Travel News | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Rescued from the jungle: aviation stories from Papua New Guinea

There’s always a burst of sunshine when Paradise magazine arrives in the post. I have written for the magazine for many years – there was a little hiatus during COVID, but it was one of the few magazines that bounced back with a print edition, which goes into seatbacks on its flights around Asia Pacific four times a year. Paradise is, actually, PNG’s most widely read magazine.

Dr Bablis and the Tin Goose

In this edition of Air Nuigini’s inflight magazine, I interviewed curator Dr Gregory Bablis about finding, retrieving and restoring WWI and WWII aircraft from PNG’s jungles. With care and dedication, the aircraft are now displayed in their forever home, the new Aviation Heritage Centre in the capital, Port Moresby.

Take a look at this photo of Dr Bablis, standing beside the shell of this Ford Trimotor, dubbed the Tin Goose. Just this one aircraft has a story that spans continents, from luxury flights across Europe to flying along PNG’s Kokoda Track in wartime.

The Aviation Heritage Centre’s other great drawcard is a Douglas A-20 Havoc bomber nicknamed the Hell’n Pelican II. It crashed in the jungles of Madang Province in PNG, and lay undisturbed for three decades before it was retrieved and sent to Australia to be restored by the Royal Australian Defence Force.

Initially built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California, it entered service on the Pacific Front during WWII.

Also, popular PNG chef Julz Henao teamed up with TSI actor Aaron Fa’Aoso for a celebration of the food, language and culture that ties PNG with Australia in the miniseries Kin & Kai, supported by the Australian High Commission Papua New Guinea.

Two things that never fail to surprise me about PNG’s relationship with Australia:

1. PNG was an Australian colony – imagine! We were always the colonised, not the coloniser. We were the underdog. Not in this show.

2. Only 4 kilometres of sea separate Australia and PNG at their closest point, in the Torres Strait. Incredible.

That second point is why the Australian High Commission in PNG commissioned a new miniseries called Kin & Kai, using a PNG chef and an Australian actor from the Torres Strait.

Together, PNG celebrity chef Julz Henao and Aaron Fa’Aoso, a Torres Strait Islander actor, filmed Kin and Kai. The miniseries was produced by Aaron’s production company, Lonestar Entertainment Company, for the Australian High Commission’s Yumi Stap Wantaim (We Stand Together) campaign, which celebrates the cultural bonds that tie PNG and Australia after 50 years of PNG’s independence, which the country celebrated in 2025.

Through the five episodes of Kin and Kai, the two men find they have a lot in common, including cooking in earth ovens – mumus here in this part of PNG, amai or kupmari in the Torres Strait, even further afield, hangi in New Zealand and lovo in Fiji.

“Because Aaron is from Thursday Island, it was an easy match,” says Julz. “TI and PNG share lots of similarities and culture, and even some words in the local dialect. And geographically, it’s just across the water. There’s a lot of trade going back and forth, the people look the same, so I think, holistically, it’s just worked.”

Click here to read the current edition of Paradise magazine.

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To watch the miniseries, visit yumistapwantaim.com/kin-and-kai/

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Would you pay to jump the queues at the airport? | ABC Melbourne Radio

Would you pay to jump the queues at the airport?

That was the question I tusselled with on ABC Melbourne Radio recently with host Charlie Pickering, the new host of the drive-time slot.

Our conversation came out of the news that Sydney Airport has launched its new Fast Track lanes – are they worth the money, or just another airport fundraiser? I have to say, they sound like the queue for those of us who can’t get out of Sydney fast enough. But Melbourne jokes aside…

Take a listen…

I admit that I am notorious for running hard to the wire with flights – so would a $20 fast-track make me arrive even later? Happy to learn that Charlie is in fact in the same boat, a serial last-minute kinda guy. Wait, I’m not saying I hold the plane up; I get there on time, but not for me hours spent hanging around airports, shelling out money on overpriced food that could better be spent at my destination.

We’ve dubbed the Fast Track ‘Business Lite’, for people who don’t want to queue, but can’t afford business class. So they get to feel a little bit elite, at just $20.

However, the real question is: isn’t this fast track at the wrong end of the journey? The queue-jump is available when you’re starting your journey; surely they’d be more useful at the other end, when you’re arriving home shattered after a 14-hour flight from the Middle East? Or imagine you’ve just jumped off a Project Sunrise flight, Qantas’ non-stop London to Sydney flights that have just seen the first planes roll into Melbourne from Toulouse just this week? Those flights are 22 hours long – please somebody, let me jump the queue so I’m not wrangling with the Smart Gates, running the gambit of the duty-free ladies flogging (not very) cheap gin and synthetic perfumes. Cannot. Get. Out. Of. There. Fast. Enough. $20? As the ad goes, shut up and take my money!

I spoke with Melbourne Airport before the interview; they have no intention of introducing Fast Track lanes from international departures, and to be fair, it’s extremely rare that I’ve been caught up in anything more than a 10-minute wait here. And you’re still at the mercy of the person in front of you as they cautiously unthread their belt, unlace their shoes, pull their laptop out, realise they’ve got a half-bottle of water which they’d like to drink…

Similarly at the other end, the great leveller, for everyone from the cheapest budget flight seats to First class, is customs. And in Melbourne, that can be horrific. Because I am – always – the woman who buys the elk sausage. The bag of spices. The biltong. The weird Japanese frozen strawberries… all have to be checked and declared.

Jump on to listen to me and Charlie on 774 MELBOURNE talking Smart Gates, queue jumping, children’s vomit and why customs queues are the great levellers between first and economy-class travel.

Who can use the Fast Track service in Sydney?
All passengers can buy and use the Fast Track service at Sydney Airport’s T1 departures, but it does not include priority security or border processing for departures or transfers.

What other countries have fast-track services?
Plenty of countries have fast track lanes in their airports, including the United Kingdom and Singapore. They are open to frequent flyers and other premium program members. However, many countries include fast-track lanes for free for families with young children, including the Scandinavian countries and most other European countries.

Does Melbourne Airport have Fast Track departures?
No, Melbourne Airport does not have a pay-as-you-go Fast Track lane in its international departures.

Self-drive safari v luxury game experience: South African safari two ways | Sydney Morning Herald

“Why don’t more Australians do a self-drive safari?” Australian crime novelist @tonyparkauthor had asked me months ago. He lives on the fringes of Kruger where he writes African thrillers, and he threw down the gauntlet.

So I went to find out: luxury or budget self-drive, each has its merits that the other simply cannot replicate.

Today, my cover story for the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers shares my discoveries (and that time my heart absolutely stopped) .

You can see my incredible, solo encounter with a pride on Sabie River here on my instagram.

Safari for starters – in the first part of this ‘safari two ways’ story, I was self driving and staying in rest camps in Kruger National Park, with also a stay in an extremely affordable little lodge in Manyeleti Game Reserve, adjacent to the park.

The wildlife was – hand on my heart – absolutely extraordinary. From lions to painted dogs, giraffes aplenty and sweet baby cheetahs. In fact, it was tween season! The absolute highlight has been seeing a white rhino, endangered to the edge of extinction.

The second part of my trip saw days spent blissfully off-grid with excellent, skilled safari guides and trackers in Sabi Sabi, in South Africa’s Greater Kruger. For an unbeatable morning commute, the drive home at the end of the day and my best ever airport transfer (includes zebras) 🦓 There are worse places to hide from the world – currently, I took refuge in Bush Lodge, in Sabi Sabi Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger, South Africa.

My home is the Mandleve villa, a sweet retreat from the madness of the human world. The animal world, however, is just a step outside – the baboons take free advantage of my pool, and play your cards right, and you get a free nyala visit with every booking.

I’ve fallen into the rhythm of safari – early mornings, day naps, sundowners – adding way too many meal stops with sunrise cuppas to high tea wedged in between.

I also talked about it all on our podcast, The World Awaits – take a listen for more!

Sydney Morning Herald’s Traveller cover story https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/budget-or-luxury-two-ways-to-do-a-safari-put-to-the-test-20260528-p601oe.html

The World Awaits travel podcast https://www.theworldawaits.au/podcast/episode/7be34fdf/ep-143-south-african-safari-by-e-bike-car-in-luxury-fuel-saving-tips-the-death-of-the-working-holiday

My encounter with the Pride of Sabie River, Kruger National Park https://www.instagram.com/global_salsa/reel/DZVw-gHJMNi/

Shortlisted for Australian Travel Writer of the Year 2025

I’m very, very pleased to announce that I’ve been shortlisted again for Travel Writer of the Year in the Australian Society of Travel Writers 2025 awards!

I titled my collection of three features The Underrated and the Understated, reporting on a train journey in southern Spain, AlUla in Saudi Arabia and Oman (that’s me, stopping to smell the roses, after being trapped in flooded Dubai on the way to that mountain of fragrance).

Thanks to ASTW and to the companies who continue to support travel journalism, including InnTravel, Saudi Tourism, Emirates, Shangri-La Muscat in Oman and Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, and their PR representatives

And thanks also to the editors at the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers and Luxury Escapes’ Dream magazine, who commission features from these adventures, which sometimes (Ok, often) slip away from the conventional path.

The competition is daunting – my friends Justin Meneguzzi and Kate Henessey complete the trio shortlisted for the TWOTY (best acronym, right?) Luckily, they are both great humans as well as extremely talented writers.

@hh_510 thank you so much, once again, for this photo from Al Jebel Al Akhdar It’s one of my favourite travel photos.

Boat safety in Bali; TV appearance on ABC TV News Channel

Bali has had four tragic boat disasters this year, most recently with a speedboat carrying 80 people between the popular tourist island Nusa Penida and Sanur, on Bali’s east coast.

I spoke with ABC TV’s News Channel about boat safety in Bali, and how travellers can travel safely in the region.

Click here to watch the full television report: https://youtu.be/JPJD0hqUABM?feature=shared

If you’re thinking about taking a boat ride in Bali – either to Nusa Penida or further afield to the Gili islands, don’t be afraid to ask even the most basic questions. Here’s a checklist of just a few questions:

is there one lifejacket for every person on board?
do the crew do a safety briefing?
is the crossing going to be rough?
and ask yourself… does it feel right, does it feel safe?

In the end, you have to trust your gut instinct. There are regulations in Bali, they are not enforced.

Take a listen and see what you think; and let me know in the comments.

And here’s a link to ABC’s news report of the disaster.

Travel greats of G Adventures & Lonely Planet on The World Awaits podcast

This week on The World Awaits travel podcast, we bring you interviews with two of the biggest entrepreneurs in travel, @gadventures founder, the super-inspirational Bruce Poon Tip and then travel trailblazer Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet @lonelyplanet

To listen, find us on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-world-awaits-travel-tales-to-inspire-your-wanderlust/id1689931283
Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theworldawaits
or listen via our website https://theworldawaits.au/home-2/episodes/

Social entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author and G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip talks about his decision to take his company into the luxury space after three decades – and what it means to you, the traveller. “The beautiful thing of travel [is] you have the opportunity to transform lives if you step out of your comfort zone,” says Bruce Poon Tip, gadventures.com

Anyone who’s ever used a Lonely Planet guidebook will have read the story about how Tony and Maureen Wheeler wrote and published their first guidebook, Across Asia on the Cheap, on their kitchen table in 1973, finally selling the Lonely Planet behemoth in 2011. Tony talks about counting countries, flying with carry-on only, his favourite country and the art of travel. He also shares what he’s reading now, tonywheeler.com.au

We also have a gorgeous giveaway from another travel entrepreneur, Tracy Morris of @theblondenomads whose @gypsealoop is an innovative gold or silver hair tie bangle.

To win, email us at hello@theworldawaits.au and tell us where you’d like to wear the bangle. Bonus entries if you like and follow on instagram at @theworldawaitspodcast and tag a friend!

Glamping in Saudi Arabia wins TravMedia’s Travel Writer of the Year award

I’m on a bit of a roll at the moment – this week, in Sydney, I took home a new award, the inaugural TravMedia Travel Writer of the Year! Gongs galore!

The award recognises the most read story on the TravMedia platform, and it was my story on glamping in Saudi Arabia, for the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age newspapers, which caught TravMedia users’ eye. It was a review of the gorgeous Habitas AlUla, hidden in a canyon in the Asher Valley, and the first five-star property to open in AlUla oasis, now the jewel of Saudi’s tourism offerings.

TravMedia is the global media network and the world’s largest online news portal for travel media and travel industry PR professionals, and holds an annual conference in Sydney, which we’ve just returned from this weekend. There was a strong Melbourne contingent, with writers from all over Australia and some international fly-ins from Bali and New Zealand. We were there to meet with tourism reps from around the world, from as far as Dubai and New York, Tokyo and the most distant islands of Australia.

A huge thanks to TravMedia founder Nick Wayland (that’s him in the photo with me) and his team, including Blake, Julie, Lauren and Gaynor!

If you’re keen to read my award-winning story, click on the url below 😀

https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/this-amazing-glamping-resort-shows-saudi-arabia-can-be-fun-20230905-p5e21v.html

Winner: ASTW Travel Writer of the Year!

I am so very, very, very pleased to tell you that I have been named Travel Writer of the Year 2023 by the Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW)!

The ASTW made the announcement at its awards ceremony in Sydney this weekend, a glittering occasion (not least because I decided to emulate a human mirrorball for the evening). It was one of three awards I received:

Best accommodation story; for my review of The Benev spa hotel in Beechworth, in Victoria’s High Country
The Jack Butters Award for outstanding contribution to the ASTW; and, of course,
Travel Writer of the Year 2023.

The Travel Writer of the Year entry requires submission of three features; I took a turn off the beaten path to include my solo travel in Saudi Arabia for Traveller.com.au, another women-only travel in Islamic countries, for the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age and a third story on journeying through the Malaysian state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, for Gourmet Traveller magazine.

The Jack Butters Award is named after the first president of the ASTW, and recognises outstanding service to the ASTW. It’s a tricky one to talk about without sounding boastful – I organise the Victorian events for the ASTW, and in the past have managed its social media, encourage networking and connection within the industry and generally get my hands mucky on the job. I am very proud of this award, as it requires nomination from fellow members. So, thank you to those who thought of me at this time.

I send thanks to my editors, particularly Craig Platt for going out on a limb and running my women-in-Saudi piece on traveller.com.au, and for Anthony Dennis for seeing the need for a cover story on women-only travel in Islamic countries in the Sydney Morning Herald. Neither can be described mainstream topics. And sending thanks to Sarah Maguire, editor of the Explore section of Aust Community Media/Canberra Times/ Newcastle Herald, for indulging my love of raw linen and bush fragrances of The Benev in Beechworth.

I’m equally thankful for the sponsors who make such travel, especially Experience AlUla in Saudi Arabia, North East Tourism here in Victoria, Tourism Malaysia and the countless people who have helped and guided me on my years of travels in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Thanks also to the sponsors for each award – Virgin Australia who sponsors the Travel Writer of the Year award, and the lovely Victorian company Lancemore Hotels, who sponsored of the accommodation award, and finally, the ASTW itself and in particular, its board and awards committee. Without the ASTW, I would not have the friendships, the connections, the support and encouragement of the many, many talented people in its ranks.

And to end, here are the links for each piece:

Solo woman’s travel in Saudi Arabia – https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/visiting-saudia-arabia-as-a-woman-i-went-to-the-notoriously-sexist-country-as-a-solo-female-tourist-20220705-h24v9q.html

Women-only travel in Islamic countries – https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/travel-guide-for-women-travellers-in-the-middle-east-tips-and-advice-20220624-h24nad.html

Lore of the jungle: adventuring in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo – https://www.magzter.com/de/stories/travel/Gourmet-Traveller/LORE-OF-THE-JUNGLE

Slow road to a blissful state: The Benev, Beechworth, Australia – https://www.exploretravel.com.au/story/8124768/slow-road-to-a-blissful-state/

Terminal boredom: free things to do in airports

I don’t mind wandering airports – empty or busy, I find them a fabulous use of time. I love the exotic layers you’ll find in the big, Middle Eastern hubs, as yogawear-clad Australian girls sit alongside men in Oman’s national dress of gleaming white dishdasha, or hikers unlace their heavy boots beside the perfectly manicured Parisian couple. I like finding the local cuisine – often a tricky quest amongst the increasingly globalised food courts found in most airports – and the essential souvenir.

However, if shopping for sherry vinegar from southern Spain or 80% chocolate from Ecuador is too boring for you, I offer you my contribution to the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age’s Savvy Traveller section, which lists some of the coolest free things to do in airports around the world.

Top of my list is Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport (AMS), which has a longstanding collaboration with the country’s most important art gallery, the Rijksmuseum – long before art in airports became A Thing.

Too tame? Dress up in hanbok in Seoul, pat a Giant Flemish bunny in San Fran, chase butterflies in Singapore or cruise an archeological museum in Athens.

To read my story in the Traveller section, click here

https://www.traveller.com.au/long-delay-or-layover-find-free-things-to-do-at-the-airport-h26j08

On high on the new Ain Dubai: the world’s largest ferris wheel

Hello blog! It’s been a quiet few months as I hit the road for two months in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. My first story in this fresh new year has an appropriate high note – it’s my review of Ain Dubai (in English, Dubai Eye), the world’s largest observation wheel.

Ain Dubai’s opening coincides with the world fair, Expo 2020, which is currently running in Dubai, until March 2022. Remember that when Paris hosted the world fair, Exposition Universelle, in 1889, it built the Eiffel Tower as the main attraction. And it worked.

Back in Australia, there’s welcome news that the Sunday Traveller section in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers has returned after nearly two years’ snoozing, just as Australia welcomes the news that our international borders will finally be thrown open to tourists.

While we Australians were allowed to leave in November (necessitating a rush for the border – I can confirm that the few flights available were absolutely mobbed by those of us desperate to reconnect with our families, who we’d been separated from for at least two years), now, anyone vaccinated can enter the country.

Click here to read my story, which runs on the Traveller website and appeared in print in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age (Melbourne) newspapers.

PHOTO CAPTION: Ain Dubai is the world’s largest observation wheel. Credit: Belinda Jackson

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Two things that never fail to surprise me about PNG’s relationship with Australia:

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