Travel Wires
Cheers to a great opportunity
Ever wanted to own a pub? If you’ve got a great idea and the A$100 application fee, you could be the next landlord of Bethungra Hotel in rural New South Wales. The two-storey 1886 building, known as the Shirley, is a much-loved local. Owners Robyn and Allan Cox bought it in 2014 but want to pass it on to the person with the best idea for the hotel’s future. So they’re opening a website for ideas to revitalise the 13 bedrooms and two acres of gardens. The couple will appoint a “neutral party” to select the winner. Just one catch: you have to be an Aussie citizen. Well, that should ensure they win something next year.
Big breakfast a bit egg-streme
Tourists are flocking to San Diego’s Provisional Kitchen for brunch. It’s the usual bacon, sausages, tomatoes, hash, chutneys, toast, avocado and egg. Except that’s an ostrich egg, equivalent to about 16 chicken eggs. The massive egg weighs up to 1.3kg and is served sunny side up. The meal will set you back $110 — but could probably feed a family of four. “It’s colossal!” one TripAdvisor reviewer said. “Easily shareable with 8 people.” Makin’ American Weight Again?
Something fishy about sustainable sailing
Hurtigruten, the Tromso-based line which runs ferries and cruises mostly around Norway’s coasts and islands, will power its vessels with dead fish.
It will become the first line to use liquified biogas, a fossil-free, renewable fuel produced from organic waste. Touting itself as the greenest line, Hurtigruten has banned single-use plastics and is planning to replace diesel propulsion systems on several ships with battery packs and gas engines. It is about to unveil the first battery-hybrid-powered cruise ship, the Roald Amundsen. Named after the Norwegian explorer who was first to reach the South Pole, the vessel is custom-built for sustainable operations in Antarctica and other polar regions.
Airport sinks its teeth into passenger therapy
Dozens of US airports use therapy animals to destress nervous passengers — mostly dogs, the occasional pig, cat or miniature horse. Each Friday, the Audubon Nature Institute brings live baby alligators to the baggage claim area at New Orleans’ airport and encourages passengers to pose for a gator selfie. Braver passengers are allowed to — gently — touch the gator. The babies are probably between 1 and 3 years old and measure from 30cm to 90cm long, said spokeswoman Erin Burns. “These animals are used to being handled and they get regular breaks.” That’s health covered, if not safety.