Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 2 March 2026
DRY ARGUMENT
I fell head over heels into the ancient trap of buying a loved one a household item as a gift. But who could resist a delicately loud chime of wrens? And who could resist the story behind the rather beautiful (and big) tea towel I bought in Hobart?
The company which makes the tea towel, Red Parka (redparka.com.au), donates 50 per cent of its profits to causes supporting conservation and humanitarian efforts.
(My wife Virginia had the good grace to laugh off the “household item” gift rather than take umbrage. I still think a tea towel is a packable, practical keepsake — an everyday piece of art.)
CLEAN ETHICS
The story behind the tea towel is that of Tasmanian artists Jennifer Cossins and Tracy Colhoun. Jen started Red Parka in 2008, with a local market stall and a dream of making a living from her artworks. She opened her own store in 2015 and met Tracy not long after this. Together they have grown Red Parka into a thriving creative Hobart institution.
Jen and Tracy (partners in business and life) share a love of animals, nature, bushwalking and conservation, and through their art and business they strive to make the world a better place.
HOGES’ ADVICE
Last week’s Crocodile Dundee story brought lots of response from lovers of Paul “Hoges” Hogan. My favourite Hoges quote: “The secret to my success is that I bit off a bit more than I could chew and chewed as fast as I could.”
CULTURAL WIN
A striking new museum called the Larrakia Cultural Centre is due to open at Stokes Hill in Darwin in September. On the harbour front, its roof is shaped like a bird in flight, evocative of an ancestral spirit.
The 2600 Larrakia people living in and around Darwin are “saltwater people”, consisting of nine family groups. They have pursued plans for a cultural centre for over 20 years and it is finally being built on their land, and will be owned and operated by them.
ART IN EUROPE
On the subject of openings, a former Citroen car factory is set to become Europe’s newest modern and contemporary art museum, Kanal-Centre Pompidou in Brussels. The huge complex will open with 10 exhibitions on November 28.
It will have 350 artworks by artists including Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondrian, on loan from the original Centre Pompidou in Paris, which is closed for renovations until 2030.
CREATIVE FOOD
I have this on my “stories to do” list for my next trip to India. In June, chef Gaggan Anand is opening a restaurant called Raga in New Delhi. In the former Masala Library at Janpath, its menu will be “progressive Indian cuisine” and Anand will throw a spotlight on protegee chef Rydo Anton.
Chef Anand’s Bangkok restaurant, Gaggan, has been on the World’s 50 Best list four times, taking the top spot in Asia in 2025. Rather satisfyingly, chef won’t allow diners to photograph and share images of his food. He told thenodmag.com: “I will not allow a camera. I will not allow phones. It’s not that you will not be able to use the phones. It’s that you cannot.” So it may be words-only from me, when I get there.
PRESSING BUTTONS
After decades of carrying camera bags (and still loving my three camera kits, based on Canon R7, Canon R6 and Canon 5D), I have taken the plunge and gone on assignment with just two iPhones. I am using my current iPhone 17 Pro as my main camera, with my “last” 15 Pro as backup.
On the new iPhones:
In camera mode, the top volume button takes bursts.
The bottom volume button takes photos.
The command button, bottom right, also takes photos — and I use this all the time.
AIR SAVINGS
Touring company AAT Kings has savings of up to $2200 per couple in air credit for small group tours across Australia and New Zealand until March 31, 2026. Air-credit amounts vary depending on tour lengths. To give a couple of examples, Untamed New Zealand was $14,220 per person and is now $13,120 ($1100 per person air credit); Ultimate Tasmania was $10,115 per person, now $9215 ($900 per person air credit). aatkings.com
WINTER WONDERS
Japan’s winter appeal isn’t sliding. New figures show 160,700 Australians visited Japan in January 2026 — 14.6 per cent more than the previous January. And it’s not just the skiing and snowboarding that’s drawing us, says a spokesperson for Japan National Tourism Organisation: “Travellers are seeking immersive seasonal experiences — from soaking in open-air onsens surrounded by snow and watching snow monkeys bathe in Nagano to wandering lantern-lit winter festivals and marvelling at surreal “snow monsters” in Zao Onsen.”
ALTERNATIVES IN ASIA
Last Sunday’s World Travel Fest Perth, presented by Phil Hoffmann Travel, was buzzing. I made these points during a presentation with Peter Williams, CEO of PHT:
Given the choice between travelling to Japan and to South Korea, I’d probably pick South Korea.
And given the choice of travelling to South Korea or Taiwan, I’d probably go to Taiwan.
To me there is a nice and natural progression for travellers who have enjoyed Japan to then explore South Korea, and then Taiwan.
WISE CHANGES
From May 1, travellers using a Wise Travel Card will be able to withdraw more money from ATMs before paying fees. The limit is raised to $400 a month, with no limit on the number of withdrawals. But the variable fee for the card is increasing from 1.75 per cent to 2.69 per cent. That’s the fee charged as a percentage of the amount withdrawn over the free monthly limit.
I use a Wise card and always withdraw cash in the local currency. Wise automatically converts it in your account.
wise.com/au/card
ENTERING THE UK
From last Wednesday (February 25) Australians with British or Irish dual citizenship have had to have a valid British or Irish passport, or a certificate of entitlement, to enter the UK. To board a flight to the UK you will need one of the following:
If you’re not a dual citizen — an ETA or a valid visa. www.gov.uk/eta
If you have dual citizenship with the UK — a valid British or Irish passport or a certificate of entitlement attached to your Australian passport.
CROW CORRECTION
And finally, since we finished so successfully last week with a joke from Hobart bus driver Tony, here’s another:
“Crows warn each other when traffic is coming. You can hear them . . . caw . . . caw . . .”
I have to add that, like Perth, the crows in Hobart are actually ravens. In Hobart, more specifically, forest ravens (Corvus tasmanicus). In Perth, more specifically, the “crow” is an Australian raven (Corvus coronoides). Just setting the record straight (not crowing).