Susan Milne, Travel-Write

From over tourism to no elective travel in a matter of days: Now we wonder when international travel will return. When it does, it will be a very different experience. We can expect health checks to be as important as security screening with some type of health documentation required for each journey. Health screening of arriving and departing passengers on all types of transportation will be taken very seriously. Aviation, which has surged in recent years, is taking a gian...t leap backwards. Lufthansa is just one airline permanently removing some large aircraft from service. Virgin Australia is the first Asia Pacific airline to go into administration. How many more airlines will follow? WestJet and EasyJet are two airlines leaving the middle seat in rows of three unsold to give passengers more space. Face masks must be worn by all airline passengers in Canada now and there are calls for this to be expanded to other countries and airlines. Will these practices continue once we are out of lockdown and a Coronavirus vaccine is developed? Cruising will look very different with travel insiders predicting no self-serve restaurants, tables spread further apart in dining areas, increased stateroom sanitation every day and more self-opening doors. Will large theatres sit empty while smaller lounges become the entertainment centre for jazz or classical groups and solo entertainers? And where will we be able to go? As countries open their borders, will visitor numbers be limited? Many places suffering from overtourism have already been restricting visitors. Machu Picchu, the Galapagos, Antarctica and Dubrovnik immediately come to mind as destinations already taking steps to limit intrusion by outsiders. This may become common place. So much to be revealed. For now, we can consider the possibilities, wonder where our next journey will take us and what the experience will be like. One thing for sure, real travellers are anxious to get back on the road. They were made to wander and wander they will adapting and taking any new restrictions in their stride. Photo: EasyJet planes grounded. Courtesy of The Guardian.

The Rainforest Gully at Canberra's Botanical Gardens, Australia.

Luxury Expedition Cruise Explosion: The trend continues with Viking Cruises the latest line to announce an expedition division. Serious adventurers have a wide choice of vessels to choose from when visiting such remote destinations as the Galapagos, the Arctic and Antarctica, with 10 new expedition ships scheduled to enter service in 2020 alone. This new breed of high-tech expedition vessels offers a surprisingly high level of luxury as well as impressive environmental advan...cements and unique designs. In addition to panoramic observation lounges, many carry a submersible and helicopter, along with the traditional zodiacs and kayaks, for an in depth and up-close exploration of the destination. They also carry prominent naturalists and scientific personnel turning your cruise into an expedition. For example, the Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris will be home to The Laboratory designed to support research in partnership with America's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute. Meanwhile, in the Galapagos, Celebrity Flora is a 100-passenger all-suite mega-yacht with naturalists from the Galapagos National Park on board to guide the journey. On board, every luxurious amenity has been carefully considered including Viking's Nordic Balconies private sunrooms that convert into an al fresco viewing platform for polar exploration. Scenic Eclipse entered service last year with eight lounges and bars, eight dining venues plus the indulgent Senses Spa aboard its sleek, Polar Class, ice-strengthened hull. Find out more enticing details at these links for Silver Origin, Celebrity Flora, Scenic Eclipse, National Geographic Endurance, Crystal Endeavor, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris: https://www.silversea.com/ships/silver-origin.html https://www.celebritycruises.com//cruise-s/celebrity-flora https://www.scenic.ca/our-ships/scenic-eclipse https://world.expeditions.com//national-geograph/overview/ https://www.crystalcruises.com/ships/crystal-endeavor https://www.vikingcruisescanada.com//viking-announces-laun

The Glass House Mountains north of Brisbane are just one of many natural wonders that inspire visitors to Australia. I recently visited this magnificent collection of volcanic plugs which dot the Queensland hinterland in the Beerburrum State Forest. The weather cooperated the first day. With a thunderstorm brewing, steam rising and clouds swirling it was an ethereal scene which seemed like being present at the creation of these magnificent outcrops. Technically, the mountains... are remnants of volcanic activity that occurred approximately 2527 million years ago. There are 11 peaks in total the highest being Mount Beerwah, 556 meters (1,824 Ft.) In 1770 Captain James Cook called them the Glass Houses, as their shape reminded him of the glass kilns in his native Yorkshire, England. Not surprisingly, this natural area is a National Park, popular for hiking and mountain biking. There are several lookouts from which you can view the mountains. See the Glass House Mountains Folder in Photos for a few photos taken from Mt. Mee Lookout, the Glass House Mountains Lookout and the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve.