A modern take on traditional Middle Eastern cuisine is now a Luxury Lifestyle Award winner In the multicultural city of Sydney, people from all different cultures and walks of life unite in keeping their traditions close and proudly sharing the best of their cultural heritage with others. But even for many of the city's residents and visitors spoiled for choice, Zahli Modern Middle Eastern restaurant is a breath of fresh air. This year's winner of Luxury Lifestyle Awards in the category The Best Luxury Restaurant in Sydney, Australia, provides the perfect setting to experience exquisite Lebanese cuisine the way it was meant to be. The restaurant's founder, Mohammad Issmail, was exposed to the richness of Lebanese cuisine and culture from an early age. Vivid memories from his chi...
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travelogues, travel articles and news from across the various countries of Oceania region
UN irks Australia by recommending that Great Barrier Reef be listed ‘in danger’
The Great Barrier Reef should be added to a list of World Heritage Sites that are “in danger”, a United Nations panel said on Tuesday, drawing an angry response from Australia, which called the recommendation politically motivated. Australia has lobbied furiously for years to stay off the endangered list as it could lead to the world’s biggest coral reef ecosystem losing the U.N. heritage status, taking some of the shine off its attraction for tourists. Making its recommendation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) committee said action was needed to counter the effects of climate change as the prospects of the reef retaining that cherished status had deteriorated. Great Barrier Reef as seen from sky. Photo: Ko Hon Chiu Vincent At Aust...
Read MoreScientists have confirmed the discovery of a new dinosaur species in Australia, one of the largest found in the world, more than a decade after cattle farmers first uncovered bones of the animal. The plant-eating sauropod lived in the Cretaceous period between 92 million and 96 million years ago when Australia was attached to Antartica, according to a research paper peerj.com/articles/11317 published on Monday. Paleontologists estimated the dinosaur reached a height of 5-6.5 metres at the hip and 25-30 metres in length, making it as long as a basketball court and as tall as a two storey building. Dr. Scott Hocknull poses with a 3D reconstruction and the humerus bone of "Cooper," a new species of dinosaur discovered in Queensland and recognised as the largest ever found in Austral...
Read MoreAustralia bans arrivals from India, offenders face jail, fines
France, US detect cases of Indian COVID variant, US bans most travel from India Australian residents and citizens who have been in India within 14 days of the date they plan to return home will be banned from entering Australia as of Monday and those who disobey will face fines and jail, government officials said. The temporary emergency determination, issued late on Friday, is the first time Australia has made it a criminal offence for its citizens to return home. The move is part of strict measures to stop travellers to Australia from the world's second most populous nation as it contends with a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. FILE PHOTO: Travelers wearing protective face masks make their way through the arrivals section of the international terminal of Kingsford Smith I...
Read MoreIndian coronavirus variant reaches Switzerland
Spain, Italy, Philippines, Cambodia impose restrictions on travellers from India, Australia suspends direct flights The first case of the Indian variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Switzerland, the Federal Office for Public Health (BAG) said, as other countries introduce travel bans to contain its spread. On the other hand, few more countries including Spain, Italy, Cambodia and Philippines have imposed restrictions on travellers coming from India. Australia has now suspended all direct flights from India until at least May 15. FILE PHOTO: People wearing protective masks walk out a the arrivals terminal of Cointrin airport during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Geneva, Switzerland. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo The case in Switzerland involved ...
Read MoreFrom Byron Bay to Bali, tourist hot spots wary of Instagram influencers
Residents of Australia’s Byron Bay have hit out at plans for a reality TV show set in the iconic holiday town, highlighting a growing backlash against social media influencers and digital nomads who often exacerbate troubles that dog tourist hot spots. Netflix series ‘Byron Baes’, will be a “love letter to Byron Bay” which is already a “magnet for influencers”, and follow the lives of Instagrammers, the streaming service said. But the backlash was swift, with an online petition by resident Tess Hall to boycott the series attracting more than 8,500 signatures, and dozens of locals protesting by paddling out on surfboards at Byron Bay on Tuesday. “We are a community experiencing significant challenges driven by influencer culture and rapidly shifting demographics of residents. ...
Read MoreAustralia-New Zealand travel bubble launches with lopsided demand
A testing and quarantine free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand launched with lopsided demand, according to airlines and data firms, with an unusually high number of the travellers departing from Australia. The initial results from Asia’s first restriction-free travel bubble since the pandemic hit, which opened on Monday, showed that travel patterns can depart from their norms after such a long closure and may take time to return to normal. FILE PHOTO: A passenger arrives from New Zealand after the Trans-Tasman travel bubble opened overnight, following an extended border closure due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia. REUTERS/Loren Elliott “Right now, it’s one-way traffic, with almost three times as much travel goi...
Read MoreQuarantine free travel with New Zealand starts from Monday Australia is no hurry to reopen its international borders and risk the country’s nearly coronavirus-free lifestyle, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. Australia closed its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents in March 2020 and has been permitting only limited international arrivals in recent months, mainly its citizens returning from abroad. FILE PHOTO: A tourist takes a photograph on their iPhone of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunset on a spring day in central Sydney, Australia. REUTERS/Steven Saphore The border closure, together with snap lockdowns, swift contact tracking and high community compliance with health measures, have made Australia one of the world’s most successful countries in curbin...
Read MoreArming each participant with a paddle, bucket, sieve and picker stick, ‘Clean Up Kayak’ is a tour of Australia’s Sydney Harbour with a difference. The sole objective, says founder Laura Stone, is to clear rubbish from the harbour - and business is thriving. “We’ve been quite surprised, even through the pandemic, we’ve been very busy,” Stone said. Kayakers on the 'Clean Up Kayak' tour paddle near the Sydney Harbour Bridge while to helping collect rubbish and plastic from the water in Sydney, Australia, February 10, 2021. REUTERS/Jill Gralow “Because they can’t travel, people are looking for something to do, that is not just good for them, but also good for the environment.” Stone began the tours several years ago after noticing the rubbish littering the waters while on other gr...
Read MoreSparse handfuls of people stand at railings to gaze at plunging rocks and shimmering waterfalls amid the verdant vegetation of Australia’s Blue Mountains, presenting a stark contrast with the throngs usually drawn to the attraction every year. The operator of the world’s steepest railway and glass floored cable cars says its nature park is nearly empty as Australia’s border closures over the coronavirus will keep out the annual influx of Lunar New Year tourists this year. People look at the Blue Mountains from the Echo Point lookout in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Stefica Nicole Bikes “Normally, Chinese New Year we would be absolutely bustling with all our delightful visitors from across Asia,” said Anthea Hammon, the chief executive o...
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