Placeholder Content Image

The art of ‘getting lost’: how re-discovering your city can be an antidote to capitalism

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-dobson-1093706">Stephen Dobson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p>Do you remember what it was like to discover the magic of a city for the first time? Do you remember the noises, smells, flashing lights and pulsating crowds? Or do you mostly remember cities through the screen of your phone?</p> <p>In 1967, French philosopher and filmmaker Guy Debord <a href="https://files.libcom.org/files/The%20Society%20of%20the%20Spectacle%20Annotated%20Edition.pdf">publicised the need</a> to move away from living our lives as bystanders continually tempted by the power of images. Today, we might see this in a young person flicking from one TikTok to the next – echoing the hold images have on us. But adults aren’t adverse to this window-shopping experience, either.</p> <p>Debord notes we have a tendency to observe rather than engage. And this is to our detriment. Continually topping-up our image consumption leaves no space for the unplanned – the reveries to break the pattern of an ordered life.</p> <p>Debord was a member of a group called the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Situationist-International">Situationist International</a>, dedicated to new ways we could reflect upon and experience our cities. Active for about 15 years, they believed we should experience our cities as an act of resistance, in direct opposition to the (profit-motivated) capitalistic structures that demand our attention and productivity every waking hour.</p> <p>More than 50 years since the group dissolved, the Situationists’ philosophy points us to a continued need to attune ourselves – through our thoughts and senses – to the world we live in. We might consider them as early eco-warriors. And through better understanding their philosophy, we can develop a new relationship with our cities today.</p> <h2>Understanding the ‘situation’</h2> <p>The Situationist International movement was <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt183p61x">formed</a> in 1957 in Cosio di Arroscia, Italy, and became active in several European countries. It brought together radical artists inspired by spontaneity, experimentalism, intellectualism, protest and hedonism. Central figures included Danish artist <a href="https://museumjorn.dk/en/">Asger Jorn</a>, French novelist <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/author/michele-bernstein-10219/">Michèle Bernstein</a> and Italian musician and composer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Olmo">Walter Olmo</a>.</p> <p>The Situationists were driven by a <a href="https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/34141">libertarian form of Marxism</a> that resisted mass consumerism. One of the group’s early terms was “unitary urbanism”, which sought to join avant-garde art with the critique of mass production and technology. They rejected “urbanism’s” conventional emphasis on function, and instead thought about art and the environment as inexorably interrelated.</p> <p>By rebelling against the invasiveness of consumption, the Situationists proposed a turn towards artistically-inspired individuality and creativity.</p> <h2>Think on your own two feet</h2> <p>According to the 1960 <a href="https://hts3.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/situationist-international-manifesto.pdf">Situationist Manifesto</a> we are all to be artists of our own “situations”, crafting independent identities as we stand on our own two feet. They believed this could be achieved, in part, through “<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/psychogeography#:%7E:text=Psychogeography%20describes%20the%20effect%20of,emotions%20and%20behaviour%20of%20individuals">psychogeography</a>”: the idea that geographical locations exert a unique psychological effect on us.</p> <p>For instance, when you walk down a street, the architecture around you may be deliberately designed to encourage a certain kind of experience. Crossing a vibrant city square on a sunny morning evokes joy and a feeling of connection with others. There’s also usually a public event taking place.</p> <p>The Situationists valued drift, or <em>dérive</em> in French. This alludes to unplanned movement through a landscape during journeys on foot. By drifting aimlessly, we unintentionally redefine the traditional rules imposed by private or public land owners and property developers. We make ourselves open to the new unexpected and, in doing so, are liberated from the shackles of everyday routine.</p> <p>In <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-10-8100-2">our research</a>, my colleagues and I consider cities as places in which “getting lost” means exposing yourself to discovering the new and taken-for-granted.</p> <h2>Forge your own path</h2> <p>By understanding the Situationists – by looking away from our phones and allowing ourselves to get lost – we can rediscover our cities. We can see them for what they are beneath the blankets of posters, billboards and advertisements. How might we take back the image and make it work for us?</p> <p>The practise of geo-tagging images on social media, and sharing our location with others, could be considered close to the spirit of the Situationists. Although it’s often met with claims of <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/when-why-not-to-use-geotagging-overtourism-security">over-fuelling tourism</a> (especially regarding idyllic or otherwise protected sites), geo-tagging could <a href="https://www.melaninbasecamp.com/trip-reports/2019/5/1/five-reasons-why-you-should-keep-geotagging">inspire us</a> to actively seek out new places through visiting the source of an image.</p> <p>This could lead to culturally respectful engagement, and new-found respect for the rights of traditional custodians as we experience their lands in real life, rather than just through images on our phones.</p> <p>Then there are uniquely personal and anarchistic forms of resistance, wherein we can learn about the world around us by interweaving ourselves with our histories. In doing so we offer a new meaning to a historical message, and a new purpose. The Situationists called this process <em><a href="https://www.theartstory.org/movement/situationist-international/">détournement</a></em>, or hijacking.</p> <p>For instance, from my grandfather I inherited a biscuit tin of black and white photographs I believe were taken in the 1960s. They showed images of parks and wildlife, perhaps even of the same park, and cityscapes of London with people, streets and buildings.</p> <p>I have spent many hours wandering the London streets tracking down the exact places these images were snapped. I was juxtaposing past with present, and experiencing both continuity and change in the dialogues I had with my grandfather. In this way, I used images to augment (rather than replace) my lived experience of the material world.</p> <p>Urban art installations can also be examples of detournment as they make us re-think everyday conceptions. <a href="https://www.cityartsydney.com.au/artwork/forgotten-songs/">Forgotten Songs</a> by Michael Hill is one such example. A canopy of empty birdcages commemorates the songs of 50 different birds once heard in central Sydney, but which are now lost due to habitat removal as a result of urban development.</p> <p>There are also a number of groups, often with a strong environmental or civic rights focus, that partake in detournment. <a href="https://popularresistance.org/dancing-revolution-how-90s-protests-used-rave-culture-to-reclaim-the-streets/">Reclaim the Streets</a> is a movement with a long history in Australia. The group advocates for communities having ownership of and agency within public spaces. They may, for instance, “invade” a highway to throw a “<a href="https://pasttenseblog.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/road-rave.pdf">road rave</a>” as an act of reclamation.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bUL0C_T-Sqk?wmode=transparent&amp;start=999" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>As French avant-garde philosopher <a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/07/24/the-poetics-of-reverie-gaston-bachelard/">Gaston Bachelard</a> might have put it, when we’re bombarded by images there is no space left to daydream. We lose the opportunity to explore and question the world capitalism serves us through images.</p> <p>Perhaps now is a good time to set down the phone and follow in the Situationists’ footsteps. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221606/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-dobson-1093706"><em>Stephen Dobson</em></a><em>, Professor and Dean of Education and the Arts, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-art-of-getting-lost-how-re-discovering-your-city-can-be-an-antidote-to-capitalism-221606">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

Placeholder Content Image

Chokepoint Capitalism: why we’ll all lose unless we stop Amazon, Spotify and other platforms squeezing cash from creators

<p>In 2020, the independent authors and small publishers whose audiobooks reach their readers via Audible’s <a href="https://www.acx.com/">ACX platform</a> smelled a rat.</p> <p>Audiobooks were booming, but sales of their own books – produced at great expense and well-reviewed – were plummeting.</p> <p>Some of their royalty statements reported <em>negative</em> sales, as readers returned more books than they bought. This was hard to make sense of, because Audible only reported net sales, refusing to reveal the sales and refunds that made them up.</p> <p>Perth-based writer <a href="https://www.susanmaywriter.net/single-post/audiblegate-the-incredible-story-of-missing-sales">Susan May</a> wondered whether those returns might be the reason for her dwindling net sales. She pressed Audible to tell her how many of her sales were being negated by returns, but the company stonewalled.</p> <p>Then, in October 2020, a glitch caused three weeks of returns data to be reported in a single day, and authors discovered that hundreds (and even thousands) of their sales had been wiped out by returns.</p> <p>Suddenly, the scam came into focus: the Amazon-owned Audible had been offering an extraordinarily generous returns policy, encouraging subscribers to return books they’d had on their devices for months, even if they had listened to them the whole way through, even if they had loved them – no questions asked.</p> <p>Encouraged by the policy, some subscribers had been treating the service like a library – returning books for fresh credits they could swap for new ones. Few would have realised that Audible clawed back the royalties from the book’s authors every time a book was returned.</p> <p><strong>Good for Amazon, bad for authors</strong></p> <p>It was good for Amazon – it helped Audible gain and hold onto subscribers – but bad for the authors and the performers who created the audiobooks, who barely got paid.</p> <p>Understanding Amazon’s motivation helps us understand a phenomenon we call <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">chokepoint capitalism</a>, a modern plague on creative industries and many other industries too.</p> <p>Orthodox economics tells us not to worry about corporations dominating markets because that will attract competitors, who will put things back in balance.</p> <p>But many of today’s big corporations and billionaire investors have perfected ways to make those supposedly-temporary advantages permanent.</p> <p>Warren Buffett salivates over businesses with “<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/warren-buffett-moat-etf-simple-explanation-for-how-he-invests-and-its-easy-to-replicate-2017-10-1005613232">wide, sustainable moats</a>”. Peter Thiel scoffs that “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/peter-thiel-competition-is-for-losers-1410535536">competition is for losers</a>”. Business schools teach students ways to lock in customers and suppliers and eliminate competition, so they can shake down the people who make what they supply and buy what they sell.</p> <p><strong>Locking in customers and creators</strong></p> <p>Amazon is the poster child for chokepoint capitalism. It boasts of its “<a href="https://feedvisor.com/resources/amazon-trends/amazon-flywheel-explained/">flywheel</a>” – a self-described “<a href="https://fourweekmba.com/amazon-flywheel/">virtuous cycle</a>” where its lower cost leads to lower prices and a better customer experience, which leads to more traffic, which leads to more sellers, and a better selection – which further propels the flywheel.</p> <hr /> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=379&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=379&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=379&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=477&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=477&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=477&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <hr /> <p>But the way the cycle works isn’t virtuous – it’s vicious and anti-competitive.</p> <p>Amazon openly admits to doing everything it can to lock in its customers. That’s why Audible encourages book returns: its generous offer only applies to ongoing subscribers. Audible wants the money from monthly subscribers and wants the fact that they are subscribed to prevent them from shopping elsewhere.</p> <p>Paying the people who actually made the product it sells a fair share of earnings isn’t Amazon’s priority. Because Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ famous maxim is “<a href="https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/the-cost-of-your-margin-is-my-opportunity">your margin is my opportunity</a>”, the executive who figured out how to make authors foot the bill for retaining subscribers probably got a bonus.</p> <p>Another way Audible locks customers in is by ensuring the books it sells are protected by <a href="https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/digital-rights-management-drm">digital rights management</a> (DRM) which means they are encrypted, and can only be read by software with the decryption key.</p> <p>Amazon claims DRM stops listeners from stealing from creators by pirating their books. But tools to strip away those locks are freely available online, and it’s easy for readers who can’t or won’t pay for books to find illegal versions.</p> <p>While DRM doesn’t prevent infringement, it <em>does</em> prevent competition.</p> <p>Startups that want to challenge Audible’s dominance – including those that would pay fairly – have to persuade potential customers to give up their Audible titles or to inconveniently maintain separate libraries.</p> <p>In this way, laws that were intended to protect against infringement of copyright have become tools to protect against infringement of corporate dominance.</p> <p>Once customers are locked in, suppliers (authors and publishers) are locked in too. It’s incredibly difficult to reach audiobook buyers unless you’re on Audible. When the suppliers are locked in, they can be shaken down for an ever-greater share of what the buyers hand over.</p> <hr /> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=377&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=377&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=377&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=474&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=474&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=474&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <hr /> <p><strong>How a few big buyers can control whole markets</strong></p> <p>The problem isn’t with middlemen as such: book shops, record labels, book and music publishers, agents and myriad others provide valuable services that help keep creative wheels turning.</p> <p>The problem arises when these middlemen grow powerful enough to bend markets into hourglass shapes, with audiences at one end, masses of creators at the other, and themselves operating as a chokepoint in the middle.</p> <p>Since everyone has to go through them, they’re able to control the terms on which creative goods and services are exchanged - and extract more than their fair share of value.</p> <p>The corporations who create these chokepoints are trying to “monopsonise” their markets. “Monopsony” isn’t a pretty word, but it’s one we are going to have to get familiar with to understand why so many of us are feeling squeezed.</p> <p><a href="https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/monopoly">Monopoly</a> (or near-monopoly) is where there is only one big seller, leaving buyers with few other places to turn. <a href="https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/monopsony/">Monopsony</a> is where there is only one big buyer, leaving sellers with few other places to turn.</p> <p>In our book, we quote William Deresiewicz, a former professor of English at Yale University, who points out in his book <a href="https://www.chicagoreview.org/william-deresiewicz-the-death-of-the-artist/">The Death of the Artist</a> that “if you can only sell your product to a single entity, it’s not your customer; it’s your boss”.</p> <p>Increasingly, it is how the creative industries are structured. There’s Audible for audiobooks, Amazon for physical and digital versions, YouTube for video, Google and Facebook for online news advertising, the <a href="https://www.liveabout.com/big-three-record-labels-2460743">Big Three record labels</a> (who own the big three music publishers) for recorded music, <a href="https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/12/streaming-doesnt-pay/">Spotify</a> for streaming, Live Nation for live music and ticketing – and that’s just the start.</p> <p>But as corporate concentration increases across the board, monopsony is becoming a problem for the rest of us. For a glimpse into what happens to labour markets when buyers become too powerful, just think about how monopsonistic supermarkets bully food manufacturers and farmers.</p> <figure class="align-right "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1214&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1214&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1214&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Scribe Publications</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>A fairer deal for consumers and creators</strong></p> <p>The good news is that we don’t have to put up with it.</p> <p><a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Chokepoint Capitalism</a> isn’t one of those “Chapter 11 books” – ten chapters about how terrible everything is, plus a conclusion with some vague suggestions about what can be done.</p> <p>The whole second half is devoted to detailed proposals for widening these chokepoints out – such as transparency rights, among others.</p> <p>Audible’s sly trick only finally came to light because of the glitch that let authors see the scope of returns.</p> <p>That glitch enabled writers, led by Susan May, to organise a campaign that eventually forced Audible to reform some of its more egregious practices. But we need more light in dark corners.</p> <p>And we need reforms to contract law to level the playing field in negotiations, interoperability rights to prevent lock-in to platforms, copyrights being better secured to creators rather than publishers, and minimum wages for creative work.</p> <p>These and the other things we suggest would do much to empower artists and get them paid. And they would provide inspiration for the increasing rest of us who are supplying our goods or our labour to increasingly powerful corporations that can’t seem to keep their hands out of our pockets.</p> <hr /> <p><em>Chokepoint Capitalism: how big tech and big content captured creative labour markets, and how we’ll win them back is published on <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Tuesday November 15</a> by Scribe.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194069/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Writen by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/chokepoint-capitalism-why-well-all-lose-unless-we-stop-amazon-spotify-and-other-platforms-squeezing-cash-from-creators-194069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

Placeholder Content Image

It’s now legal to smoke cannabis in Australia’s capital: An interview with Hemp’s Michael Balderstone

<p>As of today, 31 January 2020, it’s legal to smoke a joint in your lounge room in Canberra. Possessing up to <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/canberra-has-legalised-the-possession-of-cannabis/">50 grams</a> for personal use is absolutely nothing to worry about. And you can grow up to two plants in your backyard if you live in the Australian Capital Territory.</p> <p>But, you can’t sell your own stash, and nor can you give it to anyone else.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/game-changing-medicinal-cannabis-laws-an-interview-with-labor-mlc-adam-searle/">Cannabis</a> advocates across the nation are lauding <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/legalising-personal-cannabis-use-an-interview-with-act-labor-mp-michael-pettersson/">ACT Labor MLA Michael Pettersson</a> and the steps he took to turn an illegal, and for the most part innocuous, plant – that around <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/ndshs-2016-key-findings/contents/illicit-use-of-drugs">10 percent</a> of the population uses within a 12 month period – into a lawful substance for recreational use.</p> <p>And while there are still questions around the supply side remaining outlawed, as well as federal laws, which still maintain that possession is illegal – which was how cannabis legalisation <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/20/house-committee-approves-bill-decriminalizing-marijuana-on-the-federal-level.html">initially transpired</a> in the US – one thing is certain, there’s a massive crack in the prohibitionist armour.</p> <p>It’s the way of the future</p> <p>Over in New Zealand, the Ardern government has <a href="https://www.referendum.govt.nz/cannabis/index.html">drafted legislation</a> that sets out how a system of legalised cannabis can operate in that country. And the entire Kiwi population will be voting on whether to approve the roll out later <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-nz-cannabis-legalisation-referendum-an-interview-with-nz-green-party-mp-chloe-swarbrick/">this year</a>.</p> <p>If that comes as something of a surprise, then it might also be of interest to know that the Trudeau government legalised the consumption and retail sales of cannabis across the entire nation of Canada back in October 2018. Initially, the market <a href="https://sydneydruglawyers.com.au/blog/canada-legalises-cannabis-but-theres-not-enough-to-go-around/">couldn’t keep up</a> with demand.</p> <p>And in the States –  the great instigator of cannabis prohibition – the recreational use and possession of the herb is now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">legal in 11 states</a>. Colorado is often hailed as the shining example of a beneficial cannabis market, as the tax revenue it’s generated has been used to <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/recreational-cannabis-regulate-and-reap-the-benefits/">fund health and education</a>.</p> <p><strong>The head of HEMP</strong></p> <p><a href="https://australianhempparty.com/">Australian HEMP Party</a> president <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/legalise-it-an-interview-with-australian-hemp-party-president-michael-balderstone/">Michael Balderstone</a> has long been the bedrock of cannabis activism in Australia. From his seat in the HEMP Embassy in Nimbin, he’s been spruiking the benefits of the plant for decades now.</p> <p>Sydney Criminal Lawyers spoke to <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/end-prohibition-vote-hemp-an-interview-with-dr-andrew-katelaris-and-michael-balderstone/">Mr Balderstone</a> about what could occur in this country now cannabis can be used recreationally in at least one jurisdiction, why he believes it was outlawed in the first place, and how greater use of the Cannabis sativa plant could also benefit the environment.</p> <p><strong><em>Firstly, today, the personal possession and use of cannabis, as well as the cultivation of up to two plants in the capital territory is legal.</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>While this is a very limited form of legalisation, in that it doesn’t address the issue of supply, it’s definitely a step. Michael, what are your thoughts on this development?</em></strong></p> <p>“Generally, we’re so happy about it, even if it is really limited. It’s a bit like a suit with holes in it. Even the seed isn’t legal, so I’m not sure how people are going to grow a couple of plants.</p> <p>But, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Fifty grams is a good amount. Two plants or four plants in a household is a good start.</p> <p>We’re all hoping that the feds will leave it alone. And people are going to realise that it’s no big deal.”</p> <p><strong><em>You’re the president of both the Australian HEMP Party and the Nimbin HEMP Embassy. How long have you been campaigning for cannabis legalisation? And have you been expecting this day to come?</em></strong></p> <p>“I don’t know if we expected it to come out of Canberra. But, it makes sense, in a way.</p> <p>It’s the <a href="http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/hempshop/MardiGrass.html">28th annual MardiGrass</a> coming up first weekend of May, so we’ve been hammering on the door for a long time. We’re just grateful for anything.”</p> <p><strong><em>Numerous studies have shown that the harms associated with the use of cannabis are a lot less than those associated with alcohol. Yet, alcohol has long been legal in this country, and throughout the west, whilst cannabis has been outlawed. Why do you think this is the case?</em></strong></p> <p>“Pain relief is possibly the most profitable business on Earth. So, cannabis, the opium poppy – all the medicines – were hit a 100 years ago.</p> <p>And cannabis is so safe. There’s a lot of vested interests trying to make sure that cannabis stays illegal. There’s no question about that.</p> <p>At <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Medicinalcannabis/Submissions">a cannabis inquiry</a> I was at, we all heard that there’s such big opposition from the whole pharmaceutical industry for a start. They’re making it as difficult as possible for cannabis to become legal.</p> <p>So, I’m really happy the ACT has jumped in. Good on Michael Pettersson.”</p> <p><strong>With cannabis use now being legal in one jurisdiction in this country, do you think it will have an impact on whether it remains illegal in other parts of Australia?</strong></p> <p>“Everyone is going to watch how it goes in Canberra. And we all know how it has gone in America and Canada. It’s win-win all over the place.</p> <p>So, hopefully, this will loosen the bricks in the wall. That’s what I’m hoping.”</p> <p><strong>Focusing on the supply side, you’ve been to the US state of Colorado, where cannabis has been available retail since 2014. How would you describe the impact it’s had there?</strong></p> <p>“Colorado has already made a billion dollars in tax. So, that’s something the government should be thinking about.</p> <p>Car accidents are down. Alcohol use is down. Domestic violence is down. Suicide is down. The statistics are coming out, if only they’d listen to them.</p> <p>It’s good in every way. The only people who are missing out are the pharmaceutical industry.</p> <p>This next question probably relates to the hemp plant, rather than the strain of cannabis that contains enough THC that it can get a person high.</p> <p>But, there are rising concerns around changing climate and the devastation of the environment. This involves the production of plastics, the cutting down of trees, and the prioritisation of water for cotton in NSW, over letting it flow down the rivers.”</p> <p><strong><em>What sort of changes could the greater use of the Cannabis sativa plant bring for the environment?</em></strong></p> <p>“Certainly, it’s a good start to having a bit more water in the rivers, because it uses less than half the water cotton does.</p> <p>And now there’s people up north starting to make fire resistant bricks using a hemp-magnesium cement mix. So, there’s a huge future in that.</p> <p>We’re talking about the strongest, longest, toughest fibre on the planet. So, its time has come, and a lot more people are getting hemp licences. And, of course, you can make great CBD medicines from hemp also.”</p> <p><strong><em>And lastly, Michael, you’ve been at the frontline of cannabis activism in Australia for around three decades. How do you expect things to develop with cannabis from today onwards?</em></strong></p> <p>The pressure is on now, especially with what’s happening in America, Canada and Europe, where the laws are changing. At some point, Australia has to get involved.</p> <p>But, we have such resistance here. The pharmaceutical industry in particular has their claws over the top of everyone.</p> <p>And the reefer madness propaganda is hard to shift. A lot of people who have no experience with cannabis are still very scared of it: their kids might go mad, people feel bad.</p> <p>There is so much nonsense still around. So, education remains key.</p> <p><em>Written by Paul Gregoire. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/its-now-legal-to-smoke-cannabis-in-australias-capital-an-interview-with-hemps-michael-balderstone/"><em>Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</em></a></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Top 10 murder capitals of the world

<p> </p> <p>For the most part, travelling the world is an exciting, educational and enlightening experience.</p> <p>But beneath all the warmth, hospitality and culture, there can be a very dark side to many cities which goes unnoticed by most wide-eyed travellers.</p> <p>Counting down are the top ten murder capitals of the world, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-50-most-violent-cities-in-the-world-2015-1#10-so-lus-brazil-had-6471-homicides-per-100000-residents-41">based upon the number of homicides per 100,000 people</a>.\</p> <p><strong>10. São Luís, Brazil</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/the-northeast/sao-luis">São Luís</a> is the largest city in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. It is a world heritage listed area, with its famous tiled buildings, and impressive museums and art galleries which entice tourists from all over the world.</p> <p>But the city also has the tenth highest murder rate in the world, with 64.71 homicides per 100,000 residents. In March this year, the city was rocked by a deadly spate of shootings which saw <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/06/ten-murders-in-five-hours-one-deadly-night-in-sao-paulos-dangerous-triangle">10 people killed in the space of just five hours.</a></p> <p>The city is also known for high rates of other violent crimes, including assaults, rapes and muggings. The violence is said to be primarily attributable to gang warfare which dominates the region. But locals say that the city’s military police are also to blame – having killed 6,697 people in the city over the past decade.</p> <p><strong>9. Cali, Columbia</strong></p> <p>It’s the capital of salsa music, and even played host to the World Games in 2013, but Cali’s appalling homicide rate of 62.25 people per 100,000 has left tourists thinking twice about exploring its lively streets.</p> <p>But credit should be given where it is due – crime in Cali has been falling since the early 2000s, when the homicide rate reached as high as 90 per 100,000 people.</p> <p>High crime has been attributed to a lack of investment in security, as well as mafia and drug wars, with over 1,700 assassins estimated to be working in the Cali to this day.</p> <p><strong>8. Fortaleza, Brazil</strong></p> <p>Beautiful Fortaleza is the fifth largest city in Brazil and home to incredible beaches and parks, but the drug trade and organised crime has seen the homicide rate skyrocket to 66.55 per 100,000 people.</p> <p>The rise in violent crime has been accompanied by a <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Travel-g303293-s206/Fortaleza:Brazil:Health.And.Safety.html">similar increase in petty crimes</a> such as theft.</p> <p>Tourists are frequently warned to exercise caution when travelling to Fortaleza due to the high rate of kidnappings in the city.</p> <p><strong>7. Valencia, Venezuela</strong></p> <p>Valencia is said to be home to some of the most attractive people on earth, including several beauty pageant winners.</p> <p>But it’s also one of the most dangerous places in the world, with 71.08 homicides per 100,000 people.</p> <p>In fact, former Miss Venezuela Monica Spear and her husband were brutally murdered by the roadside just last year.</p> <p>The reason for high crime rates includes easy access to weapons, corrupt officials and police, lax law enforcement and a prison system marked by violence.</p> <p><a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2014/01/violence-venezuela">90% of murders in Valencia go unpunished</a> – meaning that there is little to deter criminals from taking the law into their own hands.</p> <p><strong>6. Maceió, Brazil</strong></p> <p>A quick Google search for Maceió yields postcard-worthy photos of a coastal paradise, but besides its pretty beaches, the city is known for being one of the most violent cities in Brazil, with a homicide rate of 72.91 per 100,000 residents.</p> <p>The area is marked by poverty and an huge disparity between the rich and the poor, which has underpinned violence and crime.</p> <p>In recent years, Maceió has tried to reinvent itself as a tourist hotspot, with the government recently forking out millions for new police resources, and ‘peace lessons’ being rolled out in classrooms to teach children to be less violent. However, many holidaymakers remain perturbed by the high murder rates.</p> <p><strong>5. Distrito Central, Honduras</strong></p> <p>Widely considered to be <a href="http://news.nster.com/426-the-most-violent-cities-in-the-world-by-alex-flux.html?b=4">the most dangerous municipality in Honduras</a>, Distrito Central is largely controlled by street gangs, who are blamed for the high homicide rate of 77.65 per 100,000 residents.</p> <p>These gangs are involved in the distribution of drugs such as cocaine, morphine and heroin throughout Central America.</p> <p>The city is underpinned by extreme poverty; with almost 70% living below poverty line, and by corruption in the army, police and judicial system.</p> <p><strong>4. João Pessoa, Brazil</strong></p> <p>The easternmost city in the Americas is home to large areas of parkland as well as beautiful beaches fringed by palm trees – but the streets on the outskirts of the city are not so nice.</p> <p>With a homicide rate of 79.41 per 100,000 residents, João Pessoa is one of the most dangerous cities in Brazil. Tourists are frequently robbed at gunpoint, with statistics reporting that 135.8 people are robbed per 100,000.</p> <p><strong>3. Acapulco, Mexico</strong></p> <p>Yet another beach-fringed resort city, Acapulco is popular amongst tourists wishing to work on their tan and enjoy the nightlife – but it is also known for having the highest murder rates in Mexico, with a whopping 104.16 homicides per 100,000 residents.</p> <p>Like many other cities on this list, Acapulco is plagued by drug-related warfare and violence, with rival cartels fighting for control of turf following the death of a major cartel leader in 2009.</p> <p><strong>2. Caracas, Venezuela</strong></p> <p>Caracas is the capital of Venezuela – but it is also one of the world’s crime capitals, with 115.98 murders per 100,000 people.</p> <p>High rates of kidnappings, gun crime, drug-related violence and human trafficking make it a dangerous place to live and visit.</p> <p>These problems are compounded by the fact that police and other authorities are plagued by corruption and rarely investigate crime.</p> <p><strong>1. San Pedro Sula, Honduras</strong></p> <p>With an incredible 171.2 people killed per 100,000 residents – or 3 murders per day – San Pedro Sula takes the top spot on our list of murder capitals around the world.</p> <p>The country has faced extreme poverty after Hurricane Mitch destroyed major fruit plantations and factories – leaving many residents with no option but to turn to criminal means to support themselves and their families.</p> <p>The city is now known as a <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316843/Horrific-collection-photos-grim-reality-life-San-Pedro-Sula-Honduras.html">major distribution point for illegal firearms and drugs</a>, as well as a hub for cocaine trafficking – and there are frequently deadly fallouts between gangs, police and army personnel.</p> <p><em>Written by Ugur Nedim. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/top-ten-murder-capitals-of-the-world/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a> </em></p> <p><em> </em></p>

Cruising

Placeholder Content Image

Australian city named as the meth capital of the world

<p>A study monitoring illicit drug use around the world has found Adelaide to have the highest methamphetamine use out of 120 cities.</p> <p>The research, published in the journal <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191023093445.htm" target="_blank"><em>Addiction</em></a> on Wednesday, analysed wastewater samples from 37 countries in a seven-year project.</p> <p>Data collected in Adelaide over a one-week period in 2017 showed between 507 and 659 milligrams of methamphetamine or “ice” per 1,000 people each day, compared with between 270 and 331mg in Canberra and Toowoomba.</p> <p>The findings followed the <a href="https://acic.govcms.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases-and-statements/wastewater-results-show-high-levels-methylamphetamine-fentanyl-and-cannabis-consumption-south">Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s June report</a>, which revealed Adelaide as the methamphetamine capital of the nation.</p> <p>Despite the staggering record, the prevalence of methamphetamine has declined since the study was conducted, said one of the study’s lead authors Dr Richard Bade.</p> <p>“To put into a bit of context, the study was from 2017 and in fact since that time methamphetamine use in South Australia has actually been on the decrease,” Bade told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-24/adelaide-had-highest-meth-use-in-cities-in-world-study/11633416">ABC</a></em>.</p> <p>“And there's been plenty of initiatives around that reduction of methamphetamine use in Adelaide [since 2017].”</p> <p>The city coming closest to Adelaide’s levels was Seattle, with a 418mg average over a three-year monitoring period.</p> <p>The report said cocaine use increased across Europe, with London, Bristol, Amsterdam, Zurich, Geneva, St Gallen and Antwerp having the highest levels of between 600 to 900mg per 1,000 people.</p> <p>Canberra had a significantly higher cocaine use than the other two Australian cities.</p> <p>The Netherlands recorded the highest use of ecstasy, also known as MDMA.</p> <p>“It’s important we determine the scale of the illicit drug market so that countries can work out the best way to tackle a $100 billion industry, which is contributing to the global burden of disease and affecting the economic development of many countries,” Bade said.</p>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

What you need to know about capital gains tax

<p>Capital gains tax is perhaps one of the most misunderstood taxes, but it is also one that can have major impacts on the efficiency of your investment plans. The quick guide below will help you get to grips with the basics of how it may apply to you.</p> <p>As always, it is essential to consult a qualified tax adviser to obtain complete advice on your tax situation and to speak to a financial planner to help form an investment strategy to take full advantage of your tax position.</p> <p><strong>What is capital gains tax?</strong><br />Capital gains tax relates to the gains or losses you make when you sell certain types of capital assets. The difference between the purchase cost and sale cost of the asset will determine whether there is a capital loss or gain. This tax may apply to any asset purchased after 20 September 1985, which is when the tax was first introduced.</p> <p>Assets purchased for personal use, such as your home, car and furniture, are generally exempt from capital gains tax, but assets purchased for investment purposes, such as an investment property or shares, may incur the tax.</p> <p><strong>How capital gains tax is applied</strong><br />Realised capital gains are actually treated as income in the tax year in which the gain was made. Gains on the sale of a non-exempt asset must be reported in your income tax return and the capital gain is added to your income and taxed at your marginal rate.</p> <p>However, if the asset has been held for more than a year, then a capital gains tax discount will apply and only half the capital gain is taxed.</p> <p>If you incur a capital loss on the sale of an asset you may also be able to apply that loss against any capital gains you have made on the sale of other assets, thereby reducing your tax liability.</p> <p><strong>Capital losses can be carried forward</strong><br />Even if you don’t have any capital gains to report in a particular tax year, any capital losses you incur in that year should always be reported on your tax return because they can be applied against capital gains in future years.</p> <p><strong>How are managed fund investments treated?</strong><br />Managed fund investments generate returns based on dividends and capital gains on the assets they invest in. If you own units in a managed fund then any capital gains made within the fund need to be taken into account in your tax return.</p> <p>Fortunately, most managed funds will provide you with a statement which details any net capital gains or losses that apply to your stake in that managed fund, so you can use that information in preparing your tax return.</p> <p>Capital gains may also apply if you switch from one fund to another, so consult your financial planner to discuss the ramifications if you intend to do this.</p> <p><strong>It’s all in the timing</strong><br />Timing the disposal of an asset can be critical if you're trying to minimise your capital gains tax liability. For example, if you're approaching June 30 and you want to sell an asset, it may be wise to defer the sale until after June 30.</p> <p>This is especially the case if you're expecting your income in the new tax year to be lower, perhaps due to retirement or taking unpaid leave. The lower income may put you in a lower tax bracket, thereby reducing the amount of capital gains tax paid on that asset sale.</p> <p><strong>Capital gains tax on property</strong><br />Capital gains tax does not apply to your primary residence. Some people see this tax benefit as being a good reason to put spare funds into extra mortgage repayments or renovations on the family home. This can reduce the diversity and liquidity of your investment portfolio so it's best to consult a financial planner about using this as an investment strategy.</p> <p>If you have an investment property, your capital gain (or loss) will be based on proceeds from the sale of the property less the purchase cost, and any other costs associated with buying, renovating and selling.</p> <p>The capital gains discount described earlier will also apply if you sell the property more than a year after purchase. However, it is vital to note that the sale date is based on the date of the contract of sale and not on the settlement date.</p> <p><strong>What if you inherit an asset?</strong><br />If you inherit an asset from a deceased estate you do not incur any capital gains tax liability until you later dispose of the asset. Things can get a bit more complicated when it comes to an inherited home. The amount of capital gains tax will depend on a number of factors, such as:</p> <ul> <li>Whether the deceased person acquired the dwelling on or after 20 September 1985</li> <li>The amount of time between the time you inherit the dwelling and the time you sell it</li> <li>If it was the deceased person’s main residence or not</li> </ul> <p>These complexities make it advisable to seek some professional advice from your legal adviser and financial planner to assess how inherited assets may be best integrated into your investment strategy.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/money/financial-planning/what-you-need-to-know-about-capital-gains-tax.aspx"><em>Wyza.com.au.</em></a></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Basel: Switzerland's art and culture capital

<p>The first thing I noticed about Basel is the absence of mountains, an unusual feature in a country dominated by big, bossy peaks that crowd your consciousness, and jostle and clamour for attention all the time.</p> <p>The landscape is gentler in the north-west corner of Switzerland than in the alpine areas, so there is time and energy to focus on quieter, more refined pursuits . . . without feeling the need to go hiking high peaks and yodelling every day. I love the alps but it's quite exhausting up there with all those 4000m-plus peaks yelling 'Look at me! Look at me!' An overdose of scenery that takes your breath away and causes heart palpitations is surely injurious to the health. Besides, I got tired of saying 'Wow!' every few minutes.</p> <p>After 10 days in the mountains, I was suffering massive sensory overload and found Basel delightfully leisurely and undemanding by comparison. And my heart, lungs and leg muscles enjoyed the respite too.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/y/h/r/x/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="The bar at the hotel is a cosy spot for a cocktail." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The bar at the hotel is a cosy spot for a cocktail. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Basel is a graceful city dissected by the beautiful Rhine River which exerts a peaceful, tranquil influence on the compact metropolis of 200,000 people, Switzerland's third most populous city.</p> <p>The city is known as the art and culture capital of Switzerland. There are 40 museums within 37 square kilometres, making it an absolute paradise for art aficionados.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/y/h/r/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="The suite dedicated to General Napoleon Bonaparte who lodged at the Les Trois Rois in 1797." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The suite dedicated to General Napoleon Bonaparte who lodged at the Les Trois Rois in 1797. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>I visited two of them, the Fondation Beyeler and the Kunstmuseum, both world famous.</p> <p>I went to the Beyeler to see my favourite Monet. Sadly, it had moved on a few months earlier along with 50 other Monets but two masterpieces remained including the luminous six-metre-long Le bassin aux nymphéas, which had me utterly mesmerised.</p> <p>The lack of Monets meant I paid more attention to the excellent exhibition of the moment, Paul Klee, and his contribution to the development of abstract art in Europe. The central strands of his work are nature, architecture, music and written characters, as I discovered.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/y/i/t/c/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="The Fondation Beyeler, a museum in Basel." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The Fondation Beyeler, a museum in Basel. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>I also learned about the founders of the museum, celebrated art dealers Ernst and Hildy Beyeler, who assembled a collection of fine works of classical modernism over a period of 50 years.</p> <p>At the Kunstmuseum, I was introduced to Marc Chagall, a Russian-French artist of Belarusian Jewish origin. Chagall was torn between two worlds – his hometown of Vitebsk in Belorussia and Paris where he lived from 1911 until 1914. In this early creative phase he combined his recollections of Russian provincial life with iconic fragments of Paris, both evident in the stunning works on display.</p> <p>The city is the venue for one of the world's most important contemporary art fairs – Art Basel - founded in 1970 by Ernst Beyeler of Fondation Beyeler fame. The fair is held in June each year and brings the international art world together showing the works of over 4000 artists.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/y/i/t/e/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="The spires of Basler Münster, (Basel Minster), a heritage site of national significance, is one of the city's main landmarks." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The spires of Basler Münster, (Basel Minster), a heritage site of national significance, is one of the city's main landmarks. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Our excellent local guide Philippe took us on a tour of the old town, among the best preserved in Europe, with its 'belle époque' mansions, quaint narrow alleyways, many fountains and statues.</p> <p>Basler Münster, (Basel Minster), a heritage site of national significance, is one of the city's main landmarks. The red sandstone architecture, coloured roof tiles and slim towers stand out on the horizon. Originally a Catholic cathedral and today a Reformed Protestant church, it was built between 1019 and 1500 in Romanesque and Gothic styles. The choristers were singing like angels when I went back later to have a closer look.</p> <p>The magnificent Basel Rathaus (Town Hall) dates back to the early 1500s.The paintings on the façade and sculptures in the courtyard and clock tower are astounding. Opposite the Rathaus, a colourful street market sells flowers and fresh produce every Saturday morning.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/y/i/t/d/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="The Rhine River exerts a peaceful, tranquil influence over the city of Basel." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The Rhine River exerts a peaceful, tranquil influence over the city of Basel. Image credit: Basel Tourismus</em></p> <p>The Tinguely Fountain, created in 1977, is made up of water-spouting machine parts set in an enormous pool of water on the site of the old city theatre. The nine iron sculptures are in constant motion and 'talk' to each other like the actors and dancers who once performed on this spot.</p> <p>Philippe showed us some quirky sights too. The Rock Wall in downtown Basel is a massive mural dedicated to classic rock legends like Janis Joplin, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull, Madonna, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and many others. The Beatle's album cover 'Abbey Road' is integrated into the design with George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon walking the across that famous pedestrian crossing.</p> <p>We walked down the street where, on April 1st 1984, Basler Radio announced a ski race between World Cup stars Bernhard Russi and Andy Wenzel on the Spalenberg in the middle of the city. It was mid-spring so listeners assumed it was an April Fools' joke - however snow was carted by truck from the ski resort Langenbruck and the slalom race actually did take place. That was the joke.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/w/o/o/e/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="The courtyard of the Basel Rathaus." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The courtyard of the Basel Rathaus. Image credit: Basel Tourismus</em></p> <p>Philippe described with great gusto, the three-day madness that descends upon the city during Basler Fasnacht, Switzerland's largest carnival. The event dates back to the medieval tradition of fasting at Lent before Easter and involves colourful street parades, costumes, music, and much revelry.</p> <p>Getting around Basel is a dream thanks to the super-efficient tram network that criss-crosses the city. Guests staying in hotels are issued with a mobility card which provides free public transport. From January 1, the card gave guests free ferry transport and half-price city tours and museum and theatre tickets, a real drawcard for tourists. The trams even run to France and Germany and at the Dreiländereck (the three countries' corner), the countries intersect so you can hop from one to the other.</p> <p>In a city imbued with such history, art and culture, it was fitting to stay at the iconic Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, The Three Kings, a museum and art gallery in its own right.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/w/o/2/k/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="A rooftop Jacuzzi belonging to a suite at Les Trois Rois." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>A rooftop Jacuzzi belonging to a suite at Les Trois Rois. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Les Trois Rois is the epitome of elegance and old-world style, rich in history and heritage. The entire hotel and all its 101 rooms and suites are furnished with precious antiques, chandeliers and paintings. No two rooms are the same and the suites are sumptuous.</p> <p>There's a suite dedicated to General Napoleon Bonaparte who lodged at the Les Trois Rois in 1797 and was honoured with a glittering state reception.</p> <p>My suite was inhabited 120 years ago by Dr Theodor Herzl who laid foundations for the modern state of Israel while in Basel. A plaque on the wall dated 1897 shows him leaning on the balcony railing, gazing at the Rhine.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/w/o/o/8/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="Magnificent chandeliers are a feature at Les Trois Rois." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Magnificent chandeliers are a feature at Les Trois Rois. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Legend and myth trace the origins of the hotel back to a meeting of three kings in 1026, while historical records first refer to 'The Drei Könige' (The Three Kings) gentlemen's inn in 1681, making it among the oldest, if not the oldest, city hotel in Europe.</p> <p>Rebuilt in 1844 as a grand hotel, and painstakingly renovated in 2006, the name is a reference to the 'Three Wise Men' or magi from the Orient - Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar - also known as The Three Kings. Gilded statues of the kings preside over the main entrance to the hotel as they have done for centuries. I met them again on a landing as I climbed the distinctly slanting stairs to my room, an endearing feature of this venerable old hotel. I often stood and communed with the wise old men, asking them what they had seen over the ages. They told me many secrets . . . in complete confidence, of course.</p> <p>The hotel has a quiet sophistication and self-assuredness born of hundreds of years of delivering service to royalty, political heads of state and famous artists, musicians, writers, and academics.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/w/o/o/3/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="Pavlova-like dessert at Chez Donati." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Pavlova-like dessert at Chez Donati. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>The staff don't feel the need to brag about all the celebrities who stay there because they just do . . . and looking at the guests, their attire and demeanour match the spirit of the place – elegant but not showy. There's a dress code and guests adhere to it.</p> <p>As for gastronomical delights, the hotel has many options. Peter Knogl at the Cheval Blanc restaurant is the first Chef de Cuisine at a Swiss hotel to be awarded three Michelin stars. The Cheval Blanc is ranked among the world's best and creates the most delectable culinary chef-d'œuvres, too pretty to eat.</p> <p>Chez Donati serves the finest Italian cuisine. It's a five-minute walk from the hotel so guests can work up an appetite for the decadent treats on their dessert trolley. The Murano chandeliers there are stunning. So too is the pavlova-style dessert with toffee drizzled on the top.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/n/w/o/o/d/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1nvlzd.png/1516305311298.jpg" alt="Basel's Old Town features tall buildings and narrow lanes and is one of the best preserved towns in Europe." width="500" height="NaN" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Basel's Old Town features tall buildings and narrow lanes and is one of the best preserved towns in Europe. Image credit: Basel Tourismus</em></p> <p>Every Sunday, local gourmets gather in the historic ballroom for an elegant brunch beneath a dazzling canopy of chandeliers.</p> <p>Had I been a connoisseur of cigars or whisky, the cosy Salon du Cigare and bar overlooking the river would have been my late-night haven.</p> <p>Breakfast, à la Les Trois Rois, was a major event of the day. For a muesli, fresh fruit, yoghurt, cheese and bread lover like me, the Brasserie was nirvana, especially with the sun rising over the Rhine transforming the swirly waters from indigo to silver.</p> <p>We also dined away from the hotel at the outstanding Bistro Kunstmuseum, Schlüsel-Zunft and Volkshaus restaurants. The first of our group to visit the toilets at the Volkshaus started a stampede of camera-toting journalists. It's most unorthodox to advise people to take cameras to public loos but it's a must - the murals there are astonishing.</p> <p>Hoping to maintain my alpine fitness, I had a few sessions at the well-equipped Rhine-side gym but was so relaxed, I often found my thoughts drifting off down the river and my legs in mid-peddle.</p> <p>On the eve of my departure, I sat outside on the balcony of my suite overlooking the Rhine where trading ships once docked at the Schifflände, (boat landing), to load with salt from the nearby Salt House and Salt Tower. Surrounded by historical photographs and books of the era, I could easily visualise the ships setting off down the Rhine to take their precious cargo to the world.</p> <p>The evening sun cast a warm glow on the cream façade of the hotel and scattered the river with diamantes. In the distance, rather than a horizon bristling with jagged peaks, I could see the lush green hills of Germany. Such a tranquil sight . . .</p> <p>Three floors above me with the same view, apparently the Federer family were having drinks too, so my friends on the landing, The Three Kings, told me . . .</p> <p><em>*The writer travelled courtesy of Switzerland Tourism and was a guest of The Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois.</em></p> <p><em><strong>More information:</strong> The Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. See: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.lestroisrois.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=N9aEhCy8U0rJkO1xCZf7rgM9fohfR5qe_N93viZd7O8&amp;r=I5pjA5TeGoKDX0Sz-FITmeB56zsMUJLEgPhVfD36ZDp83WWuRdMB20Kkf1CL27BN&amp;m=95EQ_dv87tRfsom7-0NhxrVNmzFj8SvalJlkkdBDJuI&amp;s=H6c8po141VjmTAoTT9ofObHRdBzEskbY08QePNl3KFM&amp;e=" target="_blank">lestroisrois.com</a></strong></span>; Switzerland Tourism: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.myswitzerland.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=N9aEhCy8U0rJkO1xCZf7rgM9fohfR5qe_N93viZd7O8&amp;r=I5pjA5TeGoKDX0Sz-FITmeB56zsMUJLEgPhVfD36ZDp83WWuRdMB20Kkf1CL27BN&amp;m=95EQ_dv87tRfsom7-0NhxrVNmzFj8SvalJlkkdBDJuI&amp;s=z2weh3hEFxEie3Flxo7KkDPS9meER2OZeR0U9I57_zA&amp;e=" target="_blank">MySwitzerland.com</a></strong></span>; Swiss Travel Pass: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.myswitzerland.com_rail&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=N9aEhCy8U0rJkO1xCZf7rgM9fohfR5qe_N93viZd7O8&amp;r=I5pjA5TeGoKDX0Sz-FITmeB56zsMUJLEgPhVfD36ZDp83WWuRdMB20Kkf1CL27BN&amp;m=95EQ_dv87tRfsom7-0NhxrVNmzFj8SvalJlkkdBDJuI&amp;s=TWKmfceEtIzjH2gDynoe7kdu0o5N_zF-Tvxw5_TtQrQ&amp;e=" target="_blank">MySwitzerland.com/rail</a></strong></span>; Swiss International Air Lines: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.swiss.com_ch_en&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=N9aEhCy8U0rJkO1xCZf7rgM9fohfR5qe_N93viZd7O8&amp;r=I5pjA5TeGoKDX0Sz-FITmeB56zsMUJLEgPhVfD36ZDp83WWuRdMB20Kkf1CL27BN&amp;m=95EQ_dv87tRfsom7-0NhxrVNmzFj8SvalJlkkdBDJuI&amp;s=R1gFmvXKqXBDaWYT4AOiCikXUOCK73toc0qHGZ79U5Y&amp;e=" target="_blank">swiss.com/ch/en</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em>Written by Justine Tyerman. Republished with the permission of <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

"Severe warning": Extreme heatwave to hit all capital cities as temperatures soar

<p>After a slow start to summer that saw freezing cold nights, hail and torrential rain, summer has finally arrived, with a scorching heatwave set to sweep the country in the coming week.</p> <p>The temperature is set to soar above 30C across all capital cities, except Hobart, in the days ahead. But even Tasmania won’t be far off the 30C mark.</p> <p>Sydney will see the mercury soaring through the 30s by mid-week, Perth could get to 35C, Melbourne to 36C on Wednesday and Adelaide could potentially sweat through a hot 43C on Wednesday.</p> <p>Even the nation’s capital Canberra is set to swelter with temps ranging from low to mid 30s in the coming week.</p> <p>There is severe to extreme heatwave conditions forecasted for the Kimberley and Top End, with NT capital Darwin looking at temperatures of 35C all week.</p> <p>Brisbane is looking at highs of 20s early in the week followed by a sunny 32C on Friday and Saturday.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The heat wave is expected to continue over the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TopEnd?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TopEnd</a> and extend to much of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthernTerritory?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NorthernTerritory</a> early this week. Stay hydrated! Some respite towards the end of the week as showers return. Forecasts at <a href="https://t.co/PZqLmStPfd">https://t.co/PZqLmStPfd</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Q6zpiEhvmE">pic.twitter.com/Q6zpiEhvmE</a></p> — Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Territory (@BOM_NT) <a href="https://twitter.com/BOM_NT/status/939658412970913794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Ashleigh Langey said NSW would reach peak temperatures on Thursday, followed by a short cool change on Friday.</p> <p>“Over the next couple of days there will be a high pressure system influencing the state with pretty warm conditions. From Tuesday onwards it looks like we have got a low intensity heatwave developing, and by Thursday it will be a severe heatwave in parts of the state.</p> <p>“There will be clear skies as well, which means things will heat up.”</p> <p> “The hottest day in Sydney will be Thursday, and we’re forecasting 34C (and hotter in the west). On Friday it will cool down to 27C because we have a southerly change moving through that will cool things down a bit,” she said.</p> <p>”Even on Friday in the west of NSW it will still be quite warm. On Saturday it’s heating back up with 33C in Sydney.”</p> <p>The end of the week will see a nationwide cool-off, but next week is set to experience similar heat. </p> <p> </p>

Domestic Travel

Placeholder Content Image

10 must-do things in Laos’ capital Vientiane

<p><em><strong>Justine Tyerman visited Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, with Innovative Travel and Singapore Airlines. Laos is a landlocked country in South East Asia surrounded by China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Vientiane, on the banks of the mighty Mekong River, has a population of just 760,000 and is far less hectic than most other Asian capital cities. It’s peaceful and laid-back compared with Hanoi and Bangkok. The city is rich in history, heritage, culture and traditions, and has fabulous cuisine. Among the many fascinating places our excellent local guide Souk took us to, here are my 10 must-do things in Vientiane.</strong></em></p> <p>1. Of the many temples we visited in Laos, <strong>Wat Sisaket</strong> is my favourite. The only building to have survived the razing of the city by Siamese (Thai) invaders in 1828, it is therefore the oldest temple in the capital. Built from 1881 to 1824 on orders of King Anouvong, it is strikingly beautiful. The shady teak cloisters surrounding the courtyard and sanctuary or “sim” are lined with 10,136 statues of Buddha, 2000 large and 8000 miniatures. It’s a tranquil, cool place of reflection and quiet meditation. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39271/1_497x330.jpg" alt="1 (193)" width="497" height="330" /></p> <p><em>The cloisters at Wat Sisaket are lined with 10,136 statues of Buddha. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>If you want to see more stunning temples, visit nearby <strong>Wat Phra Keo</strong>, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which has a fine collection of Lao and Khmer art. Built in 1565 as a chapel for the royal family, the temple was once home to the Emerald Buddha, hence the name, but the Thais stole the statue in 1778. It is now a museum famous for its wood and stone carvings and collection of Buddhas.</p> <p>2. <strong>Pha That Luang</strong>, or the Great Stupa, is dazzling. Constructed by King Setthathirat in the 16th century and restored in 1953, it is the most important Buddhist monument in Laos. The golden spire or stupa is 45m tall and believed to contain a relic of Buddha. An impressive statue of the king stands in front of the stupa. In the grounds and nearby, there are a number of beautiful ornate temples and a magnificent golden reclining Buddha.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39285/2_500x750.jpg" alt="2 (186)" width="500" height="750" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The golden Pha That Luang or the Great Stupa is dazzling. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>3. From a distance, you would think you were in Paris looking down the Champs-Élysées at the Arc de Triomphe. Vientiane’s <strong>Patuxay Monument</strong> or Victory Gate, built from 1957 to 1968, is dedicated to those who fought in the struggle for independence from France and perished during the World War 2. While it resembles the iconic Parisian landmark, the Patuxay has four arches rather than two and five distinctively ornate Lao towers on the top.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39273/3_500x333.jpg" alt="3 (157)" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><em>Vientiane’s Patuxay Monument or Victory Gate by day. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>It’s quite a climb to the upper look-out, the equivalent of seven-storeys, but well worth the effort for the magnificent view over the city. There are bazaars and souvenir stalls on the lower levels.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39275/12_500x750.jpg" alt="12 (23)" width="500" height="750" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The view of Vientiane’s from the top of the Patuxay Monument or Victory Gate. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>4. <strong>Buddha Park</strong> is one of the most bizarre and eccentric places I have ever visited in my travels. Also known as Xieng Khuan or “Spirit City,” the park is dotted with over 200 Buddhist and Hindu statues and sculptures created in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a Lao priest-shaman who integrated Hinduism and Buddhism. There are sculptures of humans, animals, demons, a Hindu god riding a three-headed elephant, a god with 12 faces and many hands, and an enormous 40m long reclining Buddha. To get the best photos and a panorama of the whole park, you need to climb to the top of a giant pumpkin. This is no easy feat – you enter by way of a demon’s mouth and negotiate steep steps with no safety rails passing through hell, earth and heaven on the way, emerging on a dome topped with a tree of life. An awesome view of the whole park . . . but not for the faint-hearted or those who suffer vertigo.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39276/4_499x665.jpg" alt="4 (131)" width="499" height="665" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Buddha Park, one of the most bizarre and eccentric places I have ever visited. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>5. It’s such a novelty for Kiwis to be able to (almost) walk to another country so one day, we all trooped to the mid-point of the 1174m <strong>Friendship Bridge</strong> that linksLaos and Thailand. Built by the Australian government in 1994 for $A42m, the bridge across the Mekong River connects Nong Khai province and the city of Nong Khai in Thailand with Vientiane Prefecture in Laos. The bridge is near Buddha Park.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39278/5_499x665.jpg" alt="5 (121)" width="499" height="665" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Justine at the Laos-Thai border on the Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>6. One of the most moving experiences in Laos was our visit to <strong>COPE</strong> (Co-operative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise), an organisation working to help the victims of the millions of landmines that still litter Laos 40 years after the end of the Vietnam War. We listened to an earnest young man explaining COPE’S rehabilitation service that provides orthotic devices, prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and other aids to those disabled and injured by explosions from cluster bombs.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39279/6_498x410.jpg" alt="6 (112)" width="498" height="410" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>A sculpture made from recycled bomb casings at the COPE centre in Vientiane. Image credit: Supplied</em></p> <p>The statistics are shocking. From 1964 to 1973, the country was subjected to intensive bombing by the United States of America as part of the wider war in Indochina. Based on US bombing records, at least two million metric tonnes of ordnance was dropped on Laos in nine years making it the most heavily bombed country in the world, per capita. Included in this figure were 270 million submunitions – the bomblets dispersed by cluster munitions - known in Laos as “bombies”. Bombs fell every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, “like rain from the sky”.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39280/7.jpg" alt="7 (100)" width="372" height="556" /> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>An artwork made from cluster bombs at the COPE centre in Vientiane. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>An estimated 80 million – 30 percent – of submunitions failed to detonate and remain potentially dangerous after the end of the war. These are called UXO (unexploded ordnances.)</p> <p>Four decades later, UXO continue to kill and maim people as they go about their everyday work. Farmers and those who work on the land are most at risk but in recent years, more than 40 percent of casualties have been children. Bombies are the same size and shape as tennis balls, and sometimes bright yellow in colour so they are tempting to play with them.</p> <p>Every day in Laos, 3000 men and women conduct survey and clearance work, locating and destroying hundreds of UXO.</p> <p>COPE assists 1000 people a year but there are many who are not even aware that help is available. They struggle by using homemade wooden or bamboo stumps to replace limbs lost in explosions.</p> <p>Rather than buy trinkets as souvenirs, our Kiwi group combined to donate a lump sum to help fund COPE’s work.</p> <p>7. I developed a strong taste for the locally-brewed beer on my first night in Laos.</p> <p>Drinking ice-cold BeerLao at <strong>Moon the Night Restaurant</strong> as the sun set over the Mekong is an enduring memory. Fishermen up to their necks in the red-brown water were hauling in their nets, scooters were buzzing by driven by young men with girls riding side-saddle behind them, the lights of Thailand twinkled just across the river . . . it was magic. Time Magazine called BeerLao “Asia’s best local beer”.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39281/8_500x333.jpg" alt="8 (91)" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><em>The Mekong River from Moon the Night Restaurant. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>8. Instead of dining in restaurants every night, meander your way through the <strong>Ban Anou night market</strong>, an area of street-eats popular among locals. It’s the Lao version of takeaways, fresh off the barbecue coals. The range of food is astonishing and the flavours and aromas intoxicating. Colourful fruit and vegetables, fish, duck, chicken, pork meatball wraps or “nem nuong”, sausages of every description, noodles and mountains of sticky rice or “klao niaw”, the staple food eaten at every meal. There are also sweet treats galore from Lao-style donuts to icecream and gelato.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39282/9_500x375.jpg" alt="9 (76)" width="500" height="375" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Street eats in the Ban Anou night market. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>9. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/doikanoi" target="_blank">Doi Ka Noi Restaurant</a></strong></span> is an excellent spot for lunch. We were the only non-Lao people there, apart from the owner Mick, chef Noi’s English husband, who is a photographer and writer. The food was delicious with fabulous fresh ingredients, many from their own garden – yummy fish soup, crispy sun-dried pork with grilled aubergine and chili dip, salad of foraged fiddlehead fern topped with pork, stir fried chicken with black pepper, spicy salad with confit duck leg and organic Lao wholegrain black rice and white sticky rice. I loved the chilli, garlic, lime juice, spring onion, mint and lemongrass flavours. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39283/10_500x333.jpg" alt="10 (61)" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p><em>Spicy salad of confit duck leg at Doi Ka Noi Restaurant. Image credit: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.mickshippen.com/" target="_blank">Mick Shippen</a></strong></span></em></p> <p>10. When we arrived in Vientiane, were treated to an evening of traditional Lao dancing and music at <strong>Kualao Restaurant</strong>. A four-piece orchestra played a variety of delightful Lao tunes which were recognised immediately by the mainly local diners of all ages who enjoyed themselves immensely on the dance floor. A pair of highly professional entertainers performed exquisite dance sequences while we consumed a delicious dinner – I had Laos’ signature dish, larb moo (pork salad with lime, lemongrass and shallots). I must get the recipe!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39284/11_500x334.jpg" alt="11 (31)" width="500" height="334" /></p> <p>We were treated to an evening of traditional Lao dancing and music at Kualao Restaurant. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</p> <p><em> * Justine Tyerman travelled with <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.innovativetravel.co.nz%20" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Innovative Travel</span></strong></a>, a Christchurch-based boutique tour operator with 27 years’ experience offering travellers the opportunity to explore historically and culturally unique destinations worldwide that provide a "challenge” but with the security of a peace-of-mind 24/7 “wrap-around” service. So important in a seriously foreign</em> country: </p> <p><strong>Getting there:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.singaporeair.com/" target="_blank">Singapore Airlines</a></strong></span> flies from Auckland to Singapore daily, from Wellington four times weekly, and from Christchurch daily. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.silkair.com/" target="_blank">SilkAir</a></strong></span> flies from Singapore to Vientiane and Luang Prabang three times weekly: </p> <p><em>Fly to Laos from NZ$1203 return with Singapore Airlines' World Wanderlust Special Fares on sale until July 17.</em></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.laoairlines.com/" target="_blank">Lao Airlines</a></strong></span> flies from Vientiane to Xieng Khuang</p> <p> * Accommodation: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/vientiane/vtecp/hoteldetail/hotel-overview" target="_blank">Crowne Plaza</a></strong></span>, Vientiane is an excellent place to stay.</p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Exploring Australia’s forgotten tourist capital

<p>Poor little Canberra. How can this town awash with political hot air even begin to compete with the class and cool of Melbourne? Or the trendy bustle of Sydney?</p> <p>Canberra has long shouldered a reputation for being a dull town, just a glorified sheep station with lights, full of politicians and civil servants who cram the highway exits every Friday night clamouring for the excitement of Sydney just a few hours' drive away.</p> <p>But locals, who are intensely proud of their patch, say things are changing. Set halfway between the two big smokes of Australia, Canberra is reinventing itself and making a play for the tourist dollar in a bid to shake off its 102-year-old stuffy reputation.</p> <p>And as long as visitors aren't expecting a big-city-style bright-lights experience, the capital has a lot of charm and history on offer.</p> <p>I land in Canberra on a smoking hot summer's day, navigate the brand new airport to meet my travel companion, my mother, and we make our way through the wide streets. Endless roundabouts shape the city and link the extensive parliamentary zone with the shopping district and CBD.</p> <p>For someone with close to no sense of direction and a broken GPS system in the car, I find Canberra remarkably easy to navigate - perhaps because it has been meticulously planned. Streets are laid out in a wheel-and-spoke pattern centred on the expansive Lake Burley Griffin, named after the American architect who designed the capital.</p> <p><img width="499" height="265" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/24394/shutterstock_356460803_499x265.jpg" alt="canberra (1)"/></p> <p>My mother is instantly impressed with how contemporary, clean and in order everything seems and how polite the drivers are.</p> <p>We arrive at our hotel, the heritage Hotel Kurrajong in the parliamentary zone, after about 15 minutes of driving. Nothing around the city is further than that and even at rush hour, the traffic is completely manageable.</p> <p>The parliamentary zone is made up of government buildings, monuments and leafy streets. Young civil servants hurry back and forth between the buildings and there aren't many restaurants or much nightlife on this side of the lake. The city centre would probably be a better option for those looking for a livelier evening scene.</p> <p>The next morning, we take the pleasant 15-minute walk to the National Gallery of Australia to check out the world's largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait artworks.</p> <p>The lakeside gallery is a a multi-level, modern rectangle of a building surrounded by a beautiful sculpture garden and a small reflective body of water.</p> <p>When we visit, the featured exhibition is Retrospective by American artist James Turrell, who plays beautifully with light. His dedicated light installations seem to take away all perspective and sense of stability.</p> <p>The exhibition is on until June, with the centrepiece a dramatic light capsule called Bindu shards in which the viewer is treated to a 15-minute personal colour experience like no other. Bookings are essential for this particular piece and though I didn't get to try it, I hear it is mind-blowing.</p> <p>We decide to head back to the hotel to grab the car before driving to the city centre. The distance from the parliamentary zone to the centre of the Braddon shopping district is about 5 kilometres and under normal circumstances probably a pleasant lakeside walk, but with summer's searing heat and the threat of thunderstorms looming, I opt to take the car.</p> <p>Wherever you look in Canberra there are signs of development. Restaurants, boutique shops and apartments stretch out on the south side of the water, the casino is being revamped to draw in high-end clients and heritage hotels like Kurrajong are undergoing expensive refurbishment.</p> <p><img width="499" height="265" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/24393/shutterstock_398035714_499x265.jpg" alt="canberra"/></p> <p>Braddon is Canberra's busiest suburb and, as the locals tell me, the most fun one too. A recently opened collection of food vans called the Hamlet is crowded with casual diners the night we visit. The Hamlet is being touted as a modern village and will feature music and eventually markets.</p> <p>For dinner we eat at one of the most lauded restaurants in the Braddon district, Italian and Sons. The simple fare and constant Italian chatter coming from the noisy kitchen is a sure sign this meal is going to be authentic. I order the bruschetta to start - think crusty bread piled high with the juiciest tomatoes and stretchiest mozzarella, crowned with a regal-looking basil leaf. The spaghetti carbonara which follows could rival many trattorie in Rome.</p> <p>The packed-out restaurant is obviously a hit with Canberrans and bookings are essential to avoid a wait. From what I hear from locals, stylish eateries like this are becoming more common in Canberra as restaurateurs try to tap into a wealthy customer base that previously didn't have much to do in the evenings.</p> <p>Certainly Lonsdale Rd, where the restaurant is situated, is bustling with late-night crowds, restaurants and bars as we head home.</p> <p>The next morning, we plan to take in the sights from above for a better understanding of how the town is laid out. I'm told Canberra is one of the only places in the world where you can float over a government house in a hot air balloon.</p> <p>For those hesitant about trusting their lives to a balloon, a creaky wicker basket and a few LPG bottles, I will admit this experience is not for the faint-hearted. But once the balloon lifts off the ground, the sensation is so surreal that all phobias are left behind.</p> <p>From above, the greens and blues of the lake, the expanse of the surrounding vegetation and the hills in the distance are truly stunning. Canberra's highways wind together and cradle the shimmering lake in a spaghetti formation. Kangaroos and wallabies bounce around in the eucalyptus forests and we can see far-off hills and wineries in the distance. The morning traffic is beginning to make its way around the city.</p> <p>Everything is silent from above, punctuated only occasionally by the roar of the gas as the pilot steers the balloon up and down.</p> <p>Our guide from Balloon Aloft points out the landmarks and sails us near the lake's surface for a close-up glimpse of a local kayaker who photographs the balloons every morning for the<em> Canberra Times</em>. We wave and he waves back.</p> <p>It's at once a serene yet adrenaline-filled experience as we float up and down with our sister balloon. We are told there is a surprise marriage proposal on the other vessel this morning - Balloon Aloft has a small two-person balloon for those special occasions when you want to be alone and skimming the clouds.</p> <p>After touching down and having a celebratory glass of champagne, we decide it's time to get out of town and explore the adjacent wineries and destination-dining spots of New South Wales, just a 30-minute drive away.</p> <p>The roads around Canberra are amid quintessential Australian bush. Eucalyptus trees give way to vineyards stretching out across dry, rust-coloured paddocks.</p> <p>The Barton Highway takes you straight from Canberra's city centre out to Murrumbateman wine country.</p> <p>We stop at family-owned Poachers Pantry for lunch - a smokehouse, winery, wedding venue, farm shop and restaurant in one building. Set back from the main road, a spacious, well-manicured garden leads us to a beautiful patio and rustic restaurant where the menu features offerings like confit duck leg, barramundi fillet and slow-cooked lamb shoulder. I try my first ever plate of kangaroo, which is beautifully presented with shallots, artichokes and tomato jam.</p> <p>We meander along country roads back to the city and stop off at the historic village of Hall, an adorable collection of buildings and general stores which dates back to the 1800s.</p> <p>It's obvious Canberra has undergone some significant changes over the past few years, aimed at rolling out the welcome mat for a potential influx of tourists.</p> <p>For those after a modern, clean and relaxing city break with beautiful vistas and wineries thrown in, no big-city dramas and a first-rate dining scene, Canberra should be high on the list.</p> <p><em>Written by Shabnam Dastgheib. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/10-images-canberra-unique-hotel/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 images from Canberra’s most unique hotel</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/05/tripadvisor-reveals-favourite-landmarks-australia/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Tripadvisor reveals Australia’s favourite landmarks</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/06/australias-most-spectacular-hot-air-ballooning-locations/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Australia’s most spectacular hot air ballooning locations</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Inside Rabat – the capital of Morocco

<p>Before I left for Morocco, almost every person I spoke with about my itinerary suggested I cut Rabat out.</p> <p>"I was there seven years ago, it's just not worth it."</p> <p>Despite comments like these  I took my chances and went, hoping to discover that the naysayers were wrong. As I wander through the narrow cobbled laneways of Rabat's 12th-century UNESCO-listed Oudaias Kasbah on my first morning in the city, with its Yves Klein blue and whitewashed squat buildings bordered with potted palms and ferns, and doorways dripping with fuchsia bougainvillea, I start to believe they were.</p> <p>I could be in Greece, I think, as my local guide Aziz and I pass through an ochre-coloured stone archway leading on to a vast windswept patio. The Atlantic Ocean stretches off to our left, the Bouregreg River to our right. As I watch surfers plunging into the waves, kids playing in the shallows and windsurfers rigging up below, I can't help but sigh.</p> <p>"Is anything wrong?", Aziz asks.</p> <p>"No, not at all. I was just thinking how surprised I am by how beautiful Rabat is," I say with a laugh.</p> <p>"There are lots of surprising things about Rabat," says Aziz mysteriously as he walks back through the archway. I trot after him and we start snaking back through the kasbah, stopping en route to watch a Gnawa musician sing an African Islamic spiritual song, to admire some hand-woven woollen Berber rugs, and to photograph the intricate zellij mosaic work and blue pillared archways of the kasbah's Cafe des Oudaias.</p> <p>We pass through a gate into the Andalusian gardens, overflowing with palms, jacarandas and bougainvillea, fountains and ponds. The city has been Morocco's political and administrative capital since independence in 1956, and people say that because of all the bureaucrats living there Rabat is dull. And yet Rabat is having a renaissance, and maybe even becoming cool.</p> <p>As we drive through the wide streets, passing the whitewashed bougainvillea-clad houses that characterise the city, Aziz points out the new tramway that opened in 2011, the new "condos" that are popping up around the city, and the Bouregreg Marina which was given a big refresh three years ago.</p> <p>"The Ritz Carlton is also planning a big urban resort in Rabat, and just over there," says Aziz, sitting up in his seat and pointing to a vague area by the river, "is going to be a new opera house this year – it will be very modern, like Sydney's!" he says, settling back into his seat. "Everybody was thinking Rabat was really boring, but as you can see, things are changing."</p> <p>Even the city's famed Hassan Tower, which we visit the following morning in Yacoub Al Mansour Square, is being rejuvenated. We pass ceremonial guards on horseback at the square's main gates, and see that the never-completed minaret of the never-completed grand mosque, which was started in 1195, is shrouded in scaffolding. What we can see are the remains of the unfinished mosque, including the 800-year-old walls and partial columns that help me understand the massive scope and size of the building that was intended to be the largest mosque in the world.</p> <p><img width="500" height="250" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/23314/shutterstock_262811918_500x250.jpg" alt="rabat"/></p> <p>We cross the square to the opulent mausoleum of King Mohammed V, who died in 1961. The stately white structure with its distinctive green tiled roof is both a tomb and a mosque, says Aziz, and is guarded by men clad in bright red uniforms with gold buttons, white gloves and green capes. Inside from the balcony, surrounded by white marble and granite floors, and a stunningly carved ceiling hung with chandeliers, I look down into the tombs of the erstwhile Moroccan king and his two sons.</p> <p>That afternoon Aziz takes me to Chellah, the medieval fortified necropolis on the southern edge of town. As we walk through the ruins Aziz points out huge storks nesting in the treetops and the tops of the minarets. "When I came here as a kid to play, I'd wonder why the tourists were taking pictures of these old rocks," he says with a laugh as he leads me to the oasis-like gardens filled with huge fig, peach, avocado and pomegranate trees. "This was our Garden of Eden."</p> <p>We finish up our day outside the Rabat Royal Palace, the official residence of the king of Morocco that lies right in the heart of Rabat. As we stand outside the majestic tiled sandstone entrance watching guards in white balloon pants and blue Fez hats march by, I think how glad I am that I ignored the naysayers and left Rabat, this fascinating cultural hub on the cusp of new beginnings, in my itinerary.</p> <p>What an incredible trip! Have you ever been to Morocco, or anywhere else around that part of the world, and how did you enjoy the experience?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Written by Nina Karnikowski. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/03/best-picnic-spots-in-the-world/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 best picnic spots in the world</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/03/hippo-stuns-guests-by-swimming-in-pool/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Hippo stuns guests by taking a swim in the pool</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/03/where-to-see-elephants-in-the-wild/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Where to see elephants in the wild</span></em></strong></a></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Australia is the meat-eating capital of the world

<p>Australia has surpassed the US to claim the crown of meat-eating capital of the world.</p><p><em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em> reports that in 2014, Australians ate 90.21 kilograms of meat per person. That’s 170 grams more per person than the Americans, according to the latest figures from the Organisation of Economic Development and Co-operation and UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.</p><p>The last time Australia held that title was in 1982, more than 30 years ago. Australia’s return to the top position is due to a decline in American meat consumption and Australia’s increasing consumption, which has been going up in the past two decades.</p><p>Australia’s changing meat preference has driven consumption up too. Red meat has traditionally taken centre stage at Aussie dinner tables, but we’re now eating half as much lamb as in the 1980s and two-thirds the amount of beef, but nearly 2.5 times as much chicken and twice as much pork, according to the <em>Sydney Morning Herald.</em></p><p><strong>Related links:&nbsp;</strong></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/09/prawn-vegetable-kebabs/">Prawn and vegetable kebabs</a></em></strong></span></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/09/jerk-chicken-drumsticks/">Jerk chicken drumsticks</a></em></strong></span></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/09/smokey-bbq-chicken-pizza/"><em>Smokey BBQ chicken pizza</em></a></strong></span></p>

News

Our Partners