Latest news with #BruceHyland
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
I've travelled to the US for 35 years. My ESTA was revoked without warning
Homeland insecurities My daughter lives in the US and, for the past 35 years (excluding the pandemic), I have visited her at least once a year, as part of an extended overseas trip. This year, I made my usual US ESTA [Electronic System for Travel Authorisation] application. When it was approved, I purchased a ticket. But a few hours before my flight departure time, I received an email from US Homeland Security cancelling my authorisation to travel. No reason was provided, leaving me in the Kafkaesque situation of having breached some official procedure, while having no way to appeal the decision or determine what that breach could be. It is, of course, unthinkable that in the US, the land of much-vaunted freedom of speech, I should be penalised – as I suspect – for posting online several comments critical of President Trump and his administration, but it remains difficult to think of any reason why it should be acceptable for me to visit the US in May and, then, be suddenly unacceptable in July. There was a time when we only worried about such matters when travelling behind the Iron Curtain. Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy, NSW Letter of the week: Makes scents I toured Beppu, Japan (Traveller, July 12) in early April and there was a lot to see in addition to the various 'hells' (hot water springs). I visited the Otia Fragrance Museum, a two-kilometre downhill walk from the concentration of 'hells' along a funky shopping street. As well as a great history of the development of the fragrance industry and the various packages fragrances come in, the museum has a high-quality and reasonably priced gift shop and a lovely garden coffee shop. Its fragrance is quite different from the springs. I also participated in a workshop developing your own personal perfume for about $30. Yet another fun-filled, different activity in Japan, my favourite destination. Alex Gosman, Canberra, ACT Not so fast track Travelling from Singapore Changi to Sydney on QF2, the queue to enter security was clearly divided into two lines, indicating boarding groups one and two on the left and boarding groups three and four on the right. With no one to separate the boarding groups, not surprisingly the entire planeload joined the groups one and two queue, leaving the groups three and four queues virtually empty. I was travelling business class, entitling me to board in group one and two. Rather than ask for my due, I sauntered over to the near-empty group three and four queue and quickly sailed through. So much for the supposed privileges of fast track/priority boarding. Shamistha de Soysa, Vaucluse, NSW Brownied off
The Age
4 days ago
- The Age
I've travelled to the US for 35 years. My ESTA was revoked without warning
Homeland insecurities My daughter lives in the US and, for the past 35 years (excluding the pandemic), I have visited her at least once a year, as part of an extended overseas trip. This year, I made my usual US ESTA [Electronic System for Travel Authorisation] application. When it was approved, I purchased a ticket. But a few hours before my flight departure time, I received an email from US Homeland Security cancelling my authorisation to travel. No reason was provided, leaving me in the Kafkaesque situation of having breached some official procedure, while having no way to appeal the decision or determine what that breach could be. It is, of course, unthinkable that in the US, the land of much-vaunted freedom of speech, I should be penalised – as I suspect – for posting online several comments critical of President Trump and his administration, but it remains difficult to think of any reason why it should be acceptable for me to visit the US in May and, then, be suddenly unacceptable in July. There was a time when we only worried about such matters when travelling behind the Iron Curtain. Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy, NSW Letter of the week: Makes scents I toured Beppu, Japan (Traveller, July 12) in early April and there was a lot to see in addition to the various 'hells' (hot water springs). I visited the Otia Fragrance Museum, a two-kilometre downhill walk from the concentration of 'hells' along a funky shopping street. As well as a great history of the development of the fragrance industry and the various packages fragrances come in, the museum has a high-quality and reasonably priced gift shop and a lovely garden coffee shop. Its fragrance is quite different from the springs. I also participated in a workshop developing your own personal perfume for about $30. Yet another fun-filled, different activity in Japan, my favourite destination. Alex Gosman, Canberra, ACT Not so fast track Travelling from Singapore Changi to Sydney on QF2, the queue to enter security was clearly divided into two lines, indicating boarding groups one and two on the left and boarding groups three and four on the right. With no one to separate the boarding groups, not surprisingly the entire planeload joined the groups one and two queue, leaving the groups three and four queues virtually empty. I was travelling business class, entitling me to board in group one and two. Rather than ask for my due, I sauntered over to the near-empty group three and four queue and quickly sailed through. So much for the supposed privileges of fast track/priority boarding. Shamistha de Soysa, Vaucluse, NSW Brownied off
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Planning a trip to the US? Don't mention the Donald
There are those who misguidedly believe that not only should sport and politics never mix, travel and politics shouldn't ever coexist either. Fat chance. As the world has witnessed with international sport over the decades, the notion that it and world events can be separated has proved historically risible, and now we witness overseas travel becoming markedly more politicised. Nowhere is it more starkly illustrated than what appears to be the weaponisation of tourism for political purposes by the Trump administration and its facilitators, who appear to be Googling overtime in search of any criticism of the president and his policies. This article, and others I've written critical of US treatment of tourists under the Trump administration in my role as travel editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, will likely render any visit by me to the United States a risky proposition. I'm not complaining. For me, it's no loss. It's still a wide, wonderful and mostly welcoming world out there, and word has it that our far more rational Canadian friends could do with a little Antipodean love in the form of a holiday there. Loading So forget about yours truly, and consider the recent case of a reader of the Traveller title of the above publications. Only a few hours before the departure of his flight earlier this month to visit his daughter in the US, Australian Bruce Hyland received notice from American immigration authorities that he would not be permitted to enter the country. This news came after having been approved to visit. 'No reason for a cancellation was provided [for the decision to refuse entry],' Hyland writes in his Traveller letter, 'so one is in the Kafkaesque situation of having breached some official procedure, while having no way to appeal the decision or determine what that procedure could be.'
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump's becoming the Basil Fawlty of American tourism
There are those who misguidedly believe that not only should sport and politics never mix, travel and politics shouldn't ever coexist either. Fat chance. As the world's witnessed with international sport over the decades, the notion that it and world events can be separated has proved historically risible, and now we witness overseas travel becoming markedly more politicised. Nowhere is it more starkly illustrated than what appears to be the weaponisation of tourism for political purposes by the US Trump administration and its facilitators, who appear to be Googling overtime in search of any criticism of the president and his policies. This article, and others I've written critical of US treatment of tourists under the Trump administration in my role as travel editor of the Herald and the Age, will likely render any visit by me to the States a risky proposition. I'm not complaining. For me it's no loss, as it's still a wide, wonderful and mostly welcoming world out there, and word has it that our far more rational Canadian friends could do with a little antipodean love in the form of a holiday there. Loading So forget about yours truly and consider the recent case of a reader of the Traveller title of the above publications. Only a few hours before the departure of his flight earlier this month to visit his daughter in the States, Australian Bruce Hyland received notice from US immigration authorities that he would not be permitted to enter the country. This news came after earlier having been approved to visit. 'No reason for a cancellation was provided [for the decision to refuse entry],' Hyland writes in his Traveller letter, 'so one is in the Kafkaesque situation of having breached some official procedure, while having no way to appeal the decision or determine what that procedure could be.'
The Age
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Trump's becoming the Basil Fawlty of American tourism
There are those who misguidedly believe that not only should sport and politics never mix, travel and politics shouldn't ever coexist either. Fat chance. As the world's witnessed with international sport over the decades, the notion that it and world events can be separated has proved historically risible, and now we witness overseas travel becoming markedly more politicised. Nowhere is it more starkly illustrated than what appears to be the weaponisation of tourism for political purposes by the US Trump administration and its facilitators, who appear to be Googling overtime in search of any criticism of the president and his policies. This article, and others I've written critical of US treatment of tourists under the Trump administration in my role as travel editor of the Herald and the Age, will likely render any visit by me to the States a risky proposition. I'm not complaining. For me it's no loss, as it's still a wide, wonderful and mostly welcoming world out there, and word has it that our far more rational Canadian friends could do with a little antipodean love in the form of a holiday there. Loading So forget about yours truly and consider the recent case of a reader of the Traveller title of the above publications. Only a few hours before the departure of his flight earlier this month to visit his daughter in the States, Australian Bruce Hyland received notice from US immigration authorities that he would not be permitted to enter the country. This news came after earlier having been approved to visit. 'No reason for a cancellation was provided [for the decision to refuse entry],' Hyland writes in his Traveller letter, 'so one is in the Kafkaesque situation of having breached some official procedure, while having no way to appeal the decision or determine what that procedure could be.'
