Travel Wires

Neighbours draw a line in the sand

Flying to the Lucky Neighbour for the school holidays? Be aware there are new rules about carrying on powders. Travellers are required to present all powders in their hand luggage at outbound security. Inorganic powders include talcum, foot powders, detergent, cleaning products and sand; they must not exceed 350ml or 350g. Organic powders such as baby formula, cosmetics, coffee and protein powders must be disclosed. Some items may not be obvious, such as snow domes containing sand. Travel Wires’ grandchildren may not get their Christmas decorations because they’re a global security risk.

Tone down your adventure

Route 66 — the Mother Road — is on the US National Trust’s list of America’s 11 most endangered historic places. To be designated a National Historic Trail the Senate will have to pass a law and the President will have to sign it by Christmas. Given HarleyDavidson’s decision to quit US production because of the President’s trade war, that’s unlikely. Time to rework some Route 66 anthems: “Get your Honda runnin’, head out on the highway” . . . “We’ve all gone to look for a Yamaha”.

Tourists shown the door

Holidaymakers are being visited by police and thrown out of Airbnb apartments falling foul of local laws. The website allows properties to be listed in New York, Singapore, Japan and parts of Spain where short-term lets have been restricted or banned. Tourists are finding “No Airbnb” signs inside buildings, security guards and hostile residents. Ten armed Turkish police arrived at Brit Tom Duggan and his friend’s Airbnb apartment in Istanbul. They told the two to hand over their passports. After an hour, the friends were told to sign a form, written in Turkish, to get their passports back, and given 10 minutes to leave. He was refused compensation from the host; Airbnb did not offer a refund.

Te Aroha put on the map

Our patriotic heart beat stronger at the news that Te Aroha (pop. 3900, 20km east of Morrinsville — where? Travel Ed) called a council meeting to decide how to honour the Prime Minister’s decision to name her daughter after the town / mountain / emotion. Suggestions include painting the town pink (its bridge already is), which is a rather muted way of painting the town red. And a statue of the mountain with Neve’s name. A statue of the mountain under the mountain?

— travel@nzherald.co.nz