n its final sitting week of 2017, the Federal Parliament did us proud.Of course, the main achievement was legalising same-sex marriage before the year’s end. But the Parliamentary Committee charged with conducting the Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia (the Inquiry) also handed down its final report, which has been widely commended for its … [Read more...]
Longest Way Home: An Insider Guide To Rome’s Hidden Treasures
If you are in Rome for the first time, or for only a couple of days, you will inevitably end up with the crowds at the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, or St Peter’s Basilica. But if you know where to look, Rome's less well-known and less crowded attractions can offer a lot more. Where to go A district which has a lot to offer is the Trastevere across the Tiber from the heart of … [Read more...]
New Modern Slavery: Australia Leading Fight Against Orphanage Tourism
he exploitative practice of orphanage tourism has finally received the political attention it deserves, with the Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (the Committee), set to recommend a ban on Australians visiting orphanages overseas as part of their current Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in … [Read more...]
Roam Like At Home: New Mobile Roaming Laws A Game Changer For EU Travel
hen we’re at home, we’re pretty used to having internet access at all times. The price of mobile internet has dropped to a level where messaging over data is more common than SMS and, most likely, your dad even regularly video calls you at 9.00am on a Saturday. However, we don’t usually expect this kind of connectivity while overseas.Travelling always includes some level of … [Read more...]
New Changes = No More Outgoing Passenger Cards When Travelling Overseas
e've all been there.Feeling wrecked and disorientated after staying up until 3am completing last minute packing before a major international trip that same morning. Arriving late to the airport, you're faced with filling out an outgoing passenger card including your name, flight number, intended destination and duration of your trip as an enormous queue snakes around black … [Read more...]
Find Another Way To Feel Better About Yourself ‘Do-Gooder’: The Narcissism Of Voluntourism
oung Australians have been volunteering overseas in their droves in recent decades, often as an altruistic alternative to Leavers or schoolies and, more broadly, as a way to get more out of travel.Voluntourism - a combination of volunteering and tourism - has become an incredibly popular way to travel and experience new destinations. But the industry has a dark side. Rising … [Read more...]
Smart Ways To Holiday Responsibly And Help Fight Human Trafficking
he chocolate you ate last night, the tea you drink every day, your new running shoes. Where did they come from? The answer to all these questions relates to an issue that affects almost every country in the world. It's an issue that concerns 46-million people worldwide.Former President, Barack Obama, has said on the subject: It ought to concern every person, because it’s a … [Read more...]
Travelawlogy: How To Travel Safely Wherever Adventure Takes You
hese days, young Australians are travelling overseas in record numbers.9.2 million Australians left our wide brown land for a short-term jaunt overseas in the 2014-2015 period, with departures of Australians traveling overseas now exceeding arrivals of international travellers entering Australia.The places we visit are diverse. The most popular destinations for young … [Read more...]
Travel Hacks: Millennial Guides For Booking Cheap Flights
You probably set yourself some pretty ambitious goals earlier this year:Find a new job (one that challenges and interests you - hopefully it pays better than your current role); Lock in some adventure travel plans (or, at the very least, plan more weekend mini-breaks); Spend less money on nights out, gigs and festivals; Spend more money on sensible life planning … [Read more...]
Travel Lawgic: Making The Most Of Duty Free Shopping While Overseas
f the thought of exploring the wondrous and remarkable world we in live doesn’t leave you clamouring to plan your next overseas adventure, for the shopaholics in us all, one of the added perks of travel is the prospect of tax-free shopping.I’m not just talking about the savings you can make through duty free shopping at the airport. You can also claim the tax component of … [Read more...]
Laws Of Travel: What Travel Credit Card Is The Best Value
In the end we only regret the chances we did not take.Travel is a wonderful and exhilarating adventure. But adventures and surprises often go hand in hand. Some surprises, like killer cases of food poisoning on a road trip are random, cruel and largely beyond our control. Other surprises, like a sobering roundhouse kick to your wallet by accumulated foreign transaction … [Read more...]
Travel Tales: 7 Ways You Can Get Travel Insurance Wrong
Some of the most poignant examples of bad travel experiences can be found in the stories of young travellers who take unnecessary risks by either not understanding how their travel insurance policy covers them or by failing to purchase travel insurance altogether.Along with your passport, a good travel insurance policy is the one of the most essential things you need before … [Read more...]
Laws Of Travel Etiquette: Reclining Seats And Other Flight Crimes
Can common social offences lead to criminal charges?Economy flights are a lot like a cheap bottle of wine.When you first meet, they promise to be your best friend, who will take you on exciting and exotic adventures.Until you spend a few hours together, and realise it was all a trick.The unmistakable and heady cabin aroma floods your senses, mixing with … [Read more...]
5 Stages Of Grief When Travelling Without Internet
itnessing a millennial without internet is a bit like watching a dog walk on its hind legs.Less than one hour without wi-fi makes most of us lapse into a form of digital amnesia - forgetting that our computers and devices can still work without it. For jet junkies, the internet has revolutionsed travel.Storage on smartphones and tablets has removed the need to carry … [Read more...]