John MacKenzie chats with Mark Olsen, CEO of Tourism Tropical North Queensland, about the methods needed to recover the tourism industry in FNQ after the Japanese ambassador visited Cairns to meet with tourism authorities.

Cairns is a world-class destination boasting natural beauty with the reef and rainforest as examples and of course the fine dining, restaurants, and hip cafe scene in the region which is an integral part of a sophisticated tourism product.

A return of a strong Japanese tourism market would be a much-needed break in our covid-recovery efforts.

John MacKenzie chats with Geoffrey Thomas, Editor in Chief at AirlineRatings.com, about the recent spike in airlines prices for domestic travelers within Australia. Geoffrey sheds light on the issue and reminds listeners about the many cheaper flight options still available. The data is not as frightening as some reporting made it out to be.

Geoffrey Thomas also provides insight into the rumour that Qantas Airlines nearly went bankrupt during the covid-19 pandemic.

John MacKenzie chats with Geoffrey Thomas, Editor in Chief at AirlineRatings.com, about the recent spike in airlines prices for domestic travelers within Australia. Geoffrey sheds light on the issue and reminds listeners about the many cheaper flight options still available. The data is not as frightening as some reporting made it out to be.

Geoffrey Thomas also provides insight into the rumour that Qantas Airlines nearly went bankrupt during the covid-19 pandemic.

John MacKenzie chats with Kevin Byrne, Former Mayor of Cairns, Military Officer, and Senior Instructor at Duntroon Royal Military College, about Chinese territorial advancement in relation to the Solomon Islands. 

Kevin also touched on his recent 14-hour, life-saving surgery that was performed by former Cowboy's NRL player turned surgeon, Dr. Scott Whiting.

Cairns Economist Bill Cummings chats about a federal government announcement about a transcontinental route upgrade to seal a 1000km stretch of highway which will ultimately connect Cairns with the Red Centre and beyond into Western Australia. 

$678 million has been promised, with a share of $154 million to be allocated for the Queensland sections of the road. 

Bill Cummings has been one of the inland rout's top supporters, ever since the first studies were conducted in 2006.

Douglas Shire Mayor, Mich Kerr, is backing a push from the Local Government Association of Queensland for a national housing summit to address the impact Airbnb and similar styles of accommodations are having on the local rental market.

Regulations are needed in order to deal with the current housing shortage in Port Douglas as locals find it increasingly more difficult to find tenancy. 

Douglas Shire Mayor, Mich Kerr, is backing a push from the Local Government Association of Queensland for a national housing summit to address the impact Airbnb and similar styles of accommodations are having on the local rental market.

Regulations are needed in order to deal with the current housing shortage in Port Douglas as locals find it increasingly more difficult to find tenancy.