This was published 14 years ago
WA's 'Best Job' equivalent involves sitting in taxi
By KAY O'SULLIVAN
Meter starts now
Tourism Western Australia is calling for people interested in adventure and who fancy the idea of a road trip around the state. And you don't have to drive to get the gig - a taxi driver will do the hard work.
There is one proviso: you have to be filmed. If all goes to plan you could become an online star in the same way as Briton Ben Southall, the winner of Queensland's Best Job in the World last year.
The Extraordinary Taxi Ride is TourismWestern Australia's attempt to ape Queensland's Best Job in the World campaign, which has netted the sunshine state more than $200 million of free publicity worldwide.
Would-be stars can apply to travel on one of 11 trips by describing in words, pictures or on video why they should win. The trips are four to seven days duration and traverse the state's iconic locations, from the south-west to the Kimberley coast. The only person to do the entire nine-week journey will be the taxi driver.
The 11 winners may each bring a friend, and included in the prize are flights to WesternAustralia and expenses.
In return, they will be filmed and the story of their journey told online, in the press, on radio and on television.
Applications for the Extraordinary Taxi Ride close on March 26.
See extraordinarytaxiride.com.
Happy to be grounded
Those who want to travel without flying might find the website flightlesstravel.com makes for a smoother ride.
According to the site's founders, Tom and Lorraine McMillan, its aim is to highlight the alternatives to flying, which aren't always easy to find, especially in developing countries.
The McMillans got the idea for the site in 2008 when they travelled from Singapore back toScotland without getting off the ground.
On their 85-day journey they took 22 buses, 14 trains, 11 boats and an unknown number of tuk-tuks.
"I have always been worried about the environmental effect of flights since my student days but it was only when Lorraine and I were trying to figure out a way to get back [to Scotland] from working in New Zealand by land and sea that we realised how hard it is to find all the information we needed," Tom says.
"We're not against flying per se but flightlesstravel.com will hopefully make it easier for people to choose the wonderful alternatives that are available."
Visitors are invited to share their itineraries, ideas and suggestions and rate routes.
See flightlesstravel.com.
Short of a berth
You'd think if you were the company president you could get a berth on your own ship. Not so for the Yachts of Seabourn president and chiefexecutive, Pamela Conover.
The US-based Conover flew to New Zealand to see how the Seabourn Odyssey was faring on its maiden world voyage last week. Her plan was to hitch a ride on the 450-passenger ship to Australia. But with no room, Conover had to fly.
Perhaps there will be a spot for her when Seabourn launches its two new yachts. The Seabourn Sojourn will make her debut later this year and the Quest next year. Each is a mirror image of the Odyssey and is costing more than $US300 million ($334 million) to build.
See seabourn.com.
Power cruise
The former US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, will be among a number of high-profile speakers on a Silversea Black Sea cruise in September.
The 10-night cruise on the Silver Wind is part of the 2010 World Leaders Symposium, organised by World Leaders Travel, a US companyspecialising in educational travel events.
This year's symposium will explore "thechallenges facing the post-perestroika world"featuring Rice; former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev; and one of the founding fathers of the internet, Vinton Cerf.
The full trip involves a three-night stay in Moscow at the Ritz-Carlton, the 10-night cruise on the Silver Wind and two nights in Istanbul. In Moscow, participants dine with Gorbachev and then fly to Istanbul to board the Silver Wind.
Formed in 1978, the company operates tours on every continent. Its 14-day Northern Australian expedition to the Kimberley will have the Australian-born professor of geology andgeophysics at Yale University, Brian Skinner, on board on August 6-20.
The World Leaders Symposium costs from $US23,990 ($27,000) a person, twin share. The Australian trip is $US8890 a person, twin share.
See worldleaderstravel.com or silversea.com.
Send news items to smarttraveller@fairfax.com.au.
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