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Are you ready to explore in 2027?? |
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This can't be winter..... |
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Hi Friend and THANK YOU for continuing to be part of our Girls On Tour community! Welcome to the winter edition of Secret Women's Business.
What beautiful weather we've had here on the Sunshine Coast. It's not always sunny but it's always beautiful.
This year clocks up 22 years for me in the women-only travel industry but if you listen to the media, it's a 'new thing'. You, my clients know it's not and I'm truly grateful to each and every one of you for coming along for the ride over the past 22 years.
We had a slow start to the year with both Tassie and The Kimberley being cancelled due to insufficient numbers but the unexpected addition of a sold out "The GEM and other Gems of Egypt" trip was a wonderful way to fill the gap in the touring calendar. Egypt is always a good idea and it was incredible to see the finished product in The Grand Egyptian Museum which has been so long in the making. Egypt is rightfully proud of this new world class museum and it's well worth the visit. If I was a betting girl I'd say there might be another visit to Egypt in 2028........
Our most recent trip to East Africa was nothing short of fantastic and the testimonials have been outstanding. It didn't take us long to see "The Big Five" but these are only a small part of what makes Kenya and Tanzania so special. The beauty and wonder of the migrating zebra and wildebeest to quote google is "widely celebrated as a breathtaking and magnificent spectacle of life and survival." We were fortunate to see big herds of elephants and hippos as well as cheetahs, many lions and leopards up close as opposed to far away in trees and two white rhinos up close in Ngorongoro Crater.
In August a small group of us will embark on our 'Malaysia to Mongolia including The Warriors and The Wall' trip which will add 4 more countries to the list of countries visited and in October we have a full group heading to Malta adding another country taking the total to 70 on all 7 continents. I'm so very grateful to each and every one of my ladies who have supported me over the years and for the adventures still to come.
In 2027 we are adding the final Aussie state to our itinerary, Victoria by adding our 'Vines, Valleys & Views of SA and Victoria' to our touring calendar. I am currently working on this with suppliers and will release it as soon as it's ready. Another exciting 'bucket list' trip will be our "Peru and Galapagos" tour which will include Machu Picchu, The Galapagos onboard a chartered yacht and more. Our "New Zealand Ultimate" tour in April has been sold out for some months and bookings are going great for our GOT Reunion on Norfolk Island in April.
Tours being offered in 2027 include: - "Ultimate New Zealand" - Sold Out
- "GOT Reunion Norfolk Island" - now open for past travellers or travellers with forward bookings.
- "Captivating France" - departing 29 May - coming soon
- "Vines, Valleys & Views of SA and Victoria" - departing 17 July - 17 days, coming soon!
- "Matilda Way, Qld" - departing 4 Sept - 16 days
- "Peru and Galapagos" - departing 15 Oct - 19 days
- "Antarctica, South Georgia and The Falklands" - departing November for 25 days.
I'm excited to return to France in 2027 and this will focus on mostly regional France but of course will include Paris and some WWI history and key sites as I pay tribute to my Grandfather and all who served in The Great War.
Departure date is scheduled for May 2027 and other details are coming soon.
I look forward to sharing these interesting and exciting destinations with you all this year and in 2027 and I'm so very grateful for your continued support.
Happy Travels!
Judy xx
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| | Giza Plateau - GOT The GEM and other Gems 2026 |
| | | East Africa Safari - Tanzania drivers with teams 2026 |
| | | 2027 "Vines, Valleys & Views of SA and Victoria"
departing 17th July, 2027 - 17 days Highlights include:
Adelaide River Cruise, National Wine Centre, Wine Tasting McLaren Vale, Naracoorte Caves, Umpherston Sinkhole and Balumbul Cave Garden, Great Ocean Road, Sovereign Hill, Riverboat Relaxation in Echuca, Alpine adventure to the High Country, Montalto Sculpture Trail, Phillip Island Penguin Parade, Mornington Peninsula, hidden gems and laneways of Melbourne and so much more.
Click the link below to send your expression of interest in this incredible adventure!
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| | | | 2027 "Peru and Galapagos" incl Machu Picchu
departing 15 October, 2027 - 19 days
Tick off two big bucket list items in Machu Picchu and The Galapagos Islands!
Highlights include: UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu, voted as one of the new Seven Wonders of The World, Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Cusco, Cotopaxi National Park, Quito, Sacsayhuaman and the Temple of the Sun, 5 days onboard our private yacht, 'Natural Paradise' (or similar) exploring various islands of the archipelago and much more!
Click the link to request information of this unique trip. |
| | | | 2027 "Antarctica, South Georgia and The Falklands"
departing November, 2027 - 25 days
Returning to Antarctica with Girls On Tour but for the first time including South Georgia and The Falklands, this trip will be an unforgettable adventure. Set foot on the coldest, windiest and driest continent and be in awe of it’s beauty and majesty. In South Georgia, amidst the dramatic Southern Ocean seascape, we find world-famous wildlife beaches full of jousting elephant seals, raucous fur seals, and stately king penguins. In the Falkland Islands, where birdlife abounds, we discover albatross and penguin rookeries.
Departing November for approximately 25 days.
Details coming soon.
Click the link below to send your expression of interest to receive details once available. |
| | | | 2027 "Captivating France"
departing 29 May, 2027 - 25 days.
This itinerary will start in Paris and finish in Nice and will include regional France and a few days in The Somme and The Western Front to honour all who served in WWI. The tour will also include markets, monuments, wine, villages, Châteaux, gardens, food, charming towns, cathedrals, palaces, architecture, museums and so much more. We already have over 60 EOI's so please click the link below to register your interest if you haven't already done so. Those ladies will be notified first before it goes live as numbers will be limited to 16 travellers.
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| | | | Travel Kits from Judith and Judy.... On a tour to Cambodia some time ago, my fellow traveller Judith and I discovered that we both carry with us a small emergency day kit which contains the items relevant to each of us and in my case for the benefit of my group. A big THANK YOU to Judith S from WA for being kind enough to share 'Judith's Everyday Kit' with us and mine is below that. I use a small clear zip case from Daiso. I must say that the kit has come in handy more than once on tour. |
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Let's talk cameras
Those of you who know me will know that I just love my DSLR camera. Yes, it's heavy and yes, it's bulky but it doesn't matter how good or up to date your phone camera is, the big, bulky camera, in my opinion still comes up trumps. I've had this type of camera since the inception of GOT and up until now I've had a pretty good track record but I recently damaged (beyond repair) 2, yes 2 very expensive lenses in a period of 2 months. One at The Giza Plateau and the other would you believe about 3 metres from lions in the Serengeti!! In my quest to see if either lens could be repaired I have found this great camera service and repair business located in Margate, Qld. Alan, the owner had been in the industry for over 50 years and what he doesn't know about cameras and other photographic equipment isn't worth knowing so I've warned him that I was going to give him a plug in my next newsletter. His details are shown above and I'm sure you will be happy with his service. Just in case you can't read them his website is www.f16cameraservice.com.au and email is info@f16cameraservice.com.au They repair all sorts of things including digital cameras, projectors, binoculars, telescopes etc., etc.
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| | Ease the bities
I want to give these little beauties a plug as they really do work. For some reason the tsetse flies in Tanzania took a liking to me and I had some rather nasty bites on my body. I had some of these in my medical kit but luckily for me, Jan had been given some samples by her travel doctor which she was kind enough to give me, thanks Jan. I'll definitely be replenishing my stash of itch relief patches before heading off overseas once again. They're available at chemists and online and there are several brands but I like the Nat Pat ones.
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| | Let's talk eSims
I have used a few different overseas phone products through the years and at the moment my eSim of choice is Airalo. I usually buy a global eSim which covers 170 countries and to date I've used it in 13 different countries and have had excellent coverage always. You don't have to buy a global sim, you can just buy for the country/countries needed for the period of time required and you can buy a complete package or data, calls or whatever you require, there are lots of different options.
Another product that I've heard people recommend is Holafly but I have not used it so can't comment either way.
Check out the range on the Airalo website https://www.airalo.com/ and if you decide to buy their product and you use this 'share code' JUDITH9521 you will get $5 off your first purchase and I will receive $5 'air money' for the referral. You do need to have a compatible device and this can be checked via their website.
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| | Travel Tip - Laundry
We might be on holidays but a woman's work is never done. In the past I used to go to the local laundromat and get some of the little laundry detergent box or sachets from the vending machine until I found laundry sheets. They are a little on the expensive side but they weigh next to nothing and you can tear them in half to make them go further. I love them!! They're available in most supermarkets.
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Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter Friend, have a great day......
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| | | | You are receiving this email as you've previously subscribed. If you no longer wish to receive my newsletter, please hit the 'unsubscribe button' below and I'll remove you from the list. Thanks Judy |
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