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Experience the magic of Ireland down under: A Taste of Ireland 2024 Australian Tour

<p>Get ready to immerse yourself in the rich culture, captivating music and mesmerising dance of Ireland as <a href="https://www.atasteofirelandshow.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Taste of Ireland</em></a> returns to enchant audiences across Australia in 2024. </p> <p>Featuring World Champion dancers from <em>Lord of the Dance</em> and <em>Riverdance</em>, prepare to be transported to the rolling green hills and vibrant streets of the Emerald Isle, right in your hometown! </p> <p><strong>What is <em>A Taste of Ireland</em>?</strong></p> <p><em>A Taste of Ireland</em> is not just a performance; it's an unforgettable journey through the heart and soul of Ireland. Combining traditional and contemporary Irish music and dance, this spectacular show showcases the incredible talent and passion of some of Ireland's finest performers.</p> <p><strong>What to expect</strong></p> <p>From the moment the first note is struck, and the first step is danced, you'll be captivated by the energy and artistry on stage. Feel the rhythm of the bodhrán drum reverberate through your bones, and let the fiddles whisk you away to a land of ancient myths and legends.</p> <p>Prepare to be dazzled by the lightning-fast footwork and intricate choreography of the dancers as they weave tales of love, loss and triumph through their movements. Each step tells a story, each leap a celebration of life itself.</p> <p><strong>Why attend?</strong></p> <p>Whether you're a die-hard fan of Irish culture or simply looking for a night of entertainment unlike any other, <em>A Taste of Ireland</em> offers something for everyone. It's an opportunity to witness the magic of Ireland's rich heritage brought to life before your very eyes.</p> <p>Forget your troubles for an evening and let the music and dance sweep you away on a journey you won't soon forget. Whether you're tapping your feet to the lively jigs and reels or wiping away tears during a poignant ballad, <em>A Taste of Ireland</em> is an experience that will touch your heart and soul.</p> <p><strong>Tour dates and locations</strong></p> <p>The 2024 Australian Tour of <em>A Taste of Ireland</em> will be making stops across Australia for 80 shows from March to July, bringing the magic of Ireland to a venue near you. <a href="https://www.atasteofirelandshow.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check the tour schedule</a> to find out when this unforgettable experience will be coming to your area.</p> <p><strong>Get your tickets now!</strong></p> <p>Don't miss your chance to experience the beauty and excitement of <em>A Taste of Ireland</em>. Tickets are selling fast, so book yours today and get ready for a night of music, dance, and memories that will last a lifetime. </p> <p>Witness the show that has received rave reviews across the globe. Don't rely on the luck of the Irish – <a href="https://www.atasteofirelandshow.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">book now</a>, because tickets are selling out fast!</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied.</em></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Pace Live.</em></p>

Music

Pink spotted at Bondi ahead of national tour

<p>In a dazzling spectacle of beach vibes and sun-soaked fun, pop sensation Pink has graced the shores of Bondi Beach ahead of her highly anticipated Australian tour.</p> <p>The iconic singer, known for her powerhouse performances and unapologetic personality, was spotted basking in the Aussie sun with her adorable children, making waves Down Under.</p> <p>The excitement was palpable as Pink, with her trademark pink hair, took to social media to express her joy at being back on Australian soil. "Bondi Beach, it's been too long!!!!!!! Bills was delicious, too. ️Soooooooo happy to be back on this side of the world! Thank you beautiful Australia for being our home away from home. Kids are stoked," she gushed alongside some envy-inducing beach pictures.</p> <p>It seems Bills, a popular eatery in Sydney, left quite the impression on the star. If Pink says it's delicious, it's practically a culinary endorsement for the ages. (Move over food critics; Pink's tastebuds have spoken.)</p> <p>But this isn't Pink's first love letter to the Land Down Under. The singer has long expressed her admiration for Australia and has been a staunch supporter during challenging times. In 2020, she pledged a generous $500,000 donation to the country's fire services during the devastating Black Summer bushfires, proving she not only rocks the stage but also has a heart of gold.</p> <p>As Pink gears up for her stadium tour in Australia, aptly named the Summer Carnival tour, fans are eagerly anticipating a spectacle that will undoubtedly leave them smiling and singing until their cheeks hurt. Kicking off at Sydney's Allianz Stadium on February 9, the tour will then take Pink and her musical carnival to various cities, including Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.</p> <p>It's been nearly six years since Pink's 2018 tour, Beautiful Trauma, which wowed almost 560,000 Australian and New Zealand fans. Eager to share the joy once again, Pink expressed her excitement, saying, "I can't wait to bring the Summer Carnival tour to my home away from home and smile and sing together until our cheeks hurt. Summer 2024 can't come soon enough!"</p> <p>The tour is not just a celebration of Pink's electrifying stage presence but also a nod to her ninth album, Trustfall, released in February the previous year. The anticipation is building, and fans can't wait to witness the magic unfold live on stage.</p> <p>Adding a touch of whimsy to the excitement, Pink <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/my-home-away-from-home-pink-s-dream-down-under" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teased the possibility</a> of making Australia her permanent home last year. In an interview with <em>60 Minutes</em>, she revealed, "Last year, I was thinking about applying for citizenship; I am not even joking. I was like, 'If we're going somewhere Carey, [Australia] is where we're going'." Australia, get ready to welcome Pink with open arms – she might just become our newest citizen!</p> <p>So, as Pink readies to paint Australia with her musical colours and contagious energy, fans are counting down the days until the Summer Carnival kicks off, promising a tour de force that will linger in their memories long after the final note fades away. Bondi Beach, Bills, and a Summer Carnival – it's a Pink party, and everyone's invited.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Domestic Travel

Kyle and Jackie O's kind act for mother and daughter who got scammed

<p>Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O have given away their own tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, to a mum and her nine-year-old daughter, after the duo got scammed out of $1200. </p> <p>Sam, had attempted to purchase the concert tickets for her young daughter Charlie, but instead of getting tickets she got scammed and was left heartbroken. </p> <p>The radio stars were touched by their story, and immediately jumped into action to make the mother-daughter's day better. </p> <p>“Hi Charlie, Kyle and Jackie O have come to the rescue with free concert tickets. We are going to give you our tickets so you can go see her for free," Kyle told the nine-year-old. </p> <p>In a post shared on Instagram, Charlie was filmed bursting into tears when she realised she would be seeing her idol after all.</p> <p>“I couldn’t have a little sweetheart like you be so excited to see her but then have someone steal the tickets. So, you’re going to go see her,” Kyle added. </p> <p>The mother-daughter duo were filmed hugging each other in happiness. </p> <p>This comes after The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch received 273 reports of people being scammed while buying tickets to The Eras Tour via social media.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

8 signs you should be booking a group tour

<p>Not sure if you should take a tour or go it alone? These are the times you’re going to want that expert on hand.</p> <p><strong>1. When you’re on a really tight schedule</strong></p> <p>A tour will help you squeeze in as much as possible in a very short time. It will plan out a sensible itinerary with no backtracking or wasted journeys and will give you a realistic idea of how much you can fit in for a day. Plus you won’t have to puzzle out public transport for yourself.</p> <p><strong>2. When you’re feeling nervous</strong></p> <p>Arriving in a new place can be scary sometimes, so having someone to walk you through it will make all the difference. If a city has a reputation for being unsafe or if it’s just your first time in a foreign country, a tour will give you a great worry-free introduction.</p> <p><strong>3. When there’s a big language barrier</strong></p> <p>We’re lucky in that much of the world speaks English, so we can usually muddle our way around. But in some countries you’ll find there’s a significant language barrier, so having a native speaker is going to make all the difference.</p> <p><strong>4. When you want to meet some locals</strong></p> <p>This might sound counterintuitive, but an organised tour can be one of the best ways to meet some locals. First of all, your guide is likely to be local and can introduce you to their hometown. Secondly, it’s daunting to walk into a crowded bar or cool café when you don’t know anyone. A guide can smooth the way and ensure you don’t get stuck in tourist traps.</p> <p><strong>5. When it’s really busy</strong></p> <p>If you don’t fancy joining the huge line outside a popular museum or waiting hours for tickets, a tour could be the way to go. They can often organise private or after hours visits, get special passes to cut the line or take you to areas that are off limits to the general public.</p> <p><strong>6. When it’s the law</strong></p> <p>Want to visit North Korea? You’re going to need to join a tour. Some governments have restrictions in place that mean foreign tourists can only visit when accompanied by a registered tour guide and independent travel is simply not an option.</p> <p><strong>7. When you’re doing something really adventurous</strong></p> <p>Trekking, white water rafting, canyoning or safaris – for safety reasons you’re going to need to join a tour. These kinds of activities can be dangerous, so you don’t want to be risking them on your own. A tour or private guide will show you the best way to get your heart pumping.</p> <p><strong>8. When you’re going right off the grid</strong></p> <p>Places like Antarctica, the Arctic, remote corners of Africa or tricky countries like Russia are best done on a tour. Often the logistics of simply getting there are impossible for the independent traveller or you will need help navigating the complex visa process. In these instances, it’s a relief to put yourself in someone else’s hands and just concentrate on having fun.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Tips

"Do better": Baggage handlers captured recklessly throwing wheelchairs

<p>American Airlines has been forced to apologise after two baggage handlers were captured recklessly throwing around wheelchairs. </p> <p>The video of the staffers was captured and posted to TikTok, showing two men in hi-vis at Miami Airport throwing a wheelchair down a slide. </p> <p>The chair hits the bottom with such force that it is catapulted off the chute.</p> <p>In the caption of the video, the poster revealed it was not the first mobility device to suffer such a fate, as she wrote, "Dang, after I saw them do this and laugh with the first two wheelchairs I had to get it on film."</p> <p>She added that it wasn't what she would call "handling with care" for a mobility device.</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7303306999909960990&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40haez93%2Fvideo%2F7303306999909960990%3Flang%3Den&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast8-p-0068-tx2%2FoIRPINBLSaBIEAVIxqpEaik1LBxVjiEZAq5m5%3Fx-expires%3D1700863200%26x-signature%3DumASXIu6Qa1eNNxX0Jshk1pfrJQ%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>The video has racked up over 2 million viewers, with many flocking to the comments to share their thoughts.</p> <p>"This makes me rage. That is literally someone's lifeline," one person wrote. </p> <p>"Knowing our healthcare system that basic wheelchair was soooooo f-ing expensive," another added. </p> <p>A commenter clarified, "these chairs cost upwards of $3k plus. They aren't easily replaceable and insurance only covers new chairs every 5 years".</p> <p>Another person wrote, "From a wheelchair user, thank you for posting this and raising awareness," while another angry viewer simply wrote, "Do better American Airlines". </p> <p>After the video quickly went viral on social media, the airline issued a statement on the incident, as American Airlines spokesperson Amy Lawrence told <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2023/11/20/american-airlines-wheelchair-miami-mishandling-video/71655649007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>USA Today</em></a> in a statement: "We recognise how important it is to support the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring the proper care of mobility devices throughout their journey with us."</p> <p>"This visual is deeply concerning and we are gathering more details so that we can address them with our team. We will continue to work hard to improve our handling of assistive devices across our network."</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Seinfeld drops huge news for Aussie fans

<p>In a world filled with laughter and punchlines, one man has consistently stood out as a comedy legend: Jerry Seinfeld. The comedic genius, best known for his iconic sitcom <em>Seinfeld</em>, is set to embark on a tour Down Under, gracing Australia with his comedic prowess once again in June 2024. Get ready to laugh until your sides hurt because the king of observational humour is coming to Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne.</p> <p>Seinfeld last performed in Australia in 2017, and fans have been eagerly awaiting his return. In a statement, he expressed his excitement, saying, "I have loved Australia since my first tour there in 1998, and I cannot wait to come back to visit some of the greatest comedy fans in the world."</p> <p>So, what's the deal with the tour? Tickets will go on sale next week, with a Telstra Plus member pre-sale starting on Tuesday, November 14, at 12 noon (local time). The general public can get their hands on these coveted tickets starting on Friday, November 17, at 12 noon (local time) through <a href="https://www.tegdainty.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.tegdainty.com</a>.</p> <p>While Seinfeld is undoubtedly thrilled to be returning to Australia, let's not forget that he once playfully described Melbourne as the "anus end of the world". It's a joke that still resonates with fans, even though it may not have sat well with some Melburnians.</p> <p>In 1998, during a one-man show on Broadway, Seinfeld playfully jabbed at Melbourne, saying, "That's where I started crawling back up the butt." This humorous comment didn't sit too well with then-Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett and Major Events boss Ron Walker. The joke sparked quite a stir, with Walker even offering to send Seinfeld a tube of Rectinol, a haemorrhoid cream, in jest.</p> <p>Seinfeld later issued a humorous apology through his LA publicists, saying, "Australia is one of my favourite places in the world. I never meant to offend Melbourne by comparing it to an anus. I was saying, if you think of the world as an ass, Melbourne is somewhere in the vicinity of the rectum."</p> <p>While Kennett was not too pleased with the comedian's playful jab, it's safe to say that Seinfeld's comment didn't leave any lasting impact. His sitcom continues to be one of the most beloved shows of all time, and Seinfeld himself is celebrated as one of the greatest stand-up comedians in history.</p> <p>As he prepares for his 2024 Australian tour, fans can look forward to witnessing the comedic mastery that has made Jerry Seinfeld an icon in the world of humour. Promoter Paul Dainty couldn't be happier to be a part of the upcoming tour, stating, "He is, without a doubt, the world's most renowned and accomplished stand-up comedian. This tour provides an opportunity for Australians to witness the mastery of his craft."</p> <p>Seinfeld's humour has resonated with audiences for more than 40 years, and it's no wonder why he chose comedy over work. As he once said in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, "It seemed much easier than work, and more fun than work." Of course, he added, "It turned out to be much harder than work, and not easy at all. But you still don't have to ever really grow up, and that's the best thing of all."</p> <p>In 1989, Seinfeld teamed up with Larry David to create <em>Seinfeld</em>, which became the most successful comedy series in the history of television, running for nine seasons. He has continued to entertain with projects like <em>Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee</em> on Netflix and comedy specials such as <em>Jerry Before Seinfeld</em> and <em>23 Hours to Kill</em>.</p> <p>In addition to his stand-up and TV work, Seinfeld has ventured into the world of film. He has written and directed a yet-to-be-released movie titled <em>Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story</em>. The film is set in 1963 Michigan and revolves around two rival cereal companies racing to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast forever. With a star-studded cast including Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant and James Marsden, it's a project to keep an eye out for.</p> <p>As Seinfeld prepares to hit the Australian stage once more, you can expect the iconic comedian to serve up his trademark brand of humour, leaving audiences in stitches and reminding everyone why he's considered one of the greats. Don't miss your chance to catch Jerry Seinfeld live on stage during his 2024 Australian tour. Tickets will be selling like hotcakes, or should we say, like Pop-Tarts fresh from the toaster!</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

International Travel

Streets of purple haze: how the South American jacaranda became a symbol of Australian spring

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-k-martin-107846">Susan K Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p>Jacaranda season is beginning across Australia as an explosion of vivid blue spreads in a wave from north to south. We think of jacarandas as a signature tree of various Australian cities. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth all feature avenues of them.</p> <p>Grafton in New South Wales hosts an annual <a href="https://www.jacarandafestival.com/">jacaranda festival</a>. Herberton in Queensland is noted for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jacarandafestivalherberton/">its seasonal show</a>.</p> <p>There are significant plantings in many botanic, public and university gardens across Australia. <em>Jacaranda mimosifolia</em> (the most common species in Australia) doesn’t generally flower in Darwin, and Hobart is a little cold for it.</p> <p>So showy and ubiquitous, jacarandas can be mistaken for natives, but they originate in South America. The imperial plant-exchange networks of the 19th century introduced them to Australia.</p> <p>But how did these purple trees find their stronghold in our suburbs?</p> <h2>Propagating the trees</h2> <p>Botanist Alan Cunningham sent the first jacaranda specimens from <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">Rio to Britain’s Kew gardens</a> around 1818.</p> <p>Possibly, jacaranda trees arrived from Kew in colonial Australia. Alternately, Cunningham may have disseminated the tree in his later postings in Australia or through plant and seed exchanges.</p> <p>Jacarandas are a widespread imperial introduction and are now a feature of many temperate former colonies. The jacaranda was exported by the British from Kew, by other colonial powers (Portugal for example) and directly from South America to various colonies.</p> <p>Jacarandas grow from seed quite readily, but the often preferred mode of plant propagation in the 19th century was through cuttings because of sometimes <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">unreliable seed</a> and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/histres/article/93/262/715/5938031?login=true">volume of results</a>.</p> <p>Cuttings are less feasible for the jacaranda, so the tree was admired but rare in Australia until either nurseryman Michael Guilfoyle or gardener George Mortimer succeeded in propagating the tree in 1868.</p> <p>Once the trees could be easily propagated, <a href="https://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/library/local_history/woollahra_plaque_scheme/plaques/michael_guilfoyle">jacarandas became more widely available</a> and they began their spread through Australian suburbs.</p> <h2>A colonial import</h2> <p>Brisbane claims the earliest jacaranda tree in Australia, <a href="https://blog.qagoma.qld.gov.au/godfrey-rivers-under-the-jacaranda-a-quintessential-image-of-brisbane-queensland/">planted in 1864</a>, but the Sydney Botanic Garden jacaranda is dated at “around” 1850, and jacarandas were listed for sale in <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13055858?searchTerm=Jacaranda%20OR%20Jakaranda">Sydney in 1861</a>.</p> <p>These early park and garden plantings were eye-catching – but the real impact and popularity of jacarandas is a result of later street plantings.</p> <p>Jacaranda avenues, in Australia and around the world, usually indicate wealthier suburbs like Dunkeld in <a href="https://www.wisemove.co.za/post/top-10-richest-suburbs-in-johannesburg">Johannesberg</a> and Kilimani in <a href="https://gay.medium.com/hashtag-jacaranda-propaganda-2f20ac6958b9">Nairobi</a>.</p> <p>In Australia, these extravagant displays appear in older, genteel suburbs like Subiaco and Applecross in Perth; Kirribilli, Paddington and Lavender Bay in Sydney; Parkville and the Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy in Melbourne; Mitcham, Frewville and Westbourne Park in Adelaide; and St Lucia in Brisbane.</p> <p>The trend toward urban street avenue plantings expanded internationally in the <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.2307/3983816?journalCode=foreconshist">mid 19th century</a>. It was particularly popular in growing colonial towns and cities. It followed trends in imperial centres, but new colonial cities offered scope for <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2009/00000015/00000003/art00004">concerted planning of avenues in new streets</a>.</p> <p>Early Australian streets were often host to a mix of native plants and exotic imported trees. Joseph Maiden, director of the Sydney Botanic Gardens from 1896, drove the move from mixed street plantings towards avenues of single-species trees in the early 20th century.</p> <p>Maiden selected trees suitable to their proposed area, but he was also driven by contemporary aesthetic ideas of <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2009/00000015/00000003/art00004">uniformity and display</a>.</p> <p>By the end of the 19th century, deciduous trees were becoming more popular as tree plantings for their variety and, in southern areas, for the openness to winter sunshine.</p> <p>It takes around ten years for jacaranda trees to become established. Newly planted jacarandas take between two and 14 years to produce their first flowers, so there was foresight in planning to achieve the streets we have today.</p> <p>In Melbourne, jacarandas were popular in post-first world war plantings. They were displaced by a move to native trees after the second world war. Despite localised popularity in certain suburbs, the jacaranda does not make the list of top 50 tree plantings for <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/220356756/714CC7FF6134038PQ/6?accountid=12001">Melbourne</a>.</p> <p>In Queensland, 19th-century street tree planting was particularly ad hoc – the <a href="https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=602440">Eagle Street fig trees</a> are an example – and offset by enthusiastic forest clearance. It wasn’t until the early 20th century street beautification became more organised and jacaranda avenues were planted in areas like New Farm in Brisbane.</p> <p>The popular plantings on the St Lucia campus of the University of Queensland occurred later, in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/queensland-review/article/abs/for-shade-colour-and-in-memory-of-sacrifice-amenity-and-memorial-tree-planting-in-queenslands-towns-and-cities-191555/459CD1E02E7FD581B4B89ADD7073D705">1930s</a>.</p> <h2>A flower for luck</h2> <p>In Australia, as elsewhere, there can be too much of a good thing. Jacarandas are an invasive species <a href="https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/jacaranda">in parts of Australia</a> (they seed readily in the warm dry climates to which they have been introduced).</p> <p>Parts of South Africa have limited or banned the planting of jacarandas because of their water demands and <a href="http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0006-82412017000200020">invasive tendencies</a>. Ironically, eucalypts have a similar status in South Africa.</p> <p>Writer <a href="https://gay.medium.com/hashtag-jacaranda-propaganda-2f20ac6958b9">Carey Baraka argues</a> that, however beloved and iconic now, significant plantings of jacarandas in Kenya indicate areas of past and present white population and colonial domination.</p> <p>Despite these drawbacks, spectacular jacaranda plantings remain popular where they have been introduced. There are even myths about them that cross international boundaries.</p> <p>In the southern hemisphere – in Pretoria or Sydney – they bloom on university campuses during examination time: the first blooms mark the time to study; the fall of blooms suggests it is <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">too late</a>; and the fall of a blossom on a student bestows <a href="https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/34">good luck</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214075/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-k-martin-107846"><em>Susan K Martin</em></a><em>, Emeritus Professor in English, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/streets-of-purple-haze-how-the-south-american-jacaranda-became-a-symbol-of-australian-spring-214075">original article</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

"Health always comes first": Tina Arena's shock announcement

<p>Tina Arena has shocked her fans after making the "difficult decision" to cancel her upcoming Australian tour. </p> <p>The Aussie songstress announced the news on social media, saying the remainder of her shows on the Australian leg of the Love Saves World tour would be postponed due to illness. </p> <p>This is the first time in her long career that the 55-year-old musician has had to cancel a show.</p> <p>Sharing the announcement on Thursday night, Arena shared a black-and-white photo of her band behind the scenes along with the bad news for her fans.</p> <p>“Hi everyone, for the very first time, I have to postpone the rest of my Australian shows,” she wrote.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CySpmXGB9ds/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CySpmXGB9ds/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tina Arena (@tinaarena)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Believe me when I say, it was a hard decision. But remember, health always comes first. Therefore, to ensure it won’t happen again... here we are.” </p> <p>She told concertgoers to “hold onto your tickets”, stressing there would be more information to come.</p> <p>“I wish you all the very best, and my sincere apologies for any inconvenience,” she ended the post, signing off with “T”.</p> <p>The remainder of her Australian shows are expected to be postponed until 2024. </p> <p>Tina Arena completed two shows of her tour, one in Perth and one in Sydney, with shows in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria being cancelled. </p> <p><em>Sunrise</em> entertainment editor Peter Ford says the decision is significant because Arena “doesn’t miss shows, she’s old school - if you have a gig booked you do it”.</p> <p>“On her Instagram post, she actually said that this is the first time ever (that she has cancelled). Now, how long has Tina been around... 40 years?”</p> <p>“Fingers crossed she is getting good care and the attention that she needs,” Ford said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

Ed Sheeran fans left devastated moments before show

<p>Ed Sheeran has been forced to abruptly cancel his show in Las Vegas, just hours before it was set to begin. </p> <p>The British singer-songwriter, who is coming to the end of his Mathematics World Tour, broke the news to devastated fans on Sunday, saying he was "so sorry" for the last minute cancellation. </p> <p>Sheeran wrote on Instagram, “I can’t believe I’m typing this but there’s been some challenges encountered during the load in of our Vegas show."</p> <p>He continued, “It’s impossible to go forward with the show. I’m so sorry. I know everyone has travelled in for this and I wish I could change it."</p> <p>“The gig will be postponed to Saturday October 28th and all purchased tickets will be valid for that date. I’m so, so sorry x.”</p> <p>Fans were quick to express their disappointment, with many saying they had travelled to attend the show and weren't able to come back for the postponed gig. </p> <p>One fan wrote, “I can’t believe we travelled all the way to Vegas 10 hours to see Ed Sheeran for him to cancel less than an hour before the show."</p> <p>“My poor husband a disabled vet along with so many people standing waiting on 103 degree heat to be turned away!!! I can’t come back in October, and no refund!!”</p> <p>Many demanded an explanation as to how the gig could be cancelled at such short notice, to which Ed took to Instagram again in the hours after the cancellation to shed some light on the issue. </p> <p>According to his statement on Instagram, the show was cancelled over safety concerns when two tall towers, used to hold up the stage and lighting equipment, had become unstable. </p> <p>Despite best efforts to restabilise the structures, the issue then travelled to the safety of the floor, which was set to hold 65,000 concertgoers, and the whole show had to be cancelled. </p> <p>Adding to the explanation, Sheeran wrote, "I really am gutted, this was very much out of my control but I do take full responsibility for everyone that was put out from the cancellation. Of course refunds are available at point of purchase, and there is a rescheduled show October the 28th if people still want to come, I promise it will be special."</p> <p>"We really thought the show was going to happen up until the very last moment but it just couldn’t for safety reasons. Sorry again to everyone affected, and hopefully see you in October x".</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

Why guided touring is the best way to travel Europe

<p>As we head into winter and the thermostat reading lowers and the electric blankets come out of storage, your mind is probably wandering to the sun-soaked streets of Europe. Fortunately, <a href="http://www.travelmarvel.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Travelmarvel</a> has an enviable range of European river-cruise itineraries and three decades of experience touring the globes most marvellous destinations.</p> <p>More than likely, you have already considered guided touring, but are not entirely convinced it is the right option for you. Trepidation among travellers trying guided touring for the first time is very common, but once guests have experienced the ease and enjoyment of group touring and cruising, it is hard to imagine travelling any other way. Read on to discover why guided touring could be the right for your next European holiday.</p> <p><strong>Travel worry free</strong></p> <p>Planning a trip can be overwhelming, particularly if you want to visit multiple destinations. Where to begin on planning you itinerary? How do you know which towns and attractions are must-sees, and which you can afford to miss? Combine this with trying to book accommodation, dining and entertainment and you have the perfect recipe for a rather stressful few months before you have even left on your travels. Travelmarvel’s travel experts and guides take the hard work out of planning your holiday, leaving you nothing to do but sit back, relax, and enjoy each destination to the fullest. </p> <p><strong>You will have an expert Tour Director to guide you </strong></p> <p>With an experienced Tour Director with you every step of the way, you will no longer have to waste precious time getting your bearings at each new destination. Ready with a map and a smile – your Tour Director will be there to navigate language barriers, transport and any unexpected difficulties that crop up while travelling, so you don’t have to. </p> <p><strong>Local guides will ensure you never miss a thing</strong></p> <p>Guidebooks and tourist information centres are all well and good – but nothing beats experiencing a new place with a local. Travelmarvel links guests with local guides who will offer more than just the obvious tourist experiences. From recommending the best café to sample a local delicacy, to directing you to a rarely visited local artisan, you can be confident of an authentic slice of every town and city you visit. </p> <p>As Travelmarvel first-time traveller Aaron explained “I did not think I would enjoy following a paddle around a city! However, the local guides were very engaging and were able to include personal storytelling and insider-knowledge in their tours. I feel like I got so much more out of visiting each location because of the local guided touring.”</p> <p><strong>Enjoy a perfect balance of touring and free time </strong></p> <p>The last thing you want to feel on holiday is rushed, which is why Travelmarvel tours are careful to ensure there is plenty of free time built into the day’s itinerary, so you have ample opportunity to explore each destination at your leisure – or perhaps just watch the world go by with a coffee for the afternoon; the choice is yours. </p> <p>First-time river cruiser Trudi particularly loved the freedom of choice guided tours can offer: “I thoroughly enjoyed getting to a new town and doing the walking tour, then enjoying the free time we had to explore each village or city by ourselves. The freedom and design of the trip so you could opt-in to meals and tours, or do your own thing, was delightful to discover.”</p> <p><strong>Make friends for life </strong></p> <p>Many of Travelmarvel’s guests end up staying in touch long after their tour has ended. On a guided tour you will travel in a small group of like-minded individuals, so you are assured to meet people with the same interests as you, and with so many places to visit together – there will never be shortage of things to talk about!</p> <p><strong>Curated experiences just for you</strong></p> <p>One of the main benefits of guided touring is gaining access to places and experiences you wouldn’t be able to if you were travelling on your own. Travelmarvel offers Insider Experiences which will make your time abroad unforgettable. For example, on the Balkan Adventure in Belgrade your Tour Director can arrange for you visit a local family on their farm and sample their home-brewed port, a special experience unique to your guided tour.</p> <p><strong>Great value for money </strong></p> <p>Budgeting for travel is tricky, unexpected expenses pop-up, accommodation needs to be rearranged and when you don’t know the local language or customs – it is easy to get caught out. With a Travelmarvel guided tour, accommodation, transport, and a large portion of your meals are included, meaning your only expenses while travelling will be for souvenirs, sampling delicious local cuisine and treating yourself to an extra-special event or two. Also, you will always have a Tour Director on hand to help navigate the local markets and eateries.</p> <p><strong>It's good to know where you are going to go</strong></p> <p>Book your guided tour today and start getting excited! Travelmarvel provides an enticing glimpse of what you can expect on each tour – from German palaces and wineries you will visit, to the premium accommodation you can expect to return to at the end of each day, locking in a guided tour means you have plenty to look forward to long before you touch down.</p> <p><strong>About Travelmarvel</strong></p> <p>Travelmarvel makes holidaying easy, giving guests the freedom to simply marvel at the world. As a part of Australia’s largest home-grown travel company, The APT Travel Group Travelmarvel delivers a premium holiday experience while offering exceptional value, so guests can enjoy every journey to the fullest. </p> <p><em><strong>For more information, visit <a href="http://www.travelmarvel.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.travelmarvel.com.au</a> </strong></em></p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Travelmarvel.</em></p>

International Travel

Elton John's final message to crowd at last concert ever

<p dir="ltr">Elton John has officially retired from touring.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 76-year-old award-winning musician took to the stage for the last time ever in Stockholm, Sweden, <a href="https://www.eltonjohn.com/tours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to his website</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Elton had reportedly ended his touring days with <em>Your Song</em> and <em>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</em>, before sharing a heartfelt message to his fans.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I've had the most wonderful career, beyond belief. 52 years of pure joy playing music, how lucky am I to play music? But I wouldn't be sitting here if it wasn't for you," the music legend told his fans as he closed what he claimed to be his final show.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You bought the singles, albums and CDs and more importantly you bought the tickets to the shows and you know how I love to play live."</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's been my lifeblood to play for you guys and you've been absolutely magnificent – thank you," he added.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I will never forget you guys. I've played so many concerts, how could I forget? You're in my head, and my heart and my soul and I thank you so much."</p> <p dir="ltr">The singer also took to Instagram prior to his final show to share the announcement.</p> <p dir="ltr">"What a journey this tour has been and now we find ourselves at the end of it. Tonight is the final night,” he wrote in the caption.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CucC7nWAQ8K/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CucC7nWAQ8K/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">He posted a clip of a 2018 interview he did with CNN, when he first announced that he was going to retire from touring.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's the last time that I will be touring and traveling the world," John said in the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">The tour, which had over 300 shows, kicked off in 2018 and was meant to end in 2021 but was postponed due to Covid, and has since been attended by over 6 million fans across the world.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Music

Diehard fans react as iconic superband quits after 52 years of rocking

<p>The Eagles are hitting the road for the final time after 52 years as a band. </p> <p>On Thursday, the iconic US rock band announced The Long Goodbye tour that is set to kick off on September 7th in New York City.</p> <p>In a statement shared with CNN, the <em>Hotel California</em> hitmakers said, "The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe; keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds."</p> <p>"We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful. Our long run has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed. But, everything has its time, and the time has come for us to close the circle."</p> <p>The band concluded their statement by thanking those who have supported their music, saying, "At the end of the day, you are the reason we have been able to carry on for over five decades. This is our swan song, but the music goes on and on.”</p> <p>According to the statement, The Eagles members Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, alongside Vince Gill and Deacon Frey "will perform as many shows in each market as their audience demands."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuWrpW3ObCZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuWrpW3ObCZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Eagles (@eagles)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Deacon Frey is the son of the late Glenn Frey, who was a founding member and frontman of the band when they began in 1971 before he died in 2015 after a range of health complications. </p> <p>Many were devastated to hear of the band's final tour, with long-time fan of The Eagles Kathryn Packham saying, "I have always loved their music. Great songs with relatable lyrics, fantastic harmonies, and of course the unbelievable guitar riffs from Joe Walsh & exceptional drumming from Don Henley. Their music is timeless."</p> <p>Despite her love for the band, it seems Glenn Frey's legacy lives on as Packham said she would "not go and see them if they were performing for free on the driveway without Glenn."</p> <p>The farewell tour is expected to continue into 2025, with no Oceania dates yet announced. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

Queensland MP pleads with Taylor Swift to bring her tour to town

<p dir="ltr">When international music sensation <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/taylor-swift-s-massive-news-sends-aussie-fans-into-a-frenzy">Taylor Swift announced her international tour dates</a>, most Australian fans fell into one of two categories: delighted or devastated.</p> <p dir="ltr">For while the star was answering the prayers of thousands and bringing her Eras Tour down under, she was only set to play in Sydney and Melbourne, leaving a number of other major cities out of the loop. </p> <p dir="ltr">And while most took to social media to share their heartbreak, some even <a href="https://www.change.org/p/get-taylor-swift-to-brisbane">launching a change.org petition</a> to bring her their way, one Queensland MP and Swift superfan opted instead to share his heartbreak with reporters down in Canberra. </p> <p dir="ltr">Andrew Wallace, who joined the Swiftie ranks thanks to car rides with his daughters and a soundtrack courtesy of the singer-songwriter’s impressive catalogue, also seized it as an opportunity to beg Taylor to reconsider her tour dates, and bless Brisbane with her presence.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Interestingly, there is about a week in between her three concerts in Sydney and two concerts in Melbourne. That is the perfect opportunity,” he pointed out. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Taylor, I’m asking you, begging you, I’m pleading with you. I’ll get down on my knees if I have to. Please come to Queensland. There are so many Swiftie fans in Queensland. I am one of them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As he went on to note, addressing “the guys at Frontier Touring”, it wasn’t clear why Queensland had been left out, as “it’s the first time Taylor will be visiting Australia and not Queensland.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Wallace wasn’t the only one with strong feelings on the matter either, with Sports Minister - and fellow Queenslander - Anika Wells dropping by the press conference to announce that it was an “outrage” to be excluded, and Taylor should know that all too well. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, Wallace wasn’t going to hold it against Taylor, promising that their love story would continue as “no one would ever be able to develop ‘Bad Blood’ between myself and Taylor Swift. It just would not be possible.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He even went on to dedicate <a href="http://andrewwallacemp.com.au/taylorswift/">an entire section of his own website</a> to the cause, where he reiterated that he was “the dad of four daughters, and I’m an unashamed Swiftie. And I’m a proud Queenslander who knows that thousands of fans are disappointed to see Queensland left off the Eras Tour map.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m calling on Frontier Touring to extend Taylor’s tour to Queensland – and particularly to the Sunshine Coast, the heart of Queensland’s Swiftie population … we know that a visit to the Sunshine Coast would mean the world to tens of thousands of Queenslanders who think the absolute world of Taylor Swift.” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Music

Taylor Swift's massive news sends Aussie fans into a frenzy

<p dir="ltr">Music superstar Taylor Swift sent fans across Australia into a frenzy when she finally announced a new batch of sought-after international dates for her record-breaking Eras Tour. </p> <p dir="ltr">The news came through a post to social media, in which Taylor shared a list of the upcoming dates from August 2023 through to August 2024, and captioned the image “EXCUSE ME HI I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY”.</p> <p dir="ltr">After expressing her excitement over seeing her devoted fans in cities all across the world, the singer directed them to her official website for more information, while the ‘Swifties’ started planning, shaking off their wallets and preparing to take on the presale masses. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctt9bGGOPsL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctt9bGGOPsL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Taylor is set to launch her trip to the Asia-Pacific region with four stops in Japan, before heading down to Melbourne in February to play the city’s Melbourne Cricket Ground. </p> <p dir="ltr">The venue - with its capacity for 100,000 eager fans - is the largest in the southern hemisphere, and if the calculations of some superfans are correct, it'll break records to become the biggest show of the star’s career. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">🏟️ | Taylor Swift will become the first female to headline the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia since Madonna in 1993! 🇦🇺</p> <p>— Its the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere with 100,000+ capacity and is set to be the biggest show of her career <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TSTheErasTour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TSTheErasTour</a> <a href="https://t.co/8qkofYXppt">pic.twitter.com/8qkofYXppt</a></p> <p>— Taylor Swift News (@TSwiftNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSwiftNZ/status/1671224074281037831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">A week later, she’s set to bring the glitz and glamour of the show to Sydney, with concerts across three consecutive nights at Accor Stadium, before jetting to Singapore to begin the next leg of the tour. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, with a week between each show and many major Australian cities - not to mention New Zealand - missing out on the spectacle, many believe that there’s a chance Taylor may announce another batch of dates, if demand for the current planned shows is high.</p> <p dir="ltr">And given that Frontier Touring‘s site ran into trouble with high traffic immediately after the announcement and presale promises, it seems likely.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor isn’t coming alone, of course, with fellow singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter having been named as her support act for the entire August-to-August leg.</p> <p dir="ltr">And, of course, fans were thrilled with the news, with many taking to social media to express their excitement - though there were some that couldn’t get over the lack of shows across other Aussie states, and had to share it. </p> <p dir="ltr">“With a limited amount of shows in Australia, I can see fans from Adelaide and Perth and even New Zealand booking tickets at the MCG. With her schedule free I can guarantee more dates will be added and I predict that it will break concert tour attendance records in Australia,” one Twitter user wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It is all about her. What about the other States of Oz? Naaah..go to the biggest stadium to break all the records I can and let the fans travel from all over Australia to do so. Not nearly good enough. Feel sorry for the other States. A big fat snub,” one potentially former fan added. </p> <p dir="ltr">Many weren’t going to let them stop them, with no few commenters making the most of the situation and looking ahead to better times at the stadiums, simply declaring to their friends “I guess we’re all going to Aus in February then”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Music

“The greatest American novelist” Cormac McCarthy passes away at 89

<p dir="ltr">American novelist Cormac McCarthy, the mind behind the classic works <em>The Road</em>, <em>No Country for Old Men</em>, and <em>All the Pretty Horses</em>, has passed away at the age of 89. </p> <p dir="ltr">The news was broken by McCarthy’s publisher, Alfred A Knopf, with a post to social media announcing that the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer had “died today of natural causes at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.”</p> <p dir="ltr">McCarthy enjoyed a near 60-year career, penning 12 novels, five screenplays, three short stories, and two plays. And while some may not have soared to commercial heights, many achieved critical acclaim, with late literary critic Howard Bloom even dubbing him the “true heir” of the likes of Herman Melville and William Faulkner. </p> <p dir="ltr">And in 2007, his novel 2006<em> The Road</em> won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, also for Fiction. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Road </em>was arguably McCarthy’s best known work, and followed the journey of a father and his son in a post-apocalyptic world. It was adapted into a film in 2009, like McCarthy’s other two critically acclaimed books, <em>All the Pretty Horses</em> and<em> No Country for Old Men</em>. The latter saw great success in the 2008 Academy Awards, claiming the coveted title of Best Picture.</p> <p dir="ltr">And despite his literary accomplishments, McCarthy opted to remain in relative obscurity for the majority of his career. In 1992, the<em> New York Times Book Review </em>suggested that he might be “the best unknown novelist in America”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The media painted McCarthy as a reclusive figure, and it was well-known that the author preferred not to discuss his books, though Oprah Winfrey managed to get him in for his first - and only - TV interview after <em>The Road </em>featured in her book club.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You always have this hope that ‘today I'm going to do something better than I've ever done’," he told her. "I like what I do."</p> <p dir="ltr">“Some writers have said in print that they hated writing, it was just a chore and a burden. I certainly don't feel that way about it,” McCarthy went on to explain. “Sometimes it's difficult but you always have this image of the perfect thing which you can never achieve but which you never stop trying to achieve."</p> <p dir="ltr">Friends, writers, and fans took to social media in the wake of the news, with tributes to share their love for McCarthy and his works, as well as their agreement that he had achieved something very special throughout his life and literature. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Cormac McCarthy, maybe the greatest American novelist of my time, has passed away at 89,” author Stephen King wrote. “He was full of years and created a fine body of work, but I still mourn his passing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“When a great artist dies, there is the moment when the world understands it will never again have a new creation from that mind, that heart, that vast soul. It is a loss beyond measure, but what that soul has left us is a gift beyond time,” writer Joseph Fasano shared. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love every book McCarthy wrote,” one fan declared. “From a film point of view, his writing was so good that the Coen Brothers hardly changed a word of dialogue when they adapted <em>No Country For Old Men</em>. Why would they? You can't improve on perfection.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And as another said, “Cormac McCarthy’s writing was mean, and despairing, with a pretty withering view of humankind, and the cruel engines that drive it. but he had that faint flicker of belief that it could be different. ‘He can know his heart, but he don’t want to.’ gotta tend that flame folks. RIP.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

News

Michael Buble spotted Down Under

<p dir="ltr">Canadian singing sensation Michael Bublé has landed in Australia ahead of his 2023 Higher Tour. </p> <p dir="ltr">The star was initially set to perform in 2022, but due to “global logistical issues” he and his team were unable “to deliver the show that I feel Australians deserve”, and postponed until the following year. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Although it’s incredibly disappointing for all of us, I wanted to be transparent with you,” he said in a statement to fans at the time, “and hope you can understand what a difficult decision this was to make.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The first stop on the renewed tour saw him in Newcastle, before he jetted off to Perth for his second show Down Under. </p> <p dir="ltr">It was there that he crossed paths with his mother, taking to social media to share a sweet snap of their Aussie reunion, with a caption that left fans all across the globe chuckling. </p> <p dir="ltr">The picture saw Michael standing with an arm around his mum, Amber Santagà, smiles on each of their faces with water and the looped architectural designs of Elizabeth Quay behind them. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My mom opted for the upgraded ‘meet & greet’ package which included a brief conversation and one photograph,” he quipped.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtDV1rFLKj1/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtDV1rFLKj1/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michael Bublé (@michaelbuble)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">One of the first up to respond was Michael’s wife, Luisana Lopilato, who took the opportunity to gush over the mother-and-son duo, writing “Love you mom. Love u mike.”</p> <p dir="ltr">His sister, Brandee, joined in from there, adding her own “Omg. I love this so much!!! Hi momma! Hi Mike! I love this so much!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, fans of the singer wanted to get in on the fun too, with many sharing that they loved the sweet family moment, and welcoming them to their sunny city. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Wow! Beautiful momma! (and you look pretty good too) Welcome to Perth!” one wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Amber is very lucky, she got the best package, with the best treatment a son can give to his mother: lots of love and great memories!” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Good for her for splurging,” one joked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She's beautiful and definitely looks too young to be your mama,” someone noted. “You go, girl!”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Michael, if I didn't know better, I'd think she was your sister!” a like-minded fan added. “You're one lucky guy. Make sure she gets the best seats.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And the praise for Amanda just kept coming, with another writing, “Smart mum! ‘Meet & greet’ is the way to go!”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

International Travel

Bruce Springsteen falls on stage leaving fans stunned

<p dir="ltr">With a spring in his step the rock ‘n’ roll icon, who was confidently heading up the stairs at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, fell on stage after missing the last step.</p> <p dir="ltr">The crowd was left stunned as they all gasped in concern.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trip had caused the singer to lay on his back for a moment, guitar still attached to him, before his bandmates rushed over to help him up.</p> <p dir="ltr">The star laughed it off and proved that he is tougher than the rest as he jokingly shouted "Goodnight everybody,” to the roaring crowd.</p> <p dir="ltr">The incident occurred at the May 27 show, as he and the E Street Band were prepping to sing a rendition of their hit song, <em>Ghosts</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Springsteen isn’t said to be injured from the fall and continued to perform after having his guitar handed back to him.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p> <p dir="ltr"> </p>

Music

American influencer shocked to discover speed cameras are real

<p dir="ltr">An American influencer currently living in Sydney has learned an expensive lesson in obeying the rules of the road, particularly while in full view of speed cameras.</p> <p dir="ltr">TikToker Sophia Kim was caught racing through Sydney’s Cross City Tunnel at 21 km/h over the speed limit - 101 km/h in an 80 km/h zone - and took to social media to share her surprise at receiving a ticket for her actions.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a video posted to her TikTok account, Sophia broke the news to her followers, running through what had transpired - her ‘reasons’ for speeding, and sharing images of her car between lanes in the tunnel, along with the caption “this is BS and I was only going 60 mph”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I got a speeding fine because I was going 100km in the Cross City Tunnel when it was 80km,” she explained in the now-viral post, “and apparently there are cameras in the tunnel.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As an American, I got a licence here without taking any test, without learning about the Australian [driving] laws here, and I didn’t realise that you guys have cameras for speeding in the tunnels.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And apparently there are signs everywhere.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sophia went on to describe how she’d been “so focussed on driving” and “stressed out” trying to navigate while “driving for the first time in a different country on the other side of the road”.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the TikToker, at home in America there might be cameras involved when it came to running red lights, but that speeding offences fell to police officers and their scanners. At this stage, Sophia was talking over an image of her car with an 80 km/h sign clear on the ceiling of the tunnel.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The fine is $295,” she announced, before revealing that she’d been having a great day, on her way to Fashion Week events, and “was rushing to get there.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought I was saving money by driving and not Ubering but no, it’s actually more when you get a fine.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It turns out that Sophia had borrowed the car from a friend, who informed her that he couldn’t afford “to lose 3 points over this”, and had to transfer the fine into her name.</p> <p dir="ltr">And despite claiming that she would pay the fine and have the points deducted from her licence, she then asked her followers if she “should fight this”.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7237487133483814187&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40sophiainsydney%2Fvideo%2F7237487133483814187&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Ff969d5dac251496aa62d08dfdb8a417f_1685108800%3Fx-expires%3D1685433600%26x-signature%3D%252FwZf1iguRsEhBEcz37LOvMtuELI%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p dir="ltr">Her post attracted more than 9,000 comments, and while some took Sophia’s side, most were of the opinion that fighting the fine would be a waste of time, and had many thoughts to share about the whole situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s no fighting this one,” one told her, “if there’s a speed sign that says 80 right in front of you they’re not gonna be forgivable”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That's a fair bit over the limit. Maybe just don't speed hey!” one suggested.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If only there were large LED displays hung above the road every 1 km to tell you the maximum speed you can do,” another mused.</p> <p dir="ltr">And as a like-minded soul put it, “[it’s] almost like speed signs exist for a reason and not decoration”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Because the signs with the speed limit and the fact they tell you every 100m there’s a speed camera don’t help,” someone else added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, one was of the opinion that it could have been worse, sharing that “in QLD that would be a $646 fine for 21km over the limit. NSW is cheap”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Lesson learned I guess,” one more supposed, before noting that at least “now you know."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Legal

American zoo apologises to disgruntled New Zealanders

<p>An American zoo has issued an apology after admitting it made a “huge mistake” that outraged an entire country.</p> <p>Footage of Miami Zoo’s paid encounters with Paora the kiwi went viral online, showing the bird being handled and passed around for pictures in broad daylights and under bright lights despite being a shy, nocturnal animal.</p> <p>The handling of their national icon had New Zealanders fired up, with a petition to save the “mistreated” animal being launched amid the video, which received more than 10,000 signatures.</p> <p>“He has been tamed and is subjected to bright fluorescent lighting four days a week, being handled by dozens of strangers, petted on his sensitive whiskers, laughed at, and shown off like a toy,” the petition read.</p> <p>“Kiwi are nocturnal animals, who should be kept in suitable dark enclosures, and minimally handled.</p> <p>“The best practice manual for kiwi states that they shouldn’t be handled often or taken out of their burrow to be held by the public. He is kept awake during the day, with only a small box in a brightly lit enclosure to mimic his natural underground habitat.”</p> <p>The zoo’s communications director Ron Magill has confirmed the attraction has been cancelled and has issued his own apology in an interview with the <em>New Zealand Herald</em>.</p> <p>“We regret the unintentional stress caused by a video on social media depicting the handling of Paora, the kiwi bird currently housed within Zoo Miami,” Magill said.</p> <p>He also told RNZ he had informed the zoo’s director that “we have offended a nation”.</p> <p>“When I saw the video myself I said we have made a huge mistake here,” he said.</p> <p>“I am so sorry. I am so remorseful. Someone asked how would you feel if we did that to your bald eagle, and you’re 100 per cent right.</p> <p>“I never want to come across as making excuses, I am here to apologise … to everyone. I feel profoundly terrible about this.”</p> <p>However, Magill noted Paora was healthy and well despite the uproar.</p> <p>“He eats like he’s on a spa day every day and he’s doing well. It doesn’t excuse what he was subjected to. But I promise it will never happen again,” he said.</p> <p>After the video went viral, the zoo was bombarded with complaints, with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation confirming it would be “discussing the situation with the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums to address some of the housing and handling concerns raised”.</p> <p>New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins also weighed in, claiming the ordeal “shows a lot of Kiwis take pride in our national bird when they’re overseas”.</p> <p>“The New Zealanders who witnessed what was happening there caught it pretty quickly,” he said, adding that the zoo had “made public statements of regret on what’s happened, and I acknowledge that and thank them for taking it seriously”.</p> <p>The kiwi is considered to be a Taonga species - native birds, plants and animals of special cultural significance and importance to native New Zealanders.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Lionel Richie spills the one thing “no one knows” about King Charles

<p dir="ltr">Lionel Richie has spilled the tea on his interactions with King Charles over coronation weekend.</p> <p dir="ltr">The American singer, who attended the coronation and headlined the concert at Windsor Castle on May 7, shared some of the highlights in an interview with <em>Extra</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Richie praised King Charles’ “amazing” sense of humour, and shared how he convinced the Royal Couple to make a guest appearance on <em>American Idol </em>last Sunday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think the highlight for me was that I actually walked up to the King the day after the coronation and said, ‘Would you like to be on “American Idol?” he told <em>Extra.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Surprisingly, King Charles replied: “Yeah” and asked if it was alright to “bring the queen?”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I've known the King for quite a long time. He does have this amazing sense of humour that no one knows about.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He's a secret comedian, I'll put that out there,” Richie added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For him to actually take the step and go out of the comfort zone — that was actually his comfort zone, he was hamming it up… It’s so good for the world to know.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Thanks to Richie’s little quip, the surprise cameo made headlines and gave viewers insight into the Royal couple’s playful rapport.</p> <p dir="ltr">The cameo, which was streamed live in the palace’s Throne Room, occurred shortly after Richie performed at the coronation concert.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just wanted to check, how much, how long will you be using this room for?” King Charles quipped, suggesting that he wanted Richie out of the throne room as soon as possible.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have to give the room up right away,” Richie replied.</p> <p dir="ltr">King Charles and Richie’s friendship came after the latter was appointed the First Global Ambassador and First Chairman of the Global Ambassador Group for The Prince’s Trust in 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: ABC American Idol/ YouTube</em></p>

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