Guiding visitors through one of the most spectacular locations in Australia, Caity and Christian Bom from CQ Tours are ready to share their passion, knowledge, and beautiful backyard of Nyanda Station and Carnarvon National Park with intrepid travellers
Keen to help guests gain a greater understanding of the landscape and what makes the sandstone wilderness so special, the two accredited Savannah guides launched their business in January 2022, and proudly hosted their first guided tour last week.
Offering several options from walking tours to popular sites of Carnarvon Gorge to 4×4 Tag-along tours through Nyanda Station, viewing rarely seen parts of Carnarvon National Park, along with the Nyanda Gorge Tour which includes a scenic tag-along drive through creeks and waterways before exploring the Nyanda Gorge via foot, CQ Tours can customize your experience to ensure you see and do more.
With Caity growing up on Nyanda Station, a 38,500-acre working cattle property neighbouring Carnarvon Gorge, she spent much of her childhood exploring the area with her family and discovering many hidden gems.
Its name meaning ‘the place of many waters’, Nyanda is a rugged sandstone landscape adorned with permanently flowing creeks and ancient sandstone cliffs and as Caity advocates, the perfect place to immerse yourself in nature and learn the origins of these incredible natural wonders.
“Christian and I are so excited to welcome people to our home through CQ Tours, and we can’t wait to take tours to places that have never been accessible to the public before now,” Caity said. “We both previously worked at the Capricorn Caves near Rockhampton, under the leadership of the late Ann Augusteyn, who instilled a deep passion for interpretation in both of us.”
“After marrying in 2021, Christian and I took a three-month trip around Queensland, and on returning decided that it was time to make a job out of doing what we enjoy the most,” Caity said.
Excited to be the very first guest of CQ Tours, Cathy Reade was full of commendation for the new touring business and is already planning her next visit.
“Our visit to the beautiful Nyanda Gorge with a tag along tour and walk up through the creek and gorge is something we won’t forget,” Cathy said. “We were fortunate to discover an abundance of wildlife, birdlife, wonderful ancient cycads, orchards and native trees we’ve never heard of before.”
“Caity and Christian’s deep love, respect and knowledge of this special place really helped us to appreciate the whole experience all the more,” Cathy said.
Capricorn Enterprise Marketing Manager, Krista Brown is thrilled to see CQ Tours join the existing group of top-class tourism operators based at Carnarvon Gorge in Central Queensland Highlands.
“Carnarvon Gorge is an absolute hero product for our region, and we are so fortunate to see businesses such as CQ Tours continue to invest in the tourism industry,” Krista said. “Arriving with previous experience from the iconic Capricorn Caves, we have no doubt that Caity and Christian will deliver something very special for their guests.”
CQ Tours joins Carnarvon Gorge Eco-Tours to complement and deliver a full range of tour options for all ages and abilities.
Queensland coastal destination specialists Dreamtime Resorts have made their first foray in Central Queensland, with the recent purchase of three key Capricorn Coast properties – Salt Apartments, Echelon Apartments, and Beaches on Lammermoor.
Adding to a unique collection of 16 properties along Australia’s eastern coastline including in Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, and Gold Coast, Dreamtime is one of Australia’s foremost independent resort management groups, striving to offer the best mix of quality lodgings and value for money for both leisure and business travel.
With a property also at Bargara near Bundaberg, the attainment of the three Capricorn Coast properties further enhances Dreamtime’s footprint on the Southern Great Barrier Reef destination, with Capricorn Enterprise CEO Mary Carroll pleased to see this large company putting their faith in our strong economy.
“There is no greater compliment to the success and growth of our region, than trusted leisure brands such as Dreamtime investing in products and development, and in turn, assisting to increase visitation within our communities,” Mary said.
“We recently saw another national company, Breeze Holiday Parks, purchasing property in Carnarvon Gorge late last year, and prior to that, welcomed a number of national retailers to the Capricorn Coast Homemaker Centre in Yeppoon.”
Identified by the quality of Dreamtime Resort’s fully self-contained, apartment style holiday accommodation, that caters to guests who prefer “a home away from home atmosphere”, the three Capricorn Coast properties ticked all the business’ criteria boxes.
Dreamtime Resorts General Manager, Bryan Fitzpatrick said that the team was excited to join the Capricorn Coast community and were proud to include this beautiful location as part of their nationally recognised brand.
“Yeppoon and the Southern Great Barrier Reef sells itself, and we remain committed to providing our guests with a memorable accommodation experience that complements their holiday and becomes part of their positive memories,” Bryan said.
“Our onsite managers for the three properties, Brigid and Tim have truly settled into the community and are thoroughly enjoying their new adventure on the Capricorn Coast.”
In addition to providing some of Australia’s most popular holiday accommodation, Dreamtime also provide an unsurpassed support, guidance and consulting platform for investors seeking to enter the management rights industry as well as existing managers seeking the advantages that come from being part of an experienced, professional management team.
For more information, or to book your next stay on the Capricorn Coast, visit www.stayyeppoon.com.au.
Commencing on 7 April 2023, PONANT ‘s programme of 26 new itineraries onboard Le Ponant for the 2023 Kimberley season covers the Northern Kimberley, Southern Kimberley, and the Rowley Shoals.
PONANT’s expertise and signature travel visions onboard Le Ponant highlight the unique mix of adventure, sustainability, and barefoot luxury. The newly refurbished yacht has been transformed to feature the latest technical innovations to reduce emissions and is equipped with state-of-the-art Zodiacs for shore landings and excursions. Having been entirely renovated with a sleek, sophisticated design by Jean-Philippe Nuel Studio, Le Ponant offers an intimate setting with only 16 staterooms for a maximum of 32 guests being looked after by 32 crew members. An invitation to sail and experience Australia’s breathtaking Kimberley coastline on a journey that combines exploration and eco-responsibility in luxury.
As an exclusive addition to this experience, the Northern and Southern Kimberley itineraries include an exclusive charter flight between Kununurra and Kuri Bay or Broome and Kuri Bay on board one of Australian company Paspaley’s vintage Grumman Mallard flying boats to take guests from or to their embarkation point, as well as an exclusive guided visit of Paspaley’s pearl farms in Kuri Bay.
“An Australian-first, PONANT’s Pinnacle Kimberley Experience on board Le Ponant will offer guests a truly unique experience; with a maximum of 32 guests only, Le Ponant‘s itineraries open up a mix of the iconic and lesser-known destinations along this spectacular coastline”, concludes Sarina Bratton AM, PONANT Chairman for Asia Pacific.
“Northern Kimberley Sailing Expedition” on board Le Ponant – 9 nights or 10 nights
An immersive expedition including exploration of the spectacular 80-metre-high sandstone cliffs of the King George River Gorge and its Twin Falls, the highest in Western Australia, the chance to uncover the stories behind the enigmatic Gwion Gwion rock art and experience Prince Frederick Harbour, one of the largest and most scenic inlets of the Kimberley coast.
9-night package departs 7 April 2023, 28 April, 23 June, 18 August, and 1 October 2023.
From AUD17,370 per person in a Mistral Stateroom, including 7-night sailing expedition on board Le Ponant including all meals and accommodation and shore excursions, 1-night pre and 1-night post sailing accommodation, transfers, charter flight on board Paspaley’s flying boat, and Paspaley Pearl Farm experience at Kuri Bay. Find out more about the expedition.
10-night package departs 5 May, 19 May, 30 June, 14 July, 25 August, 12 May, 7 July 2023.
The Paspaley Flying Boat
From AUD17,470 per person in a Mistral Stateroom, including 7-night sailing expedition on board Le Ponant including all meals and accommodation and shore excursions, 1-night pre and 2-night post sailing accommodation or 2-night pre and 1-night post sailing accommodation, transfers, charter flight on board Paspaley’s flying boat, and Paspaley Pearl Farm experience at Kuri Bay. Find out more about the expedition.
“Southern Kimberley Sailing Expedition” on board Le Ponant – 9 nights or 10 nights
Discover the pristine beaches and remarkable scenery of the Buccaneer archipelago and search for iconic bird species such as White-Bellied Sea Eagles, Brahminy kites and Ospreys. Guests will be able to watch in awe as the tidal waters flow off Montgomery reef and witness the unique tidal phenomenon of the Horizontal Falls in Talbot Bay.
9-night package departs 26 May, 21 July, 1 September 2023.
From AUD16,860 per person in a Mistral Stateroom, including 7-night sailing expedition on board Le Ponant including all meals and accommodation and shore excursions, 2 pre sailing accommodation, transfers, charter flight on board Paspaley Pearl Farm experience at Kuri Bay.
The Qantas Group and Airbus will invest up to US$200 million to accelerate the establishment of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry in Australia, in a landmark agreement.
The Australian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Partnership was signed by Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury in Doha today, ahead of the IATA AGM.
Due to the lack of a local commercial-scale SAF industry, Australia is currently exporting millions of tonnes of feedstock every year, such as canola and animal tallow to be made into SAF in other countries.
The Qantas Group, which has committed to using 10 per cent SAF in its overall fuel mix by 2030, is sourcing SAF overseas. This includes 15 per cent of its fuel use out of London currently and 20 million litres each year for flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Australia from 2025.
Sustainable fuels cut greenhouse gas emissions by around 80 per cent compared to traditional kerosene and are the most significant tool airlines currently have to reduce their impact on the environment – particularly given they can be used in today’s engines with no modifications.
The Qantas and Airbus partnership will invest in locally developed and produced SAF and feedstock initiatives. Projects will have to be commercially viable and meet a strict set of criteria around environmental sustainability.
Airbus and Qantas agreed to work together on the sustainability initiative as part of the airline’s recently announced orders, including the A350-1000 to operate Project Sunrise non-stop flights from Australia to New York and London and the selection of the A220 and A321XLR under the Qantas Group’s Project Winton’ domestic fleet renewal, as well as lower emission aircraft for its subsidiary Jetstar.
The new fleet will offer a significant reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 25 per cent from day one and are all already certified for operation using 50 per cent SAF.
The partnership is initially for five years with options to extend the duration. Qantas’ financial contribution to the Australian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Partnership includes AU$50 million previously committed to research and development of SAF in Australia.
Pratt & Whitney, whose GTF engines were recently selected by Qantas for their new A220 and A320neo family aircraft, is also contributing to the venture. The company supports greater use of cleaner, alternative fuels including SAF, while continually advancing the efficiency of aircraft propulsion technology.
Qantas has started a process of talking to its major corporate customers about their interest in accessing SAF offsets for their organisation’s flying. This input is shaping the design of a program that could also be extended to individuals in an expansion of the existing offsetting program Qantas already has in place. This new program is expected to launch later this calendar year.
Save $1000 per person on an amazing rail, sail and drive tour of New Zealand. Was $4499 per person, now pay from $3499 per person as you celebrate the beauty of the South and North Islands in this extraordinary New Zealand holiday!
Fly to picturesque Queenstown, famously known as the adventure capital of New Zealand. Then drive to Milford Sound for the most spectacular way to explore the stunning region – overnighting aboard the Fiordland Navigator.
Cruise to the open sea with the nature guide and friendly crew, before anchoring for the night in sheltered Harrison Cove. Wildlife viewing opportunities and a special dinner are all part of the unforgettable experience.
Jump back in the car and head to Franz Josef Glacier where you have two nights to explore the lively town in the heart of the West Coast. Of course, the unmissable attraction is to get a good view of the famous 12km long glacier.
Next is another spellbinding highlight aboard one of the world’s great train journeys, the TranzAlpine Scenic Train. Travel across the South Island, from west to east, through Arthur’s Pass National Park and descend to the Canterbury Plains before arriving in Christchurch.
After time to explore the southern capital, it’s another thrilling journey, this time aboard the Coastal Pacific Train and interisland ferry from Christchurch to Wellington.
Travelling between Christchurch and Picton, the Coastal Pacific meanders breathtakingly close to the sea, where the roaring Pacific Ocean meets the rising Kaikōura mountains.
The Coastal Pacific isn’t just a scenic activity, combined with the Interislander Ferry it is the perfect way to connect between the South and North islands.
Enjoy two nights discover the highlights of Wellington, the Harbour Capital and board the Northern Explorer train bound for Auckland. Experience the extremes of New Zealand’s scenery, from the fertile farmlands of Waikato to the volcanic peaks of the Central Plateau and the sparkling Kapiti coast.
A three-night stay in Auckland caps off this breathtaking journey perfectly before it’s time to say Mā te wā Aotearoa – see you next time New Zealand!
Why you’ll love this trip:
Explore Milford Sound on the Fiordland Navigator, nothing compares to a night on the fjord
Stay 3 nights in Queenstown and 2 nights in Franz Josef and Christchurch
Enjoy the convenience of car hire to see more of the South Island
Travel on the world-famous TranzAlpine Scenic Train
Take an amazing ride on the heritage trams around Christchurch’s city loop
The Coastal Pacific and Interisland ferry connect the South and North islands
Discover the delights of Wellington and Auckland with extended stays & bus tours
Flights from Australia are included on this worry-free holiday!
Your Holiday Includes:
Flights – Return economy airfare to Queenstown & from Auckland
Fly from Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane (ask for other cities)
Car hire – 6 days Economy, automatic vehicle
Unlimited kilometres
Pick up Queenstown Airport, drop off Greymouth Rail Terminal
Accommodation – 12 nights in standard rooms, twin share
3 nights Queenstown – Quest Hotel, Ramada Suites or Holiday Inn
2 nights Franz Josef – Punga View or Glacier View Motel
2 nights Christchurch – Quest on Manchester or Ramada Suites
2 nights Wellington – Mercure Hotel or similar
3 nights Auckland – Grand Central Serviced Apartments or similar
It’s been four years since the movie Crazy Rich Asians took the world by storm but in the interim we’ve had two waves of covid during which travel to, through and from the smal, vibrant island nation came to a crashing halt, write Sue Williams.
The US$30 million movie centred around an ultra-lavish wedding and the razzle-dazzle flashiness that can be Singapore was beautifully showcased, from the party atop the landmark 57-level towers of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel to the helicopter sweep over the glistening modern city, from the stunning shopping malls to the elegance of Raffles Hotel.
It came too just as Singapore was proclaimed the most expensive city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2018 – and for the fifth year running.
And now that we can even think about visiting again, while it would be delightful to be crazy rich in Singapore, you didn’t need then to be wealthy to enjoy it as a tourist, and you still don’t. For the island nation feels strangely bi-polar and while maybe it’s still not the place for the crazy poor, the crazy not-so-rich can definitely have a brilliant time.
And for seasoned travellers it has one thing going for it – it may rightly feel like you are truly in Asia but it is so indisputably clean and safe that you can totally relax.
Take the food, for example. The fine dining is very fine indeed, but the reason that many people very rarely eat at home is that eating out generally is so incredibly cheap. Street food at any of the 100-plus hawker centres around the city, like the Chinatown Complex Food Centre with its 260 food stalls, the Maxwell Food Centre and Boon Tat Street aka ‘Satay Street’, is very good … and very, very cheap.
Singapore even has two food stalls with Michelin star ratings. Chicken rice – roasted chicken and white rice and pickles – at Hong Kong Soya Sauce starts at just A$3, and is billed as the cheapest Michelin-starred meal in the world.
Then there’s the accommodation. The top hotels are often better-priced than their equivalents around the world, like, for example, the stunning new Six Senses Duxton boutique hotel, with its Anouska Hempel-designed gold and black interiors, but at the other end of the scale, there’s also a wide choice. Dormitory accommodation starts at A$20 a night, and a 2.5-star hotel room at A$50.
Shopping too can be luxe – as in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands or on the Orchard Road boulevard, considered Asia’s version of New York’s Fifth Avenue – but at lower-cost centres like the Chinatown Complex, you can pick up cotton shirts from A$3.50, wrap skirts from A$4.50 and all manner of bargain basement souvenirs.
Transport, in addition, is surprisingly well-priced. The trains are very, very cheap and even the taxis have fares probably a fifth of what you’d pay for a similar distance ride in Sydney or Melbourne.
And then there’s what to see and do, and Singapore has more freebies here than almost any city I know.
At Marina Bay Sands, there’s the nightly outdoor light and water shows, while Supertree Grove next door, with their giant tree-like vertical gardens can be explored by day or by night when they’re lit up by their studding of thousands of photo-voltaic cells. Drone sweeps over the structures are product placement in Crazy Rich Asians, bar none
For kids, there’s also the free children’s garden with water play features, interactive games and educational programs in a lush green setting.
As far as culture goes, there’s free entry to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, a Tang-styled Chinese Buddhist temple built in 2007, with awe-inspiring art and cultural exhibits. One of Singapore’s oldest temples also offers free admission, the Hindu Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, dedicated to the goddess and destroyer of evil, Kali.
The iconic 70-tonne, 8.6-metre-high Merlion statue is another memorable sight, with water pouring from its mouth on the waterfront promenade, while on the other side of the water Helix Bridge, a curved bridge designed to resemble a DNA ladder, offers panoramic views of the city.
There’s so much both commercial and residential architecture to admire too, including the complete greenery-wrapped new 27-level Oasia Hotel Downtown and the 19th Century neoclassical former Catholic convent, with lawns, courtyards and marble fountains, which features in the movie as its wedding chapel.
The incredible gardens of Singapore always leave visitors awestruck. Gardens by the Bay, reclaimed land from the sea for a 101-hectare green oasis in the heart of the city, includes two massive, free-standing domes: the Flower Dome – the largest glass greenhouse in the world – and the Cloud Forest. While admission to the gardens is free, tickets to the two domes are just A$28 per adult.
In addition, the Singapore Botanic Gardens are free to visit and were recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, with its 13 hectares of virgin rainforest, overgrown plantations, and National Orchid Garden. There’s also a treetop walk at the MacRitchie Reservoir, a free-standing, 250-metre-long suspension bridge 25 metres up from the forest floor.
There are always lots of free events as well. On Sundays, there’s a showcase of local musicians at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, and Singapore has free festivals all year around, like the Hindu Deepavali from September to November 25, and events for Christmas which starts in mid-November.
One of the things I loved most about Singapore, and which won’t have changed, is wandering around the different neighbourhoods and people-watching.
Chinatown is a fabulous cultural enclave with a bustling, colourful mix of old and new, including night markets, spas, bakeries, bars and restaurants. Kampong Glam is the Malay-Arab quarter and has the old Royal Palace, the Sultan Mosque and the Tombs of the Malayan Princes.
Close by is Little India, a showcase of Indian heritage, food and clothing, while Koon Seng Road, Joo Chiat, is one of Singapore’s most historic areas and the preserve of its unique Peranakan culture, and is lined with colourful pre-war shophouses with ornate facades.
Finally, there are some lovely beaches. Sentosa Island has a number of the best, including Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong.
The latter was the scenic setting a friend’s real wedding, where she married her fiancé on the sand beneath a make-shift wooden arch decorated with flowers. It was nowhere near a fraction of the cost of the Crazy Rich Asians’ wedding, but absolutely beautiful in its simplicity.
“You see,” she said to me the day after the ceremony as we went to eat some hawker food in Chinatown. “To have a good time in Singapore, you don’t have to be crazy rich. Of course, it would always help, but it can be just as beautiful on a budget.” I couldn’t help but agree.
Sue Williams stayed in Singapore as a guest of Six Senses Duxton, Singapore
TRIPNOTES
Covid: Having endured its own lockdowns, in recent months Singapore has transitioned to a new Vaccinated Travel Framework. If you’re fully vaccinated and haven’t visited a ‘Restricted Category’ destination, you can enter Singapore quarantine free. You no longer need a pre-departure test before travelling to Singapore. You’ll need to complete a Singapore Arrival Card. If you’re not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have received prior approval to enter Singapore, you’ll need travel insurance with a minimum coverage of SGD$30,000. You don’t need a pre-departure test to transit through Singapore. This information is subject to change but is valid as at June 24, 2022.
Fly: Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Scoot and Emirates are among the airlines flying regularly direct from Australian cities to Singapore
Stay: Six Senses Duxton, 83 Duxton Road, Singapore, a new boutique heritage hotel in Chinatown. Phone (+65) 6914 1428. See sixsenses.com/hotels/duxton/destination
More Information: visitsingapore.com; traveller.com.au/singapore
SYDNEY (24 June 2022) – Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the self-styled innovator in global cruise travel with a 55-year history of breaking boundaries, will return to Asia for the 2023-2024 cruise season, featuring 12 immersive and port-rich sailings ranging from 10- to 12-days on board Norwegian Jewel as well as a 16-day Extraordinary Journey from Seattle, Washington (U.S.) to Tokyo, Japan.
The extensive season will operate from October 2023 to March 2024 and will see a vast choice of departure ports including Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan; Taipei (Keelung); Singapore; Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Malaysia; Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand; Benoa, Bali; and Seoul (Incheon), South Korea.
In addition, the Company will make “Brand first” visits to four ports in the region including Puerto Princesa, Boracay, Salomague and Hualien, where travellers will explore the natural beauty and rich culture of the Philippines and Taiwan.
Norwegian Jewel returns to Asia for her second successful season in the region following a 16-day repositioning cruise from Seattle, Washington (U.S.) to Tokyo, Japan via the wilds of Alaska. Her port-intensive Asia itineraries mostly include less than two sea-days per cruise as well as multiple late-night departures and overnight calls on select itineraries in Osaka, Japan; Singapore; and Phuket, Thailand.
Almost all cruises are open-jaw, allowing travellers to bookend their voyage with land explorations in different exotic destinations.
“We’re thrilled to return to Asia and to reaffirm our commitment to one of the most sought-after cruise destinations around the world,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We couldn’t be more pleased to make our long-awaited return to this uniquely diverse and culturally rich region with Norwegian Jewel, a ship we already know is incredibly popular in Asia.”
Asia’s energetic cities, lush green landscapes and idyllic tropical islands are best explored by sea. Whether guests are seeking to couple the culinary delights of Japan with the bright lights of Taipei, or an island-exploration of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, visiting jewels such as Langkawi, Lombok and Phuket, NCL’s Asia program on board Norwegian Jewel offers travellers diverse itineraries together with the freedom to fully immerse themselves in the destination.
On board Norwegian Jewel, guests can enjoy numerous amenities including action-packed activities at the outdoor Sports Complex, high energy Zumba® and Flywheel Sports® classes, and multiple uniquely themed bars and lounges, including Bliss Ultra Lounge where guests can dance the night away.
Norwegian Jewel, with a guest capacity of 2,376, also offers some of the largest suites at sea with staterooms that accommodate every style and budget. The ship also offers a Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suite that features the most luxurious, well-appointed accommodations on board, including a 24-hour butler service.
Earlier this year, I sensed that travel was about to become easier around the world and, with most pre-booked tickets fully refundable and my mother’s 90th birthday coming up in Scotland in June, I thought I’d get in early and get some cheap return flights to the UK.
I called up my mate (and MildRover contributor) Kieran Prendiville to rebook our covid-postponed annual hike, this time nominating the Great Glen Way, from Fort William to Inverness in Scotland. He was up for it and we locked in the dates.
Then I was able to score premium economy return tickets using only half my available Qantas Frequent Flyer points plus $190. Whoo-hoo! Okay, I would be flying out via Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific and British Airways, returning on BA, but this was the bargain of a lifetime
That was about the last piece of good news I received relating to this cursed trip. And, fair warning, if you aren’t interested in the nuts and bolts of how a carefully planned and booked return trip to the UK can become a fraught round-the-world marathon, stop reading now.
Flight change
About six weeks out, I got an email from Qantas with the heading “your trip details have changed”.
Experienced travellers will know this usually means something like the flight is leaving at 10 past rather than 5 past the hour. But I thought I’d better check. Hmmm. It turned out one of my flights wasn’t leaving at all.
Cathay Pacific was still flying me from Sydney to Honk Kong but BA was no longer taking me to the UK. Okay, no panic. I knew it had all been too good to be true and I thought I’d just bite the bullet, flash the plastic and actually pay for the missing leg.
I called Flight Centre who are pretty good at knitting these things together and they explained that the reason BA had cancelled my flight was that the authorities had changed the rules in HK and, if you were changing carriers as well as flights, you were deemed to have “arrived” and were therefore subject to 14 days quarantine.
Pre-departure snack in the Qantas lounge, Sydney
I briefly considered burning the points for the Sydney-HK flight and booking another flight on a different route, but the Flight Centre guy said that if I didn’t turn up for the first flight, Qantas would cancel the whole round trip. Yikes!
Family planning
In the meantime my sister called and said my mother had suffered a mild heart attack and they weren’t sure if she was going to make it to her birthday. It was up to me but if I wanted to come sooner, it might be an idea.
Iwas going to have to bring my flights forward anyway and after two days of trying to get through to Qantas to cancel my flights and book new ones I remembered I was a member of their Business Frequent Flyer program so I called them up and got through almost immediately.
Next thing I knew, my points had been returned and I was booked on coach (boo-hoo!) on an earlier flight to Glasgow on Emirates. Now, Emirates coach is almost as good as some airlines’ premium, so I wasn’t too fussed, and I would be flying straight to Scotland, completely by-passing the organised insanity of Heathrow.
A week or so later, I got a call from my son who lives in Richmond, Virginia, in the USA. He’d been unwell for a while – a genetic liver condition (thanks, Mum and Dad!) – and he was going to have a transplant within the next month or so.
Destination Dallas
Back on the phone to Qantas, I tried to trade in my rapidly dwindling points for a flight to Dallas and then up to Richmond – by far the most efficient way of getting there using Qantas points, if you’re interested, if only because it avoids the nightmare of LAX.
I had already spotted the availability on SkyScanner but the Qantas lady wasn’t having it. I couldn’t use points to add in an American Airlines flight to Richmond as they weren’t codeshare partners (they are, by the way).
It was getting late on a Friday night so I gave up, determined to sort it out the following Monday. All I needed was the points back, then I could book the flights myself.
Monday rolled around and, predictably, the computer said “no”. The flights I wanted to book had gone, but there were others a couple of days later. The call to another operator went something like this.
“Hi, I just like to cancel a flight and get my points refunded”
“Okay, do you want a refund or a voucher?’
“What’s the difference?”
“A refund takes a few weeks, a voucher is pretty much immediate.”
“I’ll take the voucher?”
“May I ask what you want it for?”
“I want to fly to Richmond, Virginia, via Dallas, premium economy …”
Click, click, click …
‘Hmmm. I can get you to LAX premium, but then it will be coach on American via …”
He then reeled off a number of cities with names familiar from cowboy movies and race riots.
“It’s okay, I said. “I just want the points.”
“When are you planning to fly, because I can sort that out for you ..”
“Just the points, please …”
“Premium to LAX is filling up …”
“I’m begging you, please don’t book anything. Just arrange for the points to be returned.’
“I thought you said you wanted to go to Richmond?”
“I do. But, I’d rather go via Dallas.”
‘Oh, yes. You did say that. Let me check …”
“No. No checking. Just the points please.”
Eventually he suppressed his instincts to be overly helpful and pushed whatever button was required to cancel the Emirates flight and send my points winging back towards me. I then began a frantic search for the flights I had identified earlier, hoping to book them through the Qantas website.
Rising prices, falling options
I’ll take a pause here to point out that, at every stage, with every delay, my options were narrowing and the costs of each flight were rising. Why? Because the world was opening up and everyone who wanted to fly and who was allowed to do so was flying somewhere.
Also, on the question of Premium Economy, I truly don’t need the legroom and I probably don’t need the additional seat width.
But I do need the solid arm rests containing the tray tables, if only to restrain the giants who track me down with laser-like precision every time I fly economy, and seem to think they are entitled to shift their blubber into my space, as they take full control of the arm rests, including swinging them up out of the way when the seatbelt sign goes off.
Still working, right up to departure … and a wee gift for our granddaughter.
Fat-shaming? Me? I’m not thin – far from it – but he sooner airlines put their passengers and their luggage on the same scales and charge per kg, then seat bigger people in wider seats, the happier I’ll be. I don’t want sweaty bits of strangers invading my space.
There should be a preference box when you are booking that allows you to select the kind of passengers you’d prefer to have in the seat next to you. For me, that would be a yes to gymnasts (for their ability to climb over you without waking you) and marathon runners (for the lack of space they occupy).
Then, for obvious reasons, it would be a hard “no” to alcoholics, people with urinary complaints and former players in either of the rugby codes. Oh, and men over 60 (like me) should be required by law to sit in the aisle seats.
Mind the gap
Back to the trip and a medical update: Mum was now back in her care home and perking up a lot. Meanwhile, unexpectedly, No. 1 Son had been rushed into hospital as a donor had been found. It was all happening.
I now have flights from Sydney to Richmond, via Dallas, and from London to Sydney, but nothing in between. I have extended my trip from two weeks to nearly four to accommodate, first my transplant wait-listed son and secondly my ageing but recovering mother.
Now, I have to think ahead. I need to get from Richmond (VA) to Glasgow at some point, preferably with the transatlantic leg in premium economy. When I do my searches, I discover there’s a company called businessclass.com which also finds reduced cost premium economy seats. I decide to give them a whirl.
The results were encouraging at first but ultimately disappointing. Their online chat-bot was not equipped to deal with my admittedly arcane requests and for the first couple of days they were offering flights on the wrong days.
When they did come up with suggestions, it was either a flight from Richmond to Chicago or Boston, then a long lay-over before or during a flight to Glasgow via Iceland or Frankfurt either of which would get me to Glasgow a day late.
However, the clock was ticking on my departure and I reckoned if Icelandair flew from those northern US cities, they probably also flew out of New York too, which would represented shorter hops.
The clean, fast, smooth and mostly empty train from Dallas city centre to the airport
Sorry Businessclass.com, but thanks for the idea. I was able to score flights from Richmond to JFK in the afternoon, then to Glasgow via Rekjavik with a comfortable four-hour layover in JFK, just in case anything went wrong.
Just in case … huh!
The flight to Dallas was uneventful although I was surprised to discover they are now using Dreamliners rather than A380s. I guess it’s all about demand.
A train in Texas?
I stopped overnight in Fort Worth where my long-time journo friend Barry Schlachter lives. I could have caught a flight straight to Richmond in the afternoon but the thought of arriving there, hiring a car and trying to drive on the wrong side of the road in a strange city after 20 hours of non-stop flying didn’t seem such a crash-hot idea.
The next day I discovered to my surprise that Dallas has a very clean and efficient commuter train that takes you straight to the airport. Who knew? I thought using public transport in Texas was a sign of communism.
By the way, before leaving I had downloaded a mobile phone app called TripCase into which you load all your flights, hotels, car hires and restaurant bookings etc.
And all the time I was wandering around Dallas Airport, hopping on and off the monorail that links its five terminals, trying to find my departure gate, TripCase was buzzing madly in my pocket trying to tell me the gate had changed … twice. It’s an absolutely brilliant app … if you bother to check it.
Icelandair’s weird Sga Class 2-1-2 layout in their Boeing 767
Having arrived at the airport with a couple of hours to spare, the plane was already halfway boarded by the time I made it to the gate. This was a hint of what was yet to come.
I spent a few days with my lad who was recovering well from his real traumas. Then starting the next stage of my round-the-world marathon, got to Richmond airport early, having dropped off the monster truck the rental car people had foisted on me (a whole other story).
I also embarked on daily RATs because I was visiting him in hospital. A ritual I had to renew in Scotland when visiting Mum in her care home. I have never felt so pristinely uninfectious in my life.
By my reckoning I would have a long wait at Richmond, which was fine, then more than four hours at JFK, which was also fine. I was going to have to pick up my bags and check them in for the next leg anyway, due to the flights being on a different booking number.
As departure time approached it became apparent that there was something missing … the plane. It turned out there had been a violent storm in New York and flights had been delayed. That was OK. I had four hours up my sleeve … then three … then two.
Finally the plane arrived and we all boarded, buckled up and tried to relax as we pulled away from the airbridge … and then stopped. JFK had been shut down completely for a while, the pilot told us, and now there were delays as they tried to clear the backlog. We couldn’t leave until they had a slot for our landing.
Half an hour later, we took off. It was okay. We were going to make it and I still had a buffer of about an hour … maybe.
Maybe not.
Don’t ask, just apologise
We landed at JFK and taxied to the terminal … then stopped. The plane that was supposed to have vacated our gate was still there. It had some sort of a problem. Tick, tick, tick. Half an hour passed. There was a minor mutiny as passenger who had told their bladders they’d be on the ground by now were ignoring the ‘fasten seat-belt’ signs and the steward’s pleas and were storming the toilets.
“I’m gonna pee on myself” a large African-American woman said in a delightful if stressed Southern accent as the steward gestured to stop her then changed his mind as she barrelled towards him. I was about to follow suit when the plane finally moved.
Easier to apologise than seek permission
Parked and disembarked, I race to find a toilet in the terminal. It had little red plastic barriers across the door, bearing a “closed for cleaning” sign. Cursing a little too loudly but getting an “amen” from a man who’d had a similar plan, I did something I’ve never done before – I kicked the barrier aside and marched in, saying “Sorry! Emergency”.
To the dismay of the cleaner watching the footprints mess up his freshly mopped floor, I was followed by a gaggle of soon-to-be relieved male travellers. This was definitely one of those situations when it was easier to apologise after than seek permission before.
Now, as the departure time for my Icelandair flight approached, I had to find the baggage hall, get my bags, get to another terminal and check in. In other words, Mission Impossible.
There was panic at the baggage carousel, which was about half a kilometre away, as the flight from Richmond wasn’t listed on the board. Eventually my bags appeared and I sprinted out of the terminal, cursing my tendency to overpack, crossed several roadways and took the lift up to the JFK monorail.
“There’s a line”
I had less than five minutes before the Icelandair flight was due to close its doors. One thing I have learned from working with Americans is that they tend to say “pardon me” where we might say “excuse me” when we’re pushing our way through a crowd. “Excuse me” is taken to be a little accusatory by some folk.
So I begged a thousand pardons as I got off the little train, ran into the terminal, and found the Icelandair check-in desk where a cluster of airline staffers were dealing with a woman at the head of a group of agitated Scandinavians.
“Pardon me … pardon me …” I mumbled as I pushed my way to the front.
“Sir, there’s a line …”
Yes, I said. There’s a line of you guys dealing with one person, and no one dealing with me.
“Yes, but …”
“There’s a line, sir!”
“Yes, I said. There’s a line of you guys dealing with one person, and no one dealing with me.”
One of the woman’s colleagues muttered something about the people in the crowd not flying for four hours and then I remembered … premium economy.
‘I’m booked Saga class,” I said. “Priority check-in?”
The first woman rolled her eyes but indicated to her colleague to check me in. He typed something on his computer and looked alarmed.
“The flight’s closed,” he said. What!?! Thankfully the uniformed Valkyrie took over, may the Norse Gods bless her, called the gate and had the flight reopened.
“Check your bags then run, don’t walk, to the gate,” she said with the slightest smile.
I had visions of the plane about to leave and the airbridge being put back in place to let me on. When I got to the gate, having pushed my way through security issuing more pardons than Donald Trump in panic mode, I discovered the plane supposed to fly us out had only just arrived, due to the same delays that had affected me in the first place.
Classy Saga
A brief word about Icelandair Saga class. Firstly, it has nothing to do with the British pensioners’ travel company. Think Saga as in Scandinavian folk tales, rather than busloads of oldies being ferried from one comfort stop to the next.
The first thing that strikes you is that the seating is weird. I have never seen two-one-two on another airline anywhere. That central spine of seats was way too exposed for me, despite it eliminating any chance of being squished by a walking cheeseburger.
I took a window seat instead and settled in for Saga service, which was impeccable. The steward even made up a vegetarian platter because they’d run out of fish.
The huge bed in CitizenM, Glasgow, a very funky, friendly hotel. Rock, paper, scissors for sides.
The brief stopover in Keflavik, (the international airport for Rekjavik) was a breeze. I scored a litre of Icelandic gin (very aromatic) and several varieties of very edible chocolate. The flight from JFK had taken a little over six hours and the onward hop to Glasgow took less than three.
The next two weeks were taken up with family, my Mum’s birthday which she was up and around to celebrate, and the aforementioned hike up the Great Glen from Fort William to Inverness. The train north from Glasgow to Fort William was cancelled due to industrial action, of course, but we were rescued by my niece and her husband driving us there.
The train from Inverness was also cancelled – welcome to Boris’s post-Brexit Britain – but we booked ahead on a very comfortable bus ride south.
Back in Glasgow, I realised I had accumulated various bits of clothing that I hadn’t thought to pack, like a winter rain and fleece combo – hey, it was June but it was Scotland, okay? – plus Ange Postecoglou jumpers from the Celtic FC Superstore.
Realising I was going to either have to dump some gear or pony up for an extra bag on the flight to London, I found that for just a few quid more, I could upgrade to Euro Club. What a boon that turned out to be.
I not only did I get my extra bag on board, I skipped the long check-in and security lines at the Airport. Then I discovered there were endless queues for every café and fast food outlet, snaking around the departure lounges, and occasionally crossing each other and blending together dangerously.
Nobody who’s hanging out for a Macca’s wants to discover too late that they are in line for the posh sit-down bistro.
But wait a minute, doesn’t Club Euro give me access to the BA Lounge? Whoo-Hoo. Next thing I was eating hot soup and warm bread rolls, drinking fresh coffee.
And it got better on the plane. A locked-in tray blocked off the centre seats and I even got a Devonshire cream tea, a smoked salmon roll and a slice of brie as part of my in-flight refreshment. Bliss.
Baggage balls-up
At last, I could relax. A dear friend I hadn’t seen for years and who now lives in London, will be waiting at Heathrow to share a glass of wine and a bite to eat and help me while away some of my four-hour lay-over.
All I had to do was collect my bags and check them in again (that different booking code thing again) then I’d be able to relax and catch up with her. Chance would be a fine thing.
Ninety minutes after landing, with two-thirds of the Glasgow flight’s bags having gone walkabout in Heathrow Terminal Five, Jenny gave up and went home. The bags turned up just a minute or two too late, but at least I could check in and relax.
I lied about my booking status to skip a mile-long queue at security and settle down for an overpriced beer and snack. Then I realised my boarding gate was yet another shuttle train ride away and the departures board was saying “Go To Gate”. Ooops!
Needless to say, I got there in plenty of time, if only because the plane had also been delayed. Once in the air, traditional Bloody Mary in hand, I thought all I had to do was sit still and 22 hours later I would have completed my round-the-world travel, relatively unscathed.
Back home, despite all the near-misses, cancelled trains, missing bags and bungled bookings, I felt nothing could now go wrong. Just one more post-flight RAT to perform and my journey was over.
Then, just as I felt the first tell-tale tickle at the back of my throat, the second red line appeared on the test stick. D’oh!
Save US$500 on a once-in-a-lifetime Himalayan ride over the Roof Of India – Book by August 3, 2022
Awesome, life-changing, inspiring, scary, immense, humbling, and mind-blowing is how many riders have described riding the Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle over the world’s highest roads and through the Himalayas, and until August 3, 2022, Australian adrenaline lovers can save US$500 and tackle the once-in-a-lifetime ‘Roof of India’ tour themselves this September with motorcycle tour operator, Nomadic Knights.
The 14-night journey through the Indian Himalayas will see travellers ride cloud-piercing roads over 17,000ft high including the highest motorable road in the world over the 18,000ft -high Khardungla Pass – almost 2.5 times the height of Australia’s highest mountain, Mt Kosciuszko. The spectacular route will also take riders through high altitude deserts, pine forests, glacier-gouged gorges, and riding through a waterfall on the narrow, spine-tingling Cliffhanger track hewn from cliffs high above an icy river.
Staying in luxury Arabian-style tents with campfires, local hotels, and a special stay in traditional Kashmiri houseboats on Dal Lake, riders will meet monadic sheep herders and see everything from bustling cities to remote villages, lofty temples and vast wilderness areas harbouring wild snow leopards, bears, yak, and ibex.
The exciting journey begins in Chandigarh, India, on September 3, 2022, where riders are transported to Shimla to begin a 2100km ride through the Indian Himalayas along some of India’s loneliest and the world’s most spectacular roads.
The Roof of India tour includes traversing breathtaking roads such as the Rohtang Pass and through rarely visited territories such as Jammu and Kashmir. The tour ends with guests returning to Shimla before being transported back to Chandigarh to make their way home.
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Fares include accommodation, motorcycle, fuel, breakfasts, dinners and mechanical and logistical support throughout the trip. Flights to India are extra.
Nomadic Knights has several other breathtaking journeys throughout India, Nepal, the Indian Himalayas and to Everest Base Camp in Tibet.
Nomadic Knights is owned by Alex Pirie, a Scot who moved to India in 2008. Alex has ridden more than 250,000km across India on Royal Enfield motorcycles. Nomadic Knights attracts adventurers from around the world, with Australia, the UK and USA the key markets.
Many countries have two major cities that compete for kudos and attention (not to mention tourists). But in Portugal, as Sue Williams discovers, the rivalry between the major centres goes back 800 years and is just as bitter today as it ever was.
PORTUGAL’S two biggest cities, Lisbon and Porto are locked into the same bitter rivalry that characterises other great battles like Sydney versus Melbourne, Barcelona versus Madrid and Edinburgh against Glasgow.
Their combat, however, is special in that it goes all the way back to 1255 when Lisbon was made the capital over Porto, and all the way to when I visited and its football club Benfica just won its last game of the season 5-0 to edge FC Porto out of the league championship.
And in a country which is said to worship at the altar of three passions – Catholicism, drinking and football – that’s big news indeed. Excellent for the Lisboetas, and devastating for those from Porto.
“They were lucky this time,” says Porto local Ricardo Gomez sourly. “But ours is still the much lovelier city to visit and, remember, this is the city that gave Portugal its name. We are both so different, with different outlooks, different natures, different expressions and different accents … but Porto is better.”
Certainly, wealthy Lisbon in the south and proud Porto in the north are only 300km apart, but they can feel a world away from each other.
While they are both steeped in history with astonishing monuments, churches and palaces, Lisbon at the same time is modern, elegant and, dare we say, a little flashy, whereas Porto is a dreamy world of mediaeval alleyways, cobbled streets and beautiful views out over the Douro River.
Portuguese liberal hero King Peter IV, ‘The Liberator’ who also ruled Brazil, steered it to independence and campaigned against the slavery it practised, is celebrated in Lisbon with a marble statue atop a massive 23-metre column erected in 1870.
In Porto, where his army during the country’s civil war was besieged for more than a year from 1832 but then marched north and took Lisbon, reaching a peace deal in 1834, he’s remembered in a quite different way.
“He travelled around the world, but left his heart in Porto,” says Gomez. And he’s right. While the king’s body was later taken to Brazil, as he’d directed in his will, his heart was placed in Porto’s Lapa Church.
Lisbon, of course, is a lovely city, a great blend of the old and, relatively speaking, new. A massive earthquake in 1755 destroyed much of the old city so you can see where you are by the age of the buildings around you. The older they are, the further from the centre you are.
There are so many highlights like the World Heritage-listed Torre de Belem, an ornate watchtower erected in the early 1500s to defend the city and as a symbol of the Age of Discovery on the waterfront, the magnificent Jerónimos Monastery, where they were blessed before leaving and the burial place of famed explorer Vasco da Gama, and the world’s most expensive chapel, the Sao Roque Church, funded by Brazilian gold.
Porto, by contrast, feels a more soulful place, a more working-class, independent city. It too has some fabulous buildings, such as the St Francisco Church decorated with 400kg of gold leaf donated by noblemen hoping to buy a place in heaven and the grand 19th Century Stock Exchange Palace with its 1.5-tonne chandeliers. It also has some beautiful bridges over the river, an earlier one designed by Gustave Eiffel, and a later one by an associate.
It’s also the centre, of course, of port, and port tours and tastings can be both fascinating, and delicious. The company Burmester, for example, was established in 1750 and now exports its 30 different brands throughout the world from its centre looking out over the Douro River.
And there we have one more strike in the battle for supremacy between Porto and Lisbon. “Porto is the city in the world with the most alcohol per square metre,” claims the Burmester guide. At least the Porto football fans have plenty of opportunity to drown their sorrows.
Bunnik Tours visits both Lisbon and Porto on their small-group 26-day tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, starting from $12,595, including flights from Australia. Call Bunnik Tours on 1800 286 645 or see www.bunniktours.com.au.
