Owning a yacht is an experience not many people enjoy. Granted, a yacht is not an inexpensive boat to purchase or maintain. Bargains come onto the market from time to time and many do not lose their value as fast as other boats may. Restoring, renovating or repairing a boat is a labor of love. Finding most parts, such as sail fabrics, varnishes and paints is easy. Finding parts for specific makes and models of boats may be more difficult.

Parts for boats cannot be found in just any DIY store. Although yachts have showers, sinks, stoves and other features found in homes and RV’s, fixtures, appliances and fabrics must be able to withstand high moisture levels as well as salt water exposure. Most fixtures found in home repair stores will corrode quickly when exposed to sea air. This would cause problems from inconvenience to disaster.

Fortunately, there are companies that specialize in yacht replacement parts. MMIMarine.com is an example of a business that supplies parts for most yachts, vintage, used and new. The company’s inventory includes items such as faucets, drawer slides, fabrics, toilets, hardware, engine parts and much more. The company works with top manufacturers to offer the very best parts at affordable prices. Sales staff will happily work with customers to ensure the right part is purchased for the vessel. Yacht owners are proud of their boats; having everything in top shape is a symbol of pride.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the biggest advantages of hiring a planner for your corporate event is that you can easily get better rates on venues, services and entertainment. Planners have connections that will allow you to save a little on your budget upfront so you can offer a better event overall.

Another perk of hiring an event planner is that you can leave all of the small details to them while you are busy with your day-to-day work. An event planner will always consult you on the large decisions, but you can leave it to them to deal with last minute issues, cancellations or changes that need to be made to make the event great.

Event planning does not have to stop at large, glamorous event either. There are also conference planners that are available to make your afternoon or weekend business conferences exciting and fun for attendees. With a little professional planning, any event you host can be a success.

Advertising a popular tourist site requires proper multimedia presentation in today’s digital world. A marketing campaign should feature high quality video material that briefly highlights all of the attractions about a specific destination in a limited air time. In the age of social media and social networking, great advertising videos can go viral and attract millions of views worldwide. Boosting the tourism of any place in the world has never been easier, thanks to the internet.

Professional marketing experts also need to publish detailed information in the traveller sections of popular magazines, newspapers and even blogs. A one page description should be sufficient enough to entice new tourists to a particular destination. Such articles need to include topics of interest such as food, culture, music, night-life, shopping, historic sites and more. Of course, a popular tourist destination needs to be linked to good lodging. After all, what’s a tourist hot spot without good accommodations that would be acceptable by western standards. The National Geographic Traveler is an example of a publication that invites people to embark on new adventures in the hidden tourist gems of the world.

Here are some car safety checks that will help make for smooth sailing, (driving).

Repairs and Maintenance

Check that your car is not in need of major repair or maintenance. If there are problems with your vehicle, get them fixed before you leave. It is Murphy’s Law that if you don’t, the problem you have been have been putting off fixing will suddenly escalate into a major repair scenario on the road, so if your car is due for a service make sure you have it done before you leave home.

Give it a Check Up

There are a few things you need to check before your trip. Firstly, check the air filter. A clogged air filter will give you poor fuel economy. The air filter is easy to check and change. Checking your water coolant is vital, especially if you are venturing into weather conditions that differ from home.

Tyres

Check that all tyres are inflated to the correct pressure. Low pressure can cause heat to build up that may result in a blowout on the highway. Check your owner’s manual to ascertain the correct pressure. Take a look at the tread on your tyres too and don’t forget to check the spare.

Clean the Car

Take anything out of the car that you don’t need. The more weight in the car the more fuel you will use, so if you don’t need it, lose it. Before you pack up the car clean it inside and out. Pay special attention to your windscreen. Make sure the wiper water is full and also check the blades. For some reason a clean car always seems to run better and besides it will be make for a more enjoyable trip. When you do pack the car for your holiday, make sure you pack luggage as evenly as possible.

Documents

You need to make sure you have everything you need safely in your glove box before taking off. You need to carry your registration papers as well as drivers’ license. If you are stopped by police they can ask to see these. It is a good idea to carry the owner’s manual as well. Also carry any phone numbers you might and if you are in a road service club make sure you have the appropriate documentation should you need their help.

If you can’t confidently say that your car will get you there and back safely, you should make other travel arrangements, or alternatively upgrade your ride. In Australia Dreamloans offers some great car finance options to help you get behind the wheel of a steed that will last the distance.

And lastly, relax and have a wonderful holiday.

Check the Expiry Date on All of Your Passports

Take a look at the passports of all your family members – are they in date? Many countries require you to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months before you enter. If you haven’t been away in a while, you might have forgotten when your passport is due to expire.

Also, if you are traveling with babies they will usually need to have their own passport as well. To find out more, contact your passport office for more information.

Book Your Transport to the Airport

Figure out in advance how you are getting to the airport – this isn’t something you want to be doing at the last minute. If you’re driving, you will need to figure out where you can park your car during your holiday and look up the route on your GPS. Alternatively, you could choose to take a taxi to the airport to make things easier. For example, if you booked an taxi to Stanstead, it would pick you up at your house and take you and your family right to the gate.

Pack Some Entertainment for the Plane

Children can get bored and cranky during long plane journeys, so it is important to bring plenty of fun things to keep them entertained. This can include colouring books, picture books, comics, magazines, small toys, handheld video games, teddy bears and much more.

Here’s a helpful tip to keep in mind – dole out the entertainment one by one, only presenting your child with something new when they get bored with the last item. This way, they will have several little surprises to look forward to and you can maintain their interest throughout the entire flight.

Get Lots of Sleep Before You Go and On the Way

Flying can be a tiring experience. In order to prepare, make sure that you get a good sleep the few nights before your holiday. Also, try your best to sleep well on the flight if you are taking an overnight journey. Bring earplugs, a warm jumper and a neck pillow with you so that you can get comfortable and sleep – so that you can arrive at your destination with a fresh mind.

Plan Some of Your Activities

While you can be flexible on holiday, you might also want to research some of your activities in advance, so that you can be sure that you won’t miss out on them. For example, you wouldn’t want to save the waterpark for the last day of your holiday only to find out that it is not open on Sundays. Having information about your top attractions will help you to know when and where to go.

Other Clever Tips for Your Beach Getaway

• Pack your beach towels with you in your carry-on bags on the plane. You use them as pillows or blankets on the plane and if you arrive before your hotel room is ready, you can still head right to the pool for a swim while you wait.
• When you are at the beach, bring along a container of baby powder. If you sprinkle it on your feet, it will help the sand fall right off so that you won’t track it into the car or the hotel room!
• It is a good idea to bring with you a little travel first aid kit on your family beach holiday. It can include paracetamol, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, plasters, sun cream, insect repellent, tissues and other such items.
• Pack some gum for the flight, it helps to chew it while setting off and descending to ease the pressure in your eardrums.

These are just a few helpful tips to keep in mind for your family beach holiday… so have a great trip!

Max Wheeler is a freelance writer and father of two lovely little girls. He and his wife like to go on a beach holiday every year to relax in the sunshine and spend time with their daughters.

Cape Town

Established in 1652 by the Dutch East India Trading Company, Cape Town the oldest city in South Africa, and also the most popular when it comes to tourism. Originally, it was used as a resting place for spice traders – a halfway point on their long sailing voyages around the African ports. As trading became a bigger business, the area was colonised to provide hotels and places to eat, and thousands of slaves were brought in from the east to help with this transition.

View of Cape Town’s “city bowl” from Table Mountain. Image (cc) Andres de Wet/Wikimedia

In 1834, slavery was abolished in Cape Town, however laws were then passes in 1948 declaring enforced segregation – or the apartheid. Finally in 1994, South Africa won its democracy, and Cape Town continues to be the thriving hub of this diverse, cultured and historic nation. Bars and clubs light up the city centre streets, with luxury hotels and jewellers providing bespoke services and products to tourists. On the other side of town, the leafy suburbs house the vineyards and university, as well as a number of parks perfect for long evening walks and picnics.

Durban

Durban is one of South Africa’s up and coming cities, with a vibrant population of young and hip scenesters, spearheading new fashions, music and cuisine. For over 150 years, three main cultures in Durban have coexisted – the Zulus, Indians and surfers – and they each offer their own way of life, culture and religious beliefs. Durban is also one of the county’s business hot spots, not least due to the diamond mining in the surrounding quarries and hills.

Skyline of Durban, South Africa, in the morning. View from Vetchies pier. The red building on the left side is Addington Hospital, followed by the beachfront. Image (cc) Wikimedia

One of the best things about this city, is that it is home to the biggest population of Indians outside of India! This means there’s a wealth of amazing cuisine just waiting to be experienced, from spectacular restaurants to amazing food vendors out in the streets and markets. To save money on your airfare to this fantastic nation this year, be sure to search for Cheapflights South Africa for the best deals online.

Johannesburg

You can’t talk about South Africa’s greatest cities without mentioning Johannesburg, and this wonderful and diverse landscape offers everything a tourist would need! Big, bold and bustling with adventure, Johannesburg is a metropolitan and culture centre, home to huge business, pleasure and hospitality. It’s also known as the city of gold, due to the styles of its inhabitants, hell bent on wearing as much bling as they can! However the poor outweigh the rich in Johannesburg, and for every pocket of luxury suburb, you’ll find ten more slums in the city.

Early morning sunrise over the city of Johannesburg, shot looking East with the M1 Highway in the foreground. Image (cc) Dylan Harbour/Wikimedia

Clipsal 500 – Adelaide

Fly south and kick off March with eight cylinders of power, as Clipsal 500 kicks off in town, exhibiting the best talent locally and internationally. A four day event that features everything from glitzy lunches, stunts, air-shows, surprising displays and a permeating sense of family. There is truly something for everybody, including historic motorcycles and the bewitching tunes of Australia’s musical talent. Motorsport event, it is not; cultural experience? Definitely.

Formula One Grand Prix – Melbourne

Melbourne attracts a diversity of events, from glamorous fashion festivals to cuisine conventions. Take a break in Australia’s cosmopolitan capital and join the flocks of revellers lining up for the four day Formula-One-a-thon. The Grand Prix kicks off at Albert Park every year, to the deafening rumble of automotive excellence. Not to be eclipsed by the Clipsal 500, the Melbourne Grand Prix lights up the sky with expert aerial displays supplied by the RAAF, intricate exhibitions and super car demonstrations.

Quit Forest Rally – Western Australia

The Australian Rally Championships is an eight round series of rough, tumble and plenty of dirt, challenging drivers and navigators with some of the most challenging terrains in the world. The Quit Forest Rally is the second round in the line-up, combining back to back action with motorbikes and other caveats of the motorsport world.

Australiasian Safari – Western Australia

This is not a circuit race, a lap around the park or a relaxing buzz, squeezed into stages. The Australasian Safari spans from Perth to Kalgoorlie. Even the most resilient outback rides and motorbikes struggle to conquer the 4,000 kilometre tour across Australia’s most forbidding regions, some succumbing to the heat and pressure long before the half way point. The Safari is one of the only races where you can physically follow the action, stalking the racers across the stages and exploring the colours of the western wilderness.

V8 Supercars – Bathurst

Aussies love their endurance races. Mount Panorama plays host to a 1,000 kilometres of motorsport history, as Australian and international racers navigate the gruelling track, playing homage of 50 years of victors and contenders. Revel in the expertise of pit-lane, from quick wheel changes to emergency diff lapping; and cheer for your favourites as they vie for the title of King of the Mountain.

Try something different and forget the football fanaticisms of the last few years; the motorsport bandwagon is diverse and ever growing to be one of the worlds most loved cultural experiences.

For example, consider Bill Redfern. As the CEO and President of a rapidly growing company, Bill is responsible for overseeing the daily operations. And yet he still manages to find time to train for triathlons, participate in charitable events and spend time with his family.

CEO’s and other hard working businessman have stated that the key to work life balance is to purposely leave time in your schedule blank. That way, you’ll be prepared for when a scheduled meeting runs over, or when a task takes longer than expected. By cramming in as many meetings as possible, not only does your ability to work suffer, but the added stress associated with an overly busy schedule can have negative repercussions on your health.

As a loving father, Bill Redfern cherishes the time he spends with his family. When given the choice to participate in a family activity or put in more time at work, he opts for the former. If you must, pencil your family into your schedule. It may seem like a cold thing to do, but it’s better than the alternative.

If you find yourself spending more time in meetings than you do at your desk, schedule “no-meeting” days. Workers perform better when they’re given a long, continuous stretch to get a project done. In turn, you’ll have gained a few precious hours to do non-work related activities.

Some employees are committed to taking time out of their workday to exercise. Proven to reduce stress, combat fatigue and improve your overall health, exercising is a great way to gently push your business problems to the side, if only for an hour or so. And if you simply can’t get out of a meeting, suggest having the meeting outdoors, or over a walk.

Bill Redfern went a step further. He became so enthralled with exercise that he began training as a competitive athlete. In 2013 alone, Redfern has completed three Olympic distance triathlons and a half-marathon, and plans to take on an Ironman challenge later this year.

One of the best ways to maintain a healthy work-life balance is to, at least on occasion, disconnect from the rest of the world. This might mean taking a vacation on a remote island, or simply not checking your email for a few days. When you do begin communicating with the outside world again, you’ll find yourself refreshed and better equipped to do your job. And remember, the more efficient you are at work, the more time you’ll have to do other things like spend time with friends and family.

Finally, try to find the time for philanthropy and if possible, incorporate it into your everyday life. For instance, Bill Redfern is currently looking into ways to become a corporate sponsor for autism. Helping others will make you realize that there is more to life than just work.

Image (cc) Beach Gold Coast by DavidLevinson/Flickr

Day 1:

Start Here

Coolangatta Esplanade: Cooly, as the locals refer to it, is a family friendly oasis of food for all fuss levels, patrolled beaches, kitschy markets and an occasional fairground, entertaining many first dates during the school holidays. There are accommodation options for all budgets. Coolangatta is the bottleneck of the Gold Coast, connected to the buzz and bluster by a winding road and a bustling highway, leading onto your next destination.

Go Wild

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: A local holiday favourite, the wildlife sanctuary is cradled comfortably by twenty plus hectares of lavish rainforest, reflecting the truly contradictory image of the area; the sun, the surf, the concrete trappings of civilisation, offset by a natural spectacle of native conservation and education. Visitors are spellbound by wild encounters of the animal kind, as koalas, birds, crocodiles, dingos, Tasmanian devils and other friends greet the young and the young at heart with curiosity and amusement.

Eat Up

Pancakes in Paradise, Gold Coast Highway: You’re going to need energy tomorrow, lots of it, we have a big day planned! Take the kids to pancake heaven for wonderful waffles, no-nonsense nachos or a tasty classic stack with a twist. Sit back and enjoy a dash of wine or beer, after a long day of carrying around bags and fielding a thousand questions. The dense, yet tasty flavours will satisfy little mouths and big appetites; you’re on holiday, why shouldn’t you have pancakes for dinner?

Day 2:

Morning Swim

Shake the dust with a quick dip at Kirra Beach, letting the cool morning tides wash over you or watch the sun sparkle through the sea-spray and early mist. Let the kids collect shells and enjoy the moment. How often do you just relax in the moment at home? After the sand is out of your hair (and your clothes), roll on in to Kirramisu Café and chill out together, coffee loading, milkshake sipping and breakfast eating your early hours away. Yes, we’re feeding you again. Read on and you’ll see why. Don’t forget to pack your swimmers!

Dream On

Theme Park Alley, Helensvale: A neat thirty minute drive from Kirra beach, this stretch of theme parks is the bedrock of entertainment on the Gold Coast. Dastardly drops, ripping rollercoasters, water flumes, upside down adventures, slippery slides, action adventure, stunt shows and movie stars – Movieworld, Dreamworld and Wet ‘n’ Wild are dream makers, a guaranteed happy pill requiring a surprising amount of energy, lots of sunscreen and a truckload or two of relaxation – don’t try and control the fun, just let it happen. But which one to pick? My Fun has compiled the essential (and non-essential) details for discerning parents just like you, check out their site and book online.

By Jessica Hannah

Camping can make for a great solitary activity, a wild trip with friends, or an exciting holiday with the whole family. Nonetheless, camping can be dangerous, and experienced campers, hikers, and backpackers know that even the most carefully planned excursions can go awry. Some of the most desirable camping destinations are also among the most dangerous; from a simple shift in the weather to a rock slide or more dangerous natural disaster, any number of factors can turn a pleasant camping trip into a nightmare.

The best way to protect yourself from the unexpected while camping is to carry the correct emergency equipment and to familiarize yourself with the correct use of that equipment before heading into the great outdoors. Below are four pieces of emergency gear that no camper should be without:

Lightweight Water Storage Bladder

One of the most dangerous hazards of hiking is getting lost in unfamiliar territory. Losing direction can happen even to very experienced outdoorsmen and should not be taken lightly, even if you aren’t planning to head far off the beaten path. Inclement weather can wash out trails and change the appearance of rain, and there’s always a risk of losing critical navigation equipment, like a map, GPS, or compass.

In the unfortunate event that you do become lost, your first and chief concern should be to maintain a portable supply of water. Carrying a water storage bladder, like a Fabric Solutions pillow tank, will permit you greatly increase your water carrying capacity without weighing you down when the bladder isn’t filled with water. Bladders can easily be carried along when you don’t need them, and may prove critical when you do.

Emergency Blanket

An emergency blanket offers protection against both extreme sun and extreme cold. Even the cheapest emergency blankets will allow users to retain up to 90% of body head over the course of an evening in the cold, while the best emergency blankets will retain nearly 100% of body heat. They also can act as effective makeshift sunshades in the event of a hiker getting caught in excessively high temperatures. Emergency blankets are extremely lightweight and compact when not in use, making them an easy addition to any backpack.

Solar Cell Phone Charger

The wise hiker or camper will not rely on a cell phone to get out of trouble; cell phones can be easily damaged and may lose service in more remote areas. That said, a hiker in an emergency situation stands a much better chance of survival with a functioning cell phone available. A solar cell phone charger will allow you to maintain power to your cell phone indefinitely.

First Aid Kit

It may seem obvious, but a first aid kit is absolutely indispensable to campers and hikers. Though a quality kit will certainly add weight to your pack, the advantages are too numerous to ignore — a supply of disinfectants, medical bandages, and basic medicines will significantly raise survival chances in an emergency situation.