Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views: May 7 Edition

This week Travel Editor Stephen Scourfield looks at the cost of caravanning to Broome, New Norcia's renovations and highlights of the Albany Maritime Festival

CARAVANNING COSTS

A big four-wheel-drive towing a caravan can use between 17 and 21 litres of fuel per 100km. In an 800km day, that’s $336 if you’re paying $2 a litre.

Yes, the price of fuel matters to Travel readers, given that Broome is 2000km from Perth. That would be a $1680 round trip — if you can find fuel at $2 in future.

petrolspy.com.au shows some real-time prices and can be useful.

(PS Look into 3.5” exhausts to reduce fuel use.)

ROOM RENOVATIONS

A snap of cool weather has got the caravans moving, and there were some on Great Northern Highway as I headed to New Norcia and back last weekend. We were hosting the West Travel Club writing, photography and “experience” weekend — the full story is on page 19. Thanks to all who joined us. The change in New Norcia is really noticeable. Not only has it become an “island”, with the bypass keeping that flow of caravans and other traffic away from the town, but a lot of renovation work has been done. The rooms in the Old Convent are really nice, and come with places to sit and kitchens. The Lower Old Convent’s renovation is great. So too are the renovated rooms at St Gertrude’s College, where our team stayed. Loved it. newnorcia.wa.edu.au

ALBANY AT SEA

We’re looking forward to Albany Maritime Festival 2022 in July. There are events throughout the month, including “All at Sea Saturday” — a family fun day on July 2 on the waterfront between the Boat Shed and the Albany Entertainment Centre, with water-based ‘come and try events’. On July 4 and 6 there are Menang and Maritime History Exploration Evenings, explaining local Indigenous connection to the marine environment. And the G+B multimedia exhibition (it stands for ‘green and blue’) is at the Hilton Garden Inn Albany from July 7 to July 24. cityofalbanyevents.com

NOT JUST A MUG

And finally, a personal thank you to reader Vera Ensor, who sent me this from her company Grazie Gift Baskets and Hampers with a card that reads: “Thanks for giving me loads of countries to learn about and visit again soon!” The mug has my name on it, and the message: “I write, therefore I am.”

(PS: Oddly, I can suddenly hear my sister’s voice in my head: “You are what?”)

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