*ADVENTURERS CLUB of HONOLULU* Fall 2011*

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE - AUGUST 2011 - DECEMBER 2011

We have had very interesting meetings this year and good attendance at the meetings and I thank you for your interest and support of the activities. The venues for the next four months have been difficult as our regular places are booked. There are some changes and it is IMPORTANT that you read this newsletter very carefully and note the changes in the reservation dates. There is also the notice of the holiday party on December 15th and the renewal of membership dues. It is hard to believe that the end of the year is so rapidly approaching. I hope that each and every one of you will renew your membership for next year and invite your friends to join. Bring them to the holiday party which will be a lot of fun.

     Gretchen Neal, President

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MEMBERSHIP CHAIR’S REPORT - AUGUST 2011

The Board is happy to announce that it has allocated the sum of three hundred dollars to

encourage paid-up members of the Adventurers’ Club to attract new members.

$25 will be paid to each of twelve club members who successfully introduce an applicant during the remainder of 2011. This amount will be paid by check after the applicant has been approved by the Board and has paid the initiation fee.

As an incentive to the applicant no dues will be payable for the remainder of 2011.

An application form is enclosed with the newsletter. I will be happy to send additional forms upon request.

Contact me via: email joya2@hawaiiantel.net or phone 373-1431

Aloha,  Joy Ashton

--note:  New Member Application is in this blog on a separate PAGE

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Reminder: Adventurers’ Club members/guests may only book a reservation via our reservationists. If making reservations via e-mail, please include the words: Adventurers’ Club Meeting and the Meeting Date

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DECEMBER, 2011

Christmas Fairs in Europe

By Members Carolyn and Dave Gire

Thursday, December 15 at the

Queen Kapi‘olani Hotel—Peacock Room,

3rd Floor 150 Kapahulu Avenue

In November 2008, the Gires took a month-long trip to Europe to visit many of the traditional Christmas markets. They flew into Frankfurt, going from there by train to Munich and on to Salzburg. They joined with locals for the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree. Traveling on to Vienna, they visited several markets, and subsequently went by train to Krakow. In Krakow, they explored the old walled city, visited Auschwitz, and saw the nearby salt mines. After flying to Prague, they saw another Christmas tree lighting, took a bus to Nuremburg, and joined a river cruise to Budapest. Each day, the boat stopped at a riverside town for walking tours, castles, churches and the market. As it was off season with fewer tourists, they saw major points of interest in these cities as well as the surrounding areas and were able to see more of these cities as the residents see them.

Reservations by Erika Wyrtki. Dinner $25

     Carolyn Gire, daughter of Geoff & Joy Ashton narrated a beautiful and appropriate photo trip to Europe and the many Christmas markets they visited. Below are photos of the event:

Ralph Sprague telling compulsory joke  (soon to be President)

Adventurers Club and guests at Queen Kapolini Hotel Christmas meeting

Carolyn Gire presenting "Christmas Fairs in Europe"

Some of Carolyn and Dave's photos

Santa and friend at Christmas market in Europe

Christmas Market

Adventurers Club Board of Directors & Officers

 "Singers" leading Christmas caroling

 Skippy dancing hula to "Mele Kalikimaka"

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NOVEMBER, 2011

Around Australia in 28 day

By Members Joy and Geoff Ashton

Thursday, November 17 at Treetops Restaurant, 3737 Manoa Road

        We lived in Australia from 1958 to 1964 before coming to Hawaii. On our voyage to Australia from the UK we had seen Fremantle, Adelaide, and Melbourne before arriving in Sydney. We lived in Sydney for six months before going to Rockhampton in central Queensland where we lived for five and a half years. During that time we made several road trips. One road trip took us to Port Douglas in northern Queensland. We stayed in the Surfer's Paradise area on several occasions. On one 3-day road trip we went all the way to Sydney and visited Australia's capital city, Canberra, and the Blue Mountains. We are very fond of Australia and Australians, and their relaxed "she'll be right, mate" way of life. When the opportunity arose in April 2011 to take a 28 day trip all around Australia by cruise ship we seized it.

         Our video presentation shows scenes from Sydney in New South Wales, Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania, Melbourne in Victoria, Adelaide in South Australia; Albany, Bunbury, Fremantle and Perth in Western Australia, Broome in the Kimberley's, Darwin in the Northern Territory, as well as Cape York and Brisbane in Queensland.

Reservations byTeena Urban   Dinner: $27

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OCTOBER, 2011     -RESERVE 1 WEEK EARLY by OCT 13

Namibia
By Guest Fred MacKenzie

Thursday, October 20 at the Pagoda Hotel—East Room, 1st Floor; 1525 Rycroft Street

Namibia gained its independence from South Africa in 1990 and is now expanding its’ ecotourism. The Namib Desert fronts the ocean on the west, and the country is edicated to conservation. The country was first occupied by bushmen; followed by Bantu people before the arrival of Europeans with occupation by the Portuguese. During the nineteenth century, it was a German colony before becoming part of South Africa after World War I. A war of independence ended in 1988, and due to the specific declaration of the new country’s constitution, nearly 15% of the territory of Namibia is dedicated to conservation. Fred will display for us the varied landscapes of Namibia in the context of its climate, people, plant and animal life, fisheries, and diamond, base metal and uranium mining industries.

    

The journey begins in South Africa driving west to enter Namibia in the crossing of the Orange River. He then traveled northward to the Fish River canyon, Namibia’s most spectacular geologic feature and one of the largest canyons in the world. Continuing northwestward through the country, his group entered the Namib Desert and encountered the highest dune sands in the world, the orange and grey dunes of Sossousviei. Farther north after a stop at Swakopmund, a holiday mecca on the sea coast, he visited the Seal Colony at Cape Cross on the barren western Skeleton Coast fronting the South Atlantic. His ventures went inland from there to the Brandberg massif, and he visited some intriguing Bushman rock art, including the “White Lady”. Near the northern border with Angola, he explored the Etosha National Park and its wild life. Heading south to the Waterberg Mountains, the group visited along the way a typical base metal mine, and ended his expedition in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city.

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SEPTEMBER, 2011

Scotland

By Members Ralph and Jackie Sprague

Thursday, September 15 at Treetops Restaurant, 3737 Manoa Road

Ralph and Jackie went to Scotland in 2008, and had several beautiful days of sun. The first afternoon at Edinburgh Castle it did rain. Visitors have stated Scotland could not be toured because rain prohibited. However, the next day, at the start of their five days on tour, the sun came out and stayed out. Scotland was unbelievably beautiful in the sun. The trip went from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye visiting Loch Ness, Eilean Donan Castle, the Harry Potter railway and many battle sites of the Jacobean Movement under Bonnie Prince Charlie. The drier weather revealed the landscape, and scenes that often are not available were photographed.