Tourism Australia, has come up with a new service for taking selfies in which the self is just one part of an epic widescreen landscape. Giga Selfie, billed as the world's biggest selfie service, will be available on Australia's Gold Coast this weekend. It uses a super high definition camera and cellphone technology to take photos big enough to accommodate even the most … [Read more...]

Ebony Churchill was rounding up dairy cows for milking on a farm in western Victoria when a koala started chasing her quad bike Source: Determined koala chases woman herding cows on a quad bike – video | World news | The Guardian … [Read more...]

How about The World's Best Treehouse as a place to stay in the Blue Mountains in Australia? Nestled between two National Parks, it has a spa, shower, fully plumbed, fire place and stunning views of World Heritage listed rainforest. Or this Cliff Top Cave located nearby: These are two of the several interesting buildings that Lionel Buckett has built on his 600 acre … [Read more...]

With cattle properties 1.5m hectares (3.7m acres) in size, it can take three months to muster the cattle in Queensland, Australia. Helicopters can be used to cover the vast areas, but that is an expensive option. So farmers are now using drones to locate and move their herds and to check fences and troughs in the outback. Adam Justice, International Business … [Read more...]

  "G'day Mate. Put another shrimp on the barbie". Australia is as well-known for its unique turns of phrase as it is for its ubiquitous meat pie. But few realise how many terms in use around the world originated down under, writes Mark Gwynn for BBC Culture: In 2013, ‘selfie’ became Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year. It’s become such a ubiquitous word, but few stop … [Read more...]

Sea temperatures around Australia are at record highs and global records set in 2014 may be broken this year. Peter Hannam, Environment Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald: March sea-surface temperatures in the Coral Sea region off Queensland broke the previous high by 0.12 degrees – a big jump for oceans that are typically more thermally stable than land. Temperatures for … [Read more...]

At a conference of university leaders in early 2013, Tony Abbott promised “relative policy stability” in higher education if he became prime minister. When it came, though, the Coalition’s first budget proposed cutting university funding by a breathtaking 20 per cent and removing the ceiling on university fees. Rodney Tiffen, Inside Story: Looked at over time and ranked … [Read more...]

Michelin three-star chef, author and TV personality Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin restaurant in New York City will take you on an insider's view of his culinary adventures as he travels the globe for creative inspiration including Australia.  Ripert explores the people, places, cultures and ingredients of Australia. Check out the trailer and episode previews as he visits some … [Read more...]

New Zealand Yellow-eyed species of penguin is endangered. With an estimated population of 4000, it is considered one of the world's rarest penguin species. The main threats include habitat degradation and introduced predators. It may be the most ancient of all living penguins. New Zealand Yellow-eyed Penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) in Curio Bay (No audio). Source: … [Read more...]