Low-Budget Airline Jetstar is Going Places

by Kelly Amabile on

What happens when flight attendants do their own traveling? That is some of what you’ll see if you live in Australia and have access to the new documentary Going Places, a creative marketing tactic from the folks at budget carrier Jetstar. While it’s not exactly an Aussie version of Flight Attendant School, the eight-program series (which premiered today on Channel Nine) will follow eight Jetstar cabin crew members during training maneuvers and travels to several Asian countries and Hawaii. (Of course, these are all destinations where the carrier flies.)

Promotional material for the series claims that Jetstar is going behind the scenes at it “moves into the highly competitive international market.” As Neil noted earlier this year, the airline was named Best Low-Cost carrier by Skytrax. The Australian-based airline runs dozens of flights within OZ and to destinations throughout Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia and others. They also fly to Honolulu from Melbourne and Sydney. (I recently flew them round-trip on a short hop from Melbourne to Hobart and was satisfied with the service and budget price – US $170.)

You can view an intro and clips from episode one — looks like your standard reality-TV without too much excess drama. Will it make you want to fly Jetstar on your next vacation or sign up to work for the young company?

Go To Jail on Bondi Beach?

by Martha Edwards on

What comes to mind when you think of Bondi Beach? Probably you’re imagining bikinis, white sand, leathery-skinned suntanners and the heavenly water, a refuge from the heat of the day. What you’re probably not imagining is Jail. That’s right — a German artist has come up with a novel idea: Prison on the beach. I know what you’re thinking — what kind of crime do you have to do to end up in that prison? Well, actually, it’s voluntary.

What gives? Turns out it’s art, and the master behind the piece, Gregor Schneider, was inspired by racial riots between ethnic Lebanese Australians and white Australian youths that happened in 2005 on another Sydney beach, Cronulla. The cells are meant to capture the confinement of racism in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Or … something like that ?

The jail cells will come be at Bondi until October 21. So until then, you can trade your time on the white sand in for time behind bars if you want to. But really, who would? Certainly not this beach-deprived traveller.

Where on Earth? Week 25: Melbourne, Australia

by Martha Edwards on


You guys are good. Our first commenter, Lea Woodward, successfully guessed that this is indeed Melbourne, Australia shortly after we posted this photo, and commenters Simon, Kev and our own Kelly backed up Lea’s guess by identifying buildings in the photo. Great work! Though my next cityscape will be more difficult–you can bet on that.

I visited Melbourne last March, just when this gorgeous city was settling into Autumn, as us North Americans are doing now. I got this shot after a quick tour around Melbourne with my gracious hosts, and though I didn’t have a tripod with me, I improvised by balancing my camera on the ledge of the bridge.

Stay tuned for next week’s Where on Earth!

Australia’s Biggest Security Risk May Be Climate Change

by Catherine Bodry on

Australia may be tightening security at its borders soon, but not because of terrorist threats. While the climate-shift story in the rest of the world reads like the Book of Revelations, Australia has got a problem almost as large as floods and famine: mass immigration caused by floods and famine (and overpopulation).

Reuters states that China’s population is posed to tip 1.5 billion by 2030, and while the Chinese might be making babies, Mama Nature is wreaking havoc. A 3 percent temperature rise, rising sea levels and shrinking glacial runoff could reduce runoff into major Chinese rivers, while land for grain and rice might be reduced by 30 percent. More citizens and a lot less food and water could prompt a forced migration of millions of people.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty suggests that since police will be dealing with resulting racial tensions and thus directly involved “with the struggle to cope with the impact of global warming,” they should also be involved in the regulation of emerging carbon trading schemes.

Australia, along with the United States, has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which requires 36 industrial nations to cut greenhouse emissions.

Native Alaskan Languages Not Endangered — Yet

by Catherine Bodry on

Last week Martha reported on the shocking number of dying languages around the world, with Australia topping the chart. What surprised me was how many were in the U.S. or near its borders — the Pacific Northwest, including British Columbia, has 54 on the endangered-languages list. I grew up in Seattle and Portland and never even knew any native languages were still spoken in the area. Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico have got a total of 40 dying languages.

I’m happy to report that Alaska is not listed — near the top of the list, anyway. The majority of the students I teach here are Alaska Natives who are bilingual — some are even ESL, which is an anomaly among U.S.-born citizens — and it’s not uncommon to hear Yupik or Inupiaq spoken around campus. The relative isolation of villages has, thankfully, somewhat preserved what can arguably be called their main cultural identity. That doesn’t mean that their native tongues aren’t in any danger; both Yupik and Inupiaq are considered endangered by some, but with over thousands of speakers of both, the threat of extinction isn’t as immediate as many other languages.

Check out the very cool article from the Associated Press for a more detailed look at some of the most endangered languages. And thanks to Images of Life for the photo of Yupik Alaskans in the village of Chevak.