CONTENTS
33-51 EDITOR Hannah Shakir hannah.shakir@what-media.com
Travel ideas
This issue we do NSW with My Mates Tours, Conitiki show us the very best of Australia and in global travel we hunt out the best deals available on the web to save you money on your 2015 Travels.
Best Parties Happening Around Australia THINGS TO DO
SPORTS & NEWS EDITOR Richard Gadsby SUB EDITOR Charlotte Mellor CONTRIBUTORS Alex Saint, Mentari Sandiastri, Omar Soliman, Dan Barnes, Robin Lewis, Ash Lesczcuk, Louise Molyneux, Ruth McDonald, Jonathan Harris, James Barker. WEB DEVELOPMENT Luke Webber DESIGN Basil Thomas design@what-media.com Michael Cusack PRINT & WEB MARKETING Tom Shakir tom.shakir@what-media.com +61 2 8005 8162
SYDNEY MELBOURNE PERTH JOBS & VISAS PAGES 22-32
Interviews
MO London Elektricity Noir Glass Animals Damian Gelle
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PARTY SEASON
PARTY SEASON in Sydney Take advantage of summer in Sydney and have an amazing time this Christmas at a festive event with a difference. Xmas Eve Pool Party at Pool Club, ivy
For 12 hours of music with the city’s best 10 DJs, 4Friends is this year’s Christmas Eve pool party at ivy’s Pool Club, that may just leave you sleeping through the day itself. Wednesday 24th December will see the likes of Jonski, Baby Sham, Royals, Dollar Bear, Jade Le Flay and many more provide the hot tunes and bouncing beats 2pm – 2am, as you enjoy the cooling temperatures of the pool and the refreshing drinks from the bar. With tickets just $20 in one of Sydney’s most beloved venues, don’t be surprised if this sells out fast. Pool Club Level 4, 320 George Street, Sydney www.sollarium.com.au multiple views of the city on the most festive day of the year, as you feast upon a five-course meal of Christmas Lunch at 360 Bar & Dining pumpkin and chestnut soup, king prawns, a main For spectacular views with an indulgent Christmas of your choice, Christmas pudding and petits fours. lunch, you can’t get much better than 360 Bar & At $160 per adult, you’ll certainly be splashing the Dining. The revolving restaurant means that you get cash, but you’ll be eating like a king. Sydney Tower Dining, Reception Level 4, Westfield Centre www.360dining.com.au
Xmas Eve Cruise
Why not celebrate Christmas Day right on Sydney Harbour? The Red And White Xmas Eve Cruise 2014 unites more than 300 travellers and students to dance the night away on a boat with DJs, a dance floor and loads of giveaways. Dress up in the traditional colours of Christmas, grab as many friends as you can and sail past the Opera House from 7 – 11pm. Tickets are $40 each and also gives you free entry to the after party at Side Bar. sydneyharbourbookings.com.au
BBQ On The Beach
For a casual but fun celebration, Surfside Backpackers on Bondi Beach is offering guests and friends of guests a true Aussie Christmas. Christmas Day kicks off with a hearty breakfastof sausage and egg, while lunch consists of an Aussie-style BBQ with salad, bread, dips and free wine and dessert. On Boxing Day, you are all treated to Pizza Night with even more wine. Because if you can’t have snow, you can at least be merry, but get in quick before it’s all booked up! 35a Hall Street, Bondi Beach www.surfsidebackpackers.com.au 6
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Grandmaster Flash The Soda Factory
Well and truly earning its place on our favourites list is Sydney’s Soda Factory. The theme ‘Back to the Bronx’, with a performance from Grandmaster Flash, might well make this the best New Year’s Eve house party you’ve ever been to. Tickets cost a total of $84.90 from moshtix.com.au. Good people of Surry Hills, it’s time to party like it’s 1989! 16 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills www.sodafactory.com.au
Harbour Party at Luna Park
Tropicana New Year’s Eve Bungalow 8 and The Loft
The Loft and Bungalow 8 on Lime Street, Sydney, will be getting the party treatment from Tropicana Beach Club Mykonos this New Year’s Eve. You can get your ticket to this epic event from $55.20 from moshtix.com.au with a number of packages available.You could book your tickets that can include your own private balcony for great views of the fireworks over Sydney Harbour, while ou party to the like ok DJ Argie & Sasa and Fear Of Dawn. 3 Lime Street, Sydney www.tropicananye.com
By Richard Gadsby
With its prime location for seeing the fireworks and the amazing performances from Stafford Brothers and Portbelleez, the Harbour Party at Luna Park includes unlimited fairground rides. To get your tickets for this great New Year’ event in Sydney
visit the harbourparty.com website. Tickets are $119 plus booking fees. Luna Park, Sydney www. harbourparty.com
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Tea Gardens’ Christmas and New Year’s Day
If you’re looking to book you Christmas party this year then head to Tea Gardens! The holiday season has arrived and you will want to get your party all set up and Tea Gardens is a great venue to get into the festive spirit. Also, the biggest day in the Bondi calendar is approaching and you will want to get in early so you don’t miss out. New Year’s Day is set to be a spectacular event in Bondi and with the biggest DJs in Sydney on rotation, the party anthems will be pumping all day. With Tea Gardens’ brilliant competition running to win the chance to fly your friend over to celebrate New Year’s Day with you the party will be even better! 2-4 Bronte Road, Bondi Junction Sydney www.teagardenshotel.com.au
Field Day NYD 2105
Field Day Festival returns to The Domain, Sydney’s iconic venue on New Year’s Day 2015. You might get a lot of people claiming that New Years is always such an anticlimax, but clearly they haven’t had a New Years like the one done at Field Day. With a killer line up including Alt J, MO, SBTRKT, Jamie XX, Glass Animals and loads more you know this is the city festival to make sure you are at.
Tickets and more info available from www.fieldaynyd.com.au
Lost Paradise
Lost Paradise is sure to be one of 2015’s most talked about events as the brains behind the popular floating club event AGWA Yacht Club, Finely Tuned, launch this new festival experience over the New Year Period. Held in the Glenworth Valley from the 30th December to the 1st January, just over one hour from Sydney this exclusive boutique festival features some class touches including a Shambala Yogo, Lost Circus, New Years Dress Up and for those of you who feel like doing it in style a chopper in option. As if that’s not enough Lost Paradise will host top talent from Australia including Aluna George, Boy & Bear, Maxxi Soundsystem, Emerson Todd and Hiatus Koiyote to name a few. www.lostparadise.com.au
For up to date info on the latest gigs, festivals and club nights visit www.bbmlive.com
T O H HT G RI OW N
Sephora Sydney Store Opening Finally, all beauty queens can rejoice, as the first Sephora store in Australia opens its doors on 5th December. Bringing the best luxury and niche brands to your fingertips, the brand new shop will be in Sydney’s Westfield centre at 188 Pitt Street. Get down for the grand opening and shop ‘til you drop. 188 Pitt Street, Sydney www.facebook.com/SephoraAus
Pop To Popism Illi Hill A rundown corner store in Marrickville has been turned into a café with glazed tiles, a chestnut bar and an open-plan floor space to relax with a coffee and a plate without bumping into the table next to you. Food is fresh and light, but generously sized and passionately created. Try the scrambled or poached eggs and you won’t go wrong. 72 Illawarra Road, Marrickville
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Until 1st March 2015, you can explore the origins of pop art at the Art Gallery of NSW. A movement that was driven by the advertising, film stars and pop culture of the early 1960s onwards, these works rebelled against high art. Pieces including ‘Look Mickey’ by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol’s ‘Triple Elvis’ will be on show alongside Australian artists Martin Sharp, Howard Arkley, Brett Whiteley and Maria Kozic. Art Gallery Road, The Domain www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Sweethearts BBQ Rooftop A BBQ, on a rooftop, with your mates – there’s not much better on a sunny summer’s day. Sweethearts is adorned with picnic tables and bauble lighting hung across the canopies, and you can’t miss the smell of the sizzling grill. From chicken, beef, salmon and pork, whether on skewers or as steak, all come with hand cut fries and you can add a sauce for $2 to make your dish all the more succulent. Closed Monday and Tuesday, dive straight in Wednesday – Sunday. 33-37 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point sweetheartsbbq.com.au
Keg & Brew Recently reopened, Keg & Brew could soon become your Surry Hills favourite. Craft beer, bourbon and succulent goodies to get your teeth around, K&B is taking its inspiration from South America one step further with soft cowhide, stuffed animal heads and over 30 tap beers and ciders including Rocket Science, The Grifter and Nomad. 26 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills www.kegandbrew.com.au
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a local’s guide to...
Darlinghurst
Relatively new to Darlinghurst, we speak to local resident Ashley Leszczuk about making this Sydney suburb his home. Darlinghurst is an eclectic mix of boutique cafes, hip bars, down and dirty boozers and pop up art installations. From chilling with a coffee on a weekend morning to an all-night party in Kings Cross, it has whatever you desire, plus a hell of a lot more. Any time is a good time to go out in Darlinghurst. You can have breakfast with friends, brunch with loved ones, an afternoon beer in one of the many hip, indie pubs or an evening cocktail in a secret hideout. If the summer heat gets too much, join the queue at Messina for ice cream! The streets are always buzzing with a mix of races and nationalities, but evening is an entirely different ball game with the pubs and bars coming alive with music, conversation and the sound of people enjoying life. A firm favourite haunt of ours is Darlo Bar. Being right on our doorstep, we can enjoy Wednesday night quizzes, live music, DJs and $5 schooners of Beer Of The Month that’s always changing. Other favourites are US-inspired cocktail diner
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Hinky Dinks, Love Tilly Devine for a cheeky glass of red wine, and Eau De Vie for a potent yet silky smooth beverage of choice. The range of prices, styles and tastes is suitable for all, and the same applies for food. The Food Society is a restaurant designed for sharing, while Sagra is perfect for a romantic dinner for two with a great tasting menu. If you get talking to the staff, they may even bring out the chef to explain exactly what you’re eating. When it comes to shopping, Alfie’s Friend on Darlinghurst Road is a smart and stylish shop for both guys and girls that is well priced and different from the chain stores. But, with Oxford Street on your doorstep and its one-mile of shops, you would be hard pressed to not find exactly what you are looking for here. Within a 15-minute walk from Darlinghurst, you’re in the heart of the city for work, pleasure and play. 10 minutes in the opposite direction you can be sipping a cold beer in Paddington, or hunting out the vintage wear in Surry Hills and Oxford Street. It’s clean, friendly, and with Rushcutters
and Elizabeth Bay only short strolls away, it’s also green. In terms of living accommodation, there’s a mixture of apartments and houses – whatever your budget can afford and depending on what you want to keep in your pocket for a good night out. With mainline station, Kings Cross, on the doorstep, you have even more access to the rest of Sydney. There is a great mixture of people; just take a five-minute stroll and you will see art students, musicians, suits, shorts, skateboarders, travellers, young professionals and a large gay community, but not as many families.
NEED TO KNOW... Accommodation: Average house price is $1,370,000 and unit price is $685,000. Getting more expensive as the area becomes more desirable to young professionals.
Location: Inner-city, eastern Sydney Distances: Two kilometres from the city centre and nine kilometres from Sydney airport. Thoroughfares: Darlinghurst Road and Oxford Street. Surrounding suburbs: Potts Point, Paddington and Surry Hills.
By Charlotte Mellor, images courtesy of venues.
Darlinghurst is a crazy little piece of Sydney that I have been proud to call home for the past seven months and counting. No one suburb is the same in Sydney and with all being easily accessible, no wonder many regard this city as one of the best in the world.
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MELBOURNE
PARTY SEASON IN MELBOURNE
The Christmas and New Year’s season in Melbourne is all about the major events that are going on in the city. So you are set up for the festive period, we’ve taken a look at the best nights to embrace the feel good vibes that the holiday season is all about.
Federation Square Orphan Christmas
Eat yourself silly, surround yourself with new friends and then pull up a pew to watch Christmas films on the big screen. This Christmas Day, there will be a huge breakfast buffet in Fed Square for everyone to dig in, and a movie marathon you’ll struggle to tear yourself away from. Federation Square, Melbourne www.fedsquare.com.au
Christmas Day Lunch at The Wharf Hotel
At $60pp, Christmas lunch doesn’t have to break the bank. Dine in style on the riverside at The Wharf Hotel with a traditional two-course meal served at noon or 2pm. Your main is a choice between roast turkey and leg of ham, with one of four accompaniments, and you can choose between Eton mess and mango parfait for dessert. 14
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Bookings are essential. 18-38 Siddeley Street, Melbourne www.wharfhotel.com.au
Christmas Day At Melbourne Zoo
Spend your Christmas Day with monkeys, koalas and lions at Melbourne Zoo. Not only is the zoo open from 11am, you can feast on a three-course meal, beverages and petit fours before visiting the residents. Santa will also be making an appearance, but that’s more for the kids. Adult tickets are $175pp and the meal is between noon and 3pm. Elliot Avenue, Parkville www.melbournezooevents.com.au
Ding Dong NYE Party Feat. Northeast Party House
This is going to be one of the biggest nights that
Ding Dong has ever seen, and a fantastic way of kicking off your 2015. With a host of superstar DJs joining the Northeast Party House pumping out the party tracks on 31st December 2014, secure your entry by snapping up the Early Bird tickets for $27 plus booking fees. 18 Market Lane, Chinatown, Melbourne www.dingdonglounge.com.au
Brown Alley Tribe
Tribe is back on Sunday 28th December with its day and night event that will be spread through over three levels at Brown Alley, with a special jungle theme. With international DJ Andy C headlining the event, you know that there will be a mix of the biggest tracks getting the crowd buzzing. Other top acts are DJ SS, Grooverider and many more. Tickets are $65 on first release. 585 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne www.brownalley.com
Let Them Eat Cake
Defected
Shed 14, Docklands, Melbourne is where the Defected New Year’s Day party will be held on 1st January from 3pm. The Defected In The House events bring some of the world’s biggest DJs to clubbers internationally and this New Year’s Day will be no exception. DJs on the day will be Oliver Dollar, Franky Rizardo, Sonny Fedora and Crazy P. Tickets cost $70 plus booking fees and are available from moshtix.com.au. Shed 14, Docklands, Melbourne www.defected.com
Corner Hotel Soul A-Go-Go New Year’s Eve
The corner Hotel New Year’s celebration will feature the likes of PBS DJs’ Vince Peach, Miss Goldie, DJ Manchild, Matt Mcfetridge and many more great acts. Tickets start at $30 plus booking fees. 57 Swan Street, Richmond www.cornerhotel.com.au
This awesome festival spans over two days – New Year’s Eve and Day! Joining the line-up are Axel Boman, Ben Pearce and Bob Moses just to name a few. We can’t recommend a better way to call in the New Year than experiencing this great festival in Werribee Park. Tickets are $145 plus booking fees. Werribee Mansion, Melbourne www.letthemeatcakenyd.com.au
Revolver Upstairs Summer Series #6
Sunday 21st December sees Mickey from Exploited team up with Revolver for their Summer Series party. The Belgian producer will be making his debut at December’s Summer Series and you can expect his great mixes pumping through the night, setting the party ablaze. Tickets are from $20 - $25 plus booking fees. 229 Chapel Street, Prahran www.revolverupstairs.com.au
IN:MOTION
Kicking off your 2015 with a bang, Rhythm, Inhibit & 170Russell are joining forces to bring an allstar line-up of drum ‘n’ bass, trap and dubstep heavyweights. London Elektricity & MC Wrec, Delta Heavy, Etc!Etc!, Skism and many more are set to take one of Melbourne’s best nightclubs by storm. It all starts at 9pm 2nd January and the first release tickets are priced at $39 plus booking fees. 170 Russell Street, Melbourne www.170russell.com
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T O H HT G RI OW N
5 Lire
Taking the recipes and flavours of the different regions of Italy and mixing them with Melbourne’s changing tastes, 5 Lire is an Italian restaurant that is perfect to escape to. A small but rich menu of breakfast, lunch and sweet and savoury bites, this young eatery specialises in cheese, meat, pasta and bread, with beautiful touches of elegance on the side. 116 Errol Street, North Melbourne www.5lire.com.au
Queen Victoria Night Market
Because summer beckons for fish and chips, head down to Tommy Ruff for the best selection in Melbourne. Choose from whitebait, calamari, mussels, prawns, flake, salmon and blue grenadier, or discover what he’s serving for fish of the day. With colourful stools and chairs, nets, barrels and even fishing lines hanging on the wall, it’s a mix between a fishing boat and a high school diner. 574A Main Street, Mordialloc 3/1-3 Carre Street, Elsternwick www.tommyruff.com.au
Goldilocks
What does Goldilocks know about cocktails and fine food? A lot, as it happens. This watering hole boasts a cosy cottage and spacious rooftop for any weather, as well as some of the best cocktails in town with classic specials rotating every week. Level 4 264 Swanston Street, Melbourne www.goldilocksbar.com.au 16
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Images courtesy of venues.
Tommy Ruff
It’s December, and the Queen Victoria Night Market is in full swing. Open every Wednesday from 5pm, you are invited to explore the local designers, artists and food of Melbourne until 10pm under the night sky. This includes everything from homeware, photography and jewellery, to knitwear, art and beauty products, with a fantastic atmosphere thrown in. Cnr Elizabeth and Victoria Streets, Melbourne CBD www.qvm.com.au
introducing myki If you’re travelling around Victoria as an international or interstate visitor, make sure you purchase a myki. Like Transport for London’s Oyster card, myki provides access to public transport by offering a smartcard that can be topped up with myki money, and used as many times as you like. myki can be used on trains, trams and buses in Melbourne and on some train and bus services in regional Victoria. Visitors usually get their myki with the Visitor Value Pack, which includes a ready-to-use myki card with enough value to travel for one day on Melbourne’s public transport network (Zones 1+2). The myki Visitor Value Pack also comes with a load of other benefits, offering great discounts at 15 city attractions including Melbourne Aquarium, the National Sports Museum, and Eureka Skydeck. There’s also a very handy souvenir wallet to keep your myki in. myki Visitor Value Packs are available to buy from the Melbourne Visitor Centre, PTV Hubs at
Southern Cross Station and 750 Collins Street, Docklands, and many hotels for your convenience. The full fare pack costs $14 and includes $8 myki money. myki gives you the freedom to travel, whether you’re heading to Melbourne Airport, St Kilda Beach or on a tour of the famous laneways. With myki, you don’t have to worry about buying a ticket each time you use public transport, just make sure your myki is topped up and you’re ready to go.
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Fitzroy If you’re looking for an alternative of the CBD, Fitzroy provides an independent café and nightlife culture that is everything you’ve heard about Melbourne and more. Melbourne is famous around the world for its coffee, and Fitzroy epitomises this. Two of the city’s best coffee houses are right here, with Addict on Johnston Street and Industry Beans on Rose Street. Addict serves delectable plates of food until 4pm every day of the week, including the inviting breakfast sharing board, meanwhile Industry Beans releases a new menu every season with everything from porridge to pulled pork in an award-winning warehouse conversion. And they both serve lip-smackingly good coffee. As a central part of the city, Fitzroy is just a 20-minute walk from the CBD, so walk around during the day and explore the back streets, where you will find cool pubs like The Standard Hotel and The Rose Hotel. The Standard boasts one of the most secluded beer gardens in
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Melbourne as well as a cosy interior with a roaring fire in winter, while The Rose welcomes the summer sun with the upstairs terrace. No doubt, you’ll also discover the wonderfully creative, colourful and rather quirky street art that Fitzroy has become known for. When day turns to night, head to The Old Bar on Johnston Street for beer and live music. Bands perform seven nights a week, with Friday and Saturday being the busiest nights for crowds, but the quality doesn’t dip even in midweek. There’s plenty of beer to choose from, but the Mountain Goat Steam Ale on tap comes highly recommended, as it’s brewed just down the road in Richmond. A hub for music lovers, the
atmosphere is like that of a house party that’s about to get out of control, but never actually does. If you like being in the heart of a city surrounded by people from all walks of life, then Fitzroy is the place for you. There’s a great mix of apartments and four-bedroom houses to suit everyone from all over the world, and tourists flock here for the never ending entertainment, street culture and eating out. Whether resident or visitor, there really is a place for everyone.
NEED TO KNOW... Accommodation: Average house price is $930,000 and unit is $636,000. Location: Inner-city, north-east. Distances: 2km from city centre, 25km from Melbourne airport. Thoroughfares: Brunswick Street and Nicholson Street.
By Charlotte Mellor, images courtesy of Industry Beans and Steve Collis.
Surrounding suburbs: Carlton, Abbotsford and East Melbourne.
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PERTH
Party In Perth Soundbound Festival
The stunning South West Town of Busselton, Perth is the location for the exciting Southbound Festival which will be kicking off. Bring together the biggest acts festival in 2015, the line-up is more exciting than ever with the likes of alt-J, Alison Wonderland, George Ezra and Joey Bada$$ just to name a few. The two day festival starts on the 3rd January with weekend festival tickets costing $185 plus booking fee. Busselton, Perth www.southboundfestival.com.au
Cottesloe Hotel Beach
The Aviary
Prepare for the sights and sounds of the jungle when The Aviary celebrates the end of 2014. The Jungle Feast inside the Bird Cage Restaurant will include Jungle Punch, canapés and a threecourse dinner with Vinaceous wines at 7.30pm. At the same time, The Nest Rooftop Bar will be throwing a wild Jungle Party, with DJs, canapés and vibrant animal print. Early bird tickets to the feast are $150pp, and the party costs $160pp. General admission tickets are $5 extra. 140 William Street, Perth www.theaviaryperth.com.au
By Mentari Sandiastri
Join the party this New Year’s Eve at Cottesloe Hotel Beach for the closing night of their Beach Beats event and what a better way to end it by welcoming the New Year! With beats brought to you by the house DJ at the Verandah Bar and the evening starting nice and early, from 8:30pm, Beach Beats is an epic way to celebrate your New Year’s Eve. 104 Marine Parade, Cottesloe, Perth www.cottesloebeachhotel.com.au
NYE Foreshore
Get yourself and all your mates to join the thousands of Perth’s top party goers at the New Year’s Eve party on the FORESHORE, 2014. Wednesday, 31 December 2014, 6:00 pm – 1:00 am is when this greatly anticipated event will be opening its doors at the OZONE RESERVE, entry just off Plain Street, East Perth. It will be the fifth year NYE on the Foreshore is promising to deliver something special! Tickets are $65.80 plus booking fees. Ozone Reserve, 1 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth www.nyeontheforeshore.com.au.
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T O H HT G RI OW N The Courtyard Club at State Theatre Centre
Music in the Park Concert Series
Music in the Park Concert Series presents free outdoor music performances. Get ready to spend an enchanting evening and have a ball with some of Australia’s best musical acts such as WA’s own award-winning party superstar The Brow and Odette Mercy and Her Soul Atomics on 6th December. Santiago Park, Joondalup www.joondalup.wa.gov.au
There’s no better way to start your weekend in summer than being in the open air and enjoying live entertainment - for free. One of Perth’s newest weekend hotspots, The Courtyard Club invites you to come along and welcome the weekend with RTR Drivetime radio broadcasts, live music performances, DJ sets, and pop-up bars. 5th, 12th, 19th December. State Theatre Centre of WA Courtyard, Northbridge www.statetheatrecentrewa.com.au
Light Up Leederville Carnival Explore over 250 stalls and entertainment areas, including live music performances, various outdoor and table games, free wine and cheese tasting area, and more. Stay until the evening, and watch as the festival builds into the switching of Leederville Street Christmas lights on 7th December. Oxford Street and Liverpool Street, Leederville www.leedervillecarnival.com.au
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Words by Mentari Sandiastri, images courtesy of venues & organisers.
Moonlight Cinema
Australia’s favourite outdoor cinema is returning to Perth in December, screening a wide range of movies from contemporary, classic, and cult favourites to advance previews at Kings Park for only $17. Bring your own bottle of wine, pack a picnic, hire a bean bed for only $9, and you’re all set to enjoy the entertainment. Ongoing Synergy Parkland, Kings Park and Botanic Garden www.moonlight.com.au/perth
the local’s guide to...
SOUTH PERTH
Calming atmosphere, smooth riverside strolls, and relaxed mood, only within minutes from the city centre, South Perth is an ideal destination to escape the city’s hectic environment and relax. Whether you want to get some fresh air at the foreshore, take a soothing walk by the Swan River, spend your afternoon with fascinating Australian animals at the zoo, or spoil your palate at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered across the area, South Perth has it all.
South Perth Foreshore One of Perth’s favourite Australia Day (26th January) celebration sites, the South Perth foreshore is popular for its wide open space, where you can take a scenic run along the river, or simply picnic with friends. The largest park of the foreshore, Sir James Mitchell Park, is a popular weekend destination for Perthites. It has separate walk and cycle ways, so you can do either with ease, whenever you’re up for some light exercise! If you want something more adventurous, you can hire mini sailboats and kayaks and make the most of the Swan River. If you’re looking for some refreshment then we suggest The Bellhouse café which is perfect for those with a budget, as it has a number of great meal specials, including big breakfasts for only $9.50. 22
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Going Wild at the Perth Zoo Undoubtedly one of Perth’s most popular tourist destinations, Perth Zoo is located on the banks of the Swan River, only five minutes drive from the city centre. The Zoo is, of course, best known for their native Australian animals such as koalas, wombats, and kangaroos, but there are also a wide variety of exotic animals and plants from other parts of the world. You can either walk along the Zoo or ride one of the Zebra Cars available that will take you on a one-hour guided tour around the Zoo for only $5. Perth Zoo offers unique daily eye-to-eye experiences, where you can sign up for a group tour to interact closer with different animals each day. The Zoo is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day of the year, so you won’t have a hard time planning a visit. Entry fee is $27 for adults, and tickets can be purchased at the front entrance, online, or by phone. The perfect activity if you’ve got a couple of spare days during the Christmas break!
Along with Northbridge and Victoria Park, South Perth is known as the home of some of Perth’s most popular restaurants. Take a stroll along Albany Highway, where you will find wide options of restaurants and cafes, offering many different types of cuisine. Head to That Little Mexican Place, often hailed as the best Mexican restaurant in Perth, for authentic Mexican delicacies. For refreshments, you can choose either Tutti Frutti with its choices of mouth-watering frozen yoghurts and toppings or Taro Taro with its famous Taiwanese-style milk tea. If you simply want to have a cup of coffee and relax, head to one of the coffee shops available around the area such as Zucchero Espresso Bar and Antz Inya Pantz. Most of these coffee shops offer free wi-fi, so you can easily catch up with friends back home whilst you get caffeinated.
Pubs and Bars When you’re up for a few drinks, nearby Victoria Park offers choices of old fashioned pubs and bars where you can spend a quality time with your friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Located along Albany Highway, these pubs and bars are popular stops for those seeking to escape their daily routines in style, especially on weekends. The Balmoral Hotel has long been known for their extensive beer and wine menu, and for providing live entertainment such as acoustic performances every Friday night in an intimate setting. For
sports fans, head to The Victoria Park Hotel to catch up on everything from football through to UFC while enjoying drinks and mingling with other sports fans. For something more contemporary, there’s also The Causeway Bar which prides itself for providing great entertainment and parties for reasonable prices.
Where to Stay From budget accommodation to luxurious apartments, South Perth has all kinds of accommodation that suit your needs and budget. If you’re looking for more fresh air and enchanting views, rent an apartment that provides you the view of the Swan River right outside your bedroom window. If you prefer to stay close to various restaurants and bars, there are a number of hotels located along Albany Highway at the heart of Victoria Park where the food options are. It’s all up to you and your preference! A one bedroom apartment will cost you around $250 - $400 per week, and a two bed will be around $375 - $500 per week. If you’re looking for a more affordable option then a house share is probably your best bet and will cost you around $150 - $200 per week.
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By Mentari Sandiastri, Images courtesy of Tourism Western Australia
Restaurants and Coffee Shops
EXPAT INTERVIEW
Grace Mellor Currently in her second year of a working holiday, British expat, Grace Mellor, talks to BBM about her role in administration in Australia, how she dealt with her job search and what she makes of working for the big mining companies of Western Australia. The Move
I originally came to Australia to travel, work, and make some money before settling down.
The Job Search
The Job
My responsibilities can change, but I’ve always taken on extra responsibility. With my job in Orontide, I was processing a lot of things, doing primarily administrative duties but I was also 24
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operational support. There’s always scope to do your job, but then to take on more responsibility. I’m now a Correspondence Controller, but I’m also doing project secretary work because I’m covering for the Project Secretary when she’s away. I’ve become a lot more advanced in Microsoft Word because I’m formatting a lot of documents. But that’s not to say that everyone could or would, it depends on the role. In my day-to-day I process and register all incoming and outgoing correspondence, I write cover letters, I record the correspondence onto a register, I arrange training for anyone that needs it, I book medicals, flights, accommodation, cars; I organise catering, register I.T issues, request logins for contractors. It’s all very ad hoc.
The Industry
Administrative work has certainly exceeded my expectations. When I go for these jobs, I’ll expect to do what is required on the job description, but I’m willing to take on more work, so I’ve managed to develop my skills so that I’m more employable in the industry. I think my skills have enhanced within the admin role. Ultimately, I’ve just been looking for work to pay my way, as a working holidaymaker, but I will look for more administrative work, because that’s where my skills are current, and in the WA mining industry, if you’ve got particular skills with big companies like Rio Tinto and BHP, the more chance you have of getting a job. If you can say that you’ve worked for those companies, it’s pretty legit.
By Grace Mellor
After about a month of travelling up the East Coast, we decided to look for work. If you want to do admin work, a great place to look is seek. com.au; they’re one of the best places to start, but whenever I’ve needed to find work, I’ve drawn up a cover letter and a CV that catered for the type of work I was looking for, more casual work. Then I found agencies and emailed them individually, explaining that I’m a temporary worker on a working holiday visa, and if there’s anything that comes up that I would be suitable for, I’d appreciate if I was kept in mind. I emailed recruitment companies directly rather than just applying for jobs on Seek. In Perth, one of the six-month jobs I got was purely because they kept my CV on file and they phoned me and offered it to me, I had the interview and I got it. That’s the job I’m doing now, Correspondence Controller, working on a mining project, and WA is more sought-after for that type of work. That was originally for three months, so it was extended, but the agencies are the best to go through because they can find all sorts of work. If you speak to them directly, they’re more than likely going to keep you on file, and if you have an admin background, you can easily find work. I was an administrative officer in the UK Border Agency where I worked as an immigration officer, so it’s important to tailor your CV to satisfy the administrative background.
EXPRESS TAX Level 6, 155 Castlereagh St Sydney, NSW, 2000 1800 739 739 +61 (0) 2 9267 3200 www.expresstaxback.com.au
TAXBACK.CO.UK Overseas worker tax refunds UK, AUS, NZ, CANADA, USA, IRE 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 AMY ACCOUNTANTS Suite 101, Level 1, 250 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 1300 179 934 +61 (0) 2 92627188 info@amyaccountants.com.au www.amyaccountants.com.au
WANTED Carpenters Labourers Electricians Welders Arborists Are you a skilled worker looking for employment in Australia? We want to hear from you. Email us at
jobs@bbmlive.com or call us
02 8005 8162 www.bbmlive.com
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JOBS
Looking to work in hospitality? We talk you through how to apply for your RSA & RCG Certificates, so you can get the job you want... When you’re travelling around, its more than likely you’ll take a job in hospitality at some point, whilst you’re finding your feet, or simply want to work for a short period of time between trips, but in order to do so in Australia, it’s imperative you get your RSA certificate in order to work at any establishment servicing alcohol, or that houses pokies, A.K.A fruities! The RSA Certificate is the Responsible Service of Alcohol. Without one, you won’t even get an interview, and anywhere serving alcohol will require one. That kind of limits your opportunities in restaurants, bars, and some of the hostels/ hotels and cafe’s. You’ll need the RSA to work in these places, and the law is heavily enforced, so your employer will need to see and keep your certificate at your worksite, so it’s not something you can get around, even with all that cocktail making experience or your mixology certificate! Sounds rather official and scary - we know, but relax. It’s no big deal. You’ll just need to complete a training course 26
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and pass an assessment. “Assessment?” We hear you cry, seriously don’t worry, the course is fairly simple, and is designed to help you safely and responsibly serve alcohol. Much of it is common sense, and it’s just to keep you updated and informed on the laws and regulations around serving alcohol in the different Australian states. See, not so scary. Now, getting your RSA depends on which states you’ll be planning on visiting and working in, because each state’s laws will vary slightly. Some RSA Certificates allow you to work in more than one state, so it’s a good idea to know where you’ll be going before you do the course. You can do your RSA once you’ve landed in Oz, or if you prefer, you can do it online before you set off. Whatever you feel comfortable with, but it’s worth noting some states like Victoria, require you to complete the course there, and in a classroom. There’s plenty of information at www.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning there are similar laws around gambling. The RCG (Responsible Conduct of Gambling) or RSG (You guessed it - Responsible Service of Gambling) allows you to work around these institutes. We don’t necessarily mean casino’s where you’re folding cards in a dickie-bow and calling blackjack, but even in some bars and hotels where they have fruities and slot machines. The RSG isn’t mandatory across all of Australia, but it’s worth having a look at where you’re going to see if it might be needed. You can do the course online, and some will even be rolled into one with your RSA, but it’s worth taking a look around or even asking once you’re down under where to get one or whether it’s needed. The RSA however, is one you should definitely look into for any hospitality work. You don’t want to be limited when you’re having the time if your life. Get your certificates organised and you’ll be free to do as you please, and able to work in bars, cafe’s, restaurants, hotels and hostels, or anywhere else you may want to feel like Tom Cruise in Cocktail.
More info at bbmlivecom/getting-started
By Jonathan Harris
RSA CERTIFICATES
rsaonlineguide.com.au and even more on www.onlinersa. com.au where you can even do your course online. Getting your RSA is a great idea, and one that opens up loads more opportunities for you during your time in Australia, just remember getting organised with it will put you ahead of plenty of other travellers and have you earning some extra dosh and enjoying your work along the way!
Home Owners Are Sexy
It sounds crazy, but owning your own home is not only financially beneficial. It may well improve your sex life too. Forget the washboard abs and chiselled pecs – there’s nothing sexier than someone who is financially stable and has a property to show for it. Now think back to your teenage years, when you would fumble around with your high school squeeze in your bedroom only to have your mum burst through the door. It’s funny to think back on those early attempts to get freaky, unless you’re still stuck between your mum and a hard place, if you know what we mean. The back seat of your car is another go-to workbench for property-deprived lovers, but you aren’t a teen anymore and your hatchback can no longer withstand your sexual prowess! With your own property, you can well and truly break free of the chains of the backseat and even take the action away from the bedroom. Ever tried it in the kitchen? Just make sure you wash up before the guests arrive… Right about now, you’re probably asking yourself why you haven’t flown the coop yet. Buy your own home and become master of your domain! Just remember to pull the shades to save your neighbours from getting a free peep show, unless you’re into that kind of thing. Improve your sex life and get yourself on the property ladder sharpish with help from homeloanexperts.com.au.
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Words courtesy of Home Loan Experts.
Hear us out: who else is more reliable and trustworthy than someone who owns their own home? A homeowner needs to have a stable income and good credit in order to buy a house.
Don’t miss out on your uk Tax refund!
Just because you’re in Australia, doesn’t mean you don’t have to submit your tax return, here’s the easiest way to get back the money you’re owed and put it towards your travel adventures.
Are you currently living or working in Australia after recently leaving the UK during the financial year? If so then you will want to sort out your taxes by filing your return as soon as possible. You don’t want to miss out on money that you are owed, just because you have left the country. To make life easier, and so you don’t get into a spot of bother with filing your tax return online, you should consider going with a trusted and respected tax agent. With Taxback.co.uk, you will receive a completely FREE assessment on exactly how much money you are owed. They specialise in helping those receive their returns at a swift rate, between 3 -4 weeks. If you are from the UK but are no longer in the country, the agents can help you too. Taxback also offer services for Self Employed clients, Self-Assessment clients, Seafarers and Non-resident Landlords, SEIS and EIS refunds. 28
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They can organise and submit your Tax Returns for a very low cost. The agents will oversee the whole tax refund process from the start to end that offers you a hassle free service. When your tax return is completed and a claim can be made, Taxback will take a 15% commission. But, if they can’t get you any money back you will not be charged a penny! If you have not made a claim for your tax return dating back four years then you are able to file a tax return for those too. Getting these sorted could see you receiving a tax rebate that could be a great help for paying off any of those looming bills or even better, booking an amazing adventure travel holiday to Australia. The deadline to file your tax return is on the 31st January and if you do not get yours put through by then, you will be fined £100 and also for each year you have not failed to put through a tax return. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in contact with Taxback by visiting their website www.taxback.co.uk.
By Isaac Tesfamariam
There’s nothing better in life than receiving a great refund on your income tax and sticking one to the Taxman. However, do make sure that you have sorted your online application completed by the deadline so you don’t incur any fines.
stay in oz for longer
Here’s some handy tips from Thames Migration on how to apply for your 457 visa and stay in Australia longer...
• Total job vacancies in August 2014 were 147,200, an increase of 1.2% from May 2014. • The number of job vacancies in the private sector was 134,600 in August 2014, an increase of 0.6% from May 2014. • The number of job vacancies in the public sector was 12,600 in August 2014, an increase of 8.8% from May 2014 Thames Migration has seen an increase of 30% in enquiries for working visas to Australia. The Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) allows skilled workers to work for a sponsoring employer for up to four years. A company can only sponsor a foreign worker if it cannot find an Australian citizen or permanent resident to do the work. The 457 visa is Australia’s most important skilled visa program given the bipartisan support for a skilled migration framework, one swayed towards Australian labour market demand. A temporary visa, often referred to as a ‘work visa’ has currently about 190,000 visa holders living and working in Australia, including over 105,000 primary visa holders. In a government-commissioned report published
in September 2014, an independent panel concluded that Australia’s 457 visa program was too complicated and burdensome for employers and applicants. The report proposed several changes to simplify and streamline the 457 visa process. Here’s a few usful points to consider: • No age requirement • Find a suitable job in Australia - you can send your CV to Thames Migration • Obtain a job offer (for up to 4 years) Subclass 457 visa holders can: • work in Australia for a period of between one day and four years • bring any eligible dependants with them to Australia—dependants can work and study • after entering Australia, have no limit on the number of times they can travel in and out of Australia, while their visa remains valid. There are several requirements that visa applicants must meet to be granted a visa. These include: • skills and experience necessary to perform the nominated occupation (see Thames Migration) • adequate health insurance must be arranged for the period of stay in Australia • genuine intention must be shown to perform the nominated occupation • standard visa requirements such as character and health checks together with a declaration concerning Australian values and laws must be met. For more information about the Subclass 457 and advice on the above stages contact Thames Migration at www.thamesmigration.com
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Words courtesy of Thames Migration
Most people emigrating to Australia head for the popular cities like Sydney or Melbourne leaving other states and areas crying out for new skilled workers. “Australia’s economy is doing exceptionally well, with around 147,200 job vacancies,” says Hannibal Khoury or Thames Migration. “Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures released in August 2014 are refreshing especially when concerns about the 2014 -15 Budget and other developments may spark a drop in consumer confidence.”
Jobs Available In Oz We are looking for candidates to fill a wide range of jobs across Australia. Take a look at a few of the opportunities that we have available through our network of employers.
RECRUITERs
Electricians
The skills of an electrician can greatly dictate the pay they can expect in Australia. In this highly regarded occupation, electricians can earn above the $62,000 national average if they have skills in telecommunications and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)/ Automation. Locations with higher salaries include Gladstone, Perth, Canberra and Townsville, while Bendigo, Launceston and Hobart have some of the lowest.
Have you just arrived in Australia? Are you looking for work? Skills or no skills, we can help you. Send your CV and cover letter to jobs@bbmlive.com 30
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In Australia, the area with the highest popularity of recruitment roles is Sydney, but recruiters in Perth can earn up to 14% more than the national average salary of $61,000. Those that are at mid-career level can also see a jump of 32% from the national average, and there is a trend for recruiters with over 10 years’ experience to change careers, so anyone with a lot of experience is highly sought after.
Carpenters
Carpentry in Australia differs greatly depending on skills, experience and location. The national average annual salary of a carpenter is $56,000, but this increases by 18% for an experienced carpenter, and by 27% for someone in their late career. There is also an average increase of 34% if working in Darwin and 11% decrease in Hobart. Also, those with skills in roofing, renovations, maintenance and framemaking will see an affect on the salary they could obtain.
Sales Jobs In Oz
There are a number of fantastic working opportunities available in Australia for anyone after a career in Sales. The skills you will need for such positions are associated with high pay for these jobs. So you should have the skill to communicate, be confident and authoritative speaker and have a passion for selling as well as good negotiation skills. If you are interested in applying for work in this field then get in contact with us and we can find you work quickl
Send your CV to jobs@bbmlive.com
TEACHING JOBS IN OZ
As with any visa application, to come into Australia there are various conditions. For the job itself you would need to meet all English language requirements. In order to work in the country you would need a valid visa, a typical Working Holiday Visa would suffice. Academically speaking, you would need a university or college teaching qualification, such as an undergraduate professional degree or PGCE. Getting into the specifics, you would need to include proof in your application that you are currently qualified and/or licensed to teach, which can be a letter from a teaching licensing or employment authority. Ensure that you locate copies of all your academic and teaching qualifications because they will be required for the application. Experience counts and you would be required to have completed at least six weeks, or the equivalent of 30 days, of supervised teaching practice and provide evidence. While you may have the experience, you would need to have your teaching skills assessed by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School
Leadership. This would require at least a year of tertiary level professional teaching studies related to your specific teaching occupation. Once you have ticked off all those boxes you need to think about where in Australia you want to work. This is relatively important as different states have different opportunities. While there is a teacher shortage it is easier to find work in remote locations, specifically in the Northern Territory, as opposed to the more cosmopolitan destinations in New South Wales and Queensland. If you desperately wanted to live in a certain area you should consider becoming a casual teacher first. Your skills would also need to be recognised by the regulatory body in the state you intend to work in. The education system differs slightly too. There are eight Key Learning Areas that are taught in all Australian schools which include: English, Mathematics, Studies of Society and the Environment, Science, Arts, Languages, Technology and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education. Specialist teachers also teach a varied range of subjects and around 90% of secondary schools offer additional, vocational education programmes. If all that sounds feasible then consider the General Skilled Migration Programme and have your skills assessed by Teaching Australia. Before long you could be giving lessons then enjoying life Down Under.
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By Omar Soliman
Those who can, teach, and if you want to live in Australia a shortage of teachers means that this is a great time to get work in Australia. Right now pre-school, primary and secondary teachers are all included on the Skilled Occupations List so if you have the required training and qualifications come on down.
10 Tips To Getting A Job In Oz Getting a job in Australia doesn’t have to be difficult. Just use these ten tips for bagging your next role!
1. Be Flexible
6. Don’t Just Do Business
2. Don’t Brush Over Experience Or Qualifications
7. Try A Recruitment Company
Even if you have experience in one role, don’t restrict yourself from other opportunities. If you’ve been a bartender or event planner, you may find that other jobs arise in the hospitality industry that you are more than capable for.
The experience and qualifications you do have are ultimately priceless, whether in sales, construction or electrics, and proof of them is just as important, so make sure you have formal qualifications and references.
3. First Impressions Count
Read any good books lately? This is the kind of question you may be hit with during an interview to find out more about your character and personality, so be prepared and have something to talk about other than business.
Recruitment companies are rife in Australia. If you’ve got a particular vocation or set of skills, they’ve probably got the job and company for you. And let’s face it; a little expert help can’t hurt.
8. Regional Work
Do you know that someone makes up their mind about you in the first 30 seconds of meeting? Making a good first impression counts in any instance of meeting someone new, so look at every opportunity as a chance to network and you won’t go wrong.
If you’re on a Working Holiday Visa and want to extend your stay, you will need to complete 88 days of regional work, which can be anything from fruit picking to construction. Even if you’re unsure about your future in Oz, consider regional work so you will have it ticked off when the time comes to decide.
4. There Is No Job Season
9. BE Consistent
5. State Your Origins
10. Avoid Empty Words
While Australia may be busier in the spring and summer months, there are jobs all year round to apply for, and winter means there is less competition than usual. The casual work market is buoyant between September and March, but don’t let your job search depend on the time of year.
If you’re from the UK, Ireland, or any Englishspeaking country, you instantly increase your chances of finding a job with no language barrier, similar culture and alternative skills to offer. 32
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It may be boring repeating the same story to everyone you meet whilst travelling, but if your story doesn’t match up when it matters, there could be trust lost before it’s even built. Make sure there’s nothing that could slip you up, and avoid even little white lies.
You might be hard-working, punctual and dedicated, but it turns out, so is everyone else! Be concise on actual skills for the job and make sure you have examples for each.
TRAVEL
Discover SOUTH AUSTRALIA There’s so much to do in South Australia, from sand boarding on Kangaroo Island to Wine tasting in the Barossa Valley.
Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary’s Koala Walk promises the chance to see between 15 and 20 koalas at a time, as well as a menagerie of other famous Aussie native wildlife. You’ll stay at the beautiful Vivonne Bay Lodge with a small group of other visitors, giving you an opportunity to get to know the other people on your tour. From $436 per adult, transfers can also be included, with ferry
and plane travel from Cape Jervis or Adelaide. The Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre near Lyndoch prides itself on its design, which focuses on sustainability, recycling and energy conservation. Entry is free, so you’ll have plenty left at the end of the day to spend on… souvenirs. In addition to the 14 grape varieties there are beautiful gardens filled with native flora and stunning views of the sweeping hills around the Barossa Valley. And of course, wine tasting is available. Make sure you make the most of the summer by exploring South Australia. With something to do for all price ranges, there’s plenty to keep you busy!
By Ruth McDonald
For your next weekend away, Kangaroo Island offers a brilliant package of accommodation and activities. The 2-day Island Wilderness Explorer tour comes with a guide and entry to the best of the Island’s key attractions. The Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery is the only commercial eucalyptus distillery in South Australia, and gets points with nature lovers for being off grid and completely self sufficient!
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Monkey Mia & Karijini National Park With some of the most diverse landscape in the world, Western Australia combines the blue waters of an ocean with rugged, rocky terrain. Here, we take a look at two areas of this enormous state that couldn’t look or feel more different to each other.
Monkey Mia
Wild dolphins, pristine beaches and crystal clear waters, Monkey Mia is an attraction for visitors around the world. 320 days of sunshine, it is blessed with a Mediterranean atmosphere for a relaxing holiday, yet is on the very edge of the famous Australian outback. Not only are dolphin encounters here virtually guaranteed, these gentle creatures are also wild, visiting on their own accord in their natural habitat. In fact, dolphins come up to shore so regularly, that visitors can get the chance to pet and feed them. The dolphins are the pull here, but there are so many other reasons to visit this gorgeous coastline. Bathe on the beach and catch some rays, visit the floating black pearl farm, jump on a quad bike and explore Shark Bay, or discover what lies beneath the surface with a snorkel trip or glass bottom boat tour.
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Karijini National Park
1000km northeast of Monkey Mia is Karijini National Park, which swaps the beaches and ocean for red dessert and sparkling rock pools. Best travelled by 4WD and on foot, the Karijini holds the most incredible rock formations, gorges and caves imaginable, some of which are lined with vegetation. Dusty walking trails lead to fabulous viewing points such as Oxer Lookout, so you can take in the desolate landscape before you. Rather than marine life, the inhabitants you can expect here are red kangaroos, rock wallabies, echidnas, dragons and dingoes. Any watering holes provide sweet escapes from the dry heat, but clean drinking water and trusty walking boots are recommended when hiking for long periods of time between the deep and craggy gorges, including Red Gorge, Weano Gorge and Hancock Gorge. Two areas of one state providing very different experiences, but both equally outstanding and beautiful.
Grab your mates, or make new ones with My Mates Tours up the East Coast. You can see some of the best parts of New South Wales and check in to Queensland in just seven days with My Mates Tours and their fixed-price, no-hidden-costs tours. For one week of action-packed fun, incredible sights and thrilling activities, the Ultimate Aussie Adventure tour combines the coast with the bush. From day one, you will be meeting Australia’s wildlife including kangaroos and dolphins, and getting to grips with the power of a 4WD. The coastal section of this trip includes surfing at Diamond Heads, paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkelling off Byron Bay, a tour of Cape Byron Lighthouse and a bush BBQ of mussels, oysters, crayfish and kangaroo. Closer inland, you get the chance to explore the Boonoo Boonoo River and waterfall, search for gold in Rocky River, learn to throw a lasso at Jackaroo & Jilliaroo school, tour the vineyards of Mudgee and take in the breathtaking views of the Three Sisters at the world famous Blue Mountains. Travelling from Sydney to the Gold Coast, you can enjoy the comfort of an air-conditioned coach, which also offers free Wi-Fi for you to Tweet your trip and Instagram envy-inducing images. Should you not have your own images, your tour guide will be taking photos and videos that you can have free of charge at the end of each day. When it’s time to hit the hay, there is a variety of scheduled accommodation throughout the tour, including camping at a beach reserve in Crowdy Bay National Park and shared hotel rooms. Your driver will be with you throughout the tour, and local guides and instructors will be on hand during individual experiences and activities. The Ultimate Aussie Adventure is just $1890pp, with absolutely no hidden costs or extra charges for activities. Everything listed in all My Mates tours is included, so what you see is exactly what you get travel, accommodation, meals and activities. If you’d prefer just to do the coast or bush, you can with My Coastal Discovery and My Bush Bash, but if you want an all-round experience jump on board the Ultimate Aussie Adventure.
Visit www.mymatestours.com for the latest deals, up to date info on tours and loads more... 36
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My Mates Trips In Pics
Go snorkelling in Byron Bay
Gold Panning at Uralla’s Rocky River
Learn To Surf at Diamond Heads www.bbmlive.com
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Uluru at Sunset
The iconic Uluru is impressive at all times of the day, but sunset is when this mighty sandstone rock comes into its own with a rich red colour that transforms the skyline.
BEST THINGS TO DO AROUND AUSTRALIA Don’t lose your head trying to decide what to do in Australia. When touring the East Coast and Northern Territory, you can tick off these top activities and have an unforgettable experience thanks to the diverse landscape of this great island continent.
Sail The Whitsundays
A total of 74 islands make up the Whitsundays, all of which invite you to swim, snorkel and bathe in the turquoise waters around them. On board a sailing boat, you can hop on and off, explore the surrounding coral reefs and their residents, or laze on the picture perfect, sandy beaches. 38
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Camel Ride
One of the few Australian animals you can jump onto the back of, you can ride an actual camel at Kings Creek Station in the Northern Territory. Sure beats a donkey at Blackpool.
4WD on Fraser Island
Driving down 75 Mile Beach, feasting on a gourmet BBQ lunch, swimming in the pure waters of Lake McKenzie and staying overnight on the largest sand island in the world, Fraser has it all.
Great Barrier Reef Cruise
One of the original natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef is over 2,000km of underwater magic, so put on your snorkelling gear and see the fish, turtles, coral and kaleidoscope of colour that await on a cruise.
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Beaches
Whitehaven, Airlie, Noosa, Manly – we could go on. The beaches of Australia play a big part in its outdoor culture, with a range of water sports available and sunbathing when you want to top up your tan on golden sands.
All of these activities and much, much more are available on Contiki Holidays Australian trips from 3-25 days. If you’ve only got a few weeks to travel or if you’re looking to experience Australia and make new friends along the way, definitely consider organised group travel as an option. It’s great to share your experiences with like-minded people, and even better if they’re with you for the ride. Give Contiki a call on 1300-266-845, head to Contiki.com or visit your local travel agent.
Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb
One of the most famous sights on the planet, the Sydney Harbour Bridge encapsulates New Year’s Eve with a spectacular fireworks display. Not only can you take a cruise below it, you can climb to the top of the bridge and look at across the city before you, including the iconic Sydney Opera House. 40
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Whale Spotting in Hervey Bay
Though they don’t hang around all year, Hervey Bay is the number one location in Australia to view humpback whales. A boat trip to remember, these majestic giants of the ocean are nothing short of spectacular.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
As Australia is renowned for its unique wildlife, there are some incredibly cool inhabitants at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, including kangaroos, emus, crocodiles, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, and koalas, which you even get the chance to have a cuddle with.
Tandem Skydiving
You can see Australia from a completely different perspective with a tandem skydive over the northern tropical city of Cairns. Overlooking as far as the ocean reefs and the Queensland rainforest, take to the skies and experience adrenaline like no other.
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Fraser Island Life By Hana (Dropbear) White
Showing travellers around her place of home is a weekly occurrence for Hana White, because her home is Queensland’s Fraser Island. Here, she talks us through what life is really like on an island. Life on a paradise island… now doesn’t that sound nice? But what’s it all really about? Well let me tell you, it’s very different from life as we know it on the mainland; which is what us islanders call Australia. Most of us dream of living a simple life with simple pleasures, and what could be better than the gorgeous Aussie sunshine, stunning crystal clear turquoise ocean and an abundance of sand? In my mind, nothing could beat living life on the largest sand island in the world; the famous Fraser Island. To those of us who have come to know the island well, we call her K’gari. To the original inhabitants of the island – the Butchella people – this translates to paradise, and they couldn’t have been more spot on. The pristine beauty of this World Heritage National Park is most certainly a
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visual paradise, but behind the scenes what is island life really like? I wouldn’t have ever said I was destined for island life nor did I ever really know what it was all about. I just knew the idea of it very much appealed to me. I loved city life. The fast paced, flamboyant and impulsive nature of living in a concrete jungle with a rich tapestry of culture inspired me, but the idea of living on a magically beautiful island appealed to me so much that when I got the chance in 2010 to live and work on Fraser Island I jumped at it. And wow, was I in for a shock. Often the idea of something is far from the reality and living on Fraser Island has certainly demonstrated this. With no running water, no mains electricity and no phone lines, island life is most certainly not a walk in the park. I like to think it’s as close as you could get to living in the “olden days”. You have to plan for everything and more importantly you have to plan for everything to go wrong and have a “just in case” plan all the time.
On a daily basis, I have to think about collecting water, rationing food supplies, managing solar power and maintaining equipment so it will stand up against the many elements that beach living throws at us. You are literally surviving but with the safety of knowing you can pop to the mainland should you need your normal society fix. They always say that it’s the little things you miss and the small things you take for granted, and after living on Fraser Island for four years I know this all too well. When I do go to the mainland I can’t tell you how much I appreciate just being able to turn on a tap without having to have pumped the water moments earlier, charging things at night knowing the power won’t run out, pigging out knowing I can just pop to the shop and get more food at anytime. Seriously, these things are luxury to me these days. Fortunately, or unfortunately however you look at it… I come from a family of mad hatters and it’s this that has helped me adapt to island life and continue to love it. There is never a dull day around here and some would say it’s full of drama, but I like to look at it as an adventure.
Fraser Island is famous for its epic 4WD offroading, stunning crystal clear lakes, towering rainforest uniquely growing on sand and, of course, the notorious dingoes. Many travellers from all over the world come to see and experience this captivating island, and while most never want to leave, few are courageous enough to stay. Fraser Island is a place where people come to escape the everyday craziness of life, a place where you won’t get any phone reception (unless you’re with Telstra and even then you only get signal in a few places). It’s an island that holds its World Heritage listing because it is so untouched and modern day living cannot exist. If it’s five-star luxury you’re after, this place may not be for you. If its an amazing nature experience, chilling with gorgeous friendly people and a truly eco friendly experience, then you need to get yourself to Fraser Island, because you will love it – just be prepared to turn off your phone, get back to basics, get sandy, and immerse yourself in life’s simple pleasures.
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GLOBAL TRAVEL
2015 Travel Deals We’ve searched the best global adventure travel companies websites and pulled together a few tips to help you bag yourself a bargain on your 2015 travels.
Contiki
You can save yourself some serious money by paying early with Contiki. If you’ve got your heart set on travelling around Asia, you can save up to 7.5% if you pay the full tour price by 29th January 2015, and up to 5% if you pay by 26th March 2015. www.contiki.com
Acacia Africa
At the time of writing, Acacia Africa are offering 15% discounts for last-minute deals, with departure times usually the following month. These rates are reviewed every month, so can change. www.acacia-africa.com
Intrepid
A couple of times a year, Intrepid do offer huge discounts on exclusive tours for a short period of time, but you can currently take advantage of 10% off all trips until 15th December for travel between 1st March and 31st December 2015. www.intrepidtravel.com
Topdeck
Not only are Topdeck offering ever-changing deals of the week, you can save a portion of your budget for your 2015 European travel by paying early. Pay the full tour price by 16th January and save 10%, or pay it all by 31st March and save 7.5%. www.topdeck.travel 44
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Geckos
You’ve got to take a look at the last minute deals with Geckos. At the time of writing, trips include 14 days travelling around India and Nepal from just £550pp ($1200AUD), and six days in Cambodia from £235 ($500AUD). From 1st December 2014 – 11th January 2015, you can also receive 10% off of any Peru trip when travelling between 1st January and 30th September. www.geckosadventures.com
Busabout
King of the Early Bird Sale, Busabout are offering 20% off hop-on hop-off passes and up to 25% off trips in Europe and Asia when you book by 15th January 2015. Some trips are date-specific and some are seasonal, but there are so many to choose from that you are bound to find one perfect for you. www.busabout.com
G Adventures
There are always last-minute deals or G Adventures, with 10% and 20% off selected tours on specific departure dates. You can usually find sales around late summer, Easter and the Christmas Advent Calendar has 12 days of deals from 12th December that you would be a fool not to look out for. www.gadventures.co.uk
For more travel tips check out bbmlive.com/travel-ideas
THAINTRO We chat Travel in Thailand with Ash Turton who’s just left Koh Phangan with Thaintro... We did some shopping (clothes are so cheap!), lots of beach/hammock time, we stayed on longer after the week and hired motorbikes and explored the island, and lots of beach parties! You got to spend time with elephants on your final day; how were you introduced to them? The local owner and mahouts gave us a talk on the history, eating habits and cool facts about the elephants and then we got introduced to each one. What activities did you get to do with them? We went into the jungle and collected food for them and then fed them, bathed them, took them down into a big pond and swam and washed them again. We got to jump on them when they were in the water. An unforgettable experience! How was the beach party to end your week? What did the ThaIntro team put on for you all? It was awesome! We had a big farewell dinner that ThaIntro paid for, they then gave us lanterns to light and send into the sky to say goodbye, and then we hit the beach to party on! There was fireshows, beach games and a few buckets! What was your favourite part of your week in Thailand? Hard to pick just one. The floating bungalows and elephants were probably my biggest highlight. Did you continue elsewhere in Thailand and where else would you go? Yep, a bunch of us stayed on for another 8 weeks. We did the ThaIntro add-on in Phi Phi Islands (awesome!), we went to Chiang Mai and then across into Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia. We then came back to the ThaIntro beachside bungalows - Sarana and just chilled for a week. Such an amazing trip!
Image courtesy of ThaIntro
Why did you want to travel Thailand? I’d heard so many awesome things from friends who had been and flights were cheap from Australia. How did you bond with the group of people you would be travelling with? What sort of things ran through your head when you were meeting these people for the first time? We bonded really quickly. I think with us all in the same situation and in such a weird and crazy place for the first time together it was easy! And the ThaIntro group leaders really helped bring us altogether. I didn’t think of much other then, I hope they’re up for a laugh! What Thai cuisine did you learn to cook during the cooking class? How did it taste? We learnt Pad Thai, Massamum curry and Tom Yum soup. Mine tasted awesome! How would you describe Khao Sok National Park? The most epic place I’ve ever been too! It was like floating in a national geographic photo! A stunning lake in the middle of a rainforest with amazing limestone cliffs, monkey’s jumping around and cool locals showing us around. What was it like sleeping in a floating bungalow? Could you tell that you were on water when you went to bed and woke up the next morning? Pretty memorable! It’s a super calm lake so you don’t really feel like you’re floating when in bed but to wake up and dive straight from your bedroom into the water was pretty amazing! What activities did you get up to in your spare time?
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CYCle Thailand... Louise Molyneux recounts her cycling holiday to Central Thailand and explains why the combination of adventure and culture means that everyone gets something out of a holiday with Spice Roads. A cycling holiday in Central Thailand is the perfect combination of adventure and culture. A chance to slow your pace, live and breathe the sights and smells of this beautiful country, both ancient and modern. Starting and finishing in Bangkok, in just four days with cycle tour company Spice Roads we visited a traditional floating market, the infamous
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Death Railway, and Bridge over the River Kwai – and the temples of the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. In between these major tourist attractions we were immersed in the real Thailand as we cycled a total of 120km through farmland, orchards, rice fields, teak plantations and small villages. At every opportunity the Thai people welcomed us, enveloping us in the spirit of Thailand, “the land of smiles”.
This trip is a perfect choice for novice cyclists because the 30km of cycling each day takes place on hard-packed trails and quiet, tarmac roads. It was easily manageable for us – two adults of average fitness. Led by an English-speaking guide, it is fully vehicle supported so any member of the group can opt to ride in the van at any point and not miss the sights, meaning you are never far from the unending supply of cold drinks, fresh fruit and snacks either! The tour begins with exploration of the Mae Klong Delta, south of Bangkok, where we took a leisurely cruise among the colourful vendors of the floating market. At times we were onlookers, at other times we joined in the goodnatured bargaining for fruit and vegetables, freshly cooked food and souvenirs. Then we escaped the hustle and bustle and headed out into the canals to witness village life. Within moments we were motoring through the plantations and suddenly our world was quiet,
save for the put-put of the boat’s engine. We passed wooden houses on stilts, men taking a bath and ladies waist-deep in the murky, brown water washing their clothes, set against the vibrant green of the trees behind.
Day two started in Kanchanaburi, where a visit to the war museum, cemetery and the Bridge over the River Kwai were a stark reminder of the suffering inflicted on Allied Prisoners of War during the building of the Burma-Thailand railway. The outstanding natural beauty of the area, witnessed from a train ride along a section of the Death Railway, creates a serene atmosphere, one in which I could not help but stop and contemplate the horror of war. The cycling continued in the afternoon, through forests and along rivers set against the magnificent Thanon Thongchai Mountain Range, which runs along the border between Thailand and Myanmar.
of three rivers, Ayutthaya is today a modern city peppered with impressive remains of temples and palaces. Covering a total area of just 2.9 km2, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is perfect for exploring by bicycle as the distances between temples are small. The juxtaposition of 21st Century buildings and ancient temple ruins, neon plastic signs and large stone Buddhas is intriguing. Spice Roads wants you to “see the world by bicycle”. And that is what we did. This trip was so much more than a cycling holiday or a sight seeing holiday. The combination and
regular shifting between the two meant that we were engaged and interested throughout the trip. Based in Bangkok, but operating across Asia, and beyond, Spice Roads run a large variety of both group and private guided cycling tours at different levels of difficulty. Bike hire is provided and trips are fully supported. It is a holiday unlike any other and one you will want to repeat! For more information and prices of cycling holidays in Thailand visit www.spiceroads.com
Words by Louise Molyneux, images by Simon Molyneux
In the afternoon we switched the long tail boat for bikes and pedaled along quiet roads through lush countryside, abounding with coconuts and other fruit. The beauty of travelling by bike is that you can stop and stare whenever and wherever you want; you become part of the environment, not just a mere spectator. It is an up close and personal experience that you just do not get in a tour bus. As you cycle past, cultural barriers break down: people smile at you, wave and invite you over for a chat in which hand signals and laughter are your common language.
From Kanchanaburi we transferred by van to Ayutthaya – the former capital city of Siam and one of Asia’s most prosperous cities in the 17th Century. Sited at the confluence
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COMPETITIONS
This month’s competitions are oh ho special, if we do say so ourselves. We’ve got more NYE tickets, bar tabs and more online at www.bbmlive.com. To win any of the below prizes all you need to do is sign up to the BBMLive newsletter at bbmlive.com by the 20th November 2014 or email us at competitions@bbmlive.com with the name of the competition in the subject, your full name and out of work hours contact details.
Say goodbye to 2014 and welcome 2015 at Tropicana New Year’s Eve inside Bungalow 8 and The Loft. With a double pass up for grabs, you could be dancing the night away to some of Europe and Australia’s top DJs, while taking in the world famous Sydney Harbour fireworks from one of the best locations in the city. All entrants must be over 18 and have valid ID to claim the prize. All venue and promoter T&C’s apply.
$200 Tattoo Voucher Courtesy of BlinD Tiger Tattoo - Kings Cross
Have a permanent memento of your travels with a new tattoo. If you are set on getting one, Blind Tiger Tattoo (formerly known as Kings Cross Ink Tattoo), have given us a $200 voucher towards the payment of your new body art. Whether you’re a first-timer or want to expand your collection, this discount will go a long way. Cannot be used with any other promotion. All Blind Tiger Tattoo policy 48
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and legal requirements apply.
$50 Bar Tab at The Bat & Ball Hotel
Get your next round at Parkside Bar on the house with a $50 bar tab to use on food, drink and anything they can muster together. Enjoy a visit to this Surry Hills favourite and experience their proper pub grub and quality drinks menu that includes some top Beers and Wines.
2 x Double General Admission Tickets To Cargo NYE ON the Harbour
As if all the rest of these amazing prizes weren’t enough, we’ve only gone and bagged 2 sets of double passes to Cargo NYE On The Harbour at Cargo Bar and Lounge, King Street Wharf! On the night Cargo have a stellar line up featuring Hermitude, Yolanda Be Cool and a secret Headline act! To get your hands on the tickets simply email us telling us which of the DJ’s you would most like to see in 25 words or less. Competition closes on the 20th December 2014 so get your entries in quick!
www.bbmlive.com/competitions
*Terms and conditions apply. All entrants must be over 18. Client t&c’s apply
Tropicana NYE at Bungalow 8 & The Loft Double Pass Plus $200 worth of Bar tab vouchers
Travel Essentials Whilst you’re travelling it’s important you have everything you need. Here are our trusty essentials for the month...
VIVOBAREFOOT
This revolutionary footwear is perfect for the intrepid explorer. Not only are they extremely light-weight they fold up so you can shove them in your bag, no matter how limited you are on space. These trainers are great if you’re planning on doing any running or hiking whilst travelling, or even just for slipping into whilst dashing around town. They’re so lightweight that it’s easy to forget you’re even wearing shoes. With they’re hardy grip, the Vivobarefoot makes for the perfect travel companion. $189.95 AUD available from www.vivobarefoot.com
iT7s2 2nd Generation Wireless Sports Headphones
These sleek wireless headphones are brilliant for those who are fed up of untangling headphone cables, and are a definite nod to the future. With just a USB charger cable these are easy and lightweight to pack for your travels, and they’re also great for when you’re exercising – and what’s more, you can use them to answer phone calls. $178 available from www.very.com
TheraPearl For those of you who get a bit
MIPOW Mirror Power Pack
achey when you’re travelling, the TheraPearl is an easy way to cure and swelling or stiffness. You Truly a girl’s best friend, this handy can either heat the pack in the device combines extra charge microwave for a few seconds to when your phone decides to die, warm it up, or stick it in the freezer and is a mirror, so you can check for when you need to take some yourself whenever you need. You swelling down. can charge the power bank via $14 available from USB from your computer or phone www.therapearl.com charger, and keep it handy in your handbag. But just remember you’ll need your charger cable to plug into the Mirror Power Pack. $89.99 available from store. mipow.com
Purepotions - 100% Natural, First Aid Salves
For those of you who like to be prepared these little skin saviours are all oil-based rather than water-based, and suitable for everybody. Designed in handy handbag-sized pots these are tiny lifesavers for when you’re out and about and those little skin emergencies pop up. The First Aid Salve range covers four important skin emergency areas (spots and bites, minor burns and chapped skin, cuts and grazes and strains, sprains and bruises). $8.35 each available from www.purepotions.co.uk
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Health Retreats In Oz There’s never a bad time to visit a health retreat, but no better time than the beginning of a New Year after the party season. There are many retreats in Australia that provide lessons in health and wellbeing, opportunities to relax and a chance to get away from home, that also make use of the luscious landscape. Treat yourself with a visit to a health retreat in Australia. There are many to choose from…
Gwinganna
With a selection of beautiful buildings, Gwinganna spoils guests with ocean views, fluffy white pillows atop four-poster beds, steam rooms and plunge pools. Proud of providing ecotourism, there is a focus on getting back to basics with added luxury, from challenging walks within the Hinterland of the Gold Coast to relaxing massages and facials in the spa during Gwinganna Dreamtime. Enhance your wellbeing, improve your knowledge of a healthy lifestyle and discover how to have downtime in ordinary life. A weekend at Gwinganna costs from $980pp and includes a 50-minute massage, meals and drinks, a wellness seminar and scheduled activities. www.gwinganna.com
Hopewood
Fresh air, gentle exercise, good food and delicious juices, Hopewood is beneficial to your health. And where better to replenish and rejuvenate than in the foothills of the Blue Mountains? Just over an hour from Sydney, this retreat offers a relaxing day spa, lifestyle workshops and cooking classes all to help you continue your new life back home. You don’t need to stay overnight – go for a special pamper day or a well-made meal – but packages range from two to 10 nights and indulgence to complete renewal. Accommodation is pretty basic, but you won’t be spending much time in bed with the Nepean River and forest to explore. The two-night Mini Escape costs from $728 while the Blissful Glow for seven nights costs from $2191. www.hopewood.com.au
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Eden
The activities on offer at Eden will give you a new thirst for life. As no two days are the same, you will wake up to new opportunities every morning. The day begins with something to get the heart pumping, like flying fox, bike riding and boxfit, while afternoons are all about self-development and relaxation. There is a wide variety of things to try, but absolutely no pressure to do anything that you don’t fancy. The Currumbin Valley provides a serenity that’s hard to match, with wide-open space, thick rainforest and plenty of walking trails. Accommodation comes in the way of ecologicallysensitive lodges, with floor to ceiling windows, private balconies and mountain views. There are packages from five to 21 nights starting at $2690pp, depending on how long you need. www.edenhealthretreat.com.au
KalyaaNa
South of Perth within the Maslin Reserve is KalyaaNa, a spa and wellness retreat highly regarded as one of the Western Australia’s finest breaks. With help and guidance from health and fitness professionals, you can improve your wellbeing and discover how to live a balanced lifestyle, or simply bask in the stunning surroundings with outdoor activities including mountain biking, walks, forest meditation and a massage. There are different packages depending on the reason for your stay, two suite-style accommodations with private spa en-suites and complete seclusion, and an in-house chef making gourmet meals with natural ingredients for maximum flavour. The herbs and vegetables are courtesy of the kitchen garden, the eggs come straight from the KalyaaNa chickens and the extra virgin olive oil is made in the next town of Bridgetown. The price you pay depends on the retreat you seek, around $600-800pp, and make sure you spend some time soaking up the Bali-inspired garden. www.kalyaanawellnessretreat.com.au
Travel the world & Go To Festivals
Busabout
Experts in freestyle travel, Busabout offer hop-on hop-off bus routes, overland adventure and island hopping. They also recently introduced music festivals to their popular eight-day Croatia sailing tour. This means that, as well as the sights of the Adriatic and its beautiful blue waters, you can cruise to the beat of your festival of choice, from Hideout, Garden Fest, Electric Elephant and more. These epic trips will take place between 27th June and 8th August 2015, with travel between Split and Zadar. From $1,305pp, the price includes your stay on a sailing boat, a festival ticket, an English-speaking guide and a trip the amazing Krka Waterfalls. www.busabout.com
Awake
With access to some of the best festivals on the planet, Awake really does liven your senses. From the west coast of America to the ski resorts of Austria, there seems to be no stone left unturned
to find the best music events and see the countries in which they’re held. Featured festivals include Bumbershoot in Seattle, USA, which is renowned for its music and comedy performances and art displays, and a trip with Awake includes the festival plus visits to Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, all for $2,900. Across the pond, Sensation White in Amsterdam is an indoor electronic dance music event, which you can experience in between exploring the Dutch capital. There’s also an introductory and farewell dinner so you can get to know your fellow travellers. www.awaketours.com
Beats Travel
A new, niche tour company that explores exotic locations and their musical happenings, Beats Travel is working with DJs and events organisers to take you to the Balkans, India, Croatia and more, for an all-round epic experience. Featuring the likes of EXIT Festival in Serbia and SeaDance Festival in Montenegro, tours will begin in July 2015, with passengers able to book from January, and aim to make your travel as stress-free as possible with accommodation, transport and festival tickets included. With launch parties in Sydney and Melbourne this February, Beats Travel are expected to be your go-to for music, culture and adventure in the near future. www.beats-travel.com
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By Charlotte Mellor
If there’s one travel experience that 2014 has given us, it’s the festival package holiday. Combining big live music events with travelling to amazing places, these trips offer more than your average tour. Beckoning all music lovers from all around the world, you can see your favourite acts and travel to new and exciting places with these unique companies.
MØ
INTERVIEWS
“I was so nervous and tense because I’m always afraid when it comes to live TV and I’m terrible at speeches, but at the same time I really, really wanted to win so I was in a blur, out of it – but in a good way! When I won those awards it was a dream coming true because I’ve been dreaming about winning the Danish Music Awards ever since I was seven, fantasising about what I would say and all these things. To stand there and do that was really out of this world.”
current contemporary electronic, which explains the indefinable sound she has created. Her songwriting cements her unique sound as her own, as she discusses growing up and the pressures of trying to be something you’re not, which she takes from her own experiences as a teenager. “Being a teenager was so far the most intense time in my life; you don’t know who you are or who you want to be, you’re insecure and everything is so new. You’re so egocentric, you can’t think about anything else but yourself, but that search of who you are continues until you’re old. Nowadays, you become a teenager very early and you want to be grown up very early, but when you are grown up you don’t want to really grow up and pretend to be a teenager until you’re 40! That’s why these things of searching are still with me because I’m actually feeling like a post-teenager – I haven’t figured it out!”
“It was like a joke, but then it became really fucking cool.”
From what MØ has shown us already, she’s a force to be reckoned with. She speaks of her influences as pop from her childhood, punk in her teens, hip hop from her early twenties and
Besides her own thoughtprovoking lyrics, she has produced one of the most captivating covers of 2014. As “the reason why I started making music and wanted to be a pop star at seven years old”, it was only right that she took The Spice Girls ‘Say You’ll be There’ and gave it the MØ edge. “It was like a joke, but then it became really fucking cool. I wanted to try to make a good cover that
was quite dark, like me doing the Spice Girls. I feel like we did quite well on that one.” Currently heard featuring on Iggy Azalea’s ‘Beg For It’ (which she claimed to be a “lucky coincidence”), we can catch MØ in Australia for Field Day on New Year’s Day. Spending the summer in the southern hemisphere, she expresses her delight at being able to experience another festival season – “I feel like I’m cheating!” – and can’t wait to spend the new year Down Under. “It’s not totally planned yet, but I’ve been touring so much that my band and my crew are like my best friends so I know we’re going to have so much fun no matter what we do. But, we will have New Year’s Eve in Australia, so I’m excited. We don’t have any time off, unfortunately. Last time I went to the Blue Mountains, that was so amazing, but I really want to go to Bondi Beach, so hopefully we can do that.” Catch MØ at this year’s Field Day on New Years Day, alongside alt-J, Jamie XX, SBTRKT, rapping legends Salt n’ Pepa, Milky Chance, Todd Terje, Bastille, Dilon Francis, Danny Brown, Tensnake, The Kite String Tangle, Thundermentals, One Day, Touch Sensative, Golden Features, Friend Within, Kilter, Charlotte OC, Oisima, Just Blaze, Tycho, Cashmere Cat, Kaytranada, Peking Duck, Joey Bad A$$ and Glass Animals.
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By Charlotte Mellor
Karen Marie Ørsted is currently the hottest rising star on the planet, as her alter ego, MØ. Hailing from Denmark, she is the newest punk-pop princess with a hard attitude that has been likened to Lorde and Lana Del Rey, but influenced more so by bands like Nirvana, Sonic Youth – and the Spice Girls. When we get hold of her, she’s chilling in a beach house in her home country. Explaining that she’s taking a couple of days off, we can hardly blame her. She spent the previous weekend at the Danish Music Awards, performing two of her tracks and picking up four awards.
LONDON ELEKTRICITY Despite being a record label owner and managing the releases of some of our favourite Drum ‘n’ Bass artists, Tony Colman always makes time for Australia. Better known as London Elektricity, he is Hospital Records boss, DJ legend and bona fide great guy. He even made time to talk to us about the next chapter of Hospital Records in 2015.
from Mr Colman, who can we expect material from?
When we speak to Tony, he warns that he’s “somewhat worse for wear”, having spent the weekend flying from Ireland to Italy, drinking too much stout and eating large portions of Italian food. He does explain that these are “nice problems to have”, so we continue.
With so many artists to keep track of, it’s no surprise Tony is more than happy to let his next record wait while he relishes the success of others. But one thing’s for sure: Tony will always make time to tour. A DJ that once told us “gigs are not life changing events – they are meant to
The last time we caught up with Tony was at the beginning of 2014, when he was preparing to celebrate 18 years of Hospital Records, a milestone for any label, with ‘We Are 18’. With a commemorative album, including the likes of Netsky, High Contrast, Danny Byrd and Nu:Tone, we looked back to Tony’s favourite moments of Hospital.
“We have Etherwood’s second album almost ready, possibly another Royalston album late in the year, a debut from Reso, the follow-up from Fred V & Grafix, and Logistics and Nu:tone are considering another album.”
be fun”, 2015 will see him play New Zealand, Europe, Russia, Asia – “all these places that I’m lucky to be able to play!” – plus a visit to Australia this January. He mentions the Hospitality Midsummer BBQ mini festival in London as his favourite set of 2014, so we’re all curious as to how Australia can top it.
“Ask me in 2032!”
“Releasing ‘Song in the Key Of Knife’ in 1998 – it was make or break for us then and a last ditch attempt to make a splash which changed our lives forever; the massive success of Nu:tone’s album ‘Future History’ and signing Etherwood to Medschool.” With all of the releases he’s backed in the last year, we’re still awaiting the follow-up to his very own London Elektricity album, ‘Yikes’. Having teased us that it was in its sketch stage, Tony
‘Well it has to be a BBQ for starters…” With all of the success that Hospitality has achieved, creating household names in Drum ‘n’ Bass and being one of the most respected labels in the biz, can they do another 18 years? “Ask me in 2032!” We’ll hold you to that, Tony.
explains that – without wanting to bore us – due staff restructuring at Hospital HQ, he will have “at least three days a week in the studio”, to which he added that he was “feeling very excited and inspired”.
Catch Tony Colman A.K.A London Elektricity at 170 Russell, Melbourne, for IN:MOTION on Friday 2nd January 2015 alongside MC Wrec, Delta Heavy, ETC!ETC, Skism, Rene Lavice and local support.
So, if we can’t get our hopes up of a 2015 release
Tickets available from www.170Russell.com
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Noir
Speaking to us while setting up his new studio in Denmark, 2014’s been a big year for house producer, Noir. Not only did he buy a new home at the end of the summer, he’s been working on a new album to be released in March. The self-titled record will be his best material yet, comprising 16 songs, 12 of which will be on the original album, and four as bonus material. With singles ‘Angel’ and ‘My Fault’ already on the airwaves, we know that Hayze and HRRSN will feature on the album, so we were keen to find out who else Noir has been working with. “All the vocalists on the album were chosen by me and I did get to work with the ones I had in mind. There’s vocals by Caitlin, Symbol, Richard Davis, 56
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Chris James, Cari Golden, Ann Saunderson and Robson.” Noir’s collaboration with HRRSN was no accident. He explains that he always had him in mind for songwriting ever since the Berliner featured on a track signed to Noir Music two years ago. However, he recalls that it was in fact HRRSN who made ‘My Fault’ happen.
what you hear now, so I pushed him to write more. HRRSN is an emotional guy, so experience in his life inspired those words. The song is quite personal to him, so it’s best that he explains the true meaning of the story. On the album, there’s another song with him called ‘Time’ and that one was me contacting me asking him to write and sing words to my music.”
“If Santa Claus Is Really Generous This Year, he will leave me Tested everywhere small clubs a labrador tofrom big festivals, ‘My “It was actually Fault’ is an emotional him who contacted puppy” song me with a demo about the deep melody line and we took it from there. When we started out we only had a quarter of
regrets and inner conflicts of a failed relationship, hence the soulful vocals of HRRSN.
“They listen. You can see and feel them listening to the words and then letting go when the music lets go. That was the whole idea behind the track; to strip it down for the vocals and then contrast with an aggressive touch to the music in between. The track is arranged 100% with club plays in mind, but [I tested it in festivals as well as clubs] because I wanted to know that the arrangement was right, that the sound of it was big enough for festivals as well as dark enough from clubs.” Speaking of live shows, Noir
grows a smile on his face when he speaks about his weekend in Rotterdam and Geneva, but he has to deliberate when faced with choosing his favourite set of 2014.
“Defected at Ministry of Sound in London. I’m really looking forward to it. Defected has become family to me, so New Year’s Eve with them will be awesome.”
“That’s very hard to say as I had so many great experiences, clubs and crowds. Playing the closing set for Defected as the closing party for the whole Ibiza season was special and something I was honoured to be a part of.”
As he’s so busy throughout the year, Noir expresses his joy at being able to “spend time with family friends” at Christmas: “I take time off to do just that.” And what will the successful DJ and producer ask from the man in the red suit this year?
Looking at the rest of 2014, we get onto Christmas and New Year’s Eve. With one of the biggest nights of the year for every DJ on the way, you can find Noir back on duty for the major label and club night.
“If Santa Claus is really generous this year he will leave me a set of ATC studio monitors and a Labrador puppy.” With that, he gives us a loveable grin and signs out.
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By Charlotte Mellor
The words contrast with the penetrating synths and heavy beats that Noir is such an expert on, so we can only imagine the reaction it gets with audiences.
Damian GellE You would think that creating one of the best festivals in London would have most people settled and satisfied, but Damian Gellé has other ideas. Since the launch of SW4 in Clapham Common in 2004, the dance music event has gone from strength to strength, with the likes of Alesso, Armin Van Buuren and John Digweed taking to the main stage, as well as progressing from a one-day party to an entire weekend. A festival that’s showing no signs of stopping, SW4 was a revolution for dance music fans that wanted something different to the Notting Hill Carnival and Lovebox. But now, the man that gave us this epic event has left the UK behind to create something new and fresh in Sydney. “It takes a good couple of years to get your head out of London. I’m also originally from Perth so relocating to Sydney and my wife giving birth within the first two weeks was certainly a challenge. London is such a crazy melting pot. It was non-stop social activity for two decades of my life. But Sydney
can spin pretty fast too. Now that I’m settled here I’m enjoying the challenge of creating something from scratch. My events are mostly on during the daytime to take advantage of the fantastic climate.” Such events include CODE at the Greenwood Hotel, which Gellé explains is a “new concept” and “an ever evolving quest to create the ultimate party.” With the launch night in October featuring Hernan Cattaneo and Stacey Pullen proving to be a huge success, Gellé has chosen “God of techno”, Dubfire, as his DJ of choice for CODE’s second event. “I’ve been doing this type of thing for a long time now and I’m really passionate about it – and I think that shows at the events. My team love electronic music and we love what we do. The DJs are carefully chosen because they deliver.”
CODE is a quest to create the ultimate party
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Not only does Gellé secure the finest DJs on the planet, he’s also extremely clever, as it becomes clear that not only will CODE be able to enjoy the warm weather of Sydney, it will also not be bound by the restrictions of the city’s lock-out laws, which
he stresses are “absurd and “harsh on young people simply wanting the reward of a good night out with their friends after a hard week at work.” With the success that Gellé has already experienced with SW4 (which he assures us will be continuing), you can’t help but wonder what he has up his sleeve now he’s moved back to Australia. Stressing that he’s doing something completely different to the festival format he’s been used to, he does relate his new project with the beginning of SW4 – “My first event was held in a backyard in East London, so if you trace it all the way back this is where South West Four began” – but he does tease big things, telling us that CODE is a “stepping-stone to something much bigger”. So, for now, it seems, we can just enjoy watching this new event take off and grow. “CODE is a quest to create the ultimate party – with each event we shoot for the stars.” CODE with headline act Dubfire will be held at The Greenwood Hotel, Sydney on the 20th December. For Tickets head to www.moshtix.com.au
Glass animals
Speaking to us about the experimentation involved, Bayley believes that’s what music is all about, “trying to make sounds that are new and structures that are fresh.” Which is why, when recording tracks like ‘Gooey’, he did things like “changed the lights in the studio, held a pineapple while I sang, danced around the room and then lied down. I also tried different voices and blended them in to sound like a choir, so I’d pretend to be a crack
whore from London and then a massive fat chorister from New Orleans.” All of this occurred in the London studio of Paul Epworth, who has previously worked with the likes of Friendly Fires, Bloc Party and Florence and the Machine. Giving the group their big break, he took them from their tiny studio in Oxford, nicknamed The Shed, and opened them up to a life of synths and amps. “We were really limited in Oxford; it was all done on a laptop, so it was very digital and clinical and overthought. There’s so much stuff in Paul’s studio that we could make a more distorted and raw sound that was more appealing. It was exhausting because we’d spend hours on all these new things, but it was so much fun.”
“I told them they had to be in the band”
The birth of Glass Animals might have been unpredictable, but it was in fact Bayley’s studies in
medicine and neuroscience that led him to start making music. “I’d get back from studying and I’d be quite wired and wouldn’t be able to sleep, so I had all this spare time on my hands, so I started listening to music, firstly, and then sort of had the idea of maybe making music. It spiralled out of control and now I’m here.” After placing some tracks online following persuasion from his friends, Drew and Joe, Glass Animals was formed – “I told them they had to be in the band if I put them online” – and they are now making their way down to Australia for New Year. Playing Field Day on 1st January, Bayley expresses that he’d like to see a koala, find some cool beaches, bring some PG Tips for his teaaddict bass player Ed, and end up on a rooftop somewhere for the fireworks.
Interviews By Charlotte Mellor
With the rise of stylish, indieelectro-pop from artists like Chet Faker and alt-J, Glass Animals have risen up at the right time. Their atmospheric grooves can be heard in debut release, ‘Zaba’, which vocalist Dave Bayley describes as another world, with “a tropical rainforest with weird creatures and subterritories.”
I’m sure we can manage that, Dave.
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MUSIC NEWS
EP REVIEW SON LITTLE THINGS I FORGOT With his soulful and blues infused sound, Son Little’s music is instantly familiar, yet utterly original. With a new EP entitled ‘Things I Forgot’ this is the first long release from this exciting new artist. Fusing elements of soul, blues, hip-hop,
reggae, the fuzzy guitar strums, Arctic Monkey style beats, and old school backing vocals, it’s like nothing you’ve heard. One of our favourite tracks from the six-track EP is ‘Cross My Heart’ which starts with a pulsing digital beat, before being joined by a Wild West style stand off guitar riff. It’s eclectic, fresh, and totally listenable as you certainly won’t need to give it a few goes.
Single Reviews
Metals I C Thru U
Hailing from Melbourne and Amsterdam, the ghetto tech booty rock outfit Metals are back with their new single ‘I C Thru You’, taken from their forthcoming EP of the same name, The three-track package offers a variation of sounds from hip-hop to dubby electro pop. Taking inspiration from a myriad of popular sounds from the old school 90’s to present day techno, Metals are producer, DJ and all round groove-masters Digital Primate and Ehsan Gelsi. ‘I C Thru You’ also features singer, songwriter and stage siren Candice Monique. The forthcoming video for ‘I C Thru You’ was created by acclaimed London based film maker Alan Friel who directed and shot the short film in one day on a variety of small hand held cameras. 60
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Slow Down Molasses Summer Sun
Sasktoon Indie Rock band Slow Down Molasses are gearing up for a new album, and to give us an idea of what to expect, the band have unveiled their new track, Summer Sun. Originally forming as an alt-country outfit, the band have found a new direction in which to take their music as they mature through their forthcoming album Burnt Black Cars. The first single to be taking from Burnt Black Cars is ‘Summer Sun’, which features a myriad of instruments that shimmer over you, in wave after wave of striking, hypnotic beats. Littered with fuzzed guitars, high velocity organs and boasting an array of strings and harmonies. This hazy dream pop single infects every bone of your body with its incredible production.
Calyx & Teebee Remix of Tchami’s ‘Promesses’
We’re pleased to announce this awesome new track from two of our favourite D & B-ers, Calyx & TeeBee! Ahead of its forthcoming release on Ministry of Sound in January, the drum n’ bass stalwarts Calyx & TeeBee have worked their magic on Tchami’s ‘Promesses’ ft. Kaleem Taylor. Where the original mix is lucidly simple in it’s construction – as all good dance records should be – Calyx & TeeBee flip the script completely, re-hashing Taylor’s vocal and underpinning it with guttural bass licks, frenetic rhythms and bags of dance floor pedigree. Kicking off the track with bubbling blips and pips before the womp synonymous with DnB kicks in and gets you pumped! This is sure to be a track that gets dance floors raving the world over.
Ones To Watch In 2015
Hookworms
Hookworms are awesome. They are a psychedelic rock band who also draw on the meandering nature of shoegaze. It’s more than that though. While most of the songs are of a standard psych/garage rock mould, the vocals are Drenge are one of the bands at the often stretched to breaking forefront of a burgeoning British grunge scene. They combine a guitar point, packed with reverb sound, which sounds clean and destroyed at the same time, with tons of and melted into the fuzz of feedback, bleak lyrics and a simple vocal style that works really well. The duo from Derbyshire only have one full-length album release to date but for the guitar. a first attempt you couldn’t ask for much more. The record is best played Their new record, The loud, really loud. Listening to the album quietly is doing it a disservice. Hum, is also solid. The Impasse opens the record in spectacular style, blasting off into a haze of pure garage rock. Radio Tokyo, of a similar style, is the standout track on what is easily one of the most exciting records of the year. The Hum swerves between chilled out psychedelic rock, shoegaze and garage rock seamlessly, merging the three at points without ever seeming disjointed.
Drenge
Pohl
Pohl II somehow has a much more refined sound despite losing none of the rawness of the first EP. The riff to Cute Guy Alert is simplistic brilliance and God Save The Queen (High on Death) is one of the rawest ballads you are likely to hear. Check out their Bandcamp and Soundcloud pages to listen.
IKES
The Hackney resident is making big strides in the world of Rap, not only in the UK but also across the Atlantic Ocean. With an infectious flow, clever wordplay accompanied by hard hitting 808s it’s easy to see why IKES has had entries in the US hip hop charts and received support from the likes of DJ Whoo Kid. IKES has four projects currently under his belt, ‘Peer2Peer’, ‘Sliding Doors’, and ‘The Intermission: Last Call’ each showcasing his artistic progression. ‘The Intermission: Last Call’ which is home to his lead single ‘Girl Talk’ featuring Jermaine Riley and Scorcher gained IKES a lot of positive attention with support from BBC 1Xtra. 2015 is set to be a promising year for the young MC with a scheduled SXSW performance and with the latest video for his brand new single ‘No Commercial’ you can expect to see a lot more of quality material from IKES.
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By Dan Barnes
Bristol band Pohl sound like a Melvins/ Tool lovechild with some R era Queens of the Stone Age thrown in for good measure. They are not stingy when it comes to distortion – even the drums are fuzzed to breaking point. This is by no means a bad thing, quite the opposite. Pohl’s blend of sludgy bass, otherworldly guitar and paint-stripping vocals is able to be aggressive and melodic simultaneously. It is the kind of music that is best experienced live, in a small venue filled to capacity. Pohl have two EPs to date, Pohlsmoker and Pohl II.
It’s a Rap! We take a look at the best music moments of 2014... Lorde and Southpark
Taylor’s music career has been going from strength to strength since she released her eponymous debut album in 2006. 2014 proved a monumental year for her: not only did her album go platinum within a week, ensuring that we haven’t had a year without a platinum selling record, but her decision to remove her music from Spotify has caused one of the biggest buzzes around the music industry in a long time.
Daniel Radcliffe
An unexpected entry, but the young Brit’s magical rapping talents were brought to the fore on the Jimmy Kimmel show, where he flawlessly performed Blackaliceous’ ‘Alphabet Aerobics’. Watch out Eminem, when he gets tired of acting, I think we’ve found D-Rad’s new career.
Aphex Twin
Hands up if you expected to hear from Aphex Twin at the beginning of the year? Coming in as 2014’s most surprising record (not since Bowie’s 2013 ‘Where Are We Now’ have we been as surprised by a record’s release), Aphex Twin’s ‘Syro’ came out of nowhere with a flash advertising campaign and release that wasn’t full of hot air. 62
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Happy – Pharrell Williams
Whether you loved it or hated it, you can’t ignore this. One of the catchiest songs of all time, this was multi-award-winning and inescapable.
Kate Bush
In a year full of surprising musical comebacks, the eccentric Kate Bush’s first live shows in 35 years (to put it into context, last time she played live, cds hadn’t been invented) were one of the biggest. The succession of nights at the Hammersmith Apollo were obviously a complete sellout, and a complete success.
video of this year. In the end, Miley carried on as she does, without a care in the world, and people got over their shocks. Wrecking Ball went on to win best video at the VMA, and ‘her’ victory speech got tongues wagging again as ‘Jesse, the homeless youth’ spoke in her place.
Weird Al Jankovic
Weird Al has been around since the days of Kate Bush’s last live appearance, but this year, his latest album ‘Mandatory Fun’ was unleashed upon the public with a new video every day for a week. Some of the freshest covers to come from his mind in a long time: his version of ‘Blurred Lines’ (Word Crimes) is lyrically perfect. So many other potential choices and releases. What would you have chosen? Alt-J? FKA Twigs? Royal Blood? We can’t wait to see what 2015 brings.
Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball
We could be referring to some people’s perceptions of the popular pop singer, or her controversial song and
By Robin Lewis
Taylor Swift
It’s always nice to see people, especially people you consider serious, poking fun at themselves. Southpark’s episode ‘The Cissy’ in which 17-year-old singing sensation Lorde is revealed to be 45 year old Geologist Randy Marsh, is certainly one of those moments. Apart from being funny and well written, the songs (as you’d expect) are insanely catchy.
FUNNY NEWS
Taking A Stab At A Better Job...
We’ve interviewed a fair few people for jobs in our time here at BBM Towers and if we have one piece of advice to prospective employees, it’s that you should make sure you stand out somehow from all the other candidates. In our case, for example, we usually give the job to the person with the biggest tits. And while some organisations have accused us of blatant sexism as a result of this employment policy, in our defence we judge candidates of both sexes equally by this criteria. Why only last month we hired an obese lad from Sunderland who had the biggest moobs we’ve ever seen. Admittedly he’s no longer with us, but that’s only because he had a coronary while doing the office Maccas run on a Friday. We never did get that quarter pounder. But large breasts aside, there are other ways to make sure you create a lasting first impression
School standards going down School standards going down A headmaster who was secretly filmed by students giving an impromptu “oral exam” to a female maths teacher during school hours has threatened the little tinkers with legal action after the footage went viral.
After taking his job title a little too literally, “head” master Drago Kamenik, 41, was found between the legs of 45-year-old brunette Manja Mertelj when pervy pupils heard moans of pleasure coming from a classroom they thought was empty. After initially threatening legal action in a bid to scare off students from putting it online, the married father of two is now claiming it’s a fake. “The man in the video is not me, it has been photoshopped,” he said, rather unconvincingly. “As for the maths teacher, she is a very good teacher and has had many positive things said about her.” We’re sure she’s said a few positive things too – like the word “yes” over and over again. 64
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on a new employer, as a man in San Diego discovered when he turned up to his interview drunk and then stabbed his potential new boss after a scuffle. When Lopez’s prospective boss tentatively mentioned that he could smell alcohol on the interviewee’s breath, Lopez is alleged to have flown into a rage and launched himself at the other man. However, it turned out this was not the boss’s first rodeo, and the employer quickly got the better of Lopez and put him in a headlock. Lopez then destroyed what tiny shred of hope he had left of getting the job when he stabbed the boss in the arm, police said.
New Look Fails To Cut It
We’ve never been ones to follow fashion when it comes to haircuts. Every six weeks for over three decades we’ve been saying “just a trim please” with a regularity that would make a hipster choke on his latte.
But we still have a little sympathy for 13-year-old lad Lewis Kenny, who was placed in isolation at his school because of his “extreme” haircut. Seriously, how extreme can a haircut actually be? Has it joined Islamic State? Actually it’s just a copy of the haircuts sported by Sergio Aguero and Gareth Bale. How radical. “What I want is an acknowledgement that they are wrong,” said father Lewis Kenny. “It’s a modern haircut for a boy his age to have.” Considering the amount of kids with mullets and rattails we’ve seen since we moved to Australia, we’re inclined to agree.
Celebrity Tweets @OfficialWillow “when I’m down, I just study quantum physics” There’s no hope for kids these days. @stephenfry “Closing down on Twitter while filming. In a place whence I’ve been advised it is safest not to tweet. See you December. Here goes…” No worries, Fry – we were also warned to stop Tweeting on the bog. @WayneRooney “Haha just realised we conceded 1 forgot about the goal. Anyway happy with win. Hello @piersmorgan how are you today old chap” The award for the weakest trolling on Twitter goes to… @TheEllenShow “Its copld! Tweetimg with mittens pn aint eeasy.” Sorry, Ellen, we couldn’t hear you over the sound of Australian summer. @Alyssa_Milano “No disrespect to Kim but…people are offended by my breastfeeding selfies & are fine with her (amazing) booty cover?” No, we’re just offended by selfies, Alyssa, and for once Kim wasn’t the one holding the camera.
STUDENT FEELS A BIT SHEEPISH A university student accused of shagging a sheep in his room has blamed the stress of exams for his ram-banging antics. The 23-year-old is alleged to have been found having sex with a ewe by a fellow Fresno State University student, who heard bizarre noises coming from a barn on campus. The amorous animal lover, who was arrested and charged with sexual assault of an animal, told police he was stressed about an upcoming exam and had been drinking. “It’s just kind of disgusting and revolting and personally makes me angry. I mean, why would you do that?” said student Marisa Burkdoll. “It’s just kind of sick. It’s unnatural and the animals they can’t really, I mean they can’t defend themselves. They can to an extent but they’re innocent, you know what I mean?”
Donor’s Delightful Job A randy entrepreneur has stumbled on the best idea for a new business we’ve ever heard after becoming a “direct sperm donor”. If that euphemism has left you scratching your head a little bit, then let BBM translate – he gets women who want a baby to pay him so he can have sex with them. Not bad work if you can get it, so to speak. Joe, a successful Internet entrepreneur who doesn’t want his full-name revealed, lives a secret life as a “free sperm donor”, which allows women to cut through the red-tape surrounding traditional sperm banks to get pregnant. And Joe says he has fathered more than 30 children during a seven-year career as a donor. “I have a Clark Kent life. Then, I have the Superman life,” he said while tying a tiny cape around his cock.
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Superhero Proves His Metal
Comic book nerds everywhere dream of having superpowers like the X-Men. Imagine being able to control the weather like Storm or read people’s minds like Professor X. Even better, imagine being a shapeshifter like Mystique. You’d be able to change into Jennifer Lawrence and make a fortune selling nude pictures of yourself that have been “hacked” from your phone. We wouldn’t be surprised if that’s actually what happened to Jen in the first place. Alas the truth behind having X-Men powers is a lot less glamorous than Hollywood makes out, as 12-year-old Nikolai Kryaglyachenko found out when he developed Magneto-style control over the forces of magnetism following an electric shock. Rather than making ships float above water or stopping bullets mid-flight, however, Nikolai has to be content with metal things sticking to his bare body. “I don’t have a lot of control over it,” he said. “Even when I do not want to do it, I still attract things.” Nikolai even claims he is able to share his power and make other people turn into live magnets as well. Sadly, he was talking total bollocks.
Hotel customer’s costly complaint
As useful as Trip Advisor is, it’s impossible to book a hotel these days without worrying about the one bad review it got online. Who cares about the 18 families who said it was the best hotel they’ve ever stayed in, it’s the bloke who said there was a dead mouse being eaten by cockroaches under his bed that sticks in your mind. But a hotel in Blackpool has found a novel way of getting back at customers who bad mouth them on the website, as a bloke found out last month when he was charged £100 for leaving a poor review. “It was filthy, dirty, rotten, stinking hovel run by muppets,” frothed Tony Jenkinson after spending a night at the Broadway Hotel. “The shower was filthy – my wife wouldn’t even get into it to wash her hair. The wallpaper was peeling off, the kettle didn’t work and there was no water at all in the bathroom.” Alas, in a hotel document, it explains that customers will be charged £100 for every bad review it gets. At least Tony got his money’s worth.
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Navigational skills driven by desire
It’s the catch-22 situation all men have faced at some stage while in the car: you don’t want your missus to drive, but you don’t fancy the idea of her being in charge of the map either. And if this sounds like a hideously sexist stereotype, then don’t blame us, blame evolution. That’s right, any misogyny in BBM is purely Charles Darwin’s fault. According to new research, the reason men are better at navigating is because back in the day before things like agriculture, the wheel and Tinder had been invented, blokes used to have to travel great distances in order to meet women they weren’t related to. As a result they developed a much keener sense of direction, whereas modern-day women still struggle to navigate their way out of the underwear section at Debenhams, especially when their husband is with them. “Navigation ability facilitates travelling longer distances… and the farther you travel, the more likely you are to encounter new mating opportunities,” yawned researcher Layne Vashro.
Tourists told to get lost
A group of cack-handed tourists with more mobile phones than sense were forced to call the police after getting stuck in a maze in California. A group of visitors to the 63-acre Cool Patch Pumpkins corn maze near Sacramento started to panic after getting separated from the rest of the group as the sun began to set. Seeing as the “walls” of the maze were just corn, you’d think they would have twigged they could have just created their own exit. “I think they are overwhelmed,” Daryl Snedeker, a deputy from the Solano County Sheriff’s Department, told CBS Sacramento. “You can get a little worked up when you can’t get out of a place and everything looks the same.” Very true, just ask anyone who’s been to Milton Keynes.
SPORTS NEWS
Not so Keane to sign autograph If you’ve been in Australia for any length of time, you’ll have heard of the phrase “poking the bear”.
When someone first mentioned it to us, we thought they were taking the piss out of the hairy Dutch girl we’d pulled the previous night. But although Helga’s armpits were admittedly in a shocking state, “poking the bear” is actually a reference to doing something mildly annoying that could lead to a frenzied mauling at the hands of a vicious animal. In Ireland they have a similar phrase with exactly the same meaning – “talking to Roy Keane”. Mild-mannered Roy isn’t exactly known for his cool, calm demeanour in the face of provocation. Just ask Alf-Inge “Hop-a-long” Haaland. In fact Keane is so easy to anger, merely whispering the word “Ferguson” within a mile radius of the former Man United man makes his muscles bulge and his skin turn the colour of his old Ireland shirt. He then bounds away in the general direction of Glasgow in his shredded clothes yelling “Keane smash puny Scotsman!” Sadly, the only thing Keane has smashed lately is his legacy as a Man United legend.
Fans allowed to get flagpole out during games A move to allow AFL supporters to wave bloody huge flags around at the MCG has been hailed as a win for fans. Presumably it’s the annoying fans with the flags who are hailing it as a victory, rather than the poor bastards stood behind them who are trying to watch the match while someone waves a tablecloth in their face. One such gimp with a tablecloth is Geelong cheer squad stalwart Troy West, known in AFL circles as “Catman” and in non-AFL circles as “that twat with the flag”. “I think it’s important if they want to give the game back to the fans that they show us by doing this, and Gillon [McLachlan, AFL chief] and the MCC have been very co-operative,” West said. “It might not mean a lot to some people, but it means a lot to us.”
So maybe that’s why a brave autograph hunter risked the wrath of Roy recently by asking him to sign a copy of his latest autobiography at the Portmarnock Hotel in north Dublin. Minutes later the pair were embroiled in a heated bust-up as Roy saw red and refused the request. “One guy was reading Roy’s book and wanted him to sign it. I think Roy told him no and then there were words exchanged,” a witness told the Irish Daily Mirror. “It all just kicked off from there. There was lots of roaring and shouting after. An ambulance was called and your man was taken away. The players were coming in and out of the bar before and then they were called in to a private room. Everybody in the bar is talking about it. You don’t see something like that every day.” Not unless your name is Mrs Keane or Martin O’Neill, of course.
Cracking piece of commentary A New Zealand commentator fell victim to the cricket equivalent of teabagging last month when his car was hit by a cricket ball while he was on air. The incident occurred as ex-New Zealand wicket-keeper Ian Smith described Jesse Ryder’s shot during a Georgie Pie Super Smash match recently. After praising Ryder for smashing the ball over the boundary for a six, Smith suddenly realised the shot had bounced onto his car. “That’s out of the ground, that’s gone, it’s downtown,” Smith said before the penny dropped. “It’s on my car! It is! I think it hit my car! I don’t believe it! Oh, the downside of getting to park so close.”
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Close Shave for Turkish Club Santa better not show his hairy face at Turkish club Genclerbirligi this month or Christmas could end early. The club’s chairman and part-time Grinch, Ilhan Cavcav, has banned beards at the organisation, deciding to punish any player seen growing facial fuzz with a £7000 fine. “I am 80 years old and I shave every day. You are a sportsman. You should be a model for youth,” he explained while emptying his colostomy bag. Cavcav has also tried to extend his dictatorial attitude towards beards across the entire nation, naming and shaming Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic, Galatasaray midfielder Selcuk Inan and Turkish
AFL Goes For Goals
As any football supporter will tell you, Aussie rules fans are only interested in games where both teams regularly knee each other in the head while racking up 500 points between them. In fact, forcing an AFL fan to watch a 0-0 draw between Stoke and Leicester is considered an international crime by the Human Rights Commission. So to that end, AFL bigwigs make sure every game lasts for about 18 hours and even give players points for missing the target. Genius. But the organisation was plunged into chaos last month when it was revealed that the average number of goals per game dipped to a 15-year low last season. Before you could say “panic button”, the AFL had called a meeting with the league’s coaches for a debate about how to bring back the spectacle. Judging on past efforts, that usually means creating a new franchise for the established clubs to batter mercilessly for a few years.
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international goalkeeper Volkan Demirel as some of the worst culprits. “They told me that they could not impose such a restriction because the UEFA would not let them do it,” he frothed. “I am fed up with this UEFA. I wish we had some other place to play our football.”
When Lovren Hate Collide
We can’t be the only ones who think “Shabba!” whenever we see Dejan Lovren (i.e. Mr Lovren man) on our illegally downloaded Match of the Day episodes (sorry Aussie commentators, but you’re so bad you make Alan Shearer look good). And just like 90s purveyor of Jamaican dancehall hits Shabba Ranks, Mr Lovren Man’s career also seems to have taken a Cruyff turn for the worse in recent times with number-crunching website Squawka.com revealing the Liverpool centre-half has made more serious defensive errors than any other Premier League player this season. And just to rub it in, the club where he made his name last season – Southampton – haven’t made any serious defensive errors at all. In fact at the time of writing they’d conceded less than half the number of goals than the next best defensive club (Chelsea). That £20 million deal must seem sweeter every day for Saints fans.
Split Decision Costs UFC Fighter
The world of UFC took another tentative step towards the inclusion of Mortal Kombat-style finishing moves when a woman’s bout was cut short because one of the fighters had her ear ripped in half.
A pissed-off Smith pleaded for the fight to continue, but her appeals fell on deaf ears… so to speak.
Joke of the month...
“India have spent £75 million to get to Mars. Manchester Utd spend £200 million and can’t even reach the top of the table.”
Batman swaps Gotham for Valencia
It’s bad enough that Valencia have to battle Real Madrid and Barcelona on a regular basis, now Batman has decided to have a pop at the La Liga club too. You’d think the Dark Knight would have enough problems dealing with homicidal clown-faced killers, but apparently he’s just as passionate about cleaning the scum off the streets as he is about brand identity after it was revealed DC Comics are unhappy with the fact Valencia have a bat as part of their logo. The US-based comic book giant has reportedly filed a complaint with the OHIC - the European Union’s trademark registration body - to grumble about a new variant of Valencia’s logo. Considering that the image of a bat has been commonly used in Spanish heraldry since the 13th century, and that Valencia have used bats in their club logos since 1919 (20-odd years before Batman existed), Bruce Wayne will probably have to spend a fair few million on lawyers to win this one. Still, maybe if Valencia change their symbol to a cat they might get a visit from Anne Hathaway in skin-tight leather. Surely it’s worth a shot.
By Richard Gadsby
Leslie Smith’s cauliflower ear was already looking a bit worse for wear when her opponent, Jessica Eye, clocked her round the lughole again in the second round. Smith’s ear appeared to split open near the top, separating into two distinct — and somewhat nauseating — flaps of skin. With blood flying from the open wound and the ear looking as if it was hanging off Smith’s head, officials recommended a stoppage and called time.
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CRYSTAL BALLS You spend the next three months fighting off Islamic State insurgents with a rolled-up copy of mX as you make your way to Syria in a desperate bid to catch the south-east line from Aleppo to Cronulla.
ARIES
You need to get that mole on your face removed immediately. It’s not cancerous, it just makes you look horrible.
LEO
GEMINI
You’ve always been my favourite sign of the zodiac Gemini. You keep yourself to yourself but I like the cut of your jib. Talented, good-looking, charming, you really have the whole package going on there… oh bugger this, I’ll come right out with it: can I borrow $200?
VIRGO
After watching the film Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson, you decide to take an illegal narcotic rumoured to improve brain capacity by five per cent. Unfortunately, seeing as your brain capacity is already five per cent lower than everyone else’s, it just makes you a normal person for a few hours. You spend the time enjoying pleasant conversation and saliva control. When the effects wear off, you revert back to your usual Neanderthal routine of watching reality TV shows and masturbating over celebrities.
AQUARIUS
Go to bed Aquarius, you look bloody knackered.
LIBRA
You accidentally nod off for a couple of hours on the train to Kings Cross. When you wake up, you’re in downtown Kabul. 70
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You’ve been hinting to your parents for the last month about how much you’d like an X Box One for Christmas this year, so imagine your surprise when you discover they’ve bought you a playful macaque monkey instead. Apparently it was a bad line on Skype and they got confused. So instead of playing Fifa 15 with your mates on Boxing Day, you’ll instead be cleaning monkey crap off the walls and answering serious questions from Animal Welfare officers.
SCORPIO
It’s a traditional Christmas for you Scorpio, spent crying alone in your bedroom wondering why no one loves you. In fact that’s also a traditional Friday night for you.
CANCER
You don’t get up to much this month. In fact, you spend most of it putting off chores and masturbating instead. The only productive thing you do is come with a humorous word to describe this activity: “procastibation”. You’re so amused by this play on words that you decide to email it to Viz in the hope of getting it into the Profanisaurus. Perhaps inevitably, you choose to have a wank instead.
CAPRICORN
“I go on too many dates, but I can’t make ‘em stay, at least that’s what people say, uhhm
hmmm” croons inoffensive pop princess Taylor Swift before urging everyone to “shake it off”. Unfortunately, after a few too many “dates” of your own this month, you end up with a virulent strain of crabs that are nigh impossible to shake off and just as infectious as Swift’s sugary, summer hits.
PISCES
Looks like you’re struggling for ideas when it comes to Christmas shopping this year, so why not give your friends and family the greatest gift of all – by shutting that stupid mouth of yours for 24 hours. Put a bag over your head to make it a complete Christmas. No one wants to stare at that ugly mug while they’re eating a mince pie.
TAURUS
Every year you make a couple of New Year resolutions, and every year you break them within a month. This year you resolve to lose weight and stop reading horoscopes. See you in February, fatty.
SAGITTARIUS
At this time of year, it’s always good to spare a thought for those less fortunate than ourselves. And when it comes to signs of the Zodiac, that means you Sagittarius. You’re the Ebola-ridden ugly cousin of the horoscope - and Leo, Pisces, Gemini and a couple of the other more popular star signs are currently writing a Christmas jingle to raise awareness of your unfortunate state. So chin up Sagittarius, despite the crappy hand life has dealt you and your ugly face, you can at least expect to hear a slightly patronising charity single in your honour in the next few weeks.
ASK CRYSTAL Dear Crystal, On hot days, I like to garden in the nude. It’s my way of connecting with nature and feeling at one with the world. But my next-door neighbour is a man in his 80s with a low fence and a heart condition. I’m worried that my exposure will give him a coronary. What do I do? Cover up or strip off? Also, my other neighbours have an 18-year-old lad who I’m sure keeps looking at me from behind his bedroom curtains. What would you do? Yours, Rose Dear Rose, Gardening? Ugh. Strut around nude all you want as far as I’m concerned, let the neighbours enjoy the show, but this gardening business is a load of gubbins. There’s only one bush you should be trimming, and if you’re anything like me it will water itself on a regular basis. If you’ve got any sense, you’ll
pop round to see this 18-yearold and explain to him that if he takes care of your actual garden, you’ll let him service your lady garden. That’s my kind of deflowering. Also, try and get hitched to the old fella next door. Then if he does keel over from looking at your melon patch, you’ll get his house in the will. Problem solved. Dear Crystal, I’m becoming so obsessed with Rachel Riley from Countdown that it’s beginning to affect my relationship. It started about six months ago when I heard her say she likes to have “four small ones and a big one” during the numbers game and it’s spiralled out of control from there. Now I can only get aroused in bed if my girlfriend starts talking me through her Sudoku puzzle, and I only achieve orgasm if the clock-ticking music from the letters game is played in the background. The other day
I shouted “consonant please!” just as I climaxed. Please Crystal, can you help me with my conundrum? Sincerely, Robert Dear Robert, Your letter takes me back to the 90s when I had a longstanding affair with Roy Walker from Catchphrase. He used to do some downright depraved things to me, but he always knew how to get me off – as I told him at the time “it’s good but it’s not right”. For years after, the sight of a big TV screen with crude teletext-style drawings on it would get my juices flowing. As for your problem, I’m afraid that when the fetish bug has bitten there’s very little you can do about it. My advice would be to try and fixate on someone a little more obtainable and normal – like sour-faced bookworm Susie Dent in dictionary corner.
JOKES Why doesn’t Santa have any children? Because he only comes once a year, and when he does, it’s down the chimney. Archie, Byron Bay
How do you know Santa Claus has to be a man? No woman is going to wear the same outfit year after year! John, Margaret River
What do the female reindeer do when Santa takes the male reindeer out on Christmas Eve? They go into town, and blow a few bucks. Alice, Northbridge
A young woman asks her mother, “Mum, how many kinds of penises are there?” The mother, surprised, answers, “Well, daughter, a man goes through three phases. In a man’s twenties, a man’s penis is like an oak, mighty and hard. In his thirties and forties, it is like a birch, flexible but reliable. After his fifties, it is like a Christmas tree.” “A Christmas tree?” the young woman asks. “Yes, dried up and the balls are there for decoration only.”
Twas the night before Christmas, and God it was neat, The kids were both gone, and my wife was in heat. The doors were all bolted, and the phone off the hook, It was time for some nooky, by hook or by crook. Ollie, Brisbane
Gareth, Perth I got a sweater for Christmas. I really wanted a screamer or a moaner. Paddy, Sydney One day, a little boy wrote to Santa Clause, “Please send me a sister.” Santa Clause wrote him back, “Ok, send me your mother.” Max, Adelaide
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ADULT FUN
burlesque Australia is host to some of the best burlesque and cabaret performances and clubs around today. With so many sexy shows, artful acts and beautiful burlesque dancers to choose from, its hard to know which way to turn. If you are looking for titillating teases, champagne glass style choreography, traditional acts, or even the darker side of burlesque, read on as we point you in the direction of the best burlesque and cabaret clubs in Australia.
The Bohemia Cabaret Club is host to a huge range of cabaret style entertainment and featured shows from Thursday to Saturday including; burlesque, circus arts, erotic theatre, comedy and gorelesque. The club itself promotes something for everyone whether it’s the sublime or ridiculous. Laughter, horror, joy and tears, and pretty much anything in between. Expect to see the traditional mix of burlesque acts combined with gorelesque, if daring your darkest fantasy is more your thing. The Bohemia Cabaret club is also home to a dedicated ‘Night Garden Theatre’ with a glass cathedral ceiling to watch performances under the stars. Anything goes here and you are guaranteed to have the night of your life. 226-228 Coventry Street, South Melbourne www.bohemiacabaretclub.com
The Crystal Bar
The Crystal Bar makes itself right at home at No1 Martin Place in the heart of Sydney. This place buzzes all year round with live shows, cocktails, fine dining and its many bars. The venue has a Parisian feel and you would be forgiven for thinking you have landed in 1920s Paris. The dancers are adorned with handmade, sequinned, tasselled costumes, and aim to delight you with their sexy moves. The Crystal Boudoir Cabaret and Burlesque show is designed to be interactive, and dripping with dazzling performers including Dita Von Teese. This club has it all and is the perfect package for entertainment every Saturday night. 1 Martin Place, Sydney www.facebook.com/CrystalBoudoir 74
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Slide Lounge
The Slide Lounge in Sydney is located on Oxford Street and was voted Sydney’s Number one Burlesque venue by Time Out Sydney and is described as the living playground for beautiful people. If beautiful people is what you want to see, you won’t be disappointed as the Slide Lounge offers sensational and perpetual pleasure for the body and soul and promises to tune in to your desires. The Risqué Revue takes place every Wednesday night and involves an array of delicious dancers, circus acts and some highly impressive vocal skills to awaken, and tease your senses. A visit is worth it just to see the girls who provide a seductive show combined with talent, beauty and physical aesthetics you wouldn’t believe possible. 41 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst slide.com.au
Sugar Blue Burlesque Troupe
With various shows around Perth, you can enjoy the very best burlesque from this troupe of performers. Inspired from the 1920s to the 60s, this December you can catch them performing a selection of their seductive acts at The Brass Monkey, Devilles Pad, Caves House, and The Bakery. To learn more about this incredible burlesque experience and see their performance dates visit their website. sugarblueburlesque.com
Check out more adult fun at bbmlive.com/adult-entertainment
By Anita Jayne Bevan. Image courtesy of Sugar Blue Burlesque.
Bohemia Cabaret Club
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 SCUBA CENTRE Port Douglas-Cairns-Airlie Beach, 230 Sugarloaf Rd, Whitsunday Ph: 07 4946 1067 whitscub@gmail.com www.scubacentre.com.au
GHOST TOURS LANTERN GHOST TOURS Melbourne & Goldcoast Ph: 1300 390 119 www.lanternghosttours.com enquiry@lanternghosttours.com Experience the multi award winning Lantern Ghost Tours, offering small group tours of Australia’s most haunted locations.
ADVENTURE TOURS
GOIN SOUTH Four days, two famous Aussie icons, one awesome tour Ph: 1800 009 858 www.facebook.com/goinsouthtours MY MATES TOURS NSW, Package Bus Tours M: 0431 936 435 www.mymatestourcom BLUE MOUNTAINS ADVENTURE COMPANY Ph: 02 4782 1271 bmac@bmac.com.au www.bmac.com.au WAYOUTBACK AUSTRALIAN SAFARI Ph: 1300 551 510 / 08 8952 4324 reservations@wayoutback.com.au www.wayoutback.com.au BRIDGE CLIMB SYDNEY Ph: 02 8274 7777 www.bridgeclimb.com BUNYIP TOURS 570 Flinders Street Melbourne Victoria, 3000 1300 286 947 info@bunyiptours.com www.bunyiptours.com PENRITH WHITE WATER RAFTING Ph: 02 4730 4333 booking@penrithwhitewater. com.au www.penrithwhitewater.com.au
ADVENTURE KAYAKING 7 Hastings Street, Glenelg South, SA Ph: 08 8295 8812 bookings@adventurekayak.com.au www.adventurekayak.com.au
DROP BEAR ADVENTURES Ph: 1800 061 156 www.dropbearadventures.com.au FREE MOTION SPORTS 6 Davenport Road, Shoalhaven Heads, NSW 2535 Ph: +61 401934236 info@freemotionsports.com.au www.freemotionsports.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
WESTCOAST JET The Boardwalk, Mews Road Fishingboat Harbour Fremantle Ph: 0403 606 033 info@westcoastjet.com.au www.westcoastjet.com.au
BOWLING
STRIKE BOWLING Nationwide Ph:1300 787453 www.strikebowling.com.au
TONGARRA Abel Point Marina Kiosk Airlie Beach, QLD Ph: 07 4946 5755 julie@tongarra.com.au tongarra.com
PADDO BOWLS 2 Quarry Street Paddington NSW, 2021 Ph: 02 9363 1150
TRANSPORT
KITE SURFING
MIGHTY CAMPERS Nationwide Ph: 1800 670 232 www.mightycampers.com.au
KITE REPUBLIC 10-18 Jacka Blvd. St.Kilda Sea Baths Complex, St.Kilda, 3182, Melbourne, VIC Ph: 03 95370644 Mob: +61 418583233 info@kiterepublic.com.au www.kiterepublic.com.au
GREAT SOUTHERN RAIL Nationwide Ph: 1800 703 357 www.greatsouthernrail.com.au GETABOUT OZ 191 William Street in the Cross, Sydney Ph: 1300 613 833 www.getaboutoz.com
SURF SCHOOLS
AUSSIE WANDERERS Ph: 09 438 2070 www.aussiewanderer.com.au
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 ISLAND ADVENTURE TOURS Vivonne Bay, Kingscote, SA Ph: 08 8202 8678 www.kiadventuretours.com.au
KANGAROO MARINE CHARTERS 9 Chapman Terrace, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA Ph: 0427 315 286 www.kimarineadventures.com
INTEGRITY COACH LINES PO BOX 1131, Midland, 6936 WA Ph: 08 927 47464 www.integritycoachlines.com.au
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ACCOMMODATION NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY
SYDNEY BACKPACKERS 7 Wilmot St Sydney NSW 2000 Ph: 02 9267 7772 1800 88 77 66 (Free Call) info@sydneybackpackers.com www.sydneybackpackers.com CLOVELLY HOTEL 381 Clovelly Road Clovelly Ph: (02) 9665 1214 office@clovellyhotel.com.au www.clovellyhotel.com.au 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 CITY RESORT HOSTEL 103-105 Palmer St Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011 Ph: (02) 9357 3333 bookings@cityresort.com.au Skype: City Resort Hostel www.cityresort.com.au Show this ad for $5 off!
(Valid for new guests only. Min. 3 nights stay.)
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 LORD WOLSELEY HOTEL 265 Bulwara Rd Ultimo, Sydney 2007 Ph: (02) 9660 1731 info@lordwolseleyhotel.com.au www.lordwolseleyhotel.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
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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 THE ROYAL HOTEL 370 Abercrombie St, Darlington, NSW, 2008 Ph: (02) 9698 8557 info@royal.com.au www.royal.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
SYDNEYS SOUTHERN BEACHES
CRONULLA BEACH YHA Level 1, 40 -42 Kingsway Cronulla Sydney, 2230 Ph: 02 9527 7772 enquiries@cronullabeachyha.com www.cronullabeachyha.com www.yha.com.au
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 HUNTER VALLEY Hunter Valley YHA 100 Wine Country Drive Nulkaba, Hunter Valley, NSW Ph: 02 4991 3278 huntervalley@yhansw.org.au www.yha.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 www.bluemountainsbackpackerhostel.com.au
BYRON BAY
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 LAKE TABOURIE TOURIST PARK Princes Hwy, Lake Tabourie, NSW 2539 Ph: (02) 4406-3101 www.laketabourietouristpark.com.au
QUEENSLAND BRISBANE
BASE BRISBANE UPTOWN 466 George St, Brisbane City, Qld 4000 Ph: (07) 3238 5888 Free: 1800 24 2273 uptown@stayatbase.com www.stayatbase.com Free Tinbilly Limited Edition T-shirt With presentation of this BBM Ad 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 BASE BRISBANE CENTRAL 308 Edward st Brisbane QLD 4000 Ph: 07 3211 2433 brisbane@stayatbase.com www.stayatbase.com
BUNK 11-21 Gipps St, Fortitude Valley, Qld, 4006 Ph: +61 7 3257 3644 Free: 1800 682 865 info@bunkbrisbane.com.au www.bunkbrisbane.com.au BRISBANE CITY YHA 392 Upper Roma St, Brisbane QLD 4000 Ph: (07) 3236 1004 brisbanecity@yha.com.au www.yha.com.au
GOLDCOAST
TREKKERS BACKPACKERS 22 White Street, Goldcoast, QLD, 4215 Ph: (07) 55915616 Free : 1800 100 004 info@trekkersbackpackers.com.au www.trekkersbackpackers.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 SURFERS PARADISE YHA AT MAIN BEACH Mariners Cove, 70 Seaworld Drive Main Beach, Surfers Paradise 4217 Ph: (07) 5571 1776 surfersparadise@yha.com.au www.yha.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 SURF N SUN Beachside Backpackers 3323 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, QLD 4217 Ph: (07) 5592 2363 Free: 1800 678 194 info@surfnsun-goldcoast.com www.surfnsun-goldcoast.com SLEEPING INN SURFERS 26 Peninsular Drive Surfers Paradise QLD Ph: 07 5592 4455 info@sleepinginn.com.au www.sleepinginn.com.au COOLANGATTA SANDS HOSTEL Cnr Griffith & McLean Streets Coolangatta 4225 QLD Ph: 07 5536 7472 hostel@taphouse.com.au www.taphouse.com.au 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
NOOSA
NOMADS NOOSA 44 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads, QLD 4567 Phone: 07 5447 3355 bookings@nomadsnoosa.com www.nomadsnoosa.com
HERVEY BAY
NOMADS HERVEY 408 The Esplanade, Torquay, Hervey Bay, QLD 4655 Phone: 07 4125 3601 bookings@nomadshervey.com www.nomadshervey.com
TOWN OF 1770
(Between Bunderberg & Rockhampton) COOL BANANAS 2 Spring Road, 1770, Queensland, 4677 Ph: (07) 4974 7660 Free: 1800 227 660 wheeler_danny@hotmail.com www.coolbananas.net.au 1770 SOUTHERN CROSS (Backpackers) 2694 Round Hill Rd Agnes Water QLD 4677 Ph: 0749747225 info@1770southerncross.com www.1770southerncross.com 1770 BEACHSIDE BACKPACKERS 12 Captain Cook Drive PO Box 212, Agnes Water QLD 4677 Ph: 07 4974 7200 enquiries@1770beachsidebackpacker.com.au www.1770beachsidebackpacker.com.au
CAIRNS CAIRNS SHARE HOUSE 17 Scott Street, Cairns, QLD 4870 Ph: (+617) 4041 1875 info@cairns-sharehouse.com www.cairns-sharehouse.com GILLIGANS BACKPACKERS HOTEL & RESORT 57-59 Grafton Street, Cairns, QLD Ph: (07) 4041 6566 Free: 1800 556 995 reservations@gilligans.com.au www.gilligans.com.au 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
MISSION BEACH ABSOLUTE BACKPACKERS 28 Wongaling Beach Road Mission Beach Queensland 4852 Ph: 07 4068 8317 Free: 1800 688 316 info@absolutebackpackers.com.au www.absolutebackpackers.com.au SCOTTY’S BEACH HOUSE 167 Reid Road, Mission Beach, QLD, 4852 Ph: 07 4068 8676 info@scottysbeachhouse.com.au www.scottysbeachhouse.com.au
WHITSUNDAYS BAREFOOT LODGE Whitsunday Passage, Whitsundays, QLD Ph: +61 7 4946 9400 Free: 1800 075 125 longisland@oceanhotels.com.au www.oceanhotels.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 MAGNUMS/WHITSUNDAY VILLAGE TRAVEL 366 Shute Harbour Rd, Airlie Beach, QLD Ph: (07) 4964 1199 or 07 4964 1188 Free: 1800 624 634 travel@magnums.com.au www.magnums.com.au
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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 SCARBOROUGH
WESTERN BEACH LODGE 6 Westborough Street Scarborough, Western Australia, 6019 Ph. (08) 9245 1624 westernbeach@iprimus. com.au www.westernbeach.com
COTTESLOE
OCEAN BEACH BACKPACKERS Cnr Marine Parade & Eric St Cottesloe Beach Ph: 08 9384 5111 stay@ oceanbeachbackpackers. com www. oceanbeachbackpackers. com
PERTH BILLABONG RESORT 381 Beaufort Street, Perth WA Ph: 08 9328 7720 bookings@billabongresort. com.au www.billabongresort. com.au
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COOLIBAH LODGE 194 Brisbane Street Northbridge Perth WA Ph: (08) 9328 9958 www.coolibahlodge. com.au 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
MONKEY MIA
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 www. 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
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VICTORIA MILDURA
REDCLIFFS HOTEL 25 Jacaranda St, Red Cliffs VIC 3496 (03) 5024 1704
GREAT OCEAN ROAD
JOHANNA BEACH COTTAGES 225 Blue Johanna Road Johanna Heights Victoria 3238 (03) 5237 4224 cottages@johannabeach. com www.johannabeach.com
HALLS GAP
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.
MELBOURNE
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL BACKPACKERS 450 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne Vic 3000 Ph: 03 9662 4066 res@mibp.com.au www.mibp.com.au HOTEL 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
ST. KILDA
JACKSON APARTMENTS 80 Ikerman St ,St Kilda Beach Ph:0433 118 334 or 0412 525 510 www.jacksonapartments. com.au Jackson.apartments@ bigpond.com 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 Specials from $20! FREE pick up from Tullamarine (min 3 nt stay) * Conditions apply
HALLS GAP
GRAMPIANS YHA ECOHOSTEL Corner Grampians and Buckler Roads Halls Gap 3381 Ph: (+613) 5356 4544 grampians@yhavic.org.au www.yha.com.au Eco accredited. Solar powered. Herb garden, free range chooks and friendly local kangaroos
NORTHERN TERRITORY DARWIN
ASHTON LODGE & WISDOM BAR 48 Mitchell St, Darwin, NT, 0800 Ph: 08 8941 4866 ashtonlodge@gmail.com www.wisdombar.com.au
MELALEUCA ON MITCHELL 52 Mitchell St, Darwin, NT, 0800 Ph: 08 8941 7900 Freecall: 1300 723 437 www.momdarwin.com info@MOMDarwin.com
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 www.adelaidebackpackers. com.au MAJESTIC MINIMA HOTEL 146 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide SA 5006 Ph:(08) 8334 7766 minima@majestichotels. com.au www.majestichotels. com.au