Abroad

area; and is a federation of six re publics Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro. Its territory touches on seven foreign frontiers, four of which are Soviet-dominated.

Belgrade, point of entry for most air-travellers, stands on a broad plain of the Danube. The city, coveted and conquered throughout history, is now a modern metropolis and the nerve centre of the Republic, a nation of 18,000,000. As the capital, it is the home of Marshal J. Broz Tito.

Excursion steamers ply the Danube from Belgrade to the Iron Gates on the Rumanian frontier, and motor coach tours head out along the new highways to all parts of the country.

There are frequent flights from the capital to the ancient citadels of Macedonia and to the modem resorts of the Adriatic—including Titograd, the brand new capital of Montenegro, gateway to the riviera resorts.

Tours to Titograd include such sea side colonies as St. Stefan, a 15th century Montenegrin fishing village, linked to the mainland only by a spit of sand. The whole of this tiny island has been transformed into a resort hotel, the narrow streets serv ing as corridors and the houses as tastefully furnished suites.

The road along the coast follows

the scenic Bay of Kotor, spectacular m its beauty, before leading into Dubrovnik, once the powerful port of Ragusa. Protected by law against change, Dubrovnik is an old walled town, of towers and battlements, patrician palaces and Gothic arches, but it has also such fine hotels as the Argentina, Excelsior and Im perial.

Marco Polo's Birthplace Amongst the dozens of tiny islands along the Yugoslav coast is Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo, which dates back to the Greeks. A one-day cruise takes passengers from Dub rovnik to Split, a handsome resort where the Emperor Diocletian built his massive palace in 295 AD. To day it is a dazzling showplace of architecture through the ages from the Greeks to the Byzantines.

To the north lies the scenic lake region of Plitvice with each of its 16 lakes on a different level and water cascading in a rainbow spray from one to the other.

North again is Zagreb, ancient capital of Croatia. While the old quarter of the city, with its forts and palaces, recalls the past, the rest of it is a modem hub of commerce, drawing an international clientele to its trade fair in the spring.

The country has two new jet air ports—one at Belgrade and the other at Dubrovnik. Pan-Am now has two jet flights a week direct from New York to Belgrade, and a round-the world fare, including Belgrade, is £A558/3/-, economy, £A876/6/-, first class, from Sydney. The local air service, Jugoslav Airlines, is known as JAT.

Pacific and Australasian

Travel Round-up

Tahiti Air-Sea Tour: Holi

days ex-Sydney that take in Tahiti and include a return trip on the Mon terey or Mariposa are being offered from £A2BS, fares only. This is a package deal that could be fitted into three weeks or could be extended to suit individual requirements and pockets.

The Matson vessels call at Papeete at three-week intervals and take about 10 days on the voyage south to Syd ney via Rarotonga and Auckland.

Keeping the whole operation within three weeks would therefore allow 11 days for the air journey, with stop overs at such places as Fiji or Noumea, New Caledonia, and Tahiti.

Rent-A-Caravan: Avis Rent

a-Car System in Australia now also hires out Volkswagen Kombis fitted up as caravanettes. The vehicles are lounge-dining-rooms by day and con vert to sleeping accommodation for two at night. A tent attachment is also available to zip on to the side and this will sleep three more. Equip ment includes Dunlopillo mattresses, table, food locker, cupboards, sink, ice-chest, Porta-Gas stove, etc. Hire is £A3 per day or £ls per week plus 1/- per mile.

Family Fares Across The

TASMAN: TEAL’s family conces sion fares between Australia and New Zealand should be of interest to Paci fic residents who usually take leave in one or other of these countries but never get around to seeing the other.

Under the scheme, father can take mother and the kids (the kids but not Mother must be under 25) with him across the Tasman for half their normal fare. Stay on the other side is limited to 17 days and travel must be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

NEW CALEDONIA: Information about tours in New Caledonia can be obtained from the Office du Tourism, Square Orly, Noumea, New Cale donia; or in Sydney from the French Government Tourist Office, 12 Castle reagh Street. Miss Joan Williams is in charge of the latter.

CUP FEVER: Melbourne’s famous Cup will be run on November 5 this year and for the female of the species there will be an added attraction.

Prizes—including overseas tours and motor cars—will be offered for the Best Dressed Women over the four main days of the racing carnival—the Derby, the Melbourne Cup, the Oaks and the Final Day.

Nz Tourist Hotels: The

Tourist Hotel Corporation of New Zealand which operates five hotels in the North Island—including Chateau Tongariro, Lake House,

Waikaremoana—and six in the South Island—including the Mt Cook Her mitage and Milford Hotel—has issued a most elaborate book on the subject.

Presumably designed for tourist agents, it would also make a fine souvenir for tourists themselves. Not only is it illustrated with colour and black and white photographs but il gives a lot of the history of the areas served by each of the corporation’s hotels. The corporation’s address is 50-60 Cable St., Wellington, C 3, NZ.

Adelaide Festival Of

ARTS: This festival, which will be staged for the third time in March, has again drawn a galaxy of famous names.

Among them are Britain’s noted composer and conductor, Sir William Walton, who will conduct the visit ing Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Italian conductor Alceo Galliera.

Four outstanding operatic singers in Britain, sopranos Marie Collier and Heather Harper, tenor Richard Lewis and baritone John Shaw will also appear.

The festival will include a spec tacular production of “King Henry V” to celebrate the 400th anniver sary of Shakespeare’s birth.

The view from Tahiti to neighbouring Moorea is one of the many scenes to enchant holiday-makers who take the air-sea tour from Sydney—over by air, and back in the "Mariposa" or "Monterey".