The Jungle Book: In Australia’s oldest rainforest

09/10/2015 0 Comments read Indigenous, Travel

By Neena Bhandari

Cairns (Queensland, Australia), 09.10.2015 (Khaleej Times): Nestled between the Coral Sea and the Great Dividing Range of mountains on a long narrow coastal strip is the city of Cairns, the gateway to two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest on earth.

This cosmopolitan city’s close proximity to Asia has made it an international tourist hub. It is worth a stopover either on the way in or out of Australia. The city centre lined with mangroves and mudflats, and the Esplanade, stretching along the city’s foreshore, have plenty to do for the young and old from children’s playgrounds to designated exercise and barbeques areas. The Esplanade Lagoon is a good place to cool off from the steamy heat of the Tropics.

From here, tours to the Reef and the Rainforest abound. One can choose from the itineraries on offer or custom make a tour to suit one’s needs. Most operators pick up and drop off from main hotels.

Continue reading →

Maoris reap benefits of past conservation

30/08/2005 0 Comments read Environment & Development, Indigenous, Travel

By Neena Bhandari

Wellington, 30.08.2005 (IPS): The conservation of land and water has been at the forefront of Maori life and today they are capitalizing the resource to boost eco-tourism.

Local Maori guides provide tales of tribal history and explain the medicinal purposes of plants on walking tours and offer close encounters with whales and gannets in various nature parks and reserves, which cover one-third of New Zealand.

Gannet Safari’s three-hour trip takes visitors through riverbeds, pastures, native bush, geological formations to reach the largest and most accessible mainland nesting place of gannets in the world at Cape Kidnappers.

Continue reading →

The thrill of tiger sighting: Kanha National Park

29/11/2001 4 Comments read Environment & Development, Travel

By Neena Bhandari

Kanha (Madhya Pradesh, India) 29.11.2001 (Sydney Morning Herald): As a child I would snuggle into my father’s arms in the “watch towers” strategically positioned in wildlife sanctuaries, and watch a tiger devour its bait. We would wait for hours in the thick of the night, straining our ears to hear that familiar ruffle of leaves caused by a stealthy predator.

Over the years the practise of baiting tigers for viewing has been discontinued, but encounters with big cats are not uncommon in the 27 tiger reserves of India, where this threatened species has learnt to live with man and vehicles.

Watching a proud tigress stretching with three playful cubs frolicking around her, or a majestic tiger enjoying a siesta, slowly turning to stretch a paw and yawn, are images I have grown up with. Having had the opportunity to see tigers at close quarters in sanctuaries from Ranthambore in the west to Sunderbans in the east, Corbett in the north to Periyar in the south, the experience that sticks with me is the Kanha National Park in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Continue reading →