Australia Work & Travel - July 2017 issue 935

AUSTRALIA Australia’s no.1 publication for internationl visitors, expats, working holiday makers and like minded Australians

WORK • TRAVEL • JOBS • LIFESTYLE • BBMLIVE.COM

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Inside Explore Australia's coast this winter Lifestyle

East Sydney Guide Melbourne Bars Brisbane Food Month Music News Sports & Funny News Visa, Jobs, Tax Shipping

Travel Guides Fraser Island Kangaroo Island Broome Whitsundays Tasmania Digital Nomads Europe Summer

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Hospitality Workers Get 49% Off Food & Drinks at LOT.1 Sydney

EXPAT HANGOUTS

LOT. 1 is a casual-chic drinking and dining establishment in the heart of the Sydney CBD perfect for a post work wind-down with friends or colleagues.

Every Tuesday hospitality industry staff receive 49% off food & beverage in the LOT.1 Sydney Basement Bar. From polenta chips to gnocchetti, slow cooked lamb shoulder and twice cooked beef short rib, the food menu at LOT.1 is sophisticated and varied. When it comes to beverages you can enjoy classic cocktails such as a Dark n’ Stormy, a Sidecar and Old Cubans alongside a considered wine list.

To enjoy both the food and beverage menu at LOT.1’s Basement Bar you’ll need to present a valid proof of hospitality ID which may be one of the following forms of ID: NSW RSA card NSW RCG Card Food & Safety Supervisor Certificate Payslip

Find out more about LOT. 1’s Tuesday Hospitality Nights on their website Lot1Sydney.com.au

Win $100 bar tab at LOT.1 LOT. 1 are also giving bbmlive.com readers the chance to win a $100 bar tab to spend on food and drink. To enter simply email us at competitions@bbmlive.com with the subject ‘LOT.1 Competition’ with your name, and date of birth. Please note this must be from an email address you check regularly.

Winners will be selected on 15th July and you will be contacted via email. Offer valid for a limited time only. Terms and conditions apply. Speak to venue for full details.

Looking for a traditional pub with excellent pub gub and food deals throughout the week? Look no further than this traditional Irish boozer in the heart of Surry Hills serving up Guiness as well as pub staples such as Steak & chips at great prices.

233 Riley Street, Surry Hills www.porterhouse.com.au

This Irish themed chain of pubs will certainly give you the feel of a traditional Irish pub.

With live trad music, Guinness, Sunday roasts, pies and more, it’s the perfect place to cosy up on a Sunday for some TLC in the form of great ales and comfort food!

Southgate Restaurant & Shopping Precinct, Southbank www.pjobriens.com.au

KEG AND BREW

Bourbon, beer and bites – that’s what’s on offer at the Keg and Brew! Featuring the highest number of beers per square metre of floor space in Australia, there is a guaranteed flavour for every palette.

26 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills www.kegandbrew.com.au

CHURCHILL’S SPORTS BAR

Chruchill’s have an exceptional menu where you can enjoy a schnitzel and beer for just $15. Here, you can also check out all the latest sport live on their screens including live Champions League, Europa and Cup Football.

532 Anzac Parade, Kingsford churchillsbar.com.au

THE BAT & BALL HOTEL

Please note this offer is not valid in conjunction with any other promotion.

lot1sydney.com.au

131 Queen St, Melbourne Turfbar.com.au

THE PORTERHOUSE

Are you one of the many hospitality workers in Sydney? Whether you work in a bar, nightclub, hotel, pub or restaurant, the team at LOT.1 have got your back.

• • • •

Sydney

*terms and conditions apply

From 10kg buckets of chicken wings for just $10 to one of the best roast dinners in town, the Bat & Ball will keep you fed and watered all week with nightly meal deals at great prices in a fantastic setting with a great atmosphere. What more could you ask for?

Corner of Cleveland & South Dowling Streets, Sydney www.parksidebar.com.au

Melbourne TURF BAR

The Turf Bar is one of the most well equipped sports bars in Victoria and shows live sport all year round. Don’t miss out on Wednesdays at The Turf bar for some great drinks deals.

P.J. O’BRIENS

THE CRAFTY SQUIRE

The Crafty Squire is a premium craft beer venue with a wide (and delicious) selection of brews on tap.

127 Russell Street, Melbourne www.thecraftysquire.com.au

Perth

HULA BULA BAR

A tropical paradise in the heart of the city! Drop into Hula Bula Bar for a cheeky cocktail or plan to spend a cool evening with your travel buddy! Relax in the exotic surrounds and sip on a classic Tiki Cocktail that’s guaranteed to tickle your taste buds! With weekly themed evenings too, get swept away by the rum soaked rhythms of Reggae, Ska, Calypso, Mento, Limbo and Soca!

12 Victoria Ave, Perth www.hulabulabar.com

MUSTANG BAR

Situated in Perth’s nightlife centre, Northbridge, Mustang Bar is where you’ll find entertainment throughout the week. A real hub for visitors to Perth, Wednesday nights are a big pull for students and backpackers with their $5 entry fee giving you entry into their raffle, pool competition and also some great Aussie BBQ to fill you up.

46 Lake Street, Northbridge www.mustangbar.com.au

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SPORTS

Ronaldo hits baby hat-trick It looks like Real Madrid permaponce Cristiano Ronaldo is just as prolific off the pitch as he is on it.

The dislikeable diving diva is on a one-man mission to become a baby-making machine, with no less than three on the way within weeks of each other.

First up were the surrogate twins by an American mother, who were born while his highness was on duty with Portugal in the Confederations Cup. Apparently the pair dived out of the womb and immediately began wailing loudly – so definitely related to him.

It’s also strongly suspected that his model missus, Christina Rodriguez,

is five months pregnant. Either that or she’s been scoffing a lot of pizzas and ice-cream while he was playing in Russia and she’s really ballooned. It has been suggested the couple may be planning a ‘super baby’ after reportedly visiting a clinic which does DNA tests to check the make-up of a possible child. Weird.

“I was with the national team, giving my everything as always, despite knowing my children had been born,” Ronaldo blathered.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach our main sporting objective, but I am certain we will continue to make the Portuguese people happy.”

And while he’s clearly no master

of the pull-out method, he did manage to get out of Portugal’s third-place playoff to meet up with his new babies.

“The president of the Portuguese Football Federation and the national team manager were considerate towards me and it is something which I will never forget,” he said.

The pervy Scottish club kept fans abreast of the new development on their website, with the model getting the new shirt painted onto her body.

They used a similar method to drum up publicity last season, with numerous complaints pouring in as well as several stories in tabloid

newspapers. In other words: mission accomplished.

Sponsor Bodog, a betting company, was the brains behind the operation and founder Calvin Ayre said: “After the controversy of last year’s kit launch we felt we should change our strategy. So this year we are using a body-painted model in the away strip rather than the home one. We hope the pictures will give The Honest Men the boost they need for promotion and a good Cup run too.”

A baseball game produced a hell of a curveball for one baffled woman – and her sappy boyfriend – after he enlisted the help of a few friends to make a public proposal.

“I am very happy to finally be with my children for the first time.”

The group of four friends spelled out the proposal via the unusual medium of a dance routine to Bruno Mars’ song ‘Marry You’ before a game in South Carolina.

So despite the many rumours and stories about him being gay (mainly written in BBM admittedly) it looks like he might actually be straight after all. Although anyone that desperate to be called “daddy” has to be bi-curious at the very least.

But the would-be-bride didn’t need her friends to spell out what she thought of it. With the boyfriend on one knee in front of the whole stadium, camera footage showed her shaking her head in embarrassment, grabbing her handbag, then storming off.

Put some Ayr on your chest McGregor The good people at Ayr United have given new meaning to the phrase “football strip” after using a topless model to advertise their new kit.

Boyfriend On the strikes out home run

mural a real knockout Irish fighter and gobshite Conor McGregor is continuing his classy pursuit of a pot of gold by training for his bout with Floyd Mayweather against the backdrop of a huge mural depicting him clocking the boxing champ on the chin.

The UFC star’s long-time coach and friend, John Kavanagh, had

the painting commissioned at McGregor’s gym as a surprise for the violent loudmouth.

Kavanagh said the mural was to help McGregor’s visualisation of the biggest night of his life.

Presumably a more realistic sketch of McGregor sat on his ass looking dazed would have been less helpful.

The MMA champion will make his professional debut in boxing against a man who has never been beaten in 49 fights. Mayweather will make it a nice round 50 when he takes on McGregor on August 26th.

for beers

In what sounds suspiciously like the plot of Teacher Academy, the latest film from the makers of Police Academy, two basketball coaches have been fired from a high school for using the team bus to buy beer – and it’s the same school where a cheerleader coach was arrested for having a saucy relationship with a teenager a few months before.

The coaches at Tishomingo High School, in Oklahoma, were at an overnight basketball camp at the time when they were spotted making the beer run in a bus emblazoned with the side’s colours and badge.

As a result, the camp was cut short. “We were pretty upset because we paid money out of pocket to go to that camp, because we had to stay for three nights and we had to end up leaving on the second day,” said THS basketball player Kyle Miller.

Earlier in the year, cheerleader coach Shelley Duncan, who is also the superintendent’s wife, was arrested for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old. We’re expecting Steve Guttenberg to be cast in the film’s lead role any day now.

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Dense & Pika Australia Tour

TOP 5 NIGHTS FOR MUSIC LOVERS IN SYDNEY

The duo first came into fruition in mid 2011 with a number of white label releases. It wasn’t long until they were noticed by Scuba and have since had multiple releases under their belt on Adam Beyer’s Drumcode, Scuba’s acclaimed Hotflush imprint and have branched out onto the elusive Hypercolour.

Dense & Pika have also been showing off their remixing talents by reworking the likes of Adam Beyer & Ida Engberg, Digitalism, Disclosure, KDA, Leftfield, Maya Jane Coles, X-Press 2 and also Paul Woolford’s ‘Erotic Discourse’, which won the DJ Mag category for ‘Best Remix’ in 2014.

1. Rotarydisco

Touring across the globe on a weekly basis has seen the duo play at the cream of the world’s clubs such as the now legendary Trouw, Panorama Bar, Fabric, Gashouder

If your weekend is looking a little dismal, you need to hit up S.A.S.H for a Sunday sesh ASAP.

and international festivals all over the world.

28th July 2017 www.brownalley.com 29th July 2017 chineselaundryclub.com.au

Rotarydisco are a collective obsessed with quality chugging house, nu-disco and disco music and believe something has been missing from the Sydney scene... So they decided to do something about it.

Don’t miss their Peoples Club night’s first birthday this July, featuring the likes of Fishing, Andy Garvey and Jack Deane.

WHAT: Peoples Club’s 1st Birthday WHEN: Friday 7th July (and usually every Friday) MORE INFO: www.facebook.com/goodbarsydney

They throw intimate parties where musiclovers can boogie to the finest quality underground sounds. In July, they’re celebrating their 2nd birthday with Somerville and Wilson at Crane bar - dress up and get down there for a taste of the action.

4. World Bar

WHAT: Rotarydisco 2nd Birthday Party WHEN: Saturday 15th July MORE INFO: www.facebook.com/pg/ RotarydiscoSydney/events

World Bar’s maze of rooms, booths, stairways and hidden areas is open for exploration 7 days a week, and they’ve always got something happenin’ on their agenda.

2. S.A.S.H

Bringing you proper house music and weekend extravaganzas every Sunday afternoon (and well into Monday mornings), SASH pops up at two different venues - by Day at The Greenwood and by night at Home Terrace.

With two outdoor “smoker friendly” venues, cheap drinks, spectacular settings, tasty food and - most importantly - excellent music, you’ll be in good hands.

Eliza & The Delusionals

Oxford St location, bringing you the sharpest electronic music around.

A whole range of clientele flock through the doors to enjoy their mash of entertainment - from local indie bands to international DJs; art exhibitions that later become rave-caves, there’s definitely something that will tickle your fancy.

Maker Agency take over the bar on a Saturday nights to bring crowds a multigenre, multi-level Saturday night bonanza - give it a try.

WHAT: And Then WHEN: Every Saturday MORE INFO: www.theworldbar.com

5. Bald Faced Stag

WHAT: S.A.S.H’s Sunday Sessions WHEN: Every Sunday MORE INFO: www.facebook.com/sashsundays

Located in the heart of Sydney’s inner-west, The Bald Faced Stag boasts both local and international live gigs, blasting metal to punk and every genre in between.

3. Goodbar

With a beer garden, pool tables and a tasty burger-and-beer Wednesday combo for just $15, The Stag’s the place to go for every Sydney-sider looking for a good time and even better tunes.

With a nod to the past and a big step towards the future, Sydney has a new late night bar and social club just outside the lockout zone, and it goes by the name of Good Bar. Originally shutting its doors back in 2006, the cosy club has now returned to its original

WHAT: Rock Karaoke WHEN: Every Monday MORE INFO: www.baldfacedstag.com.au

Australian Music Week Top Picks

The Kava Kings

Taking over NSW’s stunning Cronulla Beach from 1st-3rd November is a one of a kind music, film, and entertainment industry event, Australian Music Week. The three day event is designed for music lovers, artists and industry professionals alike to give them the chance to listen to emerging talent, connect and network with one another, paving the way for exciting new music. Check out our top picks for this year’s event.

Eliza & The Delusionals

Rhythm Hunters

Fronted by neon-pink haired Eliza Klatt, this 4-piece indie rock band is one of the most exciting groups to emerge out of the Australian music scene in recent years. With a sound likened to Catfish & The Bottlemen, Eliza & The Delusionals have received critical acclaim for their first two singles, ‘The Ground’ and ‘Salt’, even featuring as Triple J’s Unearthed Feature artist earlier this year. Make sure to catch their set at AMW for a taste of their pop melodies and nostalgic lyrics.

The Kava Kings With music that spans genres from psych and reggae to dub and rock, the Kava Kings undoubtedly have a new, exciting sound that’s sure to entice at AMW. Hailing from the South of Sydney, they have been making a name for themselves headlining shows and have 8 tours already under their belt. Their latest E.P ‘No Time to Lose’ has

been described as ‘The full gamut through melodic psychedelia, summertime guitarpop vibes, trippy jam sessions featuring big horns, phat dub-reggae, upbeat gypsy ska and atmospheric indie-rock’ - exciting stuff!

Rhythm Hunters Rhythm Hunters may just be one of the most original and diverse acts around.

Taking inspiration from the cultures of northern Australasia, the traditional folk songs of Indonesia and the electro beats of cyberculture, this unique musical and visual act cannot be defined by any one genre, but spans everything from world and folk to groove and electronic. Every year the group draws crowds of up to a thousand people at their Blue Mountain event Rhythm Underground which is held in the largest underground caves system in the world.

Defined by one critic more as ‘a force of nature rather than a grouping of musicians’, they are definitely not to be missed.

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See Sydney from a new perspective with a night BridgeClimb There’s a lot of things you could do in a night: you could have an unforgettable evening out with your mates; you could binge watch an entire Netflix series; or you could simply get some shut-eye. However, one thing you’ve probably never thought of doing is climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Here’s why it should be top of your bucket list.

BridgeClimb Sydney gives you the opportunity to scale the 1332 steps, an exhilarating 134 metres above the harbour, of the world renowned Sydney Harbour Bridge to witness the sights below. As you begin your ascent up the four ladders to the bridge’s outer arch you’ll witness an incredible 360 degree panorama of Sydney; we think this is best witnessed during the nighttime, when you can gaze down unto the sparkling lights of the city below. Forget the standard daytime climb - it’s all about the thrill of the darkness.

If scaling the bridge in the darkness doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, try the breathtaking experience of a twilight climb. Beginning as the day closes, this experience gives you the best of both worlds. Witness the mesmerising sunset over the harbour as the sun descends and gives way to a world of dazzling city lights. Whichever climb you do, don’t forget to strike a pose when you get to the summit you’ll have a chance to purchase these when you get back down and show them off to your friends.

The climb takes around three hours in total, however, for those more anxious about the sheer height, there is the option to take a BridgeClimb sampler. Taking you just halfway to the top, this option takes just one and a half hours and is perfect for the concerned! Never fear whatever option you choose - you’ll be in safe hands with the experienced Climb leaders, and never in a group of more than fourteen. Before you go, pop into the Visitor Centre and Cinema for more information on the history and building of the incredible structure.

Whatever you do - don’t look down!

Book your climb now a www.bridgeclimb.com

Explore Eastside Sydney If you’re visiting Sydney for the first time, you’re sure to make a bee-line for the sparkling harbour, followed shortly after by iconic Bondi Beach, but for a truly authentic Sydney experience, make like a local and discover Eastside Sydney, which is nestled between the two and a mere stone’s throw up the hill from the CBD. Made up of the neighbourhoods of Darlinghurst, Potts Point, Kings Cross, Surry Hills and Woolloomooloo, the eclectic Eastside stacks up against other international areas that bear a similar compass point, such as East London and East Village NYC, in that they are stylish while being gritty and arty, and are packed full of entertainment venues, killer bars and restaurants, vintage and new street fashion, co-working spaces for the digital nomad and above all, are where local creatives love to hang out.

Do Darlo Darlinghurst, or Darlo as the locals affectionately call it, is home to the world’s largest Mardi Gras Festival in February and is also an enclave for cool restaurants, rooftop bars, music venues and record stores. This is where you can get some of the city’s best coffee and chow down on a ramen roll at the Scandi-Japanese Edition Coffee Roasters, see some of the best international and Australian bands at Oxford Art Factory, or sidle up to a 1920s New York-style wine bar like the brand-new Johnny Fishbone, where you’re sure to be served by a tattoo-clad, but friendly-ashell bartender, eager to recommend some of their tasty bar snacks. If you have ever tasted the wines and snacks at Buffalo Dining Club or Chester White, you know you’ll be in for a treat at the owners new Spanish-style tapas enclave.

Did we mention the wines are sorted in reference to some famous Johnnies? Jon Bon Jovi, John Travolta, and more.

Be sure to take a stroll down the top end of Goulburn Street, where you’ll happen upon some prime examples of

Woolloomooloo Ovolo the city’s favourite street artists, like Mulga and Sindy Sinn, or have the chance to go record-digging at aptly-named The Record Store.

Peckish in Potts Point?

Thought Melbourne has all the cool laneways? Potts Point, or the Paris end of Kings Cross, is crammed with designer shopping and artisanal delicatessens, and some of Sydney’s best bars and restaurants in a village of beautiful tree-lined streets and one particularly hip and revitalised laneway – Llankelly Place. Dear Saint Eloise, on the corner of Orwell Street, feels more like you are relaxing in your friend’s dining room with one of the best wine libraries and selection of tasty bites around. The roe boats, burrata with charred bread and mint, and smoked mussels are simply to die for. Take a stroll down Macleay Street and you could think you were somewhere on the Left Bank of Paris. Want to see some great theatre on the cheap? Check out the Darlinghurst, Hayes and Kings Cross Theatres for culture on a budget, and if you plan on getting some work done while in town, check out Two Space, where you can work from the rooftop of Kings Cross Hotel.

Creative Surry Hills Just over the road (Oxford Street) head to Surry Hills, once the home of Sydney’s salubrious set, but now filled to the brim with hipsters, creatives and organic cafés.

Feeling thirsty? Corner store come cocktail haven Rosie Campbell’s offers a range of rum based beverages to whet every whistle (perhaps try the epic ‘Rosie’s Coco Colada’ with Pampero Dark Rum infused with Pimento, pineapple, coco lopez, sugarcane, lime and banana foam). Crown Street is lined with boutiques, bars and bookstores, and Surry Hills also has its own art house cinema and an annual neighbourhood festival – can this suburb get any cooler?

Wonderful Woolloomooloo Knowing how many l’s are in Woolloomooloo is the hard bit, but finding somewhere to have a great coffee and a

Surry Hills bite to eat is easy. Woolloomooloo has had a somewhat chequered past, filled with tales of travelling sailors, but is now one of Sydney’s fastest changing suburbs. Bordered by the Royal Botanic Gardens, a public pool with the best views of the harbour, and the Garden Island Naval Base (aye aye Captain), the suburb is also home to one of the fanciest and longest wharves in the world. Not only are there are a number of world-class restaurants of the elk of China Doll and Otto, the Finger Wharf also boasts a newly renovated Ovolo Hotel. The lobby is an Intagrammer’s dream, and rooms are filled with cool art, free goody bags, enough plugs for all your tech needs and views to die for. We don’t want to give all their secrets away but you should probably ask about the kissing booths and the ‘rockstar’ rooms on offer. Fancy an afternoon snack or something indulgent for breakfast? Check out the local bagelry with a wood-fired oven sent directly from Montreal – bagels that are baked so they are crunchy on the outside and soft and squishy inside.

Smoking Gun Bagels offer a number of treats to get you in the mood – ‘Bitch Peas’, ‘Honey I’m Comb’, ‘Miso Hungry’ and the best cream cheese this side of NYC. Words by Jacqui Smith Images by Roisin McGee

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Eat Your Way Around Brisbane at Good Food Month 2017

From sprawling night markets to a lunch cooked by the newest chefs on the block, Good Food Month is returning to Brisbane this July and is bringing with it gastronomic delights by the bucketful. We rounded up some of the best events to head to if you want to fill your belly and soothe yourself during the chillier winter evenings.

Brisbane Night Noodle Markets Perhaps the most vibrant of everything going on at this year’s Good Food Month, the Brisbane Night Noodle Market is a vivid recreation of an Asian street food market, complete with 23 market stalls boasting a delicious array of sweet and savoury delights. Held on the Cultural Forecourt at South Bank, there’ll be food from the likes of Teppanyaki Noodles, Little Kyoto, Donburi Station, Spanthai and Hoy Pinoy, along with nightly music, making for an exciting evening for all the senses. Finish off your meal with an indulgent gelato from Gelato Messina or one of the treats whipped up by the Blackstar x N2 Extreme Gelato collab. This year all stalls are cashless so you can use any card to your hearts content (or until you’ve spent your entire bank balance on food.)

Wednesday 19th – Sunday 30th July 2017 Free Entry

Young Chef’s Lunch Showcasing up-and-coming talent of the culinary world is what the Young Chef’s Lunch is all about.

Supervised by head chef Ben Russell, four bright new chefs (Josh Raine - The Urban Group, Callum Decosta - Esquire Restaurant, Alex Gregg - Gerard`s Bistro, Jeong Insik - ARIA Restaurant) will be serving up an inspiring lunch to demonstrate they’ll soon be making big waves in the industry.

With the four-course menu featuring the likes of Wagyu short rib with white kimchi and Hibiscus cured QLD cobia, in addition to matched wines, its sure to impress.

Sunday 23rd July 2017, 12:30pm arrival $150pp, available from www.goodfoodmonth.com

Laneway! Street Food! Music!

The name for this event is pretty self explanatory, and what’s not

to love!? Although the location is being kept a secret, we do know that for $50 you’ll get your hands on four ice cold beers and three servings of food – that’s a pretty decent deal! The menu has only recently been finalised, and includes a feast of Pumpkin Risotto with Vannella Burrata and Stracciatella cheese served with truffled honey, to name but two dishes. Much like the Night Noodle Markets, this event will also feature live music so you can boogie on down well into the night.

Friday 28th July 2017, 6pm – 10pm $50pp, available from www.goodfoodmonth.com

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MELBOURNE LISTINGS

HAPPY HOURS play two special headline shows. Ahead of their anticipated Splendour in The Grass appearance, the Melbourne four-piece will play Sydney, before heading to their hometown to play The Croxton.

Support comes from special guests, futurist disco crew Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda.

Thursday, 20th July 2017 thecroxton.com.au

BUNKER PRESENTS SNTS AT PLATFORM ONE REVOLVER SUNDAYS PRESENTS: BONTAN In a short time, North West UK-based Bontan has notched up an impressive set of achievements that’d even leave most old school acts green with envy.

With headline supporters including Pete Tong, Annie Mac and Carl Cox, don’t miss the already legendary house maestro himself when he graces the infamous Revolver stage. Support comes from Boogs, Spacey Space, T-Rek, Radiator, Silversix, Brian Fantana & Ben Lawerence.

Sunday, 9th July 2017 revolverupstairs.com.au

DJ NORMAL 4 AT HUGS & KISSES As both a DJ and producer, DJ Normal 4 has always had one foot in the fields of the proto-rave sounds of the early nineties and one in the house sounds emanating from Düsseldorf, Lyon, London and The Hague. DJ Normal 4 will play his rescheduled date with support from Animals Dancing’s Otologic and Andee Frost. Please note, due to licensing reasons Hugs & Kisses operates as a member’s only club.

Please sign up as a member to be allowed entry with your ticket.

Friday, 14th July 2017 register.hugsandkisses.club

CUT COPY, HARVEY SUTHERLAND & BERMUDA AT THE CROXTON BANDROOM Australian electronic royalty Cut Copy return to

An anonymous producer with a gritty, heads­down style of techno and a focus on vinyl, SNTS first surfaced in late 2012. He’s been behind two record trilogies, Chapters and Scenes, issued through his self-titled label, and appeared on releases from Horizontal Ground and Edit Select Records. Catch his anticipated set, plus support Vohkinne, Chiara Kickdrum, Adrian Bell & Edward Richards.

Friday, 21st July 2017 platformone.com.au

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM AT MARGARET COURT ARENA Their cathartic, sublime dance-punk defined the Noughties, creating a legacy still admired and influencing electronic music to this day. Alongside Splendour in The Grass, the band’s highly anticipated live return to Australia includes a rather large scale side show at the Margaret Court Arena.

Wednesday, 26th July 2017 margaretcourtarena.com.au

STORMZY AT THE FORUM Following the release of his UK chart-topping debut album “Gang Signs & Prayer”, featuring hits “Big For Your Boots” and “Shut Up”, South London MC Stormzy heads to Australian shores for his first-ever headline dates. Alongside a slot at Splendour in The Grass 2017, the multi-award winning UK grime phenomenon will treat his ever-growing audience to a string of shows, including two nights in Melbourne.

Thursday 27th & Friday 28th July 2017 forummelbourne.com.au

BEER DELUXE Chase away the weekend blues with $5 pints on Mondays and $6 for selected lagers, ciders, wines, spirits and more on Tuesdays, until 1am.

29 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn www.beerdeluxe.com.au

BIMBO DELUXE This rooftop bar in Melbourne hosts nightly DJs, ludicrously cheap pizzas and more in Melbourne’s top bargain food spot. The artistic decor channels the bohemian flea-markets of Brunswick Street’s past, showing there is more to Bimbo than having a great time.

376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy, Melbourne, www.BimboDeluxe.com.au

BOHEMIAN BAR Take in the picturesque waterside views of The Yarra as you tuck into share platters of oysters, or choose from a stunning selection of tapas, as well as cocktail and wine deals, every day of the week between 3pm and 6pm.

35 Dukes Walk, South Wharf thebohemian.com.au

FERDYDURKE This hip hop themed art space is the perfect day drinking venue, with $16 Carlton jugs available all week from 12pm until 5pm. Hungry? Don’t miss the gourmet hot dogs and sliders.

239 Lonsdale St, Melbourne ferdydurke.com.au

GEM BAR Have a date night with a difference at this lively American BBQ joint. Get messy with half price tacos, wings and Texan fries and take advantage of the beer, cider and cocktail deals, between 4pm and 7pm, every Tuesday to Friday.

289 Wellington St, Collingwood thegembar.com.au

THE EVELYN HOTEL Fancy a post work pint and gig? Head down to Fitzroy’s much loved Evelyn to catch some live music and comedy, plus deals on Carlton draught and cider, Monday to Friday between 5pm and 7pm.

51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy evelynhotel.com.au

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DISCOVERY MELBOURNE RECOMMENDS: GIN PALACE For those who love a bit of ‘Mother’s Ruin’…

But at just a five to ten minute walk from the iconic Flinders Street station, the gin themed – and aptly named – Gin Palace is one of the easiest of the laneway bars to find, as well as one of its most decadent.

patterns and colours surround and dazzle you.

As far as bars go they don’t come much swankier than here. From its plush, gothic décor to its attentive table service, the bar delivers the perfect first impression. On first glance, you could assume that only the classiest and most sophisticated would fit in here; who would all be sipping their party poisons with their pinkies pointing off their glasses. But as the saying goes, ‘don’t be too quick to judge a book by its cover’. There’s a lot going on beneath the polished, urbane appearance of Gin Palace. You may also need to give your eyes a few seconds to adjust to the darkness before exploring too…

Located in the heart of the CBD, down one of one of Melbourne’s oldest laneways and amongst a treasure trove of quirky fashion stores, vibrant jewellers, lively bars and eclectic eateries; you’ll find the perennial favourite of foodies and fashionistas alike, the Gin Palace.

The series of dimly lit ‘loungeroomesque’ spaces and alcoves will have you wondering where to plant your derrière, with the bathtub presenting a particularly interesting option to the more adventurous or ostentatious; though the deep cushiony booths will make the perfect option for an intimate chat or canoodle with a date.

Dazzling gold signage will guide you to the entrance of the lavish basement lounge, just off Russell Place. From here you will step down the stairs and feel transported to the Old Victorian era; as palatial, draping fabrics and art deco furniture of contrasting textures,

Here, the background music stays below conversation-killing level and is simultaneously smooth and lively, while polite, uniformed waiting staff ferry drink trays from the bar to the scattering of tables and private nooks. It makes for a classy affair, suited to first, or even

WHAT’S ON AT DISCOVERY TIGHT ASS TACOS last, drinks, thanks to an early morning close.

Gin is, quite rightly, the focus of the extensive drinks menu. A page purely for martinis is followed by a double spread devoted to the Palace’s spirited namesake. But gin-less cocktails aren’t entirely neglected and range from cooler, fruity concoctions to the perfect winter warmer: a mug of warm, spiced and buttered pear cider.

But whatever your tipple, the Palace will provide. Cheers!

www.ginpalace.com.au 10 Russell Place, Melbourne VIC 3000

Tuesdays from 6pm get your free tacos until they are gone.

Happy hour from 5pm in the Disco Bar.

FREE WINE & CHEESE

Meet fellow backpackers for some free wine and cheese at 7, 8 and 9pm in the Disco Bar and get acquainted with your new friends and surroundings each Wednesday.

LATE LATIN NIGHTS

Dance the evening away to samba, Latin funk and salsa with $3 Prosecco all night from 5pm on Thursdays.

FEEL GOOD THURSDAYS

Get your exercise on Thursdays with a free sports class including Yoga, Zumba, martial arts, bootcamps, dance and more. Sign up at reception.

SHOOTERS NIGHT

Love a game of pool? Don’t miss Shooters Night in the Disco Bar with $5 shots on the hour at 8,9 and 10pm every Friday.

SEDUCTIVE SATURDAY Party the night away every Saturday from 7pm and dress to impress. Includes drinking and party games in the Disco Bar.

Image Courtesy of Discovery Melbourne

If you’re planning on a night out in the famous laneways, then you’re not going to want to miss the crème de la crème when it comes to the best that this fine city has to offer... But where to find such places, you might be wondering?

Especially as Melbourne’s most unique venues also tend to be their most inconspicuous too.

Yes, Australia’s culture capital sure does love its secret bars, and this one in particular, could be fairly easy to pass by, should you not be too familiar with this labyrinth-like district.

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TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB AHEAD OF SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS Two Door Cinema Club’s 2016 album ‘Gameshow’ has already spawned three huge singles ‘Are We Ready? (Wreck)’, ‘Bad Decisions’, and ‘Ordinary’ and was a mainstay on triple j last year. Citing an eclectic range of influences ranging from Prince, Bowie and Chic to Krautrock, Neo Soul and modernist pop, the band have stretched far beyond their traditional sound to fully embrace pop sensibilities and funk-laden melodies. We caught up with Sam from the band ahead of their upcoming Australia tour for Splendour in The Grass.

Where are you right now?

In Bangor, Northern Ireland.

What’s this week been like for you?

Nostalgic. Sunny. Leisurely.

So you’re headed out to Australia soon for Splendour in the Grass and the sideshows… what do you most like about performing down under?

The whole trip feels more like a holiday than a tour. We fly and stay in hotels rather than live on a bus which is amazing. There’s always a very relaxed atmosphere. People are nice and up for a good time. We don’t play in Australia all that often too so it’s always exciting for us and hopefully it means the crowds aren’t bored of us too!

On a day off you’re never far from a beach also… All the pros…

‘Lavender’ was the last single to drop – it’s got quite a pop vibe to it, what did you want to put across with the single/ what were your inspirations behind the track?

We have never been ones to shy away from a pop song. Alex wrote a song with a pop guy and wasn’t super keen to record it but we got it in the studio and worked

out a version we thought was good fun and different to what we have put out before. It seems to work really well as a different moment in the set. Justified was a big inspiration to how the guitars feature.

Will you be playing hits from ‘Gameshow’ only or can we expect to hear some of the older classics?

I feel like we have a good mix going at the minute. Luckily our songs are pretty fast and short so we try to fit tons in.

What song do you find people always want you to play the most?

Errrrr… for a while we weren’t playing Handshake off our second album and that pissed off plenty of people. Sun seems to have been a slow burner for lots of people. I don’t remember it being a fav when we released it but now it gets a good reception. Aside from that ‘What You Know’ and ‘Something Good Can Work’ seem to be a nice blast from the past for most.

So, tell us, for a band that’s had international success over the last decade, what are Two Door’s hopes and

dreams going forward? Is there anything in particular you haven’t got to do yet that you’d love to?

We’ve been super lucky. We’ve never been a band to set insane goals too far ahead. I think we would love for the shows to keep growing so can experience new fans, production and venues etc with every release. Musically I think we are keen to take advantage of the times more. It’s amazing that you can record a song at home and then it can be on a streaming service a few days later. We started out recording our own demos and putting them on MySpace so it would be cool to return to that world for a minute.

Having toured so much, where’s been the oddest location you’ve ever played out?

There’s a festival in Europe in a safari park which is odd I guess.

Where’s the most inspiring place you’ve ever played?

An abandoned quarry in Cape Town.

the parent?

Kevin.

Who’s the best behaved whilst on tour?

Me… unless there’s a toast with Fizzy wine involved.

Who’s the worst?

I’d say we all have our days.

Can you tell us an interesting fact about Two Door Cinema Club that fans might not know?

Probably not! Behind the scenes though, it’s all gotten very sensible. Eating better, working out, seeing sights. It’s no longer Saturday night every day. It might be different down under though. We will be on our holidays after all…

Two Door Cinema Club Tour Dates Wednesday 19th July – Metro City, Perth

What’s the weirdest thing a fan has ever done?

Dressed up like Alex.

Friday 21st July – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney

With three of you in the group, who’s

Get tickets online at secretsounds.com

came down to a love of cinema and its soundtracks. Do you ever picture a visual realisation or the perfect movie scene for your tracks?

I’m not super good at imagining visuals to music. I wish music clearly reminded me of places/colours/moments but it’s all very sound based in my head! ‘Can’t Stay’ was inspired by Interstellar because I love how the visuals paired with the amazing soundtrack and we kind of channelled that instrumentally as well as lyrically into the song.

The EDM scene in Australia is exploding, but still has some very unique talents such as yourself. Do you find inspiration from any global music scenes?

What’s happening in Australia at the moment is very exciting to be a part of, and to see friends push boundaries and do well is great. I’m really influenced by the Hip Hop & RnB scene in the US (artists like Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar etc.). I also love what’s happening in Canada at the moment with Badbadnotgood, Kaytranada, River Tiber, Daniel Caeser, Charlotte Day Wilson etc. and how they all collaborate and work together.

Tuesday 25th July – Festival Hall, Melbourne

GOLDEN VESSEL You can relax and listen to his music passively, or you can really take note of the sounds and lyrics and find your mind filled with all sorts of wistful thoughts. There is nothing simple about this music, that’s for sure. We had a chat with the Brisbane native ahead of his upcoming East Coast ‘Shoulders’ tour to find out everything there is to know about this self-taught producer.

The Australian EDM scene is an ever growing and evolving organism that could arguable rival that of any across the globe, and Golden Vessel’s unique, chilled electro beats are a prime example of the talent on show.

Each of your tracks has it’s own distinct identity, but what is your technique behind creating that unique Golden Vessel sound that flows through all your music?

I think it just comes naturally, it’s just sounds that I really love and they kind of make their way onto the track and I think that’s it really. Every time I get a new piece of gear or discover a new technique that kind of makes it way somehow into the sound so it’s always evolving.

At what moment did you think to yourself that you could become a music producer?

I start making beats on Ableton when I was 15 and I really fell in love with it so I worked really hard on putting together some music that I could release. I put my first track out on triple j Unearthed and I got played on triple j within 2 weeks and that was probably the moment when I realised I wanted to, and could pursue this.

You have said that part of your inspiration for ‘Can’t Say’, a collaboration with Abraham Tilbury (aka Allthingslost),

You’ve done some epic collaborations!

What is your process for working with other artists?

I love being in the room with someone when I’m collaborating. It puts this really great pressure on the music as you’ve only got limited time and you always want to show your best work in front of each other. I find it just pushes music that extra 10% which email collaboration doesn’t really bring Your track ‘Tell The-Girl’ (Featuring Emerson Leif) has been receiving big praise from many places. Are you excited to be playing it live on your upcoming ‘Shoulders’ tour across Australia?

Performing is my favourite part of doing music, and ‘Tell The-Girl’ is a really fun moment in the set, so I’m definitely excited!

At the moment, we transition from that song into a cover of White Ferrari by Frank Ocean which is also a great moment

After the ‘Shoulders’ tour is done will there be any plans for an overseas tour on the horizon?

I’d love to play some shows outside of Australia next year, it’s something we’re working towards.

You can catch Golden Vessel on his ‘Shoulders’ tour across June and July, details below.

Thursday, 29th June - The Workers Club Melbourne Friday 30th June - The Foundry - Brisbane Thursday 6th July - Brighton Up Bar Sydney

www.bbmlive.com 15

DAMIEN DEMPSEY INTERVIEW AHEAD OF AUSTRALIAN TOUR degrees celsius - the hottest day of the year.

I’m about to have a swim in the icy Irish sea because the minerals in seawater are amazing for you.

So, brand new album - your seventh in fact - what did you want to put across with this release?

Big, anthemic songs with messages of hope and positivity that will become lifelong friends with people and hopefully inspire and help them through life.

From Annie Lennox to mince stew, we catch up with Irish singer and songwriter Damien Dempsey ahead of his Australian tour this September.

How’s your week been so far, what have you been up to? What have we dragged you away from to speak with us?

I’ve been to a film premier that I acted in and have two songs in called Cardboard Gangsters. It’s getting rave reviews and going down very well here in Ireland. It portrays what happens to many young men who think the gangster life is glamorous and cool… It very rarely ends well for any of them.

Where are you right now and how is it?

Right now I’m in my back garden and it’s 26

What’s your personal favourite track on the album?

‘Sweet Gratitude’. Whenever I hear it, I feel very grateful for anything good in my life and that lifts my spirits and brings even more good into it!

Which song did you find the most difficult to write and why?

‘Sam Jenkins’ was tough to write because I had to imagine all the suffering and death that went on in my land through the many centuries of colonialism. That’s coming to a close soon though.

Dido also features on the album, how did that come about?

I walk through Hyde Park in London some mornings with my co-manager, producer and drummer John Reynolds, and sometimes Brian Eno walks with us - we always have great chats, you always learn something.

One morning, Brian invited me to one of his ‘singing nights’ that he hosts in his house in Notting Hill. He gets the lyrics to old songs up on the screen and we all sing them together and try to harmonise - it’s great fun. One night Annie Lennox and Dido were there - two deadly singers and

lovely women to boot. Annie told me she loved my album ‘Seize the Day’, and Dido said she loved my song ‘You’re Not On Your Own Tonight’. So when we recorded ‘Beside The Sea’ and thought a female voice would add to the song, we thought of Dido’s sublime vocals and luckily she was up for it!

Anyone else interesting that you worked with to create the album?

Imelda May and Pauline Scanlon, two great Irish singers and friends of mine. They really took ‘Big Big Love’ and ‘Pretty Bird Tree’ to new heights.

You’re back on Aussie turf this September with a national tour - what are some of your favourite things about visiting Australia?

The easy going attitude of the land, “no drama”, the beautiful diversity of the country, the similar sense of humour to Ireland - you wouldn’t want to be sensitive - the indigenous and oldest culture in the world of the aboriginal people, the warm seas for swimming... and a very healthy live music scene.

Do you have any favourite haunts whilst Downunder?

I dig Newtown in Sydney, and Saint Kilda and Fitzroy in Melbourne (my brother Dan Sultan lives there). I like Byron Bay, Fremantle and Darwin; Jervis Bay and the Adelaide river. Plus I can’t wait to see Broome.

What do you find is the best way to combat jet lag when touring?

I find on the way over I have to stay up for a couple of days until it’s time to go to bed.

As much as I feel like hitting the sack at noon, I get the coffee in me and then the melatonin at night.

What items do you have to have whilst on tour?

A personal steam inhaler for the voice, fresh ginger lemon and honey, and a sinus rinser.

Being from Ireland, where are three must visit locations for anyone exploring the Emerald Isle?

Dublin City for its incredible literary history and the fight for freedom that happened there and around the land from 1916 to 1923. Dingle in West Kerry in the summer - travel over the Conor Pass to get there.

Ventry beach is like paradise when the sun shines, and Doolin in West Clare for the amazing Irish music, the seafood and 700ft cliffs of Moher that huge waves break below.

Do you have any suggestions for Irish bands or artists we should be listening out for?

There’s David Keenan, Paul Alwrite, Morrissey, Marshall and Wallis Bird, amongst others.

What’s your favourite traditional Irish meal?

Mince Stew.

Will you be hitting up the Irish pubs whilst in Australia?

I’m sure I’ll end up in one... or three.

What’s in the pipeline after Australia?

I might be going to New York for a bit to put together an exhibition with an Irish American writer about the diaspora.

Thanks so much for your time and we look forward to seeing you Downunder!

Nice to talk to you, and hopefully see you at a show mo chara. Slan agus beannacht!

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FESTIVAL REVEALS JAW-DROPPING FIRST LINEUP productions of VAAL​- and that’s just for starters.

On top of this, a variety of international and local artists are still to be announced in the coming months, so the first wave is just a taste of what’s to come for the juiciest Strawberry Fields yet...

Final Round tickets are on sale now but won’t last for long - all previous rounds have sold out within a shocking 24 hours.

Sign up to their newsletter here to be first in the know for the next wave of artists announced.

Strawberry Fields 2017 Full First Lineup Announcement

With plenty of smiles, blue skies and immersive visual displays; old friends, new friends, and never-ending dancing, Strawberry Fields is the annual celebration of art, sound and creative expression held over a three day extravaganza. If you’re looking for somewhere you can visit an

Located just a few hours outside of Melbourne, every year Strawberry Fields provides cutting-edge, breakthrough electronic music from around the world.

Attendees at this year’s show will also get to experience four major music areas, each of which will showcase its very own distinct personality - expressed in both decor and musical offerings - along with a series of themed camps.

The first lineup drop for 2017 boasts ARIA Hall of Fame inductees, Yothu Yindi, who will also be presenting the Treaty Project ​ this edition of Strawberry Fields. The band will be reunited with Gavin Campbell, founding member of Filthy Lucre, to play

a set full of their classic hits as well as showcasing brand new material - all with an electronic twist, of course.

Legendary Amsterdam label Rush Hour will also be stopping by the festival to celebrate their 20th anniversary, bringing with them the talents of Antal​, Hunee and Soichi ​ Terada​. America will also be showcasing their finest and freshest talent, as Brooklyn’s psychedelic Aurora Halal​and Detroit Techno underdog DJ Bone​show crowds how to party.

Representing all the way from the UK will be techno guru Andrew We​atherall​, Arkityp label head Archie Hamilton​, Rinse FM’s most diverse selector Alexander Nut,​and label soul singer Fatima. DJ, producer and cartoonist Mr. Scruff​will also be showing his face, along with DJ duo Twitch and Jonnie Wilkes’ Optimo​, plus the emotive

Andrew Weatherall, Archie Hamilton, Aurora Halal, CC:DISCO!, DJ Bone, Fatima & Alexander Nut, Frankey & Sandrino, Francis Inferno Orchestra, Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda, K+Lab, Lovebirds, Mall Grab, Monkey Safari, Monolink, Mr Scruff, Nicola Cruz, Optimo, Oxia, Peggy Gou, Rush Hour 20th Anniversary Showcase ft. Antal, Hunee & Soichi Terada, Sampa the Great, Sebastian Mullaert, The Teskey Brothers, Total Giovanni, YO! MAFIA, Vaal and Yothu Yindi presents the Treaty Project.

WHAT: Strawberry Fields Festival 2017 WHEN: Friday 17th - Sunday 19th November WHERE: Murray River, Tocumwal NSW TICKETS: Early Bird, First Round and Second Round tickets sold out. FINAL round tickets on sale now

Photo by Zeazy

Over the past eight years, Strawberry Fields has played home to a vast array of both international and local influencers, and their first announcement for this year’s lineup proves 2017 is sure to follow suit.

oriental tea lounge, listen to improvised jazz in a temple, or groove to some funk & soul in a treehouse all in the same space, then you’re in the right place.

16

EXPAT SERVICES How To Maximise Your Australian Tax Refund Been working in Australia and need to claim your tax back? Here we give you a few tips on how to maximise your Australian tax refund.

Considering that tax is one of the two things that are certain in life, you should find ways to claim back as much of it as you can. Yes, despite the many changes in the Australian taxation system, there are sure-fire ways to maximise your tax refund.

Get your TFN Your tax file number (TFN) will help ensure that your employer will deduct the correct taxes from your income. You’re also going to need it when you apply for your tax refund. So make sure that you get one when you start working in Australia.

If you are self-employed, you need an Australian Business Number (ABN) instead. Since tax is not taken at source, similar to that of an employee, you need to retain a portion of your income to meet the liability that will arise at the end of the tax year.

Know if the tax-free threshold applies to you If your yearly income is up to $18,200, you don’t need to pay tax as it is still within the tax-free threshold. You only start paying taxes if your income is over the said amount. This rule, however, only applies to Australian residents. If you stay over 130 days in the country, you become a resident for tax purposes, making you eligible for the tax-free threshold.

So you’ve decided to escape from the land of rain, tea and scones and Big Ben for a life down under - who wouldn’t!? In theory, moving to Australia may seem easy. Simply pack your bags and go!

In reality, there’s a lot to think about - from finding a job to shipping your belongings, we’ve got you covered with our top list of do’s and don’t’s.

Do Be prepared for the heat. If you’re moving to Australia you know it’s going to be hot - but be prepared for just how hot! With temperatures up to 35 degrees, the climate is definitely something you’ll need to acclimatise to.

Find a way to ship your belongings. Make sure to clean everything before its packed as all items will be inspected upon arrival and any in contact with food, soil, plants or animals may not be allowed in. It’s also helpful to label and list everything you pack so you know exactly where it is when you arrive. Finally, find a reliable shipping company to bring your stuff across.

Aim to find a job before you go. If you have the security of having a job when you arrive, pretty much everything else will fall into place.

Scour recruitment sites and apply for as many jobs as possible.

Learn the lingo! Aussies have some awesome abbreviations (arvo = afternoon, goon = cheap boxed wine). Learn the slang and you’ll fit right in.

Don’t Attempt to fly without the proper Visa. If you go with just a working holiday visa you’ll only be able to stay to live and work for a year, not ideal if you aim is to emigrate.

Instead, you’ll need to make sure you have a specific working or skilled visa applicable to your employment. Without a visa, you won’t even make it past the airport.

Forget about your first few nights.

If your new place isn’t ready to move into as soon as you arrive, you’ll want to make sure you have somewhere to rest your head as soon as you touch down. For the cheapest options try hostels or Airbnb.

Forget to tell your bank you’re going. Otherwise you may have a case of being stuck in a new country with cancelled cards not fun!

Talk to Seven Seas Worldwide to find out their options for reliable and affordable shipping options at www.sevenseasworldwide.com.au

SPECIAL AUSTRALIA SHIPPING OFFER Get 5% off your whole shipment when you quote BBM

• You paid for the equipment or tools yourself, without reimbursement • You bought it for your job • You have a recorder or proof of your purchase Make sure to keep all receipts for work-related expenses, so you can claim back tax where possible since there are some exceptions.

Claim back from Medicare Levy The Medicare Levy is an Australian healthcare scheme that may be available for certain nationalities that qualify, such as Britons and Italians. You’re exempted from paying the levy if you failed to meet the scheme’s eligibility requirements. However, it has been known to happen that the levy is deducted from the wages, whether it is applicable or not. If this happens to you, you can apply for a refund.

Start by applying for an exemption certificate, which is applicable if you earn more than $20,542 in the financial year. Along with your tax return application, you also need to submit a separate Medicare Entitlement Statement.

You can also get a tax refund from your superannuation if you leave Australia, so you should look into it as well. And make sure to file your tax return on time to avoid penalties. The amount you pay could have been added to your claim back tax.

Need help with your tax refund? Get in touch at www.backpackertaxrefunds.com.au

Working holidaymakers, on the other hand, can take advantage of the so-called Backpacker tax where they only need to pay 15c on every dollar from the first one they earned.

Claim on work-related expenses To reduce your tax liability, see if there are workrelated expenses that you can claim back tax from, such as RCG, RSA, and white cards that you paid for

TAX WISE Tel : 08 9248 8124 Fax : 08 9463 6208 mairead@taxwiseaustralia.com.au PO Box 1874, Malaga 6944 www.taxwiseaustralia.com.au www.taxwise-australia.com

EXPRESS TAX Level 6, 155 Castlereagh St Sydney, NSW, 2000 1800 739 739 +61 (0) 2 9267 3200 www.expresstaxback.com.au

GREEN MIGRATION

Registered Migration Agent – 1464351 Little City Studio 118 Prospect Road, PROSPECT SA 5082 +61 8 417 837 973 zoe@greenmigration.com.au www.greenmigration.com.au

OPTIMA MIGRATION

Registered Migration Agent - 0532045 Subiaco Business Centre/ Suite 5, 531 Hay St Subiaco WA 6008 + 61 8 93808397 |M: 0409130865 lidia@optimamigration.com.au www.optimamigration.com.au

IMMIGRATION HELP CORPORATE OFFICE (AUSTRALIA)

181 Marion Road Richmond, Adelaide, SA 5033, Australia Phone: +61 8 8123 6039 | Fax: +61 8 7200 7536 Mobile No: + 61 0433303774 Email:contact@myimmigrationhelp.com www.myimmigrationhelp.com

TAXBACK.CO.UK Claim back your uk tax refund info@taxback.co.uk www.taxback.co.uk BACKPACKER TAX REFUNDS First Floor, 1A Morts Road Mortdale NSW 2223 +61 (0) 2 8065 5668 info@backpackertaxrefunds.com.au www.backpackertaxrefunds.com.au

MOVE MIGRATION PTY LTD

Registered Migration Agent MARN: 1382250 104/3 Eden Street North Sydney NSW 2060 Email: Eugene.Liu@movemigration.com.au Web: movemigration.com.au

CONTACT marketing@ what-media.com to advertise your services.

Shipping article by Michael Spicer at Seven Seas Worldwide

DO’S AND DON’T’S FOR MOVING TO AUSTRALIA

If you are a non-resident for tax purposes, however, you need to pay 32.5c on every dollar from the first one you earned.

yourself. Most items you use for work and paid out of pocket may be eligible for a tax claim, provided that they meet certain criteria:

www.bbmlive.com 17

18

INTERVIEW TIPS

How to Handle Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself This doesn’t mean tell me your whole life story! A good place to start would be describing your current role, before talking through your prior experience and then discussing your future.

Make sure to highlight how your experience matches the role you are interested in.

Why are you looking to leave/left your current/ previous role?

The key to this question is to be honest, but answer from a positive perspective. Explain exactly what it is about your current job that is making you want to leave, but present it in a less negative light. For example, if your previous role isn’t challenging you and is ‘boring’, explain that you are looking to challenge yourself in a more senior role.

Whatever you do, make sure you never speak negatively about your previous employer. This will only make the interviewer wonder what you would have to say about them, if/when you move on again.

Why are you interested in this role?

Very simply, outline all the reasons you’re interested in this role. Be very specific to the particular role in which you’re interested, avoid general statements, otherwise they might not believe you are interested. Example include: the responsibilities or the opportunity to grow and learn new skills.

Make sure your response is not generic – the answer will vary in every single interview.

What are your weaknesses?

A notoriously tricky question to answer, this is asking you about a time you might have failed and done something differently.

The best approach is to outline a weakness but to expand on how you have/will improve it.

For example, you might answer around a particular software package, however you have started to apply yourself to online courses or signed up to online testing to improve using this particular system.

You have answered the question and shown you are a quick learner!

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Everyone dreads going to interviews; what if you say something wrong, or don’t come across as yourself!? One way to ease the anxiety is to make sure you’re prepared for whatever question you may be asked. If you need some guidance on what type of questions to expect in an interview, you’re in luck: here’s our guide to answering some of the most notorious interview questions that pop up time and time again.

Why do you think you are the right fit for this role?

This is your chance to sell yourself – don’t be afraid to show off your skills and previous experience, which will make you the perfect fit for the role.

Always make sure you illustrate your experience with examples to prove they’re genuine. Again, make sure to always prepare for this question prior to each individual interview you attend as every one will differ.

CARPENTERS. ELECTRICIANS. CHEFS RECRUITERS. NURSES. SPONSORED JOBS

Remember just be yourself, this is all about you after all and your new role needs to be a good fit for everyone and most importantly you!

Our clients are seeking professionals from overseas to fill a range of jobs across Australia. If you’re serious about staying in Australia and are seeking permanent employment or looking at skilled visas options, we want to hear from you.

Article by Gabby Norton, Consultant, Specialist Recruitment, Western Sydney at people2people.

If you’re coming to the end of your first or second year working holiday visa, or if you’re already in employment and are looking for a new sponsor please get in touch with our team asap. Our clients are looking for top talent and willing to sponsor for the right candidates.

Browse part-time, temporary and permanent jobs at people2people.com.au

Call 02 8005 8162 or email your CV to jobs@bbmlive.com

bbmlive.com/jobs

RECRUITMENT TIPS

Make Every day the Summer Holidays by Teaching in Australia If you’ve ever travelled to the land down under, you’ll know that the people of Australia are a pretty laid back species. What with the seemingly endless sunshine, amazing beaches and great opportunities it’s hard not to be! Now, imagine working in an environment like this. If you’re a teacher in the UK looking for a lifestyle change, look no further than Australia for your next destination. Say goodbye to rainy mornings and little work life balance and welcome excellent job opportunities and great rates of pay - who knows, you might even take up surfing!

Why emigrate to work as a teacher in Australia?

One of the biggest draws is the lifestyle. The sunny weather (which is fairly constant all year round depending on where you decide to relocate to) allows for much more time

spent in the great outdoors. From water sports to hiking, there are many fun, exciting ways to keep fit which may not be accessible in the UK. There is also the draw of the cities; from the endless entertainment opportunities of Sydney to the gastronomic and shopping

delights of Melbourne, every city has its own unique charm, and you’re sure to find interesting ways to occupy your time.

equivalent English Language test. Don’t let these steps put you off - if you’re already working as a teacher in the UK it’s very likely you already fill these criteria.

What Visa and Qualifications Do You Need to Teach in Australia?

Where Should You Go?

Finding a job in Australia may seem like a daunting job, but it need not once you know the steps you need to take. First is the matter of Visas; if you’re under 30, a Working Holiday Visa may suffice, but we aware that these only allow you in the country for a maximum of 12 months.

Alternatively, you may be required to enter Australia as a skilled migrant or on a state sponsored visa. In terms of the qualifications necessary, you’d need a university or college teaching qualification, such as an undergraduate professional degree or PGCE that is recognised by the Australian Government. You’d also need to meet all English language requirements, which may mean taking an IELTS test or

For more information or to find a teaching job in Australia visit smartteachers.co.uk

Although the cosmopolitan lifestyle may initially draw you, it’s worth looking to more remote areas, such as the Northern Territory, for job opportunities as this is where there is a shortage. If you can’t resist the big lights of a city, it is perhaps best to become a casual teacher first and work your way up. If you need help working out where to relocate to, Smart Teachers can assist; they hire for a ‘wide range of roles [...] in independent schools across your local state and nationally.’

They let ‘you set the parameters on where you’d like to work, and in what capacity’, giving you complete freedom of choice.

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WWW.BBMLIVE.COM/JOBS

How the Recent Changes to the 457 Visa Will Affect Australian Hospitality Employers Recent amendments to the 457 visa program have included removing the pathway to permanent residency in a number of Hospitality related occupations including but not limited to the following: • • • • • •

ccommodation & Hospitality A Managers NEC 141999 Baker 351111 Café or Restaurant Manager 141111 Cook 351411 Hotel or Motel Manager 141311 Pastry Cook 351112

If you are an employer who has previously sponsored workers on a 457 you will no doubt be aware that the vast majority of these visa holders have a long term ambition of living permanently in Australia.

The underlying objective of these changes as far as the Government is concerned is simple – to halt what they consider to be a rorting of the system whereby visa holders are using their 457 simply as a means of obtaining permanent residency.

While the reasons for the changes are to a large degree understandable, the effect it has had on professionals across multiple industries has and will continue to be profound. With the permanent residency pathway essentially taken away from them, are they now assessing whether they wish to come to Australia even on a short-term basis?

From our experience, those looking at

Australia’s 457 four year work visa will be abolished, as of March 2018.

The Australian government announced in April that the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa will take replace its predecessor, in order to “support businesses in addressing genuine skill shortages in their workforce and will contain a number of safeguards which prioritise Australian workers.”

Australia as a short-term prospect only make up a small proportion of the global candidate pool. For the majority however, relocating to Australia was always attractive as it would be a permanent move with the 457 a mere stepping-stone to achieving the ultimate goal of living here with their families.

Perhaps most concerning of all is the removal of PR and the stability that comes with it. Rather than considering Australia, many experienced and qualified candidates may now look to other countries as a future permanent home.

With so many Hospitality businesses around the country already struggling to attract and retain talent, what do they offer prospective candidates now that PR is no longer part of the equation? The reality is that short-term employment will no longer be enough.

Locations across the Middle East particularly, where candidates live and work tax free, where accommodation is provided and where international flights are generally included in employment packages will now be a far more attractive place to reside than in Australia where for many, only short term visas are possible and where PR for many is no longer an option.

The soon to be introduced TSS Visa will have another significant change that will have an enormous effect on international hospitality students who have not been spared. Those who have relocated to Australia to study will soon require 2 years full time industry experience post qualification just to be eligible for the TSS Visa.

The likelihood of students staying in Australia on an 18 month graduate visa to work in an industry where it will be close to

What’s changed?

The overall aim is to refine the requirements for people to go and work, and thereafter live, in Australia. Examples of the new tweaks are: • • • •

t ightened English language requirements a requirement for visa applicants to have at least three years’ work experience applicants must be under the maximum age requirement of 45 at the time of application a requirement to pay a contribution to the Skilling Australians Fund.

While the previous list of skills under the 457 visa list were broad and relatively malleable, they’re now set to be fewer and more “condensed.” The list was ever-changing before, with skills such as Engineering and Construction being used as umbrella terms for a variety of manual labour roles. Now, the checks and regulations that employers will have to adhere to, will be tighter and more scrutinised. This means the employer will have to pay higher fees to place and keep applicants on board, but will not definitely be able to keep them on board after two years, as they previously could.

Previously, much of the ad-ministerial role of the 457 was down to the applicant themselves; their employer had to adhere to certain regulations, but the main onus was on the person who planned to move to Australia. Now, restrictions on employers

TSS MIGRATION / TSS RECRUITMENT LEVEL 3, 7 HOWARD ST, RICHMOND, VICTORIA / +6103 9421 1020 WWW.TSSMIGRATION.COM.AU / WWW.TSSRECRUITMENT.COM.AU impossible to obtain 24 months experience will be slim at best. Not to mention the need to lodge a visa for a further 2 years and still have no PR pathway at its conclusion.

Cooks appearing from thin air. We have placed hundreds of Cooks in many of Australia’s remotest areas – areas where business owners have no other options available to them. What’s next for them?

The fact of the matter is that many, if not all, students will be far better off taking their skills back home to commence their careers in environments where working their way up the hierarchy is not only possible but likely and where a long term career is at their fingertips.

Current attrition rates show that over the course of a 3 year hospitality apprenticeship – this too was once 4 years as getting apprentices into the workforce faster despite 12 months less training was deemed more important – is approximately 30% annually.

Over the last few years, Cooks have been nominated for more 457 visas than any other nominated occupation in the industry – There are currently 6,422 cooks on 457 visas, with 2,370 nominations in the last financial year alone. With PR for Cooks now a thing of the past, our ability to attract them will essentially dissolve effective immediately.

As it stands the numerous amendments made to employer sponsored visas will have numerous and significant effects on businesses all over Australia along with prospective hospitality employees looking to relocate here.

It’s all very well for the Government to predict job growth in this sector over the coming years but growth must come from somewhere. It’s hard to imagine 5,000 are acknowledging prior loopholes, and being re-examined.

Who has been affected and what do they think?

Anna Pavoni, co-owner of the restaurant Ormeggio has lost three members of staff to this visa situation: her cooks, waiters and restaurant managers have all been moved to the short-term list, and are therefore no longer eligible for permanent residency. They have no guaranteed career progression/ future job security after applicant works with Host Company for two years. She said: “These staff members tell me they don’t feel welcome, they don’t see a future.

“They don’t want to waste time starting a career here that they have to walk away from in a few years. When you put in place a policy that makes people get up and leave the country, there’s something wrong.”

Many of the requirements for the TSS visa are very similar to those of the 457: you need at least two years proven experience in your field, have penal clearance, and undergo skills tests to prove your capability, for example. Shannon Aakster, a digital recruiter, was London born and has worked in Melbourne for two years. He is now being sponsored, but said: “If someone can do something and add value better than someone else, they should be employed regardless of where they are from.”

Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Prime Minister, has said he is “putting Australians

Suffice to say, the world of 457 visas is no longer as we knew it. Hopefully when the time comes that everyone knows where they stand, we still have a burgeoning Hospitality industry we can all be proud of.

By Brendan Halliday first”, in new reforms. His objective is to bring the “best and brightest” to a range of roles that were being filled by people on the 457.

There is hope for everybody.

This does not mean that people currently on the stream will be affected: the current 95,000 skilled immigrants currently living in Australia will remain to do so. The punchline is: this cohort will be the last who are automatically able to apply for residency, after their four years of work in Australia.

Redeeming concessions, be them few, do still exist: regional areas still permit a larger array of applicants, and are arguably more lenient in their requirements. The government said: “Consideration will be given to expanding the occupations in regional Australia that are exempt from the age requirement.”

This leaves room for leeway in rural areas that are outside Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and Melbourne.

There is no ambiguity in the new, tighter, and more scrutinised visa system. Needless to say, if you have a skill that fits, you can make it happen, but Turnbull has made clear: “The fact remains Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs.”

You can read a full list of the new visa specifications here: www.border.gov.au/ Trav/Work/457-abolition-replacement.

By Lillie Almond

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Getting Started As A Nurse in Australia FAQ’s Upping sticks to nurse in Australia can be a daunting prospect, but rest assured the team at Bower Healthcare have got the answers to your questions - no matter how big or small. Here we talk through some of the FAQ’s when it comes to starting out as a nurse in Sydney.

Roughly, how long does it take for APHRA to issue you your license once you have registered?

Providing AHPRA has provided provisional acceptance, registration is usually finalised within a week. We can provide a provisional offer of employment letter at interview for nurses to take to the office when attending to finalise their registration and we have found that this can speed up things by a few days.

How important is it to have been registered for at least 12 month before applying for work in Australia? Are there ways around this if you’ve only been qualified for say, 6 months?

Sydney public hospitals will only accept agency nurses that have completed a minimum of 12 months post-graduation

experience, as will the larger private facilities.

HOW TO FIND NURSING JOBS IN MELBOURNE

As these provide the majority of hospital agency shifts, it is really important that the threshold is clearly met before travelling.

Although this ruling may not necessarily be the case around the whole country, Bower’s sister company, YNA, applies the same requirement throughout all of its offices.

The rule is to compensate for the new grad year that nurses who qualify here are required to complete, which is (supposedly) supported by educators and regular coaching and assessments to ensure full competency is met before the nurse moves on with their career in their ward/area of preference.

Some small private hospitals may accept nurses with less experience, as may aged care facilities, but we do not recommend that nurses coming here to work rely on these potentially limited opportunities.

Irish-trained nurses need to take note also that their time spent as an intern does not qualify as postgraduate experience when the hospital calculates hours.

What are the main hospitals nurses working in Sydney can expect to work at?

We service the main public and private hospitals in Sydney, all with easy access to public transport, as well as smaller facilities at times. Some of these hospitals are close to the main backpacker accommodation areas in the eastern suburbs and inner-west of Sydney. www.bowerhealthcare.com.au

Decided that your nursing career needs a shake up? After all that training to become a nurse, you’ll be pleased to know that you’ve earned yourselves some universal skills meaning that you could combine both travelling and nursing.

After all, nurses are needed all over the world, but for those of you who have trained in an English speaking country - Australia makes for an attractive option when it comes to nursing overseas.

Australia is a great choice for UK or Irish trained nurses are there is no language barrier and the healthcare system in Australia is pretty similar to what you are used to. This makes it easy to make the transition - despite being on the other side of the world.

How do you get a nursing job in Australia?

You may be about to google “nursing jobs in Australia”, but let’s just remind you of one fact…

Australia is HUGE! So you might want to narrow your search a little and think about what city you might like to settle close to. Melbourne is a popular option for overseas nurses and has a really cosmopolitan atmosphere. So can we suggest googling ‘Nursing jobs in Melbourne’ to start you off?

Nursing Agency Melbourne Again - random searches online may prove difficult to actually narrow down where you want to be in Melbourne - especially when you may have no idea of the lay of the land when moving to a new city. This is where the helping hand of a nursing agency can benefit you.

Speaking with a nursing agency in Melbourne will no doubt set you off on the right path to finding nursing jobs in Melbourne. A healthcare recruitment agency will be able to do all the legwork for you as they’re first in the know about available nursing roles in the city and what’s more - they’ll be able to talk you through the paperwork side of things.

If you want to find out more about how to find nursing jobs in Melbourne, speak with one of the recruitment team at Australian Nursing Agency at recruitment@australiannursingagency.com and browse our jobs board for the latest Nursing jobs in Melbourne.

www.bowerhealthcare.com.au info@bowerhealthcare.com.au Nursing Under-Grads (Assistants in Nursing) Bower Healthcare is selectively seeking experienced nursing students (year 2 +) for work as Assistants in Nursing in acute general and specialty areas in hospitals around Sydney’ north. As a preferred supplier to NSW Health Local Health Districts, we are recruiting in preparation for an expected upturn in requests.

Essential Requirements: Must have a current work visa, or work rights in Australia, 100% compliance with the NSW Health Department’s immunisation policy, Must be nursing undergraduates, 2nd year onwards (no Cert III applicants will be considered), NSW Working with Children Check (paid employee version) and National Police Check.

Need to live within easy travelling distance of the hospitals (to fulfil last minute booking requests).

Got a question?

Registered Nurse Dementia Specific Care Home (North Sydney) Set in its own grounds in a leafy northern Sydney suburb, this brand new unit opens next month and Bower Healthcare has been provided the opportunity to assist with staffing shortfalls. The 57 bed residence provides care for residents with low to high range dementia, living in shared units serviced by a regular team of support staff.

The Registered Nurse oversees the support and care provided to residents, assisting with clinical needs where needed but mainly coaching and encouraging the staff to utilise their skills to the best of their abilities.

The Unit manager is on site during office hours between Monday to Friday.

Shifts range across mornings, PM’s and night duties. Because of the specialist nature of the work and the autonomy afforded to the RN in charge, only those that have regular availability and can attend an on-site induction can be considered.

Hospital Orderlies Salary: $24 to $40 Hourly Rate We are seeking a number of experienced staff to work as orderlies in various general (surgical, medical, aged care) and specialty (mental health, OT, ED, ICU, etc) areas in public hospitals in Sydney’s east and southwest. We can offer an immediate start with shifts booked 2-3 weeks in advance, as well as on an ad hoc basis.

Essential Requirements: Regular, on-going work for reliable performers Many shifts available, including weekends Advanced roster, in addition to day-to-day bookings Essential requirements: Must have current work rights in Australia Preference given to those with full-time equivalent availability 100% compliance with the NSW Health Department’s immunisation policy Must posses more than 6 months relevant experience from here or overseas (as an orderly, AIN or PCA) Recent, professional local references Current criminal record and working with children checks Please note that if you do not satisfy all of the above requirements but still apply, you will not receive a return response.

Do you qualify for our Australian Working Holiday Visa Package?

To qualify for a Bower Healthcare working holiday package you must either be eligible for an Australian Working Holiday Visa and meet the following employment requirements: • You must qualify for an Australian Working Holiday Visa or other relevant work visa for Australia.

• You must either be a registered nurse and possess a minimum 12 months postgraduate clinical experience • Or be an experienced healthcare worker, eligible for work as an Assistant in Nursing or Community Support Worker Registered Nurses must possess provisional approval for registration with AHPRA • Click here for full details on our candidate requirements and working for us Our Working Holiday Packages combine everything you need to get started in Australia including accommodation and your all-important Tax File Number as well as some great tours to get you in the mood for your working holiday in Australia.

www.bowerhealthcare.com.au

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LET’S GET SOCIAL

The Top 10 Topics From Poms in Sydney Moving to another country - let alone one on the other side of the world - can be intimidating. You might feel isolated or homesick… but that’s where Facebook groups come in to play! Made for all the Welsh, Scots, Northern Irish, Irish, English and other expats who have made the move away from colder climes to discuss everything about being a Pom in Oz, there’s loads of great advice and helpful tips for newbies.

We scoured the posts to find the top 10 topics Brits post about when moving down under in the group ‘Poms in Sydney’. Check them out below...

Everyone loves a cheap meal and ‘Poms…’ is a great place to find deals wherever you are in Sydney. Missing the taste of home? Check out the Facebook page to find plenty of British food deals and get your roast potato fix.

Look no further than Poms to give good advice on where to kick back and have a few drinks. Contributors frequently post links to clubbing events so you can stay in the loop and never miss out on a great night great if you’re new to the city. You can also buy and sell event tickets to events; one recent post advertised two Catfish & The Bottlemen tickets for cheaper than you would be able to buy online.

Rooms to rent

Insurance

Don’t have a place to stay when you first touch down?

Whether looking from the UK or Australia, it’s easy to find a place to live on ‘Poms in Sydney’, with tonnes of rooms in communal houses and flats advertised weekly spanning a whole price range. Recent examples include a queen sized bedroom to rent in Bondi and a room with an en suite in Zetland.

Making sure you’ve got the correct cover can be confusing and time consuming. Many Brits post questions about getting insurance and you know that with a 4000 strong community you’ll always get your queries answered!

Food Deals

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Upslash

Clubbing events

Finding friends Facebook is a great way to meet likeminded people in a similar situation to yourself.

It’s not uncommon to see posts asking if anyone would like to hang out and explore the local area - just make sure it’s always safe.

Food recommendations Sydney is ram packed full of amazing eateries and delicious cuisines - almost too many! When you’re that spoilt for choice, it can be helpful to ask for specific recommendations for places to eat, as many Poms on Facebook do. From Indian takeaways to Pie & Mash places, the ‘Poms in Sydney’ always have great recommendations for grabbing a bite to eat.

Furniture Moving house in Oz and need to get rid of some furniture? Pop a post on the Facebook page and make some quick cash by selling your unwanted goods. From tables to beds, you can kit out your home pretty cheaply with second hand goods.

Casual work It’s less common to find posts about permanent jobs, but if it’s temporary employment you’re seeking you can find loads of opportunities posted on the page. For example, Labour Hire Sydney recently advertised a job for 3 nights of labouring, ideal for if you want to make a bit of extra cash.

Visa info The visa application process can seem lengthy and complicated, so who best to ask advice from than people who have already obtained visas themselves!? Poms post loads of questions about which is the right visa to get and the application process - just make sure to double check the facts on a reputable website before applying.

Shipping info Need a hand finding out who can ship your

From chefs to nurses and electricians, these expats have all found success in the land Down Under…

“It’s a place full of opportunities if you go out and look.”

Graham Cordery, Nightclub Owner, Coventry to Sydney “There is so much untouched potential, it’s exciting!”

Dean Francis, Pub Landlord, London to Sydney “I originally came to Australia to travel, work, and make some money before settling down.”

Grace Mellor, Administrative Correspondence Controller, Cardiff to Perth “The best thing about living in Australia is the amazing food, beaches, the weather and the wonderful people!”

Hannah Wijsman, Nurse,

Ontario to Sydney “I came to Australia as a backpacker. I always planned to do the two years, but I didn’t think I’d be here nearly four years later.”

Anna Scrivener, Recruitment Consultant, Hull to Sydney

“The biggest challenge might be to have too much lifestyle!”

Colin Fassnidge, Chef, Dublin to Sydney

“What I found was a place full of optimism, blue skies and likeminded people.”

Danielle McGrane, Music Journalist, Dublin to Sydney

“I came here with the pretence that I didn’t want to get into a career or anything, to just have a bit of fun and work along the way. I didn’t expect to become a manager straight away.”

Michael Gavaghan, Venue Manager, London to Sydney

“Melbourne has all the trappings of London, but with added beaches, sunshine and a wonderfully rich and diverse culture.”

Sandy Dhaliwal, Journalist, London to Melbourne

“Job prospects and the weather are two of the reasons I came out to Perth from the UK. I’ve been lucky to have the chance to have an amazing life here.”

Tyler Powell, Electrician, Cardiff to Perth

belongings when you migrate Down Under, or want to send things back to the UK? Contributors to the page have loads of great suggestions on which companies to use and provide honest reviews.

Recent recommendations include Seven Seas Shipping and Sendmybag.

If you’re one of the thousands of Poms in Sydney, why not check out the Facebook page yourself to see what treasures you

can unearth.

Visit www.facebook.com/ PomsInSydney

Social Media Post Of The Month Send us your top recommendations for expat and working holiday friendly social media groups and websites.

Email us at staffwriter@ what-media.com or post to our pages @bbmmagazine @movingdownunder.services

Well it’s that time of year again… The good folks from Parallel and SPICE have bribed Santa’s big asse to come out of hiding and drop some love on Sydney this July.

Our top pick Christmas in July party is being hosted by our pals over at Parallel and Spice who are throwing a “huge thankyou” for your support party for those of you who have been going to their events, and those of you who just want to get out and take advantage of FREE guest list from 9.00pm - 10.00pm. Just hit going and share on their Facebook group.

OTD $20 / $25

Xmas in July Music Policy Bundles of hot mushy TechnoLove, electric Acid Hugz & sweet Dancefloor Bombs courtesy of (in alphabetical order) ANDY BIRD // CASSETTE // MURAT KILIC // TRISTAN CASE Saturday, July 8 at 9 PM - 4 AM Civic Underground 388 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000, Sydney, Australia

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CAST AWAY TO FRASER ISLAND Hervey Bay has long been a whale watching mecca and our Fraser Island & Whale Watching packages are hugely popular with visitors.

Visit Fraser Island between July and October and you’re virtually guaranteed to see whales frolicking off the coast as they take a break from their long journey.

This year, however, visitors are able to get up close and personal and swim with the whales for the first time on selected whale watching tours. Hervey Bay is the first location in Australia to enable tourists to swim with whales – and it’s likely to remain the only one. Unlike many other popular whale watching spots across Oz, the whales aren’t just passing through. They rest in the calm bay to recuperate from the first stage of their long trip and gather the energy for the homeward stretch, which gives tour operators ample time to observe and approach them carefully. Boats have to keep

a distance of 100m from the whales, but are now allowed to drop swimmers in to the water to carefully approach and swim with the whales.

Whether or not the swim with whales experience is here to stay remains to be seen, so book yours while you can. Ask us about the option to book a swim on your whale watching tour when you are booking a Drop Bear Fraser Island & Whale Watching package.

dropbearadventures.com.au

Visitors to Skyrail will also visit Kuranda, the village in the rainforest of Tropical North Queensland, and are often surprised by how much there is to do in the quaint little rainforest village. There are 2 very popular ways to see Kuranda and this is with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Kuranda Scenic Railway.

After arriving via Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, make sure you leave yourself at least 2-3 hours to wander around Kuranda’s shops and markets, stop by the cafes and art galleries, explore the rainforest walking tracks or take in a boat cruise along the Barron River and visit a couple of wildlife attractions and so much more! The beauty of Kuranda is everything is close by, so it is easily explored on foot. There is a diverse range of restaurants and cafes with great local food as well as international flavours and they are all within a five-minute walk of each other. Food crawl anyone?

Shopping is the other great experience when you wander the village. Put on your hiking shoes and take one of the many scenic walking tracks and trails in Kuranda where you can explore the rainforest and see then iconic Barron Falls.

8. Cruise the calm waters of the mighty Barron River on the Kuranda Riverboat 9. Explore the picturesque rainforest walks around the village 10. Discover the amazing world of butterflies at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary 11. Hand feed kangaroos and wallabies at Kuranda Koala Gardens 12. Make some new feathered friends with giant Amazonian Macaws and many others at Birdworld 13. Take a ride in a WWII amphibious army duck through the rainforest 14. Visit the Heritage-listed Kuranda Railway Station and its well-manicured gardens and have tea and scones or a mango smoothie 15. Try even more sweet treats, and take some home as a souvenir!

16. Capture the Barron Falls in all its glory 17. Ride an ATV quad bike through the rainforest. For thrills and spills go with Down and Dirty Quads and for a more relaxed journey through tropical fruit orchards and rainforest check out Barron Falls Estate

1. Visit the world famous Kuranda Markets every day of the week

18. Watch an indigenous cultural performance at Tjapukai or Rainforestation, put your hand up to go on stage and learn to shake a leg!

2. Play a game of mini golf, hidden in a lush rainforest setting

19. Say hello to a Cassowary in the rainforest

3. Watch old fashioned candy being made (and then buy it and eat it!) at the Kuranda Candy Kitchen

20. Cuddle a Koala or kiss a baby Crocodile at Koala Gardens or Rainforestation

Top 20 things to do in Kuranda

4. Relax and savour local coffee at one of the many quirky cafes 5. Say hello to a life-size Allosaurus Dinosaur 6. Buy a home-made ice cream from the world famous Red Ice Cream Van 7. Check out how bees make honey (and taste it at the honey house.. yum!)

Visiting Kuranda has never been easierwith a multitude of different tours departing every day; if you have your own car, selfdrive is among the most popular option to visit the Village in the Rainforest including the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway with your Skyrail Rainforest Cableway experience. Make sure you include a visit to Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Kuranda on your next Tropical North Queensland Holiday.

www.skyrail.com.au/visitor-information/cairns/kuranda

Image courtesy of Kuranda Markets

Things to do in Kuranda, the village in the rainforest

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Explore Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in the best way, with Ocean Safari.

Ocean Safari tours offers an exhilarating ride to snorkel the pristine untouched waters of Great Barrier Reef off the Daintree Coast at Cape Tribulation.

The half-day Great Barrier Reef tour visits two different snorkel destinations, each with an extraordinary array of marine life and coral species. After a fast 25-minute ride, you are ready to snorkel two fabulous locations at Mackay and Undine Reefs.

On most days, you can snorkel alongside sea turtles, which are found in abundance swimming over reefs full of colourful coral, along with a myriad of tropical fish, eagle rays, giant clams and starfish.

The Great Barrier Reef tour begins at Cape Tribulation beach where you board the vessel bound for the tropical waters. The boats take a maximum of 25 passengers allowing guests to experience tropical paradise and the pleasure of a small group.

The experienced Skipper and Eco Host ensure the trip is filled with fun and appreciation of the Great Barrier Reef and the coastal rainforest of the Daintree, two world heritage areas side by side.

Tropical North Queensland, with Cairns as the most well known gateway, is where the rainforest meets the reef. The Daintree rainforest is home to many unique forms of plant and animal life. This World Heritage area in Tropical North Queensland is located north of Cairns and Port Douglas, stretching 95kms along the coast fringing the pristine, white beaches.

From Daintree Village across the river, the Daintree encompasses Cape Kimberley, Cow Bay, Thornton’s Peak, Cooper Creek, Thornton Beach, Noah Valley, Cape

Tribulation and the Bloomfield Track to the north. There is the option to stay a little bit longer before or after your Ocean Safari Great Barrier Reef adventure and explore the beauty of this famous region with other Daintree tours listed on the Ocean Safari website.

There’s also some great accommodation on offer including Jungle Lodge, Cape Trib Beach House or Cape Tribulation Camping, for those of you who fancy getting even closer to nature.

informative staff can advise and arrange your ultimate holiday for you. The Great Barrier Reef tour starts from just $145 per person, so you can start crafting your exciting adventure right away.

Magical memories like these sometimes only happen once in a lifetime, so take your chance now.

Whether you’re here to relax or to participate in the numerous activities this area has to offer, the friendly and

Book your Ocean Safari at www.oceansafari.com.au

If you are planning a visit to the red centre of Australia there are so many hidden gems to visit other than Uluru. Within the same national park is Kata Tjuta (which means ‘many heads’ in local Anangu language).

Kata Tjuta has hikes available to suit most fitness levels and is a definite must. Four hours from Uluru is Watarrka – Kings Canyon National Park. This is a permanent source of water in the Red Centre and offers beautiful, yet challenging hikes. If hiking isn’t your thing and you would prefer to have a swim in a natural water hole, then head over to the West Macdonnell Ranges. About an hour west of Alice Springs you can have a swim at Ellery Creek Big Hole or Ormiston Gorge. If you’re tight on time, 30 minutes from Alice Springs is Simpsons Gap (which is still part of the West Macdonnell Ranges). You can’t swim there, but there are some nice walks and a good chance to spot the rare Blackfooted Rock-wallabies.

Group tours are planned well in advance, so when you are travelling you can concentrate on enjoying your trip! Let your guide worry about the logistics, just sit back and relax.

Use the extra time to share your experience with like-minded travellers and enjoy the benefits of a local expert sharing their knowledge of the area.

From Travel Tips to Campsite Tales: Inside the Mind of a G Adventures Tour Guide Ever wondered what goes through the mind of a tour leader? Now’s your chance to find out – we had a chat with the wonderful ‘Blinky’ Pyper from G Adventures to find out everything from the best tours to take to top Aussie travel tips.

Name: Callum ‘Blinky’ Pyper Nationality/Birth Place: Australian (I was actually born in Wales, UK but I got outta there as soon as I could walk) Occupation: Chief Experience Officer – Tour Leader Hi Blinky. First of all, please tell us how you became an Australian tour guide and what being G Adventures CEO means?

When I was 21, I decided I wanted to travel the world. I spent the better half of two years travelling around Asia, North America & Europe. When I finally made my way back to Australia, I quickly realized that I wanted to work in tourism. I spent one year as a travel agent, which is where I first heard of G Adventures. I learnt all about the nonprofit foundation, Planeterra, supported by G Adventures and knew this was a company that aligned with my personal values.

At G Adventures we call our Tour Guides “CEO’s”. This stands for Chief Experience Officer and although we do everything a

normal trip leader does, we take it one step further. We are there every step of the way with our travellers, creating life changing memories and sharing the experience with them. This might mean painting boomerangs together with a local Aboriginal community, or snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef with someone that has never snorkeled before and isn’t a confident swimmer.

Do you have a favourite tour?

Tough question, I love all the trips we do and I love that I get to run a variety of different trips in Australia. If I had to pick one though it would be our National Geographic Journeys Explore Australia trip.

You get it all in 12 days; beaches, ancient tropical rainforests, cities, desert and Indigenous culture - all tied up nicely with unique regional experiences only found on the National Geographic Journeys tours.

If someone only has 3-4 weeks to see the best of Australia, what would you recommend as the top 3 destinations or Aussie icons they have to put on the bucket list?

1. Melbourne: Voted the world’s most livable city an incredible 6 times in a row, this city is a must for anyone interested in live music, sports, food & coffee, street art and rooftop bars. Just remember to pack your jumper!

2. Uluru: The world’s largest monolith is tucked away in the heart of Australia. Rich in Aboriginal culture and natural beauty this place is a must for anyone with a sense of adventure and a pair of hiking boots.

3. Cairns: Cairns is the fourth most visited place in Australia by international tourist and for good reason. It is the gateway to the world’s largest reef, The Great Barrier Reef, and the world’s oldest living rainforest, The Daintree Rainforest.

It also boasts a variety of activities available to adrenaline junkies such as skydiving, zip lining, bungee jumping, wake boarding, white water rafting and many more.

Uluru is obviously a big pull for people to visit Northern Territory and Alice Spring but what other destinations or highlights should people look forward to? Could you share a couple of your favourite photos with us?

For someone who is living in Australia, why should they take advantage of a 3-4 day tours?

Short tours take away the stress from a short break. A local guide will have local knowledge and insight that you would never get travelling on your own. They know where to get the best photo or the best place to eat. They also take away the responsibility of the long drives, which no one really wants to do whilst on holiday.

What advantages do you think come with a group tour?

For a second time Australia traveller who has possibly done East Coast main highlights, what state or tour would you most highly recommend?

Western Australia. WA doesn’t see the huge tourist numbers that the East Coast attracts, yet has so much natural beauty. Attractions such as the white sandy beaches filled with Kangaroos, National Parks with amazing hikes, the Ningaloo Reef, the Stromatolites (one of the world’s oldest lifeforms) and much more. Enjoy this amazing state before it gets too busy!

Tour Guide Tales - Every tour guide has a favourite campsite tale to tell. What’s your story?

I like to talk about the mystery of Azaria Chamberlain going missing from her tent whilst camping near Uluru back in 1980.

What do you think, was it really a dingo or is Lindy Chamberlain guilty?

What’s your favourite Aussie Outback Fact?

There are more bird species in Central Australia than the whole of England.

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Take A Dip In Kakadu’s Top 5 Swimming Holes And Waterfalls Home to an incredible 2000 plant species, and with wildlife ranging from saltwater crocs to flatback turtles, Kakadu National Park is a paradise for nature lovers. Not only does the park boasts ancient Aboriginal rock paintings, vast expanses of wetlands and soaring stone escarpments, but it is also home to a number of cascading waterfalls and swimming holes. Check out our guide for the best places to to cool off from the scorching sun of the Australian outback.

Barramundi Gorge One of the few waterfalls in Kakadu to flow even when it isn’t raining. The best way to cool off is to jump off one of the rock ledges into the pool below.

Jim Jim Falls Plunging from a height of 200m and only accessible with a 4WD, these falls are registered on the Australian National Heritage List so make sure you’ve got enough room on your SD card for the amount of pictures you’re going to be taking. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s even a sandy beach here.

Florence Falls A picture perfect swimming hole which is great for a refreshing swim. After your plunge, enjoy a panoramic view of the open valley and the waterhole below from a viewing platform.

Buley Rockholes You can stay at the campsite here but make sure to arrive early as it gets crowded. You’d be wise to acknowledge the crocodile warning before swimming.

Mary River Wetlands OK, so it’s not technically a waterfall or swimming hole, but it’s a great site to see on the back of a hovercraft. Go in the wet season and it’s a vast expanse of swampy wetland or the dry season to see it as a series of pools and billabongs. Home to the highest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the southern hemisphere, don’t stick your arms too far into the water, unless you like playing Russian roulette with your limbs.

Experience all this and more with Kakadu Wild Expeditions.

A Taste of Tasmania Often overlooked as merely the home of the eponymous devil, you’d be forgiven for thinking there wasn’t much in Tasmania worth seeing.

Explore the island with Adventure Tours Australia and you’ll soon think differently.

Drifting off alone in the Indian and Pacific Ocean, you may have not even considered the rugged wilderness and extensive nature reserves of Tasmania as a place to visit on your travels. That’s where Adventure Tours Australia’s Taste of Tasmania tour comes in - in just six days you can experience everything Tassie has to offer, and you’ll wonder why you hadn’t visited before.

Feast your eyes on some art Tasmania may not strike you as a hotbed of up and coming art, but you’d be wrong! The tour will start you off with a trip to the MONA gallery, the Museum of Old and New Art in former penal colony Hobart. Once you’ve fully immersed yourself in the culture you’ll have the chance to grab a bite to eat at one of the excellent places in the mellow seaside town.

Visit the Rainforest After spending a day strolling through the old mining town of Queenstown, you’ll be taken to the Tarkine, home to the largest tract of Gondwanan rainforest in addition to loads of endangered species. Take your pick from foot, kayak or river cruise as your mode of transport through the dense rainforest, before reaching the iconic Cradle Mountain.

From Mountains to Caves Situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, this mountain provides walking tracks for whatever kind of activity you desire. Whether long or short, undulating or flat, Cradle Mountain has it covered. Don’t miss the trip to Mole Creek, where you’ll be able to delve into the underground caves and learn about incredible species such as the Tasmanian Cave Spider which has evolved over time to live without light.

Bay of Fires Having readjusted to daylight after being underground, you’ll be spending the morning at the Pyengana cheese makers trying out some of the local delicacies. Next the tour will take you on to the Bay of Fires, named after the fires of the local Aboriginal people that Captain Tobias Furneaux first spotted. It may be chilly but any day at the beach is an excuse for a splash!

Book your adventure at www.adventuretours.com.au

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From Alice Springs to Darwin: Mulgas Adventures Tour

Some of the world’s bestkept landscapes and wildlife are tucked away in the Australian Northern Territory.

organised, thorough trip.

The glorious scenery on display make this vast region a desirable destination for any camping enthusiasts, but its vastness makes it difficult to plan and execute a well-

A guided walk at the base of the UNESCO World Heritage Uluru, a relaxing swim in the scenic Mataranka Thermal Springs, and a journey through the majestic

But fear not, as Mulgas Adventures offers expertguided tours that cater to both expert campers and camping newbies. The Alice Springs to The Rock to Darwin tour is the ultimate 5-Day camping adventure that will take you from the remote, charming Alice Springs to the Northern Territory’s capital, Darwin.

Kings Canyon rim trail only begin to scratch the surface of this in-depth tour. The expert guides will usher you through every step of the way to ensure your safety and full experience, along with historical and local insights regarding each stop. Aside from a full-scope knowledge of the area and some of the best views in the world, this package offers a range of exciting activities that will bond you with your fellow campers and unforgettable experiences in cluding camel rides, campfire fun, traditional bushtucker meals, and nights sleeping under the stars.

This 5-days and 4-nights tour package combines the 3-day Uluru camping tour with the Alice Springs to Darwin Express meaning you get to save money whilst experiencing this incredible journey.

This package tour comes with a free night in dorm accommodation at one of the selected Alice Springs hostels, a free camel ride, and 8 complimentary meals.

The Alice Springs to The Rock to Darwin Package Tour is just $649 per person and departs only between March and end of October only.

Top Things to do in Darwin Get ready for adventure in the Northern Territory’s capital. An exciting and unique part of the world, Darwin is rich in Indigenous culture and natural beauty. Not only does the Territory boast some of the planet’s most incredible wildlife, but the “tamed” parts of the city also offer some great attractions and its proximity to the wilderness also makes for some great days out! Here’s a look at the best things to do whilst visiting Darwin.

Cruise the Mary River Wetlands from Darwin Start off Corroboree Billabong for your two-anda-half-hour cruise of the Mary River Wetlands, home to the largest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the world. The boat will get you close enough to fill your snap some photos and the expert commentary will have you on the edge of your seat.

Discover Natural Wonders at Litchfield National Park Just 130 km from Darwin, head into the bush for the day. Explore the rich greenery of Litchfield, see towering termite mounds and swim near cascading waterfalls.

Here you’ll be immersed in rainforest as you take in crystal clear swimming holes.

Perfect to cool down in.

Cruise Around Darwin Harbour Discover the history, intrigue and natural environment of

Darwin Harbour. See the local marine habitats, shipwrecks, mangroves, sites of cultural significance and learn what happened when World War II came to Darwin. You may even be able to meet nesting or hatchling turtles on the Turtle Tracks tour between April and October.

Take on The Cage of Death Visit Crocosaurus Cove in the heart of Darwin for a once in a lifetime opportunity to share a pool with one of the world’s most ferocious reptiles – the saltwater crocodile.

Marvel at their dinosaur-like proportions from the safety of a viewing tube as you dip below the surface at this incredible Darwin attraction. www.crocosauruscove.com

Immerse yourself in Northern Territory Aboriginal Culture Whilst visitin Darwin, explore the enthralling culture of the local Pudakul people

on this authentic, naturebased experience. Learn about bush tucker and traditional medicine, try blowing a didgeridoo, play the clapsticks, throw a spear and see basket and dilly bag making demonstrations. You’ll also discover the significance of Dreamtime and Djukbinj, the Rainbow Serpent and enjoy damper (bush bread) and tea.

Visit the Mindil Beach Market at Sunset Sample a range of exotic cuisines and pick up beautiful handmade craft pieces at the Mindil Beach Sunset Market.

Every Sunday and Thursday night, crowds gather on the shore of the Arafura Sea to watch the sun slip below the horizon, browse hundreds of stalls and enjoy the buskers.

Experience all of the above from the comfort of Melaleuca on Mitchell, offering affordable Darwin hostel accommodation – www.momdarwin.com

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Wander From Perth To Broome Experience 9 days of hiking, wildlife, culture and scenery on this Perth to Broome adventure.

On a journey along the West Coast of Australia, you venture into the wild and experience all that this gorgeous stretch has to offer. Visiting the paradise spots of Monkey Mia, Ningaloo Reef, Cable Beach, and even heading closer inland to the Karijini, there’s a wealth of experiences to be had, and you can do it all on the 9-Day Perth To Broome One Way tour with Aussie Wanderer.

Tour the Indian Ocean Road and you’ll get to wander the white sandy beaches and stunning coastline with your fellow group and experienced tour guide.

Become close friends as you take on unique activities and experiences together, including meeting the wild dolphins at Monkey Mia and snorkelling the Ningaloo Reef. You’ll get to see unique landscapes such as the Pinnacles Desert, where yellow limestone formations stand tall out of the sand, and Shell Beach,

one of the only beaches to be completely covered in tiny shells.

The opportunity for activities is huge. You can opt to abseil a wall in Kalbarri National Park, go kayaking in Monkey Mia and swim with manta rays in the Ningaloo Reef (at your own expense). You can also expect to go hiking up to 4km per day, so a good level of fitness and good walking boots are advised! Spending your days exploring from coast to outback and staying in a range of accommodation from farm stays and resorts to camping in safari tents, you’ll gain an all-round Western Australian experience in just 9 days!

The 9-Day Perth To Broome One Way tour with Aussie Wanderer costs from $1895pp (until March) and includes accommodation, meals as listed, transport, attraction and national park entry fees, an experienced tour guide and loads of fun! There’s also plenty of opportunity for free time to do as you please.

This tour is one way from Perth to Broome. If you want to do a roundtrip, Aussie Wanderer also provide a 14-Day Perth To Broome Return.

Book your tour of Western Australia at

www.aussiewanderer.com.au

Escape To The Kimberley Gorges The Kimberley is a rugged corner of North Western Australia that is the perfect destination for those with a sense of adventure.

Off the beaten track you can delve into the heart of western Kimberley and discover dramatic wildlife retreats, gorges, ancient creeks and more.

If you’ve already made your way north on a Perth to Broome tour, then you’ll be in prime position to explore the Kimberley.

Setting off from Broome, you’ll pass through Boab trees, giant, towering termite mounds and passed roaming cattle.

Reaching the mighty Fitzroy River, you’re in prime position to explore Geikie Gorge - a 30 meter deep gorge carved between the Geikie and Oscar Ranges. The gorge floods in the wet season, but retreats in the dry leaving its tide mark on the colourful

gorge walls. For those staying overnight, an evening camping under he Kimberley night sky may well render you speechless from the stunningly clear views of the Southern Hemisphere sky.

Onward from Geikie, you can take a bumpy 4WD route to Tunnel Creek - an impressive 750 meter cave system carved through the Napier Range. Interestingly, the Napier Range is a Devonian reef system which is over 350 million years old. Whilst visiting this area of the Kimberley you can take a dip in the freshwater swimming hole before continuing on to Windjana Gorge, where you may spot a few “freshies” (an Aussie term used to make freshwater crocodiles sound sweet and innocent).

If you’re looping back around to Broome on your travels, then you’ll also have the chance to see the infamous Boab Prison Tree. Believed to be 1500 years old, and measuring a massive 15 meters in girth, the tree was savagely used as a prison for local Aboriginals during the era of the Kimberley pioneers.

Explore the Kimberley Gorges with Kimberley Wild’s 2 Day Kimberley Gorges Tour from Broome from $525. kimberleywild.com.au

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Take a Day Trip to Monkey Mia One of the best places in the world to get up close with bottlenose dolphins, Monkey Mia is a tropical paradise perfect for any animal lover.

Visit from Perth 800km away and spend the day falling in love with the majestic creatures.

Wild dolphins have been coming to the Monkey Mia shore for over 50 years after a fisherman began feeding the creatures after returning with his catch - news of this

soon caught on and people were visiting from far and wide to witness the dolphins themselves. Began your day trip to Monkey Mia by learning all about the fascinating history of the local beach dolphins at the  Dolphin Interpretive Centre through fun interactive displays and free activities.

Now it’s time to interact with the dolphins.

Take part in a dolphin experience and watch the dolphins being fed by experienced officers. Unfortunately, visiting times are on their terms - while they are only offered fish during their first three visits between 7:45 am and 12 noon, they often visit the beach outside these times, but it is hard to predict when. Although rare, there are days when the dolphins do

not visit the beach. Make sure to arrive early in the day as dolphin experiences may finish well before noon.

Spend the afternoon taking a trip to the Francois Peron National Park. Take a fourwheel-drive around the park and admire the contrast between the azure oceans and striking red dunes that make up this stunning landscape. Relax and unwind after a hard day of watching dolphins with a fishing session in the idyllic turquoise waters - perfect!

Finish off the amazing day with an Aboriginal night time adventure on the Peron Walk Trail. Get fully immersed in the aboriginal culture and discover the way

the local Malagna people lived, including secrets of bush survival, bush tucker and bush medicine. Alternatively, have your mind blown vastness of the dazzling night sky while learning about the lifecycle of stars with a beach astronomy tour.

Book your ticket for Integrity Coach Lines to be dropped off from Perth and spend an unforgettable day at Monkey Mia.

Visit Monkey Mia via Integrity Coachlines hop on hop off service. Get 10% off with promo code BBMLIVE5 at

integritycoachlines.com.au

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Hop Around Kangaroo Island This Winter

Providing inland adventure one side and a clear, blue ocean on the other, Kangaroo Island is the aptly named escape just minutes from the mainland. With pristine waters, endless wildlife to spot and amazing sites to see, you won’t want to miss a second of the experiences on offer, so take a tour Kangaroo Island Adventure Tours and get to know this beautiful little isle inside and out.

The tour encompasses visits to all the main attractions, one of which being Seal Bay, so called because of the large colony of Australian sea lions. It is a spectacular area

that allows you to get closer than ever to these adorable mammals, making it the perfect trip for wildlife fanatics. You’ll also get the chance to visit the stunning beach of Vivonne Bay, appropriately named Australia’s best beach by a scientist who studied 10,000 beaches around Australia.

Head into the ocean for a surf or swim, grab a bike to get your heart pumping or take a peaceful kayak on the nearby Harriett River through to the beach - the activity options are endless!

After this, your tour guide will take you to Flinders Chase National Park to walk the trails and witness the stunning sights of Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch and get to meet Australian koalas at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and discover the ins and outs of a working farm at Rob’s Sheep Shearing.

No trip to the island would be complete without the spotting of an actual kangaroo.

The ones on the island are smaller, darker and have longer fur than their mainland equivalents, due to the island’s separation from Oz over 10,000 years ago.

Don’t be put off by the winter weather; In autumn and winter this is when the island’s hills become lush and green, the wildlife is more active and restaurants and cafes provide incredible food and wine experiences.

For just $399 you’ll get all your touring, activities, accommodation, pick ups in Adelaide and all meals across two days, in addition to friendly expert guide - what more could you want!?

Find out more about Kangaroo Island Adventure Tours and book your trip today by heading to kiadventuretours.com.au

NULLARBOR TRAVELLER Great White Sharks

Camels

These amazing but misunderstood giants of the deep can be found in coastal waters all around South Australia. Book in for a cage dive with one of the reputable tour operators located around the coast – the safest way to see these beauties in their natural habitat.

They may not be the cutest guys around but these ‘ships of the desert’ are your perfect partner while exploring the rugged country of the Flinders Ranges. Choose from a single day trip to a 9 day adventure trek to fully appreciate these amazing creatures.

Koalas Sure to top most lists of the cutest critter in Australia, you’ll find many places to meet and even hold one of these iconic mammals while in South Australia. Gorge Wildlife Park in Cudlee Creek, just outside Adelaide, is a popular spot. Meet the Koalas of Mikkira Station

Sea Lions

Forget a safari through the Serengeti, if you want to see extraordinary wildlife from sea to land then South Australia has it by the bucketload. Here’s a look at the exciting wildlife you can spot whilst on a South Australia Adventure Tour.

These playful creatures are a joy to swim with and are found in their greatest numbers along the South Australia coast (populations have sadly been declining for a while). Help protect them by signing up for a swimming session at Baird Bay on the Eyre Peninsula.

Kangaroos Another quintessential Australian staple, the bouncy kangaroo can be found hanging out on the beach over on Kangaroo Island, just off the coast near Adelaide. The clue is in the name.

Meet some of South Australia’s wildlife on the Southern Ocean Wildlife Adventure tour

TRAVEL DEALS:

Book a Perth to Adelaide 9 Day Adventure Tour for 2017/2018 before 31st August and receive 10% off! Use promo code EARLYBIRD10 Book a Secrets of Esperance Tour now for 2017/2018 before 31st August and receive 10% off with promo code EARLYBIRD10 Book an Adelaide to Perth 10 Day Adventure Tour for 2017/2018 before 31st August and receive 10% off! Use promo code EARLYBIRD10 Book now at

www.nullarbortraveller.net

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15 Things to Know About Croatia

Known for its medieval architecture, balmy climate, mountainous terrain, azure waters, dreamy island getaways, delicious wine and spectacular beaches, Croatia is a sun-drenched coastal paradise. Thinking of visiting anytime soon? Check out these 15 fascinating facts about the gem of a country.

1. Croatia has a bucket load of islands – 1246 to be exact

5. Croatia is not called “Croatia” in Croatian. It’s called Hrvatska

2. If you’re a GOT fan, head to Dubrovnik.

Seasons 2 and 3 showcased Croatia’s most well-known city, the coastal fortress of Dubrovnik, which was chosen as King’s Landing

6. Love sunshine? Croatia gets 2,715 hours of sunshine per year

3. Croatia is home to the globe’s smallest town called “Hum” with a population that changes between 17 and 23

8. Dubrovnik was first defined as the “pearl of the Adriatic” by English poet, Lord Byron and is still known by that name today

4. The dog breed, Dalmatian comes from Croatia

7. Around 10% of Croatia is made up of nature parks – 8 national parks and 2 nature reserves

9. Croatia invented the necktie

10. Croatian Slavoljub Penkala created a mechanical pencil in 1906 called the Penkala. Today, it’s call a pen

14. While most of Croatia is safe there are some parts that have hidden land mines, which haven’t been removed yet

11 It has the largest amount of UNSECO intangible goods of any European nation. These include wooden toy carvings, lace making and gingerbread baking

15. The oldest university of Croatia is the University of Zagreb, which was founded in 1669

12. The amphitheatre, located in Pula is one of only 3 preserved in the world and the 6th largest amphitheatre in existence 13. Their currency, the Kuna, is named after ferret-like rodent valued for its fur

Inspired? We think Croatia is best explored by boat- Travel Talk offer 8-day sailing tours from Split to Dubrovnik and from Dubrovnik to Split. You can check out the details at traveltalktours.com

Ultimate Guide to Sri Lanka Hanging like a teardrop from the southern tip of India, circled by rows of palm-fringed beaches, home to mountainous landscapes decorated with ancient cities and lush green jungles, rivers of emerald-coloured tea plantations and tumbling waterfalls is the beautiful land of Sri Lanka – quite simply, a paradise island.

its intricately carved rock statues and captivating temple paintings.

In fact, as a holiday destination this stunning island in South Asia has it all: golden beaches; vibrant wildlife; ancient ruins; rich culture and mouth-watering cuisine. So if you’re looking for an exotic, relaxing retreat this year, Sri Lanka is the place for you.

Visiting these historic sites also provides an excellent opportunity for hiking up the challenging climb to the top of Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak). This soaring peak, home to mighty mountains and flourishing tea plantations, has long sparked the imagination of those who have visited and for centuries it has been a refuge for Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists making it a place filled with legend, myth, mystery and history.

Beaches Since Sri Lanka is an island, it is dominated by coastlines of golden sand surrounded by a glistening blue Indian Ocean, making it the perfect destination for a beach holiday.

The island’s sandy palm tree-lined beaches are as idyllic as they come, and offer a multitude of water sport activities, as well as affordable accommodation and restaurants.

The picturesque beach of Hikkaduwa, located on the south coast, boasts colourful coral gardens and rolling turquoise waves making it the ideal location for surfing and snorkelling. Hikkaduwa is also well known for its upbeat nightlife, with many parties being held on the beach, and its delectable roadside cuisine which offers a fusion of western and Sri Lankan food.

Another beach that has increased in surfing popularity in recent years is Arugam Bay, situated on the east coast; with its worldclass waves, laid back atmosphere, simple restaurants and cabanas, Arugam Bay has undeniably adopted its own surfing culture.

Nightlife Colombo, the capital, is a city emerging

with nightlife and comprises a variety of clubs, casinos, bars and pubs. Guests can enjoy a whole host of genres and activities, from local DJs to live bands. For a little sophistication, check out the multi-purpose venue, The Library in the Trans Asia Hotel.

Yep, it’s exactly that, a library by day and club at night. Alternatively, for a chilled out evening, enjoy a few cocktails with a look out across an amazing view at ON14 Rooftop Bar & Lounge. Top tip: head over from 6-7pm for happy hour and get 50% off!

If you’re feeling a little homesick, then head down to the Inn on the Green, the traditional English pub which stocks an impressive selection of imported beers and pub grub. For another themed destination check out the Cricket Club Café, which – surprise, surprise – reflects the country’s love of cricket. Decorated with cricket memorabilia dating as far back as the 1940’s, and showing non-stop cricket all day, it’s a great place for reasonably priced, high quality bar food and a relaxing drink.

Historical Sites With a rich history spanning to over 2,500 years, the alluring ancient sites of Sri Lanka are deeply immersed in culture and mystery.

There are various world heritage sites to visit, including The Fort in the historic city of Galle, which showcases the city’s diverse heritage from Portuguese colonialism, and the rock fortress of Yapahuwa with

Within the Cultural Triangle, nestled in the heart of Sri Lanka, history is imbedded in the steep, leafy hills among the ancient capitals of Anuradhapura in the north, Polonnaruwa in the east and Kandy in the south.

Cuisine Sri Lankan cuisine is a unique blend of vibrant spices, compelling fragrances and complex textures; the food you will

come across on your travels has strong South Indian and Malaysian influence but is distinctive from the use of coconut and the pungent flavours. Food in Sri Lanka is an integral part of the culture, specially prepared dishes play a vital role in traditions and festivals, so rest assured, an abundance of scrumptious delicacies await you.

A broad range of restaurants, cafés and food stalls frame every street, so you’ll always be spoiled for choice, but if you want to try some of the best traditional food check out Palmyrah Restaurant in Hotel Renuka, which also dishes up some superb western dishes if you’re yearning for something a little less spicy! For a quick bite, pop into the quaint eatery, Chutnee, which offers delicious traditional food at low prices, or The Sandwich Factory for freshly prepared sandwiches, wraps and burgers.

Regardless of what you choose to do in Sri Lanka, there is definitely an activity for everyone, and you’ll be sure to have a truly unforgettable experience.

Sail Beats

Santorini • Ios • Naxos • Paros • Delos • Mykonos Sail Beats will see promoters and DJ’s from across the world come together for a unique music week experience. Think parties on secluded beaches, yoga in hidden coves, relaxation at unique bars and club nights across the Greek Islands.

Launching from the shores of Santorini on the 2nd September, this week is much more than a holiday, it’s an experience reaching the depths of the lands culture, pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Set Sail into a new world where every day will have you immersed in exploring hidden island gems, attending exclusive parties and experiencing a sense of relaxation that you didn’t know existed.

From gazing at the stars in our Zodiac corner, to diving into the crystal clear Aegean Sea before we rave until dawn, get set for a week you’ll never forget. Sail Beats Week is the festival experience that your summer has been waiting for…

Music - Culture - Experience - Memories.

This is Sail Beats.

Line Up Robosonic // Illyus & Barrientos // Grand Pavilion // Cheap Picasso // Goya Social Club DJ’s // Shut The Front Door // Antic // French Toast // Holmes Price // House Plant DJ’s // More to be announced

International Music Partners Illyus & Barrientos / Black Market (Glasgow) Glaswegian tastemakers Illyus & Barrientos jump on board with their brand ‘Black Market’ and are sure to make waves throughout the week. Black Market Glasgow showcases a shadowy platform characterised by many forms of defiant behaviour of an institutional set of rules and conformities. Regular and indistinguishable pop-up parties running out of bootleg basements, Balearic boats and beyond... They will be hosting their own curated boat party as well as a secret show or two. You can expect a mix of groove-enthused house and a driving bassline sure to get you in the right mood.

With many stand out releases under their belts in recent years such as Strings, Ballin’ and Touch my mind, they are nothing short of being on the cusp of greatness. Future releases on Defected and Monki’s label over summer 2017 are sure to propel them further into your hearts.

Goya Social Club (Madrid) Spanish crew Goya social club also join the Sail Beats week and are sure to bring a unique element from Madrid. Taking inspiration from the clubbing cultures of Paris, London and Berlin, Goya have cemented themselves as the top underground club destination in Madrid.

They play host to electronic music royalty on a weekly basis and look to build on this with a curation of acts among the Greek isles sure to inspire you. So far Goya residents Mike James and Ladoyre will take charge of proceedings with more exciting additions on the horizon soon.

Shut The Front Door (London) London disco tastemakers Shut the Front Door will be on hand to get you tropical.

Dig out your flowery shirts, glitter and

dancing shoes - a must at any STFD party.

Expect sun kissed house and 90’s edits

The Hidden People (Barcelona) The Hidden People are the underground experience-makers behind Barcelona’s unique day & night rooftop and poolparty madness. After their great success organizing parties with recognized international record labels like Anjunadeep, Kittball, Exploited and Jeudi records to name few. They will join this year’s Sail Beats tour to host a brand new secret event bringing their creative and music experience with a well-curated line up. The Hidden People parties are well-known locally and internationally not only for their good artist selection but also for their incredible vibes that takes every party goer to a new experience. It’s all about unique moments and they know how to make yours.

Our Story Sail Beats Week has been created by a unique partnership from two of the most successful and innovative tour company start ups the European travel market has seen in years, Beats Travel and Sail In Greece. Filling a huge gap in the Greek travel market, Sail Beats Week will provide a unique music focused festival experience with world class underground artists and promoters coming together to run unique parties each day.

Beats Travel bring a ton of experience in curating unique festival tours experience to the table, while Sail In Greece have extensive local knowledge of the Aegean coastline which has enabled Sail Beats Week to create what will be the most exclusive yacht festival experiences around the world.

All accommodation for the week will be on Yachts as the festival will set up on a new exclusive location each day.

With three travel styles including 25 berth superyachts, 8 berth private yachts and a VIP 8 berth super yacht, the week set out to achieve a true boutique festival vibe and appeal to a wide range of music lovers, bringing everyone together for what will surely become an annual pilgrimage to the sun.

Sail Beats Week Festival our Overview • • • • • •

xclusive secret island parties with E underground House, Disco, Tech House and Techno DJs Healing ship - Morning health and Yoga, reading, DJ Workshops Dress up in your best glitter for our Secret Ocean Party Gaze into the night sky at our Zodiac Corner Drink to the bottom of the barrel at our Bottomless Brunch Explore the Greek Islands and discover culture and history

When: Saturday 2nd September to 9th September 2017 Tickets: www.sailbeats.com Official Tour & Sailing Partners www.beats-travel.com www.sail-ingreece.com What: Beach Parties - Yacht Parties - Secret Venue Parties - Exclusive Tour Experiences Culture - Food & More Music Policy: Disco & Sun-kissed House by day - House, Tech-house & Techno by Night

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LA TOMATINA - THE MESSIEST FESTIVAL IN EUROPE

Every August, you can expect one messy trip to Bunol as La Tomatina takes place. It kind of says it in the name, but as you can imagine you can expect to see, feel and taste a hell of a lot of tomatoes as locals and tourists alike come together for the world’s biggest food fight.

In 2017, the mass celebration will take place from 28th August - 1st September and is basically one giant bloody mary of a weekend.

and definitely get a waterproof case for your phone - trust us - it won’t last two minutes against that amount of juicy tomatoes.

The night before La Tomatina can be spent at the Water & Wine Festival in Requeña which only costs €20 to get to. Heading there, you can experience an evening getting acquainted with the Spanish traditions, as well as going to a fake bullfight. At 1am, the chilled atmosphere changes and you are lead through the streets by a brass band as the locals go nuts with a water and wine war - just make sure you take a cup so you can drink some too!

During your culturally enriching trip you’ll stay together on a massive party campsite with twin share tents, where you can take advantage of Stoke’s official after party with a €10 unlimited beer and sangria offer to keep you well lubricated.

At La Tomatina, you can basically go nuts with hurling tomatoes at strangers and friends alike, but be warned, goggles are advisable,

A change of clothes is seriously recommended.

At 60€ a day, you’ll be provided with accommodation, some hot meals, the campsite party and bus transfers. Tickets to La Tomatina are extra.

Book now at stoketravel.com

YOUR GUIDE TO THE ULTIMATE SUMMER HOLIDAY Soaking yourself in the waters of the Aegean, sunbathing on the deck of a boat as it rocks gently to the rhythm of the waves whilst you sip on a cocktail… is this all sounding a bit too good to be true?

Well you can make this a reality on a sailing holiday around the Greek Islands during the European summer.

The clear blue waters surrounding the Greek Islands are beckoning you to their shores. Spend a week swimming, sunbathing, island hopping and partying your way around the Greek Islands. As you coast from port to port you’ll have a unique opportunity to sample the cuisine, culture and nightlife of different islands, including Ios, Mykonos and the beautiful Santorini.

Spend your days exploring the islands and trying some real Greek cuisine such as Moussaka, Kleftiko or Saganaki (it’s fried cheese and you will become addicted), or

simply frolic all day long in the waters with your shipmates, or laze on the stunning beaches.

Holidays are of course best when you go with the flow, but for those of you who like to have a loose plan so you have more time for relaxation here’s a few things you should definitely visit whilst sailing in Greece.

Things to do in the Greek Islands…

• Go kayaking around the island of Ios • Party the night away at Gupaloca on Mykonos • Eat Gyros!

• Go hiking on the islands of Naxos • Have a swim at Agios Fokas|

by Paros • Have a sunbath on the secluded Maganari Beach on Ios • Feel the healing Aegean Breeze coming off the sea • Ask for a Dr OUZO whilst on board with Sail in Greece

www.sail-ingreece.com

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Working your way around the world Travelling is one of life’s greatest pleasures, but often it doesn’t come cheap. From costly roundthe-world flights to expensive meals out, the price of seeing the world soon adds up. How to tackle this? Obviously, you could work before you go, saving up money for your planned trip - but where’s the fun in that!? Or you could get a job while you’re out there, for example in a hostel or bar - but these detract from precious time seeing sights and relaxing on the beach! We think the best way to fund your travels is to become a digital nomad, working remotely via your laptop from anywhere, be it beach or Airbnb.

So what is a digital nomad and how do you become one? Technically speaking, anyone who works remotely and uses technology to perform their job is exactly this; examples include everything from bloggers and photographers, to marketers and designers.

Essentially, if your job can be done largely from a laptop you can take your work overseas with you! What with increasing house prices and overcrowding in major cities in the UK, and the allure of sun, sea and low living costs of places like Thailand and Bali, more and more people are turning to this way of living and working.

Alternative Co-Working Spaces Typically, freelancers can expect to work in communal spaces - these are often light filled, open plan rooms which make for some excellent working conditions, a far cry from the stuffy offices we’re used to working in at home. Hubud (www.hubud.org) in Ubud, Bali, is one example of these; it’s a bamboo-clad coworking haven, providing digital nomads with super fast internet, spaces for meetings, great workshops and even a canteen, serving everything from uber-healthy smoothies to delicious tacos - and all in the beaming sun. Essentially everything you could ever want from a work space! Others in Bali include Dojo, just 300m from Canggu’s Echo Beach and Sanur Space, run by a Balinese family for those seeking a more homely environment.

Refine Your Trade Simply uprooting your entire life to work remotely may be a very romantic idea, but it’s not incredibly sustainable for most of us and could just be a practical way to spend your sabatical or gap year. Earning a reliable living is of central importance to being successful as a digital nomad. Learning to enhance your skills, or simply finding out more about how to make a reliable income is the first step, and taking a course can

be a great way to do this. One company that offers great skills-enhancing courses is Frui (frui.co.uk), who combine courses with holidays so you can learn without feeling like you’re really working. One of their photography holidays, which span the globe from Mongolia to Mexico, could be the perfect way to reinvigorate your photography abilities and inspire you to make the leap and move abroad.

Alternatively, why not take a course in actually becoming a digital nomad? These will teach you how to make working from your laptop become less of a dream and more a reality. There’s loads to choose from so have a hunt around before you settle on a course. Udemy (udemy.com) an online learning space with over 15 million students offers a Digital Nomad Course which teaches you how to earn a living, organise temporary housing and save money. If in need of some advice, check out Digital Nomads Forum (digitalnomadsforum.com) for tricks and tips from thousands of people who have already done exactly this.

How To Find Work And Sell Your Services The next step is to go ahead and find some work. There are loads of great websites for finding freelance work, such as Upwork (upwork.com) and Freelancer (freelancer. co.uk), which allow businesses and independent professionals to connect and work together remotely. Other examples of freelance sites include People Per House (peopleperhour.com), which advertises jobs for as little as one hour, and Fivesquid (fivesquid.com), a site letting you buy or sell your services for £5, £10 and £20. For all, simply enter your skills and you can start searching for jobs and projects.

So what are you waiting for!? Your new life could be just around the corner…

36

FUNNY NEWS

Pimp my bride In further proof that true love really does conquer all, a bloke in Manchester is marrying the prostitute of his dreams and says he doesn’t mind the fact that she’s still banging other blokes for money.

Love blossomed between shy civil servant Andrew Hamer, 48, and 31-year-old porn star Kat Lee during a £130-an-hour sex session. He swept her off to Paris, where he asked if she wanted be his girlfriend, and when they returned he proposed in his mum’s house – which is where he lives - with a £200 diamond ring from H Samuel. After briefly taking another bloke’s cock out of her mouth, she said yes.

“I can separate what is Kat’s job.

I doubt it will ever come between us,” he said, ironically while dabbing some cum off her lips.

Uni in a shower of crap To me, you or anyone else with a basic grasp of hygiene, it’s fairly obvious that shitting in a public shower or bin is a pretty bad idea.

“I know she’s working but I don’t think of her as being with other men. It’s a job. She’s having sex but she’s not making love. Not like we do.”

In her work, Kat can sleep with up to five men a day – and that’s not including the freebies she gives her future hubby at the end of the day.

And Andrew’s mum Lillian has given her future daughter-inwhore the thumbs up. “Kat is charming, thoughtful and caring.

I know what she does for a living.

Andrew told me. I wished she didn’t do it but that’s her choice.

We never mention it. I don’t want to embarrass her,” she said. “She is such a sweet and lovely person.

I told her she’s like a daughter to me. She hugged me with tears in her eyes.”

They probably weren’t tears my dear. In fact, you should probably get an STD check.

‘Given the incidence of people pooing in bins, showers and the likes – can I please remind all TIC occupants that the toilets have been provided for that specific purpose,” said a group email.

“All bodily fluids, solids and toilet paper must be disposed of down the toilet.”

But apparently the students/feral animals at Strathclyde University in Scotland need a reminder after cleaners on campus repeatedly found human excrement in places it really shouldn’t be.

But the shit really hit the fan when the email hinted that the problem might lie with dirty foreigners.

“While I appreciate that the TIC population is multicultural and different countries have different practices, here in the UK the accepted practice is to use only the WC,” the email added.

It prompted uni chiefs to send out a warning to stop students pooing in bins and showers in its Technology and Innovation Centre.

The university apologised for offence caused by suggesting that ‘multicultural’ practices may be behind the poo problem.

In a spin over Satanic gadget From Harry Potter to pop music, there’s nothing right-wing religious types love more than claiming that things that make children smile are the work of the devil.

And so, almost inevitably, the humble fidget spinner has become the latest fad to fall foul of Christian nutjobbery.

Landlord follows animal instincts

Pastor Juan Mariano Avalos, from Paraguay, reckons the bafflingly popular gizmos are the work of Beelzebub because they make kids do the “Satan sign” so beloved of heavy metal fans.

He even uploaded a video explaining his theory that the spinners come from the dark side and children should be stopped from playing with them.

Sadly for him, his theory wasn’t exactly taken seriously – with hundreds of online trolls ripping the piss out of him, including official leaders from the Church of Satan. with monkeys, meerkats, parrots, raccoons, pigs, and many others.

Say hello to the only pub in England where you can order a Famous Grouse or an Old Speckled Hen and get the real thing.

The Fenn Bell Inn in Hoo, near Rochester has built its very own zoo in the beer garden, complete

Raise a glass to robots In yet another example of technology taking over the most important and basic needs of mankind, students at Leeds University have created an android that can pour the perfect pint.

Owners Andrew and Kelly Cowell said: “The Fenn Bell Inn are very proud to hold Medway’s first Zoo Licence. Part of the zoo is still under construction but many of the animals can now already be seen. More animals can be viewed by taking a ride on our popular miniature railway which is open weekends and school holidays until the end of August.”

Wife swept off her feet In a blow to the confidence of any bloke out there who thinks he’s hot stuff in the bedroom, a woman in Birmingham reckons she had an orgasm so intense it left her in a wheelchair. We’ve heard of having a knee trembler before but that’s just silly.

Lucinda Allen, 43, had just climaxed for a second time during the sex session with her hubby when she was hit by an excruciating headache, which turned out to be a brain haemorrhage She was put in a medicallyinduced coma after a series of strokes left her permanently paralysed down her left side.

“I’m lucky to be here,” said Lucinda. “I checked my blood pressure most days. One Saturday morning, it was low so I got back into bed with Tony. One thing led to another and after I had a second orgasm that old familiar sharp pain started in my head, above my right eye.”

Any Australians who want to see animals in a pub should just head to Kings Cross around kicking out time.

So remember fellas, next time she says “not tonight dear, I’ve got a headache” don’t insist on having sex anyway. It could kill her.

If they create a robot capable of wanking someone off, that’s all BBM’s hobbies taken care of by machines.

“We are all really impressed with what it has pulled today,” said Jim Dickinson, one of the students who worked on the project. “All of the pints have been pretty much perfect.”

The School of Mechanical Engineering students were commissioned by local engineering company Quality Bearings to create the pint-pulling robot in the “The Perfect Pint Project”.

Ironically, if robots replaced bar workers it would mean many students would no longer be able to afford to go to university.

Smooth move nerds.

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS Keep things practical and stylish whilst you travel. This month we’re going for comfort and practicality with these clever travel essentials and smart buys.

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STM Streets Bank Backpack - $170 available from www.stmgoods.com Go wireless with Happy Plugs bluetooth headphones - $134 available from happyplugs.com Look after your skin daily with P20 Once A Day SPF20 Continuous Spray (150ml) - $35.40 from wiggle.com.au Keep your locks healthy with Palmer’s Coconut Oil Dry Hair Mist - $14.99 from www.palmersaustralia.com Blue Mini Rig bluetooth speaker - $216 available from www.minirigs.co.uk Want cheap designer sunglasses? Check out www.visiondirect.co.uk/sunglasses who deliver worldwide with brands such as French Connection, Animal and Karen Millen - pair pictured - $72 7. Pack smart with Theye compact beach towel - $16 available from www.theye.co.uk

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ACCOMMODATION New South Wales Sydney The Globe Backpackers 40 Darlingurst Road Kings Cross, Sydney NSW 2011 Free: 1800 806 384 Ph: (02) 9326 9675 info@globebackpackers.com www.globebackpackers.com West End Backpackers 12 Pitt St Sydney NSW, 2000 Ph: 02 9211 4588 Free Phone: 1800 013 186 bookings@westendbackpackers.com www.nomadsworld.com/westend Bounce Sydney 28 Chalmers Street, Sydney 2010 Free call 1800890897 Ph (02) 9281 2222 book@bouncehotel.com.au www.bouncehotel.com.au Porterhouse Hotel 233 Riley St Surry Hills NSW 2010 Ph: (02) 9211 4454 info@porterhouse.com.au www.Porterhouse.com.au Big Hostel Single and double & Dorm rooms available Max 4 bed dorms.

212 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills Sydney NSW 2010 Ph: (02) 92816030 Free: 1800 212 244 reception@bighostel.com www.bighostel.com O’Malley’s Hotel 228 William Street, Kings Cross Sydney, NSW 2011 Ph: 02 9357 2211 admin@omalleyshotel.com.au www.omalleyshotel.com.au Sydney Central Hostel 428 Pitt Street Sydney 2000 Ph: (02) 9211 7323 stay@sydneycentralhostel.com.au www.sydneycentralhostel.com.au Kanga House backpackers 141 Victoria Street, Kings Cross, Sydney Ph: (02) 9357 7897 www.KangaHouse.com.au Sydney Northern Beaches Sydney Beachouse - YHA 4 Collaroy St, Collaroy, 2097 Ph: +61 2 9981 1177 mail@sydneybeachouse.com.au www.sydneybeachouse.com.au Guaranteed jobs/work all year.

Cheap weekly rates by the beach with free Surfboard, Bodyboard & Bike hire

Port Stephens

Melaleuca Surfside Backpackers 2 Koala Place, One Mile Beach, NSW 2316 Ph: (02) 4981 9422 Mobile: 0427 200 950 melaleucabackpacker@bigpond.com www.melaleucabackpackers.com.au

Katoomba

Katoomba Mountain Backpackers Lodge 31 Lurline st Katoomba, NSW Ph: 04782 3933 stay@katoombabackpackers.com.au www.katoombabackpackers.com.au Blue Mountains Backpackers Hostel 144 Bathhurst Road, Katoomba, NSW 2780 Ph: 02 4782 9630 bluemountainsbackpackerhostel. com.au

Byron Bay Byron Bay Accom Ph: 02 66 808 666 Email: bookings@byronbayaccom. net www.byronbayaccom.net Aquarius Backpackers 16 Lawson Street Byron Bay NSW 2481 Ph: (02) 6685-7663 Free: 1800 028 909 info@aquarius-backpackers.com.au www.aquarius-backpackers.com.au Nomads Byron Bay 1 Lawson Lane, Byron Bay, NSW 2481 Ph: 02 6680 7966 Free: 1800 766 673 bookings@nomadsbyronbay.com nomadshostels.com Arts Factory Lodge 1 Skinners Shoot Road, Byron Bay, NSW Ph: 02 6685 7709 info@artsfactory.com.au www.artsfactory.com.au An essential part of your journey LAKE TABOURIE TOURIST PARK Princes Hwy, Lake Tabourie, NSW 2539 Ph: (02) 4406-3101 www.laketabourietouristpark.com.au

Maca’s Camping Ground Ph: 02 6684 5211 1156 Main Arm Rd, Upper Main Arm NSW 2482, Australia www.macascampingground.com/ macascampingground@gmail.com

Queensland The Deck 117 Harcourt St, New Farm Brisbane QLD 4005 Ph: 0433 777 061 the_deck@live.com.au Designed with the working Traveler in Mind. Minimum 2 week stay Brisbane City YHA 392 Upper Roma St, Brisbane QLD 4000 Ph: (07) 3236 1004 brisbanecity@yha.com.au www.yha.com.au Aquarius Backpackers 44 Queen Street Gold Coast, Queensland Ph: 07 5527 1300 Free:1800 229 955 info@aquariusbackpackers.com.au www.aquariusbackpackers.com.au

THINGS TO DO Skydiving iFly Downunder

123 Mulgoa Road, Penrith, Sydney Ph: 1300 366 364 www.iflydownunder.com.au

Sydney Skydivers

745 Picton Road, Wilton, New South Wales, Australia 2571 Ph: 1800 805 997 admin@sydneyskydivers.com.au www.sydneyskydivers.com.au

Southern Skydivers

2 hours South from Perth Busselton Ph: 1300 449 669 info@southernskydivers.com.au www.southernskydivers.com.au

Scuba Diving NINGLAOO WHALE SHARK & DIVE CENTRE Located inside reception at the Exmouth Cape Holiday Park: 3 Truscott Street, Exmouth, WA Ph: 1800 224 060 www.ningaloowhalesharkndive. com.au

The Dive Shed Busselton

21 Queen Street, Busselton, WA Ph: 08 9754 1615 www.diveshed.com.au

Adventure Tours Awesome Whitsundays

Ph: 1800 293 7663 www.awesomewhitsundays.com

Australian Kayaking Adventures

PO Box 1055, Ashmore City, QLD Ph: 04 1294 0135 www.australiankayakingadventures. com.au

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Cnr Captain Cook Highway and Cairns Western Arterial Road Smithfield, QLD Ph: 07 4038 5555 www.skyrail.com.au Contiki Ph: 1300 188 635 www.contiki.com

aussie wanderer

Ph: 0894382070 info@aussiewanderer.com.au www.aussiewanderer.com.au

CEDAR CREEK LODGES THUNDERBIRD PARK Cnr of Cedar Creek Falls Rd & Tamborine Mountain Rd, Tamborine, QLD 4272 info@cedarcreeklodges.com.au www.cedarcreeklodges.com.au Backpackers in Paradise 40 Peninsular Drive Central Surfers Paradise Queensland, 4217 Ph: (07) 5538 4344 Free: 1800 268 621 info@backpackersinparadise.com www.backpackersinparadise.com Surfers Paradise Backpackers rsrt Backpackers Resort,2837 Gold Coast Highway, Queensland 4217 Ph: 07 5592 4677 Free: 1800 282 800 spbr@bigpond.net.au www.surfersparadisebackpackers. com.au

Port Douglas United Port Douglas

37 Warner Street, Port Douglas, QLD

Ph: 07 4099 5011 unitedportdouglas.com.au Airlie Beach Airlie Beach YHA 394 Shute Harbour Road Airlie Beach QLD Phone: (07) 4946 6312 Free:1800 247 251 airliebeach@yha.com.au www.yha.com.au

Cairns

Cairns Share House 17 Scott Street, Cairns, QLD 4870 Ph: (+617) 4041 1875 info@cairns-sharehouse.com www.cairns-sharehouse.com Nomads Esplanade 93 The Esplanade, Cairns, QLD 4870 Ph: 07 4031 7477 Free: 1800 175 716 bookings@nomadsesplanade.com www.nomadshostels.com Dreamtime Travellers Rest 4 Terminus Street (corner of Bunda st.& Terminus st.)

Cairns 4870 Queensland Ph: (07) 4031 6753 info@dreamtimehostel.com www.dreamtimehostel.com JJ’s Backpackers 11-13 Charles Street Cairns QLD 4870 Ph - (07) 4051 7642 Free- 1800 666 336 jjsbackpackers@ledanet.com.au www.jjsbackpackers.com Heron Island Ph: 02 9538 0751 www.heronisland.com

Townsville

Cape Tribulation PK’s Jungle Village Cape Tribulation Road (PMB 7) Cape Tribulation QLD 4873 Tel: 07 4098 0040 info@pksjunglevillage.com www.pksjunglevillage.com Rainbow Beach Pippies Beach House Cnr of Spectrum Street & Cypress Avenue, Rainbow Beach FREEPHONE: 1800425356 info@pippiesbeachhouse.com.au www.pippiesbeachhouse.com.au 30mins FREE Internet on presentation of this ad PLUS FREE Breakfast & Eco Whale-Watching for all!

Western Australia Perth

western beach lodge 6 Westborough Street Scarborough, Western Australia, 6019 Ph. (08) 9245 1624 westernbeach@iprimus.com.au www.westernbeach.com BILLABONG RESORT 381 Beaufort Street, Perth WA Ph: 08 9328 7720 bookings@billabongresort.com.au www.billabongresort.com.au Britannia On William 253 William Street, Northbridge, WA Ph: 08 9227 6000 www.perthbritannia.com EXCLUSIVE BACKPACKERS 158 Adelaide Tce, Perth 6000 Ph: (08) 9221 9991 exclusivebackpackers@hotmail.com www.exclusivebackpackers.com Beatty Lodge 235 Vincent Street West Perth WA 6005 Ph: (08) 9227 1521 www.beattylodge.com.au info@beattylodge.com.au

OCEAN BEACH BACKPACKERS

1 Eric St Cottesloe Beach Ph: 08 9384 5111 backpackers@obh.com.au www.obh.com.au

Boranup Boranup Forest Retreat 422 Sebbes Road, Forest Grove Ph: +61 404 895 901 www.boranupforestretreat.com.au monkey mia

Crocosaurus Cove

Drop Bear Adventures

Wild Expeditions

Shop 20, Johnny Chi Lane, Broome Ph: 1300 73 88 70 www.wildexpeditions.com.au

Margaret River Vintage Wine Tours

Ph: 0417 948 933 www.winetoursmargaretriver.com.au

The Peel Region Tourism

75 Mandurah Terrace, Mandurah Ph: 08 9550 3999 www.visitpeel.com.au

Kangaroo Island Adventure Tours Vivonne Bay, Kingscote, SA Ph: 08 8202 8678 www.kiadventuretours.com.au

GOIN SOUTH

Four days, two famous Aussie icons, one awesome tour Ph: 1800 009 858

PENRITH WHITE WATER RAFTING

Ph: 02 4730 4333 booking@penrithwhitewater.com.au www.penrithwhitewater.com.au

Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort Monkey Mia Road, Shark Bay 3537 Ph: +61 8 9948 1320 monkeymia@aspenresorts.com.au www.monkeymia.com.au

Kununurra Kununurra Backpackers Adventure Centre 24 Nutwood Crescent, Kununurra WA 6743 Ph: (08) 9169 1998 or 1800 641 998 kununurrabackpackers.com.au info@kununurrabackpackers.com.au broome Beaches of Broome 4 Sanctuary Road, Cable Beach, Broome, WA, 6725 Ph : 1300 881 031 bookings@beachesofbroome.com. au www.beachesofbroome.com.au

Victoria redcliffs hotel 25 Jacaranda St, Red Cliffs VIC 3496 (03) 5024 1704 Johanna Beach Cottages 225 Blue Johanna Road Johanna Heights Victoria 3238 (03) 5237 4224 cottages@johannabeach.com www.johannabeach.com Brambuk Backpackers Hostel 330 Grampians Road, Halls Gap, VictoriaPh: 03 5356 4250 bramback@netconnect.com.au www.brambuk.com.au/ backpackers.htm Brambuk Backpackers offers travellers an affordable and comfortable range of accommodation, ideally situated within the stunning Grampians National Park.

Habitat HQ Freephone 1800 202 500 info@habitathq.com.au www.habitathq.com.au Award winning 4.5 star hostel with a homely & relaxed atmosphere Northern Territory Darwin Youth Shack 69 Mitchell Street, Darwin Ph: 1300 793 302 youthshack.com.au Melaleuca on Mitchell 52 Mitchell Street, Darwin Ph: 09 8941 7800 momdarwin.com Chillis Backpackers 69 Mitchell Street, Darwin Ph: 1800 351 313 chillis.com.au

Alice Springs Annie’s Place 4 Traeger Avenue, Alice Springs , NT, 0871 Ph: 1800 359 089 www.anniesplace.com.au Haven Backpacker Resort 3 Larapinta Drive, Alice Springs Ph: 1800 79 4663 / 08 8952 4663 www.alicehaven.com.au

South Australia Adelaide Adelaide Travellers Inn Backpackers 220 Hutt St Adelaide 5000 Free call 1800633747 Ph: +61 08 82240753 bookings@adelaidebackpackers. com.au adelaidebackpackers.om.au

Melbourne

Rambutan 113 – 119 Flinders Street, Townsville 4810 enquiries@rambutantownsville.com Ph: 07 4771 6915 www.rambutantownsville.com

58 Mitchell Street, Darwin Ph: 08 8981 7522 www.crocosauruscove.com

COOLIBAH LODGE 194 Brisbane Street Northbridge Perth WA Ph: (08) 9328 9958 www.coolibahlodge.com.au

Ph: 1800 061 156 www.dropbearadventures.com.au

Territory Expeditions

Ph: 1300 115 922 www.territoryexpeditions.com.au

Mulgas Adventures

Ph: 08 8952 1545 www.mulgasadventures.com.au

Kakadu Wild Expeditions

Ph: 1300 73 88 70 darwinsales@kimberleywild.com.au www.kakaduwild.com.au

Kakadu 4WD Safaris

Ph: 1300 525 238 info@kadu4wdsafaris.com www.kakadu4wdsafaris.com

Adventure Tours australia Ph: 1300 654 604 adventuretours.com.au

Sydney Outback Tours

Ph: 1300 307 634 www.sydneyoutback.com.au

Real Sydney Tours

Ph: 0402 049426 www.realsydneytours.com.au

The Travel Yoga Company

Ph: 0411301820 www.theyogatravelcompany.com

Kimberley Wild Expeditions Ph: 1300 73 88 70 www.kimberleywild.com.au

Melbourne Discovery 167 Franklin Street, Melbourne VIC 300 Ph: 03 9329 7525. Freecall 1800 645 200 reservations@hoteldiscovery.com.au www.hoteldiscovery.com.au United Backpackers 250 Flinders Street, Melbourne Ph: 03 9654 2616 unitedbackpackers.com.au Independent & Budget Traveler Accommodation Provider Victoria Hall Accommodation 380 Russell Street, Melbourne 3000 Ph: 03 9662 3888 www.victoriahall.com.au

The Official Home And Away Tour To Summer Bay

Ph: 02 9977 7890 www.yahoo7.com.au/homeandaway

Kite Surfing KITE REPUBLIC

10-18 Jacka Blvd. St.Kilda Sea Baths Complex, St.Kilda, 3182, Melbourne, VIC Ph: 03 95370644 www.kiterepublic.com.au

Water Activities GREAT OCEAN ROAD SURF TOURS

55B Surf Coast Highway, Torquay, Victoria, 3228 Ph: 03 5261 3730 info@gorsurftours.com.au www.gorsurftours.com.au

KANGAROO MARINE CHARTERS

9 Chapman Terrace, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA Ph: 0427 315 286 www.kimarineadventures.com

ADVENTURE KAYAKING

7 Hastings Street, Glenelg South, SA Ph: 08 8295 8812 bookings@adventurekayak.com.au www.adventurekayak.com.au

PARADISE JET BOATING

Jetty ‘C’ Mariners Cove Marina, Seaworld Drive, Main Beach Qld 4217 Ph: 1300 JET BOAT (1300 538 262) thrills@paradisejetboating.com.au www.paradisejetboating.com.au

TRANSPORT MIGHTY CAMPERS

Nationwide Ph: 1800 670 232 www.mightycampers.com.au

GREAT SOUTHERN RAIL

Nationwide Ph: 1800 703 357 www.greatsouthernrail.com.au

Integrity Coach Lines

PO BOX 1131, Midland, 6936 WA Ph: 08 927 47464 www.integritycoachlines.com.au

Go Camper

90 Parkin Street, Rockingham, WA Ph: 1300 667 363 www.gocamper.com.au

38

CRYSTAL BALLS Libra

Sagittarius

In a damning investigative report by the Daily Telegraph involving a hidden camera and a “fake sheik”, the owner of the Sagittarius brand is caught on tape snorting cocaine and bragging about how he just “made up the idea of Sagittarius” in the ‘50s as a publicity stunt and that there’s only really 11 star signs. He also claims that most “idiot” Sagittarians are ugly and don’t even realise there’s no such thing as centaurs in Greek mythology, he just invented them after hearing a funny joke about bestiality.

At the stroke of midnight, you are magically transported back in time to 9am the previous morning. That’s right, it’s your own personal Groundhog Day! The only problem is, that was the morning after you got pissed and had that dodgy curry. In short, you spend most of the day puking or crapping – then do it all over again when the clock hits midnight. Forever.

Your reluctance to throw away old toothbrushes comes back to bite you when your partner uses one to clean some stains off the back of the toilet and accidentally leaves it back on the bathroom dresser. It’s only when you’re flossing afterwards and a chunk of poo comes out that the full horror of what’s happened hits you.

Taurus

You are selected to be a competitor on Australia’s latest reality TV show, a cooking meets home renovation crossover contest called My Restaurant Reno Rules on the MasterChef Block. You are eliminated in round four when you fail to win the hand in marriage of a farmer during a spelling competition.

You get lost in the woods and end up being chased and savaged by a wolf.

Luckily for you, it’s 86-year-old author Tom Wolfe, and you escape with little more than light grazing.

Pisces

You meet a mysterious stranger who promises to take you away on an exotic break far, far away to a distant land. A few days later you realise you awaken in a shithole bedroom with no mod cons at Butlins, Bognor Regis… that’ll teach you to take anything free you can get!

Virgo

Virgos are known to be sensible, rational people who approach situations with a scientific analytical approach. So why are you reading a horoscope to solve your problems? Dick.

Aries

Leo

A new study reveals 80 percent of the people born between July 23 and August 22 suffer from a severe case of boring bastard. Try again next month.

ASK CRYSTAL

Dear Crystal, This is your publisher. As explosive as the first few chapters of your autobiography are, we really can’t print some of the anecdotes about your sexual escapades with celebrities. The defamation costs from the story about you, Tom Cruise and the male cast members from Cats would financially ruin us. Can you just tone it down a bit? Or at least make it more vague like “a certain well-known pintsized Hollywood star, whose name I can’t divulge, used to enjoy dressing up as a dog and letting men dressed as cats pleasure him analy”?

Gemini

Scorpio

You become the first of the zodiac signs to “go green”, exclusively using solar power for your entire energy usage.

Unfortunately, this backfires somewhat as constellations only appear when the sun goes down. This leaves you with no power at all and you and the rest of your Scorpio kind revert to a kind of primitive caveman-style way of living.

Aquarius

Access to your horoscope has been

Capricorn

For years you’ve been slightly afraid to move between carriages on a moving train, you always thought it might be like opening a window on a plane in mid-flight and that you’d get sucked out by decompressing air. You conquer that fear this week, but are slightly disappointed to discover it just smells like someone cabbage-farted in that little room that adjoins both carriages.

At least it’s one off the bucket list.

Cancer

You take a couple of acting lessons and are immediately picked for a small role on long-running daytime shitefest The Bold and the Beautiful. After a few days on set thinking stardom awaits, it’s explained to you that the only reason you got the part is because the show runners scoured the earth for an actor so bad it would make the awful cast look slightly better. In other words, you are the world’s worst actor.

They kill you off in a dream sequence involving a seductive zombie and a huge anvil. Don’t ask.

JOKES In the German parliament yesterday Angela Merkel voted AGAINST same sex marriage.

Which is ironic considering she looks like a lesbian. Matt, Paddington I’m starting to get self-conscious about my body odour. On my last two dates, the woman has sprayed me with perfume before we had sex.

Yours, Trevor

Not sure of the brand but it had a distinct sharp, peppery smell. Nathan, Exmouth

Dear Trevor, I thought it might come to this. It was the story about One Direction and the magnum of champagne wasn’t it? Talk about spin the bottle, I don’t think Zayn has been able to walk properly since. No wonder he quit. Have you heard Harry Styles’ new single too ;-)… Anyway, leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do.

What’s grey, square, sits and the end of your bed and takes the piss?

Dear Crystal, I’m scared my wife is going to rip my balls off, please help.

I’ve been banging birds on Tinder for a couple of years now, it’s been awesome, but I accidentally charged my phone on her laptop and it synced all my contacts to hers.

If the old ball and chain finds out I can kiss my testicles goodbye. Is there any way out of it?

How someone with a name like that slipped through the net in the first place is beyond me. Barry, Kings Cross

Yours, John

Man: Well perhaps it’s your feet then? Trent, Manly

Dear John, I’m afraid you’re screwed. The only thing you can do is gradually move anything of value out of the house and into a safe storage facility so that when the volcano hits, you’ll at least have something to fall back on. You might want to store some sperm too, as your ability to create children could be cut short very soon.

severely disrupted due to roadworks.

Scorpio readers who wish to access their horoscope are advised to set off early and take a detour through Leo past Orion’s belt. Major delays expected.

Kidney dialysis machine. Terry, Fremantle Just read in the paper that ‘Rape Threat Man’ has been put on the sex offenders list.

Man: Excuse me, madam, can I smell your vagina?

Woman: No you most certainly cannot.

I made love to a woman against her will last night.

and KFC? Nothing.

When you’re finished with the leg and the breast, you still have a greasy box to stick your bone into. Milton, St Kilda Ben Affleck goes to the doctors and says, “Doctor doctor, every time I look in the mirror I get aroused.”

The doctor replies, “I’m not surprised...you’re a c*nt.” Tessa, Cottesloe What’s got 99 balls and fucks old ladies?

Bingo. Sarah, Richmond My 3 year old daughter was staying at her granny’s house and was having a shower with her gran. She points down and asked, “What’s that?”

Granny replied, “That’s my beaver.”

The next day my daughter was in the shower with her mum and points down and says, “I know what that is, it’s your beaver.”

Mum, taken aback with this says, “Oh how do you know that?”

I have a fetish for legal documents. Richard, Balmoral

“Gran told me, but I think hers is dead because it’s blue and it’s tongue is hanging out!” Nancy, Fitzroy

What’s the difference between a Woman

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BEST CASINOS IN AUSTRALIA It’s not just James Bond or Archer that look suave in a suit whilst playing their hand at roulette… so why not indulge yourself in a little blackjack at one of these fabulous casinos?

Jupiters Hotel & Casino Based across the Gold Coast, Jupiters boasts five restaurants, four bars and over 590 luxury guest rooms. The casino also has an entire floor dedicated to its casino, made up on 70 tables and over 1300 machines. Because of how spacious Jupiters is, there’s plenty of room for entertainment day in and day out. Including comedy gigs, music performances, dancing, movie marathons, trivia nights, live sports and more!

1 Casino Drive, Broadbeach www.jupitersgoldcoast.com.au Crown Resorts Crown Resorts has a complex in London, Melbourne and Perth, and will be opening their third in Sydney in 2019. Crown Perth, features two hotels, a day spa, salon and a fitness centre. It also includes over 10 restaurants and a range of bars and nightclubs to appeal to all guests.

Great Eastern Highway, Burswood, Perth Whiteman Street, Southbank, Melbourne www.crownresorts.com.au

Wrest Point Hotel Casino Being Australia’s first casino, Wrest Point Hotel Casino is a must visit if you’re off on a weekend away to Tasmania. The boutique casino features table games like Blackjack, Roulette and Texas Hold’em Poker, while Riverview and Boardwalk gaming areas hold the machines.

Four bars and five restaurants offer food and drinks with stunning views of the waterfront. All overnight stays include use of the luxury features such as the gym, sauna, spa, pool, tennis court and mini golf course.

410 Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay, Tasmania www.wrestpoint.com.au The Star An entertainment centre sitting on the banks of Sydney Harbour, The Star boasts nine bars, two hotels, 12 eateries, a spa, a swimming pool and a casino floor. The Event Centre hosts some of the biggest names in the world and their live tours. From comedy nights to DJ sets, dance classes and festival pre-parties, there’s always something going on.

The casino are currently undergoing a project named “The Ultimate Poker Experience”, so their current casino equipment is in a temporary location next to Cherry Bar. Following a multi-million dollar redesign, the transformation is hailed to be the ultimate poker experience.

80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont www.star.com.au

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