Willis's Walkabouts Newsletter 110, October 2020 — New Kakadu Plan
The new Draft Kakadu Tourism Master Plan was released on 21 October. Submissions close on Friday 13 November. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get this newsletter out ASAP. If people don't comment, the park could change in ways that would make it almost unrecognisable.
There will be a public webinar about the plan on Wednesday 28 October from 9.30 - 11 am (ACST) 11 am - 12.30 pm (AEST). If you wish to take part, you need to register for the webinar which you can do by clicking the link above.
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In this issue
Kakadu Tourism Master Plan
I have now read through all 260 pages of the proposed plan. There is a wealth of good ideas but some things really ..... I'm at a loss for words.
- Bushwalking hardly gets a mention. We've lost several important routes in the last few years. They haven't been replaced. It's almost as if the planners see no real future for off track bushwalking in the park.
- Jim Jim Falls is one of the major icons in the park. on p216, the plan mentions a proposal to put in a zipline from the top of the falls to the plunge pool. Think of what that would do to the view. I don't think it will happen but the fact that it gets a mention gives me reason to worry.
- Improved opportunities for birdwatching is mentioned many times. I like that but what is not mentioned is that current burning practices have made some species like partridge pigeons much rarer than they were in the past.
Here are a few ideas I really like.
- Mountain bike trails. They don't exist now but could become a major attraction.
- A Heritage Trail highlighting some of the historical sites in the park.
- Opening some areas to accredited tour operators before they have been properly prepared for the general public. (No tour operator would allow people near sites where croc surveys are going on unless they wanted to lose their license.)
Please Have Your Say
- The Draft Plan is available on the Parks Australia Website.
- There will be a public webinar about the plan on Wednesday 28 October from 9.30 - 11 am (ACST) 11 am - 12.30 pm (AEST). If you wish to take part, you need to register for the webinar which you can do by clicking the link here.
- There is also an online survey which is open until 13 November.
- I've prepared a 4-page summary of my thoughts on the Draft Plan. Click to see it as a PDF.
Kakadu Visitor Survey
On a slightly different topic, bushwalkers are seriously underrepresented in the annual Kakadu Visitor survey. If you visited Kakadu this year, please click this link and fill in the survey.
WW Expeditions
We've now got bookings on most of our major expeditions. We've got no guarantee we'll be able to continue to offer them in their current form so get in while you can.
The Wet Season
- Kakadu Super Circle No. 1: 3 to 23 or 30 January
The ultimate wet season experience. List price: $4195 for the three week (1 helicopter food drop) trip, $5495 (two helicopter food drops) for the four week trip. We already have bookings for the four week trip. If you're interested, let us know which version you prefer.
Probable guide: Sébastian Heritier. - Bungles in the Wet: 7-20 February
One of the most amazing wet season experiences we offer. A landscape that has to be seen to be believed. List price: $5495.
Probable guide: Cassie Newnes.
Special Offer. Our 20% advance purchase discount will remain in effect for three weeks after we post this newsletter.
If any border restriction prevents someone from coming on a trip they booked, we will give them a 100% refund.
The Dry
We've got two three week expeditions with space available. Both have bookings.
- Kakadu Circle No. 1: 9-30 May
My favourite Kakadu trip List price: $4195. Includes a helicopter food drop. This trip is run at a more leisurely pace allowing you more time to enjoy the environment around you. - Kakadu Super Circle No. 2: 6-27 June
List price: $4195. This trip is run at a faster pace than the one above. It takes you as far into the back country as it is legal to go.
Misinformation
An incredible amount of untrue rubbish gets passed on. If we want our society to continue to function, we need to do a few things NOW.
- To Recognize Misinformation in Media, Teach a Generation While It's Young *
There is no silver bullet to slay internet lies and fictions. But students can be taught to know when information is reliable. - How to Deal With a Crisis of Misinformation *
"False news is on the rise. We can fight the spread with a simple exercise: Slow down and be skeptical."
Serious checking is real work but there are simple things that go a long way.
"What we can do is another exercise in mindfulness: Be deliberate about where you get your information", Mr. Adams said. "Instead of relying solely on the information showing up in your social media feeds, choose a set of publications that you trust, like a newspaper, a magazine or a broadcast news program, and turn to those regularly. Mainstream media is far from perfect, but it's subjected to a standards process that is usually not seen in user-generated content, including memes." - I Spoke to a Scholar of Conspiracy Theories and I'm Scared for Us *
The big lesson of 2020 is that everything keeps getting more dishonest. "Many Americans have become so deeply distrustful of one another that whatever happens on Nov. 3, they may refuse to accept the outcome. Every day I grow more fearful that the number of those Americans will be large enough to imperil our nation's capacity to function as a cohesive society."
It's not as bad in Australia but I see signs that we're getting there. - The above links to the Media Manipulation Casebook
The Media Manipulation Casebook is a digital research platform linking together theory, methods, and practice for mapping media manipulation and disinformation campaigns. This resource is intended for researchers, journalists, technologists, policymakers, educators, and civil society organizers who want to learn about detecting, documenting, describing, and debunking misinformation.
Other WW 2021 Trips
Our extended 20% advance purchase discount remains available on all 2021 trips.
Our Availability page shows the trips which have bookings and space available.
The Wet/Green Season
If you have never experienced our Wet(green) season and have the slightest curiosity as to what it really is like, you owe it to yourself to have a look at our wet season page. It links to a second page which links to a third. If you read them all, you will have a better understanding of bushwalking in the Wet is like than more than 99% of Australians. Here are four wet season trips that need a special mention.
- New Year in Kakadu: 27 December - 2 January
A special short trip for the holidays. List price: $1995. For the adventurous. We don't decide where we'll go until we know how much rain we've had. That's the only way we can guarantee you the best possible experience on those dates.
Probable guide: Russell Willis.
Special offer. Our 20% advance purchase discount has been extended to 3 October. - Green Kimberley: 5-23 January
One of my personal favourites. Three sections, each one a little harder than the one before. It's a fantastic way to build yourself up to see some of the best that the region has to offer. List price: $4295. - Russell's Light Wet Explorer: 5-14 February
Probable guide: Russell Willis.I am not going to miss doing at least one good wet season trip. Have a look at the video at the end of the trip page. If the Green Kimberley gets enough bookings to run before this does, I'll do that. Otherwise, I'll run this for as few as two people at no extra charge.
Special Offer. For the three trips above, our 20% advance purchase discount will remain in effect for three weeks after we post this newsletter.
If any border restriction prevents someone from coming on a trip they booked, we will give them a 100% refund.
April Onwards
Three trips need a special mention.
- Karijini National Park: 4-17 April
Visit one of Australia's most spectacular gorge systems when the water is still warm enough to enjoy a swim. List price: $3895. Two sections, either of which can be done on its own.
We only need two more bookings to make this a definite departure.
Probable guide: Cassie Newnes. Cassie plans to bring her two children ages 11 & 13, both very experienced bushwalkers, along on this trip. They would have gone on the April trip this year if we'd been able to run it. - Kakadu-Kimberley Special
This was going to be a special big birthday trip for me this year. Covid put an end to that but it was too good to resist so I'll make it for my birthday in 2021. List price: $4995. Unless we get cancellations, this is a definite departure. - Drysdale River No. 2: 4-18 July
New itinerary. List price: $4695. Probable guide: Russell Willis. When Drysdale 1 booked out, I had a look at what would be possible for a second trip. If you click the link and read the notes, you might understand why I'm so keen to do this one myself.
Changes Coming
- Access issues. Changed access means that some itineraries will need to be changed.
- New trips.
- This year's October Kakadu Birdwatching and Nature Special went so well that we are considering offering one or two similar trips in other areas in 2021.
- Three of us did a remote area first aid course in Litchfield this year. I've done at least ten similar courses. This one was the best value for money course of this type I've ever done. Few first aid courses really apply to remote bushwalking settings. This one does. We hope to be able to offer a similar course in our program next year.
Watch for updates.
Flying in the Age of Covid
Covid is not going away. The best we can do is manage it and do whatever is necessary to stomp it out each time it reappears. Flights have been cancelled and rescheduled at an incredible rate. Here are a few stories of things we can look forward to. The first two are specifically from the US but the issues are the same in Australia.
-
See for Yourself: How Airplanes Are Cleaned Today *
Airlines are fine-tuning their cleaning procedures — where they clean, how frequently and with which tools. This is what the new processes look like. - How United Airlines Is Trying to Plan Around a Pandemic *
The airline has to figure out which planes to stash in the desert and which ones to park at airports without knowing when demand will recover. - Plane cabins could change dramatically because of the pandemic. Here's how. **
From double-decker rows to color-changing seats, design firms are rethinking the plane cabin as we know it.
Covid — It Can Kill You Even If You Never Get Infected
- Slowing the Coronavirus Is Speeding the Spread of Other Diseases *
Many mass immunization efforts worldwide were halted this spring to prevent spread of the virus at crowded inoculation sites. The consequences have been alarming. - There Has Been an Increase in Other Causes of Deaths, Not Just Coronavirus *
More people have died from heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease in New York and New Jersey in recent months than over the same period in previous years. Here's how those deaths might be linked to the pandemic. - Elective surgery moratorium takes toll on patients
- Two from the New Scientist
US Politics
Finally, something actually worth sharing.
Kamala Harris, Mass Incarceration and Me *
Many progressives mistrust her for her past as a prosecutor. As an ex-convict — and also the son of a crime victim — I can tell you it's not that simple.
Joe Biden is 78. This gives a good insight into the woman who could easily become US president during or after his first term if he wins.
News About This Newsletter
Restricted websites. The NY Times and Bloomberg Business Week both allow non-subscribers to look at ten free articles each month. I've got more links than that in this newsletter so I've marked them with a red asterisk (*) so that you can choose which are of most interest to you. The Washington Post and The Economist both have limits but I'm not sure what the current limits are so I've marked Washington Post (other than their free Covid coverage) and Economist articles with a double red asterisk (**).
Next Newsletter — November? December? I had to rush to get this one out to meet the Tourism Master Plan comment deadlines. I'll take more time and get one more out before Christmas.
As always, I welcome a bit of feedback about some of the things in this newsletter and suggestions for the next one.
Sending the newsletter
I'm now using a paid version of MailChimp to send all of the newsletters. I'm not sure what I'll do if the list goes over 2500.
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If you know someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them. The more people who get it, the more likely it is that I'll be able to run the trips which might interest you.
If you care about Kakadu, please have your say.
Best wishes.
Russell Willis