Aerial view of Queenstown on banks of Lake Wakatipu. Source: Supplied
The Al Bait Sharjah hotel is scheduled to open in early 2015. Source: Supplied
THE United Arab Emirates will welcome a suave new hotel when the Al Bait Sharjah Hotel opens its doors in 2015.
1 Queenstown plus
AUSTRALIANS can look forward to more frequent flights to Queenstown this year, with Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia to add more than 30,000 seats over winter. The airlines will operate at least five extra return A320 services a week from Brisbane from July to September. Air NZ's Norm Thompson said the alliance will operate up to 30 direct services a week to Queenstown during winter.
See airnewzealand.co.nz or virginaustralia.com
2 Sharjah shares luxury with heritage
A LUXURIOUS new hotel incorporating longstanding heritage buildings will open in the United Arab Emirates in early 2015.
The Al Bait Sharjah hotel will be managed by GHM hotel group, which also manages The Chedi Muscat in Oman and is planning to open The Chedi Khorfakkan the same year.
The hotel will have 54 guest rooms, many opening on to private courtyards, a traditional Arabic tea and coffee house, day spa and restaurants.
Its design will include arched porticos, rooftop terraces and a warren of pedestrian arteries throughout the compound.
See ghmhotels.com
3 Hit new highs
FOUR of the world's most famous mountaineers will lead adventures for World Expeditions. Englishman Simon Yates will lead an ascent of Mt Blackburn in Alaska next April. Past Everest summit partners Greg Mortimer and Tim Macartney-Snape will take turns leading a new expedition through Pakistan's Karakoram Mountain Range, while Soren Kruse-Ledet will lead a trip to Mt Baruntse in September. Climbers can meet Macartney-Snape in Sydney on July 25.
Ph 1300 720 000 or see worldexpeditions.com
4 Secret Sicily
CELEBRITY chef Dominique Rizzo has launched a range of food and wine tours exploring Italy, Sicily, the Aeolian Islands, Greece, Germany and more. The Ready Steady Cook and The Living Room regular will take travellers to areas off normal tourist routes. The 15-day Charming Sicily tour next May starts from $6095 a person, twin share (excluding flights).
Ph (07) 3267 1667 or see purefoodcooking tours.com.au
5 Harbour's cooking
CAPTAIN Cook Cruises is set to launch a newly built $3 million boat on Sydney Harbour, due to be in operation by October. The 24m Rocket catamaran will be the first addition to the fleet since the MV Sydney 2000 and will be designed in Sydney and built in Tasmania.
The eco-friendly, more fuel-efficient vessel will have two levels and will be certified to carry 127 passengers in coastal operation and 198 passengers in harbour operation.
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