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Readers response: What was the worst hotel experience you had?

We asked our readers to share their stories of the worst hotel experience that have endured while on holiday, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Deedee Cullum - At a 5 star in Beijing. Arrived from the airport after 1am. Let into the room to find it occupied with someone having a bath. Instead of changing our room we waited in the lobby for 1 and 1/2 hours while they changed to the correct room and cleaned ours. The wet towels were neatly folded on the towel rack and the used soap was on the basin. When I turned the bedside light on I got a shock. To be fair management were most apologetic and gave us free dining in their top restaurant for the 4 days we were there. It was a few years ago but never forgotten. Bruce Hopkins - I stopped at a Hotel in Hobart, arrived in the afternoon, checked out the next day, the whole time I stopped there, I never saw anyone on reception or any staff at all. Creepiest hotel I stayed in. Carol Henwood - When we went to have a shower, and the towels disintegrated! The shower had black mould in all the corners. The carpet was so sticky, we kept our shoes on. We slept on top of the bed as the sheets were crumpled and smelly. What a night. Sheila Kell - When my eldest son was about 2 years old we took a holiday to Shute Harbour in QLD and in middle of night we heard lots of scratching so turned on light and sat up in bed and there were hundreds of field mice crawling up walls and back of bed. They apparently were having a plague, but we dressed and left. Couldn't sleep in that motel. Christine Warner - A country pub only option one night. Our room has no lock on the door, and there were gaps in the floorboards so we could see straight down to the bar where it was very noisy. We had already been warned of people breaking in to hotel and motel rooms in that region, so we slept in the car and returned to the room in the morning for a shower. Helen Wilson - In Singapore, they gave us a “free” breakfast while someone rummaged through our belongings and took stuff. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Bindi Irwin's glam hotel receives huge award

A Queensland hotel owned by Bindi Irwin has been named the World's Best Nature Hotel for 2024. The Crocodile Hunter Lodge, located in Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast, was given the honour at the Boutique Hotel Club Awards, which features the finest boutique hotels from across the world. Winners were announced across 18 categories, with 500-vetted nominees from 80 countries globally. The Crocodile Hunter Lodge is named after Bindi's father, the late Steve Irwin, who as known as the original Crocodile hunter capturing the attention of audiences worldwide. Judges commented that the property "really feels like you're entering into relaxation mode." Speaking of the huge win, Bindi said she and her team were "honoured" to receive the recognition for their commitment to an exceptional guest experience. "These awards showcase our dedication to providing extraordinary accommodation at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge, where guests can immerse themselves in the natural world, allowing them to reconnect with nature and one another," she said. The Boutique Hotel Club's panel of experts hand-picked a selection of destinations all around the world. They quality test over 400 gold standards of hospitality excellence to find exceptional stays. The title of the World's Best Boutique Hotel went to Akademie Street Boutique Hotel in Franschhoek, South Africa. Images: Nine/ Bindi Irwin

Domestic Travel

Hotel booking sites actually make it hard to get cheap deals, but there’s a way around it

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> Booking a place to stay on holidays has become a reflex action. The first thing many of us do is open a site such as <a href="https://www.wotif.com/">Wotif</a>, <a href="https://au.hotels.com/?locale=en_AU">Hotels.com</a> or <a href="https://www.trivago.com.au/">trivago</a> (all of which are these days owned by the US firm <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-will-not-oppose-expedia%E2%80%99s-proposed-acquisition-of-wotif">Expedia</a>), or their only big competitor, <a href="https://www.booking.com/">Booking.com</a> from the Netherlands. Checking what rooms are available – anywhere – is wonderfully easy, as is booking, at what usually seems to be the lowest available price. But Australia’s Assistant Competition Minister Andrew Leigh is concerned there might be a reason the price seems to be the lowest available. It might be an <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/media-releases/supporting-tourism-and-accommodation-providers-set-their">agreement not to compete</a>, or the fear of reprisals against hotel owners who offer better prices. <h2>Agreements to not compete</h2> Leigh has asked the treasury to investigate, and if that’s what it finds, it may be the booking sites have the perverse effect of keeping prices high, especially when the substantial fees they charge hotels are taken into account. For now, the treasury is seeking information. It has set a deadline of <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2022-338978">January 6</a> for hotel operators and booking sites to tell it: <ul> <li> the typical fees charged by online booking platforms </li> <li> the details of any agreements not to compete on price </li> <li> whether hotels that try to compete get ranked lower on booking sites. </li> </ul> What’s likely to come out of it is a ban on so-called price-parity clauses that prevent discounting, or a ban on “algorithmic punishment,” whereby hotels that do discount get pushed way down the rankings on the sites. But in the meantime, there are things we can do to get better prices, and they’ll help more broadly, as I’ll explain. <h2>Flight Centre precedent</h2> <figure class="align-right zoomable"></figure> Back in 2018, in a case that went all the way to the High Court, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) forced <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/flight-centre-ordered-to-pay-125-million-in-penalties">Flight Centre</a> to pay a penalty of A$12.5 million for attempting to induce airlines not to undercut it on ticket prices. That the ACCC eventually won the case might be an indication price-parity clauses are already illegal under Australian law. But it’s a difficult law to enforce. This is why the treasury is considering special legislation of the kind in force in France, Austria, Italy and Belgium. The ACCC has known for some time that Expedia and Booking.com have included clauses in their contracts preventing hotels offering the same room for any less than they do, even directly. Rather than take the big two to court, in 2016 the ACCC “reached agreement” with them to delete the clauses that prevented hotels offering better deals <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/expedia-and-bookingcom-agree-to-reinvigorate-price-competition-by-amending-contracts-with-australian-hotels">face-to-face</a>. <h2>The concession that conceded little</h2> From then on, hotels were able to offer better deals than the sites over the phone or in person, but not on their own websites. Given we are less and less likely to walk in off the street or even use the phone to book a hotel, it wasn’t much of a concession. Then, in 2019, with the Commission under renewed pressure from hotel owners for another investigation, Expedia (but not Booking.com) reportedly <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/competition/expedia-allow-hotels-undercut-prices-online/">waived</a> the rest of the clauses, giving hotel owners the apparent freedom to advertise cheaper prices wherever they liked including on their own sites without fear of retribution. Except several appear to fear retribution, and very few seem to have jumped at the opportunity. <h2>Algorithmic punishment</h2> An Expedia spokesman gave an indication of what might be in store when he was quoted as saying a hotel that undercut Expedia might “find itself ranked <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/competition/expedia-allow-hotels-undercut-prices-online/">below its competitors</a>, just as it would if it had worse reviews or fewer high-quality pictures of its property”. Being ranked at the bottom of a site is much the same as not being ranked at all, something Leigh refers to as “algorithmic punishment”. It’s not at all clear the present law prevents it, which is why Leigh is open to the idea of legislating against it. Although you and I may not often think about what hotels are paying to be booked through sites such as Wotif and Booking.com, and although what’s charged to the hotel isn’t publicised, it appeard to be a large chunk of the cost of providing the room. One figure quoted is <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/industries/tourism/online-travel-booking-fed-up-small-businesses-call-accc-action/">20%</a>. Leigh says hotel owners have told him the fees are in the “<a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/transcripts/interview-geraldine-doogue-abc-saturday-extra">double digits</a>”, something he says is quite a lot when you consider the sites don’t need to clean the toilets, change the sheets or help on the front desk. <h2>‘Chokepoint capitalism’</h2> What this seems to mean (the treasury will find out) is almost all bookings are more expensive than they need to be because firms that sit at the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/chokepoint-capitalism-why-well-all-lose-unless-we-stop-amazon-spotify-and-other-platforms-squeezing-cash-from-creators-194069">chokepoint</a>” between buyers and sellers are squeezing sellers. A hotel could always abandon the sites and offer much cheaper prices, but for a while – perhaps forever – it will be much harder to find. In their defence, the operators of the platforms might say they need to get the best offers from hotels in order to make it worthwhile for the operators to invest in their sites, an argument the treasury is inviting them to put. In the meantime, with some hotels reluctant to put their best rates on their websites, but with them perfectly able to offer better rates over the phone, there’s a fairly simple way we can all get a better deal – and help fix the broader problem by weight of numbers. If we look up the best deal wherever we want online, and then phone and ask for a better one (or a better room), we might well find we get it. We might be saving the owner a lot of money. Leigh reckons the more we do ring up, the more the sites might feel pressure to discount their own fees, helping bring prices down even before he starts to think about writing legislation.<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/196460/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/hotel-booking-sites-actually-make-it-hard-to-get-cheap-deals-but-theres-a-way-around-it-196460">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel team up for new show

With the 2024 season of My Kitchen Rules coming to a close, Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel have teamed up for a brand new show. At their annual Upfronts event, Channel Seven announced that the pair will host a show called Off The Grid in 2025. Speaking exclusively to <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/mkrs-colin-fassnidge-announces-new-series-with-manu-feildel-in-2025-044819605.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Lifestyle</a>, Colin reveals that the series is an “off-the-beaten-path food adventure” where he and Manu travel around New Zealand for a month in a caravan. “We did the North Island and the South Island, and it was sort of like a chef’s dream scenario where you get to shoot, fish and hunt,” he details. “We did a lot of cooking with the Māori people, Manu and I got tattoos which wasn’t planned, I managed to split my head open - you’ll have to watch the series for that one.” The Irish chef explains that Off The Grid was a long time in the making, and was filmed “a few months ago” in between production for MKR Australia and MKR New Zealand. “We’ve been talking to Seven about it for years, just getting on the road,” he shares. “Manu had an idea to do a thing called ‘A Big Lap Around Australia’ and no one wanted to do it, but when we were in New Zealand I said, ‘We should do it in a caravan’. It was Manu’s idea, but I made it better." “We saw this little caravan in the garden one day when we were shooting MKR over there and we said, ‘Wouldn't it be great to do it in a 1960s caravan?’. We sent it to the producer of Screentime in New Zealand, who works very closely with Channel Seven, and he said, ‘Let’s make it happen’, and then Seven jumped on board.” Off The Grid is set to air early next year on Channel Seven before the fifteenth season of MKR premieres, with Colin saying, “I’ve just seen the teaser for it and it looks amazing.” Image credits: Instagram

"I miss her daily": Fergie opens up on friendship with Diana

As the Duchess of York wraps up her visit Down Under, she has shared some of her most cherished memories in an interview with 9Honey. Following a busy schedule of meet and greets as part of her book tour, Sarah Ferguson opened up on her friendship with the late Princess Diana, who, like the duchess, is a beloved member of the royal family. "The thing about Diana was that she had the best sense of humour of any single person I know – that's quite a big thing, so it's a really big hole because she'd get my sense of humour," the duchess told the publication. "It's really, really hard to really make me cackle with laughter like she used to. "And so, yes, I miss her daily, and I think in the '80s it was just her and I, wasn't it?" The two women were brought together by their marriages to then Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, and the royal affectionately recalled their strong bond. "There isn't anybody else to know, really, what we know because there was no social media and it was just newspaper headlines. "I was so proud of her, what she achieved, and she would be SO proud of her grandchildren. "Oh, my goodness. Can you imagine? She would be just loving every moment. "She was a great lady, and she still is a great lady." The duchess was originally scheduled to visit Australia in October, after she was invited by her Western Australia-based publisher, Serenity Press to showcase her commitment to literature, wellness and empowerment. However, she postponed her visit to not overshadow the King and Queen's tour. The soon to be grandmother of four celebrated the launch of her newest books including Flora & Fern: Wonder in the Woods which is a children's book, and Fabulous Food Art, which is a cookbook she created in collaboration with Melbourne mother and TikTok star Laleh Mohmedi, of Jacob's Food Diaries. Image: Alisdair Macdonald/ Shutterstock Editorial

Family & Pets

No more Mr Nice Guy: Tom Hanks blows up at movie critics

Tom Hanks has taken aim at movie critics in a heated on Conan O'Brien's podcast, calling out the entire review section of the entertainment industry. The Hollywood actor launched into his tirade on the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast as he looked at how movie reviews and the general audience reception to films has changed over the years. “Now what happened is that time has become one of the metrics for how these things matter, right?” he said. “In the day it was just a fist fight. It was every movie you came out, are you going to make the playoffs or not? Guess what? No, kid, you’re 2 and 12 and you ain’t going nowhere. Or, you got a shot.” “It used to be you had these Rubicons that you crossed,” he continued. “First of all, do you love it or not? That’s the first thing. Yes, okay, you have crossed the Rubicon, right? The next Rubicon you cross is when the movie is completely done a year and a half later, and you see it for the first time, and you might like it. It doesn’t matter if it works or not, you look at it and say, ‘Hey, I think we acquitted ourselves pretty good.’ That’s Rubicon No. 2.” Hanks went on, “Then the critics weigh in, that’s Rubicon No. 3, and that’s always up down. ‘We hate it, we like it. This is the worst thing … Oh hey, oh hi Tom, I saw you in a movie. It was cute.’” “That’s when you ask the wife, ‘Hey, honey, could you take the revolver out of the glove box and hide it somewhere, because I think…,” Hanks joked. Podcast host O'Brien then brought up that Hanks was initially “disappointed” with his 1996 film That Thing You Do!, which marked his directorial debut, but the movie has since become a cult classic in pop culture. “Let me tell you something about these c***suckers who write about movies,” Hanks responded, before asking O’Brien and his co-hosts, “Can I say that?” “Somebody who wrote about it is, ‘Tom Hanks has to stop hanging around with veterans of TV, because this is just like the shot on TV and it’s not much of anything,’” Hanks recalled. “That same person then wrote about the cult classic That Thing You Do! Same exact person. They said, ‘All you need is 20 years between now and then, and it ends up speaking some words.’” Image credits: Shutterstock

Movies

Prince William pops up in Robert Irwin's socials

Prince William has made a surprise appearance on Robert Irwin's Instagram as the pair team up for an important award ceremony in South Africa. The Prince of Wales and the wildlife warrior posted a video from Cape Town as they take part in the annual Earthshot Prize Awards: an initiative founded by William, of which Irwin is an ambassador. “G’day, it’s Robert here, with, of course, Prince William,” Irwin began the video. “Lovely to see you. How are you enjoying South Africa so far?” “Good thanks, really good, having a lovely time so far, loving it,” the prince responded. “Robert, you’ve been a fantastic ambassador for us at the moment, so looking forward to the Prize on Wednesday – tune in!” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB_C75lP9Wa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB_C75lP9Wa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a> </div> </blockquote> Irwin said that the event was “going to be amazing” before asking William, “We’re in South Africa, one of the most amazing countries and continents for wildlife – do you have a favourite African animal?” The future King pointed out it was a “really tough question”, adding, “My children ask me this regularly. I think it’s going to have to be the cheetah.” “Cheetahs, OK. Very cool. It’s chameleons for me, the unsung hero, I love them,” Irwin told him, before signing off the video, “Thanks so much for having me, for having us, Earthshot Week has been amazing so far and I cannot wait for tomorrow night … South Africa rules!” On the second day of Prince William's four-day tour of South Africa, he joined Irwin for a walk together towards Cape Town's Signal Hill, as the royal and the Aussie conservationist met with a variety of local park rangers and firefighters, with Irwin telling media afterwards that they had both “fallen in love with Cape Town”. Image credits: Instagram

International Travel

"I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested": do driving apps help people break road rules?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a> Apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze can tell drivers when they are approaching speed cameras or random breath testing stations. Countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland have banned apps from displaying these enforcement locations. But what effect are these apps having in Australia – are they helping drivers break road rules? Our new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524002972">paper</a>, published in the journal Safety Science, examined this question. We found this technology can, in some cases, contribute to people thinking they are invincible on the roads. However, we also found they can sometimes help people drive more safely. <h2>Being made aware of enforcement can help road safety</h2> We conducted focus groups and interviews with a total of 58 drivers from Queensland, to understand how the use of this technology influences perceptions of being caught for breaking road rules. One driver told us: "If I know it’s coming up, I’ll put my phone down. If I was, say, texting or checking something, but then like once a good few 100 metres away, I sort of pick it up again, depending though." Another said: "It sort of depends where I am driving, I guess. Like, if I am driving on a country road and there is a speed camera there I would probably slow down for the speed camera and then sort of speed up again once I am sort of past that; it sort of depends on the circumstances." We also found that, for some people, being made aware of enforcement locations can help drivers better regulate their speed. This helped them comply with road rules more consistently. Waze also shows the speed limit in the area, which further assisted some drivers to stick to the speed limit. One driver told us: "I’m a bit careful if I just look at the speedo and just double check that I’m on the right amount of speed." Another said: "It just gives you a warning like, ‘OK, you need to check your speed.’ Just to double-check you’re going on the right speed perhaps or when it’s a camera coming up." <h2>Concerning behaviours</h2> Concerningly, we also found some drivers who use these apps are looking at and touching their screens more than they otherwise would. This can distract drivers and increase their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524001097">risk of crashing</a>. One driver told us they post traffic updates on the app they use while driving, “which I know is wrong.” Another said: "Just hit the button on the phone. Just two steps after I go past the camera." Another driver told us: "It’s so helpful […] Especially if it’s, say, late night and I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested." One driver said: "I probably feel slightly more invincible, which is probably not a good thing." When asked why these apps are used, one driver said: "I guess the drug and the drink-driving." <h2>Apps can help and hinder road safety</h2> We know breaking road rules significantly contributes to <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/safety-and-mobility/global-status-report-on-road-safety-2023">crashes and road fatalities</a>, with deaths on Australian roads continuing to <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">increase</a> over time. On the one hand, when drivers are aware of enforcement measures like cameras and police, they are more likely to stop breaking the rules in those areas. That’s particularly true for behaviours such as speeding and using a phone while driving, we found. Using apps that flag where cameras and police are located also means drivers would be more exposed to enforcement activities than they otherwise would be on a normal drive. On the other hand, our results suggest some drivers are using these applications to break road rules more often in places where they think they won’t be caught. These apps are also not always completely accurate. For instance, even though Waze can display some police operation locations such as roadside breath testing, it can’t capture all on-road police activities. Further, camera locations are not always up to date or accurate. <h2>Weighing benefits against risks</h2> While these apps do have some benefits, it’s important to weigh these against the risks. It’s also important to recognise traffic enforcement isn’t just there to make you comply with road rules at a specific point; it is meant to remind you of the constant risk of being caught and to encourage consistent rule compliance. The goal is to ensure that drivers are following the traffic rules across the entire network, not just in isolated spots. With road fatalities at some of the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">highest rates we’ve seen in recent years</a>, we need everyone to work together to stop more preventable deaths and injuries.<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/237664/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, A/Professor Responsible Risk Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/im-coming-home-from-a-party-and-i-dont-want-to-end-up-getting-arrested-do-driving-apps-help-people-break-road-rules-237664">original article</a>. </div>

Legal

The Voice 2025 coaches line-up leaked

The Voice Australia appears set to have a major cast shake up, following Guy Sebastian's shock <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/guy-sebastian-drops-bombshell-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">departure</a> from the show after six years. An insider told Yahoo Lifestyle that current coaches Kate Miller-Heidke and Adam Lambert are also saying goodbye to the show. Channel Seven is said to be in the final stages of locking their new line-up, which includes former fan favourites like Keith Urban. “The line-up that Channel Seven wants is Keith Urban, Jessica Mauboy, Ronan Keating and LeAnn Rimes,” the source told Yahoo Lifestyle. “They’ve all been on the show before and conversations had started a few months back.” Urban last appeared on the singing competition as coach in 2022, and fans were overjoyed when he appeared as a guest earlier this year. "Keith was asked about returning when he recorded a performance for the grand finale and he sounded open to the idea - as long as it works with his wife Nicole Kidman's plans to be back in Australia at the same time," the insider said. The source also said that US singer Rimes is likely to return as well. "In the lead-up to this year’s finale, LeAnn's management kept talking about the next series and what she plans to do differently," they said. “LeAnn was clear about her ambition to return next year and Channel Seven are keen to have her back after her artist won.” Jessica Mauboy, who was coach for the show from 2021 to 2023, left the series this year to focus on her music and go on tour, but Channel Seven are also keen to welcome her back. “There were always plans to bring Jess back at some point and viewers really missed her contribution this season," the insider said. “The conversation about Jess had been on the cards with or without Guy. It seemed the network was already looking at flipping Kate Miller-Heidke, who seemed a little out of place on the show." As for Ronan Keating, who was last seen on the show in 2016, the source said he was keen to appear on the Australian version of the show again. Channel Seven is expected to officially announce the 2025 lineup for The Voice Australia at their upcoming Upfront event this month. “One thing is for sure The Voice Australia will go on without Guy Sebastian and 2025 looks set to have one of the best line-ups without him." Images: Channel Seven

Jill Farnham opens up on John's health battle

John Farnham's wife Jill has opened up about her husband's devastating cancer battle, and how his health journey took a toll on their entire family. Jill, who has been notoriously private throughout her marriage to the Aussie music legend, has penned two chapters in Farnham's memoir The Voice Inside, sharing how John's cancer diagnosis changed everything, and shared her opinions on his future singing. “I don’t know if John will sing again,” she wrote. “It just depends. Because of the radiation, that whole side of his face is rock hard. The flesh, the muscle, the tendons, none of it is supple." “The surgeons need to work out how to loosen it all, so we have to be patient. He’s disappointed, naturally, because he may not be up on a stage again and he loved that.” Jill also revealed it was her who pushed Farnham to see a doctor before his diagnosis with cancer in August 2022, explaining, “He had a big white mass on the inside of his cheek and you could physically see it.” “For several months I was saying to him, ‘Let’s go see about that thing in your mouth,’ and he’d say, ‘No, it’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright.’ He kept putting it off and putting it off. I pleaded with him to go see a doctor and finally he did.” Jill explained how her husband's attitude as "a classic Cancerian” impacted the time it took to get a diagnosis, and how she has had to be strong for her whole family through the scary health ordeal. “Over the years I’ve had to be strong,” Jill wrote. “I’ve had to be a wife, a mother, a psychiatrist, a doctor, I’ve had to be all those things in one. I’ve had to be strong and bossy to keep the family together, to keep moving forward, and I have done that because I love John and I love my family." “John is a classic Cancerian, he likes to walk sideways and go around everything, rather than face any issues head-on,” Jill continued. “To this day he acts like that when he’s faced with a tough decision or situation. He always beats around the bush rather than deal with it and then, of course, that just makes a situation worse for him.” Later in the chapter detailing Farnham’s health, Jill set the record straight on some media reports relating to the surgery to remove the cancerous tumour. “And, just for the record, they didn’t take his jaw,” she wrote. “I know lots of people think that’s what happened, but in the end they removed the cancer from his cheek and they also scraped his jaw to make sure it hadn’t gotten into his bones." “Thankfully the cancer wasn’t in his bones, which was great news, and so he’s still got his bottom jaw, even though the radiation has messed that up a little bit." “In hospital they were feeding him through a tube in his stomach, which was pretty grim. I started taking in my home cooking. Things I knew John would like. He would eat a couple of mouthfuls and that would be it, he wouldn’t be able to manage any more. For a while there, it felt like one thing on top of another for John." “It was a traumatic time for all of us, but we got through it. Now he’s back to eating, which is a good sign, but he can’t open his mouth very far, so it’s hard.” Image credits: Nine

Caring

Longtime friend opens up on John Farnham's potential return to singing

John Farnham is back in the spotlight following the release of his brand new memoir, John Farnham: The Voice Inside. The memoir explores the legendary singer's extraordinary almost six-decade career, with an insight into the star's notoriously private family life. As he slowly and steadily recovers from mouth cancer, the beloved singer's voice has been heard for the first time as he narrates the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/john-farnham-s-voice-heard-for-the-first-time-since-throat-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audiobook</a> for his memoir. Now, long-time friend Gaynor Wheatley has shared an exciting update on whether the music icon would ever perform again. "As soon as I saw him in the studio doing the audiobook and as soon as he got behind the microphone, the twinkle was in the eye," she told Today. "That's when I thought, you know, we're still in with a shot and he can still sing, his voice box is still great, there's just a few more things to do with the mouth recovery, but we all know he's as strong as a boxer so if he wants to do something, he'll do it. "If I say to him, 'You won't sing, you can't sing, what a shame', then he'll go, 'Yes I can, I'll prove you wrong'." In another interview with The Project, she recalled how the legendary singer still wants to perform despite his facial disfigurement from the surgery. “He’s a singer,” she said at the time. “I know when he got back in the studio doing the audiobook, he was like, ‘I want to get back, I want to go back’." Image: Today/ Facebook

Caring

Readers response: Have you picked up any new skills or learned something unexpected since retiring?

When many of us retire and our time is now fully our own, some people use this time to pick up a new skill or hobby they've always wanted to try. We asked our readers if they have picked up any new skills since retiring, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Marion Thompson - Cycling, travelling and watercolour art. Dee Douglas - How to take a walk and look at everything with new eyes rather than a head filled with work issues. Margaret Mason - Line dancing and croquet since moving in the last 18 months. I have actually been retired for 18 years and in that time also learnt some New Testament Greek. Yvonne Cooper - Spoon carving and wood work. Loving it! Glenn Azlin - Competed Certificate III Applied Languages (Mandarin). Anne O'Donohue - How to take all week to do the chores I could do in a day. Helen Morgan - It turns out I am very good at doing nothing, a real expert! Sheila Ball - Taking time to read a book. Image credits: Shutterstock

Retirement Life

"So ashamed": John Farnham opens up about years of abuse

John Farnham has shared explosive claims that he suffered years of abuse at the hands of his former manager at the beginning of his career. Revealing all in his new memoir The Voice Inside, which is set to be released on October 30th, the Aussie music legend opened up about the mistreatment he endured from former manager Darryl Sambell when he was a teen pop idol in the 1960s with hits like Sadie the Cleaning Lady. In an excerpt of the book published by <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_NEW&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Farts%2Freview%2Fhe-drugged-me-for-years-john-farnham-reveals-predatory-industry-life-after-cancer-in-memoir-finding-the-voice%2Fnews-story%2Fc1dfc413b3bee553a0bda380bc3bec01&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=HIGH-Segment-2-SCORE&V21spcbehaviour=appendend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Australian</a>, Farnham wrote that Sambell “drugged me for years and I had no f**king idea,” until he found a half-dissolved pill at the bottom of a cup of coffee. Asked what it was, Sambell told Farnham: “That’s just something to keep you awake.” Farnham also writes that his manager, who was openly gay, was “aggressively sexual” towards him and he was constantly fending off his advances. He wrote, “I said it often enough that I can see now that this rejection turned his attraction into jealousy, hatred and a desire for control.” The toxic relationship went on for years, with Sambell controlling “where and when I worked, what I sang, what I wore, what I ate,” as Farnham ended up “isolated from friends and family,” even from wife Jill, who he married in 1973. Farnham finally sacked Sambell in 1976, later forming one of Australian music’s most successful partnerships with music manager Glenn Wheatley, who helped Farnham become a household name with his major hits of the 1980s and 90s. After Sambell died in 2001, Farnham wrote that he was forced to reflect on the early years of his career, and was overcome with a mixture of sorrow and shame: “I feel so ashamed of myself for not realising what Darryl was up to or speaking up more often to put him back in his place.” He admitted he had found it hard to “unpick” what had happened to him, until forced to confront it while writing his memoir. “But now that I’ve confronted it, I look back on that time with sorrow. I’m annoyed at myself for being so gullible and trusting,” he writes. Image credits: news.com.au / Facebook

Caring

"In shock ever since": Aussie TV legend opens up on divorce

Noni Hazelhurst has opened up about her high-profile divorce from actor John Jarratt in 1999, admitting she has "been in shock ever since" the relationship split. The former Play School host, 71, wrote candidly about her former husband in her new memoir Dropping The Mask, sharing the real reason they called off their marriage. Hazelhurst and Jarratt were married for 12 years, from 1987 until 1999, and share two sons together, Charlie, 36, and William, 30. The couple even co-hosted Better Homes and Gardens together, but sadly, the show wound up playing a role in their divorce. “John and I had some wonderful times together – and then we didn’t," Hazlehurst told <a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/noni-hazlehurst-ex-husband/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woman’s Day</a> in a new interview. “That’s true of many relationships. They start off full of hope and optimism and, along the way, buried issues come to the surface.” Noni went on to say their relationship started to end when John grew closer to a member of the Better Homes crew, saying “At that moment, I knew the marriage was over.” “We simply wanted different things. I wanted a family. John wanted another woman… The ending of my previous relationships had been hard enough, but this was far worse. In some ways, I think I’ve been in shock ever since.” Despite the divorce, Hazlehurst insisted she had no hard feelings toward her ex, saying, “The end result of our marriage was two beautiful children. Whatever happened can’t negate the joy they’ve brought me.” Image credits: Instagram / news.com.au

Relationships

"Absolute honour": Federer's stirring words as Nadal hangs up his racquet

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have led a wave of tributes after Rafael Nadal announced he would be retiring from playing professional tennis. Nadal announced the news in an emotional Instagram video, where he thanked his family, team, friends and loyal fans for their support, while announcing that the David Cup Finals in November would be his last competition. In his video, the Spanish tennis champion also thanked his "greatest rivals" for giving him fierce competition throughout his stellar career. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA8EpTsg3iV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA8EpTsg3iV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)</a> </div> </blockquote> Those great rivals were the first to honour Nadal after his shock announcement, with Roger Federer sharing a photo of their pair sitting side by side, both in tears, as the Swiss great announced his own retirement two years ago. He wrote, “What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour.” Novak Djokovic also shared a message for Nadal, posting a photo collage of their friendship behind the scenes. “Rafa, one post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport,” the 24-time Grand Slam title winner wrote. “You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably the greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever." “Only you know what you had to endure to become an icon of tennis and sport in general. Thank you for pushing me to the limit so many times in our rivalry.” Image credits: Daniel Irungu/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

Retirement Life

Private island off Queensland coast up for sale

A private island in northern Queensland is up for sale for $15million. Timana Island, also known as Thorpe Island, boasts 15 hectares of rainforest, a private beach and a beach shack. The island located off Mission Beach between Cairns and Townsville is one of the few private freehold islands in Australia, that is in "pristine" condition. "It's sort of beyond words, but you're sitting there listening to the waves, lapping up the orchestra of birds and the smells of the blossoming rainforest," Steve Wiltshire from Mission Beach Real Estate told Today. He added that fruit trees were growing wild on the island and could be "gardened" up. "And then it rises steeply up to a hillock, and it's covered in dense rainforest," he said. While the beach shack is currently uninhabitable, he added that is has a strong foundation for those interested in renovating it and turning it into something special. "There's an old shack there that is in need of a lot of attention - but strong bones, as we say in the industry." Images: Today

Domestic Travel

Snakes are waking up. What should you do if you’re bitten? And what if you’re a long way from help?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hamish-bradley-2217649">Hamish Bradley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alice-richardson-252002">Alice Richardson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/breeanna-spring-1545193">Breeanna Spring</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> From the creeks that wind through inner city Melbourne to the far outback in Western Australia, snake season is beginning. Over the cooler months snakes have been in state of <a href="https://youtu.be/FjXOzNjZjoU?si=Mc0eeayVk4VU9906">brumation</a>. This is very similar to hibernation and characterised by sluggishness and inactivity. As warmer conditions return both snakes and humans become more active in the outdoors, leading to an increased likelihood of interaction. This may happen when people are hiking, dog-walking or gardening. The risk of being bitten by a snake is exceptionally small, but knowing basic first aid could potentially save your, or another person’s, life. <h2>When a snake bites</h2> Snake bite envenomation (when venom enters the blood stream) is a significant issue in Australia, with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja17.00094">3,000 cases annually and an average of two deaths</a>. Snake bite should always be <a href="https://stjohnwa.com.au/online-resources/first-aid-information-and-resources/snake-bite">treated</a> as a life-threatening emergency, and if you are bitten in rural or remote Australia, you will often receive an air medical emergency pick up to a regional or metropolitan hospital for advanced care. The effects of snake bites vary, depending on the species of snake and first aid measures undertaken. Australian <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/snake-bites">standard first aid guidelines</a> include: <ul> <li>calling for help (dialing 000 or activating an emergency beacon)</li> <li>applying a pressure immobilisation bandage</li> <li>resting.</li> </ul> <h2>Why pressure is important</h2> Snake venom is carried within the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-lymph-nodes-and-can-a-massage-really-improve-lymphatic-drainage-209334">lymphatic system</a>. This is a collection of tiny tubes throughout the body that return fluid outside of blood vessels back to the blood stream. Muscles act as a “<a href="https://theconversation.com/pneumatic-compression-therapy-can-it-really-help-olympians-or-you-recover-after-exercise-236228">pump</a>” to help the fluid move through this system. That’s why being still, or immobilisation, is vital to slow the spread of venom. A firm pressure immobilisation bandage, applied as tight as you would for a sprained ankle, will compress these tubes and help limit the venom’s spread. Ideally bandage the entire limb on which the bite occurred and apply a splint to help further with immobilisation. It is very important that the blood supply to the limb is not limited by this bandage. Never attempt to capture or kill the snake for identification. This risks further bites and is not required for specialist care. The decision about when to give antivenom (if any) is based on the geographical location, symptoms, the results of blood tests and discussion with a toxicologist. <h2>The tyranny of distance</h2> People living in rural and remote locations may also have limited access to health care, including access to ambulance services, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10871209.2020.1769778">snake bite first aid</a> such as bandages and splints, and to antivenom. Availability and the prompt use of antivenom have been identified as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590171022000558">crucial factors in the effective treatment</a> of snake envenomation – but not studied in detail. Over one year (as a component of a larger three-year study) we collected information on the pre-hospital care and in-flight care with the Royal Flying Doctors Service Western Operations. During this time, 85 people from regional, rural, remote and very remote Western Australia were flown by Royal Flying Doctor Service to hospital for suspected or confirmed snake bites. Reassuringly, only five of these patients (6%) ultimately received a toxicologist’s diagnosis of envenomation. <h2>To move or not to move?</h2> Troublingly, 38 (45%) of the 85 snake bite victims continued to move around and be active following their suspected snake bite. This raises questions about whether people lack knowledge of first-aid guidelines, or whether this is a consequence of being isolated, with limited access to health care. Either way, our as-yet-unpublished research highlights the vulnerability of Australia’s rural and remote people. All patients eventually received a pressure immobilisation bandage, with an average time from bite to application of 38 minutes. Three quarters of the patients made their way to health-care site by foot, or private car, arriving on average 65 minutes after the bite. <h2>What needs to change?</h2> Our results indicate rural and remote Australians need innovative health-care solutions beyond the metropolitan guidelines, particularly when outside ambulance service areas. Basic snake bite first aid education needs to be not only reiterated but also a pragmatic approach is required in these geographically isolated locations. This would involve being vigilant, staying safe and, when isolated, always carrying emergency technology to call for help. <hr /> The authors wish to acknowledge the efforts required through this research project as it continues, including by Fergus Gardiner, Kieran Hennelly, Rochelle Menzies, James Anderson, Alex McMillan and John Fisher. Hamish Bradley is an Aeromedical Retrieval Specialist and Principal Investigator in this project.<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/234365/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hamish-bradley-2217649">Hamish Bradley</a>, Adjunct Lecturer, Anaesthetist and Aeromedical Retrieval Specialist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alice-richardson-252002">Alice Richardson</a>, Associate professor and lead of Statistical Support Network, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/breeanna-spring-1545193">Breeanna Spring</a>, PhD student, Molly Wardaguga Institute for First Nations Birth Rights, Faculty of Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/snakes-are-waking-up-what-should-you-do-if-youre-bitten-and-what-if-youre-a-long-way-from-help-234365">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Another Channel 7 star quits in AFL shake-up

Just last month Kane Cornes confirmed his move from the Nine Network to Channel 7 for the 2025 season, with colleague and veteran journalist Caroline Wilson doing the same. Now it has emerged that Channel 7 and Triple M commentator Luke Darcy has reportedly decided to walk away from the media industry all together, in the latest AFL shake-up. Darcy, a former ruckman who played 226 games with the Western Bulldogs, joined the media industry in 2007. He was initially with Network Ten before he moved to Channel 7 in 2011 and has since filled a variety of hosting and commentary roles. He also had a long-running breakfast show on Triple M with Eddie McGuire before that ended in 2020. Darcy got attention for his interview during the 2013 Essendon peptide saga and his repetition of the phrase, “say that again”. Now, he is choosing to walk away from the media to focus on his family's varied business ventures, according to the Herald Sun. A few of their business interests include a wellness spa in Bali, pubs and venues in Victoria, as well as a podcast on leadership. The news comes following a series of controversies involving Darcy, who on April this year, confronted Cornes during a live Triple M radio segment, labelling the former Port Adelaide midfielder “more mean spirited and nasty to people than anyone in the history of our industry”. The two have since cleared the air, to some extent, with Cornes saying that just last week he had crossed paths with Darcy during a footy game, and Darcy happily passed him some milk for a cup of tea. Wilson was among those that defended Cornes and called Darcy out for being out of line. It is unclear whether the controversy had any impact on Darcy's decision to leave the industry. A few footy fans were having a field day with the news, with one writing on Reddit: “Thank f**k. Insufferable that guy." “Nice bloke probably. But he’s the only actual voice I can’t stand listening to,” added another. “To give some credit he does sound genuinely excited/passionate for the game in much of his commentary," one defended. Image: news.com.au

The good, the bad and the awful – how businesses reacts to online reviews

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mina-tajvidi-1192090">Mina Tajvidi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queen-mary-university-of-london-1745">Queen Mary University of London</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-hajli-1426223">Nick Hajli</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/loughborough-university-1336">Loughborough University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tahir-m-nisar-1050021">Tahir M. Nisar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southampton-1093">University of Southampton</a> Every day travellers across the globe are flocking to popular destinations, eager to relax and create memories. Alongside packing and planning, many turn to online reviews to choose the perfect hotel, restaurant, or activity. These reviews, often shared enthusiastically or with a hint of frustration, play a key role in shaping our experiences. But what happens to these reviews once they are posted? Do businesses truly read them, and if so, do they make changes based on customer feedback? The short answer is yes, businesses do read reviews and often act on them. In fact, for many, it’s a crucial part of their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004016252100384X">customer engagement strategy</a>. Reviews offer a treasure trove of insights, from customer satisfaction and service quality to product usability and pricing perceptions. But beyond the numbers and star ratings, reviews provide a story of the customer experience that can highlight strengths and reveal weaknesses. Businesses, particularly in competitive industries like hospitality, often have dedicated teams or <a href="https://broadly.com/blog/reputation-management-tools/">software tools</a> to monitor reviews across platforms like Tripadvisor, Google, and Yelp. These tools can aggregate reviews, analyse sentiments, and even benchmark against competitors. For example, a hotel chain may use these insights to identify common themes in guest feedback, such as complaints about check-in delays or praises for room cleanliness. By doing so, they can prioritise issues and respond effectively. However, reading reviews is just the beginning. The real value lies in how businesses respond to them, and whether they take actionable steps to address the feedback. In many cases, customer reviews have become catalysts for change. For instance, a recurring complaint about outdated decor might prompt a hotel to refurbish its rooms. Similarly, consistent praise for a friendly staff member can lead to rewards or recognition programmes, boosting employee morale and enhancing the overall guest experience. <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10614398">Some businesses</a> go a step further by engaging directly with reviewers. This engagement can take various forms, from public responses thanking customers for their feedback to private messages addressing specific concerns. <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ITP-09-2018-0415/full/html">Such interactions</a> not only show that a business values its customers, but also humanises the brand, fostering trust and loyalty. A well-handled response to a negative review can even turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal advocate. <h2>The role of negative reviews</h2> Negative reviews, while often dreaded by businesses, are an essential component of the feedback process. They provide honest, often blunt insights into what went wrong and where improvements are needed. For instance, during the holiday season, a restaurant might receive complaints about long wait times or underwhelming festive menus. Instead of viewing these reviews as setbacks, savvy businesses see them as opportunities to refine their offerings and enhance customer satisfaction. In some cases, businesses have <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10614398">used negative reviews</a> as a springboard for innovation. A restaurant receiving feedback about limited vegetarian options might introduce new menu items, attracting a broader clientele and boosting sales. Similarly, a hotel criticised for lack of amenities might invest in additional facilities, improving its appeal and competitiveness. As technology evolves, the landscape of customer reviews and business responses is also changing. The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning that uses algorithms has made it easier for businesses to analyse vast amounts of feedback and identify trends quickly. This capability allows for more proactive responses, with businesses anticipating issues before they become widespread problems. Moreover, the increasing use of video and photo reviews adds a new dimension to customer feedback. <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JPBM-01-2019-2194/full/html?casa_token=adZDhhc3f0IAAAAA:7jPn1_y31gfB4BjJjLdl8QnnFixO3XCEOKbtemd0N2vhh_UCEHa1vjisRj3X3K1iw7UIRL1yylJGN6CCqPbW1Bs4CoSto1x0M1ntb_RtD7z-ZXHzj7Q">Visual reviews</a> can provide a more vivid portrayal of experiences, from showcasing a beautifully plated dish to highlighting a less-than-sparkling pool. Businesses are adapting to this trend by incorporating user-generated content into their marketing strategies, showcasing real-life customer experiences to attract new clients. However, the rise of fake reviews is a growing concern. In 2023, the popular travel website Tripadvisor <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/TransparencyReport2023#group-section-Fake-Reviews-HZjJZOxSZ4">saw an overwhelming influx</a> of user-generated content, with over 30 million reviews, however, amid this vast pool of feedback, 1.3 million reviews were flagged as fraudulent and subsequently removed. In the end, customer reviews are not just fleeting opinions left in the digital atmosphere. They are valuable conversations between businesses and their customers. For businesses, reviews offer an opportunity to understand their clients’ needs, address concerns, and celebrate successes. That is why businesses like <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/policy-news-views/how-ai-spots-fake-reviews-amazon">Amazon are using AI</a> to manage the reviews. By reading, responding, and, most importantly, acting on reviews, businesses can foster a loyal customer base and continually improve their offerings. So, the next time you leave a review, remember that someone is listening, and your words may just be the catalyst for positive change.<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/236194/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mina-tajvidi-1192090">Mina Tajvidi</a>, Lecturer in Digital Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queen-mary-university-of-london-1745">Queen Mary University of London</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-hajli-1426223">Nick Hajli</a>, AI Strategist and Professor of Digital Strategy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/loughborough-university-1336">Loughborough University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tahir-m-nisar-1050021">Tahir M. Nisar</a>, Professor of Strategy and Economic Organisation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southampton-1093">University of Southampton</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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-good-the-bad-and-the-awful-how-business-reacts-to-online-reviews-236194">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

"Violent threats": The Block star opens up after sudden exit

Paige and Jesse, contestants on the 2024 season of The Block, have finally addressed the intense backlash they've received following their portrayal on the popular reality show. The couple, who became social media’s latest "villains" due to multiple on-screen arguments, have opened up about the toll it has taken on their mental health. Fans of the show have accused the duo of having a "toxic relationship", and some online commentators have left harsh, often cruel comments directed at them. The 27-year-old Paige expressed her dismay at the negativity, calling it "really sad" to see so many of her fellow contestants also receiving hate. “It's just a TV show as well," she told <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/lifestyle/what-you-dont-see-on-tv-the-block-star-on-horrific-consequence-of-being-a-reality-villian-053436673.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Lifestyle</a>. "I don't think it's appropriate whatsoever.” The attacks have gotten so bad that Paige revealed that Jesse has taken control of her Instagram to filter hateful messages, and she has deleted her Facebook presence completely, to avoid the barrage of negativity. In her interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, Paige revealed how serious the situation has become, explaining that the constant harassment has led her to turn off comments on her social media to safeguard her “sanity”. “I've had a lot of death threats, violent threats, and nasty comments that are unimaginable. I turned the comments off for my own wellbeing,” she said, explaining that the online abuse began almost immediately after the first episode aired. While Channel Nine has provided counselling and mental health resources for them, Paige says that her biggest support has come from her family and from Jesse. Her family, who have moved in with them temporarily, have been a source of strength, with Paige explaining that her brother also experienced severe online bullying when they were younger. “I think just being around grounded people, it's a lot harder to fall into those traps,” she shared. Jesse also opened up about the difficulties of watching themselves on TV, admitting that the negative portrayal has made them question their self-identity. However, they’ve found comfort in reconnecting with their co-stars, who remind them of the fun, positive moments that weren’t aired. “You start to question yourself when you’re watching yourself on TV,” Jesse said, adding that they often reflect on the good times during filming, despite what viewers see. Despite the negative attention, Paige and Jesse have also experienced an outpouring of support. Following Paige’s <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@paigebeechey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candid three-part TikTok series</a>, where she revealed details about their experience on the show and their decision to leave on bad terms, the couple received a flood of encouraging messages. “The response that I got was pretty huge,” Paige said. “I received so many wonderful messages from women, men, current contestants, past contestants.” Jesse echoed her sentiments, sharing that for every few negative comments, there were significantly more positive ones. “It’s like, okay, there actually are people who understand and care and realise that it's more than just a show,” he said. As part of her post-exit TikTok series, Paige levelled a parting shot at the long-running renovation show itself, saying “The Block is over to me. All I want to do now is implore the network that when this show continues, there needs to be serious reform on how you prepare contestants.” Images: Channel Nine

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