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Courier-Mail
22-07-2025
- Courier-Mail
I joined a growing travel trend on a Kimberley cruise with kids
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Some might call it insanity. Taking two kids on a week-long cruise. To far-flung, people-free lands. At around $10,000 a pop (double for adults). I see their point. Exploring eastern Australia's remote Kimberley aboard a luxury expedition ship is lusted after as one of life's top-tier bucket-list experiences, on a par with a Kenyan safari or Alaskan adventure. Yet most people wait until they're retired to do it. I'm not one of those people. X SUBSCRIBER ONLY Increasingly, I'm not alone. Multi-generational travel is trending, and even True North – arguably Australia's most exclusive, chopper-topped cruise vessel – is happy to have all ages on board. Always has been. It's just that, until now, hardly anyone has taken up the option. But in the past two years, the original Kimberley explorer has seen a serious up-tick in families bringing several generations along. Already this dry season – April to October – True North has hosted a group of 12, comprising grandparents, parents and grandkids, then a family with teens, and a repeat customer who brings a different grandchild on each trip. Others have commandeered the entire True North II boat to edge towering, rusty red cliffs and nose the bow into splintering waterfalls with their nearest and dearest (starting at $424,000 for 10 nights and holding 22 people; 11 such charters are booked for 2026). Once, it was a view few people under 70 would ever get to see. Now, True North is blocking out select adults-only voyages to manage the competing demands. Fleur Bainger with sons Sebby and Jasper on a chopper ride from True North. I am, nonetheless, worried about how fellow passengers might feel about my two boys, aged eight and 11, climbing aboard. Perhaps they'll avoid us at dinner? Tut-tut at the kids' queue blindness? Or worse, trip over them? I word up the boys on a no-whinging policy (my rule, not the boat's). They'll try every cheffy dish before we take the toastie back-up plan. And be on best behaviour. Agreed? I book flights to Broome. The first sign things might actually go well occurs as we spring onto the back deck. 'Keep your shoes off; we go barefoot on this boat,' pipes a crew member, clasping my hand and hoisting me from the tender boat. 'Do you mean we don't need to wear shoes for a whole week?' asks the youngest, eyes saucer-wide. I nod and he fist pumps the air. Within seconds my tin lids are kicking back in cradle-like swivel chairs, sipping lemonade and munching Kettle chips like seasoned, five-star travellers. 'They're free, Mum!' I'm told, with more jubilation. Attempts at explaining 'all-inclusive' fail. Details, darling. True North cruising Montgomery Reef. We awaken to glowing amber bluffs out flatscreen-sized windows. Craggy, Buccaneer Archipelago islands are visible from bed (the usual king converted to two singles, plus an extra, fought-over floor mattress). Sleepy eyes stretch as we witness one of the world's last true wilderness areas – much of it accessible only by small expedition vessel. Even for me, on my fourth coastal cruise (lucky travel writer that I am), the dawn panorama produces awe-struck wonder. It's just like the first time I saw Uluru, aged seven. The Kimberley bears that same magical ability to bring out the child in everyone – regardless of age. 'I was screaming like a little girl,' laughs Diane Haagsma, a 72-year-old, who jumps off a ledge into a black gorge pool as a crew member holds her hand. Surfacing in delight, she admits not realising she was still capable of such a playful act, nor the four-points clamber up and down rock walls to get there. A dewy morning on deck on Porosus Creek. Picture: Fleur Bainger Another guest of similar vintage, Chris Sadler, feels renewed with each adventure, from hiking through spinifex to see 20,000-year-old rock art 'that doesn't have little ropes in front of it' to spotting sea turtles in channels cutting through Montgomery Reef. 'It's like when I go skiing – I always think of that as being like a six-year-old,' she says. Mother-of-three Mel Ecseri feels her 40s fall away at King Cascades, terraced falls that teem over long grasses. 'The sound of the waterfall took me back to being a little kid, when you have time, freedom and no stresses,' she says. 'In that moment, I realised there are no emails here, no texts, no kid wrangling, no timetable and nothing else to think about.' True North at King Cascades. She and her husband are cruising with his parents, celebrating the family patriarch's 80th birthday. 'It's been amazing to watch them do things they've forgotten they can do,' Mel says. 'And we've talked the whole time about how our kids would love this.' Daily adventures see the clock roll back. On my kids' first-ever chopper ride, the pilot executes aerial 'speed bumps'; after word gets around, he grants others the thrill. All ages giggle over comical mud skippers, scarlet crabs and multi-horned caterpillars. Smiles are equally wide as we coast over whirlpools and boils through the Horizontal Falls. The delighted cries as my son hooks his first fish carry across the water, sharing the joy. One day we eat breakfast burgers while spotting crocs in the lee of a looming red rock escarpment resembling the Roman Colosseum. Another, we raft up the tender boats – with a 'bar boat' in the middle – for a citrus-stained sunset. A tender on Porosus Creek at dawn. Picture: Fleur Bainger Is spending thousands on kids to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience worth it? With the funds, the agility and the way youthful innocence allows you to see things through new eyes, absolutely. But let's hear it from the kids. As we depart the ship, my eldest turns to me and says, 'I want to do this again. Can we do this again, Mum?' Ah, to be a child again. The writer and her family were guests aboard True North, with support from Tourism Western Australia. True North's seven-night Kimberley Snapshot Cruise costs from $19,595 per adult and $9797 per child. Helicopter flights are additional. Originally published as I joined a growing travel trend on a Kimberley cruise with kids
Scottish Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Is this the UK's quaintest pub? Never mind Prosecco, they don't even serve lager in ‘legendary' inn untouched by time
DRINK IT IN Is this the UK's quaintest pub? Never mind Prosecco, they don't even serve lager in 'legendary' inn untouched by time I FOUND what seems to be the UK's quaintest old school pub almost by accident - but don't expect to be able to order any champagne. The Dyffryn Arms is certainly not the easiest pub to find, but is well worth the effort. Advertisement 7 The Dyffryn Arms is located in the small rural village of Pontfaen, Wales Credit: John Sturgis 7 The quaint boozer is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Credit: John Sturgis 7 The pub was originally built in 1845 and then was later converted into a pub Credit: John Sturgis It's not in the middle of nowhere so much as on the far edge of nowhere, down any number of narrow winding rural lanes in farming country called the Gwaun Valley, inland from Fishguard at the west end of Pembrokeshire in Wales. Originally built as a house in 1845, it was converted into its current pub-of-sorts format sometime in the Victorian period and has remained little changed ever since: one room for the drinkers, the others for the family that owns it. And it's been run by the same family for over a century. Our sat nav initially took us to a random spot surrounded by fields with no buildings in sight. Advertisement Then, after we'd finally worked out that we were actually a mile or so from where we should be, we found ourselves driving the rest of the route at walking pace - or rather at the walking pace of the herd of dairy cows that were being led very slowly down the narrow country road ahead of us. When we finally got to the pub, it didn't look like a pub at all, an impression reinforced by the appearance of the barman. He looked at least 85-years-old and appeared to have fallen asleep in an armchair while watching daytime TV very loudly in his front room. When he finally stirred and noticed that he had customers, he directed us to the small public area of the pub while disappearing behind a hatch to serve us. Advertisement There was no conventional bar as such, just that hole in the wall separating us from him. The choices were Bass ale poured from a barrel and served from a jug - or two or three room temperature other dusty bottled drinks of unpromising appearance. Pub With A 'Floating' Beer Garden By The Beach Never mind drinks like a glass of Prosecco, the pub didn't even have lager. The snacks also had a retro quality: I noticed a Curly Wurly that was on sale, so leave your ideas of being able to order your Kettle crisps here. Advertisement And the public area was decidedly unlike a conventional modern boozer. There was no banquette seating or any other concessions to comfort, just austere straight-backed wooden chairs and benches that looked like they might have done several decades of previous service as church pews. There was minimal decoration save a few vintage pictures including one of the late queen - and the paintwork looked as though it hadn't been redecorated since she came to the throne in 1952. My wife, demonstrating an extraordinary degree of optimism, actually inquired 'what wines' they kept, as if there might be an extensive list. Advertisement 7 Inside there are no screens, no music, no phone signal and no wifi Credit: John Sturgis 7 And regarding drinks - there were no wines Credit: John Sturgis The question was met with a rather blank stare, with a slight bit of side eye thrown in. She eventually asked for a cider, along with my beer - and of course had the option of only paying with cash. Advertisement There were no screens (except that TV you could still hear booming from the private front room next door), no music, no phone signal and no wifi. Yet to some, having no distractions of any kind would be a welcome respite from the bustling pubs found elsewhere. And the only customers were us, being so quiet I wondered if we might be the only customers that week. This place might not be for everyone but for me it was a long cherished ambition to get here and it didn't disappoint. Advertisement Because, in some beardie real ale circles, the Dyffryn is a legendary pub, a holy grail for the serious pub enthusiast or social historian. 7 The pub has been run by the same family for over a century Credit: John Sturgis CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) describes its interior as 'of outstanding national historic importance' while National Geographic called the pub a 'time warp tavern'. But you will just have to remember to commit to finding it, as it isn't one you will easily wander past. Advertisement The previous manager, one Bessie Davies, had operated the pub's hatch for 72 years by the time she passed away aged 93 in 2023. In tribute her family have done absolutely nothing: keeping it as Bessie kept it and her fans like it. At one point a lot of country pubs would have been like this. In Thomas Hardy's famous Victorian novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles, his village has a pub like this where overspilling punters will often end up drinking in the landlady's bedroom, perched on her bed or chest of drawers while supping ale. Advertisement The Dyffryn is the closest I've ever come to seeing such a phenomenon in real modern life. I would feel guilty publicising The Dyffryn's extraordinary charm in case this were to see it overrun, but in reality most people reading this will never get there, and the few that do make the effort deserve the treat that awaits them. I just hope that when their time comes Bessie's grandchildren are as respectful of the past as to leave this winning formula alone. That's an ambition worth drinking to. Advertisement Britain's best 20 pubs for retro pints HERE are some of the UK's best pubs, as chosen by CAMRA: New Plough Inn, Hinckley, Leicestershire The Cricketers Arms, Saint Helens The Smithfield, Derby Pharmacie Arms, Syston Southampton Arms, Kentish Town, London Blackfriars Tavern, Great Yarmouth Victoria, Walsall Duke of Wellington, Norwich Dirty Duck Ale House, Holywood George Inn, Portsmouth Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff White Lion, Hampton in Arden Half Moon, Hitchin New Inn, Colchester Antwerp Arms, Tottenham, London Ostrich, Prestwich Puckersley Inn, Royton Drummer's Arms , Blackburn Woolly Sheep, Skipton There is also a small English pub that overlooks one of the UK's best secret beaches. Plus, the best pubs in the UK have been revealed.
The Irish Sun
15-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Is this the UK's quaintest pub? Never mind Prosecco, they don't even serve lager in ‘legendary' inn untouched by time
I FOUND what seems to be the UK's quaintest old school pub almost by accident - but don't expect to be able to order any champagne. The Dyffryn Arms is certainly not the easiest 7 The Dyffryn Arms is located in the small rural village of Pontfaen, Wales Credit: John Sturgis 7 The quaint boozer is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Credit: John Sturgis 7 The pub was originally built in 1845 and then was later converted into a pub Credit: John Sturgis It's not in the middle of nowhere so much as on the far edge of nowhere, down any number of narrow winding farming country called the Gwaun Valley, inland from Fishguard at the west end of Pembrokeshire in Wales. Originally built as a house in 1845, it was converted into its current pub-of-sorts format sometime in the Victorian period and has remained little changed ever since: one room for the drinkers, the others for the family that owns it. And it's been run by the same family for over a century. Our sat nav initially took us to a random spot surrounded by fields with no buildings in sight. Read more on travel inspo Then, after we'd finally worked out that we were actually a mile or so from where we should be, we found ourselves driving the rest of the route at walking pace - or rather at the walking pace of the herd of dairy cows that were being led very slowly down the narrow When we finally got to the He looked at least 85-years-old and appeared to have fallen asleep in an armchair while watching daytime TV very loudly in his front room. When he finally stirred and noticed that he had customers, he directed us to the small public area of the pub while disappearing behind a hatch to serve us. Most read in News Travel There was no conventional bar as such, just that hole in the wall separating us from him. The choices were Bass ale poured from a barrel and served from a jug - or two or three room temperature other dusty bottled drinks of unpromising appearance. Pub With A 'Floating' Beer Garden By The Beach Never mind drinks like a glass of Prosecco, the pub didn't even have lager. The snacks also had a retro quality: I noticed a Curly Wurly that was on sale, so leave your ideas of being able to order your Kettle crisps here. And the public area was decidedly unlike a conventional There was no banquette seating or any other concessions to comfort, just austere straight-backed wooden chairs and benches that looked like they might have done several decades of previous service as church pews. There was minimal decoration save a few vintage pictures including one of the late queen - and the paintwork looked as though it hadn't been redecorated since she came to the throne in 1952. My wife, demonstrating an extraordinary degree of optimism, actually inquired 'what wines' they kept, as if there might be an extensive list. 7 Inside there are no screens, no music, no phone signal and no wifi Credit: John Sturgis 7 And regarding drinks - there were no wines Credit: John Sturgis The question was met with a rather blank stare, with a slight bit of side eye thrown in. She eventually asked for a cider, along with my beer - and of course had the option of only paying with cash. There were no screens (except that TV you could still hear booming from the private front room next door), no music, no phone signal and no wifi. Yet to some, having no distractions of any kind would be a welcome respite from the bustling pubs found elsewhere. And the only customers were us, being so quiet I wondered if we might be the only customers that week. This place might not be for everyone but for me it was a long cherished ambition to get here and it didn't disappoint. Because, in some beardie real ale circles, the Dyffryn is a legendary pub, a holy grail for the serious pub enthusiast or social historian. 7 The pub has been run by the same family for over a century Credit: John Sturgis CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) describes its interior as 'of outstanding national historic importance' while National Geographic called the pub a 'time warp tavern'. But you will just have to remember to commit to finding it, as it isn't one you will easily wander past. The previous manager, one Bessie Davies, had operated the pub's hatch for 72 years by the time she passed away aged 93 in 2023. In tribute her family have done absolutely nothing: keeping it as Bessie kept it and her fans like it. At one point a lot of In The Dyffryn is the closest I've ever come to seeing such a phenomenon in real modern life. I would feel guilty publicising The Dyffryn's extraordinary charm in case this were to see it overrun, but in reality most people reading this will never get there, and the few that do make the effort deserve the treat that awaits them. I just hope that when their time comes Bessie's grandchildren are as respectful of the past as to leave this winning formula alone. That's an ambition worth drinking to. Britain's best 20 pubs for retro pints HERE are some of the UK's best pubs, as chosen by CAMRA: New Plough Inn, Hinckley, Leicestershire The Cricketers Arms, Saint Helens The Smithfield, Derby Pharmacie Arms, Syston Southampton Arms, Kentish Town, London Blackfriars Tavern, Great Yarmouth Victoria, Walsall Duke of Wellington, Norwich Dirty Duck Ale House, Holywood George Inn, Portsmouth Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff White Lion, Hampton in Arden Half Moon, Hitchin New Inn, Colchester Antwerp Arms, Tottenham, London Ostrich, Prestwich Puckersley Inn, Royton Drummer's Arms , Blackburn Woolly Sheep, Skipton There is also a small Plus, the best pubs in the UK have been revealed. 7 The country boozer is oozing with "extraordinary charm" despite being tricky to get to Credit: Alan Hughes
NZ Herald
14-07-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
City to Farm project diverts 350 tonnes of food waste, aids farmland
He then covers it all with mulch and leaves it to nourish and build the soil. This is the chain created by City to Farm, a project run by Hibiscus Coast Zero Waste (HCZW), to stop food waste going into landfill, to lower greenhouse gases and nourish local farmland. 'This is a way for everybody to participate in climate action with their food scraps, just sending them off to the farm,' HCZW trustee Betsy Kettle told RNZ's Country Life. City to Farm collects food scraps once a week from 25 collection points in the district, including kindergartens, cafes and restaurants, schools and the retirement village. Partially grant-funded, it has diverted more than 350 tonnes of food scraps from landfill since it started in 2019. The food scrap producers pay to have their scraps taken, which also helps fund the operation, Kettle said. Betsy Kettle, one of the drivers of the City to Farm project, checks out one of the specially adapted food scrap bins at Ryman's Evelyn Page Retirement Village. Photo / RNZ, Sally Round 'We don't call it waste. No, these are resources,' she said, lifting the lids of bins in the basement of the retirement village. They have woody mulch and biochar in the base to help with the pickling process known as bokashi. The bins are strapped down to make them airtight, ready for the weekly pick-up truck, which then transports the bins to the banana farm for further composting and integrating with the soil. The City to Farm project, run by Hibiscus Coast Zero Waste, collects food scraps from 25 centres - retirement villages, schools, kindies, restaurants and cafes - to be turned into compost for soil improvement on farms nearby. Photo / RNZ, Sally Round One of the retirement village's residents spotted the project in the local paper, and it took on a life of its own, village manager Jill Clark said. 'There's no extra work. It's just so routine. 'Now that's just what we do, because we've been doing it so long.' It's also become normal for the children at Wainui School. 'When we started it, we didn't really know what to think of it,' Year 8 student Madison Freestone said. 'We kind of just like, did it, and we were sort of like, 'eew'. 'But now we do it all the time, and we do find it cool. We find it fun. We learn new things all the time.' The Year 8 student team in charge of food scrap recycling in the school vegetable garden. Arielle Oswald (left), Leah Andrell, Morgan Price, Madison Freestone Photo / RNZ, Sally Round Madison and three other Year 8s form a dedicated team of food waste busters at the rural school. The bokashi method doesn't attract rodents, a particular problem with composting in a rural setting, principal Gillian Bray explained. The fertiliser created from leftovers is feeding the school vegetable garden, as well as City to Farm. Kettle said City to Farm provided schools with special food scrap caddies and a little stand that also took paper and hard recyclables. She said they talked to the children about the link between food scraps and greenhouse gases when placed in a landfill, as well as the way food scraps, together with biochar, can build topsoil and create a carbon sink. Wainui School's recycling hub where food scraps are turned into nutrient rich fertiliser Photo / RNZ, Sally Round The Year 8 girls have taken to educating too, and they're very strict about what can't go in the caddies. 'Any liquids, such as yoghurt, you know, juices, that type of stuff, no whipped cream, no meat, because the meat can make maggots grow, and it's gross. 'Yeah, and obviously no rubbish. 'So, if someone does something wrong, we remind them that they can't put that stuff in the bin. 'And we tell them what they can and can't put in the bin, so that they know for next time.' Teacher Nick Wotton, who leads the project at the school, said the girls had taken the task on with gusto. 'Our goal is for our students to be more sustainable and environmentally responsible, and I think this, starting with the girls, is a way to sort of embed that in our students and in our culture as a whole.' Scraps to soil Phil and Jenny Grainger looking out over their growing banana farm, fuelled with food scraps Photo / RNZ, Sally Round Down the road from Wainui School, Phil and Jenny Grainger are hosting lunch at a large table. Big bunches of bananas decorate their off-grid home from which wafts a delicious aroma. Jenny has made a banana curry from bananas grown out of the once-poor soil, which has been nourished by six years of food scraps. 'When we first came here, there was hardly a worm on the place,' Jenny said. The land was also dry and hydrophobic, repelling water. The couple, former dairy and kiwifruit farmers, took on the task of taking in the food scraps to see how soil could benefit and 'to sequester carbon', Phil said. They experimented with banana swales, digging ditches and building up banks for the plants with biochar and the fermented scraps, topped with mulch. Rainwater and organic matter were then able to infiltrate the clay soil. They also developed systems to make food scrap application more efficient and not so messy, and now apply the scraps once a month using a fast feeder and orchard tractor. 'Initially, it was having a car trailer trying to unload these wheelie bins and tipping and mud and stuff, and it was disgusting and terrible,' Phil said. The Graingers have planted more and more banana plants as the food scraps initiative has grown, and they've had the soil tested and learnt more about growing the fruit. Other challenges emerged on-farm, including rats and flies, but surprisingly, odours were minimal, likely due to the bokashi fermentation process, which prevented putrefaction, Kettle said. 'Although the work was messy, the impact was undeniable.' The Graingers are now transitioning into producing bananas commercially. Kettle said her husband did some sums and they reckoned half of Auckland's food scraps could be diverted from landfill on to 400 hectares of farmland. They'd like more farmers and communities to be involved. 'The City to Farm system is meant to model a small-scale, decentralised, local-resources-for-local-use system that, hopefully, other community groups will trial in their areas. 'And if we could do that, then we would be… helping the whole planet, and the farmers would be heroes. 'They'd be climate heroes.' - RNZ
Powys County Times
09-07-2025
- Powys County Times
I tried Aldi's Smart Kettle and boiled water from my sofa
While I like to think I'm on top of the latest trends, I'm not usually one to buy into the smart home concept. However, I thought the only way to see if some of the smart home gadgets are worth it is to try one for myself. While saving time and effort is usually the reason people opt for these electronic devices and even robots, some things are so easy to do that I'm not sure I need to change the way I do them. That being said, I tried out Aldi's Smart Kettle – it's certainly smart but is it worth it? I tried Aldi's Smart Kettle and felt lazy but efficient Whether boiling water for a cuppa or your pasta, this Smart Kettle can be operated from any room in the house using an app on your phone - a real gamechanger! The instructions for setting the kettle up were easy to understand and it was ready to go in minutes. The booklet talks you through downloading the Tuya Smart app – an app that allows you to control various electronic smart devices, including Aldi's Smart Kettle. If you find you're already standing next to the kettle, you can still boil it manually too. Using the app, you can boil water in the kettle or even purify it. You can also select several options, including black tea, coffee, green tea, honey and dried milk. This means you can boil the kettle at varying temperatures that suit the purpose. When it's finished, the kettle makes a beeping sound to let you know it's ready. If you know you'll need boiling water again in a short while, you can keep it warm for up to two hours with a handy tab telling you how much longer it will stay warm for. Are you a keen tea or coffee drinker at the same time each day? You can set a timer for the kettle to boil itself, ideal for your morning brew with the water able to boil while you convince yourself to get out of bed. The kettle even knows when there isn't enough or any water in there and the boil dry protection will make sure it switches itself off when this happens. Is Aldi's Smart Kettle worth it? Overall, Aldi's Smart Kettle is a clever appliance that I'd recommend for those of us who have busy lives and like to prepare early for a brew. While I'm not usually keen on smart devices and the guilt that being lazy conjures up inside me, I can see this being very helpful and slotting in nicely to some homes – it has in mine. I appreciate the quirky functions and the technological advances it has compared to my normal kettle, including the digital display which shows the temperature of the kettle rising as it boils. How many cups of tea/coffee should you drink a day? Plus, as someone who works from home, it's so easy to pop the kettle on without having to move away from my desk which is ideal when I'm busy at my laptop but know I'll be due a cuppa soon. Everyone's allowed to be lazy sometimes, right? Recommended reading: The Smart Kettle is available at Aldi for £29.99 and features smart app control over both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, a temperature display and an easy-to-use touch screen temperature control from 40 to 100C. Research from the supermarket ahead of the launch of its Smart Kettle revealed that 48% of Brits say they often have to re-boil their kettle because they get distracted - this is where the kettle's keep warm function could really come in handy. The study also showed that the kettle is normally on at 7am for the first cup of the day with 40% having a specific mug they always use which they believe helps their tea taste its best. You can schedule the kettle to have your water boiling for your morning brew before you've even made it downstairs.
