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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

Family heartbroken after school removes teen's memorial site

Charlotte O'Brien, 12, sadly <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/mother-s-heartbreaking-farewell-at-bullied-daughter-s-funeral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took her own life</a> on September 9 after experiencing relentless bullying at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield, Sydney. Following the young schoolgirl's tragic death, her heartbroken family set up a memorial for her on a tree near the school. Her aunt Melinda Rodgers explained it was the only way they could bid farewell to the teen. “It was something we wanted to do for Charlotte because we didn’t get the opportunity to say goodbye,” she told Nine News. “It was our special way of giving her something to say you mattered and we miss you.” The memorial was set up over the weekend, with a small plaque put in place and flowers which began piling up as others started to pay tribute to the 12-year-old. On Monday afternoon, the memorial site had been removed. The family first realised this when they saw Charlotte's grandfather, who had previously left flowers at the site, “wandering aimlessly up and down the street … trying to find the memorial site to lay his flowers” “Words cannot express how devastated we were,” Rodgers said, after finding out the memorial site had been removed. Paulina Skerman the principal of the school, confirmed they had removed the memorial “because of concerns that were raised about the impact this could have on young people”. She explained that the school was “with Charlotte’s family to find a permanent and loving way to remember Charlotte” and promised the 12-year-old would “not be forgotten”. Despite the school's explanation, Charlotte's father Mat, said he was “running out of words” to describe his feelings about the situation. “From the school’s perspective, If I was given advice to remove those things, I wouldn’t have touched them,” he said, adding it would be a "positive step" for the school to put up a permanent memorial to his daughter. Her parents had previously opened up about how disappointed they were in the school for reportedly showing "no empathy" during their <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/parents-disappointed-by-principal-s-response-to-daughter-s-suicide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20-minute meeting</a> with the principal, following Charlotte's death. “We arrived there and met with the principal. When I shared the feedback, she wasn’t interested in receiving that. The feedback was interrupted. It was discounted. It was disagreed with," Mat said at the time. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Lifeline: 13 11 14, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au </a> Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or <a href="http://kidshelpline.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kidshelpline.com.au</a> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">SANE Support line and Forums: 1800 187 263, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://saneforums.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saneforums.org</a> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Headspace: 1800 650 890, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://headspace.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headspace.org.au</a> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Beyond Blue: 1300 224 635, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/beyondblue.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au </a> Images: news.com.au

Family & Pets

‘Dark tourism’ is attracting visitors to war zones and sites of atrocities in Israel and Ukraine. Why?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/juliet-rogers-333488">Juliet Rogers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> There is a disturbing trend of people travelling to the sadder places of the world: sites of military attacks, war zones and disasters. Dark tourism is now a phenomenon, with <a href="https://dark-tourism.com/">its own website</a> and dedicated tour guides. People visit these places to mourn, or to remember and honour the dead. But sometimes they just want to look, and sometimes they want to delight in the pain of others. Of course, people have long visited places like the <a href="https://www.auschwitz.org/en/visiting/guided-tours-for-individual-visitors/">Auschwitz-Birkenau</a> Memorial, <a href="https://www.911memorial.org/911-faqs">the site of the Twin Towers</a> destroyed in the 9/11 attacks, <a href="https://www.robben-island.org.za/tour-types/">Robben Island Prison</a>, where Nelson Mandela and others spent many years, and more recently, <a href="https://chernobyl-tour.com/english/">the Chernobyl nuclear power plant</a>. But there are more recent destinations, connected to active wars and aggression. Since the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/2024/10/11/one-year-hamas-oct-attack-israel-northern-border-1961816.html">Hamas military attacks</a> of October 7 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage, celebrities and tourists have visited the related sites of the Nova music festival and the Nir Oz Kibbutz in Palestine/Israel. The kibbutz tours, guided by former residents, allow people to view and be guided through houses of the dead, to be shown photographs and bullet holes. Sderot, the biggest city targeted by Hamas, is offering <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-oct-7-tourism-sderot-8b21f590c37fa6780bf9190d6bfb62b7">what it describes as “resilience tours”</a>, connecting tourists with October 7 survivors. Similar places are visited <a href="https://wartours.in.ua/2023/02/25/dark-tourism-in-ukraine/">in Ukraine</a>. The “popular” Donbas war tour, for instance, takes visitors to the front lines of the conflict and offers “a firsthand look at the impact of the war on the local population”, introducing them to displaced locals, soldiers and volunteer fighters. There’s also <a href="https://wartours.in.ua/en/">a Kyiv tour</a>, which takes in destroyed military equipment and what remains of missile strikes. <h2>Solidarity tours</h2> These tours have various names, but <a href="https://touringisrael.com/tour/october-7-solidarity-tour/">one Israeli company</a> calls them “solidarity tours”. The idea of solidarity lessens the presumption of voyeurism, or the accusation of ghoulish enjoyment of pain or suffering. It suggests an affinity with those who have died or those who have lost loved ones. But solidarity is a political affiliation too. These tours are not only therapeutic. They are not only about “bearing witness”, as many guides and visitors attest. They are also about solidarity with the struggle. What is this struggle? Genocide scholar Dirk Moses <a href="https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/more-than-genocide/">has written thoughtfully</a> on this after October 7. Colonial states seek not just security, but “permanent security”. This makes them hyper-defensive of their borders. Israel was created as a nation <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/truman-israel/">by the newly formed United Nations</a> in 1947, two years after the end of World War II and in the shadow of the Holocaust: it was an inevitable product of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-century-on-the-balfour-declaration-still-shapes-palestinians-everyday-lives-86662">Balfour Declaration</a> (1917) that carved up the Middle East. The creation of the Israeli state turned relationships between Palestinians and Jewish people into borders to navigate and police, producing a line of security to defend. These borders have long been sites of humiliation and denigration toward Palestinians, whose homelands have been now occupied for many generations. Israeli Defense Force soldiers themselves <a href="https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/testimonies/videos/29690">have spoken passionately</a> about the brutal and arbitrary violence that occurs there, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10978-016-9195-y">including “creative punishments”</a>. These were the borders that protected the sites targeted by Hamas. The Nova music festival was five kilometres from one of these borders. For many Israelis, any breach of those borders, any sense of loss of control, courts the terrors of the past. It raises the spectre of the Holocaust: the destruction of European Jewry, the loss of sovereignty over family, home, and over life, the loss of millions of lives, again. For Israel, as for any colonial state, security is a permanent aspiration, in Moses’s terms. The stakes are high. Dark tourism, seen in this light, is not only solidarity with those who have lost loved ones on October 7. It is solidarity with the border, with those who have lost that security. And that loss is profound, traumatic and, at least psychologically, can provoke violent reactions in an effort to have the borders – geographical and psychological – reasserted. <h2>‘I stand with you’</h2> Transitional justice mechanisms such as the truth commissions in <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/">South Africa</a>, <a href="https://www.usip.org/publications/2002/02/truth-commission-timor-leste-east-timor">Timor Leste</a> and <a href="https://www.usip.org/publications/1983/12/truth-commission-argentina">Argentina</a> apply legal frameworks to heal nations from the trauma of crimes against humanity. These mechanisms are one choice after experiences of mass violence. Ironically, their catchphrase is Nunca Mas (never again), which was the title of the 1984 report by Argentina’s <a href="https://www.usip.org/publications/1983/12/truth-commission-argentina">National Commission on the Dissappeared</a>. Permanent security of the kind Israel is seeking is another choice – and its catchphrase might well be the same. Never again will Israel’s borders be breached, never again will Jewish life be subjected to mass destruction with impunity. This is what solidarity can mean: not only grieving alongside those who have suffered, but attachment to an identity and borders, which are reinforced through participation. “I stand with you” is perhaps what the visits are for. I stand with you on this land, at this time, and perhaps for all time. But stand beside you in what now? In grief, yes. But also in rage, in pain, in vengeance and, for some, in making Israel great again. The hashtag #standwithus accompanies some calls for visits to the October 7 sites, for this form of tourism. It means stand with us at Israel’s border. From there, you can hear the sound of bombs falling: <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/world/israel-7-october-massacre-sites-dark-draw-tourists-3101715">in Gaza</a>, a place where no solidarity tour will go. Yet. <h2>Memorials, grief and understanding</h2> Dark tourism is not always for those associated with the events. Some people visit sites of disaster and loss because they want to understand the greater sadnesses of the world and its formidable brutalities. Some want to show their respect to others. It’s not dissimilar to visiting memorials. Memorials collate the disparate parts of grief and reflect it as public memory. They offer fragments of historical pain that can be borne in more than one mind, to create a shared reality. In Pretoria, South Africa, a memorial called <a href="https://www.freedompark.co.za/">Freedom Park</a> depicts the names of every person who died in every war fought in South Africa, as well as those South Africans who died in the world wars. The names are written on a wall that circles the park. It is impossibly long and circular, and you cannot measure it with your own stride. It is disorientating and interminable, like grief. In this memorial-metaphor, you are unable to comprehend – and at the same time are awash with – a history of loss, represented by the names. The walls contain you, and then they cannot. Grief and even solidarity is not always about comprehension or containment. Sometimes it is about proximity. Sometimes, it is about sitting with not knowing. Sometimes, it is about solidarity with something that cannot be made sense of. Trauma, psychoanalysis tells us, is an experience of what we cannot assimilate. If you sit in proximity to people and places where traumatic events have happened, you can learn something. If you see the bullet holes at a site of loss, you can comprehend something. But not everything. Bullet holes in a wall are the very definition of a partial story. People visit memorials and sites of loss to learn and to unlearn. Dark tourism has this quality. <h2>Obscenity of understanding</h2> In my field, criminology and trauma studies, we try to understand why people do the violent things they do. Holocaust filmmaker and commentator <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26303924">Claude Lanzmann has said</a> we must not indulge in what he calls the “obscenity of the project of understanding” in relation to Nazi perpetrators of the Holocaust. He regards curiosity about the minds of perpetrators and the rationale for violence as a violence in itself. Of the Holocaust, he says you cannot ask “Why were the Jews killed?”. It is the result that matters. But it is also the reaction that matters. The state of Israel itself – permanent security and its attendant horrors – is part of that reaction. But understanding can influence the reaction to violence, and contribute something to the promise of Never Again. Understanding allows us to hold more than one story in mind. It allows us to do more than <a href="https://www.ochaopt.org/">count the more than 1,200 killed</a> in Israel, or the 41,689 (plus) Palestinians killed in Gaza. Bodies are always more than numbers. But explanation is one thing, justification another. Justification is best left to the courts, international or otherwise, after the violence has ceased. It is hard to hear about dark tourism in Israel/Palestine and in Ukraine and try to understand it. It is hard not to condemn the tourists. But we are quick to condemn at this time – and even quicker to demand others do the same. Perhaps we should not be so righteous, and we should resist the urge to easily condemn, from our homes in what <a href="https://www.mup.com.au/books/after-mabo-paperback-softback">Tim Rowse has called</a> the “ongoing colonial encounter sometimes called ‘Australia’”. Indigenous people here speak of the lack of memorials on this land. But every bordered property is a site for dark tourism in Australia. Dark tourism is the effort to seek out destinations of violence and devastation, but it is not hard to see genocide from our front door in this country.<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/240119/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/juliet-rogers-333488">Juliet Rogers</a>, Associate Professor Criminology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</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/dark-tourism-is-attracting-visitors-to-war-zones-and-sites-of-atrocities-in-israel-and-ukraine-why-240119">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Readers response: Are there any particular museums or historical sites that have made a lasting impression on you?

When travelling around the world, some museums, attractions and historical sites can have more of a lasting impact than others. We asked our readers if there are any particular places that have had a lasting impression on them while travelling, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Anne Hare - The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Absolutely beautiful. Don't miss it! Sandra Beckett - Seemingly little known, but the British Library in London has an absolutely jaw-dropping permanent exhibition of literature. Original handwritten manuscripts from famous authors through the ages. Wonderful for book lovers. Jackie A Morris - St Paul's Cathedral London. Not being one to get into churches, but I went there as my son asked me to. I was in awe, managed the climb to the spire as well. Etched in my memory. Christine Taylor - The Pantheon is certainly up there. Tony Hallam - The Colosseum in Rome. I was in awe knowing i was standing in the place where gladiators had stood and fought 2000 years ago. Pamela Rigby - In Flanders Fields, Ypres, Belgium. Kris White - Killing Fields in Cambodia, chilling and desperately sad. Gayle Morris - Stonehenge and the Cliffs of Moher. George Jamieson - The statue of David in Florence, out of this world!!! Jim Janush - Museo De La Revolución, Havana, Cuba. Margie Buckingham - The Uluṟu rock base at sunset- its eerie silence is unnerving. Steve Gerreyn - Cathedral of Seville. Magnificent. Image credits: Shutterstock <div style="font-family: inherit;"> <div class="x1rg5ohu xxymvpz x17z2i9w" style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; width: 22px; font-family: inherit;"> <div class="html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1hy63sm xg01cxk xhva3ql" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 11px; padding: 0px; opacity: 0; font-family: inherit;" aria-hidden="false"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="x6s0dn4 x3nfvp2" style="font-family: inherit; align-items: center; display: inline-flex; min-width: 447px;"> <ul class="html-ul xe8uvvx xdj266r x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n0m28w x78zum5 x1wfe3co xat24cr xsgj6o6 x1o1nzlu xyqdw3p" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px -8px 0px 4px; padding: 3px 0px 0px; display: flex; min-height: 15px; line-height: 12px; caret-color: #1c1e21; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 12.000001px;" aria-hidden="false"> <li class="html-li xdj266r xat24cr xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1rg5ohu x1emribx x1i64zmx" style="display: inline-block; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 8px;"> </li> </ul> </div>

Travel Trouble

Sombre Aussie site tops global list of most unusual abandoned places

Each year, thousands of people travel to famous abandoned buildings and hotspots to explore what were once important landmarks. Some deserted sites are more popular than others, as these ten sites received tens of thousands of visitors each year. Buzludzha, Bulgaria The Buzludzha Monument in central Bulgaria has been dubbed the tenth most famous abandoned place in the world, each year welcoming over 18,000 people. The site was constructed in 1981 and used by the Bulgarian communist government, and was in use until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989. Ohio State Reformatory, USA After first opening in 1898, the goal of the Ohio State Reformatory was to truly "reform" and rehabilitate its inmates. The facility was closed in 1990, and each year attracts more than 21,000 visitors. Gereja Ayam, Indonesia The uniquely shaped house of prayer in Central Java continues to be a popular tourist attraction in Indonesia, welcoming more than 50,000 travellers each year. Construction on the church was never completed after work was halted in 2000. Lago di Resia Bell Tower, Italy The 14-century sunken bell tower can be found near the border of Switzerland, emerging from the water from a sunken village where travellers claim they can hear bells tolling, even though there are no bells in the tower. The lonely (and probably haunted) tower receives more than 54,000 tourists each year. Canfranc, Spain The abandoned railway station is located in the Spanish municipality of Canfranc, close to the French border and once was a major hub for cross-border railway traffic. It first opened in 1928, but closed its doors by 1970 before it was reimagined as a hotel. Beelitz Military Hospital, Germany The large hospital complex was first built in 1898 as a sanatorium, but was transformed into a hospital at the beginning of WWI and has been abandoned since 1990. It's understood Hitler was treated here after being wounded in the Battle of Somme, which could be the reason more than 64,000 travellers flock there each year. Eastern State Penitentiary, USA The prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is described as one of the country's most historic prisons and has housed some famous prisoners such as Al Capone. The prison was closed in 1971 and is tagged on social media by more than 79,000 every year. Croix-Rouge, Paris Also known as the Red Cross, this Paris train station has been abandoned since 1939 after France entered WWII. The station was only functional for 16 years, and welcomes more than 95,000 curious travellers each year. Teufelsberg, Germany Teufelsberg was one of the largest listening towers in the world during the Cold war. The site was closed in 1972, but still receives around 128,000 every year. Port Arthur, Australia More than a quarter of a million visitors travel to Port Arthur in Tasmania each year. The site itself was first opened as a timber station in 1830 and is known as a symbol of the country's convict past. Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

Vigil held as families visit site where Jesse Baird and Luke Davies' bodies found

In the wake of the devastating loss of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, allegedly murdered in a shocking incident that has reverberated more than 150km apart, communities are coming together to mourn, support and seek solace. The heart-wrenching discovery of the couple's bodies in the serene landscapes of the Southern Tablelands near Goulburn has sent shockwaves through both urban and rural areas. As news of the tragic discovery spread, family members embarked on a solemn journey south to the Bungonia property where <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/update-on-search-for-bodies-of-murdered-couple" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baird and Davies were found</a>. Their pilgrimage was met with an outpouring of sympathy and solidarity from friends and community members alike. Meanwhile, in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, a sombre vigil took place, with dozens gathering at the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club to honour the memories of the beloved couple. The scene at the vigil was poignant yet comforting, with friends embracing one another against the backdrop of crashing waves and flickering candlelight. A portrait of Davies served as a focal point, surrounded by tokens of affection and remembrance. Meanwhile, in the NSW countryside, law enforcement officials worked diligently to unravel the mysteries surrounding the tragic deaths. The sight of police tape being lowered to allow family members to pass through symbolised both closure and the beginning of a long journey toward healing. For the NSW Police Force, the case hit particularly close to home. Deputy Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald spoke candidly about the profound impact of the alleged crime, emphasising the shock and horror felt within the law enforcement community. "It has hurt us because it was one of our own," Assistant Commissioner Fitzgerald remarked. "It was an officer who used a police weapon. It's captured the world's attention, not just Australia's. It's horrendous and horrific." Indeed, the tragedy has sparked a broader conversation about the prevalence of violence and the need for greater support for victims and their families. As communities grapple with grief and loss, there is a renewed commitment to standing together in solidarity and offering support to those in need. While the discovery of Baird and Davies' bodies brings a heartbreaking confirmation of their deaths, it also serves as a catalyst for healing and closure. In the days and weeks ahead, friends, family and communities will continue to come together to honour their memories and seek justice for the lives lost too soon. Images: 9News

Family & Pets

Tourist arrested for disgusting act at sacred UNESCO World Heritage Site

A tourist has been arrested after he committed this disgusting act on top of the Leshan Giant Buddha, a sacred UNESCO World Heritage Site in China. The man allegedly found a blind spot away from CCTV cameras, climbed over the security fence and on top of the statue. Once he reached the top of the monuments head, he proceeded to pull down his pants and urinate in front of horrified visitors who filmed the act. Security guards quickly removed the unidentified man and handed him over to police, after being informed of his actions. It is reported that the man was taken to a nearby hospital for psychiatric evaluation. The UNESCO World Heritage Site itself is a 71-metre-tall monument, which is considered to be the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. The Leshan Giant Buddha monument is located in the Sichuan Province of China, and was carved out of a cliff face between 713 and 803 AD. The statue and surrounding Mount Emei Scenic Area have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. This act is one of many incidences of tourists behaving badly across the world. In June 2023 a German tourist was detained after <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/tourist-accused-of-causing-over-8-000-in-damages-to-iconic-roman-statue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climbing up</a> a 16th-century Fountain of Neptune, and was accused of causing over $8,000 in damages to the iconic statue. Prior to that, an Irish tourist landed himself into <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/tourist-busted-for-carving-name-into-world-s-most-famous-roman-relic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trouble in Rome</a> after carving his and his girlfriend's name onto the walls of the Colosseum. Images: News.com.au

Travel Trouble

10 amazing abandoned sites around the world

For every perfectly-manicured tourist attraction around the world, there are scores more that haven’t been touched in years, yet still draw thousands of curious thrill-seekers who aren’t afraid of a bit of dust (and maybe a few ghosts!). Take a look at these incredible abandoned places that are definitely worth a visit – but only if you’re game. <ol start="1"> <li>Chateau Miranda, Belgium – an imposing castle built in 1866 but abandoned in 1991 after becoming too expensive to maintain.</li> <li>Kolmanskop, Namibia – a German settlement established in the early 20th century to mine for diamonds, but which has been a ghost town since the ‘50s.</li> <li>Teufelsberg, Germany – the “Devil’s Mountain” is a manmade hill in Berlin created out of rubble from WWII and home to a former US National Security Agency (NSA) listening station.</li> <li>House-Monument of the Bulgaria Communist Party, Bulgaria – it looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi film, but in its heyday, this structure was the meeting place of communist leaders.</li> <li>Garnet Ghost Town, USA – this remote town in Montana was built to house those rushing to the state during the gold rush, but these days, the mines are empty and so are the houses.</li> <li>Ross Island, India – this British Administrative Centre was abandoned after a serious earthquake in 1941. It now lies in overgrown yet beautiful ruins.</li> <li>Wonderland Amusement Park, China – construction on Beijing’s answer to Disneyland stopped after land disputes, so all that’s left is the surreal shell to a Disney-esque castle.</li> <li>SS Ayrfield, Australia – right in the middle of Homebush Bay lies this floating relic of the past, covered in beautiful greenery.</li> <li>Villa Epecuén, Argentina – from the 1920s to 1985, this Buenos Aires village was a popular tourist destination, after a flood forced both residents and visitors out for good.</li> <li>Gouqi Island, China – on the banks of the Yangtze River lies this beautiful forgotten fishing village, filled with ivy-covered homes reminiscent of old European towns.</li> </ol> Images: Shutterstock

International Travel

6 of the world’s most beautiful (and surreal) landscapes

With unreal colours and dizzying visual tricks, these places look like they have come from a film set. But these amazing landscapes are all real and show the true majesty of nature. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia The largest salt flat on earth, Salar de Uyuni covers over 10,500 square kilometres near the crest of the Andes. The whole area is covered in salt crusts a few metres thick and there is almost no variation in altitude across the entire surface. The ground and the sky seem to merge into one, creating mind boggling optical illusions and a mirror-like effect across the sparkling surface. There are even hotels made of carved salt blocks, from the walls and floors right through to the furniture. Lavender fields in Provence, France Provence is the world’s largest producer of lavender and each year between June and August you can find endless rows of bushes bursting with bright purple flowers. Drive or cycle along the unofficial “Lavender Highway” – the Plateau de Claparédes – for an endless carpet of lavender fields, with the occasional charming chateau or farmhouse perched within the blooms. Tianzi Mountains, China These eerie peaks look like they belong on the set of Avatar, rising dramatically from narrow bases to over 1,200 metres in the air. A cable car runs to the top giving birds’ eye views over the deep valleys and thundering waterfalls that run down many of the mountains. The area is often covered in clouds, creating a mystical atmosphere and giving the impression that the rocks are floating in a foggy sea. Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, USA Yellowstone is home to numerous hot springs and gushing geysers, but what sets this one apart is its startling colour pattern. The water radiates out from the centre in bands of blue, green, yellow, orange and red – a pattern that matches the rainbow dispersion of white light through a prism, hence the name. The colours are a result of the pigmented bacteria that live around the edge of the spring and thrive in the 70 degrees Celsius water. Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namibia These remote dunes are said to be the tallest in the world with some rising to almost 400 metres. You can climb them, but the sand is soft and fine as talcum powder so it’s torture on the legs. The surrounding desert is stark and forbidding, and the winds will blow away any footprints almost as soon as they are made. The dunes are best viewed at sunrise or sunset when the red sand seems to glow from within. Lake Hillier, Western Australia This bubblegum pink lake is found on Middle Island off the coast of Esperance and is the most famous of a number of pink lakes found across the state. Scientists are unsure why the water is such a vibrant hue, but speculate that it might be from a dye created by the bacteria that live in the lake’s salt crust. It is most spectacular when seen from above – just a thin strip of lush green vegetation separates it from the blue of the Southern Ocean. Images: Getty

International Travel

National Aboriginal Art Gallery under fire over proposed building site

Indigenous Australian elders in the Northern Territory have called the development of the National Aboriginal Art Gallery (NAAG) a “complete joke” due to its insensitive proposed building site. The $130 million project is set to celebrate 65,000 years of First Nations history and culture, while also ramping up future tourism prospects in the NT. However, the government wants to build it on the town's football oval precinct, which, critically, overlaps a sacred women's site. Doris Stuart Kngwarreye, a proud Arrernte woman, described the five-year consultation process for the project as a "complete joke" and said she would continue to fight to protect her cultural heritage. "If you're there and they're consulting with you and you say 'no, end of story' consultation goes on without you there," she said. "The boxes have been ticked." The main issue for Ms Stuart is that the gallery will layer other First Nations' songlines and stories, expressed through the artworks proposed for the gallery, over an Mparntwe sacred women's area. "If you put a building up there with stories that don't belong there, how do you think the ancestors will feel towards that?" she said. "Where's the respect? We have our boundaries here." Western Arrarnta elder and artist Mervyn Rubuntja has been painting his homeland in vibrant watercolour since he was a teenager, and said he felt uneasy about displaying his artwork on the potential site. "It's a woman's site," he said. "You need to talk to the ladies first if they say yes or no, because it's important for every non-Indigenous person to listen." The fight over the location first began in 2017, when a government-funded steering committee, led by Indigenous art experts, <a href="https://desart.com.au/publication/2786/">said in a report</a> the gallery should be built out of town and should have major input from the local Indigenous custodians. The NT government is still consulting with the community over the designs of the building and that consultation process is expected to be wrapped by late 2023, but there is no clear timeline for when the building will commence. For Ms Stuart, she said she is disappointed that the government is pushing ahead with the project but said she’d continue to speak up for her country no matter the outcome. "All I want is respect for all this land," she said. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Soup on Van Gogh and graffiti on Warhol: climate activists follow the long history of museums as a site of protest

Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans at the National Gallery of Australia are just the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/nov/09/climate-activists-target-andy-warhols-campbells-soup-cans-at-australias-national-gallery">latest artistic target</a> of climate protesters, who have been throwing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/14/just-stop-oil-activists-throw-soup-at-van-goghs-sunflowers">soup</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climate-protesters-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-monet-painting/2022/10/23/cc39e636-52f0-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">mashed potatoes</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climate-protesters-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-monet-painting/2022/10/23/cc39e636-52f0-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">cake</a> at art worth millions of dollars. The actions have received a <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/in-doha-four-museum-directors-talk-the-climate-protests-1234644472/">muted response</a> from some museum directors, but the protesters know exactly what they are doing. As the activists who threw soup on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers <a href="https://www.frieze.com/article/interview-just-stop-oil">said, "</a>We know that civil resistance works. History has shown us that." Indeed, there is a long history of museums and art being used for political protest. <h2>For women’s suffrage and women artists</h2> In 1914, suffragette Mary Richardson <a href="https://womensarttours.com/slashing-venus-suffragettes-and-vandalism/">slashed</a> the canvas of Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus at London’s National Gallery. Richardson wanted to attract publicity to Emmeline Pankhurst’s imprisonment for her suffragette actions. Richardson selected this painting in part because of its value, and because of “the way men visitors gaped at it all day long”. Her tactics are credited as <a href="https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/just-stop-oil-protests-museums-environmental-activism/">motivating</a> Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil. Since 1985, the <a href="https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/25207/1/Camillabrownpaper.pdf">Guerrilla Girls</a> have been exposing sexual and racial discrimination in the art world. Their actions have usually occurred at the outskirts of museums: in museum foyers, on nearby billboards and on New York City buses. Perhaps their most famous work <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-do-women-have-to-be-naked-to-get-into-the-met-museum-p78793">asked</a>: “do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?” <h2>Against corporate sponsorship and artwashing</h2> <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/decolonize-this-place-kanders-whitney-nine-weeks-of-art-and-action-12207/">Decolonize this Place</a> brings together campaigns against racial and economic inequality. They organised a campaign beginning in 2018 targeting the then vice-chair of New York’s Whitney Museum, Warren B. Kander, whose company sold tear gas that had reportedly been used against asylum seekers along the US-Mexico border. The campaign’s first event was held in the museum’s foyer. <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/no-space-profiteer-state-violence-decolonize-place-protests-whitney-vice-chair-warren-b-kanders-11507/">Protesters burned sage</a> to mimic tear gas, which wafted through the lobby until the fire department arrived. The protesters argued Kander’s business interests meant he was not fit to lead a globally significant cultural heritage institution that sought relevance for a wide and diverse public constituency. Kander <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/arts/whitney-warren-kanders-resigns.html">resigned</a> from the museum’s board in 2019. Since 2018, artist <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sackler-nan-goldin-victoria-albert-1704450">Nan Goldin</a> and her “Opioid Activist Group” have been staging “die-ins” at the museum to protest against the galleries named for sponsorship from the Sackler family. The Sackler family business is Purdue Pharma, infamous for OxyContin, a major drug in the US <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084163626/purdue-sacklers-oxycontin-settlement">opioid crisis</a>. Activists have targeted galleries around the world, and so far the Sackler name has been removed from galleries including the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/arts/sackler-family-museums.html">Louvre</a>, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/mar/25/british-museum-removes-sackler-family-name-from-galleries">British Museum</a>, the <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sackler-name-change-guggenheim-museum-2110993">Guggenheim</a> and, as of last month, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/oct/01/campaigners-celebrate-as-va-severs-sackler-links-over-opioids-cash">Victoria and Albert Museum</a>. <h2>For the return of cultural artefacts</h2> The highest-profile actions against the British Museum have targeted its rejection of calls to return objects including the <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/parthenon-marbles-british-museum-protest-1234632365/">Parthenon Marbles</a> of Greece, the <a href="https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/british-museum-closes-gallery-in-response-to-protesters">Benin Bronzes</a> from modern-day Nigeria, and the <a href="https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/british-museum-closes-gallery-in-response-to-protesters">Gweagal shield</a> from Australia. In 2018, a group of activists performed a “<a href="https://camd.org.au/stolen-goods-tour-of-bm-protest/">Stolen Goods Tour</a>” of the museum. Participants from across the world gave a different story to what visitors read in the museum’s object labels and catalogues, as the activist tour guides explained their continuing connections with objects in the collection. The tour did not convince the museum to return cultural items, but drew extensive global attention to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/11/nigeria-benin-repatriate-bronzes-smithsonian">ongoing campaigns</a>seeking restitution and repatriation. <h2>In the culture wars</h2> Protests using art and museums aren’t just the domain of the left. In 1969, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Museums-and-Social-Activism-Engaged-Protest/Message/p/book/9780415658539">an arsonist destroyed</a> a display at the National Museum of American History that commemorated Martin Luther King Jr, who had been recently assassinated. The perpetrator was never identified. In 2017, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/18/noose-found-hanging-washington-museum">nooses</a> were left at various museums of the Smithsonian, including The National Museum of African American History and Culture. No groups ever came forward to claim responsibility or express a motive, but the noose is a potent and divisive symbol of segregation and racially motivated violence. In December 2021, doors to the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-30/act-protesters-set-old-parliament-house-on-fire/100731444">set alight</a> twice by protesters with a number of grievances, including opposition to COVID-19 vaccines. The museum’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-20/multimillion-dollar-repair-bill-for-old-parliament-house-fire/100770268">director said</a> the “assault on the building” would force the museum to rethink its commitment to being “as open as possible, representing all that is good about Australian democracy”, and at the same time keeping it protected. <h2>‘Direct action works’</h2> The past two decades have seen a surge of art-focused demonstrations. In 2019, Decolonize this Place and Goldin’s anti-Sackler coalition met with members of 30 other groups in front of Andy Warhol’s “The Last Supper” (1986) at the Whitney. They were there to celebrate the Tate Museum in London and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, who had announced they would stop taking funding from the Sackler family. One participant cried “<a href="https://hyperallergic.com/491418/decolonize-this-place-nine-weeks-launch/">direct action works!</a>” Even when protests at museums and art achieve less concrete outcomes than this, they remain central tools for building public awareness around political and social issues. It is unlikely actions against museums and art will subside anytime soon. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/soup-on-van-gogh-and-graffiti-on-warhol-climate-activists-follow-the-long-history-of-museums-as-a-site-of-protest-193009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

3 times you should never “accept cookies” on a site

To cookie or not to cookie? Cookie-consent pop-ups are one of the biggest annoyances on the Internet. Almost every site you visit has a notice saying, “This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Do you agree?” or something similar. Typically, we click “yes” or “agree” without even thinking about it because we’re eager to get to the content. But should we? Not necessarily. What are cookies, exactly? Before we delve into the dos and don’ts of cookie consent, here’s a little refresher on this Web tool: Cookies are essentially information collectors and trackers in the form of small text files stored on your browser by the sites you visit. Some are useful. For example, a cookie saved on your browser makes it so you don’t have to re-enter your log-in information every time you visit one of your favourite websites. Cookies can also remember your shopping preferences so that you get a personalised experience when you visit the website. Others, however, track how you use a website, how often you go there, your IP address, your phone number, what types of things you look at and buy, and other information you may not want to share. Do you have to accept cookies? Many companies have you click “yes” so that they’re compliant with current privacy laws. This means that once you click, you’ve given the company permission to use your information as they see fit without the worry of legal backlash. Most of the time, cookies are no big deal. There are a few occasions, though, where you should decline cookies. Don’t worry – if you find yourself in a situation where you need to decline or simply want to decline for whatever reason, most websites will work just fine without collecting your information. With that said, here’s when saying no to the cookies is a good idea. Sketchy sites Beware when you’re on an unencrypted website (these websites will have an unlocked lock icon by the web address) while using a public Wi-Fi network. The information collected by cookies can be intercepted by hackers because there isn’t any security to stop them. Your best bet when borrowing Wi-Fi from your local coffee shop or fast-food joint is to use your browser’s private or incognito mode. While in this mode, cookies aren’t collected by default (though you can manually turn off cookie blocking on some browsers), no matter where your Internet journeys take you. Third-party cookies If the cookie-consent pop-up mentions third-party cookies, click “decline.” Accepting gives the website the right to sell your browsing behaviour to a data broker. The broker then combines your behaviour on one website with information from other websites and builds an extremely detailed profile of you as a consumer. “The broker then sells that profile to other third parties who want to market to people like you,” says Harry Maugans, CEO of Privacy Bee, a proactive privacy management tool for consumers. “As you can imagine, this chain extends infinitely. Once you lose control of your personal data, it gets packaged and repackaged in all kinds of ways. It’s scary but true.” According to Maugans, some third-party cookies are even nefarious. You could become a victim of “cookie stealing” or “session hijacking.” This is when a hacker gains access to a browser and mimics users to be able to steal cookies from that browser. This can put you at risk of identity theft if hackers manage to steal cookies that store your personal information or credit card information. If you’re worried that you might accidentally accept third-party cookies, there’s an easy way to make things fool-proof. Go into your browser and choose to allow only required cookies or “first party” cookies. These cookies are the helpful ones mentioned earlier and are usually only used by the website you’re visiting. When you’re using private information If you don’t feel comfortable sharing the information you’re using or accessing on a website with a stranger, don’t use cookies on that site. According to Jeremy Tillman, president of the privacy company Ghostery, you should avoid cookies on sites where you do your banking, access your medical information, or use other private information. If you’re afraid that you’ve already accepted cookies on websites where you wouldn’t want your information gathered, go into your browser and use the “clear cookies” option. This will prevent sites from collecting your information in the future, as long as you decline the next time a site asks you to accept its cookies. Written by Alina Bradford. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/3-times-you-should-never-accept-cookies-on-a-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Getty Images

Technology

From crumbling rock art to exposed ancestral remains, climate change is ravaging our precious Indigenous heritage

Climate change is rapidly intensifying. Amid the chaos and damage it wreaks, many precious Indigenous heritage sites in Australia and around the world are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Sea-level rise, flooding, worsening bushfires and other human-caused climate events put many archaeological and heritage sites at risk. Already, culturally significant Indigenous sites have been lost or are gravely threatened. For example, in Northern Australia, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/nov/16/global-heating-is-destroying-rock-art-tens-of-thousands-of-years-old-experts-warn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rock art</a> tens of thousands of years old has been destroyed by cyclones, bushfires and other extreme weather events. And as we outline below, ancestral remains in the Torres Strait were last year almost washed away by king tides and storm surge. These examples of loss are just the beginning, unless we act. By combining Indigenous <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13549839.2015.1036414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Traditional Knowledge</a> with Western scientific approaches, communities can prioritise what heritage to save. <h2>Indigenous heritage on the brink</h2> Indigenous Australians are one of the longest living cultures on Earth. They have maintained their cultural and sacred sites for millennia. In July, Traditional Owners from across Australia attended a <a href="https://drm4heritage.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">workshop</a> on disaster risk management at Flinders University. The participants, who work on Country as cultural heritage managers and rangers, hailed from as far afield as the Torres Strait Islands and Tasmania. Here, three of these Traditional Owners describe cultural heritage losses they’ve witnessed, or fear will occur in the near future. - Enid Tom, Kaurareg Elder and a director of Kaurareg Native Title Aboriginal Corporation: Coastal erosion and seawater inundation have long threatened the Torres Strait. But now efforts to deal with the problem have taken on new urgency. In February last year, king tides and a storm surge eroded parts of a beach on Muralug (or Prince of Wales) Island. Aboriginal custodians and archaeologists rushed to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-05/ancestral-remains-uncovered-torres-strait-due-to-climate-change/101387964" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one site</a> where a female ancestor was buried. They excavated the skeletal remains and reburied them at a safe location. It was the first time such a site had been excavated at the island. Kaurareg Elders now worry coastal erosion will uncover and potentially destroy more burial sites. - Marcus Lacey, Senior Gumurr Marthakal Indigenous Ranger: The Marthakal Indigenous Protected Area covers remote islands and coastal mainland areas in the Northern Territory’s North Eastern Arnhem Land. It has an average elevation of just one metre above sea level, and is highly vulnerable to climate change-related hazards such as severe tropical cyclones and sea level rise. The area is the last remnant of the ancient <a href="https://users.monash.edu.au/~mcoller/SahulTime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">land bridge</a> joining Australia with Southeast Asia. As such, it can provide valuable <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-42946-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">information</a> about the first colonisation of Australia by First Nations people. It is also an important place for understanding <a href="https://artreview.com/fragmented-histories-the-yolngu-macassan-exchange/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact history</a> between Aboriginal Australians and the Indonesian Maccassans, dating back <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/indonesian/en/article/deep-ties-between-indigenous-australians-and-indonesias-macassans-celebrated-through-song-and-dance/rg6x9g1l4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some 400 years</a>. What’s more, the area provides insights into Australia’s colonial history, such as Indigenous rock art depicting the ships of British navigator Matthew Flinders. Sea level rise and king tides mean this valuable piece of Australia’s history is now being eroded. - Shawnee Gorringe, operations administrator at Mithaka Aboriginal Corporation: On Mithaka land, in remote Queensland, lie important Indigenous heritage sites such as <a href="https://anthropologymuseum.uq.edu.au/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/kirrenderri-heart-channel-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stone circles</a>, fireplaces and examples of traditional First Nations water management infrastructure. But repeated drought risks destroying these sites – a threat compounded by erosion from over-grazing. To help solve these issues, we desperately need Indigenous leadership and participation in decision-making at local, state and federal levels. This is the only way to achieve a sustainable future for environmental and heritage protection. Mithaka Aboriginal Corporation general manager Joshua Gorringe has been invited to the United Nations’ COP27 climate conference in Egypt in November. This is a step in the right direction. <h2>So what now?</h2> The loss of Indigenous heritage to climate change requires <a href="https://www.icomos.org/images/DOCUMENTS/Secretariat/2022/TSP/ADCOMSC_202110_2-1_Trienial_Scientific_Plan_EN.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immediate action</a>. This should involve rigorous assessment of threatened sites, prioritising those most at risk, and taking steps to mitigate damage. This work should be undertaken not only by scientists, engineers and heritage workers, but first and foremost by the Indigenous communities themselves, using Traditional Knowledge. Last year’s COP26 global climate conference included a <a href="https://www.cultureatcop.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate heritage agenda</a>. This allowed global <a href="https://unfccc.int/news/cop26-strengthens-role-of-indigenous-experts-and-stewardship-of-nature" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indigenous voices</a> to be heard. But unfortunately, Indigenous heritage is often excluded from discussions about climate change. Addressing this requires doing away with the usual “top down” Western, neo-colonial approach which many Indigenous communities see as exclusive and ineffective. Instead, a “bottom up” approach should be adopted through inclusive and long-term initiatives such as <a href="https://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/research_pub/benefits-cfc_0_2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caring for Country</a>. This approach should draw on Indigenous knowledge – often passed down <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/edge-of-memory-9781472943262/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">orally</a> – of how to manage risk. This should be combined with Western climate science, as well as the expertise of governments and other organisations. Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into cultural heritage policies and procedures will not just improve heritage protection. It would empower Indigenous communities in the face of the growing climate emergency. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-crumbling-rock-art-to-exposed-ancestral-remains-climate-change-is-ravaging-our-precious-indigenous-heritage-188454" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Sacred Aboriginal sites are yet again at risk in the Pilbara

An application from Traditional Owners to block the construction of a fertiliser plant near ancient rock art in the Pilbara <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-24/perdaman-fertiliser-traditional-owners-sacred-sites-rock-art/101363542" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was denied</a> by the federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. This decision is deeply concerning, and points to a much larger problem with Indigenous heritage management. Plibersek says she went with the views of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation in making her decision, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-23/plibersek-will-not-block-perdaman-fertiliser-plant-/101360350" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling it</a> the “most representative organisation on cultural knowledge” in the region. Yet, she <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/environment-minister-won-t-intervene-on-burrup-plant/101359854" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also acknowledged</a> that these views don’t represent all Traditional Owner perspectives in the area. Save Our Songlines, a separate organisation of Murujuga Traditional Owners, oppose the fertiliser plant, which they say poses a threat to sacred rock art sites. <a href="https://www.saveoursonglines.org/post/tanya-plibersek-fails-to-protect-murujuga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">They say</a> the minister’s decision is “based on faulty reasoning and false conclusions”. In 2020, the world reacted in horror when Rio Tinto <a href="https://theconversation.com/rio-tinto-just-blasted-away-an-ancient-aboriginal-site-heres-why-that-was-allowed-139466" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawfully</a> destroyed Juukan Gorge – sacred Aboriginal rock shelters in the Pilbara some 46,000 years old. Broader community understanding of the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges for looking after Country can help us avoid repeating this tragedy. Tourism and community education is an important way to do that. <blockquote> "The community, the country and the whole world will be outraged if this leads to another Juukan Gorge because the federal government would not stand up to industry and protect sacred Aboriginal sites from further destruction.” — Save Our Songlines (@SaveBurrup) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaveBurrup/status/1561902261571203078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <h2>‘Enough is enough’</h2> The A$4.5 billion Perdaman fertiliser plant will be constructed in the World Heritage nominated <a href="https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/park/murujuga-national-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Murujuga National Park</a> in Western Australia. It is home to the world’s largest rock art gallery, with more than 1 million images scattered across the entire Burrup Peninsula and Dampier Archipelago. As many as <a href="https://www.saveoursonglines.org/post/tanya-plibersek-fails-to-protect-murujuga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 sacred sites</a> may be impacted by the plant, according to Save Our Songlines. In <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/environment-minister-won-t-intervene-on-burrup-plant/101359854" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an interview</a> with ABC Radio National, Plibersek said the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation have agreed that some of these rock carvings can be moved safely, and others can be protected on site even if the plant goes ahead. However, the situation isn’t so clear cut. For example, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-26/aboriginal-custodians-concerns-in-letter-to-government/101370394?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=abc_news_newsmail_am_sfmc&utm_term=&utm_id=1930785&sfmc_id=281363065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the ABC revealed</a> on Thursday that the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation refused permission to move the rock art sites multiple times, preferring they remain undisturbed. Elders finally agreed after receiving advice that this wasn’t possible. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen issues regarding consultation processes with Traditional Owners, such as during the notorious <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/battle-for-the-kimberley-20120523-1z5fb.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">battle for the Kimberley</a> against a major gas plant in 2012. Traditional Owner and co-author Clinton Walker has been sharing his intimate knowledge of the Pilbara with visitors through his tourism venture <a href="https://www.ngurrangga.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ngurrangga Tours</a> for the past 11 years. He has the cultural authority and capacity to speak for his Country. Clinton was a signatory on the <a href="https://www.saveoursonglines.org/post/open-letter-from-murujuga-custodians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open letter from Traditional Owners and Custodians of Murujuga</a> concerning threats to cultural heritage in the area. He describes the potential impact of the fertiliser plant: <blockquote> This hill is a very very sacred site to my people. If they build their plant here we’re not gonna have the same access we do now to go visit our rock art and teach our kids and family their culture. This impact is going to damage our culture and it will damage us as the Traditional Owners because we’re connected to these sites in a spiritual way. I want people to know how important these sites are. We need to protect them. Enough is enough. <h2>The need for consent</h2> The <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/reportjnt/024757/toc_pdf/AWayForward.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal inquiry into the Juukan Gorge</a> disaster <a href="https://theconversation.com/juukan-gorge-inquiry-puts-rio-tinto-on-notice-but-without-drastic-reforms-it-could-happen-again-151377" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted</a> the need for free, prior and informed consent from any affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group. The inquiry also <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-12/juukan-gorge-blast-inquiry-told-of-rio-tinto-gag-clauses-warning/12754100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called for</a> the removal of so-called “gag clauses” from land-use agreements, which prevent Aboriginal people from speaking out against developers. Save Our Songlines Traditional Owners say principles from the inquiry aren’t being upheld, and are concerned <a href="https://www.nit.com.au/the-six-clauses-traditional-owners-say-gag-them-from-raising-murujuga-concerns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gag clauses</a> are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/24/indigenous-elders-in-wa-say-gag-clause-denies-them-a-say-in-industrial-developments-on-their-land" target="_blank" rel="noopener">silencing members of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation</a>. We find it deeply problematic that Plibersek did not acknowledge these concerns around gag clauses in announcing her approval of the fertiliser plant. It is the role of the government to keep industry accountable for their obligations to abide by <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indigenous heritage laws</a> and to ensure proper consultation processes are undertaken. This decision is also not in line with the federal government’s vocal commitment to the environment and to <a href="https://alp-assets.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/documents/ALP_FIRST_NATIONS_PEOPLES_2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs</a> prior to winning the election. In a <a href="http://www.majala.com.au/news/lawful-but-awful" target="_blank" rel="noopener">submission to the United Nations</a> about how to “decolonise our legal system”, Nyikina Warrwa Indigenous leader and respected researcher <a href="https://www.notredame.edu.au/research/nulungu/staff/Anne-Poelina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Professor Anne Poelina</a> said: <blockquote> If the Lawful Laws which are awful, are enabled as lawful, what chance do Indigenous people and our lands, water, lifeways, and livelihoods stand against destruction? <h2>Understanding Indigenous connection to Country</h2> Non-Indigenous people need to better understand the <a href="https://theconversation.com/although-we-didnt-produce-these-problems-we-suffer-them-3-ways-you-can-help-in-naidocs-call-to-heal-country-163362" target="_blank" rel="noopener">importance of Country</a> for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Classrooms are a good place to start. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1177180120929688" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deficits in the Australian education system</a> have led to poor knowledge and frequent and pervasive misunderstandings of Aboriginal people, places and cultures. A <a href="https://insidestory.org.au/white-australias-hangover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">psychological hangover</a> from White Australia’s assimilation policies persists. When school education doesn’t provide accurate and truthful accounts of Australian histories, <a href="https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/State-of-Reconciliation-2021-Full-Report_web.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harmful stereotypes are left unchallenged</a>. Clinton Walker describes a common response from visitors on his tours showcasing the culture, Country and history of the Pilbara: <blockquote> People say ‘how the hell don’t we know that? Why have we never learnt this stuff?’ </blockquote> Improvements in education have been slow. For example, the Australian Institute for Teacher and School Leadership only released their report “<a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/intercultural-development/building-a-culturally-responsive-australian-teaching-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Building a culturally responsive Australian teaching workforce</a>” in June this year. Resources to support teachers are said to be scheduled for release in the coming months. <h2>Learn about Country through tourism</h2> <a href="https://www.welcometocountry.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tourism is one context</a> where the visibility and recognition of Indigenous people as knowledge-holders can be promoted and celebrated. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism operators are delivering truthful accounts of Australian history and telling their stories of their connection to Country and culture. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1468797620987688" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This work is an emotional labour</a> as they challenge entrenched colonial narratives. Indigenous tourism operators are <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-a-word-practising-reconciliation-through-indigenous-knowledge-sharing-in-tourism-158563" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agents of reconciliation</a>. Operators speak about wanting to educate visitors to build awareness of social and environmental issues facing their communities. The potential destruction of cultural sites at Murujuga is one such issue. Ongoing research from lead-author Nicole Curtin involves conversations with Aboriginal tourism operators and their visitors. It finds that deep listening is required for visitors to interrogate their own biases and privileges during their tourism experience. Visitors must be willing to “go and sit and learn” about Indigenous sovereignty and knowledges in their own lives. Indeed, an enhanced sense of connection to our local communities may help to drive people to speak out about the destruction of sites of environmental and cultural significance. Raising community awareness to fuel social momentum is one way of exerting pressure on decision makers to protect Australia’s rich cultural heritage and environment. <div> We acknowledge the Bininj, Larrakia, Noongar, Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi and Yawuru peoples as the Traditional Owners of Country where this article, and our research, was conducted and written. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/sacred-aboriginal-sites-are-yet-again-at-risk-in-the-pilbara-but-tourism-can-help-protect-australias-rich-cultural-heritage-188524" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock </div> </blockquote> </blockquote>

Travel Trouble

10 awe-inspiring UNESCO world heritage sites everyone needs to visit

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal is universally recognised as the greatest masterpiece in Indo-Islamic architecture. The white marble mausoleum was commissioned in 1632 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Spatial grandeur, arches, domes, relief work and precious stone inlay are among its defining characteristics. Angkor Wat Exploring the mysteries Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is an unforgettable bucket list trip. Part of one of the most significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia (the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 14th century), this massive temple complex was originally constructed as a Hindu place of worship for the god Vishnu and is the largest religious structure on the planet! Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland Australia, is the largest living thing on earth. It’s so huge that you can see it from outer space! Stretching for over 2,300 kilometres, this ecosystem is home to a diversity of marine line, including 400 types of coral, 1500 species of fish, and 4000 varieties of molluscs. Not surprisingly it’s a magnet for scuba divers. Plitvice Lakes National Park Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia is located halfway between Zagreb and Zadar. This idyllic oasis is renowned for its 16 crystalline lakes connected by a series of exquisite waterfalls, splendid caves and lush forests. Each year, more than one million visitors flock to this natural paradise, making it Croatia’s main tourist attraction. The Parthenon The Acropolis of Athens is an enduring symbol of Classical Greece. The crown jewel of this hilltop citadel is the Parthenon, a former temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Built by Ictinus and Callicrates, beginning in 447 BCE, this Doric icon is regarded as the most important surviving ancient Greek monument. Grand Canyon Words don’t do even begin to do justice to the glory of the Grand Canyon. Formed by Colorado River activity over the past six million years, it’s one of the longest and deepest gorges (averaging 1,600m in depth) on earth. Its immense size and layered red rocks make it a must-see-before-you-die attraction. Want to bring your four-legged friend along? The Grand Canyon is also pet-friendly! Los Glaciares National Park Located in the southwest of Santa Cruz province of the Argentine part of Patagonia in a remote area known as the Austral Andes, Los Glaciares National Park is a rugged paradise of granite peaks, lakes and numerous glaciers that cover half the 600,000-hectare expanse. Traversing this spectacular scenery is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Jeronimos Monastery Travel to the Belem district at the entrance to the port of Lisbon to find the Jeronimos Monastery, which dates back to the 15th century. This highly ornate religious building was constructed and donated to the monks of Saint Hieronymus to pray for sailors on their voyages. Its cloisters, columns, arcades and complex ornamentation are characteristic of Portuguese Gothic style. Old Québec Founded by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608, Québec is among the oldest settlements in North America (and one of the most popular travel destinations in Canada). Centuries-old charm is on full display in its impeccably preserved historic district, a shining example of a fortified colonial city with cobblestone lanes, churches, convents and landmarks like Château Frontenac and Place Royal. Iguazu Falls Stretching 2.7 kilometres across Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls is the largest system of waterfalls in the world. The sheer size, thunderous sound and spectacle of these 275 individual cascades – including the 82-metre-tall Devil’s Throat – is truly jaw-dropping. The exotic flora and fauna of the surrounding rainforest add to the allure. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/10-awe-inspiring-unesco-world-heritage-sites-everyone-needs-to-visit" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.

Travel Tips

How to use drones responsibly in Kakadu

<div class="copy"> Drones have transformed conservation and land management over the past decade, making it easier than ever to collect high-quality data. But like all new technologies, they come with new ethical quandaries – particularly when used on country managed by Indigenous Australians. A group of researchers, Jawoyn Traditional Owners, and Indigenous Rangers, have addressed this with an Indigenous-led project to develop guidelines for responsible drone use in Kakadu National Park. The group first began to develop these guidelines while thinking about ways to monitor the ecology at Kakadu. “While we were there, we were working out ways for how we might monitor indicators of healthy country before and after management actions,” says Dr Jennifer Macdonald, a postdoctoral researcher at Charles Darwin University and the CSIRO, and lead author on a paper describing the protocols <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23299460.2021.1964321" target="_blank">published</a> in the Journal of Responsible Innovation. “We started talking about using drones to see how country was responding before and after cool early season fire management. And through these conversations, we realised that there was a need to make sure that the drones were used in a way that ensured that Traditional Owners had control over when and where [they] were being used and how they could best benefit local people.” While drones (and other technologies like motion sensors and video cameras) can be a useful supplement to Indigenous land management, they can also be used disrespectfully or irresponsibly. “Traditional Owners were really keen to use drones, they could see some great potential particularly for young people to learn skills,” says Macdonald. “There were young people really excited by the thought of using this technology and were keen to see the kind of data that we could collect. “But they were also concerned about some things. There were some concerns raised about where the drones fly and the fact that they might be able to see some restricted sites, especially gendered sites.” The researchers (who represented CDU, the University of Western Australia and CSIRO), have spent several years working with Traditional Owners to manage research done in Kakadu (forming the Indigenous-led Kakadu Indigenous Research Steering Committee). As part of this, the Jawoyn Traditional Owners spent a two-day workshop with the researchers at Jarrangbarnmi in 2019, where they worked out protocols for drone management. “We had a number of informal workshops that were led by Traditional Owners to make sure that everyone was welcome on country, and then we had a number of conversations where we talked through things like drone regulation, how the technology works, and then a workshop where we developed the protocols together,” says Macdonald. The protocols are described in full in the paper, but fall under three aims: (1) empowering Indigenous governance, (2) developing ethical and trusted research relationships, and (3) enabling ongoing Indigenous-led technological innovation. “Traditional Owners should be on country when drones are being used, and they should determine where they fly and what drones look at,” says Macdonald, in summary. “And young people should be able to use the drones to get benefit out of the use of that technology on their country. And in the future, the data that the drones are collecting needs to be cared for and governed by Traditional Owners.” The researchers believe that the guidelines, while Kakadu-specific, could be used as a framework for developing guidelines in other places. “People could see if the rules that we’ve come up with resonate with how they’re hoping to regulate drones as well,” says Macdonald. The project was funded by the Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub of the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program. Image credits: Getty Images</div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/ethics/kakadu-jawoyn-drones-ethics-protocols-technology/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. </div>

Technology

“It broke my heart”: Native Americans outbid to buy back their own sacred site

Over 290 prehistoric Native American glyphs that depict people, animals, and mythological figures adorn the walls of Picture Cave in eastern Missouri. The cave has been deemed an “ultimate sacred site” by the Osage Nation, who were pushed out of the land as a consequence of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Since the 1950s, the land has been owned by the extremely wealthy Busch family, who mostly used it as a hunting ground. When the Busch family announced last year that they would be selling the cave, and the 43 acres of land surrounding it, the Osage Nation began a campaign to procure their land back. They teamed up with the Conservation Fund, as well as Fish and Wildlife Services, on the account of endangered bats living in the cave. Despite their mammoth efforts, the Osage Nation could not gather enough money to buy their sacred land back. “[Picture Cave] is our ultimate sacred site,” says Andrea Hunter, a member of the Osage Nation and director of its Historic Preservation Office. “It was our land to begin with and we then had to resort to trying to buy it back. “And we’ve got landowners who don’t understand the history of the place they live in and whose significance doesn’t amount to more than monetary value [for them].” The Busch family sold the land to an anonymous buyer for $2,200,000USD, just $200,000 more than the Osage Nation offered. “Watching it get to $2 million stopped my heart,” said Hunter. “It broke my heart.” Hunter and her team are currently trying to contact the anonymous bidder from Nashville to explain the historical and cultural significance of the land. So far, they have not been successful in their communications. Image credit: Youtube - Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers

Art

Nine top Aussie camp sites - with a view

While it may be off our radar right now, travelling around Australia will be back soon and who doesn't want to fall asleep under a blanket of stars and wake to some of the best views in the country? So, take a look here at our top nine Aussie camp sites. Australia really is the lucky country. Every state and territory is home to a diverse range of rich scenic grandeur an it’s ready to inspire us. The great thing about camping is it gives you the best seat in the house to enjoy the wonder of it all. Here you’ll find our picks of the top 9 camping and caravanning campsites with a view. Alpaca Magic Stud, Sutton, NSW Canberrans, this one is for you. While this campsite is technically located just across the ACT border in NSW, it’s only a 30-minute drive from the Canberra CBD. And you’ll be warmly welcomed by fields of alpacas, llamas, donkeys, and miniature cattle studs. The site is suitable for self-sufficient campers – which means BYO water, toilet and shower amenities – who leave no trace. Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, Monkey Mia, WA Monkey Mia is one of those rare places in Australia where dolphin visitation is daily, rather than seasonal, and the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort offers a human-dolphin interaction program for free. This absolute beachfront camping resort is in the heart of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. Spend your day’s snorkelling or boating in crystal clear waters, partaking in a camel ride or an Aboriginal Cultural Walk. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2efd197bd5834a0ca654e11ac447b830" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843586/monkey-mia-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2efd197bd5834a0ca654e11ac447b830" /> First Sun Caravan Park, Byron Bay, NSW Cape Byron is the most easterly point of Australia’s mainland, and <a href="https://www.firstsunholidaypark.com.au/">First Sun Caravan Park</a> reaps the benefits of its plum position on the foreshore of Byron Bay’s main beach. Let’s just say you’re guaranteed to be the first to witness the sun each day. For the most part, guests are also treated to unobstructed views of the ocean with sites located right alongside the beach. Yet, you’re also within strolling distance to all the major attractions. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, NT With its remote desert location, deep cultural significance and spectacular natural beauty, <a href="https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/accommodation/ayers-rock-campground">Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park</a> is home to one of Australia’s most unforgettable attractions – and, without a doubt, offers one of the best campsite views in the world. Due to Uluru’s cultural importance to the local Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people, the closest you can camp is 15 kilometres away in Yulara at the Ayers Rock Campground. But don’t worry, it isn’t called The Rock for no reason, you will still be treated to jaw-dropping views from this distance. In addition to its grassy campsites, you’ll also have access to a swimming pool and it’s a great place to base yourself to explore the park’s numerous walking tracks, rockpools and Aboriginal rock art sites. It’s worth allowing a couple of days to explore and observe the changing moods of the Rock. Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Flinders Ranges, SA The rugged mountains which rise above grassy plains to form <a href="https://www.australiantraveller.com/sa/outback-sa/flinders-ranges/">the Flinders Ranges</a> are more than 600 million years old. The Aboriginal Dreamtime stories that tell the tale of how this area was created have been passed down between generations for more than 40,000 years. In the northern part of this epic location, you’ll find <a href="https://www.arkaroola.com.au/caravan-camping">Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.</a> Its campsites deliver some of Australia’s most spectacular mountain views and offer numerous eco-tourism-accredited guided tours. Whether you love birdwatching, bushwalking, geology, wildlife spotting or 4WD adventures, this wilderness sanctuary offers a multitude of activities for the outdoor enthusiast. They even have three fully equipped observatories, so you can get an even closer look at the incalculable number of stars at night. Pitch a tent among 600 million-year-old relics. Lucky Bay National Park, WA Gone are the days of paying top dollar to sit around an overcrowded resort because yes - your own personal paradise awaits you at Lucky Bay. You’ll find Lucky Bay just past Esperance in WA’s far south, and the campsites, which are situated almost on top of the sand, couldn’t offer more luxurious views: lush, turquoise waters lapping at gloriously white sand, a dramatic framing of rocky outcrops and beach-going kangaroos lazing about in the sunshine (yes, really). Swim, fish or opt for a bushwalk on one of the many trails that wind through the park past freshwater pools and a dazzling blanket of wildflowers (if you happen to be there in spring). Green Patch, Jervis Bay, NSW The campsites at <a href="https://parksaustralia.gov.au/booderee/camping/green-patch/">Green Patch</a> book out months in advance, so you do need to book ahead. You’ll find Green Patch tucked away in Booderee National Park in Jervis Bay on the NSW South Coast. The lucky few who get in early can expect white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and kangaroos bounding in the distance. The neighbouring beaches are perfect for swimming and sun-worshipping, while nearby bushwalking trails deliver several shaded picnic spots to sit and enjoy a meal with a view. Bathrooms, hot showers and water are all in ready supply, as are barbecues and wood fireplaces – so bring plenty of supplies for a barbie under the stars and a night-time bonfire. And don’t forget the wine. Jan Juc Caravan Park, Great Ocean Road, Vic Considered to be one of the world’s most <a href="https://www.australiantraveller.com/vic/great-ocean-road/the-best-itinerary-for-driving-the-great-ocean-road-in-three-days/">scenic coastal drives</a>, Victoria’s Great Ocean Road gives you the opportunity to see the iconic 12 Apostles, get up close to native wildlife, and take in iconic surf breaks, pristine rainforests and misty waterfalls. The natural beauty of this area draws visitors from far and wide. To truly drink in the stunning scenery, pitch a tent at the <a href="https://www.janjucpark.com.au/">Jan Juc Caravan Park</a>. And if you also want to check out the world-famous Bells Beach surf break, the park is as close as you can sleep to the action. There are barbecues, powered and unpowered campsites and cabins available. Freycinet National Park, Tas It’s no secret that <a href="https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/freycinet-national-park">Freycinet National Park</a> is home to some of Tasmania’s most incredible camping spots, which may explain why you have to enter a ballot system to camp during peak times (Easter and Christmas). Pitch a tent here to wake to breathtaking ocean views. Your days will be spent exploring the beautiful bays: Honeymoon Bay, Sleepy Bay and Wineglass Bay – with the panoramic views of wondrous Wineglass Bay the main drawcard for visitors. The views on offer at Alpaca Magic Stud are essentially in the name – fields upon fields of peacefully grazing animals. But if the view alone isn’t enough to entice you, book into one of the many workshops on offer: Conversations with Cows, Breakfast with the Alpacas & Llamas, Needle Felt workshops, Fleece Spinning workshops, and the very popular Llama Walking Experience. Images: Getty Images

Domestic Travel

Karl fires up on Deputy Premier: "There's no playbook"

John Barilaro, the NSW Deputy Premier, has admitted authorities are not sure “what’s working and what’s not working”, during a heated interview on Today. “One of the things we keep saying is, it’s difficult to quantify what’s working and what’s not working,” he said on Thursday morning. “And the reality is, even though we continue to see a rise in numbers, those numbers aren’t accelerating into hundreds and hundreds. “In one way the restrictions are working but, of course, more needs to be done and that’s why yesterday there were a number of changes in relation to being able to move out of your local government area.” The show’s host Karl Stefanovic appeared enraged by the Deputy Premier’s admission. “Sorry to put this to you, but I think you just said you don't know what’s working and what isn’t. Is that what you said?” Stefanovic asked. Barilaro responded: “Yeah, look, there’s no playbook, Karl. There is no rule book.” He went on to claim that reducing mobility is the key to success. “The reality is, to be able to say that I know how to get this under control or the government knows how to get this completely under control... is still testing the government and its resources.” Stefanovic then asked the politician: “If you don't know what’s working, how can they (people of NSW) have any level of confidence as to when they will come out of lockdown?” “Well, Karl, over the past 18 months we have managed a number of outbreaks. The Delta strain is really challenging us because it’s transmissible and contagious,” Mr Barilaro fired back. “We are putting in place all the learned experience of the last 18 months (and) the advice from health and we will continue to throw more at this. “I can assure the public that they should have confidence because (of) what we have done in the past. But we are not going to pretend that we have every answer because we don’t.” NSW announced 177 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, marking July 28th the worst day since the latest outbreak began on June 16. The state government’s inability to reduce numbers in positive cases has forced them to extend the lockdown for another four weeks at least.

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Urgent alert as Sydney exposure sites explode

A late-night alert has been issued by NSW Health, which has added 48 new exposure sites across Sydney. Authorities are urging anyone who may have attended the following venues during the times stated, is now considered a close contact and must isolate, get tested and stay inside for 14 days. Sydney is currently undergoing its fifth week of lockdown, but local transmission of the Delta-variant remains high. FULL LIST OF EXPOSURE SITES: GoVita, 1052 Old Princes Highway, Wednesday 21 July, 9:45am-9:55am GWYNNEVILLE Gwynneville Bakery, 3.168 Gipps Road, Saturday July 24, 9am-9:30am BELFIELD Mancini’s Original Woodfired Pizza, 21 Burwood Road, July 24, all day CAMPSIE Campsie Centre, Friday, July 23 all day; Saturday, July 24 all day SAN REMO Priceline, Friday, July 23 from 2.20 pm to 2.40pm ROSEBERY IGA, Friday, July 23 from 4 pm to 4.55pm ENGADINE GoVita, Wednesday, July 21 from 9.45 am to 9.55am BEVERLY HILLS Pizza Hut, Wednesday, July 21 from 1.45 pm to 2.15pm ROSELANDS Caltex Woolworths, Monday July 26 from 3.10 pm to 3.20pm These bus routes are also considered exposure sites and anyone who travelled them must get tested and self-isolate. ROUTE 25 From Tuggerah Station to Bateau Bay Square, Friday July 23 from 1.58 pm to 2.35pm ROUTE 21 From Lions Park, Central Coast Highway, Long Jetty to Gosford Train Station, Stand N, Friday July 23 from 3.41 pm to 4.30pm Anyone who attended these venues during these times are considered a casual contact. Those who were there must get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result. WENTWORTHVILLE Officeworks, Sunday, July 18 from 10.40 am to 11am BANKSTOWN Fields of Fruit, Sunday, July 18 from 11.10 am to 11.25am TOONGABBIE Toongabbie Fish Market, Sunday, July 18 from 11.10 am to 11.25am POTTS POINT Jeremy and Sons, Monday, July 19 from 7.30 am to 7.45am LEICHHARDT Leichhardt Marketplace, Monday, July 19 from 9.55 am to 10.10am Blooms the Chemist, Saturday, July 24 from 10.30 am to 10.45am MARSDEN PARK Puma Energy Australia, Monday, July 19 from 11 am to 11.05am ULTIMO Aldi, Monday, July 19 from 12 pm to 12.10pm HORNSBY Dan Murphy’s, Saturday, July 24 from 5.20 pm to 5.40 pm PENDLE HILL Pendle Inn Hotel, Monday, July 19 from 12 pm to 12.10pm BASS HILL Kahil Meats, Monday July 19 from 3.30 pm to 3.55pm CANLEY HEIGHTS Carter & G’s Coffee Shop, Tuesday, July 20 from 7.40 am to 7.50am; Wednesday, July 21 from 7.40 am to 7.50am BELLAMBI Bunnings, Tuesday, July 20 from 11 am to 11.15am LAKEMBA Chemist Warehouse, Tuesday, July 20 from 2.30 pm to 3pm Woolworths, Tuesday, July 27 from 2.30 pm to 2.45pm MERRYLANDS Hamze Bros Fruit and Veg, Wednesday, July 21 from 9 am to 9.05am Services Australia, Tuesday, July 20 from 10.50 am to 11.05am BASS HILL Woolworths, Wednesday, July 21 from 9.05 am to 9.15am CHULLORA Aldi, Wednesday, July 21 from 9.20 am to 10am CABRAMATTA Woolworths, Wednesday, July 21 from 12.25 pm to 12.45pm; Saturday, July 24 from 1.30 pm to 1.35pm Accounting Dynamics, Tuesday, July 27 from 4.20 pm to 7.30pm LONG JETTY 7-Eleven, Friday, July 23 from 3.15 pm to 3.35pm BANKSTOWN Supa IGA, Wednesday, July 21 from 12 pm to 1.30pm Bankstown Lebanese Fruit and Mixed Business, Thursday, July 22 from 10 am to 10.15am BLACKTOWN Kebab Express, Friday, July 23 from 8.40 pm to 8.50pm Chester Jakes Supersave Chemist, Saturday, July 24 from 10.35 am to 10.50am NARELLAN Coles, Thursday, July 22 from 5 am to 10.10am; Saturday, July 24 from 5 am to 1.20pm; Sunday July 25 from 5 am to 10am BELMORE Belmore Hardware, Thursday, July 22 from 9.30 am to 11am LIVERPOOL Chemist Warehouse, Thursday, July 22 from 11 am to 11.15am Westpac, Thursday, July 22 from 11.20 am to 2.55pm Woolworths, Thursday, July 22 from 7 pm to 8.15pm CAMPBELLTOWN Priceline, Thursday, July 22 from 11.50 am to 12.05pm CAMPSIE Woolworths, Thursday July 15 from 6.20 pm to 6.40pm; Friday July 23 from 1 pm to 1.20pm; Tuesday July 27 from 2 pm to 2.20pm Campsie Growers Market, Wednesday, July 21 from 8.30 am to 6pm; Thursday, July 22 from 8 am to 3pm Jin Mart, Wednesday, July 21 from 4.10 pm to 4.20pm Chemist Warehouse, Thursday, July 22 from 6 pm to 6.15pm Jono’s Cafe, Saturday, July 24 from 10 am to 10.15am CABRAMATTA Heng’s Garage, Friday, July 23 from 10.20 am to 1pm FAIRFIELD McDonald’s, Thursday, July 15 from 9 pm to 9.30pm Woolworths, Wednesday, July 21 from 12.30 pm to 1.30pm; Thursday, July 22 from 1.35 pm to 2.40pm; Friday, July 23 from 7.30 pm to 8pm FAIRFIELD HEIGHTS Fairfield District Medical Centre, Thursday, July 22 from 12 pm to 12.30pm 7-Eleven, Monday, July 19 from 7 pm to 7.10pm Fairfield Heights Tobacconist, Wednesday, July 21 from 1 pm to 2pm ROSEMEADOW Woolworths, Thursday, July 22 from 12.20 pm to 12.45pm; Friday, July 23 from 1.25 pm to 2.10pm AUBURN Woolworths, Saturday, July 17 from 10.40 am to 11.05am; Thursday, July 22 from 1.50 pm to 2pm; Saturday, July 24 from 11.10 am to 11.30am KINGSWOOD Freechoice, Monday, July 19 from 7 pm to 7.10pm KINGS PARK Subway, Friday, July 23 from 9 pm to 9.05pm THE PONDS Flash News, Thursday, July 22 from 3.35 pm to 3.50pm; Saturday, July 24 from 4.05 pm to 4.15pm Costi’s Seafood and Grill, Saturday, July 24 from 4.05 pm to 4.10pm Priceline, Saturday, July 24 from 4.10 pm to 4.20pm CASULA BP, Thursday, July 22 from 4 pm to 8pm; Sunday, July 25 from 7.35 am to 4.30pm PROSPECT Uncle Sid’s Oven, Friday, July 23 from 11.30 am to 12pm OLD TOONGABBIE Memphis 9 Cafe, Friday, July 23 from 8.10 am to 8.20am KOGARAH Fardoulis Sweet and Nuts, Friday, July 23 from 12 pm to 5.45pm LIDCOMBE Woolworths, Friday, July 23 from 2.30 pm to 4pm Cafe Rodem, Saturday, July 24 from 11.50 am to 11.55am MOUNT ANNAN Aldi, Saturday, July 24 from 9.25 am to 10am Woolworths, Sunday, July 25 from 9.50 am to 10.15am WENTWORTH POINT Coles Wentworth Point, Saturday July 24 from 9.35 am to 10.05am REVESBY Woolworths, Saturday, July 24 from 2.45 pm to 5.15pm SMITHFIELD Bunnings, Saturday, July 24 from 3.30 pm to 4pm BURWOOD Woolworths, Saturday, July 24 from 3.15 pm to 4 pm and 9.15 pm to 9.35pm Hungry Jacks, Saturday, July 24 from 5.20 pm to 5.40pm Coles, Saturday, July 24 from 9.30 pm to 9.50pm INGLEBURN Speedway, Saturday, July 24 from 1 pm to 2pm Woolworths, Saturday, July 24 from 2.50 pm to 3.05pm ST MARYS Liquor Stax, Saturday, July 24 from 9.30 pm to 9.45pm PETERSHAM Frangos Charcoal Chicken, Sunday, July 25 from 3.10 pm to 3.25pm SPRING FARM Choice Pharmacy, Monday, July 26 from 12 pm to 1pm Woolworths, Monday, July 26 from 12 pm to 1pm ZETLAND Coles, Sunday, July 25 from 4 pm to 4.30pm HARRIS PARK Australia Post, Thursday, July 22 from 2.30 pm to 2.40pm GREENACRE Bunnings, Tuesday, July 27 from 3 pm to 3.20pm RIVERWOOD Riverwood Hot Bread, Friday, July 23 from 12.55 to 1pm LIVERPOOL Barbara Long Park, Wednesday, July 21 from 4.30 pm to 6pm Hillier Oval, Wednesday, July 21 from 4.30 pm to 6pm

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