the main sites. As for black water rafting, once again, anyone can pay to enjoy a hair-raising thrill (underneath the obligatory crash helmet). Here the unwitting can be seen gliding and sliding through underground tunnels, which

The significance of Anzac Day

On the 25th of April 1915, Australian and New Zealand history changed forever. It was just before dawn on this ill-fated day that thousands of brave young and some under aged men went into battle for their country and their sovreign.

The accidental landing on Gallipoli beach was the birthplace of the ANZAC’ (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps). They fought and died together, forever forging a strong bond and often cheeky banter between the two peoples. Thousands of ANZAC’S did not even make it out of the boats.

As the boats pulled to shore, the Turkish ambushed the un knowing soldiers and many were killed before stepping foot on dry land. Among them were boys aged 14 who had lied about their age so as to enable themselves to join the fight.

ANZAC day was officially named in 1916 and was commemorated by a march through London by Australian and New Zealand troops; it wasn’t however until the 1920’s that ANZAC day had become a nationally recognised day of remembrance in Australia for the 60,000 Australian diggers who lost their lives in the war. In 1927, the entire country stopped to remember those who had fallen. And by the 1930’s ANZAC traditions such as dawn services, marches, two up and going to the pub to remember your mates, had been firmly established.

In 2007 however, ANZAC day has a broader meaning that just that of those who lost their lives WW1, we also remember those who have fought and died in subsequent wars, for example WW2, Vietnam, Korea and even today’s war in Iraq. We also stop to remember those of us who are currently serving overseas in either war duty or peacetime duty. For without these diggers we would not have the freedom we have today.

We as Australians (I can not speak as a New Zealander, as I was not born there) have a lot to be thankful to our diggers for. Because of them, we have the freedom to speak our minds, the freedom to choose our lives and choose to live, and we have the freedom to stop once a day every year to say, hey mate, thanks for what you did, your sacrifice will never be forgotten’.

My family alone had several Anzac’s for which I am extremely proud. One the pops into my mind is my Great Great Uncle Charles. He died on the 9th of September 1918, Killed in Action. He served in the Australian Infantry as a private for four years of the war; he survived the Gallipoli landing and was killed at the age of 19, therefore having joined the fight when he was merely 15 years old. Like so many other heroes of that time, he never grew to see his family again, or to marry and have a family of his own. And it is this sacrifice that pulls at our heart strings every time we hear that bugle play.

So to the diggers of ANZAC, a very humbled thank you. ANZAC day is truly the most important day in Australian and New Zealand history, without you we would be lost.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,

We will remember them

Lest We Forget

Antarctica travel: The last frontier

While tourism may have broken the boundaries of our planet, with the first space tourists taking flight in 2001, you don’t have to be a billionaire for surreal views of Earth.

Antarctica’s landscape has inspired awe in even the most jaded of travelers and offer something for everyone, whether backpackers on a shoestring budget or seniors looking for a luxurious view of this natural paradise. Think you can’t travel Antarctica cheap? There is a huge variation in tour prices based on amenities, type of ship, and activities offered. Standby tickets are available in Ushuaia for as much as a 40% markdown, with the best chances of scoring a ticket in December and February or March.

You will likely travel to Antarctica by ship, although some air packages are available for short visits.

Almost all cruises leave from Ushuaia, Argentina, but look out for the occasional expedition leaving from Australia or New Zealand. Tours are typically 9-11 days but can be extended for weeks. The longer the tour, the more land time and the more opportunity to visit islands along the way. The islands are where you will see most of the wildlife on this trip.

Seabirds are the most prevalent as Antarctica’s summer produces “plankton blooms” which attract hundreds of species, including one of the world’s largest birds, the Wandering Albatross. Of course, you can expect to see Antarctica’s most famous creatures, the penguins, as they settle into their breeding season. Leopard and fur seals are also a big attraction. Most spectacular of all, however, are the dozen whale species that live in or migrate through this area, which is an internationally recognized whale sanctuary.

Do your research before you go as hundreds of tour operators offer varying packages, often catering to niche groups such as birdwatchers or photography enthusiasts.

There is no quintessential Antarctica travel guide, and no cookie cutter Antarctica tourist, find the group that offers exactly what you dream of and don’t skimp on this trip of a lifetime.

For adventure Antarctica travel finding a small tour will guarantee more time on land- responsible tours never let more than 100 people on land at a time, so large groups would have to take turns (check with the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators IAATO for more information). From kayaking and diving, to camping and ice climbing, Antarctica has it all. Look out for opportunities to train and practice before you take the trip though- so you can spend less time worrying about your skill and more time enjoying the jaw dropping views. <!- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal

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Rugby team profile: British and Irish Lions

The British and Irish Lions are a rugby union touring team, comprised of the best players from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. They usually tour every four years, with the destination country usually being one of the southern hemisphere world rugby powers.

The Lions have a long and proud history. Indeed, the first tour was as far back as 1888 to Australia and New Zealand. That must have been a long boat trip! The 1910 tour to South Africa was the first time that all four of the Home Nations’ rugby bodies were involved in the choice of players and can be seen as the beginning of the Lions as an established formal entity.

Over time the format of the Lions’ tours has evolved so that the tours tend to include warm up games against the host nation’s top provinces or club teams, followed by test matches against the host country. Since 1989’s tour to Australia the norm has been for 3 test matches to be played and the aim is to win’ the tour by winning at least two of those three test matches.

The joy of the Lions as an enduring sporting phenomenon, though, is that it’s not just about winning. It’s a rare chance for the best players from the British Isles to come together, put aside usual national rivalries and combine to produce exciting rugby.

Players still see it as a great honour to be selected for these tours and life-long friendships are forged. In an era where professionalism (and winning at all costs) have become so entrenched in sport, the Lions tours are a breath of fresh air. I think the closest comparison, in other sports, is with golf’s Ryder cup.

In recent years, the Lions have enjoyed victorious tours in Australia (1989) and in South Africa (1997). However, they’ve also been beaten twice in New Zealand (1993 and 2005) and also in Australia (2001). The 2005 tour was particularly sobering as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by New Zealand’s All Blacks and there were accusations that all was not well within the camp. It is to be hoped that the 2009 tour to South Africa will be more cohesive and more successful. However, the most important thing is that the British and Irish Lions tours remain an important part of the rugby calendar. Maybe by 2013 it may be time for another Lions tour to emerging rugby force, Argentina. The last Lions match there was away back in 1936!

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