Former Miss Australia, Mary-Ann Koznjak’s Croatia

My parents were born in Croatia and emigrated to Australia in the late 50s, but, as I was born in Australia, I consider myself very much Australian. 

Having said that, I am embarrassed to admit I know very little about the history of my ancestors’ homeland, so a trip to Croatia in mid-2012 gave me the opportunity to learn a bit about that country’s very rich and colourful history, as well as to introduce some of it’s spectacular sights to my family and a group of friends travelling with us on a 7-day sailing trip from Split to Dubrovnik.

We sailed aboard a chartered Gulet called the Amorena.  Less like a traditional Turkish Gulet and more like an upmarket motor yacht, the Amorena accommodates up to 40 guests.  Normally she is chartered on a cabin, by cabin basis, but as we were a group of 37 (16 adults and 21 children, ranging in ages from 6 to 14), we were able to charter her privately.

The Amorena boasts a crew of seven.  Additionally we hired two nannies to look after the littlest of our passengers and supervise all the kids when us adults wanted to go ashore for dinner and bar hopping.

We sailed around some of the 1,200 odd islands in the Adriatic, stopping at four to sample some local culture, food and wine.  We didn’t have to do this often, though, as our on-board chef made certain we were more than amply fed, with a fully cooked breakfast every morning, accompanied by lots of fresh fruit, yoghurts, pastries and beverages.  Lunch, dinner and snacks were also very generous.

I could go on about the islands we docked into – Brač, Hvar (where Prince Harry went for a near-nude swim in a hotel pool), Korčula, (the purported birthplace of Marco Polo) and our final stop at Polače for a traditional Goat Peka (goat cooked in an earthen oven), but the real gem was The Amorena.  During the day, we spent a few hours sailing, or motoring to our next divinely beautiful destination bay, where we moored to enjoy the crystal clear, 26 degree water, or simply kicked back to relax on one of three decks.  Water sports, such as dough-nutting and kayaking are provided, but nothing quite beats being able to jump off the top deck into the pristine waters of the Adriatic, again … and again … and again.

Our final port of call and where we sadly said goodbye to the Amorena, was the historic city of Dubrovnik.  The walled city dates back well over 1,000 years and bears the scars of the many conflicts it has witnessed over the centuries, including the more recent Balkan war of the 1990s.  Fortunately, the walls of the old city are so thick, the mortar shells simply bounced off leaving only the smallest of scars.

There are many ways to cruise the Adriatic from self-catered, bare boat, to luxury motor cruiser with staff to cater to your every whim.  Whichever way you decide to go, I guarantee, you won’t leave this beautiful part of the world without taking a piece of it to keep with you forever.

There are numerous charter companies operating in this region and I can’t recommend any one over the other, but if you have the opportunity to travel with Ivan and his crew on the Amorena, you will be treated to a truly magical and memorable holiday.

For information about the Amorena simply google her name.  She has a sister boat called the Barbara, owned and operated by the same company – two brothers who live in Split and have a boating pedigree.  We booked her through Luxury Charter Group, based in Queensland.

Alison Carmichael-Rulten

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