Australia

Australia: Fake Police Pilfer Tourists’ Bank Accounts

Date: September 26th, 2007 |

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 The victims keyed in their PINs when instructed and later discovered that money had been withdrawn from their bank accounts.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 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]

Australia: Drought Threatens Major Cities

Date: May 23rd, 2007 |

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Lingering drought has officials on the verge of imposing water restrictions in several places, including Canberra, Melbourne and many towns in New South Wales. Canberra faces the banning of watering gardens and washing cars by July and possibly sooner if rains don’t come. In the last six years the drainage into reservoirs in the area [read more]

Australia: Proposed Law to Allow Body Searches of Boat and Air Passengers

Date: February 1st, 2007 |

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A law expected to be passed by Parliament this year will give Customs officials the right to conduct body searches of boat and airline passengers to check for weapons or drugs. The proposed law permits agents to remove a person’s outer garments. The law is so broad, opponents say, that it appears to allow searches [read more]

Australia: Risky Surf; Widespread Wildfires

Date: December 20th, 2006 |

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The near drowning of three individuals in separate incidents in one week prompted Gold Cost officials to crack down on tour operators who drop busloads of clients on beaches where lifeguards are not on duty. Under the proposal, tour buses will be required to park in a central location and tourists will be escorted to [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: Aboriginal Elders Threaten to Ban Tourists from Uluru

Date: June 27th, 2007 |

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The sacred Aboriginal site of Uluru, or Ayers Rock, may be off limits to tourists if Aboriginal elders follow through on their threat to ban visitors on the landmark in protest of a new federal government policy. The government plans to clamp down on child abuse in some 70 Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory [read more]

Asia, Middle East, Australia: Henna Dyes Sometimes Use Boot Polish

Date: February 7th, 2007 |

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Many young travelers to Asia and the Middle East get temporary henna tattoos, but Australian authorities have warned that the dyes used are often synthetic and contain boot polish or other toxic compounds. One, para-phenylenediamine (PPD), is commonly used by street vendors in tourist areas throughout Asia and the Middle East, and can cause a [read more]

Australia: Bush Fires Wreak Havoc in Victoria

Date: January 18th, 2007 |

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The usual high heat of summer and a long-standing drought have spurred raging bush fires throughout the state of Victoria. Power was knocked out in Melbourne Jan. 16 where some 1,000 traffic lights failed causing massive traffic jams, and trams halted, leaving mass transit users no better off than drivers. The power outage was caused [read more]

Australia: Rescues of Tourists Underscore Risks of Outback Travel

Date: December 5th, 2006 |

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Two recent incidents involving the rescue of travelers serve as reminders of the risk of travel in the Outback. Four people were driving in the Northern Territory from Alice Springs to Nyrippi when they had a flat tire they could not repair. As night fell they abandoned the vehicle and began walking to an outstation [read more]