Useful advice for UK passport holders. theguardian.com/money/2025/may…

Portugal has adopted a similar approach. To apply for Citizenship after five years, Residents must pass a stringent test of ability to read, write & converse in Portuguese. thetimes.com/article/a46cce…

There are around 50 Koalas on Phillip Island near Melbourne, and they spend 21 hours a day sleeping. Best time to see them awake is in the cool at the end of the afternoon.

Seal Rocks at the Western end of Phillip Island (nr Melbourne) were once the home of 20,000 Australian fur seals. Hunters slaughtered all but around 100 before it became a protected species. Now, there are more than 30,000.

There are (apparently) 346 species of birds on Phillip Island near Melbourne. But few as distinctive or famous as the Kookaburra.

Woolamai Surf Beach in the South East corner of Phillip Island near Melbourne is an Australian National Surfing Reserve. Not much to be seen today, though...

Anyone want a church? With no less than 5 churches & a convent, the beautiful town of Daylesford to the NW of Melbourne is clearly oversupplied with 'places of worship'.

Daylesford in Victoria has a historic character that is rare in Australian towns. Even the antique shop looks old!

Impressive. A Safety Zone on an Australian railway platform puts any worried passenger under direct CCTV surveillance. One can press the blue button for rail service information or the red if there's an emergency or one feels threatened.

Other than Australia, how many countries have drive-through alcohol shops?

'Frisbee golf' is (apparently) like real golf, with 18 holes of varying lengths. You need Frisbees of different sizes & weights, with the smallest/heaviest dopping into the basket shown when it hits the chains above.

A Bag Library Tree outside an Australian supermarket. A simple idea, but a worthwhile one.

To a traveller's eyes, kangaroos are almost 'exotic'. But Australians seem to regard them in the same way as Europeans view rabbits.

After the pleasure of flying @Emirates, a three hour flight with German airline Condor Airlines News brought me back to earth with a bump. An aged aircraft, sulky cabin crew & desperately uncomfortable seats combined to make it my worst flight in years.

It's illegal to drink while driving in Angola, but okay to use a hand-held mobile phone. Some Angolan drivers that appear to be talking on the phone are actually drinking from sachets like these.

The fresh food in Portugal doesn't have such a long shelf-life, but is far, far more tasty. No wonder Portguese residents turn their backs on ultra-processed foodstuffs!

The wildflowers remain beautiful in Portugal. But the temperature is rising, and soon the land will have lost much of its colour.

Dark clouds in the shape of an anvil en route from Amsterdam to Minneapolis. But other than lengthy queues at immigration, entering the US was as straightforward as usual, with no need to prove or disprove political philosophies. Relief.

What, exactly, am I meant to be tipping for at this @BestWestern?

Breakfast at @BestWestern sure looks tasty (not)....