Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 1 October 2024

WILD & WET

A lot of the Kimberley got an unseasonal dump of rain this week, with some of the central Kimberley receiving up to 70mm of rain in a day. I’ve always enjoyed the build-up through October, the bruised skies and lightning of November, then (finally) the first rain of the Wet. But the Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning for isolated daily falls of more than 100mm for last Sunday and Monday ...

KIMBERLEY MORNING

... and that prompted me to look back at my previous writing in the Kimberley at this time of year ...

“The best two hours in the East Kimberley are before 6.30am, when it is just lukewarm, the land is still and golden and the day teases with promise. The light is soft and rosy.

But there is a particular reason for being up early in Kununurra on this October morning. The idea was to leave so early and drive to Wyndham, to be there at first light, and find a likely spot and settle in to watch the birds. A little pool of water, a sprinkler, a dripping tap. It’s a good time, when they come to drink.

But despite having been to Kununurra 20, 30 maybe 40 times, the light sets its trap for me, and once again, I fall for it.

I drive away from my accommodation on streets already crawling with the odd slow 4WD. At Lily Lagoon, a dog walker drags a hapless hound. The light is so pretty on the water, with the big rock formation of the Sleeping Buddha behind, that I make a slow U-turn, park and get out to take some photographs. The sky is blueing and there are puffs of white cloud, reflected in the still water. There’s a milky froth and wet air over the whitewater pouring out of the Diversion Dam, between Lake Kununurra and the lower Ord River. In the yellow light, it looks like an oil painting, and I just have to stop there to shoot some pictures, too.

I had aimed to be in Wyndham by 5am, but it’s 8.30am when I get there, and the sun is high, and it’s pretty warm, and that perfect dawn birding moment has long, long past.

But it’s a decent rule in photography not to pass a good picture, hoping for a better one.”

PHOTOWALKS TO COME

That was also a rule we shared at our PhotoWalk with Phones at Hillarys on Thursday. There will be more photo events, announced first in the eTravel Digital Edition, which comes free to inboxes each Wednesday. Sign up at westtravelclub.com.au/join.

A TREE AT LAST

I endured a fair bit of barracking when it was “just a stick”, but friend Glen Chidlow sent this picture of the boab tree planted for me in Celebrity Tree Park in Kununurra — and I’m pleased to see it doing well.

BEST FISH & CHIPS

Way down south, a family-run shop in Middleton Beach, Albany, has won a national award for selling the best fish and chips in the country. Hooked on Middleton Beach won the best takeaway fish and chips award at the 2024 National Seafood Industry Awards, held in Tasmania. Owner Hayley Lutley, who runs the place with her husband, Jeremy, and parents Shane and Janine Vale, keeps an emphasis on local produce.

ALLTRAILS UPGRADE

On Thursday, AllTrails announced updates to its Apple Watch app. It has a new compass feature for navigational guidance. Users can track their activity in real-time — including time spent on trail, pace, heart rate, distance remaining and elevation. The AllTrails app maintains a connection between phone and watch so that users can put their phone away in their backpack and have a hands-free trail experience. AllTrails launched its app in 2011 and now has 45 million users globally.

THE ROAD AHEAD

A date for the diary…

Melbourne Motor Show will be the first motoring and automotive expo to be held in Australia since the closure of local car production. It is on April 5 and 6, 2025, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, adjacent the Crown Entertainment Complex. Organisers reckon 40,000 patrons will come to the inaugural event. More than 120 car makers and aftermarket suppliers will be at the show, which is sponsored by Shannons Insurance.

MAURITIUS MOMENTS

It’s nice to find a “sharp deal” for Mauritius — particularly one which is “half board”, which means breakfast and dinner is included. Luxury Escapes has three nights for two people at Lux Belle Mare in Long Beach, Mauritius, from $1680 per room. At this five-star resort, there’s beautiful beach, big tropical gardens and the 18-hole panoramic golf course at Ile aux Cerfs. Call 1300 889 900 or visit luxuryescapes.com.au.

CUE THE QUEUE

I’ve been interested to find a survey of America’s flying public which shows that long queues at security (61 per cent), flight delays or cancellations (57 per cent) and long lines at the airline terminal counter (41 per cent) are the most common causes of delays or inconveniences at an airport. The big survey was, conducted on behalf of Checkin.com Group.

FLYING THEATRE

SeaWorld Orlando is getting the world’s first Arctic “flying theatre” in the northern spring of 2025. Guests in the theatre will feel they are flying over icy landscapes, past the Northern Lights, then diving beneath frozen waters to see beluga whales, orcas and walruses.

HOTEL TURNS 120

The St Regis New York hotel is celebrating its 120th year with the debut of an extensive redesign and renovation. We’re talking glamour and sophistication. The lobby and King Cole Bar have been revamped, and there are two new dining options. It’s a striking new era for the super hotel in Manhattan. It was the first St Regis hotel and is the brand’s global flagship. stregis.com.

FOOD HOTSPOT

And a bit of data-crunching by UK travel experts London Tickets and Tours reveals (much to my surprise) that Westminster is the best London area for foodies. It has an average of 3838 restaurants per 100,000 people. Camden is second, with Kensington and Chelsea equal third on the list.

JAPAN INSIGHTS

The Japan National Tourism Organisation has revealed that more than 250,000 Australians visited between January and March 2024.

Here are three places to have on your radar:

+ Tokyo Confidential This cocktail bar has views of Tokyo Tower from its balcony and rooftop space. An insider says it draws inspiration “from a house party that gets suitably rowdy.”

+ Cabin By the river in Nakameguro in Tokyo, there are world whiskies, craft cocktails and what the team there calls “a meat-centric menu, Asian-inspired, with a focus on seasonal products”.

+ Cedros This seafood restaurant in the heart of Tokyo was established in 2014 by brothers Lui and Yui Shirako. Lobster truffle risotto is a specialty.