Melbourne, a grisly view from a bridge: Father throws 4 year old daughter off the city's West Gate bridge

A horrific act that Australians are at a complete loss to comprehend has dominated the media for the last day: a 35 year old father threw his 4 year old daughter off Melbourne's West Gate bridge. Witnesses reported seeing the guy, an IT consultant, stop his white Toyota Landcruiser at the top of the bridge, get out of the car, and drop her over the side. His two young sons, aged 6 and 8, were in the car. And apparently he then drove off, handing himself in later on. The little girl, Darcey Freeman, was rescued from the water, and ambulance officers spent 45 minutes trying to revive her, but she died hours later of massive injuries. The safety of the bridge is now being questioned. But, while I may have lived overseas for 11 years, I can't recall anyone throwing a child off the bridge before. I imagine a man who could conceive of throwing his child from a bridge, would find some other way to rid himself of her. I could imagine such as man placing the little girl in front of his vehicle and running her over. One wonders what went on in that car that morning, and before. What was going through the man's mind. It appears the man "snapped". He'd been through a custody dispute and the decision had just been made to allow joint custody. Had the man wanted full custody? Or did he not want custody at all? Did he secretly realize he wouldn't be able to cope? One journalist reporting on the tragedy wrote about the sweltering heat of the night before, as if to partly blame the weather. Whatever the cause, we all want to know it. Thousands are covering the story, millions are mourning the loss of this little life: 'A Nation Wants Answers' are the headlines today.

South Australia: from heavenly summer days to the living hell of a heatwave

A couple of weeks ago we were holed up writing in an apartment overlooking the sea at Glenelg beach, Adelaide, South Australia. While the days were warm and balmy, topping 30 degrees celcius, a little higher than the typical heavenly summer temperatures they get here, the evenings were deliciously cool. Cool enough to pop on a cardigan. We've been on the road in South Australia for a week or so now and it's a completely different story. We're making our way across the southern coast to Victoria and the Great Ocean Road, and it's been hot - scorching hot! And that's saying something coming from someone who lives in Dubai. It's so hot Australians are calling it a heatwave. The heatwave - and it's very definition (several days of continually high, above-average temperatures) - is being discussed endlessly by everybody it seems. These are record breaking temperatures. In the south here that means mid- to high-40s, but in some parts it's reached as high as 51. We listen to the radio a lot as we drive these days (we're bored with our music and podcasts; it's our third month on the road, after all) and the heatwave and ensuing chaos are all that's discussed: the affect upon health, cancellation of major sporting events, the threat of fires, total fire bans, the need to be 'fire ready', to put 'bushfire contingency plans' in place, train and tram cancellations and derailments (tracks are buckling), traffic light outrages, the accidental blackouts, and the planned power cuts. It's hell here. And in the midst of this chaos and suffering, Australia's 'power wholesaler', the National Electricity Market Management Company (NEMMCO), which controls the country's electricity usage decided to impose further planned power cuts (um, 'load-shedding') to 'protect the security of the grid'. (Interestingly, their share price subsequently went up.). NEMMCO has been providing the radio station with lists of suburbs that will lose power for 30 minute intervals, so they people can prepare themselves. The problem is that these people are calling the station and sending SMS messages complaining that they've already been without electricity for 24 hours. They are irate. It's like living in a third world country, they say. Now we're bored with the radio too. Whenever we go to the bakery, tourist office, service station, or check into a motel, we're asked how we're coping with the heat. We live in Dubai, we tell them, but how are you? A few years ago Australians would ask "Dubai, where's that?" We'd need to qualify it by saying "the Arabian Peninsula, Persian Gulf, that tiny country above Saudi Arabia and below Afghanistan and Iran". But now they not only know Dubai, they have family who work there, friends who have just been there, or are planning a trip themselves. "It's this hot all the time?" they ask. "Yep, plus there's high humidity, up to 90%. Our glasses fog up every time we leave an air-conditioned building." "Well if we can handle this..." they say. How things have changed. This time I'm not talking about the weather.

Taking in the atmosphere at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide

Lance Armstrong was looking good last night in his comeback race at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide - can you pick him out here? - and he didn't seem to mind coming 64th in the exciting 30 lap 51-kilometre criterium. In fact he's playing down his chances of coming anywhere on this Tour. Although Terry tells me that's how he plays the game. I know very little about cycling or the Tour, but I love watching it, especially Le Tour de France. Le Tour reminds me of two things. Firstly, my dear old school friend Darren Lawson who I studied French with for years during high school, whose dream was always to ride in the Tour de France (when my dream was to become a journalist and travel the world); Darren made it to the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and we were all very proud of him. Secondly, the race reminds me of the many summers Terry and I have spent in Europe, before we were travel writers, in the days when we could afford the time to take a long siesta in the sweltering afternoons and watch some TV. Naturally we watched the Tour de France, and although I've never been mad about France the scenery inspired me to go to some of those tiny villages and terrific mountain areas which they rode through. We'd already seen Armstrong earlier yesterday - we were riding right alongside him in a taxi as he cycled through the streets of Adelaide (but neither Terry nor I were quick enough to grab a camera; read Terry's post about the experience here). He not only seemed in great shape but he seemed happy to be cruising around Adelaide in the sunshine - with a police escort. We hadn't intended on watching the Tour Down Under at all - we're in Adelaide working on two guidebooks and we're busy enough as it is with our research, writing and Terry's shooting - but it seemed a good opportunity for Terry to get some pics for the DK book, and simply to take in the vibe. The streets were buzzing! The wide verandahs of every old pub on the circuit were crowded with fans enjoying some beers and enjoying Aussie Robbie McEwen racing to victory. But then Australians love any excuse to soak up the sun and soak up some spirits - just as I love any excuse to soak up a city's atmosphere. If you're interested in following the Tour Down Under you can keep up with the news here.

Your chance to chat to an insider

Another series of live chats with local experts is starting soon on the excellent NineMSN Travel site. (I wrote about the first series here.) As their Dubai Insider (along with Terry), I chatted with NineMSN readers back in September (read the transcripts here) and it was tonnes of fun: travellers asked everything from my must-do tips to my restaurant recommendations. The site has expanded its team of Insiders considerably to include a long list of international and Australian destination experts, so check out the full list here, because you may not want to know anything about Dubai, but there are loads of other places you can get advice on. My chat is scheduled for 12 February, from noon to 1pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. You can read our Dubai Insider guide here and get more information about the live chats with Insiders here, where you can also connect before the chat.

The image is of the chic postmodern Middle Eastern interior of Almaz by Momo at Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. And those gorgeous lamp covers (along with a range of stylish bits and pieces) are for sale from the little 'boutique' in the corner of the restaurant.

To haggle or not to haggle?

You're browsing a souq in the Middle East and a stunning carpet catches your eye. It would look very cool in your place back home, wouldn't it? You catch the carpet salesman's eye: "How much you want to pay?" he asks you. What do you say? Do you offer the first price that comes to mind? A price that turns out to be crazily high and makes his day? Or do you hesitate for fear you'll suggest a price so low it might insult him. Of course they rarely do, but you're not to know that. Whatever you say - if you say something - you're about to begin the process of bargaining, a much-loved sport - some would argue an art - in the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Africa. But you hate to haggle, so you contemplate stomping off, and even showing your frustration, and you wonder why he can't just tell you what it's worth. The sales guy won't care, because there'll be other tourists. But you're the one who'll miss out on the gorgeous carpet. So what do you do? Well, consider the advice of these travel bloggers over at Eric's travelblogs.com for starters: Melanie from Intrepid 101 asks: "Do you want to engage with real local people and leave your antiseptic double plastic-wrapped lifestyle behind? If you are an intrepid adventurer, not a sunburned-pink tour bus tourist yearning for their next Big Mac, haggle." The Daily Transit's Ben Hancock argues "Unless you’re scraping or have no access to further cash, there’s rarely a legitimate reason for travelers whose bank accounts are stacked with strong currency to demand they get the same price as locals. Providing you’re not getting wildly ripped off, just count on spending a bit more won, yuan or baht if simply because you can afford it and these people have ends to meet." Gary Arndt from Everything Everywhere remind us that "A price is what a willing buyer will pay to a willing seller. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no “correct” or “right” price, or for that matter a “fair” price," and tells us "I have yet to meet anyone who had their feelings hurt during haggling. If anything, they will respect you more for playing the game well." Gary's advice is so true of the Middle East in particular. Whenever I write my 'bargaining 101' boxes in guidebooks to the region, I outline the etiquette followed here in Dubai where I've honed my skills - carpet shopping of course! (Read some of my advice at 10 Reasons to Shop Dubai: the Ultimate Dubai Shopping Guide at Viator.) Whether you choose to play the game or not is up to you. And I have to admit that I'm not always in the mood to haggle either. But when the moment's right, it can be fun, and sometimes the pleasure has nothing to do with securing a bargain, rather it's the social interaction. And, you know what, that's often true for the sales guy too.

1001 Travel Writer Tips: here is Tip # 1002 from a travel writer

If you're an aspiring travel writer looking for advice on how to improve your writing, develop angles, pitch stories, and essentially how to make it in this insanely competitive world of freelance travel writing, then check out travel writer David Whitley's 1001 Travel Writer Tips blog. A couple of days ago I posted on what makes a travel blog cool for me, well, David's blog fits my criteria: David's a widely published writer and all of his tips come from experience, so there's lots of insight there that's rooted in reality; and it's very much his reality, the way he sees travel writing and how he's made a success of it as a career. There's tonnes of insider knowledge and practical advice from the best time to email a pitch to an editor to websites that pay for travel writing (many don't pay unfortunately or pay abysmally), and this is a very readable blog, written in an engaging matter-of-fact style (with lots of headers and lists). But what I like most is that David's suggestions make sense and I know they work - they are things that have worked for him, and have worked for me too. There are a lot of writing websites out there that are very general, giving vague advice as to what you should do to become successful. David's blog is just the opposite, with very few specific examples of what's worked for him and why it works. If you're serious about succeeding in this field then subscribe. That's tip 1002 from me.

Pictured? That's the Old Telegraph Station in Alice Springs; these things are dotted around Australia and this one was integral in connecting Darwin and Alice Springs to the rest of Australia when it was established, and in doing so connecting Australia with the world. The grounds are gorgeous and green, and there's a grassy area on the Todd River banks beyond that wooden fence which is a tranquil spot to while away an afternoon.

My desert island blogs: the coolest travel blogs on the web

These are the coolest travel blogs as far as I'm concerned. If I was stranded on a desert island with my laptop and internet access... oh, and it's an Australian desert island, which means there's no broadband, it's dial-up, there's a convoluted 'plan' so you have no idea what you're ultimately paying, the signal's weak and inconsistent, it's excruciatingly slow, and, oh, you pay by the byte! (Sense some frustration here?). So, if I was only able to read six travel blogs a day, this is what they'd be... oh, and they just so happen to meet my criteria of what makes a travel blog cool for me (see yesterday's post):
1) Maryam from Marrakesh: this whimsical blog is a wonderful example of one that communicates a personal vision. Maryam expresses her own unique way of seeing the world as she shares the magical times and frustrating moments as she and her architect-husband build a guesthouse in Morocco. A creative outlet for Maryam, it has an addicted community of vicarious travellers who visit every day to experience Maryam's Marrakesh.
2) Pret a Voyager: written by Baltimore-based designer Anne who loves to travel, this is a brilliant example of a blogger who 'connects' with her content. Anne is always discovering and sharing all kinds of fascinating stuff related to her passions for Paris, design, travel, maps, and her hometown, and presents them through her own special perspective. Anne occasionally writes about things we might read about on other blogs, but when Anne shows us something we see what makes it relevant to her and why it should be important to us.
3) Primitive Culture: this is a prime example of a blog that's engaging because it's written from experience. Xander, formerly based in Bangkok, born in New Mexico, and educated in South Africa, documents his observations from his experience living, working and traveling through Asia, Africa and America, providing an insight into the pleasure he gains from experiencing local food, coffee, exotica and esoterica.
4) Wide Angles, Wine and Wanderlust: written by (full disclosure) my co-author/husband Terry, this is a fantastic example of a blog with a sense of purpose. It has motivation, direction, and originality. Terry writes in an engaging, insightful and often witty way about his profession (photographer/travel writer) and his passions (photography, food & wine). He doesn't write every day, only when he has something to say. And that's exactly what I mean.
5) Going Local: this blog focused on hospitality tourism (couchsurfing, home-swapping, house-sitting and so on), written by former Guardian journalist and new Buenos Aires-resident Vicky Baker, is an excellent example of a blog that is well-written. Each post has focus, structure, is engaging, has focus, and holds my attention. It doesn't matter if Vicky writes 10-words or 1000, I'm going to read them.
6) Life In A Venti Cup: this is a fabulous blog with a capital F and fits my eye-candy criteria to a cute T. It's chic, sassy and sexy (just like Franki), boasts gorgeous pics, cute design, a clean look and feel, and light and breezy content that keeps me coming back for more - with a capital M.
I'm keen to know what you think of my criteria - and these blogs. And I'm dying to know what your desert island travel blogs are - and most of all, the reasons why.

What makes a travel blog cool

What makes a travel blog cool for you? And why? I'm often baffled by the winners of travel blog awards and why they're there. The results of a recent contest got me thinking about what makes a travel blog cool for me. Here goes:
1) Personal vision: the blog has to reveal an individual way of seeing the world that's the writer's own, expressed in a focused, compelling and unique way. It must communicate the thoughts, ideas, interests and passions of the author in a creative, well thought-out and highly personal way.
2) Sense of purpose: it must have motivation, direction, a reason to exist, and original stories to tell. It's got to exist for reasons other than to relieve boredom or generate income for the blogger. If it does that on the side, fine, but I'm not interested in blogs where that's the main goal.
3) It must be well-written: I want to read posts that are well-written, have shape, form and focus, and read well. I don't care if they're short or long. I don't go in for this 'optimum blog-post length' debate - they can be 100 words or 1000 words for all I care. Because if the narrative is structured, engaging and holds my attention it doesn't matter.
4) It must be written from experience: I want to read travel blogs written by bloggers who are travelling and experiencing what they're writing about, not simply regurgitating content they've read elsewhere, press releases they've been sent, or compiling posts from other blogs on the web. I want to read posts that provide a new insight into travelling the world, its places and people. I want to learn from what the blogger is learning from their travels.
5) It must 'connect' with its content: if the blogger is writing about other blogs, sites or media content, I want to see a connection. I'm not interested in reading about the same topic on ten different blogs. I want to read about it in a new and revealing way that makes me think about the subject differently or see it through the blogger's way of seeing the world.
6) It should be easy on the eye: if the blog is designed beautifully then that's a bonus, but at the very least I want something that's cool, clean-looking, and with inspiring images I can enjoy.
So what criteria do you use? Or is what makes a travel blog cool for you something that's not so easily definable?

The best job in the world? It turns out it's not mine after all...

Travel writers frequently get told they have the most enviable job in the world. It's a given that if we're checking into a hotel where they know we're travel writers (we often stay incognito) that soon after shaking hands and exchanging business cards, the hotel GM or PR person will say "You guys must have the best job in the world." Depending on how many days we've been on the road, how many hotels we've stayed in so far that year, and how many bags of research materials we're lugging at the time, we might agree - or not. When we meet travellers on the road, we gushingly get told we have their dream job and are quizzed as to how they can become travel writers too. So when I spotted a tweet titled 'The Best Job', I was certain it would be something to do with travel writing. It wasn't. It turns Tourism Queensland have devised one of the most ingenious tourism marketing campaigns ever. Australia the movie? Bazz who? And the timing couldn't have been better, as tourism numbers in Australia are down. Firstly, they generate an astonishing amount of publicity and interest around the announcement of a competition for what some would think is the ideal job ever: caretaker for 6 months of a tropical island (Hamilton Island) with luxurious rent-free accommodation with island views, a fairly decent salary of A$150,000, and a car (well, actually a golf buggy). The arduous responsibilities include pool cleaning (limited to collecting stray leaves as there's an automatic system), feeding the fish (this one's a joke I think), and collecting the mail (on the aerial postal service!). You can read the full Island Reef Job description here. It created so much buzz in the media, blogosphere and travel communities the site crashed the first day. Once the person is actually hired Tourism Queensland will generate even more ongoing global coverage, because that's exactly why the job was created in the first place: "the most important duty is to report back to Tourism Queensland (and the world) and let us know what’s taking place on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef" the site says. "There’s so much to see and do" it continues, "you’ll have plenty to write about in your weekly blog. And with so much life above and below the water, you’re sure to capture some entertaining moments for your video diary and photo gallery. To keep you busy, Tourism Queensland will organise a schedule of travel and events on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef... sampling a new luxury spa treatment at qualia on Hamilton Island, trying out new snorkelling gear on Heron Island, or bushwalking on Hinchinbrook Island." The Selection Criteria includes not only 'Enthusiasm for the role' but also: "Entertainment value (personality and creativity); Presentation skills (being media-friendly); and at least one year's relevant experience". Okay, so how many caretakers do you think they're going to find who have charisma, are funny, have media experience, and can write well and produce videos? Somehow, I don't think there'll be too many 'caretakers' applying for the job at all, but my guess is that there'll be an awful lot of travel bloggers. I'd tell you more only the site crashed. You can take a look at the application/selection process for yourself here. And check out the competition here. Oh, apparently you must be able to swim.

Pictured: not the Whitsundays, but another beautiful beach near Albany in Western Australia that we visited recently, charmingly called The Pond by locals.

Bespoke breaks: tailored trip planning with Triporati

So who has used Triporati? I'm curious to know. Terry and I are just two of their travel experts on a team that includes a notable bunch of travel writers with a library's worth of guidebook credits to their names, but I have to say (and I'm not biased, honest) that I'm truly impressed with how Triporati works. Let's say you're not sure where you want to go but you know what you want to do. You want to spend a week basking on a beach, for instance, you want to make yourself dizzy with some high altitude fun and fresh mountain air? But you're not sure where you want to do it. Well, go to 'Discover Great Trips', scan the Recommend Trips For... the Beach, Eco-Tourism, Adventure, Family, etc, click on something you like, and you'll find popular destinations that match your interests. Don't fancy any of those? Then click on 'Your Custom Trip'. Once there, Select Your Interests (from a long list that includes everything from cooking classes to wine tasting) and Complete Your Trip Profile (this is where you input your airport, time of year you want to travel, budget, etc; you can also save this info and name your trip to store your profile). Once you're done, click 'Recommend Trips' and Triporati magically produces a list of All Recommended Trips for you. If you see places you don't want to go or want to narrow the choices to a specific region you're dying to explore, you can select a region from 'Show trips in...'. Click on a place that appeals and you'll get the vital info to help you make your decision. This is the content that experts like us write: an overview of the destination, must-see sights, attractions you can leave for next time, activities and events, etc. Then there's all the helpful stuff Triporati brings together for you, including hotels, flights and tours (and the ability to compare rates and deals), travel insurance, news, weather, visa and travel info, guidebooks to read, photos and videos to inspire you, and google maps so you can see where the hell you're going. And if all that doesn't help but you think you're on the right track, take a look at 'Trips Like...' which recommends similar (but different) destinations. If you're travelling with friends or family, get them to have a go and compare results! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

The pic: one of the many breathtaking beaches in the south-west of Western Australia, an area that extends from Esperance to Albany and all the way across to Augusta, with a coastline dotted with beaches boasting snow white sands, turquoise water, and dramatic rocks - that's a trip I'd do again in a heartbeat.

Best time to visit Australia? It may be summer, but don't head Down Under

How well do you research the best times of year to travel to places before you buy your tickets? I'm asking because I was astonished to see Queensland's Great Barrier Reef listed as a place to visit now on a popular travel magazine's site. This is in fact the worst time of year to visit northern Queensland. Indeed, anywhere in northern Australia, known as 'the tropics' - which gives a hint why! It's currently the Wet season, which means it's sweltering, it's raining constantly, there are regular thunderstorms, high winds, strong chances of cyclones, and frequent flooding. And it's going to stay this way until April. Although the tourism bodies and tour operators still try to encourage travellers to visit now. In tropical Queensland for instance they market the season as 'The Green' rather than The Wet as they do in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The Green (like The Wet) begins in early November with a period called The Build-Up when things start get steamy, there are spectacular lightening displays and the first monsoonal showers fall. The heaviest rains hit in January and February, when the humidity is at its highest, before easing off and stopping in April or May when The Dry begins. As a result of the rain, rivers are full, waterfalls flowing, and everything is lush and green. Some argue this is the best time to visit the NT's Kakadu National Park* for instance - they're probably right, but you must have flexible travel plans. Dirt roads turn to mud (if not raging rivers!) and are closed, and if you get trapped somewhere you could be stuck for days if not weeks. Keep in mind the official tourist season (which begins in April/May) ends in October: many resorts shut for the season, operators stop offering tours, and businesses let their staff take leave, staying open for shorter hours with a skeleton team. On the plus side, hotels staying open offer reduced rates. As for the rest of Oz ... while we're finding it lovely and warm here in the south right now, everybody is talking about the "heatwave", bushfires are blazing in SA and NSW, and because school kids are on summer holiday families take their annual breaks, so accommodation is fully booked and anything near the beach is expensive. As far as I'm concerned, the best times to visit anywhere in Australia are spring and autumn (fall). But before you buy your tickets, rather than following false advice, check Australia's reliable Bureau of Meteorology website.

* Take a look at the fascinating six seasons that the indigenous people of Kakadu follow here.

Pictured? Our vehicle on the Mereenie Loop, an outback track west of Alice Springs, just before we were caught in a flash flood in early November. Read about our adventure on Terry's blog Wide angles, wine and wanderlust in his post Staying calm in the eye of the storm, part 1 and part 2.

The best new retro-luxe train journeys

You want to take a luxurious train trip in retro-chic style but don't want to do the long haul down under to ride Great Southern Rail's The Ghan or Indian Pacific? (Although trust me, they're worth it!) Then check out these new and old classic trains offering endearingly old-fashioned rail experiences:
* The Orient Express - this sumptuous 'hotel on wheels' may be known as the grande dame of great trains, but there are in fact two sumptuous trains you can check into, the Eastern and Oriental Express, which travels through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos, and the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, which does an array of routes, including the classic trips from Paris via Budapest and Bucharest to Istanbul, and the Venice via Krakow and Vienna to Paris trip.
* The Golden Chariot - this charming Indian 'chariot' is my favorite, running from Bangalore via Mysore and Goa back to Bangalore over 8 days, the beautiful train boasts two elegant restaurants and gorgeous lounges featuring proper dining chairs, as well an on-board gym and spa where guests can enjoy massages and treatments!
* The Danube Express - calling itself the 'Central European Train Hotel' this classic new train service offers a number of nostalgia-imbued journeys that you can join in Brussels, Berlin, Budapest or Istanbul, and enjoy in Classic and Deluxe Sleeping Cars - both look pretty swish.
* The Tangula Luxury Trains - due to start operating in a few months from Beijing to Tibet and Beijing to Yunnan, the only thing old-fashioned about these sleek contemporary-designed trains managed by the Kempinski group is the service and attention to detail - everything from spacious suites equipped with mini-bars and wireless internet access to personal butlers!
Want some more ideas? Check out these Eight Great Rail Escapes from the Man in Seat 61 and Dan Kieran's Slow Trains Through Eastern Europe.
The image? The lounge car on The Ghan.

Breakfast in bed and the romance of train travel revisited

Is there anyone out there who doesn't love train travel? I was pleased to see some of the comments in praise of rail travel on my recent post about Australia's transcontinental train, the Indian Pacific as I was thinking perhaps I'd just mellowed too much (read: aged). But Stella Stopfer from European Travelling Advisor wrote "One of the best ways to travel is definitely by train, wherever you go. I agree, there is nothing like the old "slow" trains most of us are used to. Gazing out the window, enjoying the scenery, writing...or reading a book...just amazing." While Pam from Nerd's Eye View said "Yes, yes, yes, I do love the sound of the train and watching the landscape go by in not quite a blur out the window. It's a GREAT way to travel, you can breathe and stand and read and nap and still watch the world roll by at a very reasonable pace that makes you understand distance." There's no denying the appeal of the slow pace, the scenery rolling by, the fact that we're forced to take it easy, and the freedom to move around and socialize, but does everyone find it as romantic as I do? I know I reflected on the romance of train travel fairly recently when I wrote about our journey on The Ghan from Alice Springs to Darwin (read that post here), however, I can't resist ruminating a little bit more. After all, how many other forms of travel in the 21st century are as romantic? Travel by cruise ship, for instance, doesn't have the same allure as it did in, say, Now, Voyager. When I think of cruises I either think of long dull days spent at sea or debauched boozefests. Plane travel? Nothing needs to be said there. But what is it exactly that makes rail travel so romantic? Is it the retro decor and plush interiors of a sumptuous dining carriage? Old-fashioned touches and personal service like a glass of champagne on departure, nightcaps by the bedside, and breakfast on a tray in bed? Or is it the social setting that encourages board games and card-playing in the lounge, pre-dinner cocktails with the tinkling of piano keys in the background, or tables for four that force passengers to sit together and enjoy shared conversation with fascinating strangers? That last one is not necessary romantic, but the notion is a romantic one in an age where social interaction is often limited to love affairs with i-pods, blackberries and i-phones. Don't you think?

Train noise... the ideal soundtrack to tracking shots of epic landscapes

Don't you love a train that still goes clackety clack clackety clack? The Indian Pacific may not make that precise sound but it does make noise and that's one of the things I loved about it. Japan's Kawasaki company may be developing a new fast train to criss-cross the tiny country at a super-speedy 350 km per hour, but in this colossal place that is Australia travellers' seem to like that the Indian Pacific averages just 85 km an hour and takes three days to traverse this vast space. Indeed the slow pace is an intrinsic part of the appeal of the Indian Pacific's 4,352 km journey. As well as reflecting a growing global trend toward slow travel and a more general desire to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life more (one of the most popular activities among guests socializing in the Platinum lounge on the Indian Pacific was board games and cards), I think it also reflects a need by travellers (both Australian and foreign) to fully grasp the immensity of Australia and understand just how wide its wide open spaces are. Something you wouldn't properly appreciate if you whizzed through it all at 300km per hour in a day or so and the majestic scenery outside was merely a blur. While Kawasaki's press statement boasts that their new train will be super-quiet, I think I'd miss those familiar train sounds of metal against metal, the grinding on the tracks, the occasional screeches, the increase in volume as you step from one carriage into another, and all of it punctuated by an eery silence (spookiest in the velvety black of the night) when the train stops to wait for a freight train to pass by. To me, train noise is the ideal soundtrack to the endless tracking shots of epic landscapes that roll by the window on a train trip in Australia.

Another thing I loved about Platinum service was the ability to see out the windows on both sides of the train from within our cabin. Our window out to the corridor was aligned with the window on the other side of the train so as to enable some serious scenery absorption. That, combined with the slow pace and clackety-clack soundtrack was very conducive to some wonderful train-dreaming.

Pictured? A view of the Western Australian wheatbelt a few hours out of Perth through the wooden blinds from our window. The blinds did go up, by the way. I just loved looking at the landscapes through the horizontal lines.

The Indian Pacific: from ocean to ocean across Australia by train

Don't you love the notion of travelling from one ocean to another on a train? That's one of the things that has always made the idea of a journey on the Indian Pacific so alluring for me. And after years of dreaming about it, I'm pleased we did it... well, part of it... the Perth to Adelaide sector. Australia's only transcontinental route, the Indian Pacific transports travellers some 4,352 kilometres from the country's most remote capital city, Perth, and the Indian Ocean, across this colossal land to Sydney, Australia's largest city, and the Pacific Ocean. Hence the name, the Indian Pacific. For Australians, it's one of those classic trips - like driving the Great Ocean Road or doing the Red Centre - one of our great journeys that every Aussie tries to do at least once in their life. Most save the trip for their retirement, so they can afford to do in style in Gold class. Others brave the Red service, where they can opt for snug sleepers or sit up for the entire three-day journey - yep, that's right three whole days. We were booked into Gold, but were upgraded to the new Platinum service, just recently introduced on the Indian Pacific. We were a tad disappointed (well, for a minute or two!) as we had wanted to compare the Gold experience with our previous trip in Platinum from Alice Springs to Darwin on The Ghan (read about that trip here) - all in the name of research for the guidebooks we're writing, of course. But it's hard to knock back the Platinum cabin's comfort and space - a whopping 3.65 x 2.1metres! - which makes the cabins feel like tiny hotel rooms. We did get to do a tour of the Gold sleepers and as comfortable enough as they look, the Platinum cabins can't be beaten. The space allowed us to sprawl out in the room, spread out our things, work at the table, and - once the beds are made in the evening (ever so discretely while we were at dinner), spread out on the bed and watch a DVD on the laptop. And the private bathroom with toilet, shower and sink is also hard to beat. Platinum is expensive though, around Aus $3,300 on the Indian Pacific (see all fares here), which is why many Australian travellers consider it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I try not to think of travel in that way; I like to always think we can return to certain places one day. But I'm not sure how many times you'd want to spend three days on a train - as much as I like being able to say I've travelled from ocean to ocean across Australia on the Indian Pacific.

Travel blogs you'll love... top 2008 travel blog lists

While the media is publishing its 'places you must go in 2009' lists, travel bloggers have been busy posting their 'top travel blogs' lists. I place a lot more value on these lists, created by people who are widely traveled, well-read, and often well-published (many travel bloggers are also professional travel writers) than I do some of the more formal blog awards. So, if you're looking to increase your daily dose of vicarious travel, then check out these travel blogger's top travel blog lists:
* At Journeys Near and Far, Melody has posted her list of top 5 travel blogs you'll love, including my own (thank you, Melody).
* Melody was inspired by a top 15 list of blogs at Viscape that is also worth checking out, although I personally wouldn't include the LA Times travel deals blog.
* If you're still hungry for more, visit Hobo Traveller, where Andy has put together a comprehensive list of the lists of best blogs.
* Also check out The Best of Travel Blogs in 2008, which isn't really a list of great travel blogs, but rather the best content from travelblogs.com, a wonderful supporter of travel blogs. Eric has posted interviews with travel bloggers and fantastic posts where travel bloggers have responded to issues as diverse as loneliness on the road.
And do take a look at my own travel blog roll - there are so many very inspiring travel blogs out there.
The pic? Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, which topped my list of places you must go in 2009.

Our latest writing in print and online: January 2009

We have a few articles coming out this month... the January issue of Lifestyle+Travel magazine features a story on our recent road trip through the Northern Territory, starting with our journey on The Ghan from Alice Springs to Darwin in October and covering our stays at boutique properties such as Bamurru Plains near Kakadu and Longitude 131 at Uluru. A guide to experiencing the outback in style aimed at people inspired to head 'down under' after seeing Australia the movie, the story covers the best of what the Territory has to offer. Business travel magazine Connect includes our 'Ultimate Guide to Australia', as part of their Global Traveller series, with a special feature on contemporary Australian cuisine, and a companion piece on doing business and corporate etiquette in Oz. If you're flying on United Airlines, take a look at their award-winning in-flight magazine Hemispheres, which features a piece I wrote on Dubai for their hugely popular '3 Perfect Days' series. It was the first time I'd written for Hemispheres and I was quite astonished that my brief required me to include a detailed list of shooting locations and PR contact details for the photographer they flew to Dubai.

Places You Must Go in 2009

Here's where I think you should be travelling in 2009:
1. NORTHERN TERRITORY - this is the real Australia, but be warned that everywhere will disappoint afterwards. Must-see spots include World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park and neighboring Aboriginal owned Arnhem Land with their abundant wildlife, lush wetlands and Aboriginal rock art; Litchfield National Park's dramatic waterfalls and waterholes; sultry multicultural capital Darwin; Aboriginal art centre Alice Springs; the ochre gorges, tranquil rockpools and corrugated dirt tracks of East and West Macdonnell Ranges; and that colossal magical red rock, Uluru (pictured).
2. MONTEVIDEO - Uruguay's elegant capital is an easygoing, off the beaten track alternative to Buenos Aires, and just a short boat trip across the river. As much as I love BA (we spent time there in 2007 writing Lonely Planet's Buenos Aires Encounter and it was on my 2008 Must Go list), Montevideo is less touristy, more low-key, and easily as appealing with its lovely architecture, leafy piazzas, and lively beaches. It has a rich culture, the highest quality of life in Latin America, and is very affordable.
3. ETHIOPIA - still an off-the-beaten-track destination, Ethiopia boasts one of the world's oldest and richest civilizations with 80 different ethnic groups and extraordinary archaeological and historical sites such as the Stellae at Axum, hundreds of rock-hewn churches at Lalibela and Yohanes, and the medieval castles of Gondar.
4. MALI - renowned for its music, the magical Festival of the Desert, and for being home to some of sub-Saharan's most intriguing and astonishing attractions, including legendary Timbuktu and the splendid mosque at Djenné, it's Mali's people that really fascinate, from the cliff-dwelling Dogon people to the nomadic Tuareg people.
5. HELSINKI - If the hip boutiques, fabulous design stores, fantastic seafood, and buzzy bars weren't enough, Finland's cool capital has an easygoing attitude and lively arts scene. Unlike Copenhagen or Stockholm, it never feels crowded with tourists, even at the height of summer, and it's ideally situated for exploring Scandinavia, Russia and the Baltic cities.
6. ABU DHABI - the UAE's sundrenched capital offers a more laidback, authentic and traditional experience of Arabia compared to sister city Dubai (without the traffic and crowds). It also has fine hotels, restaurants and beaches, and in the near future will be a Middle Eastern arts hub boasting branches of the Louvre and Guggenheim. Just an hour away are colossal apricot-coloured sand dunes and oasis town Al Ain.
7. YEMEN - there are few places left as magical, exotic and unique as Yemen with its astonishing skyscraper architecture, atmospheric old medinas, and rich traditional culture. Visiting Yemen is still an adventure and - depending on what you do - can be a little dangerous. Westerners are kidnapped from time to time when they venture into lawless areas (although they're nearly always returned safely) - this is one place where you must heed the travel warnings.
8. ZANZIBAR - with spices its main export and a culture and society influenced by its Arab, Persian, Portugese, Indian and African heritage, how could this Tanzanian island not be fascinating? The architecture of the labyrinthine capital, Stonetown, features intricately carved wooden doors and lovely terraces. There are splendid mosques and Persian baths built by immigrants from Shiraz.
9. MONTENEGRO - with its idyllic beaches, sparkling Adriatic sea, excellent seafood and atmospheric medieval villages, Croatia's diminutive neighbor, Montenegro, offers a similar experience without the crowds - and for less. When you tire of the beaches, there are stunning mountains to explore, and there's a developing wine region.
10. MARGARET RIVER - breathtakingly beautiful beaches backed by fragrant bushland and eucalyptus forest and miles of lush vineyards - this is one of Australia's most prestigious wine-producing regions after all - chic boutique hotels, retreats and spas set in tranquil locations (I'll bring you a full report soon), brilliant restaurants and buzzy bars, and it's handy to Perth in the north, and in the south, Augusta, Pemberton, Denmark and Albany, sleepy beachside towns surrounded by some of Australia's most beautiful countryside and forests.

So where will you be going in 2009?

That's what Budget Travel is asking its readers before publishing their own list. You can have your say here. I find it interesting that they've asked their readers to submit travel wish lists before releasing their own. Last year, the New York Times travel section came out with a controversial list of 53 places you should should go that received hundreds of comments and provoked some rather passionate debate. If anything, what the overwhelming response from NYT readers demonstrated was that when you get it wrong travellers aren't going to hesitate to let you know. Perhaps Budget Travel is thinking it's better to play it safe and gauge trends first. Or perhaps the editorial team can't agree themselves. What do you think?

The image? Morocco naturally, a perennially popular destination with travellers, and with a number of fascinating cities that still aren't on the mass tourism travel radar yet - I'm surprised we're not seeing those on any wish lists.

Hot new travel destination lists... don't you love them? Well, don't you?

We all love a good list, don't we? The travel media have been busy publishing their 'places to go in 2009' lists, the hot 'new' destinations that guidebook publishers and travel publications think you should visit this year, 'it' places they want everyone talking about. Last year I posted a list based on places I'd been that I believed more travellers should visit and it included: Syria, Buenos Aires, Morocco (by road), Western Australia, Antwerp & Brussels, Thailand (road trip rather than beach holiday), Istanbul, Baltic Cities (Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius), Dubai, and Oman. I chose destinations I felt were emerging (the Baltic Cities), often overlooked (Syria, Oman), underrated (Western Australia, Antwerp), misunderstood (Brussels, Dubai), too hot to ignore (Buenos Aires, Istanbul), and places I felt people should experience differently to how they ordinarily might (Thailand and Morocco, which I encouraged people to drive). I'm still mulling over my list for 2009, which I'll share with you tomorrow. For now, here's a taste of the travel media's 2009 lists:
* CONDE NAST TRAVELER/CONCIERGE: Tel Aviv, Bolivia, Utah, Acapulco,Vilnius, Central Philippines, New York City, Rajasthan, Toronto, and Beirut.
* DK TRAVEL GUIDES: Vilnius, Buenos Aires, Gdansk, Seattle, Bristol, Fez, Washington DC, Copenhagen, Cape Town, and Vienna.
* LONELY PLANET: top 10 countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Canada, Georgia, Greenland, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Peru, Rwanda and Sierra Leone; and top 10 cities: Antwerp, Beirut, Chicago, Glasgow, Lisbon, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Warsaw, and Zurich.
* FROMMER'S: Cartagena; Cape Town; Saqqara, Egypt; Washington DC; Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada; Civil Rights Trail, Alabama, USA; Lassen Volcano National Park, USA; Berlin; Belfast; Istanbul; Cambodia (But Not Angkor Wat); and Waiheke Island, New Zealand.

It's interesting to see the same places popping up, such as Vilnius, Beirut, Istanbul, and Oman. I've long been bewitched by Beirut myself (Terry and I wrote two editions of Lonely Planet's Syria and Lebanon guide, and wrote the Lebanon chapter for the first edition some 5 years ago), but the city hasn't yet stabilized and I can't see it having wide appeal. Ditto Georgia, where heavy fighting with Russia occurred in July this year, and Sierra Leone, where UN peace-keepers pulled out just eight years ago. But part of the point of these lists is to provoke discussion, get us excited about traveling, and influence us into buying books and magazines, isn't it? So, what do you think of the various hot lists floating around?

Pictured? That's the Corniche in Muscat, Oman.

My new year's resolutions list for 2009

Well, here goes..
1. Make time for more meaningful experiences with family and friends - we didn't see our family and close friends enough in 2008 and when we did it all seemed so fleeting. That has to change.
2. Travel less and stay longer - we lived out of our suitcases for another 365 days in 2008. It's time to stay put for a bit. That doesn't mean no travel, it means when we travel I want to stay longer in places, rent apartments more, and live more like locals, as we did this year in Milan and Turkey. This may be a personal goal of mine, but I also predict it's going to be a growing trend for 2009.
3. Write that book about our three years on the road - that's right, it's almost three years and what an intense three years it's been: we've written, contributed to and updated 26 guidebooks, worked for dozens of different publishers, written scores of articles for magazines, newspapers and websites, travelled to some 30 countries, and caught flights like most people catch buses. It's time to share some stories.
4. Start that online travel business we've been talking about for so long - now you'll just have to wait to hear all about this one... but don't worry, you'll be the first to know.
5. Make our travel experiences more meaningful - after I spend two weeks on a beach in Thailand recovering from our three years of intensive travel, I want to ensure that from then onwards all our travels experiences are more enriching.
6. Volunteer/donate - it's time to give more to people and projects that need support. It's hard to commit to any ongoing volunteering when we travel so much, so I need to explore ways I can donate my services/time ,and one-off volunteering experiences we can do and write about.
7. Support indigenous Australians more - as an Australian I am so embarrassed about the racism that still exists in Australia and how so many of our indigenous people live in poverty, the over-crowding in communities, the lack of educational opportunities and health care, the social problems. Some of my most enriching experiences this year have been meeting indigenous artists and guides in the Northern Territory. These experiences shouldn't be rare. I need to figure out ways in which I can help effect some positive kind of change.
8. Write the books we really want to write - Terry and I have a tonne of ideas we've been developing over the years for books that combine his photography with travel and oral narratives. This is the year we get one of them off the ground.
9. Go places we haven't been before - we have re-visited a lot of places this year, returning to some places for the umpteenth time - but that's why we get commissioned, for our destination expertise, and we have to go where the work is. But this year I want to make an extra effort to go to places I have never been, places that were on my list last year: Yemen, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Bhutan, Burma, and Guatemala for starters.
10. Slow down - 2008 raced by, more so than any other year. Is this what is meant by 'life after 40'? Or are we just doing too much too fast. I think it's time to spend a bit more time smelling some roses - or simply breathing in the fragrance of eucalyptus in the Aussie bush.
Your turn.