Cruise ships are in the revival mode

In early 2020s, cruise ships were in the news for all the wrong reasons. Some people even went to the extent of predicting the industry would never recover. There were news related to outbreaks, port refusals, travelers stuck onboard. Fans of cruises say all that is ancient history. As a Singaporean said - “Given a choice, we would be living on the cruise ship for the remainder of our lives.” He goes on to add that those are issues of 2020 and “not of any concern” today because people are vaccinated and they observe personal health protocols.” He and his wife loves cruises and have already planned three cruises through 2023. They love to wake up in a different country the next day. A recent report mentioned about COVID-19 outbreak in a cruise ship circumnavigating Australia. According to a survey published by Cruiseline.com and the booking app Shipmate, 91 percent of respondents planned to take a cruise by 2023. Afraid to cruise? Not at all, say fans who are causing ‘an explosion of bookings’.

Arrivia is a travel loyalty provider. It operates programs for American Express, Bank of America and USAA and 75 percent of members indicated plans to cruise in the next two years. Moreover, regular leisure travelers are also open to cruising again. The fear of the pandemic gradually reduced. An example is an Indian national who said he had “no qualms” about cruising this month with his family – it was his first cruise ever. He said he felt safe and that his family wore masks in crowded areas and might cruise again next year. A market research provider says the global cruising industry will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2027. In Asia, the problem is due “mainly to the slow recovery in China … due to the strict zero-tolerance COVID-19 policies.”

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Australia in the fury of floods with homes in Melbourne flooded, forecast says rivers will remain dangerously high for days

Melbourne happens to be the second-most populous city of Australia. Its population is around 5 million. The authorities advised some residents to move out of the suburb in northwest of Melbourne. There are similar instructions for hundreds in the Victoria state cities of Benalla and Wedderburn. Hundreds of homes in Victoria were flooded and many more remain isolated by floodwater. In the words of Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews - most of the state was experiencing a “very, very, significant rainfall event and it comes, of course, with the ground completely sodden.” The forecast of the Met department is of more rain throughout the next six-to-eight week period. Obviously, people will have to endure the situation for some more time. Daniel Andrews also mentioned about many homes without power. Homes Inundated by Swollen Rivers in Australian Floods. The State Emergency Service carried out more than 100 flood rescues in Victoria in the past 48 hours.

Last month the Bureau of Meteorology declared that a La Niña weather pattern, usually associated with above-average rainfall in eastern Australia, was underway in the Pacific. It said that the La Niña event may peak during the current Southern Hemisphere spring and return to neutral conditions early next year. Incidentally, La Niña is the cooler flip side of the better-known drying El Niño pattern. It is the third La Niña since 2019 when Australia became the hottest and driest year on record. That year witnessed wildfires fueled by drought that directly or indirectly led to the death of hundreds of people, destruction of hundreds of homes and loss of millions of acres of woods, farmland and city fringes. Sydney, the capital of New South Wales and the largest city of Australia beat its 1950 record last week to make 2022 its wettest-ever year.

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Sri Lankan cricketers become bus drivers in Australia to earn a living

Cricket is a game that has made millionaires of a few Indian players. They are the lucky ones because the game is a craze in India. There have been Indian players who have left their marks on the game when it used to be Test Matches. These were 5-day games and the players had to be in a position to play a long innings. They had to endure the scorching heat of summer or the biting cold of winter and more often than not, many of the matches would end in a draw. However, with the introduction of the shorter version of 50 overs known as the One Day International (ODI) and the still shorter one ofT20 of just 20 overs, cricket suddenly became a game that brought instant recognition. It was all about luck with winning the toss that usually dictated the course of the game.

India was the pioneer in converting the ODI (One Day International) into a mega event. They created the IPL (Indian Premier League) where players from all over the world participated. Many new countries joined and initially there used to be cheer girls to add glamour. Then there were prizes in various categories to ensure that there was all-round happiness. However, not all were lucky. A news report reveals at least two cricketers of Sri Lanka are driving buses in Australia to make ends meet. One of them played in the Chennai Super Kings CSK Team. Sri Lankan Cricketers are driving buses in Australia to earn a living. Obviously. Indian cricketers are lucky and should realize that.

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Uluru national park in Australia has record rainfall

Record amount of rainfall in Australia has closed its famous Uluru national park and waterfalls have formed all over the park's huge sandstone landmark. This is also known as Ayers Rock and is one of Australia's top tourist attractions in the Northern Territory.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 27 December 2016.

Rangers had no other alternative but to close the park at 9am on Boxing Day due to flooded roads and a risk of car accidents.
The heavy rain resulted in flash floods in the nearby town of Kintore and houses were flooded and dozens had to be evacuated from the area. Kintore was nearly cut off due to the flooding. Nearby towns of Papunya and Yulara also suffered the same fate. in fact, in Yulara, the town square was inundated and had to be drained by firemen.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Coca Cola launches new ginger flavoured fizzy beverage in Australia

Encouraged by increase in sales of Coca-Cola ginger-flavoured beverages by six per cent over the past year, Coca Cola has launched a new limited edition ginger-flavoured drink called 'Coca Cola Ginger'. The new range of this fizzy beverage, described as having a 'Great Coke taste with a refreshing ginger twist', will be sold individually or in a six-pack and are bright red with a section of gold at the top.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 31 October 2016.

It is understood that labels on the new Coke bottles are similar to the original, but feature strips of gold and both the plastic and glass bottles have gold lids. Australia has been selected as the first country in the world to try the new flavor which has been launched nationwide. Coca-Cola South Pacific Group Marketing Manager said the company was excited to unveil the new flavor in Australia.
Coca Cola feels that research has revealed that ginger is particularly popular during the Summer months. Hence, introducing Coca-Cola Ginger in the market is the ideal way to spearhead its exciting and unexpected Summer campaign that is expected to capture the imagination of Australia.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Festival of India - 10 week event to be held in six Australian cities

The "Confluence: Festival of India" had been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Australia in November 2014. It will now be organized in six Australian cities over a 10-week period and will showcase some of the finest elements from the rich tapestry of Indian culture and civilization.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 1 September 2016.

The festival will have dance, music, theatre, sports and other visual arts from India and Australia and will be launched next month across six cities of the island nation. These are Opera House, Federation Square, QPAC, Festival Centre, Old Parliament and Perth Concert Hall in the cities of Adelaide, Alice Springs Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
The variety of events lined up will include Odissi and Bharatnatyam performances by Nrityagram and Kalakshetra, a life-sized puppet show by contemporary puppeteer Dadi Pudumjee, singer and composer Raghu Dixit's unique mix of world music, spell-binding music of Sonam Kalra's Sufi Gospel Project and Bollywood flash mobs.
The aim of the festival is to foster cultural ties between the two countries.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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The Australian town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales is in a "state of emergency" - it has been invaded by a huge swarming mass of nearly 100,000 bats. These grey-headed flying foxes have occupied every possible empty space and practically on every tree.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 24 May 2016.

The lives of people have been thrown out of gear and peole cannot open the windows or use the clotheslines and he noise is such that no one can concentrate. The Flying Fox Task Force has surrendered to the inevitable as the townspeople feel isolated, powerless, and living as prisoners in their own homes.
Officially, the grey-headed flying foxes are listed as a vulnerable species and, hence, cannot be killed. They can use deterring methods like using smoke and noise. Another is to consider clearing of all the local vegetation - officials have already started chopping down trees. However, animal rights groups feel that patience is the only thing that will work because the bats will move out of their own accord when they are ready to do so.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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