Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 6 August 2024

THE GOOD OIL

Collette touring company understands travellers’ desire to connect to culture, particularly through food. And, in the Mediterranean, particularly through olive oil. These thoughtful comments are from a Collette insider: “As olive cultivation took root in ancient Crete some 5000 years ago and spread throughout the region, olive oil became inseparable from the customs and cultures of Mediterranean countries. See and taste its influence, whether you’re in Greece, Portugal or Morocco.” Its place in the Mediterranean diet is on the menu throughout Collette journeys in Mediterranean countries with tastings, cooking classes, home-hosted meals and more. gocollette.com/en-au

TAKING IN TIBET

Viking Cruises is stretching its reach with new itineraries exploring the Far East — for example its China and Tibet itineraries. There is a cruise from Hong Kong to Tianjin, then a flight to Chengdu and on to Lhasa in Tibet, before flying back to Xian and Beijing. In Tibet, travellers see Potala Palace, which was home to the Dalai Lama. Two itineraries — Best of China and Tibet, and Wonders of China and Tibet — are both from $17,995 per person, twin share, for 22 days. vikingcruises.com.au

CRUISE & TOUR

Wendy Wu Tours has always been known for somewhat bespoke tours with quite small numbers. But it has just launched a range of nine “Cruise and Tour” fully inclusive holidays. These couple touring with a cruise, for example on Celebrity Solstice, which can take up to 2850 passengers. They combine a Wendy Wu land tour with a voyage with either Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean or Azamara. An example is Japan by Land and Sea, which is a 24-day combination from $20,290 per person, twin share. wendywutours.com.au

FABRIC OF SOCIETY

We all connect with local cultures in our own way, of course. For years, I have been bringing back fabric, embroideries and tapestries from my journeys — one from each country, and then hand-sewing them to a denim jacket. Each piece of fabric has to be relevant to the place, and some have significant stories. I am putting more than 50 of my favourites on display at Old Customs House, Fremantle, on the weekend of September 14 and 15. Pop it in your diary. You are all invited to this free Travel event. We’ll publish more details closer to the date. For now, my house is filling with more than 50 jacket stands.

SPECIAL TALENT

Reader Razia Begum sent a kind and appreciative email about a recent story on the Bayeux Tapestry. I’m still pleased to have found out that three plants, woad, madder and weld were used for dyes for the 70m long tapestry, which tells the story of the Norman Conquest of 1066. I’m just a home sewer, but appreciate Razia’s acknowledgement of my humble “dedication to the craft”. I’m also rather envious of Razia’s older sister: “She was a seamstress, learning the craft from my mother and grandmother. She made the best Indian blouses worn with a saree. She had great talent in watching a Hindi film and copying the embroidery patterns for our Punjabi-style kurtis (tops), like a kameez.”

GREAT GARDENS

Speaking of the handmade …

Sue McDougall, the director of the Western Australian Botanic Garden, will lead a two-week tour to the United Kingdom in May next year. It includes visiting the Chelsea Flower Show and some of the best gardens in Britain. The Friends of Kings Park and Travelrite International tour departs Perth on May 20, 2025. There are four nights in London, two in Exeter, two in Cornwall and four in Stratford-upon-Avon. The gardens visited include Hampton Court, Royal Horticultural Society Wisley, Stourhead, the Eden Project and Sudeley Castle. Sue is donating her time for this unique Friends of Kings Park fundraising tour. The tour price is $9490 per person, twin share. Single supplement is $2000. Included in the price are return economy-class flights between Perth and London; first-class chartered coach; accommodation at “first-class and moderate first-class hotels” with breakfasts; welcome and farewell dinner; and entrances fees for the gardens and attractions. Full itinerary: tinyurl.com/265yvba2

TRIAL IS OVER

The Kings Park tiny cabin trial ended on July 28, but readers continue to voice their opinions. They include Bridget Palmer: “Kings Park is there for the use of the people and visitors to WA. It is not a holiday park for tourists. If people don’t object (and that is not the case at all), I can see more holiday units being built. Not wanted, not needed.” The Friends of Kings Park has been running an online survey on the trial of short-term accommodation in Kings Park. As of July 22, they had received 1179 responses — with 99.2 per cent of responses opposing the initiative.

PEMBERTON PAIR

+ In Pemberton, the Bicentennial Tree is open for climbing to the first platform, 20m above the forest floor. It was closed in 2023 because of structural issues with the platform at the top of the tree, just as the top platform of the Gloucester Tree was also closed. The Bicentennial Tree’s reopening is part of a plan to reopen both trees for climbing.

+ There’s a new two-day Pemberton Trails Adventure package which includes track transfers to local sections of the Bibbulmun Track walk trail or Munda Biddi cycle route. A picnic lunch and snacks are included. It is from $290 for up to two people (and there can be help with accommodation to add to that). pembertondiscoverytours.com.au

ROCKY ROAD

A new Binjareb-Peel Geotrail Drive is due to be launched in August, with the thrombolites at Lake Clifton, south of Mandurah, as its centrepiece.

MARY POPPINS FOUND

Reader John Pitman says that on a recent visit to Queensland, he was “amazed to discover” Pamela Lyndon Travers’ hometown in Maryborough. John explains: “Born Helen Lyndon Goff, she wrote Mary Poppins. Now every city pedestrian street green crossing there illuminates her classic character with, ‘spit, spot, hurry up, no dawdling’. Running a red light elicits the comment: ‘That’s going a bit too far’.”

FLIGHT INSIGHTS

Pamela Robb asks about good times to book flights — early or last minute. I think we’re still at a stage where “if you see a price you like, book it”. There is a range of fares within each ticket category type — you get choice early on, so that’s when the good buying is, with regard to that choice.

We have been predicting that good prices will come in “flash sales”, so be flexible on dates, book the flight and plan around that, if you can. (Our prediction is endorsed by the $1529 economy return to Europe with Qatar Airways reported here.)

NOT ON THE LEVEL

Our WA traveller from last week, flying from Barcelona to Boston, who booked Iberia but was shunted to economy airline Level, has sent a string of messages about the flight: “Level premium economy is basically the same as normal economy, but costs a kidney. Standard economy looks hellish. It was so expensive for this awful experience — over $3000. But since I was locked in and couldn’t cancel I had no choice. They also put a hold of $2000 on my account that won’t clear. This is in addition to the $3100 already paid.”

FIRM SEAT

After 50 years of free-for-all unassigned seating, American Southwest Airlines is to allow customers to reserve seats. It has earned a reputation for holding out against charging passengers extra fees, but times they are a-changin’.