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"It was beautiful": Rare rainbow cloud stuns small farming town

<p>The locals of a small farming town in Western Australia have been delighted with the sighting of a rare rainbow cloud. </p> <p>The colourful weather phenomenon appeared above the town of Goomalling, about 130km northwest of Perth in Western Australia, on Tuesday morning.</p> <p>Jenni Shaw was at her family-owned business when she got a text from a friend instructing her to look up at the sky. </p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">"We all went out the front and had a look and there was some bright, rainbow-type clouds in the sky that we hadn't seen before," she </span>told <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-24/rainbow-cloud-iridescence-irisation-delights-wheatbelt-community/103016928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">.</span></p> <p>“It was beautiful,” she said.</p> <p>“But we were a bit like ‘why is that like that? Should we still be outside looking or not?’”</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Flang.lefroy.7%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02h2HTyVYSVda8NkewrireTWPS4P6wKTnuJxhBWfkNhbxGn3QzHweELRNFQczM8GsPl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="645" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Ms Shaw said the rainbow-coloured cloud was visible for just a few minutes.</p> <p>"It was not there long, just long enough for us all to get some photos," she said.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Jessica Lingard from the Bureau of Meteorology said rainbow clouds, known as cloud iridescence, form in the same way as rainbows - when sunlight diffracts off water or ice crystals in the sky.</p> <p>"It's quite a rare phenomenon to catch in person," she said.</p> <p>"It's the perfect storm of conditions: the sun's at the right angle, the clouds are not too thin and not too thick that they're being blocked out, and the sunlight has just created this spectacle of coloured light."</p> <div data-component="EmphasisedText"> <p>"It's an absolutely stunning photo."</p> </div> <p>Lucky local residents said it wasn’t the first time they’d seen the special clouds in the area.</p> <p>“I have seen clouds like this a few times in my travels, mostly in the Wheatbelt,” Jill Lefroy wrote on Facebook. </p> <p>“Pretty awesome seeing a rainbow with no rain!”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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TV star dies at just 25, one week after his father

<p><em>Euphoria </em>star Angus Cloud has passed away at just 25, with family revealing that he struggled "intensely" following the recent loss of his father.</p> <p>A statement released by his family this morning announcing the devastating news. </p> <p>"It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways,"  the statement began. </p> <p>"Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend,</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">" they added. </span></p> <p>"Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence."</p> <p>"We hope the world remembers him for his humour, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time. <a href="https://t.co/PLqkz5Rshc">pic.twitter.com/PLqkz5Rshc</a></p> <p>— euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) <a href="https://twitter.com/euphoriaHBO/status/1686137982003126273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>The official Twitter account for HBO and Euphoria have paid tribute to the star by sharing a photo of him on set with the caption: "We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud."</p> <p>"He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family," they added. </p> <p>"We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time."</p> <p>His co-star Javon Walton, who played Ashtray in Euphoria, also paid tribute to the star in an Instagram story with the caption: "forever family," followed by a red heart and white dove emoji. </p> <p>Cloud rose to fame in 2019, after the success of his role as Fezco on Euphoria. His character was a drug dealer who charmed the audience with his sweet nature, and his close relationship with Zendaya's character Rue. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

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Deb Knight opens up about miscarriage heartbreak: “A cloud of sadness”

<p><span>Deb Knight knows pain and heartache all too well, she has admitted in an interview with <em>9Honey</em>.</span><br /><br /><span>The Channel 9 star, who currently is a <em>2GB</em> host has revealed after two miscarriages and 11 cycles of IVF, that the pain is like a “cloud of sadness”.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842573/daily-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7fcbfda77ffb4772b72474d1c4efd2e0" /></p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em><br /><br /><span>"It was like a cloud of sadness was hanging over me at the time because it is that emotional rollercoaster, that cliché very much rings true with IVF," Deb said.</span><br /><br /><span>"I would turn up to work and put on the brave face of presenting the news, which is what I was doing at the time.</span><br /><br /><span>“And I look back at myself then and I don't relate to who that person was because I was just very sad."</span><br /><br /><span>Deb and her partner Lindsay Dunbar thankfully got their happy ending, when they welcomed their son Darcy who is 11, and Elsa who is 9, through IVF.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842572/daily-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/95285d2fc3804e28a7b4222a86cb5f08" /></p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em><br /><br /><span>However that would not be the only baby joy for Deb, who naturally fell pregnant at the age of 42 with her baby girl Audrey – nearly six years after she had Elsa.</span><br /><br /><span>"It completely caught us unawares and changed everything," Deb admitted.</span><br /><br /><span>"But the body is just a wonder and sometimes stuff happens and it happened to us.</span><br /><br /><span>Audrey came along and we can't imagine not having her in our lives."</span></p>

Caring

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"US Navy has officially acknowledged that UFOs are real": Leaked footage goes viral

<p>A Navy official has confirmed videos of unidentified flying objects as real, however the footage was not authorised to be released to be public. </p> <p>Spokesman for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, Joseph Gradisher told<span> </span><a href="https://time.com/5680192/navy-confirms-ufo-videos-real/"><em>TIME</em><span> </span></a>the three widely-shared footage captured “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena”. </p> <p>Gradisher told also confirmed the information to<span> </span><a href="https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/u-s-navy-confirms-videos-depict-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-not-cleared-for-public-release/?fbclid=IwAR3L18F_eN0aPwb2WKXLr3Zj7j2-XVqJXjCeA8xuCtEeUIBOcSWNTLsCoLE"><em>The Black Vault,</em></a><em><span> </span></em>a website dedicated to declassified government documents in the United States. </p> <p>“The Navy designates the objects contained in these videos as unidentified aerial phenomena,” Gradisher said. </p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tf1uLwUTDA0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>“The reason why I’m talking about it is to drive home the seriousness of this issue,” Gradisher says. “The more I talk, the more our aviators and all services are more willing to come forward.”</p> <p>The spokesman hopes conversation sparked will lead to UAP’s being “destigmatised”. </p> <p>The viral footage caused a sensation online after<span> </span><em>The Washington Post<span> </span></em>and<span> </span><em>The New York Times<span> </span></em>reported on three videos obtained and released by the<span> </span><em>To The Stars Academy Of Arts And Science</em>. </p> <p>In one video, two navy pilots are recorded tracking an unidentified object flying off the East Coast in 2015. </p> <p>“Wow! What is that, man? Look at that flying!” one of the pilots can be heard saying. </p> <p>Former military intelligence official Luis Elizondo said there is more information the public does not have access to. </p> <p>“My personal belief is that there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone,” Elizondo, who is now part of the TTS Academy, said to<span> </span><em>CNN<span> </span></em>in 2017. </p> <p><em>To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science<span> </span></em>is a self-described “public benefit corporation: co-founded by vocalist and guitarist for rock band, Blink-182, Tom Delonge. </p>

News

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How to back up photos with the Cloud

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a></span>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.</strong></em></p> <p>I just got back from a group trip to Vietnam, where we visited Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh. With four people on this trip, you can imagine how many photos were taken and shared between us all.</p> <p>My phone started popping up with "Insufficient Storage".... I couldn't delete any photos because I hadn't saved them!</p> <p>This is where Cloud comes in.</p> <p><strong>What is the cloud?</strong></p> <p>Cloud refers to information that is not stored physically on your device. So storing photos "in the cloud" means putting a copy of your photos on another device, somewhere in the world (this depends on the cloud provider that you choose).</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="394" height="" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/e785dd9ba906ed79fad48bd7e/images/8c6d8782-2ca2-4523-a44b-ed3b910bd862.png" class="mcnImage" style="max-width: 703px; line-height: 100%; outline: none; vertical-align: bottom; height: 272px;"/></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Google Photos</span></strong></p> <p>Google Photos is an app that can be downloaded onto both Apple and Android devices, and will automatically upload your photos from your devices (make sure you have an active Wi-Fi connection)</p> <p><strong>Backup:</strong></p> <p>Use Google Photos to back up your precious memories.</p> <p>It also has a great "Search" function, and you can search and organise your photos by: People, Places and things.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="394" height="" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/e785dd9ba906ed79fad48bd7e/images/6fa0fcba-fc1e-476d-9ddf-40ad480f9b36.png" class="mcnImage" style="max-width: 702px; line-height: 100%; outline: none; vertical-align: bottom; height: 297px;"/></p> <p>By uploading and backing up my photos to Google Photos, I was able to free up space on my phone by deleting images off my device (as they are now stored in Google Photos).</p> <p>Very handy app, especially when travelling!</p> <p>And the best thing about Google Photos? Unlimited storage for free!</p> <p>All you need is a Google account. If you have an email address ending in gmail.com, then you have a Google account.</p>

Technology

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Maggie Beer’s chocolate cloud cake with nut cream and rose petals

<p>“As the name implies, this cake should be as light as air. It’s a total chocolate fix, having so little else to keep it afloat … unless you count the 10 eggs of course. And if the chocolate element isn’t indulgent enough, consider the filling of nut butter and whipped cream. There are many lovely nut butters out there, but my favourite for this would have to be macadamia butter, to really push us over the edge! Luckily, life always seems to offer up plenty of reasons to celebrate,” writes Maggie Beer in her new book <em>Maggie’s Recipes for Life.</em></p> <p>Based on the latest scientific research and with the help of one of the world’s leading Alzheimer’s researchers Professor Ralph Martins, Maggie has created more than 200 recipes that help provide the nutrients we need for optimum brain health. The proceeds from the cookbook will be shared between the Maggie Beer Foundation and the Lions Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves</span>:</strong> 10 – 12</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients</span>:</strong></p> <ul> <li>350 g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces</li> <li>50 g unsalted butter</li> <li>2 tablespoons raw honey</li> <li>10 free-range eggs, at room temperature, separated</li> <li>Pinch of sea salt flakes</li> <li>Organic fresh rose petals, to decorate (optional)</li> </ul> <p><em>For the nut cream</em></p> <ul> <li>200 ml whipping cream</li> <li>½ cup mint leaves, finely chopped</li> <li>100 g pure nut butter</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <p>1. Preheat the oven to 150˚C fan-forced. Grease and line 2 x 20 cm spring form tins.</p> <p>2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of just-simmering water (don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Remove from the heat, stir in the honey and set aside.</p> <p>3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.</p> <p>4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until thick and pale. Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture until just combined. Fold in one third of the egg whites, then ever so lightly, fold in the remaining whisked whites. (It is important to work quickly and not let the chocolate butter mixture get cold or it will set.)</p> <p>5. Divide the batter between the prepared tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer withdraws clean. Remove from the oven and stand on a wire rack until completely cooled.</p> <p>6. To make the nut cream, beat the cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, combine the mint, nut butter and a small amount of the whipped cream. Gently fold in the remaining cream.</p> <p>7. To assemble, place one of the cakes on a serving plate and spread half the nut cream over the top, leaving a 2cm border. Place the remaining cake on top and spread with the remaining cream. Scatter with rose petals, if using.</p> <p><strong>Note:</strong> The good news is that dark chocolate is rich in polyphenol antioxidants, particularly catechins and procyanidins, and these have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are good for your blood vessels. Chocolate also provides some iron, manganese and magnesium.</p> <p><img width="123" height="164" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/44276/1_123x164.jpg" alt="1 (36)" style="float: right;"/></p> <p><em>This is an extract from </em>Maggie’s Recipe for Life<em> by Maggie Beer with Professor Ralph Martins, published by Simon &amp; Schuster Australia, RRP $39.99. Photo credit: Dragan Radocaj</em></p>

Food & Wine

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The spectacular ‘Morning Glory’ cloud is coming to Australia

<p>The Morning Glory cloud, a surreal wave-like cloud formation that can stretch over 900kms, has adventurers headed to the north Queensland settlement of Burketown.</p> <p>The rare meteorological formation is little known, even in Australia, and forms after dawn for about two months every year across the Gulf of Carpentaria.</p> <p>Garrett Russell, from the Caboolture Gliding Club in Queensland, told <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.News.com.au" target="_blank">News.com.au</a></strong></span>, “Imagine a huge roll of cotton wool that stretches from one horizon to the other and is moving across the landscape at something like 40 kilometres per hour [25 miles per hour]. There are fewer people who have flown on the morning glory than have climbed Mount Everest... They’re as smooth as silk.”</p> <p>The unusual cloud roll formation has been known to form in other parts of the world, but not with the same frequency and predictably as around the Gulf of Carpentaria.</p> <p>Pilots in motorised gliders can spend several hours riding next to the cloud.</p> <p>“If you’re flying at full speed, with a cloud off to your side, sometimes you might have a wing dipped into the cloud and it reminds me of when you see a surfer put his hand out and cut through the wave,” Mr Russell added.</p> <p>To see photos of the morning glory cloud, scroll through the gallery above. Have you ever witnessed this spectacular natural <span>phenomenon</span>? Let us know in the comments. </p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / Vanessa M</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/09/10-of-the-most-spectacular-islands-in-australia/"><strong>10 of the most spectacular islands in Australia</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/09/10-jaw-dropping-photographs-of-the-whitsundays/"><strong>10 jaw-dropping photographs of the Whitsundays</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/09/6-of-australias-most-spectacular-coastal-drives/"><strong>6 of Australia’s most spectacular coastal drives</strong></a></em></span></p>

News

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Volcanic ash cloud causes more Bali flight cancellations

<p>For the <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/flights-between-australia-and-bali-cancelled/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">second time</span></strong></a> in just two months, volcanic ash from Mount Rinjani on the Indonesian island of Lombok is causing havoc for travellers to and from the popular holiday destination of Bali.</p> <p>Tigerair, Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights have all been affected since last night, when the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre warned that conditions were not safe for flights in and out of Denpasar Airport.</p> <p>Jetstar has notified affected passengers via SMS and email, issuing a statement saying, “We will always put safety before schedule and will only commence flying when it is safe to do so.”</p> <p>While <a href="http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/travel-alerts" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Jetstar</span></strong></a> has begun resuming flights, <a href="https://tigerair.com.au/fly/travel-alerts" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tigerair</span></strong></a> and <a href="https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/bookings/flight-status/travel-alerts/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Virgin Australia</span></strong></a> passengers are still waiting for replacement flights. All travellers affected by the cancellations are being told to monitor their airline’s website for any announcements of further cancellations and replacement flights.</p> <p>The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre will release an update on the situation at 10.30am (AEST) but passengers are advised to check in as normal unless told otherwise by their airline.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/tourists-could-soon-be-boycotting-bali/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The surprising reason tourists could soon be boycotting Bali</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/09/5-foods-a-nutritionist-would-never-let-you-eat/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>5 foods a nutritionist would never let you eat</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/09/olivia-newton-john-opens-up-about-missing-ex/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Olivia Newton-John opens up about missing ex</strong></em></span></a></p>

News

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The 5 best ways to save photos while travelling

<p>Never lose an image again with these handy tips for saving or sharing your digital photos while you’re on the road.</p> <p><strong>1. Email</strong></p> <p>This is the simplest, easiest way to save a copy of your pictures online. Email them to yourself or to a friend and then you can download them when ready. It’s also an easy way to keep your contacts up to date with your travels. You will need to think about the size of the files you’re sending. Some digital cameras will give you an option to create smaller files suitable for emailing or you can downsize them yourself on a computer.</p> <p><strong>2. Cloud</strong></p> <p>Store all your images safely online in a remote database or ‘cloud’. There are a number of free and paid services available that allow for the quick and easy upload of large numbers of files at once, provided you have a good internet connection. These include Dropbox, Google Drive, Apple iCloud or Amazon Cloud Drive.</p> <p><strong>3. Sharing service</strong></p> <p>These sites will let you both store and share your photos in one easy move. Flickr is the most popular and allows you to create a free page for yourself where you can upload multiple images divided into galleries. You can then send the link to your friends and family so that they can see your holiday snaps. Even your own Facebook page is a good spot to keep images and you can control the privacy settings to restrict who has access.</p> <p><strong>4. Personal website</strong></p> <p>It’s easy to create your own personal website that you can use as a place to store your images, share them with friends and post blog updates about your travels. Simple blogging sites like WordPress are free and can be customised to suit your needs. It’s a great way to create a record of your travels in an easy to use format and it preserves your photos safely online.</p> <p><strong>5. Hardware</strong></p> <p>If you’d prefer to have a physical backup of your photos, then look into additional memory cards or a portable hard drive to take with you. You can download a huge number of photos onto a relatively small drive and then transfer them to your computer when you get home. The one thing to be careful of is losing the device itself – because the photos exist only on the physical drive there is no online backup.</p> <p>What methods do you use when backing up your travel photos on the road? Do you have any spectacular travel photos you’d like to share?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/06/10-travel-accessories-you-really-dont-need-to-pack/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 travel accessories you really don’t need to pack</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/06/10-places-you-should-never-take-a-holiday-snap/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">10 places you should never take a holiday snap</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/06/5-international-cities-you-should-never-visit-alone/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 international cities you should never visit alone</strong></em></span></a></p>

Travel Tips

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Life in the clouds a dream in Yarra Valley

<p>It is like a scene from a dream. Nothing but a golden sun and a fluffy blanket of cloud in my sight.</p> <p>I can barely resist the urge to leap out of my hot-air balloon basket and dive among the cushions around me.</p> <p>Ballooning delivers some surreal moments and my brief peek above the morning fog above the Yarra Valley, Australia, has been particularly hair-raising. And not for the reason I expected.</p> <p>Wind, it turns out, has little effect on those travelling with it, making many thick clothes unnecessary at altitude. It's one of a few instances where my quick pre-flight assumptions about ballooning are pleasantly ruled out once we are in the air.</p> <p>Another poor assumption is there is no fun in cruising at a slower speed. Sure, catching glimpses of landmarks are possible from the window seat of a plane. But those fleeting flashes cannot compare to the gentle meandering over farmland, tidy rows of grapevines, and the Yarra Valley's wandering rivers and creeks.</p> <p>The third wrong assumption is that ballooning in the Yarra Valley would be anything but first-class.</p> <p>Kiff Saunders, the one-time lumberjack piloting my balloon, has been at the burners of balloons all across the world for the past 30 years.</p> <p>In the past 12 months, he's flown in Brazil, Ireland and, after tethering a balloon to a Russian icebreaker, at the North Pole.</p> <p>But, despite the calls for him to remain overseas, Saunders has kept his base in Melbourne and played a part in the Yarra Valley's revival.</p> <p>The state's first wine region failed to see out the Great Depression but the industry was resurrected in the late 1960s by a few curious winemakers.</p> <p>Once Moet et Chandon, De Bortoli and McWilliams came knocking in the 1980s, the region quickly expanded and is now home to more than 80 labels.</p> <p><img width="500" height="250" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/23872/shutterstock_140165680_500x250.jpg" alt="hot air balloon yarra valley"/></p> <p>One of those to set foot in the area was Bendigo winery Balgownie Estate in 2002. Set on 12 hectares of undulating terrain outside Yarra Glen, the label's Yarra Valley site has quickly built a satisfying list of locally-produced wines.</p> <p>Its pinot noir has made the leap to the winery's premier Estate label for the first time in 2013, a cause for celebration for the Valley vineyard.</p> <p>"It may not be a big deal for everyone but we're really proud," says sales manager Melanie Watson.</p> <p>Balgownie Estate sets itself apart from other boutique wineries with its seamlessly-integrated first-class resort. A minute on the property is enough to see how it snapped up the award for Victoria's best regional accommodation by Tourism Accommodation Australia last year.</p> <p>An indoor pool and gym can help do away the guilt of consuming a few too many wines, while those looking for relaxation sans alcohol can step inside the day spa and health club for a soothing massage.</p> <p>As for food with views, few guests turn down the opportunity to watch the sun set over the vineyards as they dine at the on site restaurant.</p> <p>But the most valuable player on the Balgownie team is the courtesy driver, Mark.</p> <p>Worry about who should be designated driver ends with Mark who makes visiting several cellar doors and the tantalising Yarra Valley Chocolaterie &amp; Ice Creamery in all in a single a day more than possible.</p> <p>To some, that's the dream.</p> <p>Doesn’t that sound like an incredible trip? Have you ever visited the beautiful Yarra Valley, and what was your favourite part of the experience?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Written by Luke Costin. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/australias-most-spectacular-hot-air-ballooning-locations/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Australia’s most spectacular hot air ballooning locations</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/04/mcg-melbourne-greatest-stadium-in-world/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Is the MCG the world’s greatest stadium?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2015/11/weird-australian-events/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">8 wacky Australian events not to miss</span></em></strong></a></p>

International Travel

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New “Cloud Bread” is taking the world by storm

<p>Anyone who’s had to remove gluten or carbohydrates from their diet would agree that sometimes this diet requires a bit of creativity to keep things interesting.</p> <p>On the plus side some cool recipe ideas come out of it – the latest being cloud bread.</p> <p>This low-carb, gluten-free bread is made with just four ingredients (eggs, cream cheese, cream of tartar, and a packet of sweetener) and kind of looks a little like patties (or clouds).</p> <p>And while it might sound a little basic, reviews from people trying these recipes have been good!</p> <p>Here’s one recipe from <strong><a href="http://thebigapplemama.com/2016/01/no-carb-cloud-bread.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Big Apple Mama</span></a></strong>, who adds a touch of rosemary for kick of flavour, and another nice one from food blogger <strong><a href="http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1034703/flourless-low-carb-gluten-free-cloud-bread-recipe"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">She Knows</span></a></strong>.   </p> <p>Cloud bread also happens to be high in protein, providing a guilt-free, melt-in-your-mouth bread substitute that works great as a hamburger or a sandwich bun.</p> <p>You can also toast them with jam for a tasty breakfast.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/two-nuns-ski-cross-country/">Two nuns ski cross country in habits</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/prince-charles-receives-rare-photo-of-queen-elizabeth-ii/">Prince Charles receives rare photograph of Queen as a teenager</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/pictures-that-capture-life-above-and-below-the-sea/">15 breathtaking pictures that capture life above and below the sea</a></strong></em></span></p>

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UFO clouds form above Cape Town

<p>UFO-like cloud formations forming above Cape Town have left locals scratching their heads.</p> <p>Many have taken to social media to share this unnerving weather pattern.</p> <p>And while it may look like an alien invasion it’s actually a strange cloud formation.</p> <p>This eerie cloud formation is a phenomenon known as lenticular clouds, caused when high winds blow over rough terrain, such as mountains and valleys.</p> <p>Scroll down to see more images:</p> <p><img width="500" height="500" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/10843/cloud-number-two_500x500.jpg" alt="Cloud Number Two"/></p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / <span class="Tweet-authorScreenName Identity-screenName p-nickname">Rory_OB1</span></em></p> <p><em><span class="Tweet-authorScreenName Identity-screenName p-nickname"><img width="499" height="405" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/10844/cloud-number-three_499x405.jpg" alt="Cloud Number Three"/></span></em></p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram / joshua.oates</em></p> <p><img width="499" height="400" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/10847/cloud-number-four_499x400.jpg" alt="Cloud Number Four"/></p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram / beanibop<span> </span></em></p> <p><em><span><img width="500" height="403" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/10848/cloud-number-six_500x403.jpg" alt="Cloud Number Six"/></span></em></p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / <span class="Tweet-authorScreenName Identity-screenName p-nickname">DiBrown5</span></em></p> <p><em><span class="Tweet-authorScreenName Identity-screenName p-nickname"><img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/10849/cloud-number-one_500x334.jpg" alt="Cloud Number One"/></span></em></p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Instagram / instagram_sa</em></p>

International Travel

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How will the Bali ash cloud affect your travel plans?

<p>Following the eruption of an Indonesian volcano, an ash cloud is predicted to affect international flights for several days, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The weather conditions have led to the closing of Bali’s International airport and have since left thousands of Australians stranded since.</p><p>If you’re afraid that your travel plans will be affected by the ash cloud, Allianz insurance has offered the following information to consider:</p><p><strong>“<span style="text-decoration: underline;">If you entered into your policy before 5pm (AEDT) Tuesday 3 November 2015:</span></strong></p><p><strong>If you are currently travelling:</strong></p><p>If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled or your accommodation is affected due to the Mt Rinjani volcanic ash cloud, there may be provision to claim for reasonable additional travel, accommodation and meal expenses.&nbsp;</p><p>Limits, conditions and exclusions apply under your policy and for full details you should refer to the Product Disclosure Statement and Certificate of Insurance you received when you purchased your travel insurance.&nbsp;</p><p>If you have not yet departed, your policy includes cover for cancellation of your journey, or the unused portions of your journey, as a result of the Mt Rinjani volcanic ash cloud.</p><p><strong>If you have not yet departed:&nbsp;</strong></p><p>If your pre-booked travel arrangements are cancelled, delayed or rescheduled as a result of the Mt Rinjani volcanic ash cloud and you have not yet departed, you may be able to claim for cancellation or rearrangement of your journey (whichever is the lesser).&nbsp;</p><p>We recommend you contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option in altering your trip. Some travel providers may provide penalty free options to amend travel arrangements and we recommend you contact them for further details.&nbsp;</p><p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">If you entered into a policy after 5pm (AEDT) Tuesday 3 November 2015:&nbsp;</span></strong></p><p>Our policies do not cover claims for losses caused by something that you were aware of at the time of purchasing your policy.&nbsp; If you entered into a policy after 5pm (AEDT) Tuesday 3 November 2015 we would expect that this was done with an awareness of the Mt Rinjani volcanic ash cloud.&nbsp; For these policies, we will not, to the extent permitted by law, pay any claim caused by or arising from or in any way connected with the Mt Rinjani volcanic ash cloud.</p><p><strong>What next steps should you take?&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p><p>You should take all reasonable steps to minimise your expenses and this includes rearranging your journey where possible. By reasonable we mean appropriate and consistent—for example if you have been using two star or budget accommodation on your trip to date, then we advise that the replacement accommodation you seek should be of a similar standard.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>How can we help?</strong></p><p>We will assess your claim under the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy. If you have a Cancellation only policy, your policy does not include cover for any additional expenses. If you have a Budget policy, please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for the precise benefits covered.&nbsp;</p><p>You will need to submit all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses you will need to submit all documents showing what your original planned pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and documents showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.&nbsp;</p><p>Any compensation and/or refunds you receive from a third party (e.g. airline) for transport, food or accommodation will be deducted from any settlement if your claim is accepted.&nbsp;</p><p>Finally, to help Australians avoid difficulties overseas, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) maintains travel advisories for more than 160 destinations overseas <a href="http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>via its website.</strong></span></a> DFAT’s travel advice provides accurate, up-to-date information about the risks Australians might face overseas, assisting you to make well-informed decisions about whether, when and where to travel. We recommend that you stay up-to-date with its destination specific travel advisories for the country of your destination as your travel insurance cover may be affected if you travel to high risk areas or situations.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Contact us&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p><p>If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Dedicated Event phone line and&nbsp;Events team</strong></p><p>Customers calls relating to the Bali Ash Cloud are now isolated to specific, trained consultants. You will notice this option when contacting Allianz Global Assistance "If your call is in regards to....press 1".</p><p>With our events process now in place, calls relating to the Bali Ash Cloud will be isolated from Business-As-Usual calls and we are working to reduce the impact on normal operations. All available resources are currently working to ensure our commitment remains to our customers.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Smarttraveller</strong></p><p>We recommend all customers remain up-to-date with the most recent updates from the Australian Government via <a href="http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>the Smarttraveller website.</strong></span></a><a href="http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au"><br></a></p><p>We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories <a href="http://www.allianz-assistance.com.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>on our website</strong></span></a>”</p><p><strong>Related links:&nbsp;</strong></p><p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/travel/travel-insurance/2015/09/common-travel-mistakes/">10 mistakes we all make when travelling (and how to avoid them)</a></strong></span></em></p><p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/travel/travel-insurance/2015/10/travel-insurance-and-natural-disasters/">How does travel insurance work when there is a natural disaster?</a></strong></span></em></p><p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/travel/travel-insurance/2015/09/emergency-health-travel-kit/">The emergency health kit you should always travel with</a></strong></span></em></p>

Travel Insurance

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Toxic orange cloud spread near Barcelona

<p>A thick orange cloud could be seen in the sky some 60km from Barcelona, before spreading over residential areas nearby on Thursday.&nbsp;</p><p>The cloud was caused by an explosion at a chemical plant in northern Spain and authorities advised residents of several small towns near Barcelona to stay indoors as a large toxic cloud spread over the area. Three people were injured.</p><p>The regional government of Catalonia said in a statement that the blast appeared to have been caused by two chemicals coming into contact during delivery to the plant, owned by Spanish company Simar.</p><p>Catalan authorities told people to shut their windows and stay inside as a precaution, and cut off some roads in the area as well as a train line.</p><p>By 11am local time, the confinement order was partially lifted, although emergency services were still advising children and elderly people as well as pregnant women to stay indoors in six affected towns.</p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><strong><em><span><a href="/news/news/2015/02/thieves-love-tourists/" target="_blank">Most popular tourist destinations for thieves</a></span></em></strong></p><p><strong><em><span><a href="/news/news/2015/02/bodybuilding-bulls/" target="_blank">Your eyes are not fooling you, these are bodybuilding bulls</a></span></em></strong></p><div><strong><em><span><a href="/news/news/2015/02/village-for-dementia-patients/%20" target="_blank">An amazing village that is care centre for dementia patients</a></span></em></strong></div>

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How to archive family photos on your iPad

<p>If you’ve ever thought about keeping your precious family photos safe, one way could be archiving them on your iPad. Here’s how.</p><p>Have you been sent a lovely family photo of your son’s children playing at the beach via email? Or, have thought about preserving your boxes and albums of priceless family photos? If you have, one great idea is to archive them on your iPad!</p><p>Taking photos with your iPad is one way to keep and save photos, but it’s just as easy to get existing photos on there and you don’t need to be tech savvy to learn how to do it!</p><p><strong>Get organised</strong><br>Are you a prolific photographer? Do you have hundreds of holiday snaps and family photos already on your device? Before uploading more photos, spend 15 minutes or more organising the ones you already have on your device into albums. This will not only get your photo library in tiptop order, but it’ll be much easier to show off photos of your beautiful grandchildren to your friends.</p><p><em><strong>Related link: <a href="/technology/technology/2014/06/a-guide-to-ipads-and-android-tablets.aspx" target="_blank">Learn about the differences between iPads and tablets.</a></strong></em></p><p>When you do have hundreds of images on your iPad, it’s a good idea to back them up, since you wouldn’t want any sort of technical glitch to erase all those captured memories. The best back up is by saving all of the photos on your device to your desktop computer or laptop. If you don’t have either of these, you could also back up them using iCloud.</p><p>This is a cloud service, a term which describes information that is stored on a remote computer or server connected via the internet. It’s a handy platform that can effectively back up all of your files, photos and whatever else you may have on your iPad that you want to protect, without having to physically plug in your device and sync it to a computer. Apple’s version of cloud computing is called iCloud and is probably the best remote back up option if you’re using an iPad.</p><p>Create individual albums by event, time or location to get all of your photos organised. To create an album, simply open your Photos icon and tap the “Albums” tab at the top of the screen. Next, tap the + symbol in the top left-hand corner and it will prompt you to give the album a name. Once that’s done, a window will pop up, which will allow you to nominate the photos you want to put in this new album. Easy-peasy!</p><p><strong>Importing images from a digital camera</strong><br>If you’ve just come back from a three-day road trip or a two-week cruise in the Mediterranean, with a camera full of holiday snaps and a desire to save them to your iPad, here’s how you do it. Firstly, you’ll need to buy an iPad Camera Connection Kit from an Apple or electronics store. This kit contains two adapters: a USB camera connector and an SD card reader.</p><p>The USB connector allows you to import photos from a digital camera or iPhone while an SD card allows you to import photos directly from an SD card. Once you have these adapters, you can start saving photos to your iPad.</p><p>To begin, lock your iPad’s screen by using the screen locker on the top, insert the USB camera connector into the dock connector slot of your iPad, connect the USB end of the cable that would have come with your digital camera into the USB camera connector, connect the other end of the cable that came with your camera into the device, and unlock your iPad. Tap, ‘Import all’ on your iPad. Once this has finished, disconnect the cable and the adapter, and voila!</p><p><strong>From your photo album to your iPad</strong><br>If you’re looking to safeguard photos from your existing collection that’s currently in beautiful albums or boxes tucked away in your storage cupboards, you can scan these and upload them into albums on your device.</p><p>With the popularity of many people of all ages owning iPads and tablets, there are more apps to choose from now than ever before, including some handy photo scanning apps! Pic Scanner is a good one.</p><p>While it’s free initially, you’ll eventually have to pay for it if you want to continue to use it to scan an unlimited number of photos. It has a great range of features and is available on iPhone or iPad. The app allows you to scan 10 photos for free, so give it a try and if you like it and want to continue, consider buying it.</p><p>Once you scan a photo, follow the prompts to save it to your photo albums. Before you know it, you’ll have gone through your photo albums and boxes, and will have all of your beautiful family photographs to look at and show off to friends whenever and wherever you want.</p><p>Remember to back up! Whether that’s saving all of your photographs and scans onto your computer or a cloud platform, backing up will give you peace of mind that your photos are safe and secure.</p>

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