To those who are not part of our tour, but are interested in Austrian/German cooking, or have posted Austrian/German recipes on Zaar, we look forward to spending some time sampling the food from these countries.
During our week here we'd love to meet those of you who live in Austria or Germany or have a connection with these countries. Perhaps you can suggest some recipes we just have to try while we're here. We'd also love you to suggest what 'sights' we can't miss and what restaurants we should 'dine' in while we're here.
I'd like to introduce you to our tour group. Most of us are from Australia and New Zealand, but we seem to be acquiring a bit of a 'camp following' of chefs from other countries as we continue on our travels! 
:
Kookaburra
Tour leader, Kooka (the round one in the photo), is from the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Queensland. She’s 46 and single and has lived and worked in England and has toured most of Western Europe. Previously a marketing executive and academic, Kooka now lives quietly with Mother Kooka at their home, Avalon.
Jewelies
Jewelies is from the Gold Coast, Queensland. She is married with two gorgeous young daughters and runs her own business.
Aussie mum 2_2
Aussie mum is from Brisbane, Queensland. She is very well travelled having lived in England, Costa Rica, the USA and Spain. Aussie’s husband is from Argentina. She has two young children.
Susan Wareham
Susan is from the Gold Coast, Queensland. She’s into ‘retro’ recipes and, obviously, likes a laugh!
Jen T
Jen is from a small town on the North Island of New Zealand. She is happily married, retired, and mum to 3 adult daughters and has both a grandaughter and a grandson.
JanS
Jan is from Warrnambool, Victoria and works in a pub. Jan loves to travel and has been overseas several times. She is married with 5 adult sons!
kiwidutch… andria
Andria lives in The Hague, Netherlands, but is originally from New Zealand. She is married with two young children and works in the field of Patent Administration. Andria is interested in miniature embroidery - especially making Christening dresses for premature and terminally ill babies.
VegeMight
Vege lives with her boyfriend on a dairy farm in the Hunter Valley in NSW. Vege grows her own vegetables and has her own chooks and, as her name implies, is a vegetarian. Vege is a wildlife carer, but will soon be caring for her own baby - she is due to deliver in July!
Honni
Honni is married, retired and lives in Melbourne, Victoria. She has an adult son and daughter and two dogs. Honni likes pub-style food and enjoys sewing and collecting china and delftware.
NicoleN
Nicole is an Insurance Claims Supervisor from the South Island of New Zealand. She lives with her partner and their two children. Nicole loves to read and travel.
Daydream
Daydream is from Australia, loves to travel, and seems to have accumulated a multi-cultural family with members from India, Switzerland, Sweden and New Zealand - and a German dog! Daydream loves spicy food.
Kdlpmum
Kd is from Melbourne, Victoria. She is happily married with 4 adult children and 3 grandchildren. Kd is a full-time carer for her elderly father. Her passion is cooking.
LittleKiwiChook (Kez)
Kez is a New Zealander living in the UK. She has travelled extensively throughout Europe and has recorded some of her favourite UK/European recipes
here.
Evie*
Evie (the blonde one) is from Christchurch, New Zealand but was born in Scotland. Evie is interested in car racing and loves being by the sea.
Spinner
Spinner is from Geelong, Victoria. She loves her two dogs and her crockpot! Spinner also loves to travel.
Stardustannie (Shaz)
Shaz is from South Australia. She is married with two growing girls (9 and 14). Shaz’s main aim is to ‘get in shape’ - not something that is likely to happen during this tour!
Latchy
Latchy lives in Queensland. She is a volunteer cook and cooking teacher for community groups in her area.
Chrissyo
Chrissy is from Queensland, but has also lived in the Northern Territory. Chrissy is of Aboriginal descent and inherited her love of good food from her mother who worked as a station (ranch) cook. Chrissy’s favourite restaurant serves French provincial food.
Pink Princess
Princess hails from Sydney, NSW and supports the Canberra Raiders. Princess work long hours, but, since stumbling across Zaar has discovered the wonderful world of Once-a-Month-Cooking. Her favourite restaurant is a Malaysian restaurant in Melbourne.
bluemoon downunder
bluemoon lives in Melbourne, Victoria although she is originally from Adelaide, South Australia. She has also lived in both Oxford and London, England. She insists that her Zaar name be spelt with all letters in the lower case! She admits that this makes sentences look somewhat strange. Perhaps, by the end of this tour, she will also have given up using punctuation?
Cookgirl
Cookgirl is from Oregon, USA. Cookgirl loves international cuisine. Her interests include craft, her dollhouse, photography, books and exploring second hand stores. Many of Cookgirl’s favourite recipes are Mexican, so she may be able to help us out when we get to Mexico on our tour.
Kate in Katoomba
Kate lives in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, NSW. Formally involved in the theatre in the UK, Kate now writes for a children's magazine. Kate has two children and is interested in international cuisine.
Sackville Girl
Joining us from London is Sackville Girl - our host for the British leg of our tour. Sackville Girl is a devotee of foods produced in a sustainable and ethical way. Her interests include international cuisine and photography.
MarieAlice
Also from England (although originally from East Coast Canada), Marie Alice is another Briton who just couldn't bear to see the back of us and decided to run away and join our circus!
She has been appointed the official 'carer' for our pilot/limousine driver John Travolta. A job which she undertakes with embarrassing gusto.
Marie Alice lives in a tudor cottage on a beautiful Manor Estate, working as a Chef in the Manor House. She is also a qualified Medical Secretary. MarieAlice has five children, aged 15 to 29. MarieAlice enjoys collecting cookbooks, and various crafts ... and travel.
EdsGirlAngie
Angie is another 'stowaway'. Angie is from LaSalle County in Illinois and, together with Lennie, is the host of the Scandinavian Cooking Forum on Zaar. Recently married (in 2004), Angie designs advertisements for a local newspaper. Angie enjoys many interests and hobbies, including rubber stamping and henna body art. She has five cats! Angie shows impeccable taste by refusing to eat turnips.
Kookaburra
. Welcome to Vienna, Austria! Please disembark here.
-Sylvie-
pheasant farmer
txzuckerbaeckerin
kiwidutch
Daydream
Latchy
Sussan
