March 2007

•  NSW Elections Voting Procedures for Northern Highland Travellers - The NSW Elections will affect passengers on two of our tours departing in March. We have outlined the possiblities for voting below:
  AVALON AIRSHOW: You must either take up a Pre-Poll Vote at your nearest Electoral Commission Offices (this starts from 12th March 2007), OR apply for a postal vote as soon as possible...
• Carnarvon Gorge Flooding will not Affect Longreach Tours - Carnarvon Gorge has experienced Flash Flooding in the last week, however this will not affect the tour departing in June with Northern Highland Travel...

February 2007

• Our first Theatre Trip is an Overnight Success - Northern Highland Travel held its first overnight theatre trip with a trip to Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Star City Casino this weekend...
• Jenny Arrives home from Africa - Jenny enjoyed a variety of activities on her tour, and has now put together an extensive package of notes about this great destination for NHT's passengers...
• The Littlest Aitchison Starts School - Jessica joins her brother Josh at Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College at Fletcher. There were no tears on either side, with Jess confidently waving Mum and Dad goodbye.

August 2006

• Jo's Baby arrives -
• Northern Highland Travel Finalist in Telstra Business Awards - Managing Director Jennifer Aitchison told how the Directors felt very priveleged to have achieved finalist status in the prestigious awards...

November 2005

• Northern Highland Travel Wins NSW Tourism Awards for the Third Time - They are now in the NSW Tourism Hall of Fame - Family owned and operated Tour Operator and Travel Agent, Northern Highland Travel won the Significant Tour & Transport Category of the NSW Tourism Awards for Business Excellence for the third year in a row last night...

September 2005

• Australasian Bus & Coach Magazine Reports on Fuel Price Impact on the Transport Sector - Hitwise, the leading online competitive intelligence service, reports an increase of 18 percent in the number of visits to public transport websites in September 2005 compared to the same time last year...
• Joshua wins a Principal's Award at Bishop Tyrell - Joshua is going really well at school, and today received a Principal's Award for his many merit rewards he has received so far this year...
• NHT Wins Triffecta at Lower Hunter Business Excellence Awards - NHT has won the Tourism Category of the Awards for the last three years in a row, but the Business of the Year Award and the Business Woman of the Year Awards were a complete surprise...
• Lawn Hill and the Gulf Trip July 2005 by Pat and Ted Baker - The trip was great, and the people too,
  It was quite a buzz meeting sll of you.
  All those relaxing days we would spend together
  we all had our fun regardeless of weather
  
  Each day we travelled, new highlights came
  With no two places ever the same...

August 2005

• Northern Highland Travel wins Hunter's Significant Tour and Transport Operator Award! - This is the second time we have won the award, as we have won both times we have entered.
  
  We are looking forward to the NSW Tourism Awards for another chance to represent Maitland and the Hunter at the National Tourism Awards - this time as winners!
• Northern Highland Travel now an IATA Accredited International Agency - Northern Highland Travel is now an IATA Accredited International Travel Agency, giving us access to a wider variety of options for ticketing your flights and other travel needs...
• Jo Curry Notches up 4 Years - Jo is an excellent member of our staff, and we would all like to take this opportunity to congratulate her for her fantastic contribution to our company.

July 2005

• Lawn Hill and the Gulf Poem by Bruce and Margaret Jenkins - Day 1 Friday 17th June
  Sydney ? Narrabri
  
  Well this is it, today?s the day that we?ve been waiting for -
  With NORTHERN HIGHLAND TRAVEL on their LAWN HILL & GULF TOUR
  At THORNTON for our morning break, I?ll bet you?d never guess -
  A welcome cup of coffee and profiteroles, no less!
  
  When it was time to have our lunch we thought it would be a lark...

May 2005

• Third New Mercedes Benz Coach Arrives - The coach has a great array of features, including ducted vacuuming system, and lots of cupboard space around the guide's seat...

April 2005

• NHT Staff Star in OH&S Video for Coach Industry - The Hunter Company provided staff as actors and in case studies in the DVD which highlights the obligations of bus and coach operators in NSW in meeting their OH&S responsibilities...
• NHT Wins Coach of the Show at the NSW Bus & Coach Show - The coach has all the features required for extended luxury touring, including refrigerator, on board urn and cold water, air ride seats for Driver and Guide, Panoramic Windows with shadecloth blinds that cut out the glare not the view, two television monitors, and hearing aid loops for those with hearing aid T switches...

March 2005

• Warwick and Bronwen Haddon Join the NHT Team as New Crew Members - Warwick did some work with Robert in September 2003 in Western Australia, and we have been waiting for a chance to employ him ever since, the time has not been right until now...

February 2005

• New Coach Arrives! - The coach features many innovations, including hearing aid loop for the hearing impaired, two televisions, and a video camera that looks out at the road ahead, so those up the back of the coach get a great view of what is happening at the front of the coach, particularly on town tours, or tours of Factories in the Coach.
• "The Pope" Gets a Facelift, and more! - The coach seats were replaced with new state of the art seats, a new hearing aid loop was installed and so were our signature blinds which cut the glare but not the view...
• NHT Australian Tourism Awards Finalist - "The Australian Tourism Awards represent the cream of the crop in Australian Tourism Product. To even sit at the table with fellow finalists from all States and Territories is a great honour" said Managing Director Jenny Aitchison.
• Joshua Starts School Today! - At lots of practices, Joshua finally wore his school uniform for the official first time today.
  
  Jessica has moved day care centres to be closer to him so that we are driving to the same place to pick him up...

November 2004

• Northern Highland Travel Wins NSW Tourism Awards - In her speech Managing Director Jenny Aitchison paid tribute to her excellent team, particularly Paula Baillie, a Finalist in the Young Achiever Category, and those members of the team who were unable to attend the awards as they were on tour...

September 2004

• Thank you to those who voted for us as Newcastle's Most Popular Tourism Operator! - There is now a strict judging process before the winners are announced, we will keep you posted!
• NHT wins the Lower Hunter Business Enterprise Centre Tourism Operator Award - The surprise of the night was our nomination as a finalist for the award of Business of the Year from over 70 entrants in the awards...

August 2004

• NHT wins the Hunter Regional Tourism Awards - These awards are a great preparation for the NSW Tourism Awards which are held in November. We have submitted our entry and will be waiting to see if we can win at Tourism NSW for the second year in a row - Keep your fingers crossed for us!
• Sandra Crawford joins the NHT Family - Sandra brings a wealth of experience from previous travel all over Australia and overseas. She is a delightful personality, and we are sure passengers will enjoy her warmth, care and consideration for their needs.

June 2004

• Northern Highland Travel is the Fastest Growing Tourism Business in the Hunter! It's Official - With Manufacturing and Heavy Industrials winning the top three categories, we were pleased to be the fourth fastest growing company in the region.

May 2004

• Congratulations to Allan & Sandra! -

April 2004

• Congratulations to Jo and Zac! -

January 2004

• Northern Highland Travel is Australian Tourism Awards Finalist! - Jenny and Robert Aitchison travelled to Perth to attend the ceremony, but unfortunately were not able to bring back an award...

November 2003

• Poem "Ode to Carnarvon Gorge" by Cliff Dunbar - In May Cliff was Queensland bound,
  to visit places he had not yet found.
  On Saturday it was early out of bed...
• Northern Highland Travel Wins NSW State Awards - Jenny Aitchison accepted the award on behalf of Bruce and Elaine who were on a bushwalking tour of the Grampians,and Robert...

June 2003

Coconut Rolls - METHOD
Cream Butter & Sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients. Roll into balls and shake in natural sugar (preferably raw sugar, but not home brand as it is too fine ? you want it to be coarse)...
• Lawn Hill will be a great tour!!!!! - We have spent the last couple of weeks travelling around Queensland, from the outback to the Gulf to the Coral Sea...

May 2003

• What do the Terms"ppts" and "s/s" mean after the prices? - PPTS stands for "Per Person Twin Share" and is the discounted rate we can offer to those who share a room whilst on tour...
• Bruce's New Coach Has Arrived - Have a look at the new pictures of our newest baby. Weighing in at 47 seats and 28 tonnes, this baby has all the luxurious features you have come to expect from us at Northern Highland Travel - extra leg room, lumbar supports and seatbelts, huge fridges and hot and cold water for roadside cuppas, DVD, Videos, Cassettes and CD Players, as well as a new feature of two televisions, one half way down the coach for those in the romantic seats...
• Prickle Patch Signs Off on a Great Mural Again -

March 2003

• Opening Hours & Contact Details - TRADING HOURS:
  
  Monday-Friday 9.00am-5.00pm
  Weekends & Public Holidays by appointment
  
  As we operate on minimal cash operating requirements, it would be appreciated if cash payments could be made earlier in the day...
• Got the Packing Blues? - Packing for a holiday is one of the most under-rated skills of the modern age. Having two children under four, Robert and I have still got much to learn about reducing the amount of must have rubbish that seems to accompany us on all our family holidays: somebody?s favourite teddy bear or tricycle, and of course there are always the dreaded nappy changing paraphernalia...
• Travel Insurance - A Small Price to Pay for Peace of Mind - Having family in Canberra, I kept pretty up to date with the bushfires, and one thing that outraged many people was the large percentage of people who did not insure their homes prior to the bushfires...
• Time to Head North as the Colder Weather Comes (At Last) - After the long hot summer, it is nearly time to start chasing the sun again. Our son Joshua asked me if he could wear some gloves last weekend for the first time in his life! As I put an extra blanket on my bed, Robert rang from Tasmania to tell me they saw snow in Hobart on Saturday, and the weather has been very cold throughout their stay...

January 2003

• Allan Crawford joins Northern Highland Travel - Allan is one of our most experienced coach drivers, with extensive industry and touring experience, he is a valuable part of our team.

December 2002

• 2002 Family News Update - A very busy year this year as we moved our operations upstairs in our shed and installed a new phone and computer system in the office...

February 2002

• Say Goodbye to the Mess, NHT Back office is moving upstairs - We realised we had run out of room downstairs, so we have built a new office for everyone upstairs to try and deal with the enormous paperwork we have in organising the tours...
• It's a Girl - Jessica Rose - Here is a picture taken of Jenny and Jess at the NIB hospital a few days after the birth.

January 2002

• Kathie Cox joins the Team - Jenny is expecting her second baby to arrive any minute (well, actually, it was supposed to happen on Australia Day), but has managed to hold out until Kathie joined the team...

December 1999

• Joshua James Aitchison has arrived! - Joshua James Aitchison made his arrival as a Christmas Beetle on the first day of our last Christmas Tour at Walcha...

January 1999

• Robert and Jennifer got Married on 16th January 1999 - Robert and Jennifer got married at St Patrick's Church in Walcha, then were transferred in a luxury stretch limo (NHT Coach)to Gostwyck, the historic private Anglican Church near Uralla for photos, and then to Old Bishop's Court, at Armidale for their reception...