Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 7 January 2025

GREETING 2025

Here we are, in 2025. How did that happen so quickly? (Slightly belated) Happy New Year. I’m recently back from South America, and in Latin American countries, walking around the block with an empty suitcase on New Year’s Eve is a tradition that is believed to bring more travel, and good luck, in the year ahead. That is still very much a live tradition in Colombia, but in other Central and Latin American countries, some people just put their suitcases in the middle of a room, and invite other people to walk around them. (I have to say that Casey, my faithful suitcase, would love the attention.)

STAYING FRESH

One of the pitfalls in knowing our publication and readers so well, is that we can end up “writing into pigeonholes”. We know what works and how to write it. But we continue to challenge ourselves as writers.

On every assignment, I set myself writing tasks — an enduring one is to write one piece that is “not for publication”. It challenges me to “write outside the box”, in whatever form. It is almost invariably the story I like best from each trip, and the one I am most pleased to publish in these pages. (But I still fall for that own “not for publication” hoax each time!)

FOUNTAIN FLOWS

On the assignment I’m just back from, I set myself a different writing assignment (in addition to the 2000 words a day for these pages).

I took a small Moleskine notebook and a Pilot Explorer fountain pen. And on the first page I wrote: “Question — Does the physical method of writing influence, affect or change the writing itself?” I added: “Perhaps the speed of physical writing affects the speed, pace and rhythm. Perhaps there is a different thought for each word and the sentence (no backspace or erase!) There is craft in the use of the pen — like painting with a brush. A written story, painted.” I have no conclusions. Just plenty of questions.

TECH MOVES ON

That notebook and pen is pictured, along with other things I carry in a little cross body bag when I travel. It is always with me, holding my phone, back-up battery and cables, Airpods and ear plugs, a few medical supplies (painkillers, Gastrostop), notebook and pen (and spare pen), credit and travel debit cards and back-up cash. You can see that the bag has the name Hard Box on it. I like the humour attached to this.

The first external hard drive I bought, many years ago, was a Hard Box with 128mb of memory and it cost a fortune. It was so big that it came in this bespoke canvas bag. It amuses me to think of the computing power inside that bag now. (Regular readers will know I’m partial to a little joke.)

YAKKITY YAK

Reminder for 2025: A cognac isn’t a real yak. (Best said out loud. )

HOME ADVENTURES

Wildlife on our doorstep . . .

We set off in our kayaks from the Matilda Bay boat ramp, past the Old Swan Brewery, under the Narrows Bridge, heading for a rounding of Heirisson Island. And, just before there, a bird catches the eyes of both my paddling companion and I. It is flying low, and then pauses on the surface of the water. He names it first: “An osprey?” It is indeed. It takes off again and flies very low across the water, towards and then past us, with a small fish in its talons.

Although the native crested pigeon is found throughout most of mainland Australia, I see them most in the Pilbara and Goldfields — but a pair is now resident in Cottesloe. They need to drink every day, and lawn sprinklers are clearly a happily reliable source. This is a stocky pigeon with a thin black crest — more a “peak” than a mohawk. It has pretty plumage, with barred wings that have glossy green and purple patches. When startled, the crested pigeon takes off with a whistling flight — that whistling sound caused by air passing over a modified primary feather on the wing. Every time I hear it, my mind catches a whiff of peppery pindan soil and the morning sun turning spinifex gold.

PLATING UP

It’s good to see our country folk in the metro area for the holidays. I like spotting the country number plates:

BK Bruce Rock

KU Kulin

KN Kondinin

KO Kojonup

MDG Mundaring

MI Mingenew

T Toodyay

Don’t be fooled by the “G”s. Geraldton alone now has several plates: GN for Geraldton, G is the old Greenough plate, and GNG is the joint Geraldton/Greenough plate.

GG Gingin

GN Gnowangerup

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

New Year’s resolutions. There’s another tricky question. I commit to just one a year.

One year I researched partition in India, to thoroughly understand it. In 1947, after 300 years in India, the British finally left and the Subcontinent was partitioned into two independent countries — Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. More than 12 million people had to leave their homes over a matter of months, to move to the country defined by their religious belief. Understanding this in a deeper way has helped me to understand some of the world’s issues.

Another year, I researched the swastika, pre-nazi use. This is one of the oldest symbols made by humans, with examples in rock and cave paintings dating back about 6000 years. The word swastika comes from the Sanskrit language — “su” meaning good, and “asti” meaning to be. “Swastika” means “well-being”.

Another year my resolution was to watch all five seasons of Ally McBeal.

Then there was the life-changing resolution to change the word “busy” for “fun”. How was my day? It was really fun. How does your week look? Exceptionally fun.

ALL OVER

We have our Saturday Travel and Sunday Travel printed products, but all our content lives on thewest.com.au/travel, too (and it’s searchable). But we also publish eTravel — a few stories sent to more than 30,000 reader inboxes every Wednesday. It tends to have current stories which can’t wait until Saturday, travel news and offers, and the launch of our own events, which fill up fast.

EXPLORER’S EXPLORER

Lucy Franklyn was one of the winners of five Pilot Explorer ballpoint pens, which we gave away in eTravel. Lucy kindly writes: “I’ve so enjoyed reading West Travel religiously, using lots of your tips, including the ones for our wildflower pilgrimages and what a stand-out this year was. The podcasts have also been fun. On the back of this, I booked an Intrepid trip to Cambodia for 2025 and also bought my first pair of Crocs! Can’t wait to get them into play — loved that story too. What a great year, thanks to you & the team for every weekend.”

The Croc story was Jade Jurewicz, telling us how she had been away on a 10-day overseas trip with one pair of grey Crocs — the ONLY pair of shoes she had. (And she was perfectly happy with that.)

There will be more prizes in eTravel in 2025. Sign up for free at westtravelclub.com.au/join

PORING OVER STORY

Readers Gary and Kerry Tate noticed Megan French’s recent story about the Bygone Beautys teapot museum in NSW. The Tates recently visited, too. Gary writes: “Prior to taking a cruise from Sydney to Cairns and return, my wonderful wife Kerry booked us into the stunning Victorian Carrington Hotel in Katoomba for three nights. Utilising the NSW seniors Opal Card, we travelled all the way from Sydney to Katoomba for the measly price of just $2.50 each! Stopping at the Carrington had a number of benefits, along with being much cheaper than staying in the expensive Sydney CBD. The hop-on, hop-off Katoomba bus day pass was valid for three days if you stay at the Carrington. We also received complimentary afternoon tea on two days. As Megan wrote in her article, Bygone Beautys teapot museum is well worth a visit.”