Oceania

Australia: Crocodile Awareness Needed in the Northern Territory

Date: April 17th, 2008 |

Three near-misses with crocodiles in as many weeks in the “Top End” of the Northern Territory prompted a crocodile conservationist to call for a territory-wide public awareness campaign about the ancient beasts for locals and tourists alike. Crocodiles are a big tourist draw in Darwin and surrounding areas but they are also very dangerous. Their [read more]

Marshall Islands: Bikini Atoll May Close to Divers Because of Bankrupt Airline

Date: December 19th, 2007 |

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The top tourist attraction in the islands may be forced to close because there may no longer be an efficient way to get there. Bikini Atoll, home to a sunken World War II navy fleet, site of 23 atmospheric atomic bomb tests from 1946 through 1958 and a popular dive site, may have to shut [read more]

Fiji: Military Lifts State of Emergency

Date: October 11th, 2007 |

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The state of emergency imposed last month when deposed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase returned to Suva was lifted Oct. 6 because, according to a military spokesman, there was no threat to the nation. The emergency allegedly was declared as a precaution against unrest but none materialized. Qarase has mounted a legal challenge against the military [read more]

New Zealand: Volcano Erupts onto Ski Slope

Date: September 26th, 2007 |

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Mount Ruapehu volcano erupted suddenly Sept. 25 spewing mudflows down a ski slope, causing the evacuation of two ski lodges, forcing the temporary closure of roads on the mountain, and injuring four people, one seriously when rocks crashed through a mountain shelter. Vulcanologists called the eruption minor but it came without warning. Scientists planned to [read more]

Fiji: New State of Emergency Imposed

Date: September 12th, 2007 |

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Military rulers reimposed a state of emergency three months after the previous one was lifted. The move permits authorities to detain people without charge. Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who overthrew the government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase in December, imposed the measure because Qarase returned to the capital Suva after eight months in exile on his [read more]

Australia: Engineers’ Strikes Could Shut Down Qantas

Date: January 2nd, 2008 |

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Some 1700 engineers for Qantas airlines are threatening to strike January 9 in what would be the biggest disruption to Qantas operations since a pilots’ strike in 1989. All Qantas aircraft must be cleared for flight by a licensed engineer, so any strike would cause significant service disruption and possibly could ground the entire fleet. [read more]

Australia: Fires on Kangaroo Island; Daintree Rainforest May Be Restricted

Date: December 13th, 2007 |

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Fires on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island burned for more than a week scorching 115 square miles of scrub and wilderness, with one fire in the Flinders Chase National Park still burning out of control Dec. 12. Tourism operators urged visitors not to cancel their trips to the popular island following moves to reopen tourist areas [read more]

Australia: Fake Police Pilfer Tourists’ Bank Accounts

Date: September 26th, 2007 |

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Men posing as police in the Sydney district of The Rocks swindled tourists out of thousands of dollars by persuading them to hand over their passports and credit cards for scanning. The victims keyed in their PINs when instructed and later discovered that money had been withdrawn from their bank accounts. Police advise all visitors [read more]

Australia: Alcohol Ban on Aboriginal-Owned Land Lifted for Visitors on Organized Tours

Date: September 12th, 2007 |

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Travelers on organized tours will be spared a ban on alcohol on Aboriginal-owned land. The strict ban was scheduled to go into effect Sept. 14, and after protests from the tourism industry, the government decided to soften the law so tourists visiting places like Uluru (Ayers Rock) can still sip an alcoholic beverage while enjoying [read more]

Australia: Alcohol Ban to Affect Tourists at Uluru

Date: August 29th, 2007 |

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A ban on alcohol on Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory will affect travelers visiting such iconic sites as Uluru (Ayers Rock) when it goes into effect Sept. 14. The ban being imposed by the federal government is an effort to reduce alcohol-related child abuse in Aboriginal communities. Thousands of visitors gather each day to [read more]