Festival Buzz/qantas Top Cellar/rwanda Rise/ What To Pack/credit-card Capers

Festival Buzz/qantas Top Cellar/rwanda Rise/ What To Pack/credit-card Capers

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday February 16, 2008

Kay O'Sullivan

Fun for art's sakeTo be or not to be in Adelaide for the 25th anniversary of the Adelaide Festival is not a question that lovers of the arts ask themselves. It is a given if you are serious about art.

But not all visitors expected for the 2008 Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts, from February 29 to March 16, are art aficionados. Far from it. Most are holidaymakers for whom the buzz created by the festival is simply an excuse to visit, says the chief executive of South Australian Tourism Commission, Andrew McEvoy.

"The art lovers are the core audience," he says. "They come for the festival and that's it. They will eat out, go for a drink but they are not likely to venture beyond that."

McEvoy says his challenge - and that of all tourism operators who schedule big events - is to motivate the holidaymakers, the people for whom the festival, footy or car race are excuses to visit a city or region rather than the sole reason, to spread their dollar around the state.

On this count, South Australia seems to be winning. Research indicates 50 per cent of visitors to the last festival in 2006 extended their trip beyond its venues to go exploring in the state.

And it helps, McEvoy says, that many of the state's major attractions, such as the wine country and the Adelaide hills, are so close to the CBD and that the festival events are often at night.

If you haven't booked your seats either on planes or at any of the festival's events, it is not too late, says Kate Gould, the festival's general manager and associate artistic director.

"While ticket sales are going well, there are still plenty of good seats left to a broad range of events, including Ainadamar, Ornette Coleman, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," she says.

And the same holds with hotel rooms. A search of internet sites revealed vacancies in various levels of accommodation in the CBD and surrounds but not all that many bargains at this stage.

See www.adelaidefestival.com.au.

Quaff with Qantas

Qantas has won three well-regarded awards for its in-flight wine.

The annual Cellar In The Sky awards in London gave our national carrier the nod for having the best first-class cellar, as well as serving the best business-class sparkling. Qantas was also recognised for consistency of wines across business and first class.

For those who turn right rather than left, these are the wines Qantas entered into the competition, which is run by Business Traveller and Wine International magazines and attracted entries from 26 airlines: Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millenaires 1995 (pictured), PHI Pinot Noir 2005, Hardy's Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2005, Penfolds Reserve Bin 05A Chardonnay 2005, Morris Old Premium Liqueur Muscat NV and in business Charles Heidsieck Mis en Cave 2003 NV.

Rwanda on a roll

It would have been unthinkable a decade ago but tourism is booming in Rwanda.

Last year tourism emerged as the country's top foreign currency earner, bringing in $47 million and overtaking coffee and tea as the mainstays of the economy. It is also the country's fastest-growing sector. Mountain gorillas remain one of the country's most popular drawcards.

Lighten up

Worth a look is the new check list on the Lonely Planet website of things to do before going travelling.

There are many helpful hints to make both the getting-away period and travel itself a stress-free experience - things such as how visa requirements can vary depending on how you enter a country.

Smart Traveller was particularly interested in the tips on packing. "Halve, halve again and then add books, wash bag and medical kit" is sage advice but easier said than done.

When on the site, click through the link to the "Universal Packing List". It has been ricocheting around the 'net since 1993 and is an extraordinary list from a chap called Geoff who could do well to follow the LP advice. His list runs to more than 300 items, including chopsticks for a trip to Asia.

I'm not quite in the "Geoff" category but I have felt better about an inability to travel light since interviewing Tony Wheeler a couple of years ago. The Lonely Planet founder told me his luggage is always heavier on the homeward journey so he packs a soft, fold-up bag for the inevitable bits he gathers along the way.

I've done the same and jolly handy it has been. The bag idea works regardless of whether it is crammed with artefacts bought at a street market or something paid for with a credit card at an end-of-season sale in Knightsbridge.

See www.lonelyplanet.com/travelchecklist.

Word of warning

Make sure you have your credit card PIN if travelling in Britain. In a bid to curb credit-card fraud, the Brits introduced the "chip and pin" system two years ago. It is now standard throughout the country and is also used in France. Credit-card companies in Australia say British retailers will accept signature-only cards but, without a PIN, I was knocked back recently at M&S, Selfridges, Harvey Nicks, the Tower of London and London Zoo.

Send news to smarttraveller@fairfax.com.au.