ESPERANCE, WEST AUSTRALIA – Our six-seater plane is swooping and soaring over perhaps the most striking coastline I’ve ever seen. The water is an insane shade of aquamarine that I’ve never imagined, with beams of navy blue and bands of brilliant green running along the coast. Under a brilliant Australian sun, the sand is a dazzling, pure, blinding white, and nearly deserted on a beautiful day just three weeks before summer. After a good 20-30 minutes of enjoying the heck out of our bird’s eye view of the southern coast of Western Australia, our pilot with Fly Esperance, the young Read more
Australia/New Zealand/PAC
Marriott Bonvoy is taking fans to Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour when it lights up select cities across Europe and North America in 2024. Trips to to see three shows in three countries are available from Marriott Bonvoy, with tickets, flights and hotels provided by Marriott Bonvoy. As a touring sponsor of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour in select cities, Marriott Bonvoy will offer an opportunity to attend the show of a lifetime with tickets to over 30 performances across Europe and North America. Inspired by the singular experience Taylor Swift created and the countless fans who have Read more
Canadians are still paying more for groceries, but the cost of airline tickets is dropping. New Statistics Canada figures published this week show the average air ticket in January of this year cost 14.3% less than in January 2023. January average airline prices also were down 23.7% from December of 2024, StatsCan said, “as holiday demand gave way to stay-at-home habits,” The latest news continues a trend for air prices in Canada that began last spring. Airline prices in December of 2023 were 10% lower than in December 2024. Prices in November of last year were 17% lower than the Read more
For all those who have always had Australia on their bucket list, 2024 is the year to start vacation planning to your dream travel destination. Tourism Australia has created a great list of top things to do in Australia in 2024, recommended by local Aussies. Given the increasing enthusiasm among Canadians to explore Australia, evident in a remarkable 94% recovery rate compared to 2019, it’s clear why this destination is swiftly becoming a top choice for travelers. I just returned from a fabulous visit to Sydney, Tasmania and Western Australia. On previous trips I’ve been to Queensland, Victoria Read more
As a long-time (50 years this year, wow) journalist, I do occasionally consider the dark side of things. When I see a list of the safest cities in the world to visit, for example, I always wonder who finished at the bottom. That isn’t very nice, I suppose. But I guess it’s human nature. With that in mind, I was delighted to see that a recent study of the most welcoming countries in the world was followed up with a list (from a different source) of the LEAST welcoming nations in Europe. It it may not be very scientific, and Read more
