Willis's Walkabouts Newsletter 93, December 2017 — Christmas Special

Last Chance!

The three remaining February trips will have to be cancelled unless we get more bookings by 14 December.

• Bungles in the Wet: 4-17 February
  I've seen a magazine claim that their writer went on the first wet season tour to the Bungles earlier this year. Beg pardon, our first wet season Bungles trip trip was back in 2008.
  Whether or not you are interested in joining us, it's worth having a look at our 2008 Bungles in the Wet photo gallery and/or some video clips from that same trip.
• Kakadu Light: 11-24 February
  This is the easiest way to experience bushwalking in the Wet without having to carry a full pack for more than a few km on couple of days.
• Kakadu Highlights No. 2: 18 February - 3 March
  The first section is as easy as Kakadu Light. The second gives you a more 'full-on' wet season experience.

Both Kakadu trips offer an easy introduction to bushwalking in the Wet. I enjoy both so much that I will run whichever gets to three bookings first for as few as three people, no extra charge. The other will be cancelled unless we have good bookings on both by 13 December. If neither runs, I will put on part of it as a weekend walk for the Darwin Bushwalking Club. Visitors welcome. That shows how much I enjoy the trips.

Special Offer. Quote this newsletter and take an extra $500 off the price after deducting any applicable discounts. You can find all our list prices on our PDF trip list.

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2018 Trips

Our Availability and Specials Page always has up to date info on which trips have bookings. As of the date this newsletter was sent out, the following had bookings. One is already getting close to full.

• Kimberley Highlights No. 1: 13 May - 9 June
  This is the ultimate taste of Kimberley bushwalking, five sections, any of which can be done on it's own.
• Gibb Road Gorges: 10-24 June
  This is the easiest Kimberley trip we offer. In spite of the fact that land tenure changes have prevented us from finalising the itinerary, we already have bookings.
  Watch for updates.
• Charnley River: 24 June - 15 July
  New trip notes went onto this website on 16 November.
  The original dates were changed to allow a connection with our Gibb Road Gorges trip.
• Kakadu Circle No. 2: 1-14 July
  A long loop showing you some of the best Kakadu has to offer. A food drop divides the trip into two sections, either of which can be done on its own.
• Kakadu Compassionate Communication Retreat: 25 August - 1 September
  Definite departure. Guides: Cassie Newnes and Shar Malloy. This trip ran for the first time this year. It went so well that next year's trip is already heavily booked.

Russell's Wish List

Here are some trips, I'd dearly love to lead myself.

• February-March. Kakadu Light: 11-24 February or Kakadu Highlights No. 2: 18 February - 3 March
  See Last Chance! above for more info and a special offer.
• March-April I enjoyed last year's trip so much that I'm offering something similar in 2018, Centralian Highlights: 11-29 April. This trip is different from our others in several ways and allows me to do things I couldn't do otherwise. Read the notes for details.
• May. Kakadu Circle No. 1. If someone told me that I could only do one more Kakadu walk, this would be it. Three weeks to relax and cover the same ground we do in 16 days on Kakadu Circle No. 3 later in the year.
• June-July. Charnley River: 24 June - 15 July. It's been a few years since I last did this trip. I'd really like to do it again while I still can.
• September-October. South Africa. One problem is that at least one of the walks I want to include is already heavily booked. Another is that if the drought doesn't break, I may have to make substantial changes to the itinerary. Fortunately, we'd know that some months in advance.
• October. Depending on bookings, all or part of Kakadu Highlights No. 10. The dates are changed. I can sum up my feelings about the trip by saying that I ran a similar trip this year for one person, just so I could do it myself.
• December-January. Scandinavian winter, including a dog sled section. I need a few nibbles before I decide whether or not it might be feasible.

I asked the guides who had done the most trips in 2017 for their wish lists.

Cassie's Wish List

Cassie didn't have time to do a proper list before she started a big trip down south, but there are two trips that she'd definitely like to do.

• Durack Explorer:17-30 June
  Boat to the start and bus back.
• Prince Regent Charter: 16-29 July
  Sorry but no space available. Cassie and I both did the Prince Regent trip this year. She worked out how to make it even better in 2018, then got a group of people who want to do a shorter version with her as leader.
  If that runs the way we expect, we'll be able to drop the price of the regular Prince Regent trip which precedes it and the Mitchell Plateau trip which follows it.
• Kakadu Compassionate Communication Retreat: 25 August - 1 September
  Cassie is the only one of the guides who could run this. It is already a definite departure. It everyone who has said they are interested confirms, only a few places remain available.

Don's Wish List

• Baroalba - Hill 420: 4-17 March
  The greatest concentration of Aboriginal art in Kakadu combined with the highest point on the Arnhem Escarpment.
• Karijini National Park: 1-14 April or Karijini National Park: 3-16 June
  Don's been there before and wants to go back. Karijini has one of the most impressive gorge systems in Australia.
• Kakadu Super Circle: 10 June - 1 July
  The longest single walk we offer in Kakadu.
• Twin to Jim Jim Circle: 8-21 July
  A long loop between the two biggest waterfalls in Kakadu that gets you almost to the Arnhem Land border.
• Mitchell Plateau No. 3: 5-18 August
  After two years of negotiations, we can finally go back. Better still, if the charter mentioned in Cassie's list comes off, we'll fly in and drop the price.

Rod's Wish List

• King George: 6-19 May
  Amazing trip on the Kimberley Coast.
• Drysdale River No. 1: 17 June - 1 July
  Float plane in and out of an amazing area.
• Bungle Bungles: 1-9 July
  Rod would like to bring his wife and son along to show them this amazing area.
• Mitchell Plateau No. 3: 5-18 August
  Rod and Don are both keen on this one.

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Reviewing Willis's Walkabouts

Please Help!

While we have an amazing base of committed clients, we need to attract new people if the business is to survive. We can't do that without getting some good reviews. There are three main sources that people look to for reviews.

• Google. Ouch. This is probably the most important of the three. We've got only two reviews, one of which is fairly negative (no comment, just a rating). We need more reviews with comments. Go to Google, search for Willis's Walkabouts, and you'll get a chance to write a review in the right hand column. This link should get you there.
• Facebook. We've got some fantastic reviews on our Facebook page. There are only ten reviews only four of which are from this year. We need more.
• Trip Advisor. Unfortunately, Trip Advisor won't review a business which offers only trips of more than one day. /we probably could create something, but it might not be up to the standard of our regular offerings so, for now, we won't do it.

Are We Getting the Right People?

After years where we didn't get a single client who wasn't reasonably prepared, we've had several in the last two years. People not reading the essentials. One suggestion for the Bushwalking Guide is that we print a short version of the absolutely essential info and do an online version with more photos. I'd be interested to hear some opinions on that.

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Tech Giants

Google Doesn't Want What's Best for Us *
"America has held a largely romantic view of the tech industry that is at odds with reality."

Graphic: Silicon Valley Is Not Your Friend *
"We are beginning to understand that tech companies don't have our best interests at heart. Did they ever?"

From The Economist, Publishers are wary of Facebook and Google but must work with them **
"Facebook calls its 'News Feed' offering its most important product, but in recent years it has tweaked the feed in ways that de-emphasise actual news, instead prioritising updates from friends and family over those from publishers"

Many of our clients use Microsoft One Drive to share photos. The downside is that you need a One Drive account to see those photos. Some accounts are free, but 'free' always comes with a loss of privacy — and possibly increased advertising.

Can anyone help?

Did you know that Google won't search for special characters like % or (). I think the reason is that they aren't always the same characters. If I do a simple copy into my newsletter, I will sometimes get a '?' or some other symbol depending on what browser I use. instead of the character. I try and replace all the problem ones but I always miss some. If you look at the third dot point in "The end of the world as we know it" in my last newsletter you should see what I mean. On my own computer it looks normal, on the website it doesn't.

SymbolHound will search for those characters but I can't figure out how to use that to search in gmail or Outlook. Any suggestions?

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Tech To Think About

Where possible, we should think about the possible ramifications of technological change before those changes happen. Here are some interesting stories that emphasise that point.

• Navy Returns to Compasses and Pencils to Help Avoid Collisions at Sea *
  Too much reliance on technology can cause major problems.
• What We Lose When the World Moves On From Email *
  "Donald Trump Jr.'s Russian email thread shows the historical value and irresistible allure of a technology that continues to betray us."
• The Bright-Eyed Talking Doll That Just Might Be a Spy *
  "Germany has moved to pull the doll, Cayla, off shelves because of an insecure Bluetooth connection that hackers could use to eavesdrop on children who play with it."
• Self-Driving Cars Might Need Standards, but Whose? *
  "Some say autonomous vehicles should have common technology before they hit the road, but there is also a strong case for independent approaches."

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Cyber Attacks

Back in May there was a massive cyber attack which took out computers around the world. It made the news for a few days, then faded away. It might, however, be the precursor of something that will dramatically change our society or perhaps even destroy it. The best analysis I've seen is Piracy on the Cyber Seas
"The territorial state is under increasing stress as a viable unit. This is not, or ought not be, new news."
The full article runs just over 8 pages. It's well worth reading as it shows just how bad things are likely to get.

Now here are some of the better articles about cyber attacks that I've seen. Unlike most of the stories at the time, these are not out of date.

• Hackers Find 'Ideal Testing Ground' for Attacks: Developing Countries *
  "Often the best way to see if a cyberweapon works is to try it out in a country without the best digital defenses, as recent attacks have indicated."
• Hacks Raise Fear Over N.S.A.'s Hold on Cyberweapons *
  N.S.A. = the US National Security Agency
  "Hackers in two global attacks have used cyberweapons stolen from a dangerous collection that had been amassed by the agency."
  If the most powerful country in the world can't protect it's cyber weapons, who can?
• Malware Case Is Major Blow for the N.S.A. *
  "The latest nightmare for the agency, which is responsible for eavesdropping, code breaking and cyberespionage, appears to be far from over."
• What the underground market for ransomware looks like
  "The underground market for software vulnerabilities has been growing steadily since the 1990s, so the latest WannaCry could be a sign of things to come."
• Shadow Brokers promise release of more NSA hacks to be used against the world
• Small Countries' New Weapon Against Goliaths: Hacking *
  "Vietnam is a case in point, with a group that targets foreign companies appearing to be sponsored by the state, according to a new report."
• In Computer Attacks, Clues Point to Frequent Culprit: North Korea *
  "Indicators are far from conclusive, but intelligence officials and private security experts say that North Korean-linked hackers are likely suspects in global ransomware attacks."

Protect Yourself

• How to Protect Yourself From Ransomware Attacks *
  Some tips from computer security experts.
• Hackers Hide Cyberattacks in Social Media Posts *
  "A recent attack on the accounts of Defense Department employees suggests how easily people can be duped into clicking on dangerous links."
• China, Addicted to Bootleg Software, Reels From Ransomware Attack *
  "As companies and officials scrambled to counter global hacking, the vulnerability caused by rampant piracy came into focus."
• With New Digital Tools, Even Nonexperts Can Wage Cyberattacks *
  The ransomware tactic behind a global cyberattack on Friday was nothing new. But new digital tools mean that hackers "don't even need to have any skills to do this anymore."
• Darkening Web
  "China watches what its own people say, Russia spreads its own version of events and the US brags. A new book shows that cyber-conflict is largely a war of words."
  Here's the link to the Amazon review.

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Climate

Is a La Niña coming? The November Browning Climate Bulletin may answer the question.

Alaska's Permafrost Is Thawing *
"The loss of frozen ground in Arctic regions is a striking result of climate change. And it is also a cause of more warming to come."

We call them 'cyclones'. The Americans call them 'Hurricanes". Click Hurricane Categories to see how they classify their storms.

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Photos, Videos & Just for Fun

I couldn't resist the cartoon. Dead and still on the phone. A true comment on our times. Click the pic to see a larger version.

• A Journey Through Kakadu
  This link came in a Kakadu Tour Operator Newsletter which said, "For the first time and with special permission from traditional owners, drones have been permitted to capture footage of Kakadu National Park which stretches over 20,000 square kilometres. Allowing you a bird’s eye view of some of Kakadu's hot spots. You'll understand why Kakadu National Park is World-Heritage listed for both its environment and living Aboriginal culture."
  While you can apply for a special permit to use a drone, that same newsletter noted, "We live in a time of rapid technological advancement, and with this can come a lot of fun doodads and gadgets. However, it is important to note that not all of these toys are allowed in the Park. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (Reg 12.27), remote control devices, including planes, cars and drones, are not permitted in any Commonwealth reserve. In fact, anyone who uses these types of devices in Kakadu can be subjected to criminal fines of $1,700. So, please remind your guests to leave these devices at home."
• Amazing drone footage near train
• Hurricane Categories
  If you didn't click it under climate, click it here.

Amazing Africa

• Nature's Best Photography Africa
  Amazing photos along with comments from the phtographers.
• Getaway magazine runs a monthly photography magazine. You can get links to the different monthly finalists at Getaway Gallery. To see a blow up, you have to individually click each photo. The photos come with comments from the photographers about how they got that particular shot.
• For the recent best, here are their top ten photos from 2016.

If you leave near Bright in Victoria (4 hours from Melbourne) you might be interested in the 2017 BRIGHT MOUNTAIN FILM TOUR. The trailer is only 45 seconds but it gives you an idea what to expect.

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