Our photography expert Ewen Bell is sounding the alarm about over-tourism in Norway’s Tromso – regarding the best place from which to view the northern lights – Aurora Borealis. Over the past 15 years, travelling to the Arctic, Ewen has noticed that tourist numbers are rising with about 180 coaches a night taking passengers out around Tromso to find a good place to view the aurora. So Ewen has moved four hours south of Tromso, where he has a private house and cabins with a clear view of the sky for him and his p-photography group.

Photo: Ewen Bell self-portrait under the Northern Lights.

More information: ewenbell.com (Photography tours to the Arctic and Himalayas)

We have found a travel hack that helps create holidays without using all your leave.

The secret is to build days off into public holidays. Have a listen!

From the auspices of Travel Writers Radio - and a very full inbox - we have chosen the most interesting and appropriate travel news for listeners this week. To submit your potential news item, remember our ethos - No AI, No BS, Keep it short,

TWR News is produced and presented by Graeme Kemlo and Helen Hayes.

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With everything going on in the world right now, and much of it driven by the White House, we wondered what the average man in the street in USA worries about. So we checked in with New York correspondent, Phil Brown.

When predictions come true! Our wine expert Tyson Stelzer has consistently picked the House of Arras sparkling wine as one of the world's best - even up against French champagnes. Recently, a vintage magnum of Arras sparkling was given the first perfect score by an international wine critic – a score f 100. We now wonder if Tyson is as good at picking this year’s Melbourne Cup winner?

Image: Houe of Arras Late Disgorged Sparkling

Tyson's Recommended Wines:

Bellebonne Bis Rosé NV

Billecart-Salmon Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV

Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2023

Timing is key to every great holiday … especially when you’re hiking. Knowing where to go and what you can see and do is important. But, knowing when to go is crucial. Lonely Planet’s new book: Where to go When – Hiking has it all sorted. Carolyne Jasinski speaks with the authors Sarah Baxter and Paul Bloomfield.

This is music to your ears! Carolyne Jasinski and Graeme Kemlo update listeners on the new musicals showing now and coming to a live theatre near you in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Image: Natalie Bassingthwaite premiered in Waitress last weekend in Melboune. It will then tour other states.

Melbourne journalist Emily McAuliffe takes us "home" to Far North Queensland to see Australia's largest monolith ... and it's not Uluru. Come on a trip to remote Mount Mulligan, a three-hour drive (by 4WD preferably) west of Cairns. It's so isolated, not many people really know about the monolith that dominates the landscape and dwarfs Uluru - or about the cattle station with a five-star, 28-guest luxury lodge.

Photo: by Emily McAuliffe shows Mount Mulligan in the backgund viewed from the luxury lodge pool.

Karin Avila, our Spain-based correspondent talks to people who, like her, are expats … strangers in a strange land. This time she speaks with Ken Thompson who, in 1982, joined the Royal Observer Corps to help serve the Royal Air Force. With Cold War tensions high and in pursuit of purpose and camaraderie, there was an opportunity to serve his fellow countrymen as an observer. Ken shares that it’s never too late to try something new and a sense of belonging goes a long way. There's also a comical encounter with Queen Elizabeth.

Photos Karin Avila and Ken Thompson