Confronting CCTV footage has emerged of the horrific moment a car plowed into Queensland Greens MP Amy MacMahon's hybrid vehicle at high speed in front of shocked bystanders, leaving her with serious head and back injuries.

The accident occurred at around 6.30pm on Monday when the South Brisbane MP's Toyota Prius was struck by a Hyundai i30 at the intersection of Baines Street and Main Street in Kangaroo Point, inner city Brisbane.

Images of the incident obtained by The courier postlet Dr. MacMahon slowly drove away from the lights when the Hyundai, which was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed, appeared to drive straight through the intersection.

The Hyundai crashed into the front of the Toyota Prius, causing it to spin 180 degrees into a lamp post.

Debris was immediately spread across the road as the Hyundai, which had a completely crumpled front end, rammed into oncoming traffic before coming to a stop out of harm's way.

Although there is no audio in the footage, bystanders can be seen suddenly floating around at the moment of impact, with one later describing the sound as “like a bomb going off.”

Dr. MacMahon was treated by paramedics at the scene and rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital, where she is in stable but serious condition.

Dr. MacMahon was traveling between two community activities at the time, according to her office, which provided an update Tuesday afternoon.

“She was serving food at the Greens' free community dinner in Raymond Park and was on her way to another community event when the crash occurred,” the post began.

“We can tell you that Amy is in a stable but serious condition. Her injuries are not life-threatening and she is receiving excellent care in hospital.

'It will be a few days before we know the full picture, but at this stage we know Amy is responding. She is being assessed by the specialists to monitor how she is doing.

“We are overwhelmed by the wonderful wishes and concerns for Amy, and we are so grateful for all the support from the community.

“Given how serious this accident was, we are very grateful that the outcome was not worse.”

Dr. MacMahon is surrounded by family and friends as her road to recovery begins.

“Her office remains open and continues to do the work the community needs. The door is always open,” the post ended.

It is unknown how long her recovery will take.

Her Greens colleagues were shocked after seeing the confrontational images.

“It's quite moving to see and it gives a clearer picture of how serious the incident was,” said fellow Greens MP Michael Berkman.

“We know she is receiving good care (and) that she is in the best possible place she could be, and while all relevant specialists continue to treat her condition, we will just play it by ear,” he said.

“Anyone who knows Amy knows how eager she is to serve more free community dinners and fight for her community again as soon as possible,” Berkman said.

The occupants of the Hyundai – a woman in her 20s and a man in his 30s – were taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in stable conditions.

The Queensland Police Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

The busy intersection near the popular Pineapple Hotel was cordoned off for several hours while emergency responders cleared the scene.

Local residents recalled hearing the impact of the accident two blocks away.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said emergency services had taken “great care” of Dr MacMahon and he wished her a speedy recovery.

“On behalf of the government, I want Amy and her family to know that we are all thinking of her,” he said Monday evening.

“I know our police and paramedics have taken great care of her and that PA Hospital is the best place in the world for her.”

Just hours before the crash, South Brisbane MP had called on Premier Miles to scrap the demolition and reconstruction of the Gabba for the 2032 Olympics.

She has been an outspoken opponent of the project and hosted a community forum on Saturday.

“The message from our community was crystal clear: we will not stop until the Prime Minister says he is calling off the Gabba rebuild, and that East Brisbane State School and Raymond Park are protected,” the MP wrote on Monday.

'The community doesn't want it. The vice president of the International Olympic Committee says this is incorrect. The president of the Australian Olympic Committee says there are better solutions. Even an old Labor Prime Minister has spoken out against it.'

Dr. MacMahon became the first female Greens MP elected to the Queensland Parliament in 2020 when she dethroned then Deputy Prime Minister Jackie Trad.

In November, she became the first MP in almost a decade to be suspended from parliament for a day for “willful disobedience” to an order.

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By Josh Alston for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 01:55 EDT, November 4, 2023 | Updated: 02:07 EDT, November 4, 2023

 

 

The best places to visit in 2024 have been named by the travel experts at Lonely Planet – and it’s good news if you’re planning a trip to Mongolia.

Lonely Planet’s newly released Best In Travel 2024 book crowns the top ten countries, regions and cities to visit next year. Two new categories – ‘value’ and ‘sustainable’ – have also been introduced this year to mark Lonely Planet’s 50th birthday.

The best cities have been unveiled as Nairobi in Kenya (first) and Paris (second), with three North American destinations in the top ten – Montreal (third), Philadelphia (fifth) and Kansas City (10th). 

The best regions are the Trans Dinarica Cycling Route in the Western Balkans (first) and Australia’s Kangaroo Island (second), with the U.S state of Montana eighth and Far North Scotland ranking tenth.

Midwest USA has been named the best destination for value, while Spain is the best for sustainability – with the trails of Wales ranking fourth on the sustainability list.

Lonely Planet says it has awarded Mongolia the gold medal in the country ranking as it’s ideal for seekers of ‘wide-open spaces, adventures and culture’. Its capital, Ulaanbaatar, is also ‘teeming with people and unique attractions’.

Lonely Planet adds: ‘Squeezed between Russia and China, Mongolia seems hard to reach given recent geopolitical events in its two large neighbours. But Mongolia’s doors are open and a tourism campaign has eased visa restrictions through 2025.’

Country runner-up India is described as ‘the world’s most colourful country’. Lonely Planet adds that ‘India’s railways are in for a revamp, with stylish new trains rolling out across the network’. It also recommends that travellers ‘take a 2,000-mile boat trip on the MV Ganges Vilas, the world’s longest river cruise’.

Morocco claims third place on the countries list, followed by Chile (fourth) and Benin  (fifth). The rest of the top 10 ranking comprises Mexico (sixth), Uzbekistan (seventh), Pakistan (eighth), Croatia (ninth) and St Lucia in tenth place.

CITIES

As for the best cities to visit, Lonely Planet says winner Nairobi is ‘staking its claim as a global centre of culture’ and is ‘sizzling with unmissable travel experiences’.

It says that the Kenyan capital offers a ‘dynamic array of restaurants, food carts and cafes, along with a steady rotation of arts and cultural venues that all fuel a distinct Nairobi cool’. The guidebook adds: ‘Within easy reach, its namesake national park is teeming with wildlife.’

Lonely Planet says that silver medal winner Paris is offering visitors new ways to interact with the city as it prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

It says: ‘Cycling time trials will spin through town; beach volleyball and blind football will unfurl beneath the Eiffel Tower; and break-dancers will six-step to DJ beats across the square where Louis XVI’s head rolled in 1793. A city constantly reinventing the wheel – a pharmacy prescribing books, photography exhibitions afloat the Seine, a triangle-shaped glass skyscraper – Paris is showing off innovations outside the sporting arena.’

Third-place Montreal is praised for its ‘changing neighbourhoods packed with diverse cuisine, au courant galleries and quirky shops’ while Mostar in Bosnia, which ranks fourth, is said to have an ‘unforgettably scenic, minaret-dotted medieval Old Town’.

Heaping praise on fifth-place Philadelphia, Lonely Planet says: ‘At the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers sits the nation’s first World Heritage City, the birthplace of the United States and the “City of Brotherly Love”. But in all that historic high-mindedness what can get lost is modern Philly’s kinetic energy – and tectonically shifting cultural core.’

Kansas City, meanwhile, is said to have ‘so much to shout about in 2024, including major sporting firsts, an ever-evolving, top-tier culinary scene and grassroots efforts to revitalize its cityscape’.

The rest of the cities top 10 is comprised of Manaus in Brazil (sixth); Jakarta, Indonesia (seventh); Prague (eighth) and Izmir in Turkey (ninth).

REGIONS

Turning to the best regions ranking, Lonely Planet says the Western Balkans’ Trans Dinarica Cycling Route – a ‘moderately difficult’, 3,364km (2,090-mile) trail through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia – is a deserving winner as it ‘spotlights mountain ranges, the Adriatic Sea and a gluttony of lakes and rivers while prioritising the sustainable discovery of UNESCO sites, national parks and villages’.

Runner-up Kangaroo Island, the guidebook reveals, has an ‘otherworldliness’ to it. Lonely Planet says: ‘A mere 40-minute flight from Adelaide, Australia’s third-largest island is surprisingly isolated. Deceptively vast with a ridiculous amount of stunning coastline, Kangaroo Island invites guests to indulge in its unique local produce, encounter adorable wildlife and discover some of the country’s best beaches.’

Tuscany – where visitors can ‘celebrate the slow life’ – comes third in the regions ranking, while Donegal, an Irish county that boasts ‘the highest sea cliffs in Europe’ and ‘miles of unspoilt coastal hiking trails’, lands in fourth place.

Eighth-place Montana ‘contains some of the most majestic scenery in the U.S with a growing emphasis on conservation, culture, food, and drink’, says the guidebook.

And Lonely Planet says that 2024 will hopefully herald new recognition for tenth-place Far North Scotland ‘as it aims to achieve UNESCO World Heritage status’. It recommends exploring its ‘unsung boggy interior and a coastline of heartbreaking beauty’. 

The rest of the top 10 ranking is made up of Pais Vasco in Spain (fifth), southern Thailand (sixth), Tanzania’s Swahili Coast (seventh) and Austria’s Saalfelden Leogang region (ninth).

BEST VALUE

Elaborating on why Midwest America has been named best for value in 2024, Lonely Planet says that it offers ‘cooler-than-you-think cities full of creativity, diversity, and food to rival those on either coast’.

It continues: ‘Over the last decade, chefs, artists, and designers have been lured to cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit, offering more space and lower costs. Now, old warehouses have transformed into art studios, new eco-design hotels and many Michelin-starred restaurants.’

Poland – a country that offers a ‘superb range of quality travel experiences’ – ranks in second place, while Nicaragua, complete with ‘surf, sun, colonial villages, tropical forests, lost islands and more’ for budget travellers, ranks third.

The rest of the top ten is made up of the Danube Limes (Roman military frontier) in Bulgaria and Romania (fourth); Normandy in France (fifth); Egypt (sixth); Ikaria in Greece (seventh); Algeria (eighth); the Southern Lakes and Central Otago region of New Zealand (ninth) and the night trains of Europe tenth).

BEST FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Spain takes the top spot in the sustainability ranking as its ‘new cycle paths, electric buses and train routes offer new ways to see the country’, says the guidebook.

Patagonia, where ‘new trails, expanding parklands and an ambitious rewilding project’ make the area ‘more compelling than ever’, lands in second place, while Greenland, with its ‘epic ice and tundra’, ranks third.

Fourth-place Wales is praised by Lonely Planet as its revamped railway trails ‘expand the possibilities of exploring the nation’s wild, wonderful west’. The guidebook says: ‘New train stations and increased services are planned for South Wales’s main rail line in early 2025. Whilst out-of-the-way Pembrokeshire National Park is accessible by car and set to become more so.’

Making up the rest of the top ten it’s the ‘Portuguese Way, Caminho Portuguese de Santiago’ pilgrimage route (fifth); the Pacific nation of Palau (sixth); Hokkaido in Japan (seventh); Ecuador (eighth); the Baltic Trails of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (ninth) and South Africa’s Eco Lodges (10th).

Commenting on the ranking, Nitya Chambers, SVP content and executive editor, says: ‘Our picks for this year seek to both inspire and follow the instincts of 2024’s traveller. 

‘Best in Travel is Lonely Planet’s heart and soul of travel inspiration, responding to the enthusiasm of travellers who want to explore the world in a way that is authentic, led by local guidance and has sustainable values at its core. With new takes on iconic destinations and 50 fresh ideas across five categories, we’re confident Best in Travel opens up a year of incredible adventures.’

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2024 is on sale for £11.99 ($14.50), available from lonelyplanet.com. 

Astonishing moment American tourist is forced to grab a kangaroo by the throat after it kicked and scratched it in a zoo attack

• Kangaroo scratches and kicks at an American visitor to a Perth zoo
• The man fended off the attack and grabbed the rod’s throat
• His family filmed and laughed as he tried to defend himself

By Jade Hobman for Daily Mail Australia

published: 21:12 EDT, Jun 12, 2023 | Updated: 21:16 EDT, Jun 12, 2023