Pic: AP.

the city for one of the nation’s biggest events.

The annual Melbourne Cup is a massive, hat and frock, Australian tradition that pubs, work places, businesses and the sports-going-public embrace with abandon on the first Tuesday in November every year at 3pm.

Even Mark Twain commented on this fascination with the event when he visited Melbourne in the 1890s.

And at the end of the great week the swarms secure lodgings and transportation for next year, then flock away to their remote homes and count their gains and losses, and order next year’s Cup-clothes, and then lie down and sleep two weeks, and get up sorry to reflect that a whole year must be put in somehow or other before they can be wholly happy again.  The Melbourne Cup is the Australasian National Day.  It would be difficult to overstate its importance. It overshadows all other holidays and specialized days of whatever sort in that congeries of colonies. Overshadows them? I might almost say it blots them out.’

It’s also not without its prize money and one of the richest races in the world therefore attracting a stellar lineup of thoroughbreds for the 3,200 metre event.

The race was first held in 1861 and has become such a feature that Melbourne has a public holiday for the Cup as do some parts of regional Victoria. There aren’t many cities in the world that have turned a horse race into a public holiday but the Cup has become completely embedded in the Melbourne psyche and indeed that of wider Australia. It has for many years been billed as “the race that stops the nation”.

For those in other states many workplaces allow a break and may even have Cup parties to watch and celebrate the race and lay a bet or two.

The most well known winner of the Melbourne Cup is of course Phar Lap; the New Zealand born horse that was brought to Australia as a colt. His hide is on display at the Melbourne Museum.

In recent weeks new Australian movie, The Cup, has come out – well timed for a pre-Melbourne Cup day release. The movie tells the true story of a young jockey that won the 2002 Cup. Here’s a preview.

The colloquialism “The race that stops the nation” actually developed thanks to Sydney born writer Vivienne McCredie’s poem in 1986. Here’s a snippet:

But once a year at Flemington
A horse race stops us all
And we hold our breaths and listen
To the commentator’s call
For never has there been a race
That holds such fascination
Than the race they run at Flemington,
The Race that stops the nation

We Aussies are a funny lot,
The things we hold so dear -
Like Rosewall, Hoad, the Opera House,
A glass of Fosters beer
Let’s not forget the Great White Shark,
And Lillee – in full flight,
The Wallabies, the Kangaroos,
The Harbour Bridge at Night,
Of course it’s something special
When we say the name of ‘DON’,
Our Bradman was the best they’ve seen;
His legend carries on

On a Tuesday in November,
The first one to be sure,
As the winner flashes past the post,
You’ll hear the thousands roar.
For never has there been a race
To catch imagination
Than the race that’s run at Flemington
The race that stops the nation!

Read it in full here.

At this stage it seems Qantas flights will resume sometime this afternoon – The Australian has announced this specifically as 2pm (AEDT). Qantas has simply said “mid-afternoon” on their website and recommends passengers check their flight status page for details about their flights. News sources are reporting the airline has said it will be fully operational with 24 hours.

While flights were effectively only canceled over the weekend, according to The Sun day Mail this caused:

108 aircraft grounded
22 airports affected worldwide
13,305 passengers booked with Qantas over weekend
1310 international passengers stranded
$68m cost to Qantas of ongoing industrial dispute
$20m how much the lockout will cost Qantas every day
129 flights cancelled to yesterday (Saturday)

These figures may well now be higher.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce made a public statement this morning and is currently on a live feed here. (UPDATE: this has now ended but there is still rolling coverage).

News.com.au has also provided live updates on the situation throughout the weekend and is worth looking back at the timeline for a play by play through the events.

There are a few good cartoons and images on the blog. Here are some highlights:

9.07am Sarah Jessica Parker and reality TV stars Kim and Khloe Kardashian are just some of the celebrities caught up in the Qantas dramas.

8.22am More than 300 rural doctors are stuck in Alice Springs due to the Qantas grounding. And they are not happy.

Dr Les Woollard, a GP from Moree in NSW told the ABC the situation was “unacceptable”.

“If you’re seriously ill in a small country town, we would come to your aid no matter what. We wouldn’t worry about if there’s an extra 5 per cent income, we would turn up on your door. I think for him (Alan Joyce) to do what he’s done to 300 doctors in Alice Springs, to people stranded around the world, is appalling.”

6.52am The human impact of the Qantas decision has been plain to see at airports around the country, with plans for holidays, weddings, operations, family reunions all thrown into chaos. For Katrina Roberts, the situation couldn’t be worse though – she was trying to get to Cairns to see her dying father for one last time when flights were halted:

“I need to get up there pretty quick. Hopefully it’s not too late when we eventually get there.”

9.16pm As thousands wait for the outcome of the emergency Fair Work Australia hearing, let’s take a look at those on Twitter trying to see the lighter side of the dispute.

@FutureSirRileyThe longer the #qantas drama drags on, the more I appreciate the wonderful Irish accent of Alan Joyce

@AndrewCoffeeWhat would happen if all the baristas decided to strike? #qantas

6.15pm Greyhound Australia says its phone is ringing off the hook with passengers left stranded by Qantas’s flight groundings seeking coach tickets.

5.40pm Special Fares for Stranded Passengers: Virgin Australia is offering special “Stranded Passenger” recovery fares for passengers who are at a port away from home and hold a Qantas ticket to return home within the next 5 days.

The fares are offered at a 20 per cent discount to available “Saver” fares on Virgin Australia and Pacific Blue flights, for travel through to Thursday, 3 November 2011, subject to availability. They are available via a dedicated web page: http://www.virginaustralia.com/qantasgrounding/

12.36pm Hundreds of angry passengers are venting their frustration on Twitter.
Matt Hustwaite

Matt Hustwaite tweets: “I still call Australian Home … because I can’t fly out of the country thanks to #qantas.

10.44pm Spare a thought for Alan Joyce. No, not the Qantas CEO but the American student who uses the name @alanjoyce on Twitter. He’s copping a load of abuse from angry passengers. But he’s actually an American student. So be nice.

9.24pm Julia Gillard says the strike could have implications for the national economy.

“I believe Australians want to see this sorted out, business wants to see it sorted out, passengers want to see it sorted out, I want to see it sorted out. That’s why we have made the application to Fair Work Australia.”

“We need this dispute to be brought to an end.”

Qantas has also announced that passengers seeking refunds for alterations made to their flying plans during the dispute should go to www.qantas.com.au

And I have to say it was worth it and I rather think the Queen might have thought so too.

Brisbane turned on its best spring weather for the royal visit – warm, vibrant sunshine with the bougainvillea trees and jacaranda in full bloom.

View of Brisbane city from Southbank. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

And with a sea of Australian flags, and the occasional British one, it was a real riot of colour.

Who would not love arriving in Brisbane like that? Pulling in on a luxury cruiser and seeing what has to be one of the world’s best inner city parklands, replete with beach and fantastic gardens, with a waiting crowd to cheer you on.

Flag wavers in the crowd. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Of course part of the Queen’s arrival by river was for her to get some appreciation of the effect the flood had on the city earlier in the year.

While that was months ago now, and the city has been largely cleaned up, there are still various services and CityCat (ferry) terminals that are not functioning and many residents in the south east corner that are still affected – some of my neighbours put up a for sale sign on their house just last week (a place that had no insurance payout despite being insured for flood).

Union jacks in the crowd. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

In any case it was wonderful to see people of so many different racial backgrounds – many waving the Australian flag but some obviously visiting the city and wanting to see royalty – representative perhaps of a global interest in the family that was particularly apparent when William and Kate wed earlier in the year.

It was easy to pick out Maori, Papua New Guinean, Malaysian, Chinese, various Europeans, Indian and Sri Lankan people amongst the crowds.

Crowds gather beneath the Wheel of Brisbane. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

And all of us teetered like excited school girls when the Queen’s boat pulled up at the Southbank docks, Premier Anna Bligh resplendent in red accompanying her and Prince Phillip waving amiably to the crowd.

The Queen and Prince Phillip at the Southbank docks. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

A number of people in the crowd fainted from too much heat, excitement or both – paramedics rushed around in Ambulances ferrying them to help. It was activity on all fronts for everyone.

The media boat hot on the Queen's tail. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Little girls in tiaras, women in Georgian gowns and men dressed as Buckingham Palace guards helped entertain the rest of us when we weren’t able to get a glimpse of the Queen.

A girl in the crowd wearing a tiara. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

With some thousands turning up to see the Queen it certainly seems unlikely anyone will be voting for a Republic anytime soon; although on that score I guess time will still be the ultimate decider.

Well the race got under way on October 16 and there have been plenty of live updates and photos to check out on the Adventurists’ website and associated Facebook pages since. From numerous breakdowns to run-ins with the police, friendly locals and all the adventure of life on the road these are often an entertaining read.

Here are a few snippets.

Pic: The XCats

Asian Warriors
16/10/11
Dignitaries, A press conference and a Police  escort through Jakarta – it was all going rather well. Then we broke down after 5km. Was a minor radiator issue and now back on the road, battling the traffic and heading for Merak port

So…?
16/10/11
‘I’m on a boat’ to Sumatra. Turns out driving in Indonesia is quite easy – there are no rules!

Iguana Cantabria
17/10/11
Good 12 hours on the road, 4 spent at mechanics. Bike is finally not overheating and spitting boiling water on the back seat. Hoping for few more km tomorrow, 200 today only about 4,000 to go!

Savillians
17/10/11
Day 1, 180kms, 3 breakdowns already, speedo doesn’t work. We’ve christened the steed “jungle pig”. Morale is good, spirits are high. Convoy parters machine “the Bagus (good) goose” is overheating constantly. Standard rickshaw run basically.

Sambal Sandwich
18/10/11
Got into Palembang past midnight yesterday, roads were horrible coming in and we had to do almost 5hrs of night driving. Luckily we stopped at a small town and got foglamps fitted with 100W bulbs…

Pic: The XCats

The Adventurists
18/10/11
Loud pop. No forwardy forwardy. Time for a cup of tea.

The Adventurists
19/10/11
Popped a piston it seems. Smashed into 29 bits no less. They tell me it is related to the lack of compression and forward motion. I’m not convinced. Will have her up and running in a jiffy.

Savillians
20/10/11
Day 5, 328 long wet kms. A backpack takes flight from the roof but is recovered an hour and a half later. Clutchless bagus is repaired with truck parts and cable ties. Sadly kat’s phone is stolen but this creates an opportunity for a joyride in a police car.

Pic: The XCats

Team CoolBeer
20/10/11
last night got arrested, Deer Hunter scene followed, prison, dug a tunnel got out and now we’re on the Road again. Old Kadaffi loves it!!

Sambal Sandwich
21/10/11
Barely made it in last night as a massive storm broke. Flipped the Rickshaw but everyone’s OK, needed some bodywork and we’re going to to try and get all our rattles tightened today. Its been painful and tiring, can’t wait to hit Medan… the people of Indonesia have been ridiculous warm and hospitable, offering us places to sleep and advice on how to stay safe on the road. It really warms my heart and keeps us going.

So…?
22/10/11
we’ve enlisted the help of an entire village. Crossed equator too

Pic: Just Give team photos.

Asian Warriors
22/10/11
Arrived last night after 450km 11.5 hour drive. Drove through the ‘Gorilla’s in the Mist’ type mountains and then once more a coast road…

Sambal Sandwich
23/10/11
Engine finally gave way, think we blew a piston, no one in this small town could or was willing to fix us. A local policeman and his mates put us on a truck to Medan. It was a sad decision to make and we’re bummed about it but had no choice. Hopefully someone can fix us there. We are 5hrs away. KJ and I are still in the rickshaw on the truck, Anand’s beside the driver. Mood is sombre, spirits are low but we’ll try to not let this beat us.

Asian Warriors
23/10/11
0 km’s today and about 5 Bintangs so far. Watching the Rugby. Thankfully the prayer calls from the Mosque opposite, which somewhat drowned the commentary in the first half, has now stopped

Iguana Cantabria
23/10/11
arrived here on the back of a truck, blew engine about 40 km out. Dropped bike with ppl that say they’re gonna fix it and put on boat to Malaysia, we’ll see what happens when we go to pick it up on thursday…

Pic: Just Give "Breakdown #2 - Spent the night at a mechanic's shed on the side of the road...had to sleep in the rickshaw"

It is none other than the Royal Wedding of the Bhutanese King.

I have a number of Bhutanese friends so have been treated to some of their wonderful, rather intimate photos of the ceremony they posted on Facebook. I also met King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck some years ago while visiting Bhutan. At the time he was still the Crown Prince and home on holidays from university in the US He was a very polite, hospitable and accommodating young man.

The King, 31 years, married Jetsun Pema, 21 years, and declared she will be his only wife even though it is common in Bhutan to take more than one wife – his own father married four sisters.

Here are some photos from the ceremony from different news sources. There’s a fabulous gallery at the guardian.co.uk and also bbc.co.uk.

"A Buddhist monk before a rehearsal for a dance to be performed during the wedding festivities". Pic: Kevin Frayer/AP

"Before the wedding children's dance troupes practised celebratory dances and traditional Bhutanese routines to perform for the royal couple on the wedding day." Pic: Getty Images.

The Royal couple. Pic: AFP.

"The marriage ceremony." Pic: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

"Monks watch the procession." Pic: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

"The king and queen meet local people." Pic: Harish Tyagi/EPA

"The newly crowned queen of Bhutan, Jetsun Pema, and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck acknowledge the crowds after their marriage ceremony." Pic: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images

Of course there has been all the debate about will we or won’t we become a Republic again (yawn). I wonder if other Asian Commonwealth nations go through the same thing from time to time? (Feel free to write in and let me know).

Anyway, it could well be the last time the monarch visits our shores as the Queen is now 85 years old. News has been abuzz about what she’ll eat, who gets to meet her, what she’ll do and so on.

Pic: Hello Magazine.

Here’s a few snippets from newspaper articles about this.

The Courier Mail, 15-16 October:

Amid all the planning for the Queen’s visit the real question is: What will be on the royal menu when the Queen sets foot in Queensland?

…

The Queen’s private menus invariably feature fish and plenty of salads; which should make it easy to showcase the best of Queensland seafood (but not the shellfish) perhaps flavoured with some of those Queensland finger-limes that burst with flavour.

The palace menus have also been known to carry South Australian wines, so it may be timely to show Her Majesty that Queensland’s wine industry has developed during her nearly 60-year reign.

Perhaps one of our wine experts could suggest a vintage? Peter Scudamore-Smith?

There were a few gripes from New South Wales about being snubbed from news.com.au:

THE Queen is to spend 10 days in Australia next month – but she has given NSW a right royal snub.

The elderly monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh will instead spend their time travelling between Perth, Canberra, Melbourne and Queensland.

The Queen’s decision to bypass the state is causing some consternation in the first state since it is unlikely she will visit Australia again.

Apparently Ipswich felt the same way with the Queen only taking the time to visit flood ravaged Brisbane.

The Wall Street Journal | Asia has us painted as “going gaga” over the Queen’s visit.

Queen Elizabeth II begins this week her 16th official tour of Australia, competing with Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey as the biggest celebrity visitor down under in the past year as her fame outweighs her political relevance in a country where she is officially the head of state.
…

“The queen’s visit now is less a factor in politics than it is popular entertainment,” Richard Stanton, senior lecturer in political communication at University of Sydney, said. “She is seen today by a generation in the same way Lady Gaga is seen.”

Still, it’s hard to picture the queen’s hand-waving and flower-show excursions inspiring the hysteria that celebrities do. Lady Gaga, for instance, was granted honorary citizenship to Sydney when she flew in for a single concert in July, and Oprah Winfrey’s visit last December was celebrated with a giant “O” installed on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Prince William's recent visits have been warmly received in Australia. Pic from Hello Magazine.

The Sydney Morning Herald pointed out the pre-trip preparations in London:

If you are an Australian in London and seeking to hang out with a group of expatriate republicans, it would be worth checking out the guests’ entrance to Buckingham Palace. Especially if a member of the royal family is about to make a visit Down Under.

This tactic would have worked last Friday when the Queen hosted a reception for about 300 Australians based in Britain before her visit to Australia. Elizabeth II arrives in Canberra tomorrow for a tour that culminates in the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth on October 28.

The palace reception was attended by the famous and near-famous, including Elle Macpherson, Jason Donovan and Hugh Jackman. The celebrity couple Geoffrey Robertson, QC, and Kathy Lette were also there. Lette obtained the Queen’s attention by turning up in a corgi-covered dress.

Kathy Lette meets the Queen in her corgi-covered dress. Taken from the Sydney Morning Herald. Pic by Getty Images.

And The Australian, despite its Republican leaning (as admitted in the article) warmly welcomed Her Majesty:

In Australia, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have seen more of the cities, towns and backblocks of all states and the territories than many Australians. After their early, triumphal visits in which they traversed one end of the nation to another, they returned to mark the bicentenary of Cook’s discovery of Australia, celebrated the opening of the Sydney Opera House, the National Gallery of Australia, Expo ’88, the new Parliament House in Canberra and much else.

This visit will be a mixture of serious politics with the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth, fundraising at a “Great Aussie Barbecue”, sightseeing with a tram ride in Melbourne, Floriade in Canberra and an important outreach acknowledging Queensland’s flood victims and emergency workers in Brisbane. At 85 and showing robust longevity similar to her mother, the Queen is due to celebrate her diamond jubilee next year and has four years to serve to overtake her great-great-grandmother Victoria’s record as Britain’s longest-serving monarch.

We wish her well and welcome her among us.

The Queen's first visit to huge crowds.. Pic: Hello Magazine.

Anyway, those that are keen to see the Queen in Australia may wish to check out the Royal route. According to a Channel 10 news bulletin, Southbank in Brisbane is your best bet in Queensland, Federation Square in Melbourne and somewhere along Lake Burley Griffin as they are ferried to the Floriade Gardens in Canberra.

Her itinerary dates are as follows:

Canberra: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25
Brisbane: 24
Melbourne: 26
Perth: 26, 27, 28, 29

You can also see The Canberra Times for more details about her itinerary and where you can see her.

eezeer compiles monthly Twitter reports on the inbound and outbound tweet traffic between airlines and consumers. Read more about them here. They say they gather the tweets to “quantify opinions to create an overall picture of how a particular travel brand is viewed in the public eye through social media”.

Anyway according to their recent reports, the number of tweets from airlines and consumers has increased 28 percent from August to September to reach 221 323 tweets.

There are some interesting statistics in their reports that list things like who was the champion listener or talker on tweets.

And also the number of tweets sent by airlines or by consumers.

Here’s an infographic of their September results.

But whatever the kind you’ve seen or been in, you’ll no doubt have realized how impractical and hair raising it would be to try to man one through any jungles, islands, mangroves or forests, let alone hurtle it across Indonesia to Bangkok in the fastest time possible. Think mud, swamp, water, mountain roads and plenty of “un-route” options – ie. roads that aren’t really roads.

Still that’s the challenge being set down by the Adventurists in the name of adventure.

Cycle rickshaw in Malaysia. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Here are some details:

The basic premise is the same: take the smallest, least practical vehicle available in Asia, shoe-horn a motley crew of Adventurists into it and hurl yourselves across several thousand miles of Indonesian archipelago and South East Asian terrain.

From dense Sumatran jungle and ridiculous mountain tracks to the chaos of Bangkok, this will be 1000s of miles of adventuring in its finest form.

There’s no guarantee of making it to the finish line and no back-up. It’s just you, half a horse power of engineering genius and every obstacle South East Asia can put in your way.

Kolkata's hand pulled rickshaws negotiate traffic. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

So that basically translates to no back up, no set route and no assistance whatsoever. You simply try to get to Bangkok from Indonesia.

When is it on:

The Pioneer’s ASEAN Rickshaw Run will set off from Jakarta with much fanfare on October 16, 2011…ending about two weeks later in Bangkok. For more information on exact dates please download the handbook below. I’m afraid this one is totally sold out now with a waiting-list as long as a very long thing.

The Un-Route:

We’re not in the business of wiping your posterior region so we’ve un-invented the un-route. Which means how you get from Jakarta to Bangkok is entirely up to you. You can search for Orang Utangs in the jungles of Sumatra, stop off for a Singapore Sling in Raffles, pop in to a full moon party on a Thai island, or go via Borneo in a dug-out canoe….it really is 100% up to you. Whatever happens, this promises to be adventure on a massive gado gado flavoured stick.

The Pioneer’s ASEAN Rickshaw Run in October will be going from Jakarta to Bangkok. The next edition of the Run will be in the Spring of 2012 and will start in Bangkok and finish in an as yet undecided location. After this each Run will wend it’s merry way across different parts of South East Asia, taking in every nook and cranny of the region, from the tribal villages of northern Thailand to the bays of Vietnam.

For more details, how to enter, the risk involved and more see the Adventurists‘ website.

The Myanmar cycle rickshaw. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

There’s also a serious side to the race, despite the flippant and fun nature of the promotional website.

The Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN (who have officially recognised the adventure), Mr. Bagas Hapsoro, said:

With 30 international teams driving rickshaws across 3,000km of the ASEAN landscape passing through 3 countries, this will be a pioneering tourism event that will bring ASEAN to the attention of the rest of the world as well as promote ASEAN’s goal of building a community and highlight the connectivity of the region.

Teams must also raise at least £1,000 for the official charity, Birdlife International.

The remaining bids in the competition are between Hambantota in Sri Lanka’s deep south and the surfing city of the Gold Coast in Australia’s eastern state of Queensland.

Last week Queensland Premier Anna Bligh wined and dined delegates from the Carribbean, Americas and Solomon Islands to convince them the Gold Coast was the place to hold it. And Sri Lankan officials have also done the same in support of Hambantota.

Let’s take a closer look.

GOLD COAST
This is one of the official videos for the Gold Coast 2018 bid.

The girl on the video sums up the bid for the Gold Coast pretty well: “55km of coastline, world heritage listed rainforest, heaps of things to do, and 300 days of sunshine each year. Why would you want to live anywhere else?”

But there’s more to a successful bid than sunshine and things to do. Here’s a look at five reasons for holding the Games here:

Environment
The Gold Coast does have some of Australia’s best beach, surf, sunshine and natural environments. It also boasts a plethora of wildlife from lorikeets and aquatic birds to whales and dolphins.

Surfers Paradise. Pic: AP Photo/Tourism Australia

Attractions
11 million visitors travel to the Gold Coast each year for the nightlife, shopping, accommodation and things to do. There are also casinos, wildlife centres such as Currumbin, and theme parks like Seaworld and Dreamworld that feature animals, rides and more. Besides the coastal attractions there are also fantastic rainforest and mountainous regions nearby in Lamington National Park and Mt Tambourine. Moreton Bay is just a hop across the water featuring amazing sand islands and the opportunity to see migrating whales in season.

Climate
The Gold Coast boats 300 days of sunshine a year. The coastal climate means it’s also a fairly temperate environment year round.

Athletes
Sam Stosur’s recent performance at the US Open says it all – a lot of really great Australian athletes are from or live on the Gold Coast. Not only is the Gold Coast home to Stosur but also Olympic gold medallist cyclist Sarah Carrigan and World hurdles champion Sally Pearson, to name just a few.

International events
The Gold Coast has a track record of hosting international events like triathlon, marathon (Gold Coast Marathon), cycling, soccer and football. Many of the venues for the Commonwealth Games have already been built, although some will need an upgrade. These can host wrestling, squash, table tennis, hockey, gymnastics, athletics, swimming and more.

HAMBANTOTA
I wasn’t sure exactly what the official video for the Sri Lankan bid was but their website contains a lot of information, as does their Facebook page. This video was not actually taken from their official site but from what is listed as a television commercial – in any case it seems the best one to use for purposes here:

Environment
The Hambantota district boasts wonderful natural beauty with 150km of coastline and numerous protected wildlife areas.

When you discuss environment in Sri Lanka one also has to mention the 26-year civil war that ended in 2009. Since then Sri Lanka has forged ahead and is now the fifth fastest growing Asian country according to Wikipedia.

The island nation of Sri lanka

Attractions
Historical sites, ruins, cultural heritage, ancient art, national parks, beaches, underwater coral, ancient cities – there are so many things to see and do in this region. In the national parks there are bird sanctuaries, elephants, wild buffalo, crocodiles, leopards and indigenous birds.

Climate
The Hambantota region boasts brilliant sunshine year round. Thanks to the coastal location, it’s also fairly temperate year round.

Athletes
With new opportunities economically and domestically for young Sri Lankans, they are now beginning to shine. Some rising stars emerged at this year’s Commonwealth Youth Games. Sri Lanka is also recognised internationally as a force in cricket and badminton.

International events
Sri Lanka successfully hosted part of the World Cup Cricket this year showing that security concerns are now largely behind them, that it can host large crowds and provide modern venues. The incredible Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium staged two matches during the 2011 Cricket World Cup – it was built in just 14 months and has a capacity of 34,000.

A lot of the venues proposed for the 2018 Games will be completed in 2016 when the nation hosts the South Asian Games in Hambantota.

—

On paper, therefore, the bids look fairly even. In fact Commonwealth Games Federation Vice President, HRH Tunku Imran said:

The race for the 2018 Games presents an intriguing choice for our members. Each city would make a worthy host and would continue to build the international profile and brand of the Commonwealth Games as one of the most popular and enduring world-class events on the international sporting calendar.

Perhaps, however, given Australia has already hosted the Games four times already, and Sri Lanka is emerging as a new Asian force ready to take on a challenge, this may just sway the officials’ decision. But we’ll have to wait another 39 days to find out!

In the meantime there is a lot more information about each city’s bid at the www.cgf.com website.

If you’re wondering what that it is exactly then read this blurb from the official site:

This year’s theme is a celebration of tourism’s role in linking together the cultures of the world through travel. With millions of people travelling the world each year, never before have so many people been to so many places, nor been so exposed to other cultures. This interaction between individuals and communities, and their diverse cultures, leads to tolerance, respect and mutual understanding – the building blocks for a more peaceful world.

This event is celebrated all around the world from Egypt to Sri Lanka to France and Australia. Here, from Visited Planet, are a selection of photographs from around the world that show some of that interaction of such diverse cultures. It’s worth noting too that all sides seemed to enjoy these experiences with the same level of fascination and merriment.

Enjoy.

A man ties a tourists' turban in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Getting nabbed by young women in Sumatra, Indonesia for a photo. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

A tourist shows young Bhutanese monks some postcards in Bhumtang Valley, Bhutan. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Helping paddle the canoe in Segou, Mali. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Having a picnic with the locals and their dog out on the steppe, Mongolia. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Young aboriginal boys share some of their bush tucker with a visitor. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Tourists swap clothes with Turkish women in Ilhara gorge, Turkey. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Kids in Ladakh admire a tourists' bag. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Australian children getting their faces painted. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Playing football out on the steppe. Bayankhonger, Mongolia. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

“Are they serious?” she asked me somewhat bemused and disbelieving.

“Well yes,” was about all I could muster and explained some of the strategies I’ve heard of to push Brisbane onto the world stage – which were launched back in 2009.

And despite my recent post about the 10 things Brisbane is lacking, I do feel we are getting there if the recent The Brisbane Festival is anything to go by (the video below contains a time lapse of Brisbane on the day leading up to the opening night of the festival – Riverfire).

And this sort of tactical approach to pushing Brisbane forward is what I briefly talked about with fellow AC correspondent, master of wine Peter Scudamore-Smith, the other week.

We both agreed Brisbane had come through in leaps and bounds of late with amazing facilities such as Southbank, GOMA and so on, and that there seems to be a concerted, and successful, push to launch us more into the limelight.

Aside – I was also pleased to hear that a new ferry terminal has been opened this week at Northshore Hamilton – and another at Teneriffe is due by the end of the year. And as I was going past Kangaroo Point parklands (that opened in 2010) on a gorgeous spring day I did think there can’t be too many cities in the world with a view like that. The new look King George Square is also growing on me all the time as well.

But I do feel Brisbane residents still need a bit of convincing, and if my friend at dinner is anything to go by, it could be our attitude that needs to change first – myself included – even before the rest of the world.

Despite all these amazing facilities we seem reticent to think we can really pull off something huge.

The Brisbane Festival however has started to sway me, and this week I’m actually feeling withdrawal symptoms from what was a fabulous two weeks of performances. It was also the first time I had managed to see the festival – having been away a lot in recent years – and it’s obviously improved out of sight.

While it’s not quite up there with other massive festivals I’ve been to, say like Scotland’s Edinburgh Fringe or Italy’s Carnivale, I was suitably impressed by everything I went to like the laser show (see the video below but far more spectacular to see), the Riverfire fireworks, some of the free performing arts events around the city, an acrobatic/dance performance at the Brisbane Powerhouse and live music in the Spiegeltent (see this YouTube video for the incredible Frank Yamma).

And it’s what Queensland Premier Anna Bligh will get to say when Queen Elizabeth II visits Brisbane in October this year, heralded by newspapers all over the state and country as a “visit to put the Queen back in Queensland” (Sydney Morning Herald).

Photo: Getty Images

Of course those in the know realize the pun here as the state of Queensland was named after Queen Victoria who signed the Letters Patent back in 1859 to declare Queensland a separate colony from New South Wales – a fact no doubt both sides of the border are eternally grateful for.

But there are actually a lot of places in this country named after monarchs. If you consult good old Wikipedia you’ll find a worldwide list of those named after Queen Victoria alone  – some may surprise you.

However, it is Elizabeth II that is being heralded today and the much loved monarch announced she would add day trips to both Brisbane and Melbourne in her 10-day itinerary to coincide with Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth. She will be in Brisbane on October 24 and Melbourne on October 26. It will be her first visit to Queensland since 2002.

Getting back to that things-named-after-monarchs track, here’s a few in and around Brisbane that Elizabeth Windsor may have visited or get the chance to, so if you’re reading your majesty, do consider these on your itinerary:

Queen Street Mall, Brisbane
Come and do a little shopping for the grandkids and pick up some boomerangs, didgeridoos or Akubra hat right in the heart of Brisbane city. You could also listen to the chimes of the clock from King George Square, catch a busker or two out in the mall, sip from your pot of tea at Jimmy’s on the Mall, or even take in a flick in the lovely Regent Theatre – which has enough vaulted ceilings, Empire architecture, marble staircases and sumptuous interior decorations to make you feel like you were back at the palace.

King George Square
Of course from Queen Street you can wander down Albert Street and across Adelaide Street (yes all members of your family) to our central square-named for your father-and where the aforementioned clock is located. KGS is pretty much the civic centre of the city and home to Brisbane City Hall of course. The square contains cafes, hosts festivals (we even had a winter festival this year) and events like the Brisbane Festival. It will also shortly display the Rugby World Cup games – unfortunately your majesty the final will be held before you visit as we are sure you must be a rabid fan of the Wallabies. You can of course visit Town Hall too and we’re pretty excited at present about the recent excavations beneath it that uncovered a paved laneway dating from the late 1800s and other finds such as horse shoes, shovels, axes and bottles. Of course the 1800s is probably considered recent history for the relic-rich UK.

Town Hall, King George Square. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Queen Mary Falls, Killarney
We’re not sure if you’ll get his far afield (2.5 hours from Brisbane) but these falls are well worth a visit. They are quite dramatic, plunging 40m down a sheer rock face, and the walk to the falls is lovely through forest and very easy for seniors – I can personally attest to this as I took my mother last year who is 71 years old. In fact the whole area is delightful. It is said the falls were named after Queen Mary who traveled on horseback to see them, although apparently this has not yet been proved. Perhaps you could set this to rest?

Queen Mary Falls. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Queens Park and Gardens, Toowoomba
The annual festival celebrating Toowoomba’s amazing annual spring blooms has just ended – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still flowers. Besides Toowoomba really copped it bad during the floods earlier this year, and if your grandson’s visit is anything to go by earlier this year, they’d love a visit to boost their morale. Of course there’s also Queens Park in Ipswich, Mackay and Maryborough and Queens Gardens in Townsville – but you could save them for another visit.

Toowoomba's Carnival of Flowers. Photo: www.tcof.com.au

Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Sports Centre
If you fancy a little sport or recreation your majesty, you could travel out to Mt. Gravatt to visit the centre that housed the Commonwealth Games in 1982. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, officially opened these games, but of course the stadium was named after you. It has since changed a little of course and Michael Jackson, Madonna and other celebrities have belted out concerts there. It’s hosted the State of Origin, evacuees from this year’s floods, the Davis Cup and regular athletics events since.

Trans Mongolian
Beijing-Mongolia
The route from Beijing through the Gobi desert was my introduction to Mongolia – where I worked in 2007. And what an introduction: we were showered with sand throughout the night, the moon echoing dully across vast empty plains, and then finally endless steppe as we neared the capital Ulaan Baatar. It’s a good 35 odd hours but you can travel onto Moscow for another five days if you’re keen! Views of nomads living in gers (tents) with their livestock are unbeatable. Changing the bogeys on the border at midnight was also an interesting experience.

Personal advice: To save a lot of money you can book the train yourself in Beijing but it does take a bit of organisation. In Mongolia you can go down to the railway offices in person to book the train back – go well ahead of time to secure your seat.

Nomadic herders on the Mongol steppe. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

The Ghan
Adelaide-Darwin, Australia
This historic route taking 48 hours (2979km) is an epic journey right through the heart of Australia; dissecting the country from south to north through the red centre. It does make several stops along the way in places like Katherine and Alice that allow time for additional tours.

The original Ghan line started in 1878 and reached Alice Springs in 1929. The final leg to Darwin was only completed in 2004.

Personal advice: If you haven’t got time to undertake the entire journey then go as far as Alice Springs. And if you haven’t time to do any of the trip make sure you visit The Old Ghan Train Railway Museum in Alice – it’s well worth a stop. Ten kilometres of the original line that was completed in 1929 is open for tourists to ride.

The dramatic Katherine Gorge. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Qinghai Tibet Railway
Beijing-Lhasa, China
The “railway on the roof of the world” seemed an impossible feat when it was first proposed. It had to span hundreds of miles of permafrosted terrain and also climb higher than another other railway had before to 5,072m above sea level.

But that hasn’t stopped the Chinese and today the route from the Chinese capital to Tibet is a dramatic journey with snowy peaks, yak herds and vast plains to enjoy over the two-day journey.

Personal advice: You can get food onboard but I took plenty of snacks, particularly those noodle cups as you can get hot water on board to make it into a meal. I booked through an agent when I arrived in Beijing – plan well in advance as this train is popular. You do need a permit to enter Tibet – the situation seems to change continually so get up to date advice about it before going.

The train racing across Tibet. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Maharajas’ Express
India
India is the place to do a train journey and it’s hard to pick out just one to sample here. You don’t even have to pick a special train to have an amazing journey – any trip you take will introduce you to the plethora of amazing sights, people and experiences on the sub continent.

To travel in real style though, the Maharajas’ Express is the ultimate in luxury and elegance – although you’ll need a bank balance to match as prices start at $800 per day. Anyway there are three itineraries to choose from: Royal India (Deli to Mumbai via Agra and Rajasthan), Classical India (Delhi to Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow) and Princely India (Mumbai via Rajasthan and Agra to Delhi).

Personal advice: Always, always, always book your train ticket as much in advance as possible in India. A lot of the train booking system is now automated online.

Railway workers in India. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Tea country
Colombo-Kandy-Nuwara Eliya-Badulla, Sri Lanka
Given that the hill country where tea is produced in Sri Lanka is one of the most scenic parts of the country, it goes without saying a train ride through it is a must.

It’s possible to travel the 121km from Colombo to Kandy by rail and continue on or simply board in Kandy for a ride onto the hill station at Nuwara Eliya.

Personal advice: Get a 1st class carriage if you possibly can. The trains are dinky and atmospheric but you’ll be glad of the additional comfort. In any case make sure you have a window seat. The train drops you 6km from central Nuwara Eliya but there is local transport available to town.

Tea picking near Nuwara Eliya. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

According to news.com.au it was shot during one night as the station orbited the planet, showing lights from large cities in the USA.

The video starts over the Pacific Ocean, then moves across North and South America before a flash of daylight explodes into view near Antarctica. The thin yellow line clearly ringing the world is the ionosphere.

Amazingly the video shows lightning striking above the Pacific Ocean around Central America.

The footage was taken from the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth, a site that has made over a million images of Earth available to the public.

The news failed to make much dent on the public because, well, some of us are already wondering how likely it is to happen given he’s pulled out of visiting twice already last year.

The previous visits were called off in March 2010 due to domestic politics (the health reforms) and in June 2010 over the Gulf oil spill. So we’re all kind of hoping there’s no other economic, environmental or other crisis pending that might keep him away.

US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle. Picture: AFP

Anyway way way back on March 19, 2010 I listed some of the places Obama and his family should visit when they came here:

Here’s an updated version:

1. Hang out with Bindi Irwin at Australia Zoo
Tackle a croc or two in Steve Irwin fashion (Bindi’s famed dad, the late crocodile hunter) and see how tough we breed them downunder.

Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

2. Do some cleaning up
Go to north Queensland to survey the cleanup after Cyclone Yasi earlier this year – a bit of moral support would go down well Mr. President.

3. Try your hand at some cricket
We’ll even let you hit a few balls in the MCG, that hallowed of cricketing turfs. If you’re a bit mystified by cricket, and some of us are, then you can always take to the rugby field instead and take a few tackles from Darren Lockyer, minus the padding of American football.

4. Take a dive on the reef
A trip to Australia is not complete without seeing the magic under the sea.

AP Photo/Queensland Tourism.

5. Learn to surf at Bondi Beach
It’s been reported you rather like the Sydney beaches. So head down to Bondi Beach and get a lesson from the locals or check out the action with the Bondi Rescue team.

Surfers at Bondi Beach. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

6. Have a pint on the Cross
You had a pint in Irish pubs, so here you’ll have to take one or two in Kings Cross and meet a few of our colourful Sydney locals.

7. Meet some of our Australian Aboriginal people
We boast the world’s oldest continuous living culture. Take a tour with some of the elders at Uluru, learn some bush craft at the Alice Spring’s Desert Park, or wander some of our most sacred areas in the Territory like King’s Canyon, Ormiston Gorge and Simpsons Gap.

Uluru, Northern Territory. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

8. Go for a romantic drive
Take Michelle along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria for one of the most romantic drives you’ll have during your term – guaranteed.

9. Pick a wildflower or two, or rather 12,000
If you and Michelle are still feeling amorous, we can also recommend you head over to Western Australia for the wildflower season – they’ll still be in bloom, just, in November. For six months of the year the state is carpeted in thousands of plant species so you won’t have to go far to pick something nice for your First Lady.

10. “At home with Julia“
Do make sure you include dinner at The Lodge with Julia and Tim during your busy schedule – just be sure not to visit on date night.

A lot of these refer specifically to U.S. travel, so I’ve pulled out nine that could refer to travel all over the world, although you don’t have to remove your shoes everywhere yet.

See http://matadornetwork.com for the full list.

I’ve kept their numbers for your reference.

2. Not having to remove your laptop.

3. Leaving your shoes on when going through security.

4. Not having to worry about your stuff getting stolen while it’s all spread out during security.

6. Not having to get to the airport three hours before an international flight whenever it touches the United States, even if it’s a layover.

9. Not being prompted to think “nothing could go wrong on this flight, right?”

10. Not having to worry about being pulled off a flight for having a “suspicious conversation” in a boarding queue.

12. Not having to balance a kid on your hip while trying to put your shoes / your child’s shoes on, then stuffing your laptop and stuff back into your carry-on, so you can then uncap all your kid’s bottles so the TSA agent can wave a piece of paper over them to test for illicit substances.

13. Not having to worry if the body scanner is giving you brain cancer.

15. Not having my family sit with you at the gate and wave you off as you board.

I’ll also added the following to the list:

* having to answer lengthy questions about the purpose and reason of your travel, particularly on return home
* providing full documentation about your intended destinations
* getting your toothpaste confiscated because it’s over 100ml
* not being able to take your own water on board and having to buy inflight
* keeping completely silent through all check-in, boarding, customs and other baggage procedures for fear of saying the wrong thing
* thinking up ways of avoiding flying altogether where possible!
* trying to position yourself in the queue to avoid the body scanner
* getting to the airport early just so you’ll have time to get through security – and sometimes paying for the express line on busy days

V Australia was voted best airline in the Asia and Australasia region and also won the Best Food and Beverage and Best In-Flight Entertainment User Interface categories.

But it was Emirates and Virgin America who took out the Best Overall Passenger Experience Category.

The Passenger Choice Awards are voted on by the traveling public and cover matters of service, products, innovations, boarding experiences and the like. They were created by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) to give passengers a voice.

The full list of 2011 winners includes:

Best Overall Passenger Experience  – Emirates
Best Overall Passenger Experience – Virgin America
Best in Region: Africa – South African Airways
Best in Region: Americas – Virgin America
Best in Region: Asia and Australasia – V Australia
Best in Region: Europe – Virgin Atlantic
Best in Region: Middle East – Emirates
Best Inflight Publication – Avianca
Best IFE User Interface – V Australia
Best Inflight Connectivity & Communications – Oman Air
Best Inflight Video – Virgin America
Best Cabin Ambiance – JetBlue
Best Food & Beverage in conjunction with IFSA – V Australia
Best Ground Experience – Virgin America

If you’d like to become part of the awards process fill out the survey yourself at http://www.passengerchoiceawards.com/

There has obviously been much reported in the press around the world of the impact of that event on many levels, including travel.

Here are a few snippets from newspapers, travel magazines, airports and websites from around the world in recent days about changes to air travel post 9-11:

Info Wars.com

But everything changed, of course, after the 9/11 tragedy took place. Americans willingly sacrificed their freedom in the name of security and protection against terrorists. And as well-intentioned as many people likely were in bowing down to the federal overlords that were all-too-quick to unlawfully search them and seize their property, this capitulation to tyranny has made air travel feel more like lining up for roll call at a Nazi concentration camp than simply embarking on a peaceful and more rapid form of transportation than bus or car.

Air travel has not become safer by ‘enhanced’ TSA security protocols, despite propaganda

Some people might argue that because there have been no US major attacks since 9/11, the TSA’s enhanced security protocols have obviously been a success. The US government and mainstream media have repeated this mantra for years, and have even singled out a few supposed cases where terrorists were stopped as supporting evidence. This notion, however, is a logical fallacy, and here is why.

Just because there have been no major terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11, it does not mean that TSA and its enhanced security procedures have had anything to do with it.

ibtimes.com.au

Air travel has seen a complete makeover in the past 10 years — for better or worse.

A lot of what’s changed goes on behind the scenes. The TSA has multiple layers of security operation every day, including Federal Marshals on aircraft, hardened cockpit doors, and even behavior detection officers.

In the past decade alone, the TSA detected 50 million prohibited items, including 5,000 firearms on passengers attempting to board planes.

Of course, all of this comes with a price.

The TSA is constantly struggling to strike the right balance between what technology is capable of, and what the public is willing to accept.

These days, we are subjected to the occasional pat down, revealing body scans, and a small-scale strip down at the security check. We remove our shoes and belts, and place small quantities of liquids in plastic bags.

While this can be aggravating, looking back, it seems rather bizarre that items like box cutters were ever allowed on planes. But they were for years before 9/11.

Before, your wife could escort you to the gate without a boarding pass. Now, that is unheard of.

Some things we don’t even think much about. For instance, the TSA created large spaces, often installing “mood” lighting to create a calm, stress-free environment in airports. In this environment, it’s easier for officers to pinpoint potential threats.

Flightglobal.com

The outcome of all the measures that have been put in place since 9/11 is that the chances of a successful repeat of an event like it are small, but the risk of a sabotage attempt is as great as it ever was while the risk of its success is probably reduced.

Direct reactions to 9/11

Hardened cockpit doors locked throughout flight (universal)
New flightcrew and cabin crew onboard drills in the event of hijack (universal)
Armed air marshals (USA)
Armed pilots (USA)
Advance passenger details notification to security agencies
Air traffic control: upgraded military reaction to unidentified or non-communicating aircraft
Security changes not directly related to 9/11
Improved landside protection for airport terminals (not universal)
Universal checked baggage scanning
Improved cargo screening
Restrictions on passenger carry-on liquid containers
Shoe scanning
Improved levels of screening/vetting for all personnel who work airside
Improved passenger identification drills
Proposed or under trial
Outcomes-based security requirements (UK/Europe consultation on defining the security objective, then giving security providers more flexibility in how they achieve it)
Whole-body scanners
Technology companies’ proposal under development: integrated single-point walk-through passenger and hand baggage identification and scanning

www.pbs.org

After 9/11, Washington federalized airport security by creating the Transportation Security Administration. It was the largest federal startup since World War II. The agency quickly hired more than 60,000 people to screen passengers and their baggage at 450 U.S. airports. At first, TSA checkpoints looked a lot like their private predecessors. But that started to change in 2001. Passengers were required to remove their shoes for X-ray scanning after Richard Reid tried to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes.

In 2006, a foiled plot to smuggle liquid explosives onto 10 aircraft bound for North America from the United Kingdom led to a requirement for passengers to limit the amount of liquids they could bring aboard in carry-on bags. In the latest would-be incident in 2009, the so-called “Underwear Bomber” tried to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear, prompting the TSA to speed up deployment of body-scanning machines that are supposed to detect things hidden beneath clothing.

For many travelers today, just getting to the plane can be a major hassle. For some, it has been a nightmare. A Marine Corps veteran tried to board a plane at Midway airport in Chicago last year, only to find that he was on the FBI no-fly list. A Colorado woman was arrested and held in jail overnight because she says she has an uncontrollable aversion to being touched by strangers. A college student from Philadelphia was handcuffed and detained for more than four hours because he was studying Arabic and was carrying homemade flash cards.

www.thestar.com.my

Germal Singh Khera, chairman of the International Air Transport Association-recommended Board of Airline Representatives Malaysia, feels that while security and passenger safety have improved at airlines and airports, the financial costs, bureaucratic red tape, inconveniences and innumerable complexities have made things more difficult.

“While striving to make travelling safer, many government agencies have failed to take into consideration practicality, costs and passenger convenience. Security measures are also not uniform and not consistently enforced. This results in confusion among the travelling public.

“There must be consultations with relevant stakeholders to ensure harmonised global standards,” he says, citing the local context as an example.

“Malaysia is one of the safest countries in the world, and yet aircraft and passengers flying to or from here are subject to the same rigorous screenings as they would in major trouble spots due to international expectations, fears and a small measure of ignorance by the legal eagles and bureaucrats overseas who call the shots on member airlines. All this adds up to more expensive and inconvenient travel for everyone.”

Reuters: Indian air travel post 9/11

Here in the Indian capital, the international airport was built with modern security measures in mind. One of the largest airports in the world, it can handle 34 million passengers a year. But with that comes an element of risk. Executive director of security and vigilance at the airport explained the security measures. (SOUNDBITE) (English) S.I.S. AHMED, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SECURITY, VIGILANCE AND LANDSITE MANAGEMENT OF THE DELHI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED, SAYING: “More emphasis on access control, more emphasis on the checking of hand baggage, more emphasis on the checking of hold baggage, these have come up. Even the perimeter, the systems in perimeter intrusion – like perimeter protection they also have undergone a change, a different concept all-together.” Delhi international airport is equipped with over 3,000 camera’s, five level baggage screening and bomb proof dust bins. But security here starts before you even step foot inside the building. Scanners on the roads leading to the airport screen and photograph each vehicle before it is allowed to drive towards the terminal. Before 9/11, travellers could arrive 30 minutes before boarding a domestic flight. Today is a very different story.

USA Today

“Travel has become an increasingly miserable grind that is interspersed with groping, intrusive security experiences that do little to engender any comfort or sense of improvement in the overall safety of flying,” says frequent flier Nick van Terheyden of Laytonsville, Md., who works in the health care technology industry.

Flying is so miserable that many Americans avoid it. A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll last year found that 27% of fliers who made a round trip at least twice in 2009 were more likely than before to travel by car, train or bus to avoid the inconveniences of flying.

…

Another aviation security consultant, Doug Laird, says, “There is no doubt in my mind that it’s safer to fly today than it’s ever been.”

Security is stronger today because cockpit doors have been reinforced — “thus preventing the 9/11 scenario” — and checked bags must be screened by state-of-the-art devices that can detect explosives, he says.

Not all buy the arguments.

“Don’t get misled into believing we’re safer than before 9/11,” says aviation consultant Michael Boyd. “We are simply being screened by a bigger bureaucracy, and the back doors of our airports — where the security failures really were on 9/11 — are still wide open.”

Boyd says travelers fly to save time, but much of that benefit has been lost getting through security.

It contains the same sentiments. Here’s an excerpt:

BRISBANE has been warned it lacks the permanent tourist attractions to become the new world city that it claims to be.
Only weeks after the city was jam-packed for a festival of football matches and major conferences, the state’s tourism boss said visitors weren’t thinking about Brisbane outside of special events.

The city, devastated by floods in January, has struggled to maintain its visitor numbers despite an upbeat feeling fuelled by the Maroons’ stirring State of Origin win, the Reds’ Super Rugby triumph and the Surrealism exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art.

Tourism Queensland head Anthony Hayes said Brisbane was an events city and without major permanent attractions there was “no excuse” for tourists to visit.

Three years after a report recommended 10 major tourism projects to kickstart the industry, none had been completed.

Furthermore the article went on to list some attractions that were missing. Numbers 1 and 2 mirror ones from my list, the rest are fantastic ideas although they do contain development ideas beyond Brisbane as well:

SUGGESTED ‘MISSING’ ATTRACTIONS
1. Internationally significant indigenous visitor attraction on South Bank;

2. Aquarium and Marine Discovery Centre on a centrally located river frontage site;

3. Story of Brisbane at Mt Coot-tha;

4. Development of Brisbane River Piers;

5. Relocation and redevelopment of Cruise Terminal;

6. Two major international brand 5-6 star hotels to be built at Victoria Park and a downtown CBD location;

7. Ipswich Railway Heritage precinct development with convention centre;

8. Developing a major walk with associated huts and high quality lodge accommodation infrastructure in the Scenic Rim;

9. Creation of a new ferry terminal for Moreton Bay Islands on Brisbane River; and

10. Creation of an eco-resort on Moreton Island.

Riverfire from www.brisbanefestival.com.au

While we love Brisbane and recognize the cityscape has changed and improved enormously in recent years, we couldn’t help get talking about big attractions the city seems to lack when compared to other capitals like Sydney and Melbourne. And by city attractions we mean things actually within the city limits – so you can’t count Australia Zoo, Moreton Bay, Redcliffe, the Gold Coast and other attractions nearby.

Here are some of the ideas we came up with:

1. A Brisbane zoo or aquarium right in the Botanic Gardens
It could be small but contain some of our unique animals so those without time to go further afield can still get to see them. It would also be amazing for our own kids. A small zoo could contain a few animals like a possum, kookaburra, kangaroo, koala, goanna, dingo, water dragon and green frog. Or an aquarium could have a few turtles, a shark, sting ray, a seal, platypus and so on. Perhaps centres like Lone Pine, Australia Zoo etc. could actually use it as a way of promoting their more developed centres further afield?

Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

2. Chess fun in King George Square
A giant chess board in King George Square or chess tables might be copying other cities a bit, but how fun would that be? Office workers, visitors and backpackers could stop off for a game while passing through.

3. Getting to know the crocs
People do go to Australia Zoo (about 100km away in Beerwah) to see crocs, but why not house them right in Brisbane city as well? A centre where they are bred and hatched right there under watching eyes would be perfect for those that can’t go further afield or up to the Northern Territory or north Queensland.

4. Outback extravaganza
An interactive experience where you can experience a bit of the bush without having to travel for miles to places like Longreach. There could be demonstrations on animal husbandry, shearing sheep, wool classing, sheep dog trials, even line dancing.

Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

5. Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander cultural centre
Let’s celebrate our indigenous peoples right in the city centre in one location. This centre could have films, arts, crafts, workshops for learning things like how to play a digeridoo and various crafts, dancing and singing performances and more.

6. Queensland wine tasting
We’ve got the XXXX brewery that does draw overseas visitors but wines are a growing industry in Queensland too. A communal centre where they are processed and available for tasting would be fantastic.

Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

7. Giant photographic installations
Again this is a blatant copy of what other cities do but would be wonderful. These could be placed in different locations around the city – say the Queen Street Mall or the Fortitude Valley Mall, outside city train stations etc.

8. City graffiti / art projects
We’ve got a great climate for these kinds of outdoor projects. These could use specified walls or alleyways (or walls could even be erected) around the city for people to come and spray, paint or design their own art. Every six months they could be blanked out so they can be started again.

Street graffiti in Melbourne. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

9. Communal gardens in the city
City Hall or Parliament House could start developing their own veggie patch. Get Anna Bligh out there tending some flowers or tomatoes every few days and it will certainly draw a crowd. It’s a bit a.k.a Michelle Obama at the White House but why not? In what country do you get to see the pollies out doing some gardening?!

10. Free summer sports
Why not offer free kayaks, roller blades or other free events like theatre, opera, films and concerts in city squares and gardens in the summer months. We do have some but not nearly enough! And many have become user pays experiences now.

Feel free to write in with your own ideas.

The manufacturing company won 1 million dollars in travel experiences to Queensland, Australia! as part of the Million Dollar Memo competition run by Tourism Queensland.

Here’s their winning entry although they also had to take part in a 10-day incentive challenge event:

The following video is from Live Stream containing some of the fun things the 20 finalists did over the last 10 days.

While it’s not the world’s remotest horse race it’s probably not far off. Birdsville is located in far western Queensland (Australia) about 1600km from the state capital Brisbane – in other words it’s a good drive from wherever you’re coming.

During the event the local population, normally around 100, swells to up to 8000 as caravans, 4wds and even light planes make their way across the expanse of western Queensland for the dusty action on the racetrack.

The road trip to Birdsville is half the fun. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

A caravan heading along the Birdsville development road comes across some road kill. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Other traffic you might meet on the Birdsville Development road includes these enormous road trains - steer well clear... Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

A 4wd in Birdsville displaying some of the conditions you might face getting here. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

The famous and historic Birdsville hotel - a good place to recover from the drive and the coldest beer you'll find for some distance. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Peter and his dog - a regular who comes to the races every year. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

This race fan came prepared - hat wear at the races. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Action off the field - the fashion competition winners in 2008. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Punters in the main tent by the racetrack. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Blurry night action in Fred Brophy's travelling boxing tent where you can step up to challenge a trained fighter. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

A game of cricket breaks out by the track - action takes place on and off the field. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

And finally to the feature events... the races get underway. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

The dusty action on the track. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

The 2008 winner and owner. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com

Twenty companies entered the competition to win AUD$1 million in travel experiences in Australia.

The live stream will be broadcast here: http://www.livestream.com/milliondollarmemo

In the meantime the link has a video broadcasting various details of the competition.

South African rider Craig Egberink claimed the victory even after losing all his kit and equipment just 48 hours into the event.

His victory over Chinese rider Sanbayier (a Mongolian name by all accounts) came just two kilometres before the finish line.

Craig Egberink, eventual winner of the Mongol Derby 2011 on the course. Image from www.theadventurists.com

From travel4press.co.uk:

At the penultimate horse station with just one stage and approximately 40 kilometres to go, four riders set out on the morning of Saturday 13th August to fight it out for the finish line.

Craig Egberink and the three riders from China, David Ha, Bayinmuenke and Sanbayier rode together until they were 12 kilometres from the finish. At that point Sanbayier “decided to make a race of it” according to Craig and when they were just 2 kilometres out there was still nothing separating them until a final tactical decision decided the outcome of the Derby.

As they approached the end a final hill lay between the two leader and victory. “He had some advice to go up the hill and I shot up over it and just beat him to the finish line” explains Craig.

After seven days, 8 riders withdrawing, extreme conditions and around 1000 kilometres of racing across the Mongolian wilderness, Craig won by just two minutes.

The course re-creates the Khaan’s ancient postal messenger system – a system that saw them deliver messages at phenomenal speed across their vast empire. Over the 1000km there are 25 horse stations, 40 kilometres apart, where riders can change horses and receive hospitality with nomadic families. The idea being that while the horses are fresh the rider still has to deal with the challenges of riding.

It’s not an event for the faint-hearted.

Owen and Rose Paterson taking part in the Mongol Derby 2011, picking up speed as they tackle the world's longest horse race on semi-wild Mongolian horses! Owen and Rose Paterson taking part in the Mongol Derby 2011, picking up speed as they tackle the world's longest horse race on semi-wild Mongolian horses! Image www.theadventurists.com

The press release from Travel4press.co.uk also related some of the injuries and mishaps in this year’s race:

From day one some of the world’s most experienced endurance riders were thrown from their horses. Two riders saw their horses bolt after throwing them off and Chinese rider Tommy Tsui required intravenous rehydration due to the intense heat of the Mongolian steppe in the peak of summer.
…
Two riders withdrew on day two – Tommy Tsui with a serious injury to his thumb requiring urgent surgery, and South African Paul Erskine retired voluntarily at the 5th horse station.

South African rider Craig Egberink, the eventual race winner, lost all his kit and equipment less than 48 hours into the race but decided to continue with no saddle bag, instead relying on the horse stations and riding with nothing but the clothes he was wearing, a saddle and a SPOT tracker through remote areas.
…
Two more riders withdrew on Day 5, reducing the racing fleet to just 18. Marcus Chenevix-Trench was halted by a debilitating bug and his partner Sarah had suspected broken ribs after a fall. On the same day, Sofia Mangalee lost her horse and had to walk seven kilometres on foot to the next horse station. Her horse was later recovered.
…
Barry Armitage, a well known TV presenter and endurance rider from South Africa damaged his right arm and ribs after falling from his horse and had to withdraw just one day before he was expected to cross the line. Regina Buenos Ros, the Mongol Derby’s first Mexican rider also withdrew in the latter stages of the race.

Out of 23 riders who travelled out to Mongolia, just 15 crossed the finish line on a horse and still a competitive participant of the race.

See www.theadventurists.com for more details, some fantastic images and other adventure races they organize.

However the state of American comedian Bert Kreischer’s room would probably still shock the most seasoned employee.

The frequent traveller gives his room a makeover before he leaves to thrill, disturb and probably amuse the staff – and of course promote his show Bert the Conqueror. This can be anything from a toilet with fangs, toilet paper laid out like a body in a crime scene or legs poking out from under a bed or curtain.

Apparently he started the pranks in Texas so staff wouldn’t know what he really had been doing in his room.

From news.com.au:

“I realised that if a maid was insightful enough she could tell exactly what I had done in my hotel room and she might think less of me,” he said.

“So I tried to throw her off my trail by putting an ironing board in the bathroom next to a pillow encrusted toilet…and that started it all.”

Apparently he always leaves a donation to compensate the maids for their trouble and never does anything that would take long to rectify.

Here are a few of his creations but you can view the full gallery on news.com.au.

Picture: Bert Kreischer

If you work in a hotel you might also like to note the following comment he made on news.com.au:

“Hyatts and Hiltons offer the most amount of stuff in the room for you to create with… Holiday Inns and Red Roof Ins a pretty bare bones and you end up having to go into your suit case for props, but mostly all the props are the same… which makes it tough to come up with new ones.”