Himalayan Botanical Trek: June 2010 Yunnan, China
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For fifteen years Mary has regularly led botanical treks in the Himalayas. These have taken place in the Harki Dun Valley in Northern India; some in the Annapurna region of Nepal, and some in Sikkim and Bhutan. In China, the treks have taken place in the mountainous region of North Yunnan.
Organised by the Australian adventure travel company, World Expeditions, the treks were originally inspired by travellers who returned with a fascination for the diversity of the local flora and a desire to learn more. As a presenter on ‘Gardening Australia’ Mary was approached to join some of the expeditions with a view sharing her knowledge and providing more in depth study of the glorious plants of the region.
This specially devised itinerary follows in the footsteps of the botanical explorers who brought so many of our much-loved garden plants from the Chinese Hamalaya back to the west in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Village Ramble in Southwest France: September 2010
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This unique tour of South West France includes some gentle walking in the mornings followed by delightful picnic and restaurant lunches in which the local food and wines can be enjoyed. While walking and talking, we delve into regional history, architecture, cultural tradition and agriculture and along the way we visit historic towns, villages and chateaux as well as gardens, a vineyard and some rustic farms. The evenings are for a variety of dining experiences; from family run cafes to haute cuisine. Mary will be ably assisted on the tour by Trish Hobbs and Dany Chouet formerly of the famous Cleopatra Guest House in the Blue Mountains. They now live fulltime in France.
A note from Mary: "We have tried to create an itinerary with a balance of walking, sightseeing, shopping, eating and soaking up the glorious atmosphere.
When we have a lingering lunch we don't organise a big dinner so you can have the option of skipping a meal (most unusual in France) or just having a bowl of soup or a salad and omelette in the evening."
If we are planning a slap-up dinner at night we try and keep the lunch simple - a picnic by the river or a small cafe meal. We don't start too early in the morning and we don't try to cram too much into every day. We want you to feel relaxed and have time to really absorb the delights of this wonderful region of France.
Classic Basque Country Tour: September 2010
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This year Mary joins John Ross of J&H tours for a fabulous  gourmet and cultural tour of the famous Basque region of France and Spain.
Starting in the beautiful city of Toulouse, famed for its glorious architecture, the tour takes in Bayonne, St Jean de Luz, Biarritz and Bilboa. Don't miss out.......
Grandparents & Grandkids Ttrek in Nepal: October 2010
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Take your grandchildren on the adventure of a lifetime to Nepal.
Explore Kathmandu, trek through the villages and mountains of the Annapurnas and ride elephants on a wildlife safari in Chitwan National Park.
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