Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 4 August 2025

A DOVE GROWS

I had the pleasure of talking to readers about India on Tuesday. At the suggestion of the Consulate General of India, the get-together was at their premises in St Georges Terrace. It came with two significant current India moments in my mind ...

The tree that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave to Britain’s King Charles recently was a sonoma dove tree (Davidia involucrata). Its white bracts resemble doves, or fluttering handkerchiefs. The tree reflects Mr Modi’s environmental initiative to plant trees as a tribute to mothers.

I was also moved by the recent death of Indian politician VS Achuthanandan at 101 years of age. He was an extraordinary man, who was orphaned by 11, dropped out of school, had a political awakening aged 15 and was a tireless fighter for rights of the oppressed. The communist party leader became the state of Kerala’s chief minister when he was 82.

TREE OF WISDOM

In last week’s edition of West Wheels, we published our extended team’s road trip playlists and this week I see that The Wiggles have a new album called The Tree Of Wisdom coming out in October, two new singles, a national arena tour from November 1 (on sale now) and will perform at the Toyota 54th Tamworth Country Music Festival 2026. The Tree Of Wisdom video is all over the internet.

WEBJET FINE

The Federal Court on Monday ordered online travel agency Webjet to pay $9 million in penalties for making false or misleading statements between 2018 and 2023 about the price of flights and booking confirmations. The case was run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Webjet admitted advertising airfares which excluded compulsory fees on its website, and in promotional emails and social media posts.

With Christmas just five months away, the team at Webjet has been crunching its data and found that flight bookings for travel during the peak Christmas period are up. In the first two weeks of July 2025, they were up 30 per cent compared to the same period in June 2025. (The peak Christmas period is from December 13, 2025, to January 10, 2026.)

47 per cent of those bookings are for international travel.

41 per cent are for domestic.

Couples led the way, making 32 per cent of the bookings. Solo travellers made 28 per cent, families 20 per cent and groups 20 per cent.

TURKEY & ESIMS

The news has spread on social media that “Turkey has banned eSIMS”. And, indeed, Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has brought in controls on eSIMS. But it is not as simple as a “ban”. Once you land in Turkey, visitors can’t buy a new eSIM plan, top up data if their plan runs out, or access many eSIM provider websites or apps. But travellers can still stay connected in Turkey using the eSIM in their phone, as long as it is activated before they arrive. So, buy, install and activate the eSIM before travelling and choose a large data plan.

I use Airalo, but another decent option is Simify, which has a plan with unlimited international data. airalo.com and simify.com

eSIMs are embedded into current smartphones and tablets, as an alternative to physical SIM cards. Using an eSIM is an alternative to paying your usual provider’s international roaming charges.

CHARGE TO CHANGE

LASER, an Australian consumer electronics company which has four decades’ experience, recently launched what the team there says is Australia’s first range of power banks with LiFePO (lithium iron phosphate) battery technology. A spokesperson explains: “LiFePO is thermally stable and non-combustible, eliminating risks of overheating, fire or explosion.” They are sold under the company’s ChargeCore brand.

Its new ChargeCore SafeCharge Max powerbank range has LiFePO battery technology with a lifespan of up to 5000 charge cycles, so it is claimed to last, on average, five times longer than standard lithium-ion powerbanks — reducing both cost and electronic waste over time. Furthermore, LiFePO technology contains no cobalt, nickel or lead, making it a safer choice for the environment and fully recyclable at the end of its life cycle. It also offers consistent power output, ensuring that devices charge faster and more reliably, without the performance drop-off seen in other batteries. The ChargeCore team says LiFePO batteries are 70 per cent lighter than lead acid and 30 per cent lighter than lithium ion.

Harvey Norman is among the places selling them (harveynorman.com.au). Read more at laserco.com.au.

KRABI STARS

The limestone cliffs and tropical landscape of Krabi, in Thailand, are the main location of the movie Jurassic World Rebirth. The producers reportedly looked at Mauritius, Panama, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic before settling on Krabi. It is the fourth of the Jurassic World movies. Limestone cliffs which jut from the sea formed 90 million years ago, when the sea level was higher.

Haruethai Maneerat, general manager of the five-star Banyan Tree Krabi, tells me: “It always amazes guests to know that this untouched paradise is millions of years old.” To celebrate the film’s release, Banyan Tree Krabi has a new family-friendly package called Jurassic Explorer, which includes a half-day marine excursion to Hong Island and neighbouring islands by local longtail boat; a three-hour tour to discover the natural wonder of Klong Root (Clear Water Canal); a guidebook to explore the locations where Jurassic World Rebirth was filmed; and a special price on tickets for two persons to the Jurassic World Experience at Asiatique The Riverfront, Bangkok. It is available until December 21, 2025. banyantree.com/ thailand/krabi/offers/jurassic-explorer

On the next page, we reveal that the Netflix hit series Untamed, which makes a big play of being set in Yosemite National Park in the US, was actually filmed in Canada. Find out where, tomorrow. It stars Eric Bana (actually Eric Banadinovic AM) and Sam Neill. Two Australians. Go figure.

MANAGED MEELYU

Meelyu Campground in Karara Rangeland Park, between Morawa, Perenjori and Yalgoo, has been upgraded. There are “clearly defined campsite areas”, long-drop toilets and enclosed fire and barbecue pits. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has named the campground after the endangered meelyu (Western spiny-tailed skink), which calls this area home. Its habitat is dead wood, so this should not be used for firewood and visitors are told to bring their own. Camping fees apply and campsites are chosen on arrival. parkstay.dbca.wa.gov.au

PICNIC QUEST

Secret Picnic Adventures has arrived in Busselton. Part foodie trail, part problem-solving quest, the picnics begin at Busselton Visitor Centre. Foodies follow the digital clues to collect local delights at various food outlets, while seeing attractions. The tours are on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and a Dunsborough tour is due to launch in spring 2025.