TNT Down Under 687 by TNT MAGAZINE

June 25-July 1 2012 Issue 687 tntdownunder.com

!T ILN W BRIL IAN

A ADVENTUREIE S ON THE AUS SLOPES

THE TIDE IS HIGH Peru’s epic surf and holy herbs

QUEEN’S COUNTRY A weekend of action in Adelaide

ANIMAL FARM The world’s top wildlife parks

D N U O R A G N I ZIPP

e meets the ey y ll ia it in n a re th so much mo is t s a o C ld the Go Discovering + NEWS & SPORT WHAT’S ON FILM REVIEWS TRAVELLERS’ TALES

ALEX HARMON DEPUTY EDITOR alex@tntdownunder.com

DEPUTY EDITOR’S LETTER While Big Ed’s away in Fiji, little Ed will play. Just turn to p28 and read about my wild jaunt in the Gold Coast. Or p14 where I get my brain hacked by mentalist Keith Barry. But enough about me. You can also read about our travel writer who got spiritual in Peru (p36), and spend a weekend in Adelaide (p26). Plus channel your inner animal with our world wildlife guide (p6). Happy travels!

THIS WEEK OZ DIARY

CHATROOM

FILM

COMPETITION

TRAVEL

NEWS

OPINION

SPORT

LISTINGS NSW

LISTINGS QUEENSLAND

LISTINGS VICTORIA

LISTINGS TASMANIA

LISTINGS NT

LISTINGS SA

LISTINGS WA

LISTINGS NEW ZEALAND

WORK

TRIVIAL PURSUITS

FEATURES WILD THINGS

From diving with sharks to zebra spotting, we list the best wildlife spots

HAT TRICKS

A chance encounter with Keith Barry, the magician who also hacks into brains

STRIKING GOLD

Getting up high and finding the green pastures beyond the glitzy Gold Coast

SURF’S UP

The magical waves and mystical shamans you’ll find on Peru’s surf coast

14 TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

OZDIARY EDITORIAL Editor Tom Sturrock Deputy editor Alex Harmon Editorial assistant Leigh Livingstone Contributors Jennifer Carr Intern Michele Giebing

@tnt_downunder

Underwater love

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Design and production manager Lisa Ferron SALES Account manager Justin Steinlauf Sales executive Caroline Ward MARKETING & EVENTS Business development manager Tom Wheeler Marketing assistant Leroy Meurs DISTRIBUTION Lee Sutherland ACCOUNTS Financial controller Trish Bailey

02 8332 7511 tom@tntdownunder.com

PHONE EMAIL

MAIN EVENT THE REEF PROJECT FROM DARWIN TO SYDNEY

This project saw a bunch of musicians and surfers hang out on the rugged surf coast and tough desert landscape of northern Western Australia to create a performance piece combining music and nature. On stage witness a unique experience with music and film as the artists delve into the links between surfing, the ocean, and the land. Kicking off in Darwin on July 5, heading through W.A and resulting in an Opera House finale on July 23. $30

July 5-23. Tickets from $30 NT, WA, NSW reeftour.tura.com.au

WHERE TO GET TNT

BONDI WINTER FESTIVAL

MOONLIGHT CINEMA

BIENNALE OF SYDNEY

Sydney’s most famous beach is turning into a winter wonderland. Free ice-skating performances every weekend, a fire-warmed festival bar, food stalls with winter cuisine and the world’s biggest ice-skating rink ever placed on a beach!

One of our favourite Aussie events, the Moonlight Cinema has opened in Port Douglas. The program boasts a great mix of classic and new release films to enjoy under the stars. You can hire bean bags and blankets too. Think of us shivering in Sydney.

The country’s biggest international contemporary visual arts event returns and, this time, takes over CarriageWorks, the MCA, and other venues. Catch lectures, performance, art exhibits, talks, and more. Even a free show on the ferry to Cockatoo Island.

July 6- 23 Bondi Beach, Sydney winterfestival.com.au

Until October Port Douglas, QLD moonlightcinema.com.au

June 27-Sept 16 Various, Sydney biennaleofsydney.com.au

FREE

TNT Magazine is printed on paper from sustainable forests. There is no business connection between the proprietors of this magazine and TNT Ltd, the worldwide transportation group. Copyright here and abroad of all original materials is held by TNT Magazine. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden, except with permission of the publishers. Registered by Australia Post.

$14

FREE

Photo: Ed Sloan

SEE tntdownunder.com/magazine-location.html for pick-up points

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It’s a wild world Crazy animals have a rare ability to fascinate – if you want a closer look, check out our top wildlife destinations here and abroad WORDS MICHELE GIEBING

One of the great drawcards for those visiting Australia is, of course, its slightly bizarre wildlife. There are, put simply, a bunch of weird creatures out here that you’d struggle to conceive of elsewhere in the world. There are ones that bite and ones that bounce and a few that just look like someone’s idea of a practical joke. Either way, there are some cracking trips to be had if you’re prepared to go looking for them. It’s true that the further you travel and the more remote the destination, the more likely you are to spot Australia’s crazy creatures in their natural habitat, but you don’t actually have to go to the ends of the Earth. For example, if you’re over in Perth, it’s no hassle at all to jump on a ferry and get across to Rottnest Island, where the

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bizarre little quokkas are protected and stroll around like they’re kings of the castle. That’s right, quokkas – it sounds like a ridiculous wind-up invented by Aussies to fool tourists. But they’re all too real, these odd little miniature wallabies. If you like your animals with a bit more menace, then head north to the top end, where you’ll encounter plenty of crocodiles. Don’t get too close, though, as crocs are seriously lethal and won’t think twice about taking a chunk out of you. A great way to see them in their element is to take a tour along the Adelaide River – a baited hook gets hung over the side of the boat and the crocs come rushing over before being enticed to jump out of the water for a feed. Their power and sheer predatory

guile is something you’ll never forget after you’ve seen them in action. On your way back to civilisation, you may as well stop through South Australia, where Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island remain among the country’s most spectacular intriguing destinations. In Port Lincoln, for example, you’ll be able to go cage-diving with the local great white sharks, while Kangaroo Islands has a stack of marine life – no, it’s not just kangaroos. If you’re really up for an adventure, though, maybe you should start planning your next trip abroad, taking in a safari in Kenya. If you’re there at the right time of the year, the seasonal great migration is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

INTO THE WILD ON KANGAROO ISLAND SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA

ON THE ROAD THROUGH CROAJINGOLONG VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

Kangaroo Island is much more diverse than its name might suggest. Australia’s third-biggest island offers a protective home for different types of wildlife, like koalas, sea lions and pelicans. It has quite a lot to give. Well, when you’re into white beaches, cliffs, dense forests and sand dunes, that is. And who isn’t? Over a third of the Island is set aside for conservation or as National Park nowadays and includes five Wilderness Protection Areas. The best way to explore Kangaroo Island and see all its wildlife and beauty is by foot. Since most animals living on the island are nocturnal, you might want to join one of the guided night tours. The best time to spot animals during the day is in winter-time, so rug up and book your next trip.

Go big or go home. This coastal wilderness park, named after the Aboriginal people that lived here, stretches out over 100 kilometres and features rainforest, eucalyptus forest and heath land, with camping spots along the coast that are perfect for long walks along the beach, fishing and birdwatching. Victoria’s parks are home to 4,300 native plants and almost a thousand different species of animals and Mallacoota Inlet, about five hours’ drive east of Melbourne, is the biggest and most accessible area of Croajingalong. Another spot worth visiting is Thurra, where you’ll find the highest sand dunes on the mainland. You’ll run into plenty of wildlife in the park, such as huge goannas, emus, koalas, kangaroos and wallabies.

tourkangarooisland.com.au

discovereastgippsland.com.au

JUMPING CROCS ON THE ADELAIDE RIVER NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA

GIANT SPECIES IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS ECUADOR

Up close and personal gets a whole different meaning when you hop on board of one of the jumping crocodile cruises on the Adelaide River. Humungous jaws, maybe a metre from your face, close enough to hear the air rushing out as they snap shut. Yes, that’s pretty personal we’d say! There’s a lot of different kind of tours going around the Adelaide River. You can spend an entire day spotting different kinds of wildlife like buffalos, sea eagles and brogolas. But the jumping crocodile tours are good if you’re on a schedule since they usually only take about an hour. The Adelaide River starts in Litchfield National Park, which is worth a visit too. Its beautiful waterfalls, creeks and walking tracks attract a quarter of a million visitors each year.

Charles Darwin had never seen anything like it before and, most likely, you haven’t either. Due to the unique position of the islands and the lack of predators, the animals of the Galapagos were able to evolve in a different way than other fauna around the world. This is how some birds lost their ability to fly and tortoises just kept getting bigger and bigger. Very unique, but don’t expect anything too crazy when it comes do unique-looking animals. What is special though, is that they completely seem to ignore visitors. The Galapagos became a wildlife sanctuary in 1959 and even the sea around it is protected. One year later, organised tourism took off. Today, around 80,000 visitors come to explore the islands every year.

jumpingcrocodile.com.au

govisitgalapagos.com

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CHECK OUT THE SHARKS AT PORT LINCOLN SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA

SPOT THE CRAZY KIWIS IN ORANA CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

Water fanatics, you don’t want to miss this. Yachting, fishing, scuba diving and shark cage diving with the Great White (remember Jaws?), and all of that in one place. There are quite some National Parks within driving distance, like Lincoln National Park, Coffin Bay National Park and Kellidie Bay Conservational Park. Lincoln National Park is especially nice for bird-watching, since it is home to 123 different kinds of birds. While chilling along the coast, you might just spot a dolphin or sea lion or two. Coffin Bay National Park is similar to Lincoln National Park in its variety of birds, but distinguishes itself as a perfect area for diving, fishing and surfing. And it’s also known as the seafood capital of Australia so you won’t be going hungry.

Orana Wildlife Park is New Zealand’s one and only openrange zoo, snadwiched between the east coast of the South Island and the Waimakariri river. The park extends over 80 hectares and provides an environment as natural as possible for endangered animals. It uses streams, moats and banks rather than actual fences, which allow, you to get up closer to the animals than you would otherwise. You can walk through the park, hop on one of the safari shuttles or stroll along in one of the guided walkabout tours. The zoo hosts over 400 animals from 70 different species, mainly from New Zealand, Australia and Africa. The park has a huge collection of New Zealand native species, like the kiwi, tuatara, different kinds of reptiles and heaps of endangered birds.

sharkcagediving.com.au

QUOKKAS ROCK ON ROTTNEST ISLAND WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA

THE GREAT MIGRATION IN MAASAI MARA KENYA

If you’re over in Perth and you’ve got a few days to spare, make sure you take a trip over to Rottnest Island – it’s a funny place where there are no cars, so you’ll be peddling your way around. It’s also one of the few places on earth where you can find quokkas, a curious little marsupial that has survived on Rotto because there are none of the predators who hunted them on the mainland. Strangely enough, it was the quokka who helped bestow the island’s name – as opposed to its indigenous name, Wadjemup. When Dutch sailors first saw Rottnest in the 1600s, they mistook the quokkas for giant rats and named the island “Rotte nest”, which is, of course, Dutch for “rat nest”. Probably not the best way to sell it these days.

Masai Mara is Africa’s most famous safari destination. And for good reason! Have you seen great migrations? Well, here you can witness the biggest animal movement in the world in real life. If it’s on your bucketlist to visit all the Seven Wonders of the World, the great wildebeest migration cannot be missed. Over two million animals migrate annually from July to October from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Masai Mara National Reserve. The reserve consists of grassland and riverine forest and stretches out over 1,510 square kilometres. It’s not just the great migration that makes this national park so special; it also has one of the highest lion densities in the world and is home to almost 100 species of mammals and 570 species of birds.

rottnestisland.com

oranawildlifepark.co.nz

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maasaimara.com

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CHATROOM

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Your Shot Your Shot is a competition for people with dreams of becoming the next big thing on the DJ scene. We chat to co-founder Steve Pillemer about how to get involved INTERVIEW LEIGH LIVINGSTONE

turn up to talk to the promoters and selectors. From there we select 72 and enrol them into six weeks of full-paid DJ training at our schools. After learning the skills, they put together their first set and perform it for friends and family at the Your Shot events in each state.

It’s The X-Factor with decks Where did the idea for the DJ competition come from? I was actually sitting in the Greenwood Hotel with a mate and a young guy came in with a mix tape. He’d travelled two hours to give it to Mike. I walked upstairs after the young kid had left and Mike put this mix tape on top of a stack of 200 CD’s. I asked how often this happened and he said “mate, all the time, I just don’t have enough time to listen to them all.” So then we said hang on, there is a market there – and that’s how Your Shot was born. How long has the competition been running? We started in 2010 with 36 contestants. To begin with, in just 13 days, we had just over 1,350 people apply. It was pretty clear from that point that the young kids of Australia wanted to become DJ’s and for a long time they’d been ignored. What does this competition mean to you personally? Believe it or not, I can’t DJ. I can’t do it and yet I go to these festivals like thousands of other people. All these people see DJ’s fly in from all over the world, living the life and loving what they’re doing. I wouldn’t be the only person

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looking up at these people thinking “wow, I wish!” What has been a key to our success, is that unlike being a singer, where you might be born with certain skills, what’s really attractive to the young guys and girls applying for Your Shot is that after six weeks you really can be on your way. What sort of people apply? It really varies, they are 18-plus and come from all over Australia. For this round, in just under a month we had over 4,500 apply. The majority have never DJ’d before in their life. Then you also have a large proportion that have bought or been given decks and don’t know what to do with them or where to start. Then there is now an increasing population of people that have a lot of experience who want to play Mykonos and we have to unfortunately tell them they have too much experience. We only do it in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, but we have people that fly in from New Zealand. What is the competition process like? We encourage people to register and tell us why they want to be a DJ. Then we have interview days, where we ask everyone to come in and have a quick chat with us at the hotels we perform at later in the year. Hundreds of kids

What does the winner get? The winner gets flown to Paradise Club in Mykonos. It is the club in Mykonnos where they get to perform. We also send them to Thailand to compete at the Pioneer DJ electronic competition, flights, accommodation, spending money, you name it. Then they also play at Australia’s best festival, Stereosonic and they get everything they need from Pioneer, a complete setup. They fly in a Red Bull stunt plane, get a year’s supply of Red Bull, a Boost mobile prize pack, a Skull Candy prize pack, it really goes on and on. I might apply next year! You should! You do a lot of travelling trying to keep track of all the entrants, what’s three things you never travel without? My Your Shot mobile phone at all times. The guys at Skull Candy have sorted me out with some headphones so I just listen to the music and try and get some rest along the way and the third thing I guess would be my iPhone. I’m always listening to music. It keeps me going. Do you have a message for any wannabe DJ’s out there? My message to them would be just to stop dreaming and actually do it. I guess the big thing that we’ve come across is everyone has spent all this time looking at festivals and thinking “I want to be that person” well, now you can. Take that first step and apply, this competition will change your life. Your Shot finals are being held in Brisbane at Birdie Num Num, July 21 & 22; Sydney at Greenwood Hotel, August 4 & 5; Melbourne at Royal Melbourne Hotel, Aug 11 & 12. See: yourshot.com.au for more info.

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FILMREVIEW

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Stop, collaborate and listen, Ice is back...

THAT’S MY BOY FILM review by Leigh Livingstone STARRING: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, Vanilla Ice | MA | 116mins

TED FILM preview by Leigh Livingstone STARRING: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane | MA

From the creator of Family Guy and American Dad, comes Ted. The film centres on the friendship between John Bennett (Wahlberg) and his foulmouthed childhood bear who magically came to life. Ted is voiced by Seth MacFarlane himself and spends the film hilariously causing tension between John and his girlfriend Lori (Kunis). July 5 release

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Adam Sandler is back and he is done with the heart-warming, family-friendly comedy routine of recent years. That’s My Boy is the tale of has-been Donny (Sandler) whose only claim to fame was fathering a child with his hot teacher when he was a young teen. Donny is broke, in trouble with the taxman and out of touch with his son, so he decides to come looking for a handout from soon-to-be-married Todd (Samberg). The film ends up being extremely ridiculous and that’s what makes it somewhat funny. There are outrageous characters all over the place, from Donny’s best friend “Ice” played by Vanilla Ice (with a cameo that goes on for way too long) to Todd’s future brother-in-law (Milo Ventimiglia) and everyone in between. In fact, viewers would be hard pressed to find a character who isn’t a nutcase. Just when you think you’ve seen more semen, fart, penis or fat jokes than you can handle, the biggest and most ridiculous plot twist in the film occurs. You might see it coming, but you’ll still leave the cinema shaking your head in disbelief. Some clever cameos attempt to redeem the film, notably Eva Amurri Martino who plays Donny’s young teacher/seducer and then goes on to play her own reallife mother Susan Sarandon in the grown-up jailbird version – but even that one is hard to catch unless you’re a serious film buff. GOOD FOR: Fans of Sandler and/or Samberg – but not much else.

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ENTERTAINMENTFOCUS

Look into my eyes Brain hacker, hypnotist, and magician Keith Barry can catch a bullet with his teeth but admits he's not too sure about Aussie brains WORDS ALEX HARMON

The magician wants to know why I’m recording the interview on my iPhone and not a dictaphone like everyone else he has met today. I guess I’m new-school, I laugh and shuffle nervously in my seat. In his charming Irish accent he says, "you’re one of those Gen Y types, like Jason Dorsey". Sorry, who? "He’s a motivational speaker and a friend of mine. Most people don’t know this but I give motivational talks as well,” the magician reveals. You see, Keith Barry isn’t your regular magician. He’s interested in people, the brain, body language. He is able to read and understand the subtleties of human behaviour. Irish-born Barry has been performing magic for as long as he can remember. He had a residency in Las Vegas, where he was awarded Best Magician in Vegas in 2009. He can do tricks with cards, he can light your wallet on fire, he can even catch a bullet in his teeth. But what he is really interested in is tapping deep into your mind. “People ask me all the time, where do you learn your tricks? But they're not tricks. I have learnt a certain craft by teaching myself about the brain. I study science magazines, like New Scientist. I read about the power of the mind.” Barry may have these magazines lying around his Sydney harbour hotel for research, but he’s also going to use them to hack into my brain. Flicking through the magazine, Barry has me to tell him when to stop. Then he rips out the page. “Make sure that you’re happy there’s a couple of hundred words on both sides. Yeah? I’m going to close my eyes from now on.” He asks me to rip the page in half, again and again, until I am left with a piece about the size of my hand. Then I'm instructed to choose a word from the page. I go with 'newspaper'. It’s about as random as you can get. But we’ll come back to this. It’s easy to be taken by Barry. At 35-years-old he has youthful good looks, he looks you in the eye when he speaks and he listens intently. But then, listening and paying attention is all part of his brain hacking act. Still, it's not hard to work out how he got his own Discovery Channel show, Deception with Keith Barry. He’s also a YouTube sensation, having performed tricks on the

“

I like to corner sales assistants and hypnotise them into good deals

”

likes of Lindsay Lohan, the Pussycat Dolls and Charlize Theron. He performs a seriously hilarious, and mindboggling, trick on Samuel L. Jackson which involves a spiky nail, a blindfold and a paper cup. Jackson appears scared shitless as a blindfolded Barry hovers his hand above the nail. His favourite trick? “I really enjoyed the stunt I did with Nicole Scherzinger,” he says. “I took her out in my car and drove her around the hills in Hollywood while I was blindfolded. Her reaction was brilliant – she screamed the whole way through.” It’s Barry’s first time in Australia and he's on a whirlwind press tour, including a spot on a breakfast TV programme. He performed the spike trick on the show's host Kochie, whose hand shook like a leaf. Barry silenced the man who, in his entire career, has never been lost for words, if that's not magic, what is? When Barry returns in August it will be a first for Australian audiences. “I am really excited to bring my live show down here because I think the Australians and the Irish have a similar sense of humour. Well at least I hope they do. Do they? Because that is the show I am bringing down here: me planting thoughts in people's heads, extracting thoughts, hacking into their minds. I hope I understand Aussie brains. "The show is designed to make people laugh first. And then when they’re crying with laughter, they will be fooled badly as well," he explains. "It’s kind of a comedy show mixed with magic, mentalism, brain hacking and mind reading.” Barry began studying magic at the age of 14 when he purchased a book entitled Magic for the Complete Klutz. But

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The question remains: does Jessica Simpson have a brain?

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crack, and it’s the opposite of what people think. The more intelligent the person, the easier it is for them to go into deep hypnosis and deep trance. Because they listen more intently. They listen to instruction. Stupid people cant follow direction. I don’t want to sound mean but it’s true,” he says. “People think you have to be stupid to be hypnotised but it’s the other way around. Brains are like safes, some are easy to crack into and some are difficult to crack into,” he says rather ambiguously. Barry asks me to say the word I chose earlier in my head. Not out aloud. After getting me to repeat the al alphabet and visualise the object (he has figured out vi that it’s a tangible item) he writes something down. tangi Staring at me so s intently it makes me blush, he asks me if the word is 'magazine'. I sigh, feeling feelin awkward and somewhat responsible for the failed attempt. I wonder responsi if my safe was too hard to crack into, thus making me stupid. mak I tell him the word I chose was 'newspaper'. 'n Sorry Keith, it’s Friday, my brain is really scattered. br “Oh, not magazine? Fuck. So close,” he shakes his head. c Then he shows me the piece of paper. It says newspaper. ❚ Keith Barry will perform in Sydney (Aug 2), Brisbane (Aug 16), Adelaide (Aug 19), Melbourne (Aug 21) and Perth (Aug 25). See livenation.com.au

Photos: Getty Images

it wasn’t until university when he picked up his girlfriend's psychology books that he realised he could put the two together and create, what they’re now calling brain hacking. "From then I just studied as much as I could on psychology, human behavior systems, pattern recognition, literally anything to do with the brain. Since I was 18, so half my life. When you mix all those different elements you can really try and figure out what people are thinking," he says. "But it doesn’t always work. Sometimes es you get stuff wrong. When I first started off I would be e getting stuff wrong all the time. But over time, you get et better at it.” And has he ever used it to his advantage? ge? I, for one, would be using it to get out of speeding tickets. “Oh yeah, stuff like that but I like to use it more in high-end stores. Like, if my wife is buying ing a dress or something. Every girl likes to get a good od deal. But what I do is, I go into the corner of the room oom and hypnotise the sales assistant and make her er give me the dress for $10 when it's worth h $500. And yes, this has really happened," he smiles. "You have to be able to spot the rightt person. So it will only happen, maybe once a year. I might see hundreds of saless assistants, but I know it’s not going to work so I don’t even try. You gotta spot the right person and then bang – you can knock them under,” he explains. And how does he spot a soft target? “I can spot an easy person to

WIN

ARE YOU SPOTTED IN THE CIRCLE?

Email us at tom@ tntdownunder.com with ‘Spotted’ in the subject line, email must include a photo of yourself! Boom - You’ve won yourself a $100 bar tab at Scubar. Like us on facebook/ tntdownunder for more party pics from the night!

SCUBAR & TNT Hat party. Thursday 14 June

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HUGE SCREENS FOR ALL THE BEST LIVE SPORT!!!

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Fed up of carrying around heavy guidebooks? Then TNT has the answer We’ve published our 2012 Independent Traveller’s Guide to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. It’s free, it’s online and it’s full of tips on where to go, what to do and how to find work. FIJI W ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA NE

It’s also got listings for all the best hostels, tour companies and job agencies for all three countries, complete with links that will take you straight to their websites.

T THE INDEPENDEN

UIDE TRAVELLERS' G JI

If you’re travelling on, there’s also sections on Papua New Guinea and Samoa.

2012

To check it out, just head to tntdownunder.com and click the link on the right hand side.

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HOTSHOTS

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WINNER MONTHLY WINNER TWIGHLIGHT RETURNS Alex Phan, 24, UK

WE SAY: “This moody shot won the hearts of TNT this month for its colour, framing and overall magic feel of the photo. Alex tells us it took him hours to capture the perfect second in time, but we say it’s worth it. It’s so good I might have to use it as my computer’s screen saver.”

MONTHLY RUNNER-UP RUNNER-UP

SOUL SURFER Ben Proctor, 30, UK

WE SAY: “We love the solitary surfer and strolling seagulls in this early morning shot. Again, there’s a peaceful element to the photo. We appreciate the calm theme going on here. No one has hurt themselves to capture a Hot Shot this month – thanks guys!”

HOT TIPS: Wide angles Shooting wide can capture atmosphere in a way tight cropping cannot. The common perception is to zoom in to get as much action as possible into one tight frame. In some cases, this isn’t possible: perhaps you are too close to your subject of you don’t have the right equipment. When using your wide-angle lens, the trick is to be creative so that your subject doesn’t become a tiny dot in the frame.

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THREE DAYS CAR HIRE Photos were judged by the TNT editorial team at their own discretion. Send high-res (300 dpi) jpegs with name, age, nationality and a description, to: alex@tntdownunder.com Monthly winner Alex wins three days car hire from Travellers Auto Barn. While the monthly runner-up Ben wins a Great Barrier Reef snorkelling adventure and cruise with Awesome Oz.

WIN

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TALK LEE FOSTER FROM KENT, UK WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN IN OZ? Queensland, Hunter Valley, Kangaroo Valley, Canberra, Snowy Mountains, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. I’m now living in Sydney with my Australian girlfriend.

YOU ASKED FOR IT... WE ANSWER YOUR TRAVEL QUESTIONS

heard it’s safe to swim with Q I’ve freshwater crocs. Is this true and, if so, where can I do it? Marcus Ardley, UK

knows about the Q Everyone Whitsundays, but are there any quieter islands off Oz? Harry Brown, USA

freshwater crocodile is a smaller A The version of its saltwater cousin, growing up

peace and quiet you can’t beat French A For Island, which squats proudly in Victoria’s

to 3m in length but averaging around 2m. While known as a feisty creature with rows of needlelike teeth and a long, tapered snout, they’re too small to be considered a threat to humans. However, they have on rare occasions taken a curious nibble out of people swimming in their territory, so getting in the water they may inhabit is certainly not recommended. As their name suggests, “freshies” are mostly found in inland billabongs, swamps and rivers across the Top End of Australia, and although they can live in salt water they’re almost always displaced by much larger “salties”. This is a good sign – any water body with freshwater crocodiles will most likely have no deadly saltwater crocs. Alternatively you can go to Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin and be dropped into the water with a couple of saltwater crocs, protected by a Perspex box.

Westernport Bay. The island is easily accessible from Melbourne and once you arrive you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back into rural Australia circa 1950. Home to around 60 farmers, a national park, and every now and then the Minogue sisters, the island teems with wildlife such as the rare potoroo, black cockatoos and a koala population. For much of the early 20th century the island’s former prison farm housed some of Victoria’s scariest prisoners, and the buildings and surrounding organic farm now make for an arresting (ahem) place to stay. Bikes are the only way to get around and can be hired near the jetty on arrival. If you tire of all this bucolic splendour, then the rowdier Phillip Island, with its surf beaches, café lifestyle, race course and nightly penguin parade, is just a short ferry hop away.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVE PLACE IN OZ? Port Douglas is a beautiful town. So many wonderful restaurants, the Great Barrier Reef a boat ride away and the scenery is amazing. MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE? In Lake Crackenback, with everything at our doorstep and spa bath and fireplace as the chilly weather started to hit the Snowy Mountains. HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM HOME? The BBQ has become my new kitchen, I would never have BBQ’d nightly outdoors and I never knew so many pieces of meat could be butterflied. BIGGEST SURPRISE? The landscape. I thought it would be flat, but after driving around Kangaroo Valley I realise I was very, very wrong. YOU WISH YOU’D BROUGHT... I wish I never sold my motorbike.

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Lofty pursuits This is Adelaide in 48 hours WORDS LEIGH LIVINGSTONE

DAY 1:x Don't believe the other state capitals, Adelaide isn't the sleepy town they have you believe. It's exciting and varied, and it's not just about wine regions. There are so many fun things to see and do, that you'll have trouble packing it all into just one weekend. But let's give it a shot. 10:00: Start your day off with a big pile of cute at the Adelaide Zoo (adelaidezoo.com.au) admission is $31.50. Morning is the best time to visit Wang Wang and Funi, the resident giant pandas. Once they’ve made your acquaintance, say a quick hello to the rest of the animal gang, you don’t want to be rude do you? 13:00: Then take a scenic road trip to the German influenced town of Hahndorf, a 30-minute drive outside of the city for some lunch. The famous Hahndorf Inn (hahndorfinn.com.au) is like taking a trip within a trip, they serve up Deutschland inspired grub such as kranskys, strudel, and more wurst than you could poke a sausage at. 16:00: Back in the city, work off those super tasty steins by pumping your legs to power a paddleboat along the Torrens River. Captain Jolleys (elderparkcafe.com) at Elder Park will hire you a single paddleboat for half an hour ($15), with a discount if you get all your mates out with you. 18:00: Now is the perfect time for a post-paddle beverage. As evening descends head over to the famous Rundle Street (rundlestreet.com.au) in Adelaide's east end district. There are a tonne of drinking and dining options but keep the international feel of the day going by starting at

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the Belgian Beer Cafe. When the tummy starts to rumble, stop in at The Stag, reputably "Adelaide's best steak pub". The Jucy Lucy burger will have your stomach doing backflips. 21:00: Once the stomach is lined take a wander further down Rundle Street to The Exeter Hotel (theexeter.com. au). They have a beer garden and live band on every night. Kick your heels up and rock the night away because it's just a hop, skip and a jump over to the Botanic Park to your accommodation when you're done. Get some much needed rest at Minima Hotel (majestichotels.com.au) because it's another big day tomorrow. DAY 2: 9:00: Wake up with a brisk hike up to the Mt Lofty Summit (mtloftysummit.com), 20 minutes southeast of Adelaide and enjoy sweeping views of the city with your morning coffee. You can’t go past the Summit Big Breakfast with bacon, chipolatas and fresh sourdough bread ($16.50) from the Summit Café to kick start your day. 12:00: Time for a bit of adventure now that you're feeling refreshed. In the nearby township of Gawler take a scenic ride in a genuine ex-Airforce warbird. Experience some serious G-force and acrobatics in the classic supercharged military plane for a full 40 minutes. Grab a voucher from Red Balloon (redballoon.com.au) it isn't cheap but it's worth it and if you can keep your eyes open there are great views over Adelaide's surrounds. 14:00: It's a good thing you got the plane out of the way before lunch because you're going to want to hold on to this

The choices are endless

one. Spend the afternoon in the seaside area of Glenelg, it's ideal for a big long Sunday drinking session. There are a heap of bars (glenelgpier.com.au) to choose from along the waterfront promenade and they all sell food, so why not start at one end and stroll slowly? Enjoy the use of your feet now that you're on solid ground again. 17:00: When you've well and truly settled your stomach get out on the ocean with Temptation Sailing (glenelgsa. com.au). The high performance catamaran named, you guessed it, Temptation, takes cruisers out on the ocean for an unforgettable twilight experience. Sip champagne as the sun goes down over the ocean and unwind with some new friends while spotting dolphins in the sea. 19:30: Back on dry land, it's time to rev the engine again and head back to Rundle Street. South Australia is famous for wine regions such as the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Flinders Ranges and Coonawarra so no trip to Adelaide is complete without sampling some of their best. The Universal Wine Bar (rundlestreet.com.au) has a selection of over 250 wines from the area and around the world, so take your palate on a South Australian journey. 21:00: When you've had your fill of wine bouquets and aroma sniffing, grab a bite to eat before you leave Rundle Street to line that stomach and rock on over to the Grace Emily Hotel (graceemilyhotel.com.au). Say farewell to Adelaide in the style you've become accustomed to, with live music and good beer on tap.

Glenelg's charming seaside

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The Gold Coast QUEENSLAND

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Green behind the gold Away from Surfers, hang out in a hinter paradise with fresh air and charming wildlife, just what you need after truly wild nights WORDS ALEX HARMON

“I’m a lover, not a fighter!” These are my last WHAT TO DO: Thunderbird Park (thunderbirdpark.com); words as I head off into the bush, chasing Dracula’s (draculas.com.au); Plan B the commander. I have no idea what to do next, so I just run with the heavy gun under Party Tours (planbpartytours.com. my arm. My $7 Kmart shoes provide no grip au); Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in the muddy field. “Quick get behind that (cws.org.au) tree, you’re not covered,” the commander HOW TO GET THERE: yells. For a grown man he’s taking this game Jetstar flies from Sydney to the of laser skirmish very, very seriously. Gold Coast from $49. Catch the We’re in the Gold Coast hinterland, Airport Link to Sydney Airport for spending the day at Thunderbird Park, $15.20. (airportlink.com.au) about an hour’s drive from bustling Surfers WHERE TO STAY: Paradise. I can’t find my buddy because he is A bed at Coolangatta Sands hidden in the trenches wearing camouflage Hostel will cost you $29/night. gear. He has the determination of a Major (coolangattasandshostel.com.au) General – I am putting down to his inherent Or for something with a touch American patriotism. Then he emerges, of retro glam, try the QT Hotel in sprinting towards enemy territory, hunching Surfers Paradise. Twin share from because he has the physique of a giraffe. $165/night. (qtgoldcoast.com.au) The next thing I hear is bone smacking on SEE: visitgoldcoast.com concrete, my buddy has fallen over in the middle of the enemy base. I run to the nurse’s station, but find it’s merely for recharging weapons, and not actually for injuries. So like a good Lieutenant, I sacrifice myself and go out into the open to save my buddy who is winced over in pain. I’m attacked immediately. Dropping my weapon to the ground I revert back to friend mode and capture the moment on camera. It wasn’t your typical Gold Coast escape. Our mission was to discover “the green behind the gold”. Apparently there is more to the glitzy coast than wild rides and an even wilder nightlife. Well, of course there’s that too.

Queensland rainforest. Situated in the heart of Mount Tambourine, part of a mountain range that towers over the Gold Coast, it is the largest high ropes course in the country. And it has the efficiency of a German army. The concept began in Europe when an ex-military man decided to use his commando training to create a challenging ropes course. It works through a series of levels and, in the nine-acre park, there are no short-cuts. Even when we try to skip the easy parts, we meet a dead end and must go back. So we swing from rope to rope, crawl through tunnels on our backs and tiptoe over poles while hanging precariously from a wire. Turns out it is actually pretty fun. Once we make it to the zip-lines and

Zip service The high ropes course at Thunderbird is your thinking man’s theme park. Instead of being strapped in and taken for a ride, you’re strapped in and forced to assess situations, use balance, confidence and agile footwork, while reserving fears of falling head first into the dense

Shoot first, talk later

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Saddle up boys and girls

flying foxes, I feel confident in my abilities. Should I ever have to abseil down a building to save my life, I’ll be first in line. There are purely fun parts too, like swinging from what they call the ‘Tarzan rope’ and landing in a rope web. I am singing “George of the Jungle” and thinking I have the finesse of Spiderman as I scale these ladder ropes. Now that I’ve seen the video footage, I realise I am more like George Costanza with the finesse of a turtle on its back. The further we go into the park, the harder it becomes. The mind gets a workout as I overcome the challenges. But in the fresh mountain air I feel rejuvenated, I’m worlds away from the teasing temptress that is Surfers Paradise. On our way back we stop to meet some horse riders who have returned from a rainforest day-trip. I find a rusty horseshoe that I want to keep for good luck, but considering you can’t even get a banana across the border these days, I leave it behind. It’s a shame because I’m going to need luck – after all it’s Saturday night on the Gold Coast. Wildlife soon takes on a very different meaning.

gum underneath the jeans of guy I have just met. Once the piece has made its way around his crotch and down his other leg, I must chew on it until it’s ready to be blown into a bubble. My buddy has conveniently turned into an action photographer as I’m on my knees in front of an 18-year-old boy. I am thinking of two things: workplace blackmail. And, have I pulled a muscle in my jaw? This really sets the tone for the rest of the pub crawl. Looking back the next day is like looking through a blurry kaleidoscope. I see girls in lingerie that I swear are just bartenders, neon-lit nightclubs, people dancing on podiums, Jäger bombs, and at some point there was pizza. Dracula’s delight

It’s not just the Gold Coast bars that have haunting hangover abilities. The area is also famous for Dracula’s, a

Shots all around

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[Caption]

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The sun hasn’t even descended over Cavil Avenue in Surfers Paradise and yet we are throwing back shots at the bar. This does not bode well for the rest of the night, but when you’re at a ten pin bowling bar with a bunch of excited 18-year-olds, what else can you do but drink? Plan B Tours have been taking party animals on pub crawls through Surfers for ten years. Their staff love it, perhaps a little too much I think as they round us up like cattle. Tour leader Lisa, shows the signs of a life lived to the fullest. “We love doing the pub crawls,” she exclaims sipping on a bottled Jim Beam and Coke. “And we encourage everyone to get involved in the party games. I want to see you on your knees,” she orders. Next thing I know I am travelling a piece of bubble

place that celebrates B-Grade horror. The entertainment is part cabaret, part rock show, part carnal circus. If you’re expecting dinner and a show, think again. From the moment you line up outside you are treated to a

“

It’s hard to find virgins on the Gold Coast, I’m forced to prey on tourists

”

sensory overload experience. The sassy ‘Draculettes’ tease and taunt you with their evil eyes and startle you when you least expect it. Inside, we meet one of our waiters for the night, Mosley, a skinny guy wearing leather and more make-up on than most girls in the audience. “I’m like Jesus because I have a beard and magical powers,” he says as he parks himself on my seat, just inches from my face. They’re vampires with sex appeal and a sharp sense of humour. It’s like Twilight on crack. I order the ‘Silence of the Lamb Shank’s and sip on a cocktail served in a cauldron. I go to take a photo but I am accosted by a Draculette who tells me in her wicked voice, “there’s no pornography in here darling. Only on stage.” She’s not wrong. The stage show is a raunchy, indulgent, and full of pop culture and drug references. It makes The Rocky Horror Show feel like Mary Poppins. Between acts we get talking to one of the Draculettes. She stays in character the whole time, even when we ask her how long she has worked here. Without stepping out of character she answers, “I’ve been here for centuries. I survive on the blood of virgins.” We laugh at her commitment. Licking her lips she adds, “This isn’t easy on the Gold Coast. I am forced to prey on tourists.” Can’t bear it

The following morning, feeling worse for wear we arrive

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CNR CEDAR CREEK FALLS RD TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN fun@thunderbirdpark.com www.thunderbirdpark.com

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NEXT WEEK Blue Mountains: Biking and boozing through the mountains

Panning for gold of an evening

at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Immediately I am surrounded by hundreds of rainbow lorikeets. Picking up a dish of bird feed, a watery honey-like substance, the lorikeets swarm me, clawing my clothes, even my parking themselves on my head and shoulders. I may look like a homeless bird lady but feel like Justin Bieber at an airport arrival gate. As it rained overnight, there are more birds than usual, desperate to get a feed as the rain has washed

“

I feel like Justin Bieber at an airport arrival gate

”

away the flower nectar they would normally rely on. Birds aren’t the only star attraction at Currumbin. People have been crossing the New South Wales border for years so they can cuddle a koala. My buddy takes the opportunity to tell the park ranger about the time in a Melbourne strip joint when he was told, “you can’t cuddle the koalas here, it’s state law.” The ranger isn’t quite sure what to make of this and nervously hands him the koala. ‘Occy’ as he’s named, clings to me, climbing me like a tree until his handler intervenes. Eventually he rests his little body in my hands and looks diligently at the camera. Occy’s warm bottom and soft fur against my skin momentarily releases all of the weekend’s stresses. It has been an action-packed and exciting time – I’ve been shot at, tied up, boozed up and ridiculed. It feels like a fitting ending that I am finally getting a cuddle. ❚

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TREAT, STAY, LOVE CURRUMBIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

If you want to do something enriching while you’re on the Gold Coast, why not become a volunteer? The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has an animal hospital which provides veterinary care for sick and injured wildlife in the area. The Coolangatta Sands Hostel has a unique and seamless package giving you the chance to work at the sanctuary and stay at the hostel. You’ll even be driven around and the hostel will provide you with all of your meals. By volunteering at the sanctuary you’ll

get the chance to care for koalas, kangaroos, dingoes, reptiles and birds in the wildlife park as well as caring for sick or injured animals in the hospital. You’ll even learn about indigenous culture through local guides. You’re guaranteed to go home with stories to tell your friends as well as the humbling feeling that you’ve made a difference to the Australian ecosystem. A four night/three day Silver Rescue Package starts at $395. Visit: coolangattasandshostel.com.au for more info.

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Mancora PERU

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Epic surf and shamans If the waves on Peru’s surf coast don’t blow your mind, then a session on the ayahuasca with a local mystic certainly will WORDS JENNIFER CARR

I’m tired. Dog tired. So tired, in fact, I think WHEN TO GO: Visit in Aprilultimate ‘off the beaten wave’ extravaganza. I’ll either break into delirious laughter or September to ensure the longest His trick, he tells me, is superior satellite a torrent of tears. I’ve travelled 19 hours waves and most reliable southforecasting for up-to-the-minute information on a bus from Lima and slept less than two, on breaking swells and tidal shifts. But from western swell. due to the unfortunate reality that screaming CURRENCY: Peruvian Nuevo Marco’s twinkly stare and obsession with the babies aren’t banned on Peruvian transport. sea, I’m guessing it’s also a lifetime’s worth of Sol: £1 = PEN2.66 As such, my humour was lost some time intuition that lets him read the ocean like a ACCOMMODATION: The ago on Peru’s dusty Pan Americana highway second language. ultimate place to party, socialise – the only accessible route north into the Day one is a trip to Lobitos, a good alland lose sleep (and liver function), province of Piura. But enough whining. From round ‘warm up’ beach some 40km north a night at Loki Hostel comes with the minute I survey dawn’s pink sunbeams of Mancora heading towards the large a free ‘continental’ breakfast (be bouncing off the ocean, my faith in coming coastal city of Piura. Boasting an impressive warned, this is a white bread roll). here is instantly restored. Dorms from $10pn (lokihostel.com). sand reef break with long lefts, these yearI’m in Mancora, 1165km north of the round waves can reach 3m (10ft), so a good For more laidback travellers, great Peruvian capital of Lima, considered the staff and a damn fine pisco sour, try technique and strong paddle is essential. I’ve epicentre of the country’s surf scene. In got the latter, not the former, so Marco pairs Kokopelli Hostel at the same price. nearby Chicama, sets of waves in excess me with one of his ‘personal surf trainers’, (hostelkokopelli.com). of 4km long are created thanks to forceful Carlos – a sunbeaten 28-year-old local, who SEE: visitperu.com southwestern swells that push through regularly spends nine hours a day surfing. the Pacific – that’s up to five minutes of continuous surf“One big mistake is catching the first wave,” Carlos time. Strangely, though, this area remains largely off the advises, as we paddle over to 10 bronzed bodies, floating in international surf radar, even though it’s hosted some of the ocean like a silent tribe. “If you keep patient, the right the world’s best surfing talent in the past 30 years, including wave will appear with your name on it.” 2004 female World Champion Sofia Mulanovich, recent 2011 I’m told to tuck my tailbone in and go really low, like a World Junior Champion Cristobal de Col and legendary 2008 snowboarder. It feels awkward – and great for my thighs. Grand Masters World Champion Magoo de la Rosa. Like skiing, though, the closer to the ground and the Many argue the birthplace of modern surfing lies in further forward I lean, the better I own the board. A steady Hawaii, but scientific archaeology – the process of analysing afternoon wind yields white horses from the south and and measuring salt erosion on ancient artifacts to enable indicates the arrival of some impressively high waves. Carlos deeper understanding of how our ancestors lived – indicates feels my fear, breathes “muy tranquilo” in my ear, like a surfthat it actually evolved on Peru’s northern Pacific coast in whisperer, and tells me to sit on my board and absorb the Huanchaco, where pre-Colombian cultures used reed boats, ocean’s energy instead. or caballitos de totora, to surf the waves. Heading back to Mancora town that night, we drop into the charming La Sirena (Spanish for ‘The Mermaid’). Run by Muy tranquilo local surfer and gourmet chef Juan Chi, the menu is a voyage into Peru’s renowned gastronomy with plenty of atmosphere One man who helps serious surfers discover the best coastal to boot. I order a potent mango sour, then recline my aching spots is Marco ‘Pulpo’ Ravizza, a long-time surfer and tour biceps on to a retro red sofa in the cosy bar. guide whose specialist Octopus Surf Tours delivers the

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Ayahuasca is way better than rum Long nights at Loki The next day, Marco drags me out of bed at 6am, bouncing off the walls from life – and caffeine? – and says: “I check with my friend. There’s huge tubes at Piscinas for two more hours. You like to see?” Racing the 4X4 back down the PanAmericana, we take the turning off for Lobitos, hit a dirt track, then a sand dune and head into a desolate military facility requiring ID for beach access. We breeze through to join the other surfers, who skillfully glide through the barrels like bronzed darts. Marco turns to me and says, simply: “I live the really good life.” I don’t doubt it. The good life, as it transpires, also extends to Mancora’s reputation as a backpacker party town. Perfect for kicking back after a hard day’s wave-chasing, the main street offers bars, eateries and entertainment for those craving a little aprés surf. I soon learn the nucleus of the small town’s party scene is at Loki, a large backpacker joint where 20-somethings mingle for hijinks and themed party nights with a similarly fun-loving bunch of nomads. Knocking back pisco slushies and dancing to cringeworthy Bon Jovi classics is fun – for a short time – and at 2am the party shifts gear as the hostel decamps down to the beach for ear-blasting reggaeton and a generous dose of Rihanna.I head home, however. For tomorrow is about a different kind of high; I’m off to visit Mancora’s resident shaman, Eloy. Shamanism and the concept of healing the physical through a purification of the emotional is integral to Peru’s holistic identity. For thousands of years, shamans have been visited for their ability to help enhance an individual’s consciousness in order to heal a person from sickness, addiction and mental disturbances. The catalyst that drives this ‘awareness’ is a selection of highly hallucinogenic plants

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from the Amazon. In other words, shamans get people high. But the difference between these guys and your average London dealer is the drug they use is legal – at least in Peru. That, and it’s taken as part of a carefully controlled ceremony, not before a warehouse rave. Cleaning out the static Entering Eloy’s peaceful farmstead the next evening on the outskirts of Mancora, I’m racked by apprehension and nerves. But reports from others who’ve used the experience to free themselves from addictions, poor lifestyle choices and ‘clean

Ride the wave in Mancora

their aura’ propel me to trust in the power of nature. You should detox for at least a week prior to taking ayahuasca. This means no sugar, meat, dairy, caffeine, alcohol or sex – stimulants are totally off the cards. I avoid telling Eloy I was out drinking rum until the early hours the night before.

“

I lose all sense of spacial awareness and can’t feel the ground

”

Eloy sits two metres in front of me. We both drink a small half-cup of ayahuasca, then another, then one more. I wait. Over the next 30 minutes, the sounds that were so distracting to me before – the bees and bugs, the banging of a loose gate, the sound of the river gushing nearby – grow eerily quiet. Then I notice Eloy has lowered his head and is breathing deeply into his diaphragm. Involuntarily, I do the same. He begins a slow, soft chant that rapidly grows into an arch of noise. Eloy has become my other, beside me, behind me, beneath me. His energy is everywhere. I learn afterwards the chanting is what helps people ‘come up’. It certainly works in my case; I’m flying all over the place. I lose all sense of spacial awareness and can’t feel the ground. For an hour, two hours, who knows? I watch the shaman, who hovers before me waving his hands in rhythmic circles. “I see you as a television. I clean your static,” he announces, before guiding my hands upwards in a prayer position as the roof caves in and the entire garden – flowers, weeds, vines, butterflies and bees – soar through my fingers and make me gasp out loud. I’m then suddenly calm. The experience has been completely unique and that night, I feel totally at odds and disconnected from the party atmosphere of Mancora. My reflections come thick and fast, with one I can offer you. For those willing to ride the wave, Mancora will take your breath away. ❚

The Insider’s guide Marco ‘Pulpo’ Ravizza is the owner of leading surf tour company Octopus Surf Tours. He gives us his pick of the region’s ultimate surf breaks and where to kick back after a hard day chasing the waves. Pena Redonda (Round Rock) “This is a great barrelling beach break with short lefts and rights. It can be tricky to catch good conditions, so arrive very early before the wind picks up. When there are no waves at any other break you will find a little rideable wave here, especially when there’s a strong southern swell.”

Punta Ballenas (Whale Point) “Close to Mancora town, Punta Ballenas offers a serious left-hand point break with a reef bottom. It’s shorter than Mancora but bigger and more aggressive, with the added bonus of Fiji: Our month-long throwing up the occasional tube. Don’t special on the South Pacific paradise starts be under any illusions – this wave is intense and there may be a longer wait between sets than in Mancora. But it’s worth it. Take special care on the inside section.”

NEXT WEEK

Cabo Blanco (White Cape) “My favourite, and arguably the best, wave in Peru. This spectacular left reef break is strong, magical and tubular. Cabo Blanco is world-famous for its long, perfect tubes and I actually think it’s the perfect wave with heights up to 3m (10ft). “Once the sun goes down I like to drop in and catch up with the local surf students at the laidback Kokopelli hostel, where a nightly happy hour means I can also enjoy a killer pisco sour for only 7 soles (£1.60). If I’m in the mood for serious food, my good friend Juan Chi at La Sirena always serves up a storm.”

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Who ordered the family size?

SQUID GETS COSY IN WOMAN’S MOUTH SOUTH KOREA

A 63-year-old woman became ‘pregnant’ with 12 baby squid after eating calamari. The woman from South Korea, who they’re now calling a real-life ‘octomum’ was eating a portion of cooked whole squid when she felt a sharp pain and tingling in her mouth. When examined, the doctors found ‘baby cephalopods’ attached to her mouth. These are small pods, covered in a cementlike material to make them stick. After the victim was hospitalised, doctors removed the baby cephalopods from her gums, tongue and cheek. It was only then that the pods were formally identified as ‘squid spermatophores, or in other words, cups of semen. The woman did not swallow the calamari and will not be giving birth to baby squid like initially suggested.

CHORTLING YOGA NO LAUGHING MATTER INDIA

A High Court in Mumbai has ordered members of a ‘laughter yoga’ club to restrain their joy. Residents of a Mumbai suburb won a long running legal battle over whether the sound of laughter amounts to “aural aggression”. The complaint was that between 10 and 30 devotees gathered outside their houses every morning at 6am and started singing devotional songs, clapping and exhorting one another to laugh out louder. Residents complained of “mental agony, pain and public nuisance.” According to their lawyer, “It’s true that laughter is contagious, but if 30 people laugh every day in your window and you

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Bros before hoes: The Dalai Lama Prince spends the day with Charles, Prince of Wales at Clarence House in London. The exiled Buddhist Tibetan leader is taking part in a week long tour of the United Kingdom. His holiness held the Prince’s hand and said he was a “very close friend” as they discussed different remedies for hair loss prevention wake up to the sound of this cacophony you do not start laughing.” Although the ‘laughers’ have been told to restrain their joy, no official action has been taken because the laughing yogis are not a formally registered club.

BRIEF LESSON IN MANDARIN CHINA

An online language school that uses lingerie-clad glamour models to help foreigners learn Mandarin has become a hit since launching last year. SexyMandarin.com – whose motto is, “Learning Mandarin in an unconventional way” – has become a huge

success after launching last December. The course’s latest lesson, called Mirror, is conducted by two lingerie-wearing models who discuss their body shapes and diets. Would-be teachers are asked to submit a full-body photo, as well as any relevant modelling or teaching experience. A touch of dignity comes from “Mr Fung”, a bespectacled cartoon schoolmaster who moderates the classes. The school has been slammed by feminist groups in China.

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THIS WEEK

IN NUMBERS Amount, in kilograms, of mayonnaise thieves stole from a warehouse in Adelaide. Police fear the trend could ‘spread’

42 One sneeze and it’s over

Measurement, on the Richter scale, of the earthquake that rattled Melbourne this week. No one was injured

NIAGARA TIGHTROPE WALK A SUCCESS UNITED STATES

A 33-year-old American man has become the first person to successfully cross from the US to Canada over Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Nik Wallenda completed the 1,800 feet tightrope walk across the mist-fogged brink of the roaring Niagara Falls. He wore a safety harness, a precaution insisted on by ABC, who sponsored the live broadcast of his walk. Asked what he would do next, Wallenda said: “I have permits to be the first person in the world to walk across the Grand Canyon, so that’s a process we’ll start working on.” An estimated crowd of 125,000 people on the Canadian side and 4,000 on the American side watched Wallenda’s stunt.

CROYDON RETURNS LORD BYRON

Photos: Getty Images

UNITED KINGDOM

Croydon Council must remove all references to Lord Byron from its tourism literature after admitting the poet never actually lived in the town. The poet was hailed as one the “50 notable people connected with Croydon” in the borough’s bid to win city status earlier this year. According to council literature, called “Croydon: The Facts”, it stated that Lord Byron, born George Byron in 1788, was one of “many talents nurtured by Croydon”. But this week the council admitted it had made a bungle after it was pointed out that Lord Byron was born in Marylebone in north London and had probably never even visited Croydon.

85,000,000

Amount, in dollars, boxer Floyd Mayweather made in 2011, making him the highest earning sportsman of the year

Height, in feet, stuntman Jhonathan Florez jumped out of a plane from wearing only a wing suit. He now has the world record

Yeah, I’ll drink to that mate

BOGANS FINALLY GET RECOGNITION AUSTRALIA

The Aussie bogan has made it into one of the English language’s most prestigious dictionaries. The Oxford English Dictionary has added “bogan” to its list of new words being added to the dictionary this month. The dictionary, which was first published in 1895, says bogan is a “depreciative term for an unfashionable, uncouth, or unsophisticated person, especially of low social status”. Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary already defines a bogan as a “person, generally from an outer suburb of a city or town and from a lower socio-economic background, viewed as uncultured.” The Macquarie has various alternatives including “bevan” and “bev-chick” (Queensland); “bog” (WA); “booner” or “charnie bum” (ACT); “chigger” (Tasmania); and “scozzer” (Victoria).

5.4

37,265

QUOTE OF THE WEEK I hate Octomom: her vagina is like the log ride at Disneyland. It opens up and a thousand g wet screaming kids come flowing out You’ve got to hand it to Joan Rivers, this description of ‘Octomum’ Nadya Suleman is pretty much spot on

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OUTSIDE THE FLAGS COMMENT: ALEX HARMON alex@tntdownunder.com

Dude, I’ve totally ruined my scarf

Melbourne has earthquake, reacts like it’s Armageddon Melbourne earthquake’s aftershock occurred through social media

» Agree or disagree? Did Victorians overreact to the earthquake? alex@tntdownunder.com

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Quelle suprise, Lindsay Lohan has no one to blame but herself for crashing her Porsche a couple of weeks ago. Lindsay, who should really only drive if they happen to make a sequel to Herbie Fully Loaded, (and they should call it Lindsay Fully Loaded) rear ended a truck and totalled her Porsche on June 8. The accident sent LiLo and her assistant to the emergency room. Both were released and miraculously didn’t suffer serious injuries. The investigation into the crash has since shown that Lindsay was speeding and

“

They should call it Lindsay Fully Loaded

”

is fully to blame for the accident. While there’s no surprise here, what’s interesting is that Lilo was prohibited from driving by the insurance policy covering her involvement on the Elizabeth Taylor biopic, Liz and Dick. The insurers banned her from the roads for fears that she’d get in a crash and ruin the movie. It seems their fears were warranted.

Photos: Getty Images

Last week Melbourne was shook by its largest earthquake in over 100 years, hitting 5.4 on the Richter scale. It sounds terrible but the fact is, no one was hurt and, apart from a few split cappuccinos, damage was minimal. However this didn’t stop #earthquake from trending minutes after the quake. Everyone in Victoria wanted to tweet their reports, but the truth is, none of them were interesting. So the rest of Australia launched an attack on Victoria. People began making fun of the poor, shaken Melbournites. And the media didn’t help. They began reporting on the 40 second quake like it was Hurricane Katrina. Yes, making fun of natural disasters is in poor taste, but the way the media handled the incident was beyond farcical. The Herald Sun printed quotes from residents they’d interviewed, making out like they were lucky to be alive. They reported of mass devastation like “dislodged DVD cases” and “damaged towel racks.” The best was mX who printed a photo of a woman looking distraught, behind her were several framed pictures slightly off-kilter. The headline read: “Millions Shaken”. Seriously, Victoria? The memes began too, there was the picture of upturned plastic garden furniture and the caption: “Melbourne Earthquake. We will rebuild.” A clever jibe at Melbourne stereotypes came in a picture of dog wearing a scarf and black-framed glasses with the caption: “I liked the earthquake better when it was just an underground movement.” It’s unclear why the earthquake became an internet sensation, perhaps it’s because after all of 2011’s natural disasters it was nice to hear about a freak occurrence that didn’t cause death, destruction and heartache. Or perhaps it’s because everyone outside of Victoria agrees: people from Melbourne are just a little bit precious.

OOPS SHE CRASHED IT AGAIN

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Jenson Button

MCLAREN TEAM ADMIT TO PUSHING BUTTONS MOTORSPORT

Jenson Button has been given an apology by his bungling McLaren team after they admitted making a gaffe at the Canadian Grand Prix. The British racer was unable to repeat his victory in 2011 due to a string of mechanical issues and also complained the set-up of his car was not right. The have admitted they got it wrong with the balance of his motor. Team boss Martin Whitmarsh said: “I think, personally, we didn’t give Jenson the right car. It was damaging to the rear tyres — and these are fragile. “He’s an individual who we know can look after his tyres, so the fact he was having such difficulty with the rear tyres tells me he had a different suspension geometry and set-up. We found out in the race – which was too late.”

CROATIA DIDN’T LEARN FROM RACISM FINE FOOTBALL

UEFA has launched a second racism investigation against Croatia after its fans displayed offensive banners during a Euro Championship match. UEFA says it has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Croatian football federation “for the setting-off and throwing of fireworks, and the improper conduct of supporters (display of racist banners and symbols)” during the Group C match against Spain last week. The federation was fined 80,000 euros ($A100,212) after fans racially abused Italy forward Mario Balotelli in the team’s second group match. Croatia was eliminated from Euro

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Mind the sand: Lo Chieh of Chinese Taipei competes in the Beach Woodball Men’s Individual Preliminary Round during the 3rd Asian Beach Games. Check out the club he’s using – with a design like that, Coke should really think about sponsoring 2012 after finishing third in a group also containing Ireland.

NO EMAIL MEANS COOK SITS ON FENCE FENCING

British fencer Keith Cook says he is “sick” after his Olympic dream was destroyed because of an email mix-up. Cook is a five-time Commonwealth Games medallist yet missed out on the 10man squad for London Olympic Games. GB bosses had eight free picks after only two fencers qualified directly. Cook, who withdrew from British Fencing’s ‘Olympic Pathway’ two years ago, has been told he was considered for a spot. But he was discounted because team boss Alex Newton did not have his contact details. Cook said: “I feel utterly sickened. To find out they had excluded me from the Olympic selection because of an email address was insane – surreal.” Cook plans to fight the disqualification.

BIG WEEK FOR ... It’s that time of year again. Wimbledon is here and that means that every British sporting pundit is falling over themselves to talk up Andy Murray’s chances. Murray has made it to the semifinals the past three years – Tim “Tiger” Henman made it to the same stage four times – but doesn’t appear any closer to actually winning in London. Grass isn’t his surface and the top three are just too damn good.

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QUOTES OF THE WEEK Ple Please P ea let me run for Au Aus A Australia. I know it’s late, but it would be ust great if they could just give me a chance. Hot steeplechaser Genevieve LaCaze missed Athletics Australia’s selection deadline by two days. Something tells me she’ll be alright

PREVIEW Get up early for the final of the Euros The biggest games of the European Championships are still to come – the semi-finals are on Thursday morning and Friday morning, both pre-dawn, but it’s the final on Monday morning that’s most likely to get the fans out of bed early. Even if your team hasn’t made it through – sorry Netherlands – you still might as well roll out for the kick-off and a breakfast pint, which, if the Germans end up winning, probably courtesy of Mario Gomez rinsing it, will probably turn into something stronger to help drown your deepening sorrows. Alternatively, maybe it will be the

Spainiards again – they won it four years ago and still have a pretty handy bunch of players. Although, for Fernando Torres, who scored the winner in the final against Germany, that triumph must seem like a lifestime ago. Torres, of course, seems to have forgotten with end of the ball to kick in recent years, a lucrative move to Chelsea accompanied by an extended drought. Maybe, just maybe, should Spain return to the final, the bleary hours of Monday morning will see Torres redeem himself on one of the biggest stages. Or maybe not.

II’ve ve v never felt like putting my foot through nt something. I wouldn’t do that Andy Murray insists he would never do a David Nalbandian and go crazy on court

II’ll ’’lll b be heading to V Vale Va a Valencia feeling supermotivated to get another y result and maintain my momentum Lewis Hamilton admits winning in Canada was good but it’s all about winning at the Euro Grand Prix

EURO 2012 FINAL MONDAY 4AM, SBS1

THE CHAT | There’s something about Rooney

TV HIGHLIGHTS TENNIS

Photos: Getty Images

Wimbledon is the secret to England doing as well as Q What they have in the Euro? training, tactics and some unscrupulous linesmen, A Forget the reason why England have been doing so well is purely and simply down to Rooney and his lucky hair gel. If you saw Roo’s header that scored the winning goal against the Ukraine, then you would have seen him celebrating by pretending to apply hair spray. The gesture wasn’t to highlight his new barnet, but a nod to teammate Andy Carroll who lent him the £2.65 hair gel before the game. Think about it, Roo hasn’t scored for England in a tournament since Euro 2004. Now with that hair and that gel, he’s mopping the floor with the opposition.

Pray the rain stays away. What chance? Every night 8pm, Fox Sports 3

CRICKET England v Australia The first ODI from Lord’s Friday 7pm, Fox Sports 1

AUSTRALIAN RULES Carlton v Hawthorn Victorian rivals go at it Friday 7.30pm, Fox Footy

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Best of enemies In any series between England and Australia, pride is on the line WORDS TOM STURROCK

It’s hard to know what to make of the five-match ODI series between Australia and England which kicks off at Lord’s on Friday. It’s not an Ashes year – we’re 12 months away from those hostilities being renewed – so it’s a whirlwind trip for the Aussies, who are really just stopping in to say hello. But that doesn’t mean either team will be happy to come off second-best – perish the thought. Bragging rights, as always, are on the line. So, with that in mind, and taking into account that the forthcoming Test series between England and South is the main event, what might this inopportunely fixtured series tell us about the two sides?

Aussies vulnerable In Test cricket, Australia have been knocked off their perch – although they’ve scrapped their way back to third in the rankings – but have somehow remained top of the tree in 50-over cricket. That’s partly because 50-over cricket is seen as a waning format but also because Australia still produces cricketers suited to it. That said, this Australian side is vulnerable – it’s still relatively early in the four-year cycle between World Cups so sides are experimenting with personnel, which means results can fluctuate wildly. At home, England, despite being never reaching any great heights in this format, might just fancy themselves. They’ve already got a fair bit of cricket under their belt this season, whereas the Aussies will be coming in cold. Let’s not get crazy, but you could argue England start favourites.

Still need to replace Punter Ricky Ponting’s retirement has left a massive hole in the Australian line-up and while this team has moved on with some success under Michael Clarke, no one is any the wiser about who will fill Ponting’s shoes at first-drop. Shane

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Watson dropped down the order immediately after Ponting pulled up stumps but it’s likely he will go back up to open, with either George Bailey or Peter Forrest given a crack at cementing the No 3 position. Neither have set the world on fire for their states, so they’re still speculative selections. The unfinished appearance of this Australian top order is further reinforced by the absence of Mike Hussey, who has chosen to stay at home following the birth of his child. There are still some very handy cricketers in Watson, Clarke and David Hussey but the line-up is unsettled.

Young bowlers earning their wings If Australia’s new faces in the top order don’t exactly inspire confidence, the young pacemen picked for this tour have already done enough to suggest they have bright futures. James Pattinson, 22, and Pat Cummins, 19, are the two most exciting young Australian quicks to have come along for a generation – Cummins took seven wickets on Test debut against South Africa and Pattinson ripped through India during the Australian summer. The fact they’re in the squad suggests they’re very much in the frame for next year’s Ashes. The attack is likely to rely heavily on Ben Hilfenhaus and the deceptively effective Clint McKay, while Mitchell Johnson is trying to revive his career after nine months away from the international game.

Cook at the top of his game When Andrew Strauss decided to bow out of 50-over cricket picking his replacement was not straightforward. Alastair Cook, the heir-apparent in Test cricket was not really the flavour of the month, having been left out of the ODI squad in favour of more explosive options at the top of the order. Still, Cook was installed as captain and, so far, it has paid dividends, Cook scoring 923 runs at an average of 50-plus.

Clockwise: Alastair Cook; James Pattinson; Graeme Swann and Ian Bell

Cook becomes even more important following Kevin Pietersen’s retirement from limited-overs cricket. Jonathon Trott has an impressive record but scores slowly by modern standards, while Eoin Morgan is a wonderfully versatile finisher – after that, England are back into Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara, who haven’t taken their opportunities.

Do England get 50-over cricket? England might well say, “We’re the top-ranked Test side in the world – who cares about 50-over cricket?” Still, it remains a point of considerable mystery that England, despite their first-class fixtures being saturated with limited-overs cricket, remain so bafflingly ineffective in the 50-over game. At Test level, the likes of Cook, Trott, Bell, Broad and Anderson are undeniably world-class. But if you put them in coloured clothing, they seem to collectively lose the plot. Part of it is team selection – great white hopes have been promoted without doing their time and the search continues for a decent all-rounder, capable of smashing a few runs before holding an end up for half a dozen overs.

Photos: Getty Images

Life after KP It’s a pity that Pietersen has decided he can’t be bothered playing limited-overs cricket any more – and even more of a pity that he didn’t stick around for once last go at the Aussies. Just knowing that Pietersen was out there, looking mildly obnoxious and pretending not to be South African, gave matches between England and Australia that extra bit of impetus. Not only was his a dynamic, high-stakes shotmaker but he was a wonderful hate-figure. England will have to figure out a way to replace – at least partially. It means Jonny Bairstow and Craig Kieswetter will get plenty more chances but will either ever be as brilliantly dislikeable as KP? Alas, no.

LOOKING AHEAD CLARKE WANTS TOP SPOTS Michael Clarke says the limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make Australia the top-ranked nation in all three forms of the game. Australia already heads the one-day ratings, but is third in the Test standings and fifth in the T20 format. “We’ve been the number one one-day team in the world for a while now but we need to continue to raise the bar,” Clarke said. “I think our cricket of late in the shorter form hasn't been as consistent as we would like. “I think once we get on the plane it’s probably the start of a two-year journey for this Australian team, whether it be the one-day team, the Test team or the Twenty20 team, to have a lot of success and get back to being the No 1 in all forms of the game.” Confident little chap, isn’t he?

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AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Don’t be too quick to dismiss Aussie capital Canberra. Admittedly it’s not the most exciting of cities, but as the epicentre of the federal state, the ACT is the hub for much of Australia’s most important art, culture and, of course, politics. Plus many of the top sites are free. Pick of the bunch are Parliament House, as well as Old Parliament House, with the Aboriginal Tent Embassy outside, while not to be missed are the fantastic Australian War Memorial (pictured) and the National Gallery of Australia, home to Sidney Nolan’s iconic Ned Kelly paintings.

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Wake Up! 509 Pitt St, CBD. 02 9288 7888, wakeup.com.au

SYDNEY DO Manly Surf School Manly Beach. 02 9977 6977, manlysurfschool.com Maritime Museum Darling Harbour. anmm.gov.au My Sydney Detour Unique city tours. mysydneydetour.com Oceanworld Manly West Esplanade. oceanworld.com.au Powerhouse Museum Darling Harbour. powerhousemuseum.com.au Skydive the Beach Wollongong. skydivethebeach.com Sydney Olympic Park Darling Harbour. sydneyolympicpark.nsw. gov.au Sydney Tower and Skytour 100 Market St, CBD. sydneyskytour.com.au Sydney Harbour Bridge The Rocks. bridgeclimb.com Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbour. sydneyaquarium.com.au Sydney Wildlife World Darling Harbour. sydneywildlifeworld.com.au Taronga Zoo Mosman. zoo.nsw.gov.au Waves Surf School

BOMBS AWAY + KID KENOBI Oxford Art Factory. July 7. $99 Ready to give it dub? Get pumped for over 5 hours of dubstep, bassline electro, drum-n-bass and moombahton tunes. Whatever that means.

Oxford St, Darlinghurst wavessurfschool.com.au

SYDNEY MUSIC Hordern Pavillion playbillvenues.com Oxford Art Factory oxfordartfactory.com Sydney Opera House sydneyoperahouse.com The Annandale annandalehotel.com The Enmore enmoretheatre.com.au The Gaelic Hotel thegaelic.com The Metro metrotheatre.com.au

BLUE MTNS Blue Mountains YHA 207 Katoomba St, Katoomba. 02 4782 1416, yha.com.au

CENTRAL COAST Newcastle Beach YHA 30 Pacific St, Newcastle. 02 4925 3544, yha.com.au

moshtix.com.au 02 4384 1919, yha.com.au

BYRON BAY Backpackers Holiday Village 116 Jonson St 1800 350 388, byronbaybackpackers.com.au Backpackers Inn 29 Shirley St 1800 817 696, backpackersinnbyronbay.com.au Byron Bay Accom 02 6680 8666, byronbayaccom.net The Arts Factory 1 Skinners Shoot Rd. 02 6685 7709, nomadshostels.com Nomads Byron Bay Lawson Lane. 1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com Byron Bay YHA 7 Carlyle St. 1800 678 195, yha.com.au

COFFS HARB Coffs Harbour YHA 51 Collingwood St. 02 6652 6462, yha.com.au

Terrigal Beach YHA 9 Ocean View Dr, Terrigal.

Petersham Guest House ARE DORMS GETTING YOU DOWN? Then come sleep with us! The place to stay in the Sydney Suburbs. Double room - $240 p/week Twin room - $240 p/week Single room - $200 p/week Ensuite room - $300 p/week

Phone Con

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100 metres to bus and train. 5kms from city centre. 23 Brighton St, Petersham.

0414 450 273

ROYAL NATIONAL PARK The second oldest national park in the world. The park features rainforests, small and secluded beaches and cliffs with an amazing view. The “Nasho”, as the locals call it, is perfect for cycling, kayaking, surfing, picnicking, whale watching and bushwalking. Hop on the ferry to get to the park from Cronulla, which is within an hours drive of Sydney’s CBD. There are different walking tracks varying in distance. If you can’t get enough, you can spend the night and camp at the park.

QLDLISTINGS BRISBANE STAY Aussie Way Backpackers 34 Cricket St. 07 3369 0711, aussiewaybackpackers.com

300, goldcoastbackpackers.com.au

BOOK NOW

Nomads Noosa 44 Noosa Dr, Noosa Heads. 1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com

Islander Backpackers Resort 6 Beach Rd, Surfers Paradise. 1800 074 393, islander.com.au

Halse Lodge YHA 2 Halse Lane, Noosa. 1800 242 567, halselodge.com.au

Banana Bender Backpackers 118 Petrie Terrace. 07 3367 1157, bananabenders.com

Sleeping Inn Surfers 26 Peninsular Dr, Surfers Paradise. 1800 817 832, sleepinginn.com.au

Base Brisbane Embassy 214 Elizabeth St. 07 3166 8000, stayatbase.com

Surfers Paradise Backpackers Resort 2837 Gold Coast Highway, Surfers. 1800 282 800, surfersparadisebackpackers.com.au

Base Brisbane Central 308 Edward St. 07 3211 2433, stayatbase.com Brisbane Backpackers Resort 110 Vulture St, West End. 1800 626 452, brisbanebackpackers.com.au Brisbane City Backpackers 380 Upper Roma St 1800 062 572, citybackpackers.com

Surfers Paradise YHA Mariners Cove, 70 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise. 07 5571 1776, yha.com.au

SAY ANYTHING The Hi-Fi Brisbane. July 17. $55 Indie-punk brought straight to you from sunny California. After four albums it’s finally time for the Say Anarchy Australian tour.

Boundary St, West End

Bunk Backpackers Cnr Ann & Gipps Sts, 1800 682 865, bunkbrisbane.com.au

7303, qag.qld.gov.au

The Deck 117 Harcourt Street, New Farm. 04 3377 7061

Riverlife Adventure Centre Kayaking & rock climbing. Lower River Terrace, Kangaroo Point. 07 3891 5766, riverlife.com.au

Tinbilly Travellers Cnr George and Herschel Sts. 1800 446 646, tinbilly.com

Story Bridge Adventure Climb 170 Main St, Kangaroo Point. 1300 254 627, storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au

BRISBANE DO Australia Zoo Glasshouse Mountains, Tourist Drive, Beerwah. 07 5436 2000, australiazoo.com.au Gallery of Modern Art 07 3840

XXXX Ale House Brewery tours. Cnr Black & Paten St, Milton. 07 3361 7597, xxxxalehouse.com.au

GOLD COAST Aquarius Backpackers 44 Queen St, Surfers Paradise.

moshtix.com.au 1800 22 99 55, aquariusbackpackers.com.au Backpackers in Paradise 40 Peninsula Drive, Surfers Paradise. 1800 268 621, backpackersinparadise.com.au Coolangatta Kirra Beach YHA Pl, 230 Coolangatta Rd, Bilinga. 07 5536 76442, yha.com.au Coolangatta Sands Hostel Cnr Griffiths & McLean Sts, Coolangatta. 07 5536 7472, coolangattasandshostel.com.au Gold Coast International BP 28 Hamilton Ave, Surfers. 1800 816

Trekkers Backpackers 22 White St, Southport. 1800 100 004, trekkersbackpackers.com.au

GC DO Dreamworld Theme park. dreamworld.com.au Get Wet Surf School 07 5532 9907 Seaworld seaworld.com.au Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World wetnwild.myfun.com.au Warener Bros Movie World movieworld.com.au Zorb 07 5547 6300

SUNSHINE CST Mooloolaba Backpackers 75-77 Brisbane Rd, Mooloolaba. 1800 020 120 mooloolababackpackers.com

RAINBOW BEACH Dingos Backpacker Adventure Resort 20 Spectrum St. 1800 111 126, dingosresort.com Pippies Beach House 22 Spectrum St. 1800 425 356, pippiesbeachhouse.com Skydive Rainbow Beach 0418 218 358, skydiverainbowbeach.com

HERVEY BAY Aussie Woolshed 181 Torquay Rd 07 4124 0677 woolshedbackpackers.com Next at Hervey Bay 10 Bideford St. 1800 102 989, nextbackpackers.com.au Nomads Hervey Bay 408 The Esplanade. 1800 666 237, nomadshostels.com Palace Backpackers 184 Torquay, 1800 063 168, palaceadventures.com.au

FRASER ISLAND Eurong Beach Resort 07 4120 1600, eurong.com.au Palace Adventures

MAJESTIC

LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK Sitting just north of New South Wales, Lamington represents not just the start of Queensland, but also a transformation from temperate to subtropical surroundings. Its role as an ecological borderland means the number of plant species, some of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world, is immense, and includes 5,000-year-old tree roots. Rugged rainforest scenery, waterfalls and caves make for great bushwalking, especially around Green Mountain, where there’s also a tree-top canopy walk. Daily buses from both the Gold Coast (85km) and Brisbane (100km) make access fairly easy, even without your own transport.

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QLDLISTINGS 184 Torquay St, Hervey Bay, 1800 063 168 palaceadventures.com.au

BUNDABERG

1800 677 119

0600, adrenalindive.com.au

Airlie Beach YHA 394 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 247 251, yha.com.au

Yongala Dive Yongala diving. 07 4783 1519, yongaladive.com.au

Federal Backpackers 221 Bourbong St. 07 4153 3711 federalbackpackers.com.au

Backpackers by the Bay 12 Hermitage Dr. 1800 646 994, backpackersbythebay.com

Northside Backpackers 12 Queen St. 07 4154 1166

Base Airlie Beach Resort 336 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com Magnums Whitsunday Village Resort 366 Shute Harbour Rd. 1800 624 634 magnums.com.au

Bundaberg Bondstore Distillery tours. 07 4131 2999 bundabergrum.com.au

TOWN OF 1770 1770 Backpackers 6 Captain Cook Dr. 1800 121 770, the1770backpackers.com

BOWEN Bowen Backpackers Beach end of Herbert St. 07 4786 3433 bowenbackpackers.net

1770 Undersea Adventures 1300 553 889, 1770underseaadventures.com

AIRLIE BEACH airliebeach.com 259 Shute Harbour Rd.

TOWNSVILLE Adventurers Resort 79 Palmer St. 1800 211 522, adventurersresort.com Adrenalin Dive Yongala diving. 07 4724

MAGNETIC ISL Base Magnetic Island 1 Nelly Bay Rd. 1800 24 22 73, stayatbase.com Bungalow Bay Backpackers Horseshoe Bay. 1800 285 577, bungalowbay. com.au Hotel Arcadia 7 Marine Pde, Arcadia Bay. 07 4778 5177 magnetic-island.com/arc-rsrt.htm Pleasure Divers 07 4778 5788

MISSION BEACH Absolute Backpackers 28 Wongaling Beach Road. 07 4068 8317, absolutebackpackers.com.au Scotty’s Beach House 167 Reid Rd. 07 4068 8676, scottysbeachhouse.com.au

CAIRNS STAY Bohemia Central Cairns

100 Sheridan St. 1800 558 589, bohemiacentral.com.au Bohemia Resort Cairns 231 McLeod St. 1800 155 353, bohemiaresort.com. au Calypso Backpackers 5 Digger St. 1800 815 628, calypsobackpackers.com.au JJ’s Backpackers Hostel 11 Charles St. 07 4051 7642, jjsbackpackers.com Harbour 141 Sheridan St. 1800 807 055, njoy.net.au Nomads Beach House 239 Sheridan St. 1800 229 228, nomadshostels.com

CAIRNS DO AJ Hackett Bungy jumping & canyon swinging. 1800 622 888 cairns.ajhackett.com

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Raging Thunder Adventures Whitewater rafting. 07 4030 7990, ragingthunder.com.au Skydive Cairns 07 4052 1822, skydivecairns.com.au

CAPE TRIB Crocodylus Village Lot 5, Buchanan Creek Rd, Cow Bay. 07 4098 9166, crocodyluscapetrib.com PK’s Jungle Village Cnr Avalon & Cape Trib Rd. 1800 232 333, pksjunglevillage.com.au

INNISFAIL Innisfail Budget Backpackers Worker’s Hostel 125 Edith St. 07 4061 7833 Walkabout Motel & Backpackers 07 4061 2311

Pro Dive 07 4031 5255, prodivecairns.com

GET LOST

GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND Am I dreaming? Am I in heaven? No, this is Great Keppel Island. Blue water, white sand, coral beaches, coves… and it’s not even that expensive to visit. Even though all of these beautiful features make it a popular destination for backpackers, it is too big to get crowded and you’ll still have your peace and quiet. The clear water makes it a perfect destination to snorkel and get in touch with the underwater world. Besides that, there’s not a lot of entertainment on the island, so feel free to relive your favourite Castaway scene. Go on, no one will be able to hear you anyway. “WILLLLLLLSOOOON!”

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Y PLACE TO BE! THE ONL

Backpacker Resort GREAT BARR IER REEF MAR INE PARK

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Phone: 07 4061 2284

WORKERS WANTED

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AYR NORTH QUEENSLAND

AYR BACKPACKERS stay at Wilmington House Working Hostel of the Burdekin District

WORKERS WANTED Call Mick & Daphne 07 4783 5837

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heart of the reef Airlie Beach QUEENSLAND T HE WHI TSUNDAY IS L ANDS

are one of the world s most spectacular aquatic playgrounds ndss & encompass 74 tropical islands rising from pristine turquoise oise oi ssee waters, hosting lots of incredible marine and wild life.

WHI T EHAVEN BE AC H C AMIR A S AILING ADVEN T URE

Swimming, snorkelling, beautiful beaches and bays, a stuff-yourself-stupid BBQ lunch with unlimited drinks plus lus exhilarating sailing aboard Camira one of the world s fastest est s sailing catamarans â&#x20AC;&#x2019; an awesome day out on the water!r! $145*pp SAVE $30

G R E AT B AR R I E R R EE F ADV EN T U R ES ES

The Great Barrier Reef is truly one of the great wonderss of the natural world. Cruise aboard Seaflight to Queensland annd s and most innovative reef pontoon featuring a giant waterslide lide id and underwater viewing chamber. Explore the underwater waater wonderland with diving, snorkelling, semi-sub or glasss bottom boat rides. Includes morning / afternoon tea and nd an all you can eat buffet lunch. $145*pp SAVE $65

2 DAYS 1 NIGHT B AR E F O OT L A Z Y DA Z E

Start your holiday with a choice of either a Whitehaven vveen Beach Camira Sailing Adventure, or a Great Barrier Reef Adventures. Overnight at Long Island. When you ou dream of an Island experience this is what you dream of! Spend the day enjoying the facilities at Long Island Resort or find your own secluded bay and nd take in the great outdoors. Great snorkelling. Ferry/ bus buu departures back to Airlie available at a variety of times. es. es You may just be tempted to stay another night! From $215*pp (Dorm accommodation)

plus heaps of other great packages 3-6 days All day cruises and packages depart daily from Airlie Beach. For info and bookings see your travel centre or contact us: FREECALL1800 awesome

info@awesomeoz.com www.awesomeoz.com prices only available on presentation of a valid Student, Peterpans, YHA, ISIC, VIP * Backpacker or NOMADS card. Valid for travel until 31 March 2013. Conditions apply, see our website for details.

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MELBOURNE STAY

BOOK NOW

All Nations Backpackers Hotel & Bar 2 Spencer St. 1800 222 238, allnations.com.au Base Melbourne 17 Carlisle St, St. Kilda. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com Central Melbourne Accommodation 21 Bromham Place, Richmond. 03 9427 9826, centralaccommodation.net

SLASH

The Greenhouse Backpacker Level 6, 228 Flinders Lane. 1800 249 207, greenhousebackpacker.com.au

Home at the Mansion 66 Victoria Parade. 03 9663 4212, homemansion.com.au Home Travellers Motel 32 Carlisle St, St Kilda. 1800 008 718, hometravellersmotel.com.au

Hisense Arena. August 26. $90.40 Dust off your air guitars because Slash returns for an unmissable tour in support of his new album Apocalyptic Love.

Melbourne

Melbourne Cricket Ground Brunton Av. 03 9657 8888 mcg.org.au

The Tote thetotehotel.com

Hotel Bakpak Melbourne 167 Franklin St. 1800 645 200, hotelbakpak.com Melbourne Central YHA 562 Flinders St. 03 9621 2523, yha.com.au

Old Melbourne Gaol 377 Russell St. 03 8663 7228, oldmelbournegaol.com.au Official Neighbours Tours 570 Flinders St. 03 9629 5866, neighbourstour.com.au

ticketek.com.au Space Hotel 380 Russell St. 1800 670 611, spacehotel.com.au The Spencer 475 Spencer St. 1800 638 108, hotelspencer.com

Nomads Melbourne 198 Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;beckett St. 1800 447 762, nomadshostels.com

MELBOURNE DO

Northcote Social Club northcotesocialclub.com Palace Theatre palace.com.au

National Gallery of Victoria Federation Square. ngv.vic.gov.au

Flinders Station Hotel 35 Elizabeth St. 03 9620 5100, flindersbackpackers.com.au

Esplanade Hotel espy.com.au

Melbourne Aquarium Cnr of Flinders St & King St. 03 9923 5999, melbourneaquarium.com.au

Melbourne Museum 11 Nicholson St, Carlton. 13 11 02 melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au

Exford Hotel 199 Russell St. 03 9663 2697, exfordhotel.com.au

Habitat HQ 333 St Kilda Road, St Kilda. 1800 202 500, habitathq.com.au

Australian Centre for the Moving Image Federation Square. 03 8663 2200, acmi.net.au

MELB MUSIC Cherry Bar myspace.com/cherrybarmelbourne Corner Hotel cornerhotel.com East Brunswick Club eastbrunswickclub.com

The Hi-Fi thehifi.com.au

GREAT OCEAN RD Anglesea Backpackers 40 Noble St, Anglesea. 03 5263 2664, angleseabackpackers.com.au Eco Beach YHA 5 Pascoe St. 03 5237 7899, yha.com.au Great Ocean Road Backpackers YHA 10 Erskine Av, Lorne. 03 5289 2508, yha.com.au Port Campbell Hostel 18 Tregea St, Port Campbell. 03 5598 6305, portcampbellhostel.com.au Surfside Backpackers Cnr Great Ocean Rd & Gambier St, Apollo Bay. 1800 357 263, surfsidebackpacker.com

Stay. Play. Melbourne.

$20

Accommodation from $20 a night (subject to availability)

Maximum 4 bed dormitories with linen and towel FREE all you can eat breakfast (cereal, toast and juice), weekly meal, rice and pasta, tea and coffee FREE in room oversized locker with personal power point 5 minute walk to city Large bar with big screen (all major sporting events shown) Drink specials at the bar Public transport on doorstep

UC103

Unique value tour packages

Book Now 1800

631 288 urbancentral.com.au

334 CITY ROAD SOUTHBANK MELBOURNE VIC 3006 AUSTRALIA

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VICLISTINGS

DON’T MISS

Great Ocean Road Backpackers YHA 10 Erskine Av, Lorne. 03 5289 2508, yha.com.au Port Campbell Hostel 18 Tregea St, Port Campbell. 03 5598 6305, portcampbellhostel.com.au Surfside Backpackers Cnr Great Ocean Rd & Gambier St, Apollo Bay. 1800 357 263, surfsidebackpacker.com

MORNINGTON

HEROES FOR HIRE Evelyn Hotel. July 13. From $17.90 They played alongside Slipknot at Soundwave Festival. This time the Heroes are hosting their very own event at Evelyn Hotel.

Brunswick St, Melbourne

V ME DO MELBOURNE STAY All Nations Backpackers Hotel & Bar 2 Spencer St. 1800 222 238, allnations.com.au Base Melbourne 17 Carlisle St, St. Kilda. 1800 242 273, stayatbase.com Central Melbourne Accommodation 21 Bromham Place, Richmond. 03 9427 9826, centralaccommodation.net Exford Hotel 199 Russell St. 03 9663 2697, exfordhotel.com.au Flinders Station Hotel 35 Elizabeth St. 03 9620 5100, flindersbackpackers.com.au The Greenhouse Backpacker Level 6, 228 Flinders Lane. 1800 249 207, greenhousebackpacker.com.au Habitat HQ 333 St Kilda Road, St Kilda. 1800 202 500, habitathq.com.au Home at the Mansion 66 Victoria Parade. 03 9663 4212, homemansion.com.au Home Travellers Motel 32 Carlisle St, St Kilda. 1800 008 718, hometravellersmotel.com.au Hotel Bakpak Melbourne 167 Franklin St. 1800 645 200, hotelbakpak.com Melbourne Central YHA 562 Flinders St. 03 9621 2523, yha.com.au Nomads Melbourne 198 A’beckett St. 1800 447 762, nomadshostels.com Space Hotel 380 Russell St. 1800 670 611, spacehotel.com.au The Spencer 475 Spencer St. 1800 638 108, hotelspencer.com

evelynhotel.com

MELBOURNE DO Australian Centre for the Moving Image Federation Square. 03 8663 2200, acmi.net.au

Bayplay Lodge 46 Canterbury Jetty Rd, Blairgowrie. 03 5988 0188, bayplay.com.au Sorrento Foreshore Reserve Nepean Hwy. 1800 850 600, mornpen.vic.gov.au Sorrento YHA 3 Miranda St,

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GIPPSLAND

Sorrento. 03 5984 4323, yha.com.au

Prom Country Backpackers 03 5682 2614

Tortoise Head Lodge French Island. 03 5980 1234, tortoisehead.net

DANDENONG Emerald Backpackers 03 5968 4086

MURRAY RIVER Echuca Gardens YHA 103 Av, Mitchell St, Echuca. 03 5480 6522, yha.com.au Mildura City Backpackers 50 Lemon Ave, Mildura. 03 5022 7922, milduracitybackpackers.com.au Oasis Backpackers 230 Deakin Av, Mildura. 04 0734 4251, milduraoasisbackpackers.com.au

Rawsom Caravan Park Depot Rd, Rawson. 03 5165 3439, rawsoncaravanpark.com.au

PHILLIP ISLAND Amaroo Park YHA 97 Church St, Cowes. 03 5952 3620, yha.com.au The Island Accommodation 10-12 Phillip Island Tourist Road. 03 5956 6123 theislandaccommodation.com.au

GRAMPIANS Grampians YHA Eco Hostel Cnr Grampians & Buckler Rds, Halls Gap. 03 5356 4543, yha.com.au

ON THE GRAPEVINE

Melbourne Aquarium Cnr of Flinders St & King St. 03 9923 5999, melbourneaquarium.com.au Melbourne Cricket Ground Brunton Av. 03 9657 8888 mcg.org.au Melbourne Museum 11 Nicholson St, Carlton. 13 11 02 melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au National Gallery of Victoria Federation Square. ngv.vic.gov.au Old Melbourne Gaol 377 Russell St. 03 8663 7228, oldmelbournegaol.com.au Official Neighbours Tours 570 Flinders St. 03 9629 5866, neighbourstour.com.au

MELB MUSIC Cherry Bar myspace.com/cherrybarmelbourne Corner Hotel cornerhotel.com East Brunswick Club eastbrunswickclub.com Esplanade Hotel espy.com.au Northcote Social Club northcotesocialclub.com Palace Theatre palace.com.au The Hi-Fi thehifi.com.au The Tote thetotehotel.com

YARRA VALLEY

GREAT OCEAN RD

Step away from the Goon and enjoy some actual, good quality, wine. Even if it’s just this once. Next to sampling different sorts of wines, you’ll get the story behind the grapes, most of the time as explained by the owner. Some of the bigger grapevines and wineries have their own restaurants where you can try some local foods as well. The best time to visit is in February, because of the Yarra Valley Grape Grazing Festival. The participating wineries make sure there is enough food and live music for everyone. If you’re looking for a self drive tour, stop by the visitors centre for more information.

Anglesea Backpackers 40 Noble St, Anglesea. 03 5263 2664, angleseabackpackers.com.au

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DARWIN STAY

KATHERINE STAY

Banyan View Lodge Darwin 119 Mitchell St. 08 8981 8644, banyanviewlodge.com.au

BIG4 Katherine Holiday Park 20 Shadforth Road. 1800 501 984, big4.com.au

Darwin YHA 97 Mitchell St. 08 8981 5385, yha.com.au

Palm Court Kookaburra Backpackers Giles St. 1800 626 722

Elkes Backpackers 112 Mitchell St. 1800 808 365, elkesbackpackers.com.au

Youth Shack 69 Mitchell St. 1300 793 302, youthshack.com.au

DARWIN DO Crocosaurus Cove Crocodile park and cage of death. 58 Mitchell St. 08 8981 7522, crocosauruscove.com Deckchair Cinema Jervois Rd, Darwin Waterfront. 08 8981 0700, deckchaircinema.com.au

ALICE DO Alice Springs Desert Park Larapinta Drive. 08 8951 8788, alicespringsdesertpark.com.au

KATHERINE DO

Gecko Lodge 146 Mitchell St. 1800 811 250, geckolodge.com.au Melaleuca on Mitchell 52 Mitchell St. 1300 723 437, momdarwin.com

Toddy’s Resort 41 Gap Rd. 1800 027 027, toddys.com.au

Airborne Solutions Scenic helicopter flights. 08 8972 2345 airbornesolutions.com.au

Frogshollow Backpackers 27 Lindsay St. 1800 068 686, frogs-hollow.com.au

DON’T MISS INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARDS Darwin. Aug 11. From $20 Two of the NT’s best Indigenous bands; Sunrize Band and Lajamanu Teenage Band on stage plus a performance by JJJ faves, The Medics.

Botanic Gardens Darwin Fannie Bay Gaol Heritage prison. East Point Road, Fannie Bay. 08 8941 2260, nt.gov.au Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 19 Conacher St, Bullocky Point. 08 8999 8264, magnt.nt.gov.au

darwinfestival.org.au Oz Jet Boating Stokes Hill Wharf. 1300 135 595, ozjetboating.com.au Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise Adelaide River. 08 8978 9077, jumpingcrocodile.com.au Wave Lagoon Waterfront Precinct. waterfront.nt.gov.au

Alice Springs Reptile Centre Meet and hold lizards. 9 Stuart Terrace. 08 8952 8900, reptilecentre.com.au

Nitmiluk Tours Gorge cruises and kayak hire. 1300 146 743 nitmiluktours.com.au

TENNANT CREEK Tourist Rest Leichardt St. 08 8962 2719, touristrest.com.au

Outback Ballooning Hot air balloon rides. 1800 809 790, outbackballooning.com.au Royal Flying Doctor Service Base Museum and operations room. Stuart Terrace. 08 8952 1129, flyingdoctor.net

ALICE SPRINGS Alice Lodge 4 Mueller St. 08 8953 1975, alicelodge.com.au Alice Springs YHA Cnr Parsons St & Leichhardt Tce. 08 8952 8855, yha.com.au Annie’s Place 4 Traeger Ave. 1800 359 089, anniesplace.com.au

Haven Resort 3 Larapinta Drive. 1800 794 663, alicehaven.com.au

School of the Air Long-distance schooling museum. 80 Head St. 08 8951 6834, assoa.nt.edu.au The Rock Tour Uluru tours. 78 Todd St. 1800 246 345, therocktour.com.au

WORD FROM THE STREET

Brooke Gilliland, USA WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE NT? Alice Springs down to Kings Canyon, Uluru and Kata Tjuta FAVOURITE DAY SPOT IN THE NT? Uluru is beautiful. Watching the sunrises and sunsets here are not to be missed STILL ON THE WISH LIST? I didn’t make it up to Darwin and I definitely would’ve liked to see Kakadu National Park

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TASLISTINGS HOBART STAY

LAUNCESTON DO

DON’T MISS

Central City Backpackers 138 Collins St. 1800 811 507, centralbackpackers.com.au

Montgomery’s YHA 9 Argyle St. 03 6231 2660, yha.com.au

Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery 2 Invermay Rd & 2 Wellington St. 03 6323 3777, qvmag.tas.gov.au

Narrara Backpackers 88 Goulburn St. 03 6234 8801, narrarabackpackers.com

Tasmania Zoo 1166 Ecclestone Rd. 03 6396 6100, tasmaniazoo.com.au

Pickled Frog 281 Liverpool St. 03 6234 7977, thepickledfrog.com

DEVONPORT Republic Bar. July 6. $14.70 This is kind of what you’d get if you combine Aretha Franklin, Betty Davis, a guitar, and a mop of big red hair.

HOBART DO

Elizabeth St, Hobart

PORT ARTHUR Port Arthur Historic Ghost Tours 1800 659 101, portarthur.org.au

Salamanca Markets Every Saturday, Salamanca Place. salamanca.com.au Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery 5 Argyle St. tmag.com.au

Tasman Backpackers 114 Tasman St. 03 6423 2335, tasmanbackpackers.com.au

DALLAS FRASCA

Cascade Brewery 140 Cascade Rd. 03 6224 1117 cascadebreweryco.com.au Mt Wellington Descent Bike tours. 03 6274 1880 mtwellingtondescent.com.au

Cataract Gorge launcestoncataractgorge.com.au Centre for Beer Lovers Boag’s Brewery, 39 William St. 03 6332 6300, boags.com.au

Hobart Hostel 41 Barrack St. 1300 252 192, hobarthostel.com

Transit Backpackers 251 Liverpool St. 03 6231 2400, transitbackpackers.com

LAUNCESTON Arthouse Backpacker Hostel 20 Lindsay St. 1800 041 135, arthousehostel.com.au

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Launceston Backpackers 103 Canning St. 03 6334 2327, launcestonbackpackers.com.au

ARTY FUN

CRADLE DO Devils at Cradle Tassie devil sanctuary. 3950 Cradle Mountain Rd. 03 6492 1491. devilsatcradle.com Overland Track Six-day walk parks.tas.gov.au

FREYCINET Iluka Backpackers YHA Reserve Rd. 03 6257 0115, yha.com.au Freycinet National Park Brewery, Wineglass Bay camping. 03 6256 7000, wineglassbay.com

BICHENO

moshix.com.au

Lloyds Hotel 23 George St. 03 6331 9906, backpackersaccommodation.com.au

Mt Roland Budget Backpacker Rooms 1447 Claude Rd, Gowrie Park. 03 6491 1385

Bicheno Backpackers 11 Morrison St. 03 6375 1651, bichenobackpackers.com Bicheno Penguin Tours 03 6375 1333, bichenopenguintours.com.au

CRADLE MTN Discovery Holiday Parks Cradle Mountain Rd. 1800 068 574, discoveryholidayparks.com.au

STRAHAN, Strahan YHA 43 Harvey St. 03 6471 7255, yha.com

STRAHAN DO Four Wheelers Henty Sand Dunes quadbike tours. 04 1950 8175, 4wheelers.com.au Water by Nature Extreme multiday whitewater rafting. 1800 111 142, franklinrivertasmania.com

WORD FROM THE STREET

Photo: Tourism Tasmania

Hannah Bullingham, England

MONA When you think of Tasmania, some images may come to mind: the Tasmanian devil, the great outdoors, beautiful mountains and lots of National Parks. A world class museum however? Maybe not so much. Yet, the Museum of Old & New Art (MONA) is definitely worth a visit. Take the ferry from Hobart’s harbour and step into another world. The three levels of underground galleries that have been carved into the rock feature over 400 works of art. Even if you’re not an arty person, you’ll be surprised how much there is to love about this place.

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WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN IN TASSIE? Hobart, Launceston, Devonport FAVOURITE DAY SPOT? Cateract Gorge, Launceston because it’s so unexpected. It’s a beautiful gorge in Launceston pretty much in the middle of town that you would have no idea was there unless you saw a sign by the road. There’s a chairlift (the longest in the Southern Hemisphere apparently) that you can ride on for $10. NIGHTSPOT? Salamanca Place, Hobart for all the cute little bars

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ADELAIDE STAY

1 Oliver St. 1800 633 891, radekadownunder.com.au

Adelaide Backpackers Inn 112 Carrington St. 1800 24 77 25, adpi.com.au

Riba’s Underground 1811 William Creek Rd. 08 8672 5614, camp-underground.com.au

Adelaide Central YHA 135 Waymouth St. 08 8414 3010, yha.com.au

KANGAROO IS

Adelaide Travellers Inn 220 Hutt St. 08 8224 0753, adelaidebackpackers.com.au Annie’s Place 239 Franklin St. 1800 818 011, anniesplace.com.au Backpack Oz 144 Wakefield St. 1800 633 307, backpackoz.com.au Blue Galah Backpackers Lvl 1, 52-62, King William St. 08) 8231 9295, bluegalah.com.au

DON’T MISS

Glenelg Beach Hostel 5-7 Moseley St. Glenelg. 1800 359 181, glenelgbeachhostel.com.au Hostel 109 109 Carrington St. 1800 099 318, hostel109.com My Place 257 Waymouth St. 1800 221 529, adelaidehostel.com.au Shakespeare Hostel 123 Waymouth St. 1800 556 889, shakeys.com.au

ADELAIDE DO Adelaide Oval Home to the Donald Bradman collection. War Memorial Drive. 08 8300 3800 cricketsa.com.au

SPIN OFF FESTIVAL Jubilee Pavilion Adelaide. July 21. $104 Missed out on Splendour? Catch Kimbra, Lana del Rey, Band of Skulls, Last Dinosaurs, Friends and Bleeding Knees Club at this festival.

Wayville Showgrounds

Adelaide Zoo Frome Rd. 08 8267 3255, zoossa.com.au Haigh’s Chocolates Factory tours. 153 Greenhill Rd, Parkside 1800 819 757, haighschocolates.com.au Temptation Sailing Dolphin swimming, Glenelg. 04 1281 1838 dolphinboat.com.au

moshtix.com.au

BAROSSA VAL Barossa Backpackers 9 Basedow Road Tanunda. 08 8563 0198, barossabackpackers.com.au

COOBER PEDY Opal Cave Coober Pedy Hutchinson St. 08 8672 5028, opalcavecooberpedy.com.au Radeka Down Under

Port Elliot Beach House YHA 13 The Strand, Port Elliot. 08 8554 2785 yha.com.au

EYRE PENINSULA Coodlie Park Farmstay Flinders Highway, Port Kenny. 08 8687 0411 coodliepark.com

Kangaroo Island YHA 33 Middle Terrace, Penneshaw. 08 8553 1344 yha.com.au

Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience Sea lion and dolphin swims. 08 8626 5017 bairdbay.com

Vivonne Bay Lodge 66 Knofel Drive, Vivonne Bay 13 13 01 seaink.com.au

Calypso Star Charters Great white shark cage diving. 08 8682 3939, sharkcagediving.com.au

RIVERLAND Berri Backpackers Sturt Highway, Berri. 08 8582 3144, berribackpackers.com.au Harvest Trail Lodge Loxton. 08 8584 5646, harvesttrail.com.au Nomads on Murray Sturt Highway, Kingston on Murray. 1800 665 166, nomadsworld.com Riverland Backpackers Labour Hire Services 08 8583 0211

FLEURIEU PENIN

Nullarbor Traveller Tours across to Perth. 1800 816 858 the-traveller.com.au Port Lincoln Tourist Park 11 Hindmarsh St. 08 8621 4444, portlincolntouristpark.com.au Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions Great white shark cage diving. 08 8363 1788 rodneyfox.com.au

FLINDERS RANGES Angorichina Tourist Village 08 8648 4842, angorichinavillage.com.au Wilpena Pound Resort Wilpena Rd. 08 8648 0004, wilpenapound.com.au

GERMAN VILLAGE

Hang on… did we just time travel back to Germany’s early days? And was that a horse carriage? Chances are you’ve set foot in Hahndorf, the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia. The village is packed with cute antique shops and galleries. But it’s not all vintage, Hahndorf is known for its modern and chic places to eat and drink a good glass of wine. While Hahndorf feels decades away, it’s only a 20 minute drive from the Adelaide CBD. Are you into football and travelling around South Australia during the Euro Cup? Hahndorf would be a perfect place to watch Die Mannschaft play. Just sayin’...

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Photo: Tourism Australia

HAHNDORF

WALISTINGS

PERTH STAY

300 Wellington St. 08 9287 3333, yha.com.au

Billabong Backpackers Resort 381 Beaufort St. 08 9328 7720, billabongresort.com.au

The Old Swan Barracks 6 Francis St. 08 9428 0000, theoldswanbarracks.com

Britannia on William 253 William St, Northbridge. 08 9227 6000, perthbrittania.com

Underground Backpackers 268 Newcastle St, Northbridge. 08 9228 3755, undergroundbackpackers.com.au

Emperor’s Crown 85 Stirling St, Northbridge. 1800 991 553, emperorscrown.com.au

The Witch’s Hat 148 Palmerston St. 08 9228 4228, witchshat.com

Globe Backpackers & City Oasis Resort 561 Wellington St. 08 9321 4080, globebackpackers.com.au Ocean Beach Backpackers 1 Eric St, Cottlesloe. 08 9384 5111, oceanbeachbackpackers.com.au One World Backpackers 162 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. 1800 188 100, oneworldbackpackers.com.au Perth City YHA

PERTH DO

DON’T MISS LADY GAGA

Aquarium of Western Australia 91 Southside Drive, Hillarys. 08 9447 7500, aqwa.com.au

Burwood Dome. July 7. From $83.10 Put on your poker face and raise your paws for the new Queen of Pop as she runs around Oz on her Born This Way Tour.

Kings Park & Botanic Garden bgpa.wa.gov.au

Great Eastern Highway, Perth

ticketek.com.au

Perth Mint 310 Hay St. 08 9421 7223, perthmint.com.au

@tnt_downunder Perth Zoo 20 Labouchere Road, South Perth. 08 9474 3551, perthzoo.wa.gov.au

PERTH MUSIC Amplifier amplifiercapitol.com.au Astor liveattheastor.com.au Mojo’s Bar mojosbar.com.au The Bakery nowbaking.com.au The Rosemount Hotel rosemounthotel.com.au

FREO STAY Backpackers Inn Freo 11 Pakenham St. 08 9431 7065, backpackersinnfreo.com.au Old Firestation Backpackers 18 Phillimore St. 08 9430 5454, fremantleprison.com.au

GO DEEP

SHARK BAY Shark Bay is one of the biggest wilderness treasures in the world and covers an area over 2.2 million hectares. It consists of two bays formed by peninsulas lying side by side. The bay is a perfect spot to get up close and personal with heaps of different animals, like bottlenose dolphins, turtles, giant rays, emus, and of course – sharks. As you can imagine, there are a lot of different things you can do in an area this big. You can do a spot of bushwalking, fishing, kayaking and other water sports. If you want to go all out, book one of the scenic flights. See the area from a bird’s eye and, please, don’t forget to bring your camera.

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Monkey Mia Flash Backpackers

WALISTINGS metrohotels.com.au

Sundancer Backpackers Resort 80 High St. 08 9336 6080, sundancerbackpackers.com.au

MONKEY MIA

FREO DO

Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort 1800 653 611, monkeymia.com.au

Fremantle Markets 08 9335 2515, fremantlemarkets.com.au

NINGALOO REEF

Fremantle Prison 1 The Terrace. 08 9336 9200, backpackersinnfreo.com.au

ROTTNEST ISL Rottnest Island YHA Kingstown Barracks. 08 9372 9780, yha.com.au Rottnest Express 1300 Go Rotto rottnestexpress.com.au

MARGARET RIV Margaret River Lodge YHA 220 Railway Tce. 08 9757 9532, yha.com.au

ALBANY Albany Bayview Backpackers YHA 49 Duke St. 08 9842 3388, yha.com.au Cruize-Inn 122 Middleton Rd. 08 9842 9599, cruizeinn.com Metro Inn Albany 270 Albany Hwy. 1800 004 321,

Blue Reef Backpackers 3 Truscott Crescent, Exmouth 1800 621 101, aspenparks.com.au Ningaloo Club Coral Bay 08 9948 5100, ningalooclub.com Excape Backpackers YHA Murat Rd, Exmouth. 08 9949 1200, yha.com.au

BROOME STAY Cable Beach Backpackers 12 Sanctuary Road. 1800 655 011, cablebeachbackpackers.com

t accommodation. Stunning beachfront location. Quality budge able, world-leading activities and facilities. Unique, afford shpacker Voted top ten f la under $100 in Australia accommodation veller Magazine a r T n a li a r by Aust

Kimberley Club 62 Fredrick St 08 9192 3233, kimberleyklub.com

BROOME DO Sun Pictures Carnarvon St. 08 9192 1077, broomemovies.com.au

monkeymia@aspenresorts.com.au t freecall 1800 653 611 t ph +61 8 9948 1320 t monkeymia.com.au

Aspen Parks Begin your re today... Darwin

u t n e v d A n e Asp

Qld

Brisbane

Sa Perth

Nsw Sydney

Adelaide

Vic Melbourne Hobart

1355

Visit our website for great accommodation specials and online bookings

Holiday Parks with a difference Australia Wide Western Australia Woodman Point Holiday Park Coogee Beach Holiday Park Perth Vineyards Holiday Park Exmouth Cape Holiday Park Blue Reef Backpackers Pilbara Holiday Park Cooke Point Holiday Park

1800 244 133 1800 817 016 1800 679 992 1800 621 101 1800 621 101 1800 451 855 1800 459 999

South Australia Port Augusta BIG4 Holiday Park 1800 833 444 Myall Grove Holiday Park 1800 356 103 Victoria Boathaven Holiday Park Geelong Riverview Tourist Park Golden River Holiday Park Yarraby Holiday Park Ashley Gardens BIG4 Holiday Village

1800 352 982 1800 336 225 1800 621 262 1800 222 052 1800 061 444

New South Wales A Shady River Holiday Park Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inn Holiday Park Magic Murray Houseboats Murray River Holiday Park Wymah Valley Holiday Park Twofold Bay Beach Resort Wallamba River Holiday Park

1800 674 239 1800 356 801 1800 356 483 1800 357 215 1800 776 523 1800 631 006 1800 268 176

Queensland Island Gateway Holiday Park

1800 466 528

aspenparks.com.au TNTDOWNUNDER.COM

NZLISTINGS BUS TOURS

Rent-A-Dent 0800 736 823, rentadent.co.nz

Kiwi Experience +64 9366 9830 kiwiexperience.com Magic Travellers Network +64 9358 5600, magicbus.co.nz

Rental Car Village +64 9376 9935, hire-vehicles.co.nz Spaceships 1300 139 091, spaceships.tv

Nakedbus.com 0900 62533, nakedbus.com

Standby Cars 1300 789 059, standbycars.com.au

NZ Travelpass 0800 339 966, travelpass.co.nz

Wicked Campers 1800 246 869, wickedcampers.com

Stray +64 9309 8772, straytravel.com

AUCKLAND

RENTAL FIRMS

Airport Skyway Lodge Backpackers (BBH) 30 Kirkbride Road, Mangere. +64 9275 4443, skywaylodge.co.nz

Ace Rental Cars 1800 140 026, acerentalcars.com.nz Backpacker Campervan & Car Rentals +800 200 80 801, backpackercampervans.com

Auckland International Backpackers (BBH) 2 Churton St, Parnell. +64358 4584,

Bargain Rental Cars 0800 001 122, bargainrentals.com.nz

Base Auckland 229 Queen St. 0800 227 369, stayatbase.com

Darn Cheap Rentals 0800 447 363, exploremore.co.nz Econo Campers +64 9275 9919, econocampers.co.nz Escape Rentals 1800 456 272, escaperentals.co.nz Explore More 1800 800 327, dcrentals.com.nz Jucy Rentals 0800 399 736, jucy.com.nz

Bamber House (BBH) 2 2 View Rd, Mt Eden. +64 9623 4267, hostelbackpacker.com

Nomads Capital 118 Wakefield St. 0508 666 237, nomadscapital.com

Nomads Auckland 16-20 Fort St. +64 9300 9999, nomadshostels.com

Rosemere Backpackers (BBH) 6 McDonald Cres. +64 4384 3041, backpackerswellington.co.nz

Oaklands Lodge (BBH) St. +64 5A Oaklands Rd, Mt Eden. +64 9638 6545, oaklands.co.nz

Rowena’s Backpackers (VIP) 115 Brougham St. 0800 80 1414

Queen Street Backpackers (VIP) 4 Fort St. +64 9373 3471, enquiries@qsb.co.nz Surf ‘n’ Snow Backpackers 102 Albert St. +64 9363 8889, surfandsnow.co.nz YHA Auckland City Cnr City Rd & Liverpool St. +64 9309 2802, yha.co.nz YHA Auckland International 5 Turner St. +64 9302 8200, yha.co.nz

WELLINGTON Base Wellington 21-23 Cambridge Tce. +64 4801 5666 stayatbase.com

Central City Backpackers 26 Lorne St. +64 9358 5685, backpacker.net.nz

Downtown Wellington Backpackers (BBH) 1 Bunny St. +64 4473 8482 db@downtownbackpackers.co.nz

City Garden Lodge 25 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell. +64 9302 0880

Lodge in the City (VIP) 152 Taranaki St. +64 4385 8560 lodgeinthecity.co.nz

Less clicking and more member savings on the new, faster yha.co.nz.

Backpacking just got easy as.

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YHA Wellington City 292 Wakefield St. +64 4801 7280

CHRISTCHURCH Chester Street Backpackers (BBH) 148 Chester St East. +64 3377 1897, chesterst.co.nz Foley Towers (BBH) 208 Kilmore St. +64 3366 9720, backpack.co.nz/foley Jailhouse Accommodation (BBH) 338 Lincoln Rd. 0800 524 546, stay@kiwibasecamp.com

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QUEENSTOWN Base Discovery Lodge St. +64 Queenstown 49 Shotover St. +64 3441 1185, stayatbase.com Bungi Backpackers (VIP, BBH) 15 Sydney St. 0800 728 286, bungibackpackers.co.nz Cardrona Alpine Resort Between Queenstown and Wanaka. +64 3443 7341, cardrona.com Flaming Kiwi Backpackers (BBH) 39 Robins Rd. +64 3442 5494, flamingkiwi@xtra.co.nz Hippo Lodge (BBH) 4 Anderson Hts. +64 3442 5785, hippolodge.co.nz Nomads Queenstown 5-11 Church St. +64 3441 3922, nomadshostels.com

Kiwi House 373 Gloucester St. +64 3381 6645, kiwihouse.co.nz

Pinewood Lodge (VIP) 48 Hamilton Rd. 0800 7463 9663, rgrieg@xtra.co.nz

The Old Countryhouse (BBH) 437 Gloucester St. +64 3381 5504, oldcountryhousenz.com

Southern Laughter (BBH, VIP) 4 Isle St. 0800 728 448, southernlaughter.co.nz

Tranquil Lodge (BBH) 440 Manchester St. +64 3366 6500, tranquil-lodge.co.nz

YHA Queenstown Central 48A Shotover Street. +64 3442 7400, yha.co.nz

Rucksacker Backpacker Hostel (BBH) 70 Bealey Ave. +64 3377 7931, rucksacker.com

YHA Queenstown Lakefront 8890 Lake Esplanade. +64 3442 8413, yha.co.nz

WHEN YOU

JOIN YHA

yha.co.nz

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Get paid to holiday! Make the most of your Aussie travel experience.

work? tntdownunder.com/jobs

These industry-relevant courses are run by highly qualified lecturers in a hands-on training environment. No need to give up long days at the beach. Challenger short courses are run on weekends or weeknights for minimum disruption to your itinerary.

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OZWORK

@tnt_downunder

Let’s talk about tax Sure, tax time might sound like a scary and ugly thing but for most travellers its like catching the express train to cash town

If you’ve been working during your time in Oz, whether you’re a student or working holiday maker, you must submit a tax return. Yes, they can be boring but more often than not, you’re greeted with a pot of gold (otherwise known as cold hard cash) at the end of it. In a nutshell, a tax return is used to determine if you have been paying the correct tax over the last financial year. We spoke to Taxback.com Australia’s marketing manager Christina Hosback who explains the in’s and out’s of the Australian tax system. Show us the money, Christina! “Many working holiday makers and international students overpay tax and are due some kind of a refund from the tax office.” As we’ve just come to the end of the financial year (June 30), you will be receiving a PAYG summary from your employer or employers outlining how much you were paid and how much tax was withheld. Once you’ve received your PAYG and you’re ready to stash

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some cash you can either download the software yourself from ato.gov.au, pick up a tax pack at the post office or go to a tax agent and pay them to do it. You have until October 31 to apply for your tax back and it will take 10-15 days to get your refund or some agents can get it to you the next day. But how much dough can you expect as a traveller? Christina says it depends on the amount you earned, how long you have been working, whether you had any work expenses, that kind of thing. “Our customers receive an average Australian refund of $2,500 and your money can be sent anywhere in the world.” If you have earned more than $450 a month then you are also eligible to apply for a superannuation refund. This can only be done once your visa has expired however, so best leave that one till home time. So what are you waiting for? There’s money to be grabbed and roads to be travelled!

ladies REQUIRED

Try us just once and you will not be disappointed! Call us now on

Experienced and good looking ladies required for sensual massage at Glebe. 15 mins walk from the Central Station. Previous experience will be an advantage but training will be provided. Wages according to your experience will be paid.

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Tiffany’s has Sydney’s largest selection of immaculately groomed, stunning girls who are specialists in the art of making a man feel totally at ease and relaxed. Easily found in a peaceful central location, spread over five large terraces, Tiffany’s boasts a number of beautifully appointed self-contained spas, double bedrooms and private waiting lounges.

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SETTING A WORLD-CLASS STANDARD IN AUSTRALIA.

Classy reliable ladies needed for intimate drug-free boutique establishment opposite the Casino. $$$ for the right ladies. No experience required as full in-house training provided. Female management. Call 02 9660 1849.

Melbourne’s most exclusive escorts, models, dinner dates and travelling companions. Paramour is a Melbourne’s leading Escort Agency with over 40 beautiful women. Paramour provides the most outstanding outcall adult entertainment in Melbourne. Since the 1980s, we have been providing high class escorts in all Melbourne suburbs. Paramour is the only escort service agency located in the city area of Melbourne. Paramour girls are very highly paid, beautiful women for international executives. Our ladies are the elite of Australia and are treated as princesses. Our girls come from many different countries and speak many languages. We understand that the best clients deserve the very best, most feminine ladies and we are continually interviewing to keep our standards high - Paramour Girls are the pinnacle.

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TOTALLYTRIVIAL

@tnt_downunder

MYTHBUSTERS AUSTRALIA’S ALCATRAZ?

THIS WEEK’S QUIZ

WORLD BEACHES

gives black sand its colour? Q 2.a)What A chemical reaction

b) Smack c) Glob d) Jellyfee

starred in the movie Beaches? Q 3.a)Who Whitney Houston b) Bette Midler d) Diana Ross

perform with The Beach Boys? a) John Stamos b) Tom Cruise c) Jerry Seinfeld d) Zach Braff

5 3

“BUDGIE SMUGGLERS”

9 8

9 3

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5 9

ANAGRAM-ARAMA

AUSSIE-ISM

1 2

have shark nets? a) 18 b) 34 c) 51 d) 77

Referring to male swimming costumes, normally Speedos. It looks a bit like men are hiding a poor defenseless bird, erm, down there. Never to be worn in public unless you are an Iron Man.

THIS WEEK IT’S... THINGS YOU LOSE AT THE BEACH 1. SUNLESS GAS 2. RACK YES 3. OH, I’M ON BLEEP 4. ‘N’ CENSURES ANSWERS: 1. Sunglasses 2. Car keys 3. Mobile phone 4. Sunscreen

SUDOKU PUZZLE 2

Is it true that nobody escaped from Tasmania’s Port Arthur? The most notorious prison in Oz enjoyed its infamy for good reason. However, there was a man who got past the guard dogs. Irish rogue Martin Cash braved the sharkinfested waters that surround the prison on three sides and swam to freedom, not once but twice. Not all attempts were so lucky though. George Hunt’s genius idea was to pretend to be a kangaroo, complete with fur, and hop his way to feedom. He gave himself up and received 150 lashes for his troubles when he realised the guards were trying to shoot him.

Q 9. How many beaches in NSW

Q 5. Which European capital creates a popular artificial beach every summer? a) London b) Paris c) Prague d) Athens

Thailand island was movie Q 8.TheWhich Beach mostly filmed on? a) Koh Samui b) Phuket c) Koh Chang d) Koh Phi Phi

Q 4. Which American actor used to

6. She wore an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow what bikini? a) Checkered b) Houndstooth c) Striped d) Polka dot

A group of jellyfish is called a... Q 7.a) Wobble

b) Shells c) Basalt/volcanic rock d) Oil slicks

WEEK

1. Where is the world’s longest natural beach? a) Bangladesh b) Australia c) Morocco d) Chile

c) Barbara Streisand

OF THE

ANSWERS: 1. a 2. c 3. b 4. a 5. b 6. d 7. b 8. d 9. c

MYTH

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