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Tourists reveal the worst cities for pedestrians

<p dir="ltr">For many keen travellers, walking is the best way to explore a new city and take in everything a new destination has to offer. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, not every corner of the world is easily accessible by foot, with some cities prioritising cars and bikes over the humble pedestrian. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tourists on social media site Reddit have revealed the least pedestrian friendly cities they have encountered on their travels abroad, with one person asking in a travel forum: “In what city/country did you have the ‘worst experience’ as a pedestrian?”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Cairo, Egypt</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The largest city and capital of Egypt has left some pedestrians feeling distressed, with one person describing the city as “hell on foot”. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person wrote of the historic city, “Drivers often drive on the opposite side of the road and most don't seem to follow any rules. Plus we got hassled so much by people trying to make money off us when walking around the city. They would follow us and wouldn't leave us alone.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another traveller added, “In Cairo, I spent so much money on taxis, the lack of sidewalks, being constantly harassed to buy stuff, the heat, the trash, the smell.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Hanoi, Vietnam</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The capital city of Vietnam is home to 9 million people and 7 million motorbikes and scooters, making crossing the road a logistical nightmare for many, as lots of travellers pointed out. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person wrote, “Hanoi is by far the worst walking experience I ever could have imagined. Any sidewalks are literally covered with motorbikes or pop-up restaurant seating that they hide when the police come by since it's not allowed. You can't go a single block without having to walk into the extremely busy streets.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“To be fair, it does add to the experience and I would like to note it's a good city and great country, but I'm convinced there is no worse walking experience in a city.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Amsterdam, The Netherlands</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">While there are many walkable streets in Amsterdam in an attempt to cut down on streets overrun with cars, the city makes up for this traffic with a surplus of bicycles.</p> <p dir="ltr">One traveller wrote, “Amsterdam was stressful to me as a pedestrian. The bikes will run you down.  We stayed a little outside of the city centre so that probably exacerbated things as our daily walk to see the sights often shared the paths with cyclists on the faster parts of their commutes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another person said, “I'm from Southeast Asia and Amsterdam made me very anxious as a pedestrian.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>The Philippines</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The entire country of The Philippines was a sore spot with many keen travellers, as lots of tourists had issues crossing the busy roads. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person wrote, “Manila was my knee-jerk response. The Philippines is gorgeous and the people are so incredibly friendly, but trying to cross those massive roads (that have no crosswalks) is literally taking your life in your hands to play frogger.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another agreed, saying “Crossing traffic in the [Philippines] should be a sport. Could've died so many times out there.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another traveller wrote, “I once had to take a taxi just to cross the road because there was no way for pedestrians to do it.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Bali, Indonesia</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Despite being a popular tourist destination for many, many claimed the Indonesian paradise does not cater to pedestrians. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person wrote, “Bali is barely walkable at all in touristy areas - no sidewalks or at 90 percent of places. And so much traffic.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another agreed, writing, “Bali gets my vote too. In Ubud, I was constantly like, ‘Where's the footpath?’ Every building and shop seems to have its own makeshift strip of narrow disjointed tile, concrete or dirt, but most of the time, it's easier to walk on the road.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Laser hack of self-driving cars can ‘delete’ pedestrians

<p>Although a city filled with entirely self-driving cars is still in the realm of science fiction, more and more cars are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Autopilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coming with ‘self-driving’ features so</a> it’s a little alarming to learn that there are ways to use lasers to mess with the technology the cars use to detect its surroundings.</p> <p><a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.09482" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In a study uploaded to arXiv</a> by a team of researchers in the US and Japan, researchers were able to trick the ‘victim vehicle’ (their words not ours) into not seeing a pedestrian or other object in its way.</p> <p>Most self-driving cars use LIDAR to be able to ‘see’ around them by sending out a laser light and then recording the reflection from objects in the area. The time it takes for the light to reflect back gives the system information about how far away the object is.</p> <p>This new ‘hack’ or spoof works because a perfectly timed laser shined onto a LIDAR system can create a blind spot large enough to hide an object like a pedestrian.</p> <p>“We mimic the LIDAR reflections with our laser to make the sensor discount other reflections that are coming in from genuine obstacles,” <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/969698" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said University of Florida cyber security researcher professor Sara Rampazzi.</a></p> <p>“The LIDAR is still receiving genuine data from the obstacle, but the data are automatically discarded because our fake reflections are the only one perceived by the sensor.”</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p221287-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> <p>Although the technology is relatively simple, the attack isn’t an easy one. The team demonstrated the attack up to 10 meters away from the car, but the device must be perfectly timed, and move with the car to be able to keep the laser pointing the right way.</p> <p>The researchers have already told manufacturers about this potential exploit and have suggested ways to be able to minimise the problem. Manufacturers might be able to teach the software to look for the tell-tale signatures of the spoofed reflections added by the laser attack.</p> <p>“Revealing this liability allows us to build a more reliable system,” <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/969698" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said first author, University of Michigan computer scientist Yulong Cao.</a></p> <p>“In our paper, we demonstrate that previous defence strategies aren’t enough, and we propose modifications that should address this weakness.”</p> <p>This unfortunately isn’t the first time that researchers have found <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/news/tricking-driverless-car-sensors/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vulnerabilities with LIDAR sensors on self-driving cars</a>, but as more of these problems are uncovered and fixed, the technology will hopefully end up safer in the long run.</p> <p>The research is to be presented next year at the <a href="https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 USENIX Security Symposium</a>.</p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=221287&amp;title=Laser+hack+of+self-driving+cars+can+%E2%80%98delete%E2%80%99+pedestrians" width="1" height="1" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/laser-hack-lidar-self-driving-cars-delete-pedestrians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Jacinta Bowler.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

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Karen’s Diner slammed for "crossing the line"

<p dir="ltr">Karen’s Diner has been slammed for crossing the line and body shaming a man for his receding hairline.</p> <p dir="ltr">The popular restaurant popped up and instantly became a sensation where the staff are basically required to be “very rude” to customers.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, in this instance, the staff at Karen’s Diner in Brisbane went a step too far and made a comment about a man’s receding hairline.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What’s one thing your f***ing sign says,” the visibly angry man yells at the workers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No body shaming,” he said as he pointed to the sign of instructions which must be followed.</p> <p dir="ltr">At the man’s feet are some napkins and straws which suggest the man may have thrown them in fury.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7146733441411828994&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40bechardgrave%2Fvideo%2F7146733441411828994%3F_r%3D1%26_t%3D8Vycdj6hoP4%26is_from_webapp%3Dv1%26item_id%3D7146733441411828994&amp;key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">The video was shared to TikTok by Bec Hardgrav who said that during her time there, the staff were commenting about people’s looks.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were making offensive comments about people’s appearances," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They told my friend she needs to brush her hair, like how mean is that.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They told my other friend that she was too old and threw cups at us.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know they’re paid to be mean to you but it was a little hectic. Safe to say I probably won’t come back."</p> <p dir="ltr">Some people commented on the video saying that people should not go to the restaurant if they can’t handle the banter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You should all know the risks before entering. If you’re too soft, don’t eat there,” someone wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Karen's shouldn't go to Karen's diner,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Do people not understand the concept on this place? If you’re going to get offended and mad, don’t go- simple,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others however, were on the man’s side saying he knew the rules more than the staff did and applauded him for his stance.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Literally the guy at the end is on the right,” someone commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s a difference between Karen’s and bullies,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The guy at the end is well in the right,” someone else wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Karen’s Diner website also has the house rules which must be followed otherwise people will be asked to leave for breaking them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No racist, sexist, homophobic or ableist comments or slurs will be tolerated,” the list begins.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No body shaming, no sexual harassment, any damage or vandalism of the venue will lead to instant removal from the venue, keep your food and drink on your tables, don’t throw them, it’s not fun.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even though this is Karen’s Diner, OHS rules still apply. We are a functioning restaurant so do not interfere with hospitality processes.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Just sit down, shut up, eat your food and bring on the banter.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Alcohol marketing has crossed borders and entered the metaverse – how do we regulate the new digital risk?

<p>The World Health Organization’s newly <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released report</a> on regulating cross-border alcohol marketing raises the alarm for countries like Australia and New Zealand, given their light touch towards alcohol advertising.</p> <p>Alcohol is widely consumed in Australasia but there is ongoing tension over how much restraint, if any, should be placed on the marketing of these products.</p> <p>Australia and New Zealand are at the unrestrained end of the marketing continuum. Both countries rely on industry-led policy in the form of voluntary codes – an approach identified as insufficient by the WHO report.</p> <p><strong>What is cross-border alcohol marketing?</strong></p> <p>Alcohol marketing, created and disseminated in one country and spread across borders into others, is commonly used by multinational corporations striving to increase sales and normalise alcohol as an everyday product. Much of this advertising is taking place in the digital media sphere.</p> <p>The increased use of these media platforms by alcohol corporations allows them access to cheap advertising opportunities. For as <a href="https://au.reset.tech/uploads/resettechaustralia_profiling-children-for-advertising-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">little as US$2</a>, an advertising campaign based in Australia could reach a thousand young people profiled as interested in alcohol, for example.</p> <p>Marketing across digital media has also increased the impact of those messages.</p> <p>Brands interact with users on social media platforms, encouraging the posting, sharing and liking of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33573719/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">branded images and messages</a>. Higher user engagement is associated with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32079562/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more drinking</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="AB InBev logo behind a smartphone also showing the logo" /><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Multinational corporations like AB InBev have been quick to embrace digital platforms as a new way to advertise alcohol products.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/in-this-photo-illustration-an-ab-inbev-logo-is-seen-on-a-news-photo/1234971135?adppopup=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Targeting the individual</strong></p> <p>The increased power of these advertisements reflects the effectiveness of “personalised marketing”. Companies can now target individuals and “look alike” audiences.</p> <p>This approach is made possible thanks to the enormous amount of data collected as we interact together, purchase products and indicate our interests and passions through our clicks and likes.</p> <p>This data is extremely valuable to marketers and alcohol corporations. It gives them insight into the best time of day, the best brand of alcohol and the best type of marketing message to send our way.</p> <p>All groups across society are vulnerable to being bombarded by messages encouraging the purchase and consumption of alcohol.</p> <p>Digital advertising can target everyone: teenagers looking for brands which exemplify their identity; young adults, the heaviest “occasion drinkers” in Australia and New Zealand, some of whom are developing drinking habits that may be hard to change in later life; and adults of all ages who wish to reduce their consumption, often for health reasons.</p> <p>Digital media has become an all-encompassing marketing environment in which the “buy” button – with home delivery and often no checks on age or intoxication – provides a seamless marketing and distribution system.</p> <p>In New Zealand, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/dar.13222" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online sales</a> increased significantly during the COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly among heavier drinkers.</p> <p><strong>Entering the metaverse</strong></p> <p>The alcohol industry is now showing its initiative by entering the emerging <a href="https://www.ypulse.com/article/2022/02/03/metaverse-mansions-more-tiktok-how-brands-are-marketing-for-this-years-super-bowl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">metaverse</a>. To understand the metaverse, <a href="https://thedecisionlab.com/insights/technology/brave-new-world-how-the-metaverse-may-shape-our-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to one commentator</a>, you should</p> <blockquote> <p>take today’s social media, add a splash of sophisticated 3D, fold in a plethora of options for entertainment and gaming, garnish it all with data-driven personalisation, and you are all set to take away your order of a supersized social media network, the metaverse.</p> </blockquote> <p>In terms of marketing, this provides a new opportunity. The biometric data essential to a virtual reality experience is also available to develop “<a href="https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/vol23/iss1/1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biometric psychographics</a>”, allowing for the even greater personalisation of advertising.</p> <p>Virtual alcohol brands created and used by avatars in the metaverse support the development of brand allegiance in real life, and virtual reality will transform e-commerce experiences and increase the power of sponsorship.</p> <p>AB InBev, the largest global alcohol corporation, was an early adopter of the metaverse. One of its brands, <a href="https://sifted.eu/articles/metaverse-brands-nft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stella Artois</a>, is sponsoring the Australian Zed Run platform on which virtual horses can be raced, bred and traded. The Zed Run platform experienced 1,000% growth in early 2021.</p> <figure class="align-center "><em><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Two people stand in front of a screen with a digital image of a horse." /></em><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Digital horse racing game Zed Run has exploded in popularity, with alcohol companies using the digital platform to reach a new audience.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/performers-tyra-cartledge-and-kendall-drury-takes-part-in-a-news-photo/1329475903?adppopup=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Regulating to reduce alcohol harm</strong></p> <p>The digital world is extremely dynamic. It is also opaque to most policy makers and public health practitioners. It is telling that there is no reference to the metaverse as a cross-border alcohol marketing opportunity in the WHO report.</p> <p>There is an urgent need for debate regarding how policy makers should better understand the risks involved with the targeted marketing of hazardous products such as alcohol.</p> <p>The WHO report outlines various partial and unsuccessful approaches to regulating marketing in the digital media.</p> <p>Attempts, such as <a href="https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/303690/Alcohol_marketing_on_social_media_sites_in_Finland_and_Sweden_2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finland’s</a> regulation of user-shared branded material, have failed because they did not interfere with the basic architecture of the social media platforms, which is predicated on engagement via sharing and liking.</p> <p>The most successful examples offered by the WHO report have been countries like Norway, which have imposed a complete ban on alcohol marketing including in the digital media.</p> <p>The report emphasises the need for surveillance and enforcement, suggesting ways in which alcohol companies could be penalised for marketing breaches.</p> <p>The support provided by international agreements such as the <a href="https://fctc.who.int/who-fctc/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Framework Convention on Tobacco Control</a> is identified as a possible template for future discussions.</p> <p>The response to tobacco marketing provides a good and largely effective model for officials and policy makers. That said, the public health goal for alcohol is not equivalent to the smokefree goal. Advocates are not trying to eliminate alcohol altogether.</p> <p>However, there are parallel arguments in favour of creating a healthier media environment through regulation to prevent the promotion of alcohol products via increasingly sophisticated technological and psychological tools.</p> <p>These products are significant causes of reduced well-being, and this marketing increases consumption and therefore harm. The messages of the WHO report are timely and should be heeded.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183334/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sally-casswell-862029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sally Casswell</a>, Professor of public health policy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/alcohol-marketing-has-crossed-borders-and-entered-the-metaverse-how-do-we-regulate-the-new-digital-risk-183334" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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Coriander and ice-cream: the cross over nobody asked for

<p dir="ltr">McDonald’s in China has launched a very unusual dessert. It is safe to say fast-food fans are not convinced. </p> <p dir="ltr">The “Cilantro Sundae” is a limited-edition twist on McDonald’s popular ice cream dessert that is topped with a bright green coriander sauce and fresh “crumbs” of the distinctive herb.</p> <p dir="ltr">While it may seem like an early April fools prank, the menu item is actually very real, reportedly launching on February the 21st for a limited time until February the 25th.</p> <p dir="ltr">Coriander widely acknowledged as being super divisive with some loving it and most hating it, so it comes as no surprise social media has erupted like this.</p> <p dir="ltr">Twitter user @ZhugeEX appears to have started the debate around the unique combination after sharing a promotional photo of the McDonald’s item.</p> <p dir="ltr">“McDonald’s China launched a Cilantro Sundae special menu item today, which is interesting...” the video games expert told his 161,000 followers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Reaction came in thick and fast, with some declaring they were “desperate to try this terrible thing”. Customers have also been sharing snaps of the 6.6 Chinese Yuan dessert which is roughly $1.45 and has been grossed out in the process. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Cilantro is one of my favourite things so I would try it lol,” one stated.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dear @Mcdonalds, when is coriander sundae ice cream coming to Singapore? Pretty pls...” one coriander fan pleaded.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others mocked the unusual colour, one even comparing it to the green of Ireland’s St Patrick’s Day.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m reporting this for violent and graphic content,” one user joked. </p> <p dir="ltr">Image: Instagram</p>

Food & Wine

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Is this the future of pedestrian crossings?

<p>Pedestrian crossings in Melbourne have attracted global attention on TikTok, as Aussies are stunned by the new technology. </p> <p>A TikTok user in Victoria has shared footage of lights embedded into the footpath at crossings that change from red to green to reflect whether you can cross the road or not. </p> <p>The tech has been installed to help "phone zombies" from not getting in an accident in street traffic from staring down at a mobile device.</p> <p>The TikTok user Veronica shared footage of the lights she came across saying, "<span>Bro, look how sick Melbourne is."</span></p> <p><span>"The light across the road is red, so the floor flashes red, and when it's green so you can walk - guess what? The floor flashes green!"</span></p> <p><span>The 12 second clip has racked up thousands of likes, with hundreds of comments being shocked by the relatively new technology.</span></p> <p><span>One person said, "I've been living in Melbourne my entire life and have seen none of these."</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">"I literally live in the city and didn't know this, what?" another commented. </p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">A third user pointed out the lights were installed to protect people who were distracted by their mobile phones when crossing the road.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">"It's because people are looking at their phones while walking and are not alert while crossing."</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Despite the technology being seemingly rare, the in-ground lights, also known as Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSI), have been installed around the globe since 2017.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Places in Sydney and Melbourne have been adapting to the new tech, following in the likes of South Korea to increase safety around being aware on the road. </p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Red Cross nurse accused of switching vaccines for salt solution

<p><span>Northern German authorities are contacting thousands of people and informing them to get another COVID-19 jab after an investigation uncovered that a Red Cross nurse may have injected them with a saline solution.</span><br /><br /><span>The nurse has been suspected of injecting salt solution into people's arms instead of a real dose at a vaccination centre in Friesland, a district near the North Sea Coast.</span><br /><br /><span>"I am totally shocked by this episode," Sven Ambrosy, a local councillor, said on Facebook.</span><br /><br /><span>Local authorities are in the process of contacting over 8,600 residents who may have been affected.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836313/vaccine.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1e3453d989304150b35c9bbfb0e97893" /></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em><br /><br /><span>Saline solution is harmless, however many people who got vaccinated in Germany in March and April are elderly people at high risk of catching the deadly viral disease.</span><br /><br /><span>Sadly, the time frame that a majority of elderly people received the jab, coincides with when the nurse is suspected to have switched the vaccines.</span><br /><br /><span>Police investigator Peter Beer, told German media that there is "a reasonable suspicion of danger".</span><br /><br /><span>The nurse, who remains anonymous for now, made it clear on social media that she was sceptical of vaccines in social media posts, police investigators said.</span></p>

Body

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Elderly man fined over DIY zebra crossing for his disabled wife

<p><span>An elderly man is paying the price for painting a zebra crossing near his home after multiple requests to his local council went ignored.</span><br /><br /><span>Laurie Phillips, 78, was forced to take matters into his own hands when his local council ignored multiple requests to introduce a safer crossing on his busy street for his disabled wife.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Phillips, from Dorset on England’s south coast, painted the crossing early one morning with two friends.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839882/zebra-crossing-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0c972e78a2844e86b5e4995be2d3dfae" /><br /><br /><span>However council workers were quick to report him to the police and his creation was quickly removed.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Phillips argued his DIY crossing had made the area “dramatically safer”, but local authorities agreed and was slapped with a fine of AU$233 after being interviewed by police.</span><br /><br /><span>He said he warned the council he would install the crossing for his 76-year-old wife Estelle, who uses a mobility scooter, if they failed to do so.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839881/zebra-crossing-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/dca54c26bbae4917a2fe1dbfa9d0475c" /><br /><br /><span>He went on to argue that he was never told not to install a crossing and believes the debacle is a waste of police resources a</span><br /><br /><span>Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council have since said they will “carefully assess” if a crossing was needed at the location.</span></p> <p><em><span>Images: Bournemouth News/Australscope</span></em></p>

Legal

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60-year-old Paralympian dies during solo crossing of Pacific

<p><span>Angela Madsen, whose remarkable life took in a spell in the Marines, a string of gold medals and record setting rowing journeys, has passed away as she attempted a solo journey from California to Hawaii.</span></p> <p><span>The 60-year-old’s death was confirmed by her wife, Deb Madsen, in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “With extreme sadness,” she wrote, “I must announce that Angela Madsen will not complete her solo row to Hawaii.”</span></p> <p><span>Speaking to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Deb said the last she heard from her wife was when she was on route from Los Angeles to Honolulu in a 20-foot row boat, by text on Saturday. Angela had said she was going to enter the water to complete some maintenance. Deb had become concerned when she didn’t hear from Angela.</span></p> <p><span>Shortly after, the US Coast Guard located her body.</span></p> <p><span>“The [spotter] plane saw Angela in the water, apparently deceased, tethered to RowofLife, but was unable to relay that information due to poor satellite coverage,” Deb wrote on the Facebook page. The body has now been recovered.</span></p> <p><span>Soraya Simi, who was making a documentary about the crossing, said she was shocked by the news.</span><br /><span>“This is the single heaviest moment of my life,” Simi said in a statement to the Southern California News Group. “I am so sorry and so sad to write this. I know so many of you were cheering her on and wanted her to succeed.”</span></p> <p><span>Madsen led a life to remember. After her brother told her she wouldn’t make it in the military, she joined the Marines. But ended up in a wheelchair after injuring her back playing for the Marines basketball team.</span></p> <p><span>But despite the turn her life took, Madsen took up rowing and won several gold medals at the world rowing championships. She went on to row across the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and also circumnavigated Great Britain in her boat.</span></p> <p><span>Madsen’s athletics talents were not limited to rowing – she also won a bronze medal in shot put at the 2012 Paralympics in London.</span></p> <p><span>She also set up a program for disabled rowers in California. “I wanted to create an opportunity for people with disabilities to row,” she said. “It’s one of the most inclusive activities people can do. We row three days a week and do it year-round. It’s completely free for people with disabilities.”</span></p> <p><span>Simi said Madsen understood the danger involved in the 2,500 mile journey. “This was a clear risk going in since day one, and Angela was aware of that more than anyone else,” Simi said. “She was willing to die at sea doing the thing she loved most.”</span></p>

News

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“Despair and devastation”: John Edward's gut feeling about 9/11 weeks before it happened

<p>John Edward, well known psychic medium, had a gut feeling he just couldn’t shake as he was in a ballroom back in 2001.</p> <p>He shared with <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/john-edward-medium/?utm_source=Mamamia.com.au%20-%20All%20Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=b6079f2877-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_22_05_54&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_9dc62997a2-b6079f2877-211561537&amp;mc_cid=b6079f2877&amp;mc_eid=c10f87c072" target="_blank">Mamamia’s No Filter Podcast</a></em> about the weird sensation he felt as he ducked into a nearby lobby to take a phone call from a friend.</p> <p>“It was the most eerie, ominous, evil feeling. I can’t even tell you,” he said. “I get goose bumps as I tell you this. I looked around and I looked at the security guard, and then I remember looking everywhere around, and I just was like, ‘Oh’.</p> <p>“I walked out of the building, and I went to my wife. I go, ‘I need to talk to you… You have to find a new place [for the competition]; you can’t do it here next year.’ And she’s like, ‘What?’ I go, ‘I don’t want you to come down here. Go talk to your boss. You’ve got to get it moved’.”</p> <p>His wife was surprised at his sudden panic and kept pressing for an answer.</p> <p>“I go, ‘Death, despair and devastation’.”</p> <p>The nearby lobby he was standing in happened to be the World Trade Center.</p> <p>The feelings Edward felt that day in mid-August, 2001 – just weeks before tragedy struck on September 11 – sat with him for a long time. They reappeared when he was dining with friends and his wife, Sandra, suggested brunch at the World Trade Center restaurant, View of the World.</p> <p>It was here that Edward erupted.</p> <p>“I turned to her and snapped. I bit her head off, like a lunatic. She like looked at me, like, ‘I’m gonna be polite because we’re in front of other people right now, but I want to push your arse in front of an oncoming bus for the way you just spoke to me.’</p> <p>“But I just really erupted. [I said] ‘There’s no way you’re getting me in that building! There’s no way I’m going up there.’ I can’t even convey to you how it came out. It was like a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde moment. It was really weird.”</p> <p>Edward then spend the next days in a deep depression. It was so noticeable that even strangers, who recognised him from his show <em>Crossing Over,</em> asked him if he was OK.</p> <p>“I was really struggling. It was a debilitating doom-and-gloom feeling, like I didn’t want to get out of bed if I didn’t have to,” he said.</p> <p>It was only when Edward recorded an episode of CNN interview program <em>Larry King Live</em> that the fog within him lifted. The pair had spoken about loss, grief and how to cope.</p> <p>However, the following day was one that plunged the world into a state of shock and unease as two planes that were hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists flew into the World Trade Center twin towers on September 11. The attack killed 2,977 people and reduced the buildings to toxic dust that still claims victims to this day.</p> <p>After the attack, Edward was contacted by several New Yorkers as well as people from the surrounding areas.</p> <p>“They literally said to me, ‘You were the last thing we watched, my husband and I. You were the last thing that we watched, us together. We had a conversation about grief. We had a conversation about the afterlife because of you. It was the last thing that we did.’" </p>

Mind

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Heads up! City bans pedestrians from texting while crossing the street

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new state law in New York would slap stiff fines on pedestrians who text and email on their phones while crossing the street.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There will be a green light and people will still be texting in the middle of the street,” cabbie Carlos Rodriguez complained to </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> while waiting near New York’s Penn Station.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I stop so I don’t hit the person, then I get a $US110 ($NZD 166) ticket for stopping at a green light. I’m sick of it!” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new law is looking to impose fines of $US25 ($NZD 37) to $US50 ($NZD 75) on first-time offenders, while death-wish texters who stride right back into the pedestrian crossing and repeat the offence within 18 months would be hit with fines as high as $US250 ($NZD 378).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, backlash is already in the works as pedestrians believe that texting in traffic is their right.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What a dumb proposal,” scoffed Chris Werner, 36, who barely looked up from his phone as he crossed West 32nd Street.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m still going to text while crossing.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alejandro Cerda, 29, agreed as he texted his way across Seventh Avenue at 27th Street.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Can we vote these politicians out of office since they’re brain dead?” said the Lower East Side resident.</span></p>

Technology

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Hot cross buns

<p>Nothing says Easter like a batch of hot cross buns fresh out of the oven. Simply add butter and a cup of tea and you’ll be in foodie heaven.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>1 tablespoon dried yeast</li> <li>1 teaspoon caster sugar</li> <li>¾ cup warm milk</li> <li>½ cup cold milk</li> <li>50g butter, melted</li> <li>1 egg, lightly whisked</li> <li>3 ½ cups plain flour</li> <li>200g mixed dried fruit</li> <li>⅓ cup caster sugar</li> <li>2 teaspoons mixed spice</li> <li>A pinch of salt</li> <li>½ cup plain flour</li> <li>⅔ cup water</li> <li>2 tablespoons caster sugar</li> </ul>

Food & Wine

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Does crossing your legs cause varicose veins?

<p>It’s the catchcry of mothers around the world – “Stop crossing your legs, you’ll get varicose veins!” But is there any truth to the rumour? <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/08/13/does-crossing-your-legs-cause-varicose-veins_a_23076331/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">HuffPost Australia</span></strong></a> spoke to Dr Mark Malouf, president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Phlebology to find out.</p> <p>“The short answer is no, it does not,” he revealed. “However, sitting for long periods of time, with legs crossed or not, if you already have varicose veins can worsen the situation because the blood sitting around in those varicose veins can pool and slow down, and may develop a clot (called ‘thrombosis’).”</p> <p>So we can all breathe a sigh of relief there, but why is it that some people are so much more prone to them than others? “Men and women both suffer from varicose veins, but much more so in women,” says Dr Malouf. “Many patients suffer symptoms from their varicose veins while others do not.</p> <p>“The main reason people develop varicose veins is hereditary – mum or dad has them in 70 per cent of cases that I see. That goes for the large bulging grape-like varicose veins as well as the unsightly blue and red ‘spider veins’ that many women and some men find very distressing.”</p> <p>So you can blame your parents for your unsightly veins, then! Thankfully, Dr Malouf explains, varicose veins and spider veins can be treated and even prevented. Here are a few preventative measures you can take today.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Change your lifestyle </strong>– If you’re overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle, your veins could be paying the price. To avoid vein issues, get moving, try not to sit or stand in the same place for too long and ensure you’re wearing supportive shoes.</li> <li><strong>Take supplements </strong>– Your doctor may recommend oral Ventonics or Vento-active drugs which work to strengthen the walls of your veins, slowing deterioration of varicose veins.</li> <li><strong>Get supported </strong>– Support stockings, socks and pantyhose reduce the backward blood flow to diseased varicose veins, slowing the process of enlargement and relieving symptoms such as swelling.</li> </ol> <p>If you’re concerned about your varicose or spider veins, book a visit with your doctor – there are a number of treatments available, both surgical and non-invasive.</p>

Body

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Several killed after van mows down pedestrians in London

<p>A number of people have reportedly been killed after a van collided with pedestrians and worshippers outside a mosque in Finsbury Park, North London.</p> <p>A witness claims around 10 people were mowed down by the van on Seven Sisters Road. Emergency services are onsite.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Anyone an idea what exactly happened? <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk">@metpoliceuk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/finsburypark?src=hash">#finsburypark</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sevensisters?src=hash">#sevensisters</a> <a href="https://t.co/d4VoQtcJZr">pic.twitter.com/d4VoQtcJZr</a></p> — Thomas Van Hulle (@Thomasvanhulle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Thomasvanhulle/status/876589634515554305">June 18, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>A statement from the Metropolitan Police confirmed they were called to the scene of the incident just after midnight local time.</p> <p>“There are a number of casualties being worked on at the scene,” authorities said. “There has been one person arrested.”</p> <p>The incident is the latest in an unfortunately long list of tragedies for London and the UK as a whole. In March, <a href="/news/news/2017/03/uk-terror-attack-brings-london-to-its-knees/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Westminster Bridge</strong></span></a> became the scene of a lone wolf terror attack, while <a href="/news/news/2017/05/manchester-rocked-by-suspected-terror-attack/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Manchester</span></strong></a> and <a href="/travel/international/2017/06/uk-pm-theresa-may-responds-to-london-attacks/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">London</span></strong></a> were both targeted last month and the latter was just rocked by a <a href="/finance/insurance/2017/06/london-tower-inferno-what-we-know/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>terrifying inferno</strong></span></a>.</p> <p>A major section of the road has been cordoned off.</p> <p>More to come.</p>

News

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Popular attraction installs pedestrian speed bumps

<p>An ancient water town in China has installed almost a hundred “speed bumps” at the walkway of its entrance to get tourists to slow down and take in the view.</p> <p>Zaozhuang, Shandong, considered to be one of the most beautiful water towns in China, has these new black-and-yellow speed bumps installed just outside the entrance and spaced less than a step apart to force tourists to slow down.</p> <p>The pictures were shared on the state broadcaster’s Twitter account:</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A bit overconcerned? Speed bumps seen in a short range of pedestrian walks at a scenic spot in east China stunned many Chinese netizens <a href="https://t.co/OeOUc0h5Hj">pic.twitter.com/OeOUc0h5Hj</a></p> — People's Daily,China (@PDChina) <a href="https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/858723244655955969">April 30, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>What’s your take? Do you think it’s a clever solution to the tourist problem? Or do the speed bumps detract from the region’s natural beauty?</p>

International Travel

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How to cross the street in Ho Chi Minh City

<p>Crossing the road in Saigon, on any normal day, is an utterly terrifying act. But with a hangover? It's like playing Russian roulette.</p> <p>After some liberal vodka pouring on the last night of our Pandaw cruise along the Mekong river from Cambodia to Vietnam, I find myself at the infamous roundabout outside Saigon's Ben Thanh Market.</p> <p>Before me, four main arteries are converging into a muddle of trucks, buses, cars, bicycles and motorbikes. This bustling metropolis holds over eight million people and almost as many motorbikes, and it feels as if they've all gathered right here to spend the morning doing laps.</p> <p>For the past five head-throbbing minutes there hasn't been a single break in the stream. I've simply stood here, sweat trickling down my back, sunbeams squirting into my eyes, the drinks stall across the road shimmering like a mirage.</p> <p>This morning's advice from a travel companion, who has visited Saigon a dozen times, echoes in my fuzzy brain. Realising I have no other choice, I step off the curb. Just as I do a pair of locals materialise by my side. Without stopping they march into the traffic with all the confidence of Beyoncé prancing out on stage, giving the bikes a "talk to the hand" gesture.</p> <p>The traffic miraculously parts and flows around them. I scuttle behind, using them as a human shield until I arrive on the other side.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34586/image__498x245.jpg" alt="Image_ (137)"/></p> <p>In celebration of completing this death-defying act, I treat my aching body to a massage. Because my brain has been replaced by needles and it hurts to think, I walk into the first massage joint I see.</p> <p>It has a flashing neon sign, a hand-written price list, and is possibly a brothel. Nonetheless the massage turns out to be good. Although sadly I miss half of it by dozing for what seems like seconds, but is in fact half an hour.</p> <p>I wake to "massage is finish" being whispered into my ear and realise I'm late for lunch. After dressing hurriedly and being bullied into tipping almost more than the price of the massage itself, I lurch around the corner to Pho 2000, made famous by Bill Clinton apparently eating his first pho here.</p> <p>I slide into my seat on an avalanche of sweat and apologies. The fragrant, herby, noodly broth arrives before me and my goodness, it is lifesaving. Forget pizza and burgers: pho, effectively Vietnam's national dish, is where it's at for soothing your alcohol-soaked soul.</p> <p>Brain still switched firmly off, I take a postprandial walk through Saigon's Fine Arts Museum. All airy corridors and verandas, this elegant colonial-era building houses an impressive selection of Asian art. While it would usually be a lovely way to pass an afternoon, it's not ideal when you have five vodka sodas trying to squeeze out of your system.</p> <p>By the time I leave, it's raining hard. I decide getting soaked will be good for my sore head, refusing myriad invitations from cyclo drivers, "Hey miss, where you go?" My hangover has taken my sense of direction hostage and a walk that should take 10 minutes ends up taking 60. Luckily, the best way to see Saigon and its wide tree-lined boulevards and French colonial architecture is by foot.</p> <p>After many wrong turns and five cheek-reddening minutes finding refuge for my soaked body in a high-end department store, I find what I've been looking for. The boutiques of Mac Thi Buoi Street. In Amai, I unearth handmade pottery, delicate baskets and linen scarves. In Lam, '20s-style velvet pants and silk slips. They say never to shop with a hangover. They are right. I buy too many things; I do not think them through. Lord knows how four flimsy tea cups will make it back home unscathed.</p> <p>By now my tummy is grumbling again. My travel buddies and I head to Secret Garden, a restaurant on the sixth floor rooftop of an ex-factory building. We sit among fairy lights and potted plants and plow through a mountain of delicious home-cooked food.</p> <p>Spring rolls, garlic spinach, spicy tofu and the hair of the dog I've been waiting for, a Vietnamese 333 beer. It's enough to get me through the 10-minute walk to the rooftop bar at The Rex hotel, which in the '60s and '70s was an infamous gathering place for war correspondents. I gaze out across the glittering lights of Saigon, G&amp;T in hand, finally feeling human again.</p> <p>Have you ever been to Vietnam?</p> <p><em>Written by Nina Karnikowski. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Crossing Australian aboard The Ghan

<p>Great Southern Rail's Ghan train is epic.</p> <p>Traversing 2979 kilometres over three days and two nights on a magnificent and almost 1km-long snake of a train from Darwin in the Northern Territory to Adelaide in South Australia is a wondrous experience.</p> <p>Within half an hour of our departure from the lush greenery of Darwin I am talking to fellow punters in the Outback Explorer Lounge over a fine wine or beer.</p> <p>Dave and Sharon and Mal and Ros drove from Adelaide to Darwin for a "fun adventure" and now they are "relaxing in luxury for the return trip".</p> <p>With their cars safely locked up in The Ghan's transport carriage for the ridiculously cheap price of $300 a car, the four friends are happily viewing the scenery, and clinking glasses to celebrate.</p> <p>And celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Ghan track stretching from Alice Springs to Darwin, Great Southern Rail has included dining in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant, where gold and platinum-class travellers enjoy quality Australian wines, beers, base spirits, soft drinks, tea and coffee, complementing three-course meals.</p> <p>Guests sharing travelling experiences in the Outback Explorer Lounge enjoy the same refreshments.</p> <p>Proving popular, this initiative by GSR is to continue.</p> <p>Three options are available on The Ghan to heighten your experience.</p> <p>For the young at heart or budget-conscious, red class provides day-nighter reclining seats, cabinet food, meals and drinks for purchase.</p> <p>Gold-class passengers relax in private cabins that include big windows, a two-seater sofa (foldaway bed) and en suite.</p> <p><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/29259/image__498x245.jpg" alt="the ghan (1)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Platinum contains a double bed and en suite and views from both sides of the exclusive carriages.</p> <p>Whatever class you choose, the focus is on relaxation and enjoyment as The Ghan journeys through the vast and diverse Australian landscape.</p> <p>Cynics of long train journeys often shout "Take a book", but time passes quickly and after our departure from Darwin at 9am, The Ghan reaches its first exciting stop at picturesque Katherine in just over three hours.</p> <p>Katherine is true adventure territory and the majestic 292,000-hectare Nitmuluk National Park is the gem of the region.</p> <p>With various excursions on offer, including a cultural experience, I choose the Nitmuluk Gorge cruise, which is a gentle journey through two gorges.</p> <p>Bordered by 60-metre-high sandstone cliff faces, designer-like fracture lines caused by erosion quickly become a visual treat.</p> <p>Amid the serenity, it is time to leave the boat and walk.</p> <p>With flat rocks laid into the pathway, wooden bridges and glistening, crystal-clear pools scattered along the trail and sub-gorges in the distance, it is well designed to evoke the natural beauty of Katherine, and one feels happily lost in another time and place.</p> <p>Back on board The Ghan after more than four hours absorbing the delights of Katherine, a refreshing shower enhances thoughts of dinner.</p> <p>In the plush Queen Adelaide dining car, we are seated at tables for four, and immediately conversation beckons.</p> <p>With crisp white tablecloths supporting wine glasses and plates, diners are happily invited to choose from the richly inspiring three-course menu.</p> <p>Entree is minestrone soup or my personal choice, blue swimmer crab, poached and served on sourdough with spiced avocado and topped with pickled ginger and cucumber. It was divine.</p> <p>For the main I chose grilled saltwater barramundi – delightful.</p> <p>Our table of four chose the decadent Belgian chocolate muntries pudding, dripping with chocolate sauce.</p> <p><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/29258/image__498x245.jpg" alt="ghan (1)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Sipping red wine, it is hard to believe diners are seated on a train, and that is the thing about the journey on The Ghan.</p> <p>Viewing plush greens and then the rusty hues of Australia's red centre, residing in spacious cabins and absorbing interesting and funny tales from fellow travellers, it is more like being in a plush hotel – on steel wheels.</p> <p>Everything is taken care of. Beds are turned down when guests are at dinner and we arrive back at our cabins with handmade chocolates on the beds.</p> <p>Encouraged to sleep by the comforting rhythm of the rails, we awake the next day refreshed and eager to venture into our second stop, Alice Springs.</p> <p>Pyndan Camel Tracks (a family business) transport eight of us to its ranch-style acreage.</p> <p>We are novices at riding camels, but Marcus "The Camel Man" Williams beckons us towards the kneeling camels and explains that when seated, "Lean back in the seat and hold on as you will be lurched forward".</p> <p>The camels, including Doc, Ruby and Saleh, rise slowly, but the power in their back legs certainly propels one forward.</p> <p>Happy with our camel trail loosely roped together, we set off around the property for a surprisingly comfortable dusty-trail ride.</p> <p>Atop a camel on a gorgeous 25-degree morning lazily surveying the West MacDonnell Ranges, one feels totally at ease and wishes the camel trail would just go on and on.</p> <p>Camels can live until age 50 and are capable of carrying at least 300 kilograms.</p> <p>While other Alice Springs excursions, including the Alice Explorer and the Alice Springs Desert Park are inclusive, Pyndan Camel Tracks, subsidised by GSR, costs $40, and punters agreed it was THE choice.</p> <p>Relaxing in the Outback Explorer Lounge, Robert and Annette are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.</p> <p>Annette says Robert surprised her with a ticket and she is "loving every moment".</p> <p>The Ghan crosses its only two watercourses – the rivers Hugh and Finke – but they are rivers of sand.</p> <p>The Finke River features rocky riverbeds that date back 300 million years.</p> <p>The history and timelines realised during this journey are astonishing.</p> <p>After dinner, travellers reflect on their favourite parts of the trip.</p> <p>Peter was impressed with sighting the freshwater crocodiles almost disguised in the sand at Katherine, while Judy says riding a camel at Alice Springs has prompted her to buy a book called Tracks, by Robyn Davidson, who with four camels and a dog trekked 2700km across the Australian desert in 1977.</p> <p><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/29257/image__498x245.jpg" alt="the ghan" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Davidson's story has recently been made into a major film titled Making Tracks, starring Mia Wasikowska.</p> <p>On our final morning we awake to the staggering surrounds of the Flinders Ranges, which stretch more than 430km.</p> <p>Our final destination, Adelaide, is now only a few hours away and morning tea is provided, with selections of sandwiches, slices and muffins.</p> <p>From the railway town of Port Augusta and later the wind farms of Snowtown, suddenly acre upon acre of yellow fields fill the windows announcing (rapeseed) canola oil crops.</p> <p>Within the next few minutes the vista turns deep green, church steeples are seen in the distance and suddenly The Ghan has arrived in Adelaide.</p> <p>On arrival, it is hard to believe we have journeyed 2979km through the heart of Australia fuelled by comfort, fine food and new friends.</p> <p>The Ghan is a unique experience and one that richly rewards in many memorable ways.</p> <p>Have you ever taken The Ghan? Or have you been on one of the other great Australian train journeys? Let us know in the comments section. </p> <p><em>Written by Steve Scott. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image credit: Great Southern Rail</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/07/the-cheapest-way-to-travel-from-venice-to-paris/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The cheapest way to travel from Venice to Paris</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/07/10-views-you-can-only-experience-from-a-train/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 views you can only experience from a train</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/crossing-australia-in-style-aboard-the-indian-pacific/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Crossing Australia in style aboard the Indian Pacific</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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10 pedestrian bridges that will take your breath away

<p>Pedestrian bridges are often the highlight of a visit to a new city, allowing you to experience the area from an incredible perspective and take memorable phots.</p> <p>From Venice’s Bridge of Sighs to Newcastle’s Gateshead Millennium Bridge, here are 10 incredible pedestrian bridges you will never forget walking over. </p> <p>A walk over any of these bridges is one to remember. </p> <p>To see the bridges, scroll through the gallery above.</p> <ol> <li>Saint Benezet Bridge – Avignon, France</li> <li>Mur Island – Graz, Austria</li> <li>Bridge of Sighs – Venice, Italy</li> <li>Capilano Suspension Bridge – Vancouver, Canada</li> <li>Gateshead Millennium Bridge – Newcastle, UK</li> <li>Stone Bridge – Regensburg, Germany</li> <li>Chapel Bridge – Lucerne, Switzerland</li> <li>Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge – Ballycastle, Northern Ireland</li> <li>Si Oh She Bridge – Isfahan, Iran</li> <li>Charles Bridge – Prague, Czech Republic</li> </ol> <p>Have you visited any of the incredible bridges we featuring in the gallery above? If so, how did you find the experience?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/14-of-the-most-hilarious-english-translation-errors/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">14 of the most hilarious English translation errors</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/17-year-olds-invention-will-stop-spread-of-germs-on-planes/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">17-year-old’s invention will stop spread of germs on planes</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/13-landmarks-where-selfies-are-banned/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>13 landmarks where selfies are banned</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

Over 60

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