News from Down Under 2010-02
Barack Obama to visit Australia in March, Jamie Oliver to attend the World’s Longest Lunch, Brisbane produces promotional film for international students and Tasmania’s Agrarian Kitchen offers sustainable cooking courses.
Barack Obama to visit Australia in March
US President Barack Obama and his family will visit Australia in March. This will be the President’s first official visit to Australia and will also mark the 70th anniversary of US-Australian relations. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to discuss defence, security and intelligence matters as well as the global economic recovery with President Obama.
Jamie Oliver to attend World’s Longest Lunch in Marysville, Victoria
British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will take part in the World’s Longest Lunch in Marysville, Victoria on 12 March. The World’s Longest Lunch is one of the key events in the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival which boasts 250 events over 12 days from 12-23 March. During his stay, Jamie will also host two live shows at Hisense Arena. Marysville was one of the worst affected areas during the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria in 2009.
Brisbane produces promotional film for international students
Brisbane Marketing through its Study Brisbane program has produced a new promotional film titled ‘A Student’s Day in Brisbane’ to provide international students with information about Brisbane city and to promote it as an international education destination. The film centres on three Brisbane Student Ambassadors – from India, Hong Kong and Germany – communicating their real life Brisbane experiences to their family, friends and networks at home. A total of 21 international students have been appointed as Brisbane Student Ambassadors, selected because of their passion to share their Brisbane experiences with the world.
The Olsen opening in March
The Olsen Hotel, the latest hotel in the Art Hotel Series, is set to open in early March. The hotel is situated in South Yarra in Melbourne and is named after great Australian artist, John Olsen. The 241-room hotel will include a range of artworks from Olsen including a six-metre-wide mural, painted exclusively for the foyer. Inspired by Olsen’s lyrical style, Rothe Lowman Architects has also included Olsen’s famous etchings of frogs and swinging monkeys in the design of each room. The Olsen is the second Art Series hotel to be opened, after The Cullen named for Adam Cullen was opened in Prahran Melbourne in 2009.
Fall from Grace in Mclaren Vale
Fall from Grace is Mclaren Vale’s newest wine school. Owned by former QANTAS flight attendant, Gill Gordon-Smith, Fall From Grace specialises in biodynamic and organic wines from the south of France. Gordon-Smith also runs tasting tutorials and wine tours of Mclaren Vale’s finest wineries. Her wine school can accommodate up to 14 tasters at a time and stocks an extensive array of wine books from around the globe.
Tasmania’s Agrarian Kitchen offers sustainable cooking course
The Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania, a farm-based cooking school situated 45 minutes from Hobart, is offering cooking classes using exclusively local, sustainable ingredients. Set on five acres, The Agrarian Kitchen incorporates an extensive vegetable garden, orchard, berry patch and herb garden, grown using organic principles. Cooking classes are led by Rodney Dunn, the former food editor of Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine and one-time apprentice to Tetsuya Wakuda.
FotoFreo to exhibit World Press Photos
FotoFreo, the city of Fremantle’s festival of photography, will run from 20 March to 18 April. FotoFreo is a celebration of photography showcasing the work of internationally renowned and emerging photographers. A highlight of the festival will be the World Press Photo exhibition which showcases the best photojournalism in the world as voted on by an independent international jury. Alongside the main curated shows is the FotoFreo Fringe 2010 with close to 100 exhibitions by emerging photographers and extensive workshops for participants to pick up new skills and techniques.
View the largest pride of lions in Australasia
The Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, a vast expanse which mirrors the African Savannah, is home to wildlife including lions, cheetahs, rhinos, tigers, pygmy hippos and spider monkeys. The Wildlife Reserve is now offering two dining tours: a ‘breakfast and beasts’ option and a ‘dine on the edge’ option where you can choose from eating breakfast or dinner among the largest pride of lions in Australasia. The reserve is located 35 minutes drive west of Cairns and 9km from Kuranda.
Bonza Bike Tours expand to Melbourne
Bonza Bike Tours, an environmentally friendly tourist experience, has opened its second location in Melbourne this year. After 5 years of growth in Sydney, Bonza has taken its city-based bicycle tours to Melbourne to make use of its unique history, cycle-friendly streets, and vibrant atmosphere. Bonza's Melbourne tours will showcase the city's major sites including Federation Square, the Yarra River, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Docklands, Queen Victoria Markets and the Royal Exhibition Building.
International Student Support Service opens in Melbourne
A new 24-hour support and welfare service for international students has opened in Melbourne. The International Student Care Service (ISCS) in Carlton provides students from overseas with access to a range of accommodation, counselling, legal and welfare assistance and is a single point of contact for students in the event of an emergency. Students can call a 24-hour phone line for advice and support or access the drop-in service in Carlton during business hours.