Aboriginals of the Tiwi Islands
A 16-minute flight from Darwin takes visitors to another land — an Aboriginal land, ruled by its own tribal council much like a Native American reservation. This island culture, separated from the mainland for thousands of years has retained much of its original and unique Aboriginal customs.
Breathtaking Bullo River Station
Arriving at Bullo River Station (a ranch back in the U.S.) is a step outside of the modern world. It is a step into the peace of open space, isolated tranquility and panoramic beauty with an uncovered history of thousands of years, surprising nature and unexpected camaraderie.
Ambling through Adelaide
Adelaide with its tall buildings and bustling traffic was a dramatically different scene from Barossa and the mountains that border Adelaide to the north and east. After checking into the Adelaide Hilton, right in the center of the city on Victoria Square, we met our first local guide,
Barossa Valley April 26, 2007
It started raining at about 4 a.m. It is a nice gentle, soaking, steady rain. It has lasted all day and into the night. It is a sound that the Barossa Valley had not heard for far too long. The locals are all talking about it. They apologize for it. “Sorry mate,” they say, “We really need this.”
Anzac Day, April 25, 2007
Today is the day Australia sets aside to honor their soldiers who fell in battle. I had a chance to sit through a high school convocation celebrating this day with a full orchestra and students singing. Finally, after an address to the class about the struggles of the diggers (soldiers in Aussie slang) during the various wars, a lone student playing an acoustic guitar sang a wrenchingly plaintive version of “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda.”
Brisbane day two
After a morning of business meetings, it was time to go back to exploring Brisbane. A few floating clouds crossed the blue sky and the temperatures stayed in the 80s with virtually no humidity. It was a perfect day to walk along the river. And walk I did.
Brisbane Day One
At a little after 6 a.m. my Qantas flight landed at the Brisbane after approaching over Moreton Island (a national park) and North Stradbroke Island (inhabited) that protect the harbor. The glistening skyscrapers of the city on the horizon disappeared behind a green wall of gum trees as the 747 pulled up to the terminal.
U.S.A. to Australia
Spain: It’s more than paella and plonk
Everybody knows about Spain. It’s all bullfights, flamenco, paella and plonk — right? Not at all. Charlie Leocha has been traveling to Spain for 40 years, and every time he goes he finds something new to delight in. That’s the trouble with stereotypes — they’re limiting: You see only what you expect to see. Charlie opens your eyes to much more.
Airlines in Bankruptcy Land
What happens when you don’t pay your bills? Do you get a bonus and a fat retirement package? No, you do not. And yet that is exactly what happens to airline executives when a carrier goes into bankruptcy protection. Charlie Leocha argues that the airline industry has adopted bankruptcy as a deliberate management strategy — a strategy that unduly benefits management, bankers and lawyers.