Diary Australia
Diary
The first week of September marks not only the first anniversary of the election of the Abbott Government, but the…
Diary
The first week of September marks not only the first anniversary of the election of the Abbott Government, but the…
Polynesian diary
Speccie Oz editor Rowan Dean called, sounding incredulous. His mother had just rung him. Radio 2GB said I was eloping…
Diary Australia
Walking across the playing fields of St Edmund’s College, Canberra, my mind wanders back 36 years to the day I…
Ethiopian Diary
My partner Billy and I are in Gondar, in north-eastern Ethiopia, a few bone-jarring hours’ drive from the Sudanese border.…
Diary Australia
At the season launch for the 1987 Sheffield Shield, the South Australian captain, David Hookes, was seated next to Don…
Diary Australia
Like Ray Charles and nearly as short-sighted, a couple of years ago I moved to the outskirts of town. I’m…
Chemo Notes
It’s now six months since I was diagnosed with cancer. That was a terrible start to the year. The surgeon…
Diary Australia
After years of arguments, days of negotiations and hours of speeches from the Greens, the carbon tax was finally abolished.…
Diary Australia
Australia is a long way from the US. I left Washington on 4 July of all dates for Melbourne, there…
Sicilian Diary
Most of my dealings with the mafia — to the best of my knowledge — have been pleasant ones. Visiting…
Diary Australia
To Darwin, for the wedding of dear friends. An idle morning in that gem of a city provided me with…
Diary Australia
Many readers would be aware of the recent passing of Ray Evans. Ray’s funeral service was held last Friday at…
Diary Australia
Everyone who appears on the cover of a magazine feels angst about how they look. As the editor of a…
Diary Australia
One of the worst aspects of the way we go on these days is not only that we are all…
Scottish diary
Not so long ago I travelled to Dumfries, Scotland, the first leg of the trip being on an Emirates A380.…
London Diary
I am a stickler for the rule that a London diary should start with a cabbie story, so… In a…
Beersheba diary
Chips Rafferty never came to Beersheba. And he definitely never visited Be’er- Sheva, ‘The Opportunity Capital of Israel’. Be’er-Sheva was…
Diary
One of my favourite destinations when travelling internationally is the airport bookshop. Not to buy a book. I just love…
Diary
Budget day. It has its time-honoured rituals which outlive governments of all persuasions. There’s the pre-budget leaks both intentional and…
Diary
I muttered an abusive riposte. This breaks the first rule of dealing with demonstraters even when they stick their murderous…
Diary
I knew from reading his book that Bob Carr was colossally vain. But still I’m stunned when, 90 seconds before…
Andrew Neil's Australia diary
No rest for the wicked. We touch down before dawn in Sydney after a 22-hour flight and by 7am I’m…
Diary
It’s not often you have a foretaste of paradise. Recently I spent a month in Europe — the UK, Ireland,…
Diary
Some years ago, on a flight from Adelaide to Sydney, while putting my hand luggage in the overhead compartment, I…
