September 17, 2025 • 42 mins
There's great nightlife, it's summer all year round, and really, really hospitable people. Add to that fabulous architecture and a blossoming food scene, and what's not to love about Malta?
In Australia, he's Mr Malta - Maltese-Australian chef, restaurateur and TV presenter Shane Delia has been returning to the Mediterranean island nation since he was 13, so he knows a thing or two about exploring Malta's food, beaches and lifestyle.
Talking to the podcast just ahead of Maltese Independence Day, Shane, whose restaurants include Maha in Melbourne, Layla in Brisbane and the Biggie Smalls kebab chain, appears on Channel 9's Postcards every week, says Malta is blossomed with high-end restaurants. "But while it’s well documented where we’ve been, young Maltese chefs are asking, 'Where can we be, who can we be?'" he says. His hot tips include Marsaskala Bay for swimming and Sphinx Malta for delicious pastizzi. Follow Shane at @shanedelia
Also, be compensated for late or cancelled flights here in Australia: you can have your say on the proposed Aviation Consumer Protection Scheme, see http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-consumer-protections
And finally, car rental group VroomVroomVroom says that Australian airports are the most common place for bingles in your hire car.
Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:02):
Welcome to The World Awaits.
Welcome back to The WorldAwaits.
How are you all?
SPEAKER_02 (00:11):
How's
SPEAKER_01 (00:11):
your
SPEAKER_02 (00:11):
week been, Belle?
I don't know that I've doneanything, Kirsty.
I've been sitting on mybackside.
You know, some weeks you've justgot to keep your head down,
haven't you, right?
You know, I mean, look, I amfuriously planning travel, but
I've done nothing that moves meout of my office.
Far out.
That sounds really depressing,but that's life, isn't it?
(00:32):
You know, we're not always onthe road.
What about you, Kirsty?
SPEAKER_01 (00:35):
Yeah, it's so true.
We are, and it sort of comes inebbs and flows, doesn't it?
And, yes, I have no doubts thatyou will be.
out of that office before toolong.
I actually had the weekend down,or last weekend I was in Noosa,
you just reminded me about thatbefore, when you were
complaining that you hadn't beenanywhere.
And this weekend, this lastweekend, sorry, the weekend
(00:58):
before I was in Noosa and thenthis last weekend, I have been
down at Phillip Island, hikingon the George Bass Coastal Walk,
which is one of my favouritehikes, and sort of eating and
drinking my way around theplace.
Actually, funny story, the crimefiction that I'm working on my
new one because I want a new oneto give to my agent if this
other one doesn't get picked upI'm writing a story about and it
(01:21):
includes a body that's found atthe bottom of a cliff and it's
based on these coastal cliffs onthis walk so yeah this is a bit
of a research trip Oh, my God, atext write-off, right?
SPEAKER_02 (01:32):
This isn't the one that I inspired you because it's
the travel writer.
I haven't inspired you with thebody on the bottom of the
cliffs, have I?
I am so looking forward toreading your crime fiction when
they are out, multiple books.
And I'll be looking for it.
(01:53):
I love that when you readsomewhere that's set in a place
that you know well and thenyou're reading it and you can
put yourself in that.
in that place that you aredescribing in your book.
So that is absolutely no segueto our research this week, which
is about aviation consumerprotection things.
SPEAKER_01 (02:16):
There is absolutely no segue into that.
You're absolutely right.
But this is really important.
It's really important, researchpeople, and you will love it.
So the Australian government isactually asking people to be
able to have their say on a newaviation aviation consumer
protection scheme.
Now, I know this all soundsreally boring, but stay with us
because it's really important.
Because as per the namesuggests, it actually means more
(02:39):
protection for passengers sothat there's more accountability
for airports and airlines when,you know, we have things like
delays and cancellations, whichI have to say, everyone must
have experienced at some stageif you're a traveller.
SPEAKER_02 (02:52):
Yeah, absolutely.
The government wants airlines tobe prompted to offer rebookings
or refunds.
I And also access to things likefood and accommodation when your
travel plans are disrupted.
So the new aviation consumerprotections will clarify the
obligations of the airlines andthe minimum level of assistance
(03:14):
required when a scheduled flightis disrupted.
There'll also be an ombudsmanscheme, which is great because
we'd love to have somebody thatwe can actually complain to
because honestly, sometimes whenyou're ringing the airlines, it
feels like they're just notlistening.
They've got their fingers inyour ears about it.
And also a new regulator toensure that airlines and
airports abide by these newminimum standards.
SPEAKER_01 (03:35):
Yeah, so like you said, it is pretty amazing that
we actually haven't had onealready, that there hasn't been
such a scheme.
But some airlines do already doit.
So when we had our flightcancelled to Thailand a few
years ago, we were put up in ahotel, albeit it was a really,
really bad airport hotel inSydney, which was like something
out of Fawlty Towers.
But anyway, we did also have ourflight rebooked the next day.
(03:58):
And thanks to the insurance, wedid get our first night of
accommodation back but obviouslythat was only covered because we
had the insurance already lockedin but regardless the scheme is
I mean it's obviously reallyneeded because it has to cover
all situations so it's open andnow for you to have your say and
it closes on the 5th of Octoberso you have to get in quick and
(04:19):
we will put a link in the shownotes as well
SPEAKER_02 (04:23):
Yeah, I think it's so great.
The Minister for Infrastructure,Transport, Regional Development
and Local Government, far out.
Imagine saying that every timeyou pick up the phone.
Catherine King, much shorter.
Catherine King said exactly whatyou just said, Kirsty, in that
that's what passengers canexpect from airlines and
airports because the approach isdifferent at every single
(04:44):
airport and with every differentairline.
So the new scheme would includeinformation requirements when
you book a flight and check in,how you should should be
communicated with from theairport, you know, from the
airport or the airline.
And that just doesn't mean likea sneaky text message that comes
in 12 hours later.
And the minimum levels ofassistance when the flight's
disrupted.
(05:05):
And also how these airlines andairports should manage
complaints.
And that, you know, as opposedto never returning your call or
anything like that, which Ithink has been the experience of
most travellers.
SPEAKER_01 (05:18):
Yeah, and that's great, assuming it's all
followed through with.
And Choice has come out sayingthat the new scheme marks a long
overdue shift in Australia wherepeople deserve clear rights when
flights don't go to plan.
I mean, hello, of course we do.
And yeah, like you say, not asort of patchwork of airline
policies.
And even texts when you'restanding in line.
(05:38):
I've had that happen, you know,waiting for an effort with
Jetstar and being just textwhile I'm waiting there saying
that the flight's beencancelled.
SPEAKER_02 (05:46):
I know.
I mean, yeah.
And then what do you do?
And then everybody just standsaround and absolutely freaks out
and you're trapped in anairport, especially if it's
somewhere like Melbourne wherethere's terrible connections
back into the city and at themercy of airport food, which is
generally 10 times above whatyou're going to pay in the city.
But they also say, Choicemagazine also says that they're
(06:07):
disappointed that the proposaldoesn't include clear rights to
compensation for delayed orcancelled flights.
I mean, this is an ongoingstory.
Compensation schemes in Europehave encouraged airlines to
reduce avoidable delays andprovide consumers with simple
cash payments when the flightsare cancelled or late.
And this is something thatAustralians also deserve.
I mean, we've talked about ithere before.
(06:28):
My flight coming home fromBulgaria last year massively
disrupted when Israel startedbombing Iran.
What should have been a 24-hourflight turned into a three-day
epic to get home.
But my airline, and it wastricky because my flight
originated in Europe.
I should have been covered undercertain compensation, but
because the delay The delay ofthe actual flight was only 40
(06:52):
minutes as opposed to I thinkyou've got to be more than two
hours delayed.
It wouldn't have been effective,but that had a knock-on effect
and I missed all of myconnections back home, which
took three days.
I have to say that my airlineQatar covered the two nights
hotel accommodation because Istayed in Qatar one night and
then I stayed in Singapore foranother night.
They also did the transfers andthe food and they rebooked me
(07:15):
automatically on new flights.
I could not fault, you could notfault their response to the
delays.
And I was just a regular payingperson in economy as well.
So it's not like, you know, thatI was special or I was business
class or anything like thatbecause I really wasn't.
And it's insane to think that ifmy journey had originated in
(07:35):
Australia or was not with apremium carrier like Qatar, I
could simply go begging forcompensation.
SPEAKER_01 (07:43):
Yeah, it is, really is.
And that's a really good...
Advice, isn't it, in regards toconsidering what airlines you're
choosing as well.
So if you do want to make somechange, make sure you have your
say.
And like we said earlier, wewill put a link to where you can
do that in the show notes.
UNKNOWN (08:04):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (08:13):
I am so excited to chat with my guest this week,
who is the chef, restaurateurand international television
presenter, Shane D'Elia.
In Melbourne, he's best knownfor his delicious Maha
restaurant in Brisbane.
You will find him cooking atLayla.
And also he has the BiggieSmalls Kebab Group, which is in
Melbourne Airport.
(08:34):
He is a weekly presenter forChannel 9's Postcards show.
And as a Maltese Australian,he's a fabulous ambassador for
the smoking hot tourismdestination Malta, which is
supposed of our interview.
SPEAKER_01 (08:45):
Amazing.
I cannot wait to hear from Shaneabout what to do in Malta.
SPEAKER_02 (08:51):
Yeah, it's actually really great timing as Malta
celebrates Independence Day thisweekend.
It's now 64 years since theyseparated from the United
Kingdom.
So great timing all around.
SPEAKER_01 (09:01):
And I am sure you asked them about what there is
to eat there too.
SPEAKER_02 (09:06):
You know I did, Kirsty.
He's got some awesome foodrecommendations.
So take a listen.
Shane, welcome to The WorldAwaits.
I am personally super excited tohave you on the podcast because
Malta, I mean, what a greatplace.
So thank you for coming on.
SPEAKER_00 (09:20):
It's great to be here.
Thanks for inviting me.
SPEAKER_02 (09:24):
Look, I know you are pretty much Mr.
Malta in Australia and I thinkyou wear that probably with
pride.
You know, just tell us a bitabout growing up in Australia as
a multi-Australian kid.
The question I want to know is,did anybody actually know where
Malta was?
SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
You know, they did where I was growing up.
I mean, I actually thought,growing up in Malta, growing up
in Australia, that everybody wasMaltese.
I grew up in a migrant area.
I grew up in Deer Park.
And in that community, there wasa hell of a lot of Maltese, so
Deer Park, St.
Albans, Sunshine, Altona.
(10:02):
These areas were sort of heavilypopulated with Maltese in
several waves of migration.
So even the primary school Iwent to, I think that the
Maltese community was probablythe most prominent.
It was great.
I mean, look, my dad had eightsisters, so I've got 30-odd
cousins on my dad's side.
(10:23):
I had a few aunties living inthe same street and everybody
lives around the corner.
So a really strong sense ofcommunity.
We'd gather every weekend, thewhole family.
We'd have lunch or dinner reallyat my grandfather's house.
So it was a beautiful, beautifulcommunity to grow up in.
SPEAKER_02 (10:39):
And do you feel now that people outside that, I
mean, I live in a very Maltesepart of Melbourne as well.
And when I moved here, I wasjust like, I feel like I'm
living in little Malta.
Everybody's eating pastizzi forbreakfast.
Do you feel that there is agreater awareness of Malta?
I mean, you've done anincredible amount of work on it
(11:01):
in the Australian media to bringthat awareness to it.
But once you stepped outside it,do you think people were like,
where is this place?
I mean, tell me where Malta is.
for those who haven't plannedtheir holidays.
SPEAKER_00 (11:13):
I mean, Malta's right smack bang in the middle
of the Mediterranean.
You know, through millennia,it's been a strategic stronghold
for many sort of empires overthe years.
But, I mean, where is itlocated?
It's just off the coast ofSicily.
You know, it's a 90-minute ferryride on the speed cat from Malta
(11:35):
to Sicily, so it's like it's notime at all.
But in saying that, it's alsoreally closely situated to sort
of North Africa and the tip ofTunisia.
And, you know, we were first, Isuppose, colonized or first by
the Phoenicians who are themodern day Lebanese.
So, you know, it's right sort ofsmack bang in that really
exciting part of the world whereyou've got the Middle East to
(11:57):
your right, mainland Europe toyour left.
Right underneath you, you have,you know, Tunisia and North
Africa.
It's a really exciting part ofthe world.
And there's a lot going on, Ithat Malta's been doing a great
job over the last few years toreally promote themselves, not
just here in Australia, butglobally.
It's become one of the hottestdestinations going around.
(12:17):
And you used to be speaking topeople in Australia about,
they'd say, oh, where are youfrom?
You'd say Malta.
And they'd have a laugh and agiggle about, you know, I
suppose the Maltese accent andfishing communities and
everything else.
But now when you speak topeople, especially luxury
travellers, experientialtravellers, their eyes light up
(12:37):
because they're like, oh, wow,Malta's doing so well.
I can't wait to get
SPEAKER_02 (12:41):
there.
Yeah, look, I agree with you.
I think it's changed enormously.
Just being on that crossroadsright in the centre, as you say,
in the central Mediterranean,everybody's been there.
Everyone's passed through.
Everyone's left a little oftheir own culture, their own
food behind.
I mean, the last one's to leavewere the Brits.
(13:02):
And I think a lot of Britishpeople are really upset because
they're poor through there indroves at the moment,
holidaying, and they're like,wow, this place is fantastic.
Why do we ever leave it?
Why do we ever let it go?
When you go to Malta, whenyou're coming from Australia,
what's the best route that youtravel to get there?
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
Look, I think that There's multiple routes and
they're all equally– I thinkgoing with Qatar is the most
direct route.
It's one stop and then straightinto Malta.
But to be honest, I like tobreak up the journey on the way.
If you're going to go via– youcan go via Turkey now.
(13:43):
You can go with TurkishAirlines, sort of Singapore,
drone into Istanbul, and that'sa great place to stop and spend
like four days in Istanbul andthen get a two-hour flight from
from Istanbul straight intoMalta.
Great way to break it up.
But you can go via SingaporeAirlines, you can go through,
you know, you can even gothrough Frankfurt, right, like
(14:04):
with Lufthansa, which is really,really good way to see sort of
another part of Europe beforeyou get into Malta as well.
But, I mean, the traditionalroute from Australia is probably
just to go with Etihad, withEmirates, you know, straight
into Dubai, which I'm doing in acouple of weeks.
I'm going straight into Dubaiand then from Dubai I'm going to
go to Milan and do some workthere and then straight into
Malta again.
So, you know, I think it's allthe little parts before your
(14:27):
main destination are equally asimportant.
SPEAKER_02 (14:29):
Well, I think, too, if you're going through the
Middle East, what you're doingis you're following an ancient
route.
As you said, Phoenicians, themodern-day Lebanese sailing
across, find these fivebeautiful islands in a
fantastically strategiclocation.
So you're kind of tapping in.
You're following a route that isnot a new one.
(14:50):
It's been done before.
And I guess you're kind oflinking up as well the, you
know, influence that the MiddleEast has had on Malta because
it's, you know, you'd thinksometimes you think, oh, this
place has had, you know, thathad a century under British rule
or the French have been there,the Italians have been there,
but really that's what makes itsuch an exciting country that
(15:11):
you still see the influence froma couple of thousand years ago
in the cuisine and the way thatpeople look in the names that
you've got.
You know, when I was listeningback on a lot of your previous
work, your family comes from atown called Zeytoun, which is
the Arabic for Olive, which Ithink is, you know, it really
shows that interconnectedness ofcentral Mediterranean, which I
(15:31):
think is just so exciting.
But when you go to Malta, Imean, what's the vibe in Malta?
You know, it's top of the chartsat the moment.
What are people going there for?
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
Look, there's so much to see and there's so much
to do.
I mean, if you're a travellerwho likes, I suppose, the old
world and you really enjoy, youknow, architecture and you enjoy
archaeology and you enjoy, youknow, we've got, you know,
Renaissance art and Baroquearchitecture, there's so much to
see, right?
And even if you're not a fan ofthose things and it's not a
(16:00):
reason for you to travelsomewhere, you can't help but be
captivated by some of theamazing things there are to see
in Malta in that genre.
But there's a whole new side ofMalta as well.
I mean, when I go to Maltagenerally, I don't want to do
anything.
I go and I probably stay inareas that aren't the most
touristy of areas.
(16:20):
You know, my family live in,well, I've got family all over
the island, but the majority ofmy family live in the south
which is an old area of Malta,like you're saying, in the town
of Zatun.
It's a working-class suburb,unbelievably beautiful.
Probably the closest swimmingbeach is Masa Skala.
So we normally just findsomewhere to stay in Masa Skala
(16:41):
and head out down that way andjust sit on a limestone rock and
soak up the sun all day and eatin some local restaurants and
have a great time because rightdown there, you've got Masa
Shlok, which is a fishingvillage filled with great
restaurants and bars.
So for me, I can spend three orfour weeks just doing that.
But there's also a new wave oftraveller that's coming through
Malta now and looking forculinary destinations and
(17:04):
culinary things to explore.
And I'm really proud that Maltain the last, I'd say since the
Michelin Guide was introduced,Malta's just blossomed with
high-end restaurants.
There's always been a stronghospitality focus in Malta.
But now there's like a fewreally good levels to it.
(17:25):
You've got two-star Michelinrestaurants.
You've got a really goodbaseline of one-star restaurants
cooking really exciting Maltesefood, which is what's the best
thing for me because you can goto a one-star French restaurant
anywhere in the world and begiven a similar type of food.
Now you're starting to see youngMaltese chefs who are daring to
(17:45):
dream a little bit and justasking the question what Maltese
food can be.
That's always a question I'veasked of myself.
I know it's well-documentedwhere we've It's pretty obvious
where we are now, but where canwe be and who can we be?
And as you said, we've beenunder the rule of so many people
for so many years and the mostrecent being the Brits, but
(18:07):
we've had independence now closeto 70 years.
No, yes, close to 70 years.
And For the first time, we wereour own people.
And now's the time.
This is the exciting time.
We can write our own historynow.
No one's writing it for us.
So you can do that in many ways.
But the bit that I'm excited byis through a culinary lens.
(18:31):
So you've got young chefs likemyself.
I'm not that young anymore.
But looking back at, you know,historically, who traded here?
What was brought here?
What's here now?
Where has it come from?
Why is it Maltese?
How can we develop it?
Do these.
Just because something was hereonce, is it still relevant now?
And how can we nurture that andcreate something that's exciting
(18:55):
for both Maltese and fortourists and travellers alike?
And I think there's some really,really great cooks and great
producers doing that.
So what's the vibe like?
The vibe is exciting becausethere's a great nightlife.
You've got summer nearly allyear round.
There's beautiful weather.
The people are warm and they'rewelcoming, really hospitable.
(19:17):
hospitable.
Tourism's always been, we'vealways been the hosts, right?
Whether we're hosting peopleduring times of war or we're
hosting people in times ofpeace, Malta's always been the
place where we make people feelwelcome.
And I think that Maltese arevery good at doing that.
So you see great hotels go up.
You see a more, I suppose,universal look at what
(19:40):
hospitality can be as well.
Maltese are well-travelled.
They go out and they have a lookwhat's happening in Asia and
have a look what's happening inthe Middle East and have a look
at what's happening in Europeand then bring it back to Malta
and create a really uniqueversion of that.
So it's an exciting time to betravelling to Malta.
It's an exciting time to beMaltese because you're extremely
proud of what's going on backhome.
But that's why I can't wait toget back in a couple of weeks.
SPEAKER_02 (20:03):
You're making me want to go.
You're singing to the choir withthe idea that you travel to a
country to eat from the country.
As you say, you can get aone-star Michelin French
restaurant pretty much anywhere.
Maltese cuisine, because you'rea chef, The question is
compulsory.
What is the flavour profile ofMalta?
I mean, what's the essentialthing that I have to eat?
(20:24):
Because I'm going to go.
As soon as this is over, I'mpretty much booking a flight.
What have I got to eat theminute I get off the flight?
SPEAKER_00 (20:30):
You know, it's a really interesting question, and
it's probably the question thatMaltese chefs need to ask of
themselves.
What is Maltese food?
And it's a really loadedquestion, right?
Because modern-day Maltese food,I suppose you think about the
things that have been happeningprobably from the time to the
50s till now.
(20:52):
So that's dishes that areprobably highly influenced by
the Mediterranean and Europe andour closest neighbour being
Italy.
Dishes like argin, which is likea baked pasta dish.
Rossolfone, which is a similarbaked sort of rice dish.
You're talking about brogioli,which is like a flat piece of
beef that's filled with like anegg stuffing and braise, which
(21:14):
is really, really beautiful.
And And then I suppose the mosttraditional Maltese dish that
everybody thinks about is ournational dish, which is fenix le
fart, which is braised Malteserabbit.
And that's a dish that I thinkis really interesting because
it's a dish of rebellion.
So when we were occupied by theFrench, the Maltese were told
(21:34):
that we couldn't eat rabbitbecause it was to be kept for
royalty.
But like every good Maltese manout there, we don't listen to
anyone.
And we did what we wanted to doand created a national dish out
of it and And Malta consumesmore rabbit, I think 30 times
more rabbit per capita thananywhere else in Europe.
So it's definitely somethingthat's taken seriously.
(21:59):
But what I love about it is thatevery village, every family have
their own spin of this recipe.
And you can get some that arepretty, I think, drab and just
feel like rabbit cooked in a redsort of Napoli sauce.
You can get some that there's astyle, a fried style also, which
is really nice.
But I think that– I might bebiased– but the recipe that my
(22:20):
grandfather taught me, I thinkreally cements itself as a
Maltese dish because it's quite–Arabic feeling, highly spiced.
It's got the use of wine, whichviticulture was brought to us by
the Phoenicians, and wine's abig part of Maltese culture and
(22:41):
great growing.
And it's slowly braised, lots ofspice, really aromatic, quite
rich.
To use spice that luxuriouslywas a true show of wealth and
love in Malta because it wasexpensive.
And it's probably the nationaldish But the one thing that
everybody goes nuts for is theMaltese pastitsia.
(23:03):
Everybody knows that worldwide.
Flaky pastry filled with ricottacheese or with peas.
I've got a good mate of mineover there named Vinu who owns a
business called Sphinx, whichyou'll see all over Malta.
Young guy taking his father'sbusiness and pushing it to new
heights and really trying someinteresting fillings.
That's a really interesting one.
(23:24):
Some are amazing.
Some I'll probably let go.
But it's good that he's pushingthe envelope and trying eyes and
your digs.
SPEAKER_02 (23:30):
They sound like absolutely fantastic dishes.
I've got to say, I thinkPistissi is one of the main
producers in Australia, is in mybackyard.
But I cannot wait to go and tryit.
So all of those spices, therabbit, that is absolutely
fascinating that it was held forroyalty because it's been so
denigrated in other countries asa cheap source of protein.
(23:52):
So if you were just steppingaway from the table, the things
that you do, I mean, again, asthe first time visitor to Malta,
you know, as you say, the artscene is incredible, but
architecture is absolutelyphenomenal.
And you see, you know, theseincredible buildings hanging off
the side of cliffs and thingslike that, Caravaggio thrown all
(24:12):
over the place.
What are the things that youwould recommend that I do?
I mean, you can spend monthsthere, but if I have a week, a
week in Malta, is that enough?
SPEAKER_00 (24:22):
Yeah, no, look, you can do a lot.
I think that I am a big fan ofgetting outdoors.
And if you're a fan of gettingoutdoors, Malta's the place to
do it.
You know, you can go quad bikingaround some of the cliff faces,
which is absolutely amazing.
There's a lot of water sportsthat can be done.
You can head out to Gozo.
(24:42):
I think out in Gozo, Gozo is areally sort of, it's our second
largest island, I suppose,comparative to, I mean, it's
probably our agricultural heart,similar to what people think
about Tasmania.
So untouched, really pristine,beautiful beaches, nice little
farmhouses where you can go andstay away for a couple the
nights, lovely little producers.
(25:02):
So that's definitely a must forone or two nights because you'll
see a side of Malta that'salmost like taking a step back
in time.
But there's some brilliantvineyards in Malta, really small
vineyards.
Obviously, it's a small country,but they focus on quality.
So you can do some reallybeautiful wine tastings, have
some great meals, and then belike 10 minutes away from the
(25:23):
main city.
So there's always so much goingon.
If you're there in a time of theyear where there's– live
performances in the amphitheaterin Valletta, that's a really
sort of spine-chillingexperience.
You know, you're in a UNESCOheritage listed city, sitting
out in an amphitheater that'sopen-air, Roman ruins around it,
(25:48):
and just hearing whether it'sopera, classical music, in an
ancient city like that issomething that's truly
spectacular.
But I mean, if I had a week inMalta, I'd probably spend two
days in Gozo.
I'd probably base myself inValletta because it's like the
(26:08):
main city.
But I would definitely spend aday out in towards Meliha.
Meliha Bay is absolutelystunning.
It's probably one of the onlybeaches that has sand or one of
very few that has sand andtourists go crazy for it.
The water's lovely.
Occasionally, a tuna escapesfrom the tuna farms out at sea
(26:29):
and makes their way in and it'salways funny people thinking
it's a shark.
So it's funny to see people gocrazy.
Um, but I think that the, Ithink that you, the way I like
to spend Malta is that I like tospend it there in, in, in second
gear.
Like I don't want to go toohard.
I want to relax.
I want to take things in.
I want to, you know, immersemyself in the culture.
(26:49):
I want to walk the streets.
I want to get out into some ofthe, some, some of the, the, the
smaller, um, villages thataren't, you know, you're not
going there for any reason, butjust to be immersed in them and
sit in the main square, um,Listen to the old men arguing
with each other, watching theworld go by, having some great
food, drinking some localcoffee, and just immersing
yourself in what Malta's allabout.
(27:09):
I think that's the best thingyou can do.
Malta, you can move really fastthere.
There's great nightclubs, greatbars, great nightlife.
But I think that moving slowthere is probably the best way
to enjoy it.
SPEAKER_02 (27:20):
Nice words.
So it's coming up to MalteseIndependence Day, and that is
Maltese independence from theUK, which only happened in 1964.
How are you going to becelebrating?
SPEAKER_00 (27:33):
Well, we celebrate Maltese Independence Day every
year at Maha.
This year we're celebrating itat Maha and Layla.
Layla's my restaurant inBrisbane.
And it started off as a smallthing that we thought, okay,
well, let's do something for theMaltese community because nobody
really does anything.
And we did it on like oneSaturday, and we had a little
lunch and we had about 30 peoplecome and we thought oh this was
(27:54):
great now it's blown out forthis amazing thing where we do
Saturday and Sunday both lunchand dinner and it is packed the
day we sell it so it's almostsold out already in Melbourne I
think it is sold out inMelbourne Brisbane there's still
a little bit of space left butwhat we do is I try to every
year I try to take a differentlens on what I'm going to cook
depending and I'm very blessedthat I usually get back to Malta
(28:18):
once a year anyway so I'm comingback with with a head full of
inspiration.
And depending on what I've seen,who I've met, or what stories
I've been captivated by, I tryto reflect that in the menu we
produce.
So after coming back, I justcame back from a five-week stint
in Malta.
I was there filming a newtelevision series, which is
airing in Australia in November,and it'll air globally next year
(28:40):
in 2026.
So I have actually, I think,come back with the best, I
suppose, appreciation of whatMaltese food is and was and will
be that I've ever had so thatthe menu this year is broken up
over three or four or threeshared courses um we're cooking
i'd say it's about 15 dishes andonly two of them you'd probably
(29:01):
relate to things like oh well mymum cooked that because i i
don't want i want people to feellike there's something that's
familiar but i also want to showpeople in australia that malta
has grown a lot since that timethat they may have left back in
the 40s 50s 60s or 70s um It'sgrown, it's new, it's fresh, but
(29:22):
it's still deeply seeded in itsroots.
So we're doing dishes likebeautifully grilled local
Australian octopus that havebeen marinated in fennel because
fennel grows everywhere in Maltawith some local Maltese vinegar
and then just simply grilledwith some tomatoes and a little
salad.
So dead simple Mediterraneanfare and people will say, well,
(29:44):
I've never eaten that in Malta.
These things are all pristineingredients that you can source
in Malta that make total sense.
together.
We're trying to show that justbecause it hasn't been done when
you were there doesn't mean it'snot getting done now and doesn't
mean what we should be eating inthe future.
We should be sustainable inMalta.
Sustainability should be afeature and something that we're
(30:05):
really focused on which we neverhave been.
We've always looked at what wecan bring in rather than what we
can create.
I'm trying to create a menu thatfills Maltese, that has
connection with its fruits,that's going to be bloody tasty
but can be produced in Malta fora long time.
I think people will see thatwith one of the desserts that
we're doing.
We shot an episode on our newshow and we were focusing on the
(30:30):
Phoenician ancestry of Malta.
We went to the island of Camino,which is a derivative of the
Arabic word for cumin.
Looking for this wild cuminthat's supposed to be on this
island, which hasn't been therefor a long time.
It's like a big foot.
You keep looking for it and younever find it.
We did some stuff with somebees.
We did some honey and we werespoke about carob, which was
(30:53):
there from the times of thePhoenicians.
And I thought, what am I goingto do with honey, cumin and
carob?
And I thought I could do areally beautiful dessert.
So we made a really beautifulcarob sort of frozen nougat and
covered it with a caramelizedhoney and cumin meringue and
blow torched it all up with lotsof dried nuts and figs and all
those things that would havecome through the spice trait.
And it's actually turned out tobe one of my favorite desserts
(31:14):
that I've ever made.
And I'm hoping that the Maltesecommunity really enjoy it when
they come to Independence Day.
But it's the best bit aboutIndependence Day without going
too much on about it.
It's actually, we've got achanging face of customer that
comes to our celebration now.
It used to be 100% Maltese.
Now what we're seeing is thatit's probably still about 70%
Maltese.
But the surplus is made up withpeople who are just interested
(31:37):
in a new cuisine.
They may have friends that wereMaltese, grown up in a Maltese
area, heard about it throughsocial media or been somewhere
they've always wanted to go andare intrigued and use the
Independence Day celebration astheir first taste of Malta.
This November, we're also atMaha in the city.
(32:00):
We're also going to run a wholemonth of Maltese-inspired menus
every Saturday and Sundaybecause we sold out so quickly.
We thought let's roll on theparty and give people a chance
to come in and try that missedout.
So for the whole month ofNovember, people are going to be
able to come in and try thatfood at Mahara every weekend.
SPEAKER_02 (32:20):
Amazing, because I was going to ask you, if it's
sold out in Melbourne, how do Iget my fix then?
So you've answered that questionbeautifully.
I'm going to jump to the lastquestion that we ask all of our
guests, the final question,which is, and it doesn't have to
be in Malta, but you do getextra gold stars if it is, what
is your most bizarre travelexperience?
SPEAKER_00 (32:38):
Bizarre?
I don't know if a bizarre is theright descriptor, but I traveled
to Iran and it was a verydifferent experience than what I
was expecting.
It was a while ago, it was 2012.
It was just, it was It wasgreat, but I wasn't ready for
(33:00):
it.
I don't think that I'd givenmyself enough time to fully
understand what I was walkinginto.
I thought, okay, look, I'vetraveled a lot.
This is just going to be anotherdestination and I've went to
different cultures.
But I remember one day we wereon the road for a long time.
We were shooting a televisionshow.
We were on the road for abouteight hours driving
(33:20):
continuously.
It was like a rocky road arounda mountain.
We arrived somewhere.
needed to use the restroom.
And I spoke to the guy and hesays, look, it's down the end of
the hallway, down the passagewayand you'll see it.
So we walked to the end of thishallway.
And as I've opened the door ofthe hallway, there was nothing
(33:41):
there.
It was just like a cliff facewith a goat trail.
And I'm going down there andhe's like, yeah, down there.
And I'm walking down this goattrail and there was another
door.
But like the door was like, itwas just like a doorframe with
of box but not an outhouse andas I opened this door there was
(34:02):
just like a concrete hole in thefloor And it was really
confronting to sit there andthink, you want me to squat on
that thing?
And then I had this raw hugerunning out the back.
And I was like, oh, I prefer notto, but geez, it's been eight
hours and I don't know if I canwait another eight.
(34:23):
And I remember walking out ofthere thinking, where do I wash
my hands?
It was just, I don't know if itwas just, it stuck with, It was
weird.
But it probably wasn't foreignto the guys that we were seeing
(34:43):
there and everybody else.
It was really foreign to me.
It was really confronting.
I don't think it was somethingthat I enjoyed.
I don't think I want to go backand do it again.
But the whole trip to Iran wasreally, really, really
different.
It was captivating.
(35:06):
I think the touristy stuff wedid, going and seeing some of
the old places where Alexanderthe Great had been and all these
kind of really exciting thingswere great.
But then when we got into thenitty-gritty, I was overwhelmed
with how beautiful the peopleare.
The people are absolutelyamazing, absolutely amazing.
So warm, so welcoming, so proudof who they are.
(35:30):
But, geez, like our soundrecordist, he was traveling with
his girlfriend.
And before he left Australia togo to Iran, he had to marry her.
Otherwise, they couldn't traveltogether.
And they definitely couldn'teven stay in the same hotel
room.
So some of those things werequite polarizing, quite
polarizing.
SPEAKER_02 (35:46):
It's an amazing country.
And I've got to say, handsanitizer has really changed how
we travel, I think, in suchlocations.
Hot tip for anybody if they'retraveling in Iran because I
think– I mean, we might not betraveling there at the moment,
but yeah, when you get back in,I think some places are just not
going to change.
(36:06):
I reckon that Lou is probablystill there.
Shane, I have absolutely lovedhearing about Malta.
Again, you've inflamed my desireto be there right now,
especially in the middle of thetail end of a Melbourne winter.
Thank you so much for joining uson The World Awaits.
SPEAKER_00 (36:21):
No, no problem.
Thanks.
SPEAKER_01 (36:24):
That toilet in Iran sounds just terrifying.
But aside from that, now I wantto go to Malta for the food, the
beaches, the nightlife.
And if you'd like to followShane's culinary adventures
around the world, you can followhim on Instagram at Shane
D'Elia.
UNKNOWN (36:40):
Music
SPEAKER_02 (36:50):
Our tip this week is about how to avoid disaster in
your rental car around theairport.
So new data released by carrental experts, Vroom, Vroom,
Vroom, reveals that Australianairports are the worst place for
bingles in your hire car withone in six incidents happening
just around the airport.
SPEAKER_01 (37:09):
Yeah.
And we are here to help, Belle.
That's what we do at The WorldAwaits.
With tips on what to do if thishappens to you.
So according to five years worthof data from vroom, vroom,
vroom.
I think I just included thisbecause I wanted to say that.
Airports in general have thehighest rate of accidents among
rental car drivers with 43accidents logged over the last
(37:33):
five years, which isn't reallyall that high.
But hey, considering having anaccident before or after a
flight, the stressful levelswould be pretty high, right?
So I guess even though itdoesn't sound that high, I mean,
if you're going to have anaccident before you're about to
fly out or afterwards, that justescalates things to a whole new
level.
SPEAKER_02 (37:50):
Nice.
nightmare.
And, you know, especially ifyou're like me and you like to
flick into the airport secondsbefore your flight, so you don't
like spend your life standing inan airport queue, you've got no
time to deal with a prang.
So what to do?
And I've got to say, I reckonthis is also when you're
arriving, but also when you'releaving too.
So because, you know, you comein off a flight, you're all, you
(38:13):
know, flights do scramble yourbrain, jump into the hire car,
pull out.
And especially if you're in aplace where you're driving on
the other side of the road tooso pull out have a bingle hello
welcome to the new destinationso what to do if you are
avoiding if you don't want thisto happen to you the first thing
far out they say is make sureyou aren't rushed yes taking
(38:34):
that on thank you very much youare well rested and your tyres
are pumped
SPEAKER_01 (38:40):
yeah that always helps and they also say don't
come like you said don't comestraight off a long flight and
hop into a rental car so youshould preferably check into a
hotel and and rest if you needto.
Because being sleep deprived onthe road, obviously that's when
disasters are going to happen.
Do you know, I did this once.
I came off a flight.
My mum was here looking afterthe kids.
I can't remember where we went,Bali or something.
(39:02):
And I jumped in a car to takeher somewhere and I was driving
on the wrong side of the road.
Like I was just so tired.
I just, I went to turn and I waslike on the wrong side of the
road and I was like, that was sostupid just because I was so
sleep deprived.
So yeah, it's really stupidgetting into a car, obviously
straight after that.
And I also say, if anything doeshappen, pull over safely, check
(39:24):
everyone's okay.
Yep, that's the first thing youdo.
And call emergency services ifneeded.
SPEAKER_02 (39:29):
Yeah, I think that advice not to just lose your
mind completely is a good one.
But the other one is documenteverything.
So before you get in the car oryou drive it, take photos of the
condition so you can prove howyou found the car for whatever
reason further down the line.
Although it's unlikely, youdon't want to pay for a scratch
that was already there when youpicked up the vehicle.
(39:49):
And I had to say I'm actuallyvery strict about this one and I
always take photos or I call thestaff back out and say what is
this undocumented scratch andthey go oh it's nothing that's a
wear and tear thing I'm like youare not going to say that when I
drop it back in are you so I'man absolute animal for that one
and it annoys them but I don'tcare
SPEAKER_01 (40:09):
well good on you I should do more of that yeah I
mean because it is it's a hardone if the car's quite new I
don't do it because I alwaysthink I mean you know if it
doesn't but I guess if it was acar that had quite a few
scratches on it, you'd kind ofbe like, how can they document
all of these?
I know.
Yeah, I
SPEAKER_02 (40:25):
had a banger at Uluru.
I picked up at Uluru, like anabsolute banger because it was
just, you know, doing runs onthe red dirt and thinking, wow.
So I just photographed the wholething, sent it through to them
before I drove off.
Not one little scratch, justwent around the whole car and
photographed all of it because,you know, it had been hitting
kangaroos by the look of it.
It was rugged.
So, yeah, great tip, I think,for this one.
SPEAKER_01 (40:49):
That's a good tip.
And when things go belly up,stay calm.
Like Valerie said, make sure youtake really clear photos of any
damage.
Well, I mean, photos before andphotos of any damage.
And note the time and thelocation.
And then obviously try andcollect the contact details of
anyone else who was involved.
SPEAKER_02 (41:07):
And have a plan B.
For instance, if you'resomewhere remote, you'll need
somewhere to stay the night andmake a plan.
So it might be worth taking somereserve money.
I think this is quite an obvioustip, isn't it?
Having a bit of money in yourback pocket it just in case you
need to catch a flight back to acity.
I mean, Australia is a bigplace.
Sometimes a flight is the onlyreasonable option to get out of
there.
And if you're in a very remoteplace, you might be hungry and
(41:31):
thirsty, so it's always wise tohave additional food, water,
phone charger and
SPEAKER_01 (41:36):
fuel if your car is still running.
Tagged one of Australia's mostrespected lifestyle
commentators, journalists,editors and media consultants,
Melissa Hoyer has interviewednearly every name in the pop
culture and lifestyle sphere.
On next week's pod, I chat toher about how she came to be in
the industry, some of the celebsshe's interviewed, her favourite
(41:56):
places she's been on the job andthe places you need to go to
follow in your favourite celebs'footsteps.
Be prepared to be entertained.
SPEAKER_02 (42:05):
And we'd love it if you followed us on socials.
You'll find us at The WorldAwaits podcast on Instagram,
Facebook and LinkedIn.
Please feel free to drop us aline at hello at
theworldawaits.au on email.
So if you are enjoying thisepisode, why not give us a
rating or a review?
We'd love it.
That's a wrap for The WorldAwaits this week.
(42:26):
Click to subscribe anywhere youlisten to your favourite pods.
Thanks for listening.
See you next week.
UNKNOWN (42:35):
so
Welcome to The World Awaits.
Welcome back to The WorldAwaits.
How are you all?
SPEAKER_02 (00:11):
How's
SPEAKER_01 (00:11):
your
SPEAKER_02 (00:11):
week been, Belle?
I don't know that I've doneanything, Kirsty.
I've been sitting on mybackside.
You know, some weeks you've justgot to keep your head down,
haven't you, right?
You know, I mean, look, I amfuriously planning travel, but
I've done nothing that moves meout of my office.
Far out.
That sounds really depressing,but that's life, isn't it?
(00:32):
You know, we're not always onthe road.
What about you, Kirsty?
SPEAKER_01 (00:35):
Yeah, it's so true.
We are, and it sort of comes inebbs and flows, doesn't it?
And, yes, I have no doubts thatyou will be.
out of that office before toolong.
I actually had the weekend down,or last weekend I was in Noosa,
you just reminded me about thatbefore, when you were
complaining that you hadn't beenanywhere.
And this weekend, this lastweekend, sorry, the weekend
(00:58):
before I was in Noosa and thenthis last weekend, I have been
down at Phillip Island, hikingon the George Bass Coastal Walk,
which is one of my favouritehikes, and sort of eating and
drinking my way around theplace.
Actually, funny story, the crimefiction that I'm working on my
new one because I want a new oneto give to my agent if this
other one doesn't get picked upI'm writing a story about and it
(01:21):
includes a body that's found atthe bottom of a cliff and it's
based on these coastal cliffs onthis walk so yeah this is a bit
of a research trip Oh, my God, atext write-off, right?
SPEAKER_02 (01:32):
This isn't the one that I inspired you because it's
the travel writer.
I haven't inspired you with thebody on the bottom of the
cliffs, have I?
I am so looking forward toreading your crime fiction when
they are out, multiple books.
And I'll be looking for it.
(01:53):
I love that when you readsomewhere that's set in a place
that you know well and thenyou're reading it and you can
put yourself in that.
in that place that you aredescribing in your book.
So that is absolutely no segueto our research this week, which
is about aviation consumerprotection things.
SPEAKER_01 (02:16):
There is absolutely no segue into that.
You're absolutely right.
But this is really important.
It's really important, researchpeople, and you will love it.
So the Australian government isactually asking people to be
able to have their say on a newaviation aviation consumer
protection scheme.
Now, I know this all soundsreally boring, but stay with us
because it's really important.
Because as per the namesuggests, it actually means more
(02:39):
protection for passengers sothat there's more accountability
for airports and airlines when,you know, we have things like
delays and cancellations, whichI have to say, everyone must
have experienced at some stageif you're a traveller.
SPEAKER_02 (02:52):
Yeah, absolutely.
The government wants airlines tobe prompted to offer rebookings
or refunds.
I And also access to things likefood and accommodation when your
travel plans are disrupted.
So the new aviation consumerprotections will clarify the
obligations of the airlines andthe minimum level of assistance
(03:14):
required when a scheduled flightis disrupted.
There'll also be an ombudsmanscheme, which is great because
we'd love to have somebody thatwe can actually complain to
because honestly, sometimes whenyou're ringing the airlines, it
feels like they're just notlistening.
They've got their fingers inyour ears about it.
And also a new regulator toensure that airlines and
airports abide by these newminimum standards.
SPEAKER_01 (03:35):
Yeah, so like you said, it is pretty amazing that
we actually haven't had onealready, that there hasn't been
such a scheme.
But some airlines do already doit.
So when we had our flightcancelled to Thailand a few
years ago, we were put up in ahotel, albeit it was a really,
really bad airport hotel inSydney, which was like something
out of Fawlty Towers.
But anyway, we did also have ourflight rebooked the next day.
(03:58):
And thanks to the insurance, wedid get our first night of
accommodation back but obviouslythat was only covered because we
had the insurance already lockedin but regardless the scheme is
I mean it's obviously reallyneeded because it has to cover
all situations so it's open andnow for you to have your say and
it closes on the 5th of Octoberso you have to get in quick and
(04:19):
we will put a link in the shownotes as well
SPEAKER_02 (04:23):
Yeah, I think it's so great.
The Minister for Infrastructure,Transport, Regional Development
and Local Government, far out.
Imagine saying that every timeyou pick up the phone.
Catherine King, much shorter.
Catherine King said exactly whatyou just said, Kirsty, in that
that's what passengers canexpect from airlines and
airports because the approach isdifferent at every single
(04:44):
airport and with every differentairline.
So the new scheme would includeinformation requirements when
you book a flight and check in,how you should should be
communicated with from theairport, you know, from the
airport or the airline.
And that just doesn't mean likea sneaky text message that comes
in 12 hours later.
And the minimum levels ofassistance when the flight's
disrupted.
(05:05):
And also how these airlines andairports should manage
complaints.
And that, you know, as opposedto never returning your call or
anything like that, which Ithink has been the experience of
most travellers.
SPEAKER_01 (05:18):
Yeah, and that's great, assuming it's all
followed through with.
And Choice has come out sayingthat the new scheme marks a long
overdue shift in Australia wherepeople deserve clear rights when
flights don't go to plan.
I mean, hello, of course we do.
And yeah, like you say, not asort of patchwork of airline
policies.
And even texts when you'restanding in line.
(05:38):
I've had that happen, you know,waiting for an effort with
Jetstar and being just textwhile I'm waiting there saying
that the flight's beencancelled.
SPEAKER_02 (05:46):
I know.
I mean, yeah.
And then what do you do?
And then everybody just standsaround and absolutely freaks out
and you're trapped in anairport, especially if it's
somewhere like Melbourne wherethere's terrible connections
back into the city and at themercy of airport food, which is
generally 10 times above whatyou're going to pay in the city.
But they also say, Choicemagazine also says that they're
(06:07):
disappointed that the proposaldoesn't include clear rights to
compensation for delayed orcancelled flights.
I mean, this is an ongoingstory.
Compensation schemes in Europehave encouraged airlines to
reduce avoidable delays andprovide consumers with simple
cash payments when the flightsare cancelled or late.
And this is something thatAustralians also deserve.
I mean, we've talked about ithere before.
(06:28):
My flight coming home fromBulgaria last year massively
disrupted when Israel startedbombing Iran.
What should have been a 24-hourflight turned into a three-day
epic to get home.
But my airline, and it wastricky because my flight
originated in Europe.
I should have been covered undercertain compensation, but
because the delay The delay ofthe actual flight was only 40
(06:52):
minutes as opposed to I thinkyou've got to be more than two
hours delayed.
It wouldn't have been effective,but that had a knock-on effect
and I missed all of myconnections back home, which
took three days.
I have to say that my airlineQatar covered the two nights
hotel accommodation because Istayed in Qatar one night and
then I stayed in Singapore foranother night.
They also did the transfers andthe food and they rebooked me
(07:15):
automatically on new flights.
I could not fault, you could notfault their response to the
delays.
And I was just a regular payingperson in economy as well.
So it's not like, you know, thatI was special or I was business
class or anything like thatbecause I really wasn't.
And it's insane to think that ifmy journey had originated in
(07:35):
Australia or was not with apremium carrier like Qatar, I
could simply go begging forcompensation.
SPEAKER_01 (07:43):
Yeah, it is, really is.
And that's a really good...
Advice, isn't it, in regards toconsidering what airlines you're
choosing as well.
So if you do want to make somechange, make sure you have your
say.
And like we said earlier, wewill put a link to where you can
do that in the show notes.
UNKNOWN (08:04):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (08:13):
I am so excited to chat with my guest this week,
who is the chef, restaurateurand international television
presenter, Shane D'Elia.
In Melbourne, he's best knownfor his delicious Maha
restaurant in Brisbane.
You will find him cooking atLayla.
And also he has the BiggieSmalls Kebab Group, which is in
Melbourne Airport.
(08:34):
He is a weekly presenter forChannel 9's Postcards show.
And as a Maltese Australian,he's a fabulous ambassador for
the smoking hot tourismdestination Malta, which is
supposed of our interview.
SPEAKER_01 (08:45):
Amazing.
I cannot wait to hear from Shaneabout what to do in Malta.
SPEAKER_02 (08:51):
Yeah, it's actually really great timing as Malta
celebrates Independence Day thisweekend.
It's now 64 years since theyseparated from the United
Kingdom.
So great timing all around.
SPEAKER_01 (09:01):
And I am sure you asked them about what there is
to eat there too.
SPEAKER_02 (09:06):
You know I did, Kirsty.
He's got some awesome foodrecommendations.
So take a listen.
Shane, welcome to The WorldAwaits.
I am personally super excited tohave you on the podcast because
Malta, I mean, what a greatplace.
So thank you for coming on.
SPEAKER_00 (09:20):
It's great to be here.
Thanks for inviting me.
SPEAKER_02 (09:24):
Look, I know you are pretty much Mr.
Malta in Australia and I thinkyou wear that probably with
pride.
You know, just tell us a bitabout growing up in Australia as
a multi-Australian kid.
The question I want to know is,did anybody actually know where
Malta was?
SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
You know, they did where I was growing up.
I mean, I actually thought,growing up in Malta, growing up
in Australia, that everybody wasMaltese.
I grew up in a migrant area.
I grew up in Deer Park.
And in that community, there wasa hell of a lot of Maltese, so
Deer Park, St.
Albans, Sunshine, Altona.
(10:02):
These areas were sort of heavilypopulated with Maltese in
several waves of migration.
So even the primary school Iwent to, I think that the
Maltese community was probablythe most prominent.
It was great.
I mean, look, my dad had eightsisters, so I've got 30-odd
cousins on my dad's side.
(10:23):
I had a few aunties living inthe same street and everybody
lives around the corner.
So a really strong sense ofcommunity.
We'd gather every weekend, thewhole family.
We'd have lunch or dinner reallyat my grandfather's house.
So it was a beautiful, beautifulcommunity to grow up in.
SPEAKER_02 (10:39):
And do you feel now that people outside that, I
mean, I live in a very Maltesepart of Melbourne as well.
And when I moved here, I wasjust like, I feel like I'm
living in little Malta.
Everybody's eating pastizzi forbreakfast.
Do you feel that there is agreater awareness of Malta?
I mean, you've done anincredible amount of work on it
(11:01):
in the Australian media to bringthat awareness to it.
But once you stepped outside it,do you think people were like,
where is this place?
I mean, tell me where Malta is.
for those who haven't plannedtheir holidays.
SPEAKER_00 (11:13):
I mean, Malta's right smack bang in the middle
of the Mediterranean.
You know, through millennia,it's been a strategic stronghold
for many sort of empires overthe years.
But, I mean, where is itlocated?
It's just off the coast ofSicily.
You know, it's a 90-minute ferryride on the speed cat from Malta
(11:35):
to Sicily, so it's like it's notime at all.
But in saying that, it's alsoreally closely situated to sort
of North Africa and the tip ofTunisia.
And, you know, we were first, Isuppose, colonized or first by
the Phoenicians who are themodern day Lebanese.
So, you know, it's right sort ofsmack bang in that really
exciting part of the world whereyou've got the Middle East to
(11:57):
your right, mainland Europe toyour left.
Right underneath you, you have,you know, Tunisia and North
Africa.
It's a really exciting part ofthe world.
And there's a lot going on, Ithat Malta's been doing a great
job over the last few years toreally promote themselves, not
just here in Australia, butglobally.
It's become one of the hottestdestinations going around.
(12:17):
And you used to be speaking topeople in Australia about,
they'd say, oh, where are youfrom?
You'd say Malta.
And they'd have a laugh and agiggle about, you know, I
suppose the Maltese accent andfishing communities and
everything else.
But now when you speak topeople, especially luxury
travellers, experientialtravellers, their eyes light up
(12:37):
because they're like, oh, wow,Malta's doing so well.
I can't wait to get
SPEAKER_02 (12:41):
there.
Yeah, look, I agree with you.
I think it's changed enormously.
Just being on that crossroadsright in the centre, as you say,
in the central Mediterranean,everybody's been there.
Everyone's passed through.
Everyone's left a little oftheir own culture, their own
food behind.
I mean, the last one's to leavewere the Brits.
(13:02):
And I think a lot of Britishpeople are really upset because
they're poor through there indroves at the moment,
holidaying, and they're like,wow, this place is fantastic.
Why do we ever leave it?
Why do we ever let it go?
When you go to Malta, whenyou're coming from Australia,
what's the best route that youtravel to get there?
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
Look, I think that There's multiple routes and
they're all equally– I thinkgoing with Qatar is the most
direct route.
It's one stop and then straightinto Malta.
But to be honest, I like tobreak up the journey on the way.
If you're going to go via– youcan go via Turkey now.
(13:43):
You can go with TurkishAirlines, sort of Singapore,
drone into Istanbul, and that'sa great place to stop and spend
like four days in Istanbul andthen get a two-hour flight from
from Istanbul straight intoMalta.
Great way to break it up.
But you can go via SingaporeAirlines, you can go through,
you know, you can even gothrough Frankfurt, right, like
(14:04):
with Lufthansa, which is really,really good way to see sort of
another part of Europe beforeyou get into Malta as well.
But, I mean, the traditionalroute from Australia is probably
just to go with Etihad, withEmirates, you know, straight
into Dubai, which I'm doing in acouple of weeks.
I'm going straight into Dubaiand then from Dubai I'm going to
go to Milan and do some workthere and then straight into
Malta again.
So, you know, I think it's allthe little parts before your
(14:27):
main destination are equally asimportant.
SPEAKER_02 (14:29):
Well, I think, too, if you're going through the
Middle East, what you're doingis you're following an ancient
route.
As you said, Phoenicians, themodern-day Lebanese sailing
across, find these fivebeautiful islands in a
fantastically strategiclocation.
So you're kind of tapping in.
You're following a route that isnot a new one.
(14:50):
It's been done before.
And I guess you're kind oflinking up as well the, you
know, influence that the MiddleEast has had on Malta because
it's, you know, you'd thinksometimes you think, oh, this
place has had, you know, thathad a century under British rule
or the French have been there,the Italians have been there,
but really that's what makes itsuch an exciting country that
(15:11):
you still see the influence froma couple of thousand years ago
in the cuisine and the way thatpeople look in the names that
you've got.
You know, when I was listeningback on a lot of your previous
work, your family comes from atown called Zeytoun, which is
the Arabic for Olive, which Ithink is, you know, it really
shows that interconnectedness ofcentral Mediterranean, which I
(15:31):
think is just so exciting.
But when you go to Malta, Imean, what's the vibe in Malta?
You know, it's top of the chartsat the moment.
What are people going there for?
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
Look, there's so much to see and there's so much
to do.
I mean, if you're a travellerwho likes, I suppose, the old
world and you really enjoy, youknow, architecture and you enjoy
archaeology and you enjoy, youknow, we've got, you know,
Renaissance art and Baroquearchitecture, there's so much to
see, right?
And even if you're not a fan ofthose things and it's not a
(16:00):
reason for you to travelsomewhere, you can't help but be
captivated by some of theamazing things there are to see
in Malta in that genre.
But there's a whole new side ofMalta as well.
I mean, when I go to Maltagenerally, I don't want to do
anything.
I go and I probably stay inareas that aren't the most
touristy of areas.
(16:20):
You know, my family live in,well, I've got family all over
the island, but the majority ofmy family live in the south
which is an old area of Malta,like you're saying, in the town
of Zatun.
It's a working-class suburb,unbelievably beautiful.
Probably the closest swimmingbeach is Masa Skala.
So we normally just findsomewhere to stay in Masa Skala
(16:41):
and head out down that way andjust sit on a limestone rock and
soak up the sun all day and eatin some local restaurants and
have a great time because rightdown there, you've got Masa
Shlok, which is a fishingvillage filled with great
restaurants and bars.
So for me, I can spend three orfour weeks just doing that.
But there's also a new wave oftraveller that's coming through
Malta now and looking forculinary destinations and
(17:04):
culinary things to explore.
And I'm really proud that Maltain the last, I'd say since the
Michelin Guide was introduced,Malta's just blossomed with
high-end restaurants.
There's always been a stronghospitality focus in Malta.
But now there's like a fewreally good levels to it.
(17:25):
You've got two-star Michelinrestaurants.
You've got a really goodbaseline of one-star restaurants
cooking really exciting Maltesefood, which is what's the best
thing for me because you can goto a one-star French restaurant
anywhere in the world and begiven a similar type of food.
Now you're starting to see youngMaltese chefs who are daring to
(17:45):
dream a little bit and justasking the question what Maltese
food can be.
That's always a question I'veasked of myself.
I know it's well-documentedwhere we've It's pretty obvious
where we are now, but where canwe be and who can we be?
And as you said, we've beenunder the rule of so many people
for so many years and the mostrecent being the Brits, but
(18:07):
we've had independence now closeto 70 years.
No, yes, close to 70 years.
And For the first time, we wereour own people.
And now's the time.
This is the exciting time.
We can write our own historynow.
No one's writing it for us.
So you can do that in many ways.
But the bit that I'm excited byis through a culinary lens.
(18:31):
So you've got young chefs likemyself.
I'm not that young anymore.
But looking back at, you know,historically, who traded here?
What was brought here?
What's here now?
Where has it come from?
Why is it Maltese?
How can we develop it?
Do these.
Just because something was hereonce, is it still relevant now?
And how can we nurture that andcreate something that's exciting
(18:55):
for both Maltese and fortourists and travellers alike?
And I think there's some really,really great cooks and great
producers doing that.
So what's the vibe like?
The vibe is exciting becausethere's a great nightlife.
You've got summer nearly allyear round.
There's beautiful weather.
The people are warm and they'rewelcoming, really hospitable.
(19:17):
hospitable.
Tourism's always been, we'vealways been the hosts, right?
Whether we're hosting peopleduring times of war or we're
hosting people in times ofpeace, Malta's always been the
place where we make people feelwelcome.
And I think that Maltese arevery good at doing that.
So you see great hotels go up.
You see a more, I suppose,universal look at what
(19:40):
hospitality can be as well.
Maltese are well-travelled.
They go out and they have a lookwhat's happening in Asia and
have a look what's happening inthe Middle East and have a look
at what's happening in Europeand then bring it back to Malta
and create a really uniqueversion of that.
So it's an exciting time to betravelling to Malta.
It's an exciting time to beMaltese because you're extremely
proud of what's going on backhome.
But that's why I can't wait toget back in a couple of weeks.
SPEAKER_02 (20:03):
You're making me want to go.
You're singing to the choir withthe idea that you travel to a
country to eat from the country.
As you say, you can get aone-star Michelin French
restaurant pretty much anywhere.
Maltese cuisine, because you'rea chef, The question is
compulsory.
What is the flavour profile ofMalta?
I mean, what's the essentialthing that I have to eat?
(20:24):
Because I'm going to go.
As soon as this is over, I'mpretty much booking a flight.
What have I got to eat theminute I get off the flight?
SPEAKER_00 (20:30):
You know, it's a really interesting question, and
it's probably the question thatMaltese chefs need to ask of
themselves.
What is Maltese food?
And it's a really loadedquestion, right?
Because modern-day Maltese food,I suppose you think about the
things that have been happeningprobably from the time to the
50s till now.
(20:52):
So that's dishes that areprobably highly influenced by
the Mediterranean and Europe andour closest neighbour being
Italy.
Dishes like argin, which is likea baked pasta dish.
Rossolfone, which is a similarbaked sort of rice dish.
You're talking about brogioli,which is like a flat piece of
beef that's filled with like anegg stuffing and braise, which
(21:14):
is really, really beautiful.
And And then I suppose the mosttraditional Maltese dish that
everybody thinks about is ournational dish, which is fenix le
fart, which is braised Malteserabbit.
And that's a dish that I thinkis really interesting because
it's a dish of rebellion.
So when we were occupied by theFrench, the Maltese were told
(21:34):
that we couldn't eat rabbitbecause it was to be kept for
royalty.
But like every good Maltese manout there, we don't listen to
anyone.
And we did what we wanted to doand created a national dish out
of it and And Malta consumesmore rabbit, I think 30 times
more rabbit per capita thananywhere else in Europe.
So it's definitely somethingthat's taken seriously.
(21:59):
But what I love about it is thatevery village, every family have
their own spin of this recipe.
And you can get some that arepretty, I think, drab and just
feel like rabbit cooked in a redsort of Napoli sauce.
You can get some that there's astyle, a fried style also, which
is really nice.
But I think that– I might bebiased– but the recipe that my
(22:20):
grandfather taught me, I thinkreally cements itself as a
Maltese dish because it's quite–Arabic feeling, highly spiced.
It's got the use of wine, whichviticulture was brought to us by
the Phoenicians, and wine's abig part of Maltese culture and
(22:41):
great growing.
And it's slowly braised, lots ofspice, really aromatic, quite
rich.
To use spice that luxuriouslywas a true show of wealth and
love in Malta because it wasexpensive.
And it's probably the nationaldish But the one thing that
everybody goes nuts for is theMaltese pastitsia.
(23:03):
Everybody knows that worldwide.
Flaky pastry filled with ricottacheese or with peas.
I've got a good mate of mineover there named Vinu who owns a
business called Sphinx, whichyou'll see all over Malta.
Young guy taking his father'sbusiness and pushing it to new
heights and really trying someinteresting fillings.
That's a really interesting one.
(23:24):
Some are amazing.
Some I'll probably let go.
But it's good that he's pushingthe envelope and trying eyes and
your digs.
SPEAKER_02 (23:30):
They sound like absolutely fantastic dishes.
I've got to say, I thinkPistissi is one of the main
producers in Australia, is in mybackyard.
But I cannot wait to go and tryit.
So all of those spices, therabbit, that is absolutely
fascinating that it was held forroyalty because it's been so
denigrated in other countries asa cheap source of protein.
(23:52):
So if you were just steppingaway from the table, the things
that you do, I mean, again, asthe first time visitor to Malta,
you know, as you say, the artscene is incredible, but
architecture is absolutelyphenomenal.
And you see, you know, theseincredible buildings hanging off
the side of cliffs and thingslike that, Caravaggio thrown all
(24:12):
over the place.
What are the things that youwould recommend that I do?
I mean, you can spend monthsthere, but if I have a week, a
week in Malta, is that enough?
SPEAKER_00 (24:22):
Yeah, no, look, you can do a lot.
I think that I am a big fan ofgetting outdoors.
And if you're a fan of gettingoutdoors, Malta's the place to
do it.
You know, you can go quad bikingaround some of the cliff faces,
which is absolutely amazing.
There's a lot of water sportsthat can be done.
You can head out to Gozo.
(24:42):
I think out in Gozo, Gozo is areally sort of, it's our second
largest island, I suppose,comparative to, I mean, it's
probably our agricultural heart,similar to what people think
about Tasmania.
So untouched, really pristine,beautiful beaches, nice little
farmhouses where you can go andstay away for a couple the
nights, lovely little producers.
(25:02):
So that's definitely a must forone or two nights because you'll
see a side of Malta that'salmost like taking a step back
in time.
But there's some brilliantvineyards in Malta, really small
vineyards.
Obviously, it's a small country,but they focus on quality.
So you can do some reallybeautiful wine tastings, have
some great meals, and then belike 10 minutes away from the
(25:23):
main city.
So there's always so much goingon.
If you're there in a time of theyear where there's– live
performances in the amphitheaterin Valletta, that's a really
sort of spine-chillingexperience.
You know, you're in a UNESCOheritage listed city, sitting
out in an amphitheater that'sopen-air, Roman ruins around it,
(25:48):
and just hearing whether it'sopera, classical music, in an
ancient city like that issomething that's truly
spectacular.
But I mean, if I had a week inMalta, I'd probably spend two
days in Gozo.
I'd probably base myself inValletta because it's like the
(26:08):
main city.
But I would definitely spend aday out in towards Meliha.
Meliha Bay is absolutelystunning.
It's probably one of the onlybeaches that has sand or one of
very few that has sand andtourists go crazy for it.
The water's lovely.
Occasionally, a tuna escapesfrom the tuna farms out at sea
(26:29):
and makes their way in and it'salways funny people thinking
it's a shark.
So it's funny to see people gocrazy.
Um, but I think that the, Ithink that you, the way I like
to spend Malta is that I like tospend it there in, in, in second
gear.
Like I don't want to go toohard.
I want to relax.
I want to take things in.
I want to, you know, immersemyself in the culture.
(26:49):
I want to walk the streets.
I want to get out into some ofthe, some, some of the, the, the
smaller, um, villages thataren't, you know, you're not
going there for any reason, butjust to be immersed in them and
sit in the main square, um,Listen to the old men arguing
with each other, watching theworld go by, having some great
food, drinking some localcoffee, and just immersing
yourself in what Malta's allabout.
(27:09):
I think that's the best thingyou can do.
Malta, you can move really fastthere.
There's great nightclubs, greatbars, great nightlife.
But I think that moving slowthere is probably the best way
to enjoy it.
SPEAKER_02 (27:20):
Nice words.
So it's coming up to MalteseIndependence Day, and that is
Maltese independence from theUK, which only happened in 1964.
How are you going to becelebrating?
SPEAKER_00 (27:33):
Well, we celebrate Maltese Independence Day every
year at Maha.
This year we're celebrating itat Maha and Layla.
Layla's my restaurant inBrisbane.
And it started off as a smallthing that we thought, okay,
well, let's do something for theMaltese community because nobody
really does anything.
And we did it on like oneSaturday, and we had a little
lunch and we had about 30 peoplecome and we thought oh this was
(27:54):
great now it's blown out forthis amazing thing where we do
Saturday and Sunday both lunchand dinner and it is packed the
day we sell it so it's almostsold out already in Melbourne I
think it is sold out inMelbourne Brisbane there's still
a little bit of space left butwhat we do is I try to every
year I try to take a differentlens on what I'm going to cook
depending and I'm very blessedthat I usually get back to Malta
(28:18):
once a year anyway so I'm comingback with with a head full of
inspiration.
And depending on what I've seen,who I've met, or what stories
I've been captivated by, I tryto reflect that in the menu we
produce.
So after coming back, I justcame back from a five-week stint
in Malta.
I was there filming a newtelevision series, which is
airing in Australia in November,and it'll air globally next year
(28:40):
in 2026.
So I have actually, I think,come back with the best, I
suppose, appreciation of whatMaltese food is and was and will
be that I've ever had so thatthe menu this year is broken up
over three or four or threeshared courses um we're cooking
i'd say it's about 15 dishes andonly two of them you'd probably
(29:01):
relate to things like oh well mymum cooked that because i i
don't want i want people to feellike there's something that's
familiar but i also want to showpeople in australia that malta
has grown a lot since that timethat they may have left back in
the 40s 50s 60s or 70s um It'sgrown, it's new, it's fresh, but
(29:22):
it's still deeply seeded in itsroots.
So we're doing dishes likebeautifully grilled local
Australian octopus that havebeen marinated in fennel because
fennel grows everywhere in Maltawith some local Maltese vinegar
and then just simply grilledwith some tomatoes and a little
salad.
So dead simple Mediterraneanfare and people will say, well,
(29:44):
I've never eaten that in Malta.
These things are all pristineingredients that you can source
in Malta that make total sense.
together.
We're trying to show that justbecause it hasn't been done when
you were there doesn't mean it'snot getting done now and doesn't
mean what we should be eating inthe future.
We should be sustainable inMalta.
Sustainability should be afeature and something that we're
(30:05):
really focused on which we neverhave been.
We've always looked at what wecan bring in rather than what we
can create.
I'm trying to create a menu thatfills Maltese, that has
connection with its fruits,that's going to be bloody tasty
but can be produced in Malta fora long time.
I think people will see thatwith one of the desserts that
we're doing.
We shot an episode on our newshow and we were focusing on the
(30:30):
Phoenician ancestry of Malta.
We went to the island of Camino,which is a derivative of the
Arabic word for cumin.
Looking for this wild cuminthat's supposed to be on this
island, which hasn't been therefor a long time.
It's like a big foot.
You keep looking for it and younever find it.
We did some stuff with somebees.
We did some honey and we werespoke about carob, which was
(30:53):
there from the times of thePhoenicians.
And I thought, what am I goingto do with honey, cumin and
carob?
And I thought I could do areally beautiful dessert.
So we made a really beautifulcarob sort of frozen nougat and
covered it with a caramelizedhoney and cumin meringue and
blow torched it all up with lotsof dried nuts and figs and all
those things that would havecome through the spice trait.
And it's actually turned out tobe one of my favorite desserts
(31:14):
that I've ever made.
And I'm hoping that the Maltesecommunity really enjoy it when
they come to Independence Day.
But it's the best bit aboutIndependence Day without going
too much on about it.
It's actually, we've got achanging face of customer that
comes to our celebration now.
It used to be 100% Maltese.
Now what we're seeing is thatit's probably still about 70%
Maltese.
But the surplus is made up withpeople who are just interested
(31:37):
in a new cuisine.
They may have friends that wereMaltese, grown up in a Maltese
area, heard about it throughsocial media or been somewhere
they've always wanted to go andare intrigued and use the
Independence Day celebration astheir first taste of Malta.
This November, we're also atMaha in the city.
(32:00):
We're also going to run a wholemonth of Maltese-inspired menus
every Saturday and Sundaybecause we sold out so quickly.
We thought let's roll on theparty and give people a chance
to come in and try that missedout.
So for the whole month ofNovember, people are going to be
able to come in and try thatfood at Mahara every weekend.
SPEAKER_02 (32:20):
Amazing, because I was going to ask you, if it's
sold out in Melbourne, how do Iget my fix then?
So you've answered that questionbeautifully.
I'm going to jump to the lastquestion that we ask all of our
guests, the final question,which is, and it doesn't have to
be in Malta, but you do getextra gold stars if it is, what
is your most bizarre travelexperience?
SPEAKER_00 (32:38):
Bizarre?
I don't know if a bizarre is theright descriptor, but I traveled
to Iran and it was a verydifferent experience than what I
was expecting.
It was a while ago, it was 2012.
It was just, it was It wasgreat, but I wasn't ready for
(33:00):
it.
I don't think that I'd givenmyself enough time to fully
understand what I was walkinginto.
I thought, okay, look, I'vetraveled a lot.
This is just going to be anotherdestination and I've went to
different cultures.
But I remember one day we wereon the road for a long time.
We were shooting a televisionshow.
We were on the road for abouteight hours driving
(33:20):
continuously.
It was like a rocky road arounda mountain.
We arrived somewhere.
needed to use the restroom.
And I spoke to the guy and hesays, look, it's down the end of
the hallway, down the passagewayand you'll see it.
So we walked to the end of thishallway.
And as I've opened the door ofthe hallway, there was nothing
(33:41):
there.
It was just like a cliff facewith a goat trail.
And I'm going down there andhe's like, yeah, down there.
And I'm walking down this goattrail and there was another
door.
But like the door was like, itwas just like a doorframe with
of box but not an outhouse andas I opened this door there was
(34:02):
just like a concrete hole in thefloor And it was really
confronting to sit there andthink, you want me to squat on
that thing?
And then I had this raw hugerunning out the back.
And I was like, oh, I prefer notto, but geez, it's been eight
hours and I don't know if I canwait another eight.
(34:23):
And I remember walking out ofthere thinking, where do I wash
my hands?
It was just, I don't know if itwas just, it stuck with, It was
weird.
But it probably wasn't foreignto the guys that we were seeing
(34:43):
there and everybody else.
It was really foreign to me.
It was really confronting.
I don't think it was somethingthat I enjoyed.
I don't think I want to go backand do it again.
But the whole trip to Iran wasreally, really, really
different.
It was captivating.
(35:06):
I think the touristy stuff wedid, going and seeing some of
the old places where Alexanderthe Great had been and all these
kind of really exciting thingswere great.
But then when we got into thenitty-gritty, I was overwhelmed
with how beautiful the peopleare.
The people are absolutelyamazing, absolutely amazing.
So warm, so welcoming, so proudof who they are.
(35:30):
But, geez, like our soundrecordist, he was traveling with
his girlfriend.
And before he left Australia togo to Iran, he had to marry her.
Otherwise, they couldn't traveltogether.
And they definitely couldn'teven stay in the same hotel
room.
So some of those things werequite polarizing, quite
polarizing.
SPEAKER_02 (35:46):
It's an amazing country.
And I've got to say, handsanitizer has really changed how
we travel, I think, in suchlocations.
Hot tip for anybody if they'retraveling in Iran because I
think– I mean, we might not betraveling there at the moment,
but yeah, when you get back in,I think some places are just not
going to change.
(36:06):
I reckon that Lou is probablystill there.
Shane, I have absolutely lovedhearing about Malta.
Again, you've inflamed my desireto be there right now,
especially in the middle of thetail end of a Melbourne winter.
Thank you so much for joining uson The World Awaits.
SPEAKER_00 (36:21):
No, no problem.
Thanks.
SPEAKER_01 (36:24):
That toilet in Iran sounds just terrifying.
But aside from that, now I wantto go to Malta for the food, the
beaches, the nightlife.
And if you'd like to followShane's culinary adventures
around the world, you can followhim on Instagram at Shane
D'Elia.
UNKNOWN (36:40):
Music
SPEAKER_02 (36:50):
Our tip this week is about how to avoid disaster in
your rental car around theairport.
So new data released by carrental experts, Vroom, Vroom,
Vroom, reveals that Australianairports are the worst place for
bingles in your hire car withone in six incidents happening
just around the airport.
SPEAKER_01 (37:09):
Yeah.
And we are here to help, Belle.
That's what we do at The WorldAwaits.
With tips on what to do if thishappens to you.
So according to five years worthof data from vroom, vroom,
vroom.
I think I just included thisbecause I wanted to say that.
Airports in general have thehighest rate of accidents among
rental car drivers with 43accidents logged over the last
(37:33):
five years, which isn't reallyall that high.
But hey, considering having anaccident before or after a
flight, the stressful levelswould be pretty high, right?
So I guess even though itdoesn't sound that high, I mean,
if you're going to have anaccident before you're about to
fly out or afterwards, that justescalates things to a whole new
level.
SPEAKER_02 (37:50):
Nice.
nightmare.
And, you know, especially ifyou're like me and you like to
flick into the airport secondsbefore your flight, so you don't
like spend your life standing inan airport queue, you've got no
time to deal with a prang.
So what to do?
And I've got to say, I reckonthis is also when you're
arriving, but also when you'releaving too.
So because, you know, you comein off a flight, you're all, you
(38:13):
know, flights do scramble yourbrain, jump into the hire car,
pull out.
And especially if you're in aplace where you're driving on
the other side of the road tooso pull out have a bingle hello
welcome to the new destinationso what to do if you are
avoiding if you don't want thisto happen to you the first thing
far out they say is make sureyou aren't rushed yes taking
(38:34):
that on thank you very much youare well rested and your tyres
are pumped
SPEAKER_01 (38:40):
yeah that always helps and they also say don't
come like you said don't comestraight off a long flight and
hop into a rental car so youshould preferably check into a
hotel and and rest if you needto.
Because being sleep deprived onthe road, obviously that's when
disasters are going to happen.
Do you know, I did this once.
I came off a flight.
My mum was here looking afterthe kids.
I can't remember where we went,Bali or something.
(39:02):
And I jumped in a car to takeher somewhere and I was driving
on the wrong side of the road.
Like I was just so tired.
I just, I went to turn and I waslike on the wrong side of the
road and I was like, that was sostupid just because I was so
sleep deprived.
So yeah, it's really stupidgetting into a car, obviously
straight after that.
And I also say, if anything doeshappen, pull over safely, check
(39:24):
everyone's okay.
Yep, that's the first thing youdo.
And call emergency services ifneeded.
SPEAKER_02 (39:29):
Yeah, I think that advice not to just lose your
mind completely is a good one.
But the other one is documenteverything.
So before you get in the car oryou drive it, take photos of the
condition so you can prove howyou found the car for whatever
reason further down the line.
Although it's unlikely, youdon't want to pay for a scratch
that was already there when youpicked up the vehicle.
(39:49):
And I had to say I'm actuallyvery strict about this one and I
always take photos or I call thestaff back out and say what is
this undocumented scratch andthey go oh it's nothing that's a
wear and tear thing I'm like youare not going to say that when I
drop it back in are you so I'man absolute animal for that one
and it annoys them but I don'tcare
SPEAKER_01 (40:09):
well good on you I should do more of that yeah I
mean because it is it's a hardone if the car's quite new I
don't do it because I alwaysthink I mean you know if it
doesn't but I guess if it was acar that had quite a few
scratches on it, you'd kind ofbe like, how can they document
all of these?
I know.
Yeah, I
SPEAKER_02 (40:25):
had a banger at Uluru.
I picked up at Uluru, like anabsolute banger because it was
just, you know, doing runs onthe red dirt and thinking, wow.
So I just photographed the wholething, sent it through to them
before I drove off.
Not one little scratch, justwent around the whole car and
photographed all of it because,you know, it had been hitting
kangaroos by the look of it.
It was rugged.
So, yeah, great tip, I think,for this one.
SPEAKER_01 (40:49):
That's a good tip.
And when things go belly up,stay calm.
Like Valerie said, make sure youtake really clear photos of any
damage.
Well, I mean, photos before andphotos of any damage.
And note the time and thelocation.
And then obviously try andcollect the contact details of
anyone else who was involved.
SPEAKER_02 (41:07):
And have a plan B.
For instance, if you'resomewhere remote, you'll need
somewhere to stay the night andmake a plan.
So it might be worth taking somereserve money.
I think this is quite an obvioustip, isn't it?
Having a bit of money in yourback pocket it just in case you
need to catch a flight back to acity.
I mean, Australia is a bigplace.
Sometimes a flight is the onlyreasonable option to get out of
there.
And if you're in a very remoteplace, you might be hungry and
(41:31):
thirsty, so it's always wise tohave additional food, water,
phone charger and
SPEAKER_01 (41:36):
fuel if your car is still running.
Tagged one of Australia's mostrespected lifestyle
commentators, journalists,editors and media consultants,
Melissa Hoyer has interviewednearly every name in the pop
culture and lifestyle sphere.
On next week's pod, I chat toher about how she came to be in
the industry, some of the celebsshe's interviewed, her favourite
(41:56):
places she's been on the job andthe places you need to go to
follow in your favourite celebs'footsteps.
Be prepared to be entertained.
SPEAKER_02 (42:05):
And we'd love it if you followed us on socials.
You'll find us at The WorldAwaits podcast on Instagram,
Facebook and LinkedIn.
Please feel free to drop us aline at hello at
theworldawaits.au on email.
So if you are enjoying thisepisode, why not give us a
rating or a review?
We'd love it.
That's a wrap for The WorldAwaits this week.
(42:26):
Click to subscribe anywhere youlisten to your favourite pods.
Thanks for listening.
See you next week.
UNKNOWN (42:35):
so
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