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Surprising Aussie beach crowned best in the world

<p dir="ltr">An iconic Australian beach has been named the best in the world in a prestigious list of the most picturesque coastlines on the planet. </p> <p dir="ltr">Each year, <a href="https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-beaches-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Condé Nast Traveler</a> ranks the beaches from around the world to curate a list of 34 locations that every beach lover needs to visit. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the top ten list, five beaches from both Australia and New Zealand feature, living up to the countries reputations of stunning coastlines. </p> <p dir="ltr">With a “combination of leaning palm trees on powdery sand”, the publication crowned Palm Cove Beach as the best beach in the world, describing the spot in Queensland as “the epitome of a tropical paradise”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Located north of Cairns, the publication shared that Palm Cove is relatively “crowd free” and home to a range of unique wildlife. </p> <p dir="ltr">While many on social media were quick to agree with the winning location, others argued that there are beaches around Australia more deserving of the crown. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The only way you rank Palm Cove as the best beach in the world is if you have never been to Palm Cove or don’t like beaches,” one wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Eyre Peninsula beaches leave Palm Cove for dead,” another added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Best beach if you don’t ever want to go in the water. What about all the magic in WA?” one questioned.</p> <p dir="ltr">Check out the top 10 list of the world’s best beaches below. </p> <p dir="ltr">10. Die Plaat, South Africa</p> <p dir="ltr">9. Awaroa, South Island, New Zealand</p> <p dir="ltr">8. Noosa Beach, Australia </p> <p dir="ltr">7. Dune du Pilat, France</p> <p dir="ltr">6. Mona Vale Beach, Australia</p> <p dir="ltr">5. Ora Beach, Indonesia</p> <p dir="ltr">4. Wategos Beach, Australia</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Brekon, Shetland</p> <p dir="ltr">2. Honopu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii</p> <p dir="ltr">1. Palm Cove Beach, Australia</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

International Travel

“What a legend”: Brave Aussie pensioner saves puppy from a snake

<p dir="ltr">An Aussie pensioner has gone the extra mile to save her terrified puppy from a carpet snake. </p> <p dir="ltr">Anne Murphy, a woman from NSW’s Lennox Head, captured the moment her 80-year-old mother went toe-to-toe with the slippery intruder who was terrorising her dog and shared the interaction on a Facebook page called Australian Country Memes. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to Anne, her mother bolted out the door one Monday evening when she heard her dog “screaming”, when she was confronted with the carpet snake. </p> <p dir="ltr">The non-venomous snake had wrapped around the small dog and bitten it on the chin, when the 80-year-old intervened. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman was “bitten three times” by the snake, before she “caught the snake so it could be taken out to the bush and hopefully not make its way back to her place”. </p> <p dir="ltr">She then took her puppy to the vet, and got home three hours after the incident first happened.</p> <p dir="ltr">The post has since received over 2,000 likes and hundreds comments, hailing the 80-year-old as a “legend“, “gutsy” and a “wonderful woman.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She is a true blue here. My hat is off to you, amazing lady,” one person wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another added, “Way to go! That’s just what country people do. God love her, they don’t make them like that anymore.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

"Now he's free": Aussie Marvel actor's son tragically dies

<p>Marvel actor Eka Darville has announced the heartbreaking news that his 10-year-old son has died. </p> <p>Earlier this year, Darville shared that his son, Mara, had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. </p> <p>Despite undergoing numerous surgeries and aggressive treatments, Mara passed away.</p> <p>The Australian actor's mother, Malaika, shared the devastating news about her grandson on the GoFundMe page she set up to help the family cope with the financial stress of having a sick child. </p> <p>She wrote, “I still wanted to come together in this prayer because he’s still always gonna be with us and he’s still with us.”</p> <p>“You can imagine the amount of sadness and grief of Eka, Lila and Lila’s parents, his grandparents, myself, his little brothers."</p> <p>“But at the same time, there’s a lot of joy. There’s a lot of peace. There’s a lot of stillness in the house after such a long struggle for 463 days since the whole ordeal began. And now he’s free. Now he’s dancing in the light."</p> <p>“We all see it, we feel it and I know that many of you, like myself, loved Mana eternally,” added the grandmother.</p> <p>The family's life turned upside down when Mara collapsed on a beach in July 2022, as he suffered seizures for six months before receiving his brain cancer diagnosis. </p> <p>The Australian actor is best known for his role in the smash hit Marvel series <em>Jessica Jones</em> alongside David Tennant.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Caring

Oldest living Aussie reveals her secrets to long life

<p>Catherina van der Linden, the oldest living Aussie, is preparing to celebrate her 111th birthday this week, a milestone that she passes on August 26.</p> <p>The great-grandmother, who was born in the Netherlands in 1912, was informed that she was the oldest living person in the country last year when her family received an email on her 110th birthday. </p> <p>She is also believed to be the oldest known Dutch person in the world.</p> <p>The great-grandmother lives in Southern Cross Care's West Beach residential facility in Adelaide and credits her longevity to her active lifestyle, including multiple gym sessions and weekly walks. </p> <p>"Keep on moving, and don't sit still," she said. </p> <p>"I push myself sometimes when I'm getting a bit tired and I think it's about time to do something to yourself to see that you still have that energy that you had before," she said.</p> <p>The centenarian is celebrating her birthday on Saturday, and has also said that aside from a healthy lifestyle, being happy and content with what life has to offer is another factor that helped her live a long life. </p> <p>"I've lived a normal life," she said.</p> <p>"Sometimes it's not very good and sometimes it's better but you have to take the bad with the good as well and it's possible to make living a joy."</p> <p>The residential care's manager Catherine Willoughby also said that van der Linden was an inspiration to staff and other residents. </p> <p>"She's still doing regular walks around the facility, opens the exit doors and around she goes, we've actually got a couple of other new residents that have started doing the same routine," she said. </p> <p>"She also loves the gym. She goes to the gym two or three times a week. She loves doing her exercises."</p> <p>"I think it's amazing that she's 111 and the fact that she's still so mobile and still very much alert and oriented to what's happening around her."</p> <p>The great-grandmother first migrated to Australia with her husband and young family in 1955 and she had various jobs including a grape picker, nursing assistant and typist.</p> <p><em>Images: Southern Cross Care / ABC News</em></p>

Caring

Miley Cyrus' mum marries Aussie Prison Break actor

<p>Prison Break actor Dominic Purcell and Tish Cyrus have tied the knot in an intimate Malibu wedding.</p> <p>The wedding was held by a pool in the backyard of a Malibu mansion with floral decorations and a few stars in attendance, including Tish's pop star daughter Miley Cyrus, cricket star David Warner and his wife Candice Warner. </p> <p>Miley, was reported to be the Maid of Honour and her siblings Trace, 34, and Brandi, 36, were also reportedly at the wedding. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwLtHGwBPHK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwLtHGwBPHK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Mrs Candice Warner (@candywarner1)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"Oh what a night!!! Congratulations @dominicpurcell & @tishcyrus on the most magical wedding. We love you," Candice wrote, with a series of images from the wedding. </p> <p>In a few <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12425597/Miley-Cyrus-Maid-Honor-Singer-looks-mom-Tish-marries-Prison-Break-star-Dominic-Purcell-Malibu-one-year-whirlwind-romance-shock-divorce-Billy-Ray-Cyrus.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aerial photos</a> from the wedding, Tish can be spotted donning a simple strapless A-line wedding dress and veil. Her two daughters and a few other bridesmaids matched the look with a light grey dress and white bouquet. </p> <p>The wedding comes just four months after Tish and Dominic got engaged. </p> <p>This is Tish's third marriage and Dominic's second marriage.</p> <p>Tish was previously married to Baxter Neal Helson from 1986 - 1989, who she shares children Brandi and Trace with.</p> <p>From 1993 - 2021 she was married to singer Billy Ray Cyrus and shares Miley, Braison, and Noah with him. </p> <p>Dominic was previously married to Rebecca Williamson, who he shares four children with.</p> <p>The couple announced their engagement to Instagram back in May, with the caption: "A thousand times... YES @dominicpurcell."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

Behind Aussie actress’ secret wedding

<p dir="ltr">Australian actress Emily Browning has finally confirmed her marriage in a collection of photos shared by her husband, writer and director Eddie O'Keefe.</p> <p dir="ltr">O’Keefe took to Instagram on Monday to share photos of their wedding in April, after years of fans' speculation that the pair were getting married.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Wedding Dump 1", he captioned the first round of photos, hard launching their relationship with a photo of them sharing their first kiss as a married couple.</p> <p dir="ltr">Browning, who is known for her role as Violet Baudelaire in the 2004 version of A Series of Unfortunate Events, looked stunning in a Barbie pink gown with a simple white veil.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair were not afraid to add colour to their wedding, with the groom donning a burgundy suit as friends and family threw colourful confetti to celebrate the couple.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cuxsf1zPG1F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cuxsf1zPG1F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Eddie O'KEEFE (@okeeeeeeefe)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The pair tied the knot in an outdoor wedding, with the area adorned with bright flowers overlooking a waterway.</p> <p dir="ltr">O’Keefe also shared a glimpse into a few more intimate moments including photos of the couple posing with their parents and Browning laying against her husband’s chest as they listened to the speeches.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the second photo dump, O’Keefe shared a photo of the bride in a glittering mini dress for their reception.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cuxuj2lPW_e/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cuxuj2lPW_e/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Eddie O'KEEFE (@okeeeeeeefe)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In the final photo dump, the groom shared a few pictures of the couple celebrating with their close friends.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuxwLtOPd9Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuxwLtOPd9Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Eddie O'KEEFE (@okeeeeeeefe)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Browning and O’Keefe first met in 2016 while filming the movie Shangri La Suite.</p> <p dir="ltr">In late 2021, fans noticed that Browning was wearing an engagement ring in one of the photos she posted on Instagram.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans took to the comments to congratulate the couple.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The pink dress!!! You’re both so cute congrats!!” commented one fan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So dreamy!!! Congrats!!!” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ahh, I’m so happy for you guys 😭❤️ and I love the pink dress!” wrote a third.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

Michael Bublé reveals disheartening name change request

<p>Canadian icon Michael Bublé has shared that his birth name was unappealing, according to industry bosses.</p> <p>The Sway singer, 47, told <em>9Honey Celebrity</em> that music executives once tried to convince him to change his surname when he was launching his career.</p> <p>"They wanted to change it years ago, the record company… and my dad got really hurt by it," Bublé shared.</p> <p>"So I was really glad we didn't change it, I figured if I was good enough that maybe people would just learn it, but they massacre it everywhere.”</p> <p>However, Bublé, who is of both Canadian and Italian descent, seemingly doesn’t mind some of the nicknames he’s earned over the years.</p> <p>From Australia alone, the superstar has gained the nicknames “Mickey Boobs” and “The Boob”. In Spain, he’s sometimes referred to as Miguel Burbujas which literally translates to "Michael Bubbles”.</p> <p>The star went on to say that thanks to his many visits Down Under, he has learnt the self-deprecating sense of humour Aussies have mastered.</p> <p>"I think you [Australians] are secure enough in yourself that you don't mind taking the piss. I love that you're sweet but I also love that you're tough, not to be messed with," Bublé said of his Aussie fans.</p> <p>"I just love it here. It's cold where I'm from… so to come here like this, people told me, 'You need to dress warm'. But it is so beautiful.”</p> <p>Bublé is keeping currently touring Australia as well as helping kick off the launch of PepsiCo’s latest Aussie product, the line of sparkling water aptly named Bubly</p> <p>The 47-year-old has been in the music industry for over two decades but still marvels at how lucky he feels when he gets on stage.</p> <p>"I love what I do, I love who I do it for… it never gets old," Bublé confessed.</p> <p>"Every single time I'm backstage and I hear that crowd bubbling and there's thousands of people out there who have taken their valuable time and spent their hard-earned money… I remind myself how lucky I am.”</p> <p>Bublé noted he is hyper-vigilant about not taking it all for granted, saying it takes work to “be in the moment”.</p> <p>"Like anybody else, I'll get in a fight with my wife or I'll get worried about what's happening with the kids, it's easy to have a bad day or be grumpy," he said.</p> <p>"It's easy to not be in the moment so I have to remind myself every single night before I go out there of how lucky I am.”</p> <p>Bublé also recalled his earliest memories of touring Australia.</p> <p>He revealed he was booked in for a gig at a small club in Sydney with “about 60 people”.</p> <p>"It was this little basement club in Sydney and I felt like it was huge," Bublé recalled.</p> <p>Although show business comes with a demanding schedule, he manages to keep a positive spirit.</p> <p>"I'm worth 300, 400 million dollars. I'm very wealthy and I'm very sexy," he teased.</p> <p>"I used to have nothing and I was so happy, but I love what I do and I'm so settled. I've got strong faith, beautiful kids and an incredible wife who's so much better than me. And that's my real life, everything else is just a bonus."</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p> <p><em><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/06/PMX0189_static_img1_16x9.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></em></p>

Music

Harry opens up about his intrusive Aussie gap year

<p dir="ltr">While opening up to London’s High Court as part of his phone hacking case against British tabloids, Prince Harry detailed his experiences in Australia in 2003 when the royal was in the country on his gap year. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Duke of Sussex referenced two articles that were published at the time, alleging that private investigators had been hired by his family to keep an eye on him. </p> <p dir="ltr">In his witness statement, he noted that a newspaper had run with the headline “Beach Bum Harry” for a story on his trip to a Noosa beach with some of his friends. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a public beach, but not busy or popular so I’m unclear how anyone had known we were there, to be in the right place at the right time to take photographs. I wasn’t aware of anyone taking photographs at the time,’’ he explained, before sharing that locating the group would have been of a similar challenge level to “trying to find a needle in a haystack”.</p> <p dir="ltr">But as the lawyer representing Mirror Group Newspapers pointed out, there was “no doubt that many photographers were prepared to look for that needle in a haystack”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Harry had more to reveal from there, sharing his belief that the late Queen had sent “senior” members of Buckingham Palace’s aide team to monitor him while he was in Australia, all because of the “intrusion” of the paparazzi into his life. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I only learnt recently that the Queen had asked one of her Assistant Private Secretaries to fly out to Noosa and take a house down the road from where I was staying,” he explained, “without me knowing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The second article was also released in 2003, and was one that claimed the young royal was “ready to quit Oz”. As Harry explained, it reported that he was “considering leaving Australia … because of the level of press intrusion I was experiencing.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“The article includes a comment from a Palace spokesman expressing concern and disappointment about the treatment I was experiencing,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I do recall that the Palace issued a statement, because the situation in Australia was awful for me and there was supposed to be an agreement that once I had done the press call on arrival, I would be left to get on with my gap year in private.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was a teenager, and this made it clear that there was nowhere in the world - not even the Australian outback - where I wouldn’t be hounded by the press or paparazzi.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

How Aussie maths whiz won the lotto 14 times

<p>Winning the lotto is more than likely a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but Aussie man Stefan Mandel defied the odds when he won the golden ticket 14 times using basic maths.</p> <p>The Romanian-Australian mathematician, joined by a small team of investors, discovered a remarkably easy way to hack the system in the 1980s and 1990s.</p> <p>Mandel’s first two wins were secured in his home country of Romania, where he was saving up to escape the then-Soviet Union before he won another dozen times in Australia.</p> <p>Surprisingly, Mandel’s system was not only straightforward but relied on very little of his mathematical training.</p> <p>The odds of winning the jackpot in the Australian Powerball are about one in 76,767,600, according to lotto land. If you want to double your chances with two tickets, the odds are still a mere 2 in 76,767,600.</p> <p>Mandel observed that in certain lotteries, the jackpot prize was much higher than the cost of purchasing every possible combination of numbers. Given he buys every ticket, he was almost guaranteed a return on his investment – so long as the winnings were split between several golden ticket holders.</p> <p>So, Mandel did just that.</p> <p>While it’s not completely against the rules, snatching up every ticket doesn’t quite resonate with the spirit of the game, and his winnings were astronomical.</p> <p>Mandel, now 89, convinced a group of investors to buy into the scheme over several years.</p> <p>He created algorithms that were able to generate and print the millions of different ticket groups required, which some lotteries allowed people to do at the time.</p> <p>With his pile of tickets printed and ready to go, Mandel and his team waited for a hefty jackpot, where they would purchase those tickets in shops.</p> <p>Mandel secured 12 wins on smaller lotteries Down Under before he sought out jackpots in the US with a sum far larger than anything he had won so far.</p> <p>While he won millions of dollars with his scheme, aiming for massive lotteries in the US proved to be his downfall.</p> <p>Mandel specifically had his sights set on the Virginia lottery, which was new at the time and only used numbers 1-44 in its draws. That meant there were 7,059,052 possible combinations, much less than the 25 million or higher that his team was used to.</p> <p>When the jackpot was high enough, around US$15.5 million, Mandel ordered thousands of investors to buy out the tickets in bulk.</p> <p>To Mandel’s dismay, some investors pulled out. After two days of purchases, the group secured about 6.4 million of the possible 7 million combinations needed to guarantee them the jackpot. Fortunately, the odds remained in his favour as he won the Virginia Lottery too.</p> <p>The FBI and CIA launched an investigation into Mandel, but no wrongdoing was found. Virginia Lottery had no choice but to pay up.</p> <p>Mandel won millions of dollars in the Virginia Lottery, including bringing home most of the smaller prizes.</p> <p>He later disbanded his team and retired to a beach house in Vanuatu, where he still lives.</p> <p>While Mandel’s scheme was legal at the time, it resulted in new rules for the lottery. Many countries, including the US and Australia, have since passed laws that stopped punters from buying lottery tickets in bulk or printing them at home, in turn rendering his methods impossible.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / Youtube</em></p>

Money & Banking

Aussie actress in catastrophic bus crash offered $16 voucher as compensation

<p>An Aussie tourist left injured and stranded after a fatal bus crash in southern Italy has claimed the travel company only offered her a meal voucher for the inconvenience.</p> <p>Australian actress Sinead Curry, who has starred in TV shows like The Haunting of Nancy Drew and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, said that nine hours following the crash, the European bus company offered her a $16 meal voucher for her troubles.</p> <p>Curry and partner Salma Salah, both from Sydney, boarded the FlixBus in the city of Bari on June 3 for the long journey to the Northern city of Bologna with a transfer to Rome.</p> <p>However, two hours into the trip Curry said the “bus hit something”.</p> <p>“We were all asleep, it went airborne and spun around a bunch of times,” she said in a TikTok video posted the following day, showing her in hospital wearing a neck brace.</p> <p>Curry told followers the bus was “flung around like in a blender” before it landed down by an embankment, which she claimed was “on the other side of the road”.</p> <p>“Several cars then hit the bus moving the bus closer and closer to the side of the road,” Curry explained in her video.</p> <p>Italian and German media reported the bus crash occurred near the town of Avellino, approximately 50km east of the southwest city of Naples.</p> <p>Five cars were caught up in the accident and local emergency services were quoted as saying the “lifeless body of a man was found” along with 14 people sustaining injuries.</p> <p>Curry said there were 38 people on the bus, including another Aussie woman called “Caity”, who suffered a broken collarbone.</p> <p>After Curry was discharged from the hospital, fearing her nose was broken but was assured it was not, she made another video emphasising how she felt abandoned by the bus company.</p> <p>“FlixBus none of your numbers are working,” an emotional Curry urged.</p> <p>“They ring out and they hang up on us. We cannot get any information from FlixBus, we cannot get our luggage back.</p> <p>“They offered us by text a 10 euro ($16) meal replacement voucher for the inconvenience.</p> <p>“There are a bunch of people here who nearly died we don't have any information.”</p> <p>Curry later claimed FlixBus even blocked her on social media.</p> <p>“We just want some information and some help,” she explained, complaining that she was still waiting on her luggage to be returned.</p> <p>FlixBus issued a statement claiming “a support line and email” was provided to all passengers and their families following the incident.</p> <p>"Outbound calls were made to passengers who had registered their mobile numbers, and emails were sent to passengers with instructions,” the bus company said.</p> <p>“At all times, the safety of its passengers and drivers is of highest priority to FlixBus.”</p> <p>Two days following the incident Curry received her luggage and was in Rome after an emergency shuttle had been deployed for stranded passengers.</p> <p>However, she said that as they arrived in Rome, passengers were finding “shrapnel” from the crash in their bodies and she had gotten a piece out of herself.</p> <p>On June 5 Curry took to TikTok again, saying she and her partner were grateful to be “safe and in Rome”.</p> <p>Although safe, she did note that they were heading to the hospital to get checked again as she was suffering from “very severe headaches” and had intense pain in her jaw.</p> <p>Curry then thanked the “heroes” in Italian fire and rescue, who she said took her and her partner in and gave them pasta, crackers, water and a change of clothes.</p> <p>She said FlixBus had rung her twice at a later date to tell the couple to keep receipts for a full refund.</p> <p>Curry jetted to Europe for her dream holiday but given the incident, she and her partner are dumping their Italian plans to recuperate in Rome.</p> <p>“We are so grateful to be alive please hold your loved ones close,” she said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Legal

Aussie Olympic medallist marries billionaire F1 heiress

<p dir="ltr">Australian Olympic medallist Scotty James has tied the knot with Chloe Stroll in a lavish Italian wedding over the weekend.</p> <p dir="ltr">James, a four-time Olympian and two-time medallist, was introduced to Chloe, daughter of Formula One billionaire Lawrence Stroll, by her brother Lance who set them up in 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr">The wedding came nearly 18 months after Scotty proposed, and the pair took to Instagram to share pictures of the happy occasion.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chloe shared a series of photos with a simple infinity emoji, while Scotty shared behind the scenes clips from a boat ride around Venice.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hi everyone. This is our first video as husband and wife - well, on my phone anyway,” he proudly said as he looked lovingly at his wife.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And as you can see behind us, the sun has risen. We’re on a boat back to the hotel - and we got married yesterday!”</p> <p dir="ltr">The beautiful bride donned an off-the-shoulder gown with a stunning floral lace detail and a matching flowing veil.</p> <p dir="ltr">The groom looked dapper in a black suit with a bow tie and beautiful white pocket rose.</p> <p dir="ltr">The wedding weekend included a stay at the Gritti Palace in Venice.</p> <p dir="ltr">Plenty of stars were in attendance including Scotty’s groomsman and best mate, F1 racer Daniel Ricciardo and his girlfriend Heidi Berger, also an F1 heiress.</p> <p dir="ltr">Scotty’s brother-in-law and <em>Sunrise</em> weather presenter, Sam Mac, was also in attendance after taking leave from the show.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So happy for you mate. A true honour to share this special time with you and Chloe ... wow wow wow,” he wrote on Instagram.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rebecca, Sam’s partner, also commented: “I officially have another sister,” to which Chloe replied: “Love you sis!!!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Some other guest stars who reportedly attended the wedding included: Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff and wife Susie, Sarah Ferguson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

Aussie author of "Puberty Blues" dies at 64

<p dir="ltr">Gabrielle Carey, co-author of the iconic novel <em>Puberty Blues</em>, has passed away at 64. </p> <p dir="ltr">The news was reportedly broken by Carey’s old friend and co-writer Kathy Lette, who was the other half of the creative powerhouse that brought<em> Puberty Blues </em>to life. </p> <p dir="ltr">In a post to social media, Lette shared a throwback picture of the pair in their younger years, and wrote, “I’m deeply saddened by the tragic news about my old friend Gabrielle Carey. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I have such happy memories of our teenage years. They were halcyon, heady days full of love, laughter and adventure.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We made some mischief and broke some barriers by writing <em>Puberty Blues</em> – our raw, earthy take on the brutal treatment of young women in the Australian surfing scene which is sadly, still so relevant. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’m deeply saddened by the tragic news about my old friend Gabrielle Carey. I have such happy memories of our teenage years. They were halcyon, heady days full of love, laughter and adventure. 1/2 🧵 <a href="https://t.co/2wZZiRf1hd">pic.twitter.com/2wZZiRf1hd</a></p> <p>— Kathy Lette (@KathyLette) <a href="https://twitter.com/KathyLette/status/1654136967636959234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The groundbreaking book they penned together, which went on to be adapted as both a movie and a hit TV series, was a candid - then-controversial - story of two teenage girls growing up in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire. </p> <p dir="ltr">It pushed boundaries, captivated young audiences while tackling themes many did not expect for said target audience, and is regarded by many as being the first Australian teenage novel to be written by teens.</p> <p dir="ltr">From <em>Puberty Blues</em>, Carey went on to publish memoirs and nonfiction works, with another of her books - her 1984 <em>Just Us</em>, which covered her relationship with rapist and prisoner Terry Haley, who she married while he was imprisoned - also made into a telemovie in 1986. </p> <p dir="ltr">No suspicious circumstances surrounded her death, according to <em>The Australian</em>, though the tragic news comes just months after she wrote about her father’s suicide in <em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">At the time, Carey had revealed she was afraid of reaching 64, as that was when he too had passed on.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was only decades later, when my father died from suicide on the very day he turned 64, that I became terrified of that number,” she wrote. “If I have inherited my father’s disposition for depression, did that mean I would also end up in an early grave?</p> <p dir="ltr">Carey’s early passing is one that has hit her friends and her fans hard, with many joining Lette in sharing their grief and their condolences on social media. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Farewell dear Gabrielle. You were a sister in the cause of mental illness, its impact & our children. I’m enriched for having known you,” one supporter wrote. “Thank you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Writer - Reader - Intellectual - Joycean (fanatical) - Elizabeth von Arnim devotee - Avid Gardener - Rose Petal Jam Maker - Football Follower - Kayaker - Yogi - Joker - Irrepressible Spirit - Hobbit - Underground Writer - My Friend,” friend and fellow writer Yumna Kassab wrote. “I will always miss you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So sorry for your loss,” one fan said in response to Lette’s tweet. “You have no idea how much as a girl growing up in a coastal town with a surfing scene I understood <em>Puberty Blues</em>. I saw it every day. You & Gabrielle laid it all bare & made girls stand up for themselves. Thank you”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My deepest condolences Kathy,” another offered. “The two of you wrote something so treasured by Gen X girls. It was our ‘how to say no guide’. Our Teen handbook. But it still let us live our lives & learn as we went. RIP Gabrielle Carey.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

News

Aussie designer wins lawsuit against Katy Perry

<p dir="ltr">One of Katy Perry’s companies has been found guilty of infringing the trademark of a Sydney fashion designer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Katie Jane Taylor has designed and sold her own line of clothing under her label ‘Katie Perry’ since 2008.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the pop superstar Perry, born Katheryn Hudson, initially fought the Australian registration of the Katie Perry brand, she later withdrew it. </p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor sued the singer for infringement in the Federal Court in 2019, more than a decade after the <em>Firework</em> singer started selling her own brand of merchandise, including clothing, under her stage name. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a tale of two women, two teenage dreams and one name,” Justice Brigitte Markovic wrote in a judgement published on April 29 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Markovic found Hudson had infringed the mark on Twitter ahead of one of her Australian tours in 2014.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the infringement, the judge concluded that the singer did not owe any compensation to the designer as she had used the trademark in “good faith”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of the singer’s other businesses Kitty Purry however is liable for damages because of the sale of clothing during her 2014 tour. </p> <p dir="ltr">A bid by the star and her companies to cancel the Katy Perry trademark was dismissed by the Federal Court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Markovic is yet to determine the amount of damages owed by Kitty Purry. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6c0faee1-7fff-5497-933e-14ee948d4dac"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Legal

"I MARRIED my best friend!": Aussie superstar's secret wedding

<p>Tones and I singer Toni Watson has announced her marriage to footballer fiancé Jimmy Bedford and has shared an inside look into her secret Bali wedding.</p> <p>On Wednesday, the star took to Instagram to share a series of photos from her big day with the caption: “Well we weren’t planning on spreading the news until after the single dropped but I MARRIED my best friend!”</p> <p>In one photo, Watson and Bedford were seen exchanging their vows under a gazebo in a romantic outdoor ceremony.</p> <p>In another photo, the couple can be seen smiling from ear to ear with a stunning view of the ocean in the background. Watson donned a long white silk dress and held a beautiful white bouquet to match.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFHjXoBBXG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFHjXoBBXG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by TONES AND I (@tonesandi)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Watson’s bridesmaids can be seen wearing flattering orange dresses and holding up their glasses to cheer for the newlyweds.</p> <p>The <em>Dance Monkey</em> singer also shared a few photos from her reception, and she appeared to have had an outfit change to something that matched her usual style.</p> <p>Many of her friends and other stars have commented their well wishes to the couple.</p> <p>“How goods this, congrats you two 👌,” wrote Australian Cricketer David Warner.</p> <p>“CONGRATULATIONS ANGELS ❤️,” wrote Sophie Monk.</p> <p>“Such a fun weekend, what a special moment ❤️❤️” commented a friend.</p> <p>“I’m so so so happy for you guys!!” commented another.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

Aussie tourist makes disturbing claim about Fiji resort where young boy was killed

<p>An Aussie tourist has spoken out about an injury he sustained while holidaying at Club Wyndham Denarau Island resort in Fiji, where an 8-year-old boy died last week. </p> <p>Cairo Winitana passed away while on holiday with his family, after he was chasing frogs in the five-star resort’s flower garden when he allegedly touched a light that delivered him a fatal electric shock. </p> <p>Now, an Aussie tourist who visited the resort last year says he too received an electric shock on the grounds of the luxury villa. </p> <p>The unnamed holiday-goer says he was shocked by an exposed light fitting, where wires were draped between two lampposts where they got wet from the rain. </p> <p>The damaged light delivered a hefty shock to the tourist, but he walked away relatively unharmed. </p> <p>After Cairo was found unresponsive in the gardens of the resort, desperate guests tried to revive him, as they shared the distress for the young boy. </p> <p>Thomas Meier told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE170_a_NEW&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fnews%2Fnsw%2Fsydney-boy-cairo-waitana-dies-at-fiji-resort%2Fnews-story%2F0da28333a98b983059b5e07871498679&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=dynamic-low-control-score&V21spcbehaviour=append" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a> that he found the youngster unconscious in a garden bed.</p> <p>He told the publication he believed the child had been fatally injured after innocently playing with frogs near a bolt which was screwed into the ground where a live current was coming from.</p> <p>“As we were walking through the gardens we just saw this boy face down in the garden,” Mr Meier, 24, said.</p> <p>“My uncle went up to him and we were trying to tap him on the shoulder to see if he was responsive and he wasn’t moving.”</p> <p>He explained that his uncle received an electric shock as he assisted Cairo, before bystanders rushed to help.</p> <p>The child’s mother, Amber de Thierry, was soon found by resort guests, with Mr Meier describing her intense distress.</p> <p>“Eventually the mum turned up and she was screaming, crying, calling out to her son Cairo. She had one of her relatives hugging her,” he said.</p> <p>“We were all just sitting around hoping this little boy is going to wake up after a couple of shots of this defibrillator.”</p> <p>A post-mortem examination on Tuesday day confirmed Cairo’s cause of death was electrocution, as previously suspected.</p> <p>A devastated Ms de Thierry has also shared an <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/my-heart-aches-mum-of-young-boy-who-died-in-fiji-speaks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emotional tribute</a> to her beloved boy on social media.</p> <p>“I loved you my son, from the moment I found out I was carrying you and will love you forever more my beautiful blue eyes,” she wrote.</p> <p>Loved ones have since set up at <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/qte4ja-help-bring-our-boy-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help Ms de Thierry and her partner Clarke Winitana bring Cairo’s body home.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook / GoFundMe</em></p>

News

Aussie cat-fluencer claws in a staggering salary online

<p>Honey, who lives in Melbourne with her human parents Paul and Nicole, has proven herself to be quite the star of her very own Cinderella story. </p> <p>Honey had been spending her days on the streets when she was taken to a local animal shelter, and stayed there for months while she waited on someone to give her a place in their hearts and in their home. Luckily, cat lovers Nicole and Paul became smitten with the kitten on a visit to the shelter, and wasted no time in adopting her.</p> <p>Their furry friend, who is now 3 years old and living a delightfully pampered life, has come a long way from her lonely start in life. These days, Honey dazzles people from all around the world with her Instagram account, where she “performs” as a chef, poses in custom costumes, and shares delicious recipes with her 164k followers. </p> <p>Honey’s success has proven a treat for her owners, too, with the cat drawing in a stunning salary of $63k last year alone. Although this income already falls above the median national salary (according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics), it’s predicted that the sum will only rise from here, having already skyrocketed from $50k in 2021. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjBzTWuPkz0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjBzTWuPkz0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by HONEY | Cat Chef | Princess (@princesshoneybelle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“We started Honey’s Instagram in January 2020 when we adopted her,” Nicole said in an interview with <em>news.com.au</em>, “as a way to document her growing up.”</p> <p>“When the pandemic started, I had a bunch of extra free time so really started to research and invest myself into learning more about social media and how to be successful,” Nicole explained of the decision to start the account, going on to add that they “grew followers pretty quickly and had 20k within four months, but the only brand deals we could secure were gifted at first.</p> <p>“We got our first paid deal about six months after we had started, but didn’t start to see decent earnings until mid-2021.”</p> <p>Nicole credits Honey’s rise to internet fame to their Instagram reels, telling <em>news.com.au</em>, “things really started to take off when we started posting the reels. We do baking reels, they really show off Honey’s persona as a cat chef. People adore her.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoDVHDaNsPG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoDVHDaNsPG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by HONEY | Cat Chef | Princess (@princesshoneybelle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Honey’s success has led to opportunities most can only dream of - she has her own merchandise, and a cookbook coming out later in 2022. Of their branching enterprise, Nicole admitted that “it is important to have multiple streams of income, as brand deals are not always available.”</p> <p>She went on to explain that they try to keep their content relevant, watch out for what’s trending, and to balance education with entertainment. But most all, they try to do whatever Honey wants - despite criticism that they are only using their furry friend for financial gain. </p> <p>“Honey loves making videos, and really enjoys all the attention she gets when we film or take pictures,” Nicole assured, “she is often purring through the whole process. She also always gets her favourite treats as payment, of course.</p> <p>“We never do anything she doesn’t want to do, and ensure her health, safety and happiness always come first.</p> <p>“Creating content with her has been an amazing way to bond and document her life with us, make friendships and connections from around the world, and inspire others to adopt from and support shelters.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

"Mateship in action": NZ survivors of helicopter crash praise Aussie compassion

<p>Two couples from New Zealand who survived the deadly helicopter collision on the Gold Coast have shared their condolences for those who died during the accident.</p> <p>Edward and Marle Swart along with Riaan and Elmarie Steenberg spoke of how the "fun five-minute joy ride on vacation to Australia turned into a nightmare" and said their "hearts are so heavy" for those who died in the other aircraft that fell to the ground.</p> <p>"Our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to the injured and the deceased and their families," they said in a joint statement released on Wednesday night.</p> <p>"We are grateful and blessed to have been spared but very sad for the people who lost loved ones and the little ones and mum fighting for their lives in hospital.</p> <p>"Our hearts are so heavy for them."</p> <p>The couples also praised the 52-year-old pilot who managed to land their damaged helicopter safely "through all the chaos", while also commending the actions of witnesses who rushed to help on the scene. </p> <p>"Our gratitude goes out to every bystander who ran to help, every police officer and emergency services personnel who helped us with our immediate needs keeping us calm and making us comfortable," they said.</p> <p>"We saw mateship in action. Australians come together to help in time of need."</p> <p>"We would like to extend our great thanks to the hospital staff taking care of us for their kindness and compassion during this traumatic experience."</p> <p>The New Zealand couples, all in their 40s, were among the six people in the second helicopter who all survived the crash with minor injuries.</p> <p><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/helicopter-crash-victims-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four people</a> on the first helicopter died while the remaining three survivors remain in hospital.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

"We're offering plenty": Kiwis targeted for job no Aussies want

<p>A Perth mining company has resorted to looking for workers from New Zealand after Aussies have continued to turn down roles that offer up to an enticing $300,000 salary per year – and that's for roughly six months of work in any standard 12 months.</p> <p>As a result, Mineral Resources has launched a brand new advertising campaign, geared up to attract Kiwi tradies, guaranteeing “a great pay packet”.</p> <p>“We’re offering plenty,” Mineral Resources CEO Mike Grey told NZ programme AM.</p> <p>“The incentives are amazing, and I have no doubt that our salaries double [New Zealand salaries]; in some examples, they triple.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClX7JZZv16i/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClX7JZZv16i/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Mineral Resources (@mineral_resources)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The mining business is on the hunt for new workers to fill a range of roles including: construction, mining, operations, unskilled labour and administration.</p> <p>The firm is also recruiting higher-paying roles such as mining engineers.</p> <p>One of the highest paying jobs on offer is for construction supervisors and superintendents who can earn up to $300,000 a year.</p> <p>Workers will be required to work on a fly-in, fly-out basis. They would be flying out of New Zealand to work the mines in Perth, with roughly half of the workforce only working for six months per year.</p> <p>It’s not the first time Australian mines have struggled to find workers for highly-paid roles. Earlier in 2022, mining services firm Thiess offered new staff members a $10,000 sign-on bonus and a $5000 bonus for a successful referral.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

Aussie man faces sky-high rent for “rotten” home

<p dir="ltr">As the cost-of-living and housing crisis collide, it has left many Aussie renters living in poor conditions while paying an increasing amount to do so.</p> <p dir="ltr">For Jarod, who wished for his surname not to be used, this has meant experiencing multiple rental increases over the past couple of years, all while living in a home without heating or cooling that is “falling down”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 51-year-old lives in Hobart, one of the country’s least affordable cities, and has gone from paying $450 a week back in 2020 to a hefty $540 now, with another jump expected to hit in the coming months that he is estimating will be upwards of $600.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result of the skyrocketing rent, he has been forced to share the rental with a friend since it is “impossible” for him to live alone.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s set a precedent for greedy landlords and you think you are paying a lot of rent so you would get good services but this house is rotten and it’s falling down,” he told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/renting/impossible-rental-crisis-reveals-unaffordable-homes-across-australia/news-story/9037cc4ad2bd91b8c34cd03f176f032a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The bathroom is falling into the floor, there is no heating and no cooling and this is a 200-year-old house that is basically in original condition.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But that’s not uncommon. I have looked at a lot of viewings and you see a really bad kitchen with no working oven and no heating and they still want top dollar and are not willing to budge to do any renovations.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The semi-retired antique dealer is also taking part in a project with Everyday’s Home, an affordability campaign group, by measuring the temperatures in his home.</p> <p dir="ltr">He told the outlet that one of his rooms measured at 41C recently despite the peak of summer still to come.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having moved to Tasmania in 2008, Jarod said he was easily able to find affordable rentals until 2016, with the recent exodus of people from Sydney and Brisbane making things even worse.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s causing strain on relationships with other people, like the other person I live with and my family and I’ve had to ask my family for money over the recent period as I’m struggling financially,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have started to look but I don’t drive so I have had to look out in the remote areas and they are just really difficult with transport and getting around and getting to basic stuff like the shops.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Then you’re sacrificing your lifestyle and things like the shops and day-to-day activities that you would normally do. It’s just a really anxiety-ridden process.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have been trying to find somewhere else but it’s really difficult as there is no stock available for the people looking as well, so you go to somewhere for example and there will be hundred people there.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Jarod’s story comes as a new rental affordability report from SGS Economics and National Shelter found that 40 percent of low-income households are experiencing rental stress, as well as struggling to pay for food, heating, and healthcare.</p> <p dir="ltr">In comparison, only 35 percent of low-income households were experiencing rental stress in 2008.</p> <p dir="ltr">The housing crisis has affected renters across the country, with historic lows in affordability being recorded in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ellen White, the lead author of the report, said the rental crisis had spread to regional areas following the pandemic, with the recent floods also having an impact.</p> <p dir="ltr">National Shelter CEO Emma Greenhalgh has called for rental reform to help curb the rental crisis and stop the rise in homelessness and housing stress.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We need rental reform that includes limiting rent increases and adjustments to income support including Commonwealth Rent Assistance,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We also need greater investment in social and affordable housing to reverse a decade-long decline.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d298f84e-7fff-902f-572c-2cfe957523b0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: news.com.au</em></p>

Real Estate

Kiwi firefighters receive rare Aussie honour for heroic efforts

<p dir="ltr">A New Zealand firefighter has been awarded one of Australia’s special service awards for his efforts in fighting bushfires during the summer of 2019 and 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">Phil Muldoon, Lake Ōkāreka’s chief rural fire officer, was one of 53 firefighters awarded the Australia National Emergency Medal during a recent awards ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">Muldoon, who worked 16-hour days fighting fires, said the honour was very humbling.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s not what we do it for but it is nice to be recognised, especially from the Australian Government,” Muldoon told <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/australia-bush-fires-nz-firefighter-given-rare-and-special-honour/4K7KKB2WRVEHXJKJ7IC5WBFY4I/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was among a 208-strong contingent of New Zealanders sent to help their Aussie neighbours, including personnel from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), the Department of Conservation, forestry company partners, and the New Zealand Defence Force.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We were proud to see 27 Department of Conservation firefighters awarded the Australia National Emergency Medal last week for their efforts fighting the devastating Australian wildfires during the 2019/2020 black summer. 🎖️<a href="https://t.co/Wh7xVdZQ8g">https://t.co/Wh7xVdZQ8g</a> <a href="https://t.co/vl8iEC9acs">pic.twitter.com/vl8iEC9acs</a></p> <p>— Department of Conservation (@docgovtnz) <a href="https://twitter.com/docgovtnz/status/1591974150008377344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The majority of those who took part received the award during recent official ceremonies hosted in New Zealand by Australian High Commissioner HE Harinder Sidhu.</p> <p dir="ltr">Muldoon received his award along with 38 firefighters from FENZ, two members of the NZ Army, eight NZ Air Force members, two from the Department of Conservation, and three from forestry company partners.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having been a firefighter for 25 years, Muldoon said fighting the bushfires was his 16th deployment and that firefighters were chosen to deploy based on their skillset.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We went to help their firefighters in Australia who had a tough season. We’re fresh feet on the ground and give them a break,” Muldoon said, adding that the contingent brought New Zealand’s “can-do” attitude with them.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A great honour to present the Australian National Emergency Medal at Ohakea <a href="https://twitter.com/NZAirForce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZAirForce</a> base, and to personally thank members of the <a href="https://twitter.com/NZDefenceForce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZDefenceForce</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FireEmergencyNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FireEmergencyNZ</a> for their service to Australia in support of the 2019-20 Australian Bushfires response. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZAirForce?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZAirForce</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Force4NZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Force4NZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/GtTUay8VY6">pic.twitter.com/GtTUay8VY6</a></p> <p>— Harinder Sidhu (@AusHCNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/AusHCNZ/status/1580682019985854464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Earlier this month, nine firefighters from Northland received the award, including wildfire specialist Rory Renwick.</p> <p dir="ltr">After spending 14 days fighting blazes in remote Australian bush, Renwick said the gratitude expressed through the medal was just “icing on the cake”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"People stopped you on the street to shake your hand and say thank you. It's humbling and pretty amazing," he told <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/northland-firefighters-awarded-medal-for-efforts-during-australian-bushfires/FIMYEOSD5QQGEYTVSFHIRP34WI/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Renwick explained that New Zealand crews were often working in remote areas and tackling large fires.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We were trying to put out the edge of the fire to stop it spreading," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We did anything from patrolling edges [and] dealing with small hotspots to working with aircraft and heavy machinery to slow the fire down and stop it."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I was presented with a national emergency <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/medal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#medal</a> Monday night for the 19/20 bushfires here in Australia. <a href="https://t.co/L8il9Eob7P">pic.twitter.com/L8il9Eob7P</a></p> <p>— Craig Chiffers (@cchiffers) <a href="https://twitter.com/cchiffers/status/1569818214888263681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The award, which was approved by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, is given to those who performed significant or sustained service during “nationally-significant emergencies”, according to the Governor-General’s <a href="https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awardsnational-emergency-medal/bushfires-2019-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Muldoon, Renwick, and the many others recognised for their efforts during the bushfires will receive a medal with a clasp that reads, “BUSHFIRES 19-20”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Russell Wood, the national commander of FENZ, said the award had never been given to any member of the organisation before.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a rare and special honour that the Australian Government has extended to us,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The bushfires in Australia in 2019/20 were catastrophic and we were glad we could be there to help them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am immensely proud of our people, who responded to the call so selflessly and put their time and energy into fighting one of the biggest wildfire disasters of our time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a dangerous environment for everyone to be in, and they showed true Kiwi spirit in their sustained efforts under challenging conditions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As a nation, we are very proud of our fine firefighters.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Fire and Emergency NZ (Facebook)</em></p>

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Surprising Aussie beach crowned best in the world

“What a legend”: Brave Aussie pensioner saves puppy from a snake

"Now he's free": Aussie Marvel actor's son tragically dies

Oldest living Aussie reveals her secrets to long life

Miley Cyrus' mum marries Aussie Prison Break actor

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Harry opens up about his intrusive Aussie gap year

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Aussie Olympic medallist marries billionaire F1 heiress

Aussie author of "Puberty Blues" dies at 64

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"We're offering plenty": Kiwis targeted for job no Aussies want

Aussie man faces sky-high rent for “rotten” home

Kiwi firefighters receive rare Aussie honour for heroic efforts

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