Is it really Autumn already? As they say, time flies when you’re having fun, and speaking of flying, I recently joined the inaugural flight from Perth to Bali with TransNusa. My full review will be published shortly, but in the meantime, I will share how much I appreciated the convenient flight times. Leaving Perth at 13.55, I had a cocktail in my hand at The Laguna, in Nusa Dua, by the time the sun set.

While in Bali, I was fortunate to also stay at the InterContinental Bali Resort in Jimbaran and the Holiday Inn Canggu, before heading to Ubud and a brief jaunt to North Bali. My time in Ubud coincided with Nyepi, the day of silence on 29^th March. In the lead-up to Nyepi, cleansing ceremonies and parades happened all over the island, with the entire community getting involved, including the Ogoh Ogoh parade, where demon statues were paraded through the streets over the entire island and then burned, as pictured on the cover of this issue. This noisy and chaotic tradition completely contrasted with the following day, when everyone spent 24 hours reflecting, adhering to the rules of no entertainment, lights, cooking, work, or travel – no one was even allowed to go outside. I’ve never known Bali to be so quiet, and I wish we had this time of reflection in Perth. There aren’t many places where a festival has the ability to shut down the airport, and if you would like to hear more about my experience, please listen to this segment on Travel Writers Radio.

In February, I headed to Sydney for the annual IMM (International Media Marketplace) and spent an entire day speed networking with back-to-back meetings with tourism operators and boards. As intense as the experience was, I’m already looking forward to IMM 2026, as it’s an invaluable resource for travel writers, especially those living on the West Coast, far removed from a lot of the action.

I’ve also shared some of my published articles from Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Broome in this newsletter issue. Even if a trip isn’t on the cards, who doesn’t love a bit of inspiration and armchair travel?

Happy Fluffy Travels.

P.S. To read the newsletter, click here, and don’t forget to subscribe here.

A taste of what’s to come in this newsletter

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Feel the power of the engine between your thighs on a Harley-Davidson trike tour through Broome.

“My name is Roger and I’ll be your guide today. Welcome to the Mango Tango Tour,” drawls our driver as he caresses his white Harley-Davidson trike, our mode of transport. We climb aboard the curvaceous blonde and hit the highway to sip wine at a mango plantation.

This is our second trip to Broome and I can see why so many travellers get as far as Cable Beach and never leave. It’s peak season and nowhere feels crowded. All is serene … except for now.

As we speed along I rename the tour the Mango Jitterbug. I wonder if my face will ever return to its normal configuration and decide to spend the rest of the tour smiling, just in case my expression is frozen. But after passing a truck full of livestock, I learn a closed-mouth smile is essential. It’s also a good idea not to wear a skirt unless you want to distract the driver of a 10-tonne truck as it hurtles towards you. And, believe me, wearing contact lenses, white clothing or sticky insect-magnet lip-gloss is not advisable.

Pulling off the highway, we enter an oasis of mango trees. After we’ve picked out gravel and insects from our teeth, we approach a hut to sip wine, port and liquor coaxed from mangoes. We speculate that this was possibly the same mango plantation we considered buying years ago. But back then I had to admit that we didn’t know anything about mangoes. Now our hostess confesses she doesn’t have a clue either and sends all the fruit to Berry Farm in Margaret River to be turned into preserves, beauty products and beverages.

Hand me that wine bottle, please; commiseration is in order. Especially considering the modest price tag of the plantation back then. But a mango smoothie cools my mood and we climb aboard for a tour of the town.

Roger dishes out recommendations on the best places to buy pearls, eat fish and chips and drink beer. After a photo shoot at the port, we head back to the Cable Beach Club Resort.

I didn’t look like this!

With shaky legs and our pulses racing, we clamber off the Harley. It no longer matters that I can’t get an appointment for a facial at the booked-out day spa, as I’ve just received an unexpected exfoliation. Laughter lines have been sandblasted into my face. I’m hooked. Broome, vroom.

Enjoy your own mango-flavoured sandblast with Broome Trike Tours or if you’d like to read more about Broome please click here to order a copy of Australia’s Extra.Ordinary. West

Originally published in The Australian September 2007

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