A River Rafting Trip, a Good Summer Vacation

Most of us are tired of the same old vacation and are looking for something just a little more exciting, while remaining safe and fun. Are you one of the many? If you want a good summer vacation, why not try a river rafting trip?

I know what you are thinking "but the kids"- not to worry, white river rafting is available at all levels. More and more of us are taking to the back country for our vacations. We're tired of the commercial vacation and looking for something that's more alive and that will stimulate our senses like never before. That's just what a river rafting trip will do for you. You'll get to see and hear the sights and sounds that nature has to offer.

If you are new to whiter river rafting, when you plan your rafting trip you'll want to make sure you choose the right package. A beginner rafting trip will be designed to get you hooked. You should start with a level one or two, which will provide you with all kinds of great adventure while keeping you save and at a level that's not difficult for you. Even as a beginner, you want to enjoy the thrill of paddling the rapids, never mind the breathtaking scenery that surrounds you.

For the adventurous it is the remoteness, for the romantic it is a private beach, for the exhausted sitting by the pool with a good book and their favourite drink. Holidays represent so many different things to a world of different people. Rarely is there a holiday experience that satisfies the myriad of the human senses than “bareboat charter” in the Whitsunday Islands situated off the north east coast of Queensland Australia.

"Bareboat Charter" is a somewhat confusing term. Simply put it is the hiring of a boat with no crew, that's right, your it.

In times past this style of holiday experience appealed most to the amateur yachtsman who longed for the wind in his hair and the spray in his face harnessing the power of nature to reach his destination. Conditions were sparse and cramped just the way he liked it.

The advent of the modern day power yachts or "motor cruiser" has changed all that to the point where a complete novice with little to no experience may also treat himself to this unique holiday. Our adventure began with the hire of a Coastal46 Cruiser from Anchors Away Bareboat Charters who work out of Abel Point Marina at Airlie Beach North Queensland.

London is so very diverse and can be overwhelming to the first time visitor. Probably one of the first thing visitors from other countries or counties in England will notice is just how expensive everyday items cost in London. Indeed, London is rated by many international travellers as the expensive place to visit, on par with Tokyo and New York.

However, London is certainly a city to visit at least once to absorb the unique atmosphere and bustle of the busy city streets. Famous landmark buildings and visitor attractions are clustered inside the "Square Mile" or City of London. London's new financial and commercial hub is the Docklands area to the east of the City, dominated by the Canary Wharf complex. Other businesses locate in the City of Westminster, the home of the UK's national government and the famous Westminster Abbey.

Within the City of Westminster, the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London and world film premieres are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements. London's theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district, and just to the east is Covent Garden, an area housing speciality shops. Shoreditch and Hoxton in the East End contain a plethora of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and galleries. Islington's one mile long Upper Street, extending northwards from The Angel, has more bars and restaurants than any other street in the UK.

Europe's busiest shopping area is Oxford Street, a shopping street nearly one mile long—which makes it the longest shopping street in the world—and home to many shops and department stores including Selfridges. The adjoining Bond Street in Mayfair is an extremely upmarket location, home to fashion, jewellery, and accessories design houses. Knightsbridge — home to the Harrods department store— lies just to the southwest. Together with these, the fashionable shopping areas of Sloane Street, and Kings Road represent London's prestigious role in the world of fashion. London also has a high number of street markets, including Camden Market for fashions and alternative products, Portobello Road for antiques, vintage and one-off clothes, and Borough Market for organic and specialist foods.

This virtual route links four of the great cathedral cities of the East of England, offering a wealth of both historical and more modern attractions, from stunning countryside and rustic landscapes to great shopping and vibrant nightlife.

Our journey starts in the contemporary cathedral city of Lincoln, before heading off to Peterborough, the Gateway to the Fens and home to the Nene Valley Railway.

The tiny but bustling city of Ely is the next stop, with its magnificent cathedral known as "The Ship of the fens" and lovely riverside walks. The final destination is Norwich, a vibrant regional capital set in the heart of East Anglia said to be one of the  UK's top 5 places to shop!

Norwich is a city that seems to have everything you could desire of a vibrant regional capital! The most complete medieval city in Britain, it is also one of the UK's top ten shopping destinations with the largest outdoor market in England, making it a popular destination for a diverse and sophisticated city break. Attractions include the Norman Cathedral and Castle, the cobbled streets and museums of old Norwich, its many medieval churches and secular buildings, and its broad range of specialist and independent retailers. It also makes an ideal base from which to explore the Norfolk Broads, Britain’s largest protected wetland with 200km of lock-free rivers, woodland and fens.

Arrival and Information 

The train station is on the east bank of the River Wensum, ten minutes' walk from the city centre along Prince of Wales Road. Long distance buses terminate at the Surrey Street station, also little more than ten minutes' walk from the town centre. The tourist office is in The Forum beside the Market Place (June-Sept Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Oct-May Mon-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-2pm; tel 01603/666071, ). The Broads Authority Office , 18 Colegate (tel 01603/610734, ), is a useful source of information for those heading for the Broads.

The best way to see the city is on foot and the tourist office's city walking tours are a good way of getting the lie of the land. It's also worth bearing in mind the riverbus, which runs from the Elm Hill Quay to the Thorpe Road Quay, opposite the train station, providing an inexpensive means of cruising Norwich's central waterway. They are operated by City Boats (tel 01603/701701), who also offer a limited range of longer cruises out into the surrounding countryside and to the Norfolk Broads from both the Elm Hill and Thorpe Road quays.