Festivals in Bhutan

Each and every festival in Bhutan is the most sought after form of entertainment. The Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA) in Thimphu works to preserve the unique folk dancing heritage in the country and its dancers are expert in all forms of this unique art.

Fiona McIntosh: A Spy's Wife in Berlin

The photo shows the original Reichstag of the Weimar Republic...where Parliament sat in Berlin. This is how it looked in August 1932.  By the end of January 1933, Adolf Hitler was the Chancellor of Germany and once the infamous burning of the Reichstag occurred, he began to seize full power and no one was being left in doubt that there was anything democratic about Germany or anything outward-looking and free about the once fabulously liberally-minded Berlin where the seat of power was for the Weimar Republic.  The rise of the Nazis changed everything and that magnificent, gothic building you see there was burned until the glass of its exquisite cupola exploded and shattered, just like the lives of the people who were about to be traumatised in the new age Reich.

Lake Macquarie NSW : #HolidayHereThisYear

There has never been a better time to spread your wings and visit one of New South Wales’ weekend getaway gems. Many of us have had to kiss our overseas travels goodbye and are now seeking local holiday options that don’t carry a ritzy price tag or the hassle of long-haul flights. Located just an hour and a half north of Sydney, you can find some sensational swaps for the world’s most stunning tourist hotspots in Lake Macquarie.

Introduction to New South Wales (1988)

The continent was first named 'Austrialia del Espiritu Santo' by Quiros in 1606, renamed 'New Holland' by Tasman in 1644 and finally Cook, in 1770, initially called the eastern half 'New Wales' and later New South Wales. Although the name 'New Holland' was used in British documents up to 1849, Macquarie officially adopted the name 'Australia' in 1817 as it was already commonly used.

History on the Hume: Holbrook, the submarine town

Gundula Holbrook from a 1921 painting

Gundula Holbrook: I was born in Austria m the widow of the late Commander Norman Holbrook VC, the man after whom this Town of Holbrook was named. He was not an Australian, but an officer in Britain's Royal Navy.

You may not find that curious today so many of Australia's beautiful cities and towns are named after British people and places: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and many more - all have British origins. Most were named after senior bureaucrats, Lords, Governors and even a Queen - Britain's Queen Adelaide.

So, how did an ordinary Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, a submariner commanding an obsolete boat, get to have an Australian inland town named in his honour? The story beggars belief, as we say back home, and probably here as well.

History on the Hume: Ettamogah Pub - from cartoon to reality.

It was as a child in the Albury district that cartoonist Ken Maynard came to love the Ettamogah countryside, and he later immortalised Ettamogah in his "Australian Post" cartoons of the "Ettamogah Pub".

History in the Hunter: The historic Arnotts bakehouse, Morpeth

This historic Bakehouse was built by Richard Chapman (1827-1887) In about 1851, Chapman was a property owner, butcher and businessman of Morpeth whose residency extended from at least 1850 to his death in 1887. His butchery business and residence was next door to this site but has since been demolished.

Mario Morgano: Capri hotel pioneer

Mario Morgano was born on Capri in 1919. He moved to Genoa, where he graduated with a degree in law. Even during his university years, he was engaged in the Morgano family's hotel business. His first job was at the Hotel Miramare in Sanremo, run by his father. He moved back to Capri after the war, working first at the Hotel Morgano Tiberio, and then setting up on his own in 1959, building the Hotel 'A Pazziella. This was the island's first meuble.

Farewell to Sydney's Menzies Hotel

Sydney's Menzies Hotel was opened on 17th October 1963, by Premier R.J. Heffron and named after Sir Archibald Menzies, a pioneer in Australian hotels.

Visiting Cowangie VIC

COWANGIE VIC 3506

Clarke's general store at the corner of Dayman and Lewis Streets is a large masonry building with splayed corner. It is a landmark building for the township. Dating from 1912 it represents the earliest stage of development in Cowangie and is a fine example of a commercial building. Of particular interest are the original timber-framed windows (R Eime)

One of the first Bush Nursing Centres in Victoria opened in Cowangie in 1918. It operated from a small stone cottage, still standing beside the Uniting Church, and brought medical help, although this might still involve a fearful wagon trip of an hour or more into town.




To the north of Cowangie, a gypsum mine was begun in the 1920s. The mineral was carted to a washing plant near the town then railed to Geelong for use in the manufacture of plasters and cement. (source: Readers Digest) Since closed.

The post office opened in 1912 when the rail link was completed but closed in 1994.
Postcode: 3506

Kow Plains Homestead (R Eime 2017)

Nearby is the historic Kow Plains Homestead, restored and able to be visited on a self-guided tour.

Cowangie Precinct is of historical, aesthetic, social and architectural significance to the Rural City of Mildura.

Cowangie forms part of the Mildura City Heritage Report (2013) 

Visiting Gawler, SA

In the early days, settlements were often named after governors and their relatives and South Australia was particularly punctilious in this practice; Gawler honoured George Gawler who led the colony from 1838–41. The town began in 1839 and is bounded by the South and North Para rivers and backed by hills. It was on the miners' route to the Yorke Peninsula, Burra and Kapunda, and bullock waggons and coaches rested there overnight.

Visiting Narooma NSW

NAROOMA

Source: Narooma Real Estate

370 KM SOUTH OF SYDNEY POPULATION: 3000

Text source:
Discover Australia by Road.
Ron & Viv Moon.

Popularly called 'Narooma' for many years, it was not until 1972 that the name was officially altered from 'Noorooma' (meaning 'blue water'), the name of an early cattle station. Narooma is a tourist resort, renowned for its big-game fishing. Sawmilling and oyster farming are important industries.

Tuross Lake and Lake Corunna are major attractions, particularly for fishing, and there are many great surfing beaches including Blackfellows Point, Mystery Bay and Bar Beach. Eight kilometres offshore is Montague Island, a flora and fauna reserve.

ACCOMMODATION: Lynch's Hotel, ph (02) 4476 2001%; Motel Narooma, ph 0244764270 ; Narooma Golfers Lodge (units), ph (02) 4476 2428; Amooran Court (B&B), ph (02) 4476 2198; Island View Beach Resort (camping/caravanning), ph 0244764600

ACTIVITIES: Fishing, scenic drives, water sports

TOURIST INFORMATION: Ph 0244762099

Discover Adelaide and the Secrets of South Australia

South Australia is a State of remarkable contrasts. Its elegant capital, Adelaide, is a city of innovation and culture. Home to one of the world’s great arts festivals, it is also a gateway to the Australian Outback and a vast array of unique tourism experiences. South Australia has grown from its traditional rural and manufacturing base into a diverse trading and advanced manufacturing region, specialising in food, wine, information technology and high-tech industries. It shines as one of the best places in the world to visit and in which to live, work, learn and do business.