Mustering

Musters in Australia, usually involve cattle, sheep or horses, but may also include goats, camels, buffalo or other animals. Mustering may be conducted for a variety of reasons including routine livestock health checks and treatments, branding, shearing, lamb marking, sale, feeding and transport or droving to another location. Mustering is a long, difficult and sometimes dangerous job, especially on the vast Australian cattle stations of the Top End, 'The Falls' (gorge) country of the Great Dividing Range and the ranches of the western United States. The group of animals gathered in a muster is referred to as a "mob" in Australia and a "herd" in North America.
Aussies muster their livestock, with various vehicles, horses or with aircraft.

Cowboys in Australia are called stockmen or jackaroos. Women are called jillaroos.
Australian Aboriginal cowboys played a large part in the life of Top End cattle stations. These men and women are splendid stockmen and are an integral part of the musters. Mustering in the Top End is conducted during the dry season from April to September when additional stockmen will be employed for the purpose. Initially, mustering here involved having stock camps where about three to seven ringers under a head stockman or overseer rode out with the horses to the area to be mustered.

The musterers started early each day by bringing up the hobbled horses, saddling up and then spending a long day mustering, branding, castrating and drafting the cattle. These long days were hard on man and beast with each having to contend with the heat, dust and flies. The men endured camping on the ground and had a monotonous diet of meals that were cooked on an open fire, usually by an unskilled cook.

Australian cowboys chase aggressive, rogue bulls or buffalo in the Top End of Australia, and they are captured using specially converted 4WD ‘bull catcher’ vehicles to bring them down prior to their transportation. This work can be very dangerous and requires great skill and agility on the part of the stockmen involved. Sometimes professional bull catchers, who were paid per beast captured, were used for this work.

A 'bang-tail muster’ is conducted to accurately account for cattle on large properties by cutting the tail brush before their release. Thus those with long tails have not previously been counted.

Musters usually involve cattle, sheep or horses, but may also include goats, camels, buffalo or other animals. Mustering may be conducted for a variety of reasons including routine livestock health checks and treatments, branding, shearing, lamb marking, sale, feeding and transport or droving to another location. Mustering is a long, difficult and sometimes dangerous job, especially on the vast Australian cattle stations of the Top End, 'The Falls' (gorge) country of the Great Dividing Range and the ranches of the western United States. The group of animals gathered in a muster is referred to as a "mob" in Australia and a "herd" in North America.

If you want to be a Australian cowboy, you'll be working very long days from sunrise to sunset, often seven days a week, and the work will be hot and dusty.

Working  at a cattle station

Cattle station work is officially the most dangerous job in Australia, with the most injuries and deaths per year.
You need to pull your weight, and there is no room for petty gripes or for whingers.
You will be working hard from sunrise to sunset, often seven days a week, and the work will be really hot and dusty.
No vegetarians, as food consists of minimal fruit and Veg, your diet will be meat, meat and rationed water.


Cattle stations are remote and isolated. Think hard about whether this really sounds like you, because the last thing they need during mustering is a worker who wants leave after two days, it will not happen.

Redback spider bites

Redbacks are considered one of the most dangerous spiders in Australia.The Redback spider has a neurotoxic venom which is toxic to humans with bites causing severe pain. There is an antivenom for Redback bites which is commercially available.

Throughout Australian history, only 14 deaths from redbacks have been recorded. However thousands of people are bitten each year across Australia,  bites generally occur as a result of a person placing a hand or other body part too close to the web, such as when reaching into dark holes or wall cavities. Bites can also occur if a spider has hidden in clothes or shoes.

Bites from Redback spiders are generally characterised by extreme pain and severe swelling. The bite may be painful from the start, but sometimes only feels like a pinprick or mild burning sensation. Within an hour victims generally develop more severe local pain with local swelling and sometimes goosebumps. Pain, swelling and redness spread proximally from the site. Systemic envenoming is heralded by swollen or tender regional lymph nodes; associated features include malaise, nausea, vomiting, abdominal or chest pain, generalised sweating, headache, fever, hypertension and tremor.
Rare complications include seizure, coma, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure or localised skin infection. Severe pain can persist for over 24 hours after being bitten


Redbacks usually prey on insects but they can capture larger animals that become entangled in the web including king crickets, trapdoor spiders, and small lizards. Commonly prey stealing occurs where larger females take food items stored in other spiders' webs. Most commonly, ants stray into the web. Redback spiders are known for deadly poison and lightning speed.

There was a red-back on the toilet seat

When I was there last night,

I didn't see him in the dark,

But boy! I felt his bite!

I jumped high up into the air,

And when I hit the ground,

That crafty red-back spider

Wasn't nowhere to be found.

There was a red-back on the toilet seat

When I was there last night,

I didn't see him in the dark,

But boy! I felt his bite!

And now I'm ere in hospital,

A sad and sorry plight,

And I curse the red-back spider

On the toilet seat last night.

Rushed in to the missus,

Told her just where I'd been bit,

She grabbed the cut-throat razor blade,

And I nearly took a fit.

I said "Just forget what's on your mind,

And call a doctor please,

'Cause I've got a feeling that your cure

Is worse than the disease."

There was a red-back on the toilet seat

When I was there last night,

I didn't see him in the dark,

But boy! I felt his bite!

And now I'm ere in hospital,

A sad and sorry plight,

And I curse the red-back spider

On the toilet seat last night.

I can't lay down, I can't sit up,

And I don't know what to do,

And all the nurses think it's funny,

But that's not my point of view.

I tell you it's embarrassing,

(And that's to say the least)

That I'm too sick to eat a bite,

While that spider had a feast!

There was a red-back on the toilet seat

When I was there last night,

I didn't see him in the dark,

But boy! I felt his bite!

And now I'm ere in hospital,

A sad and sorry plight,

And I curse the red-back spider

On the toilet seat last night.

And when I get back home again,

I tell you what I'll do,

I'll make that red-back suffer

For the pain I'm going through.

I've had so many needles

That I'm looking like a sieve,

And I promise you that spider

Hasn't very long to live!

There was a red-back on the toilet seat

When I was there last night,

I didn't see him in the dark,

But boy! I felt his bite!

And now I'm ere in hospital,

A sad and sorry plight,

And I curse the red-back spider

On the toilet seat last night.

The Great Australian Bight

The Great Australian Bight is a large bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia.
The Bight's boundaries are from Cape Pasley, Western Australia, to Cape Carnot, South Australia - a distance of 1,160 km or 720 miles.

The coast line of the Great Australian Bight is characterised by cliff faces (up to 60 m high), surfing beaches and rock platforms, ideal for whale-watching.

Cape Le Grand National Park

The waters of the Great Australian Bight, despite being relatively shallow, are not fertile. While most continental shelves are rich in sea life and make popular fishing areas, the barren deserts north of the bight have very little rainfall, and what there is mostly flows inland, to dissipate underground or in salt lakes. In consequence, the Great Australian Bight receives very little of the runoff that fertilises most continental shelves and is essentially a marine desert. It is probably best noted for the large number of sharks that frequent its coastal waters, as well as the increasing numbers of Southern Right Whales that migrate within the region.

40 Tonne Southern Right Whale VS Sailing Boat

In areas, the southern ocean blows through many subterranean caves, resulting in blowholes up to several hundred metres from the coast.

The much more generally accepted name in Australia for the adjoining waterbody is the Southern Ocean rather than the Indian Ocean. Much of the Bight lies due south of the expansive Nullarbor Plain, which straddles the two Australian states of South Australia and Western Australia.

The settlements existing along the coastline of the Bight, such as Ceduna and Eucla have facilities to access the bight. Some other locations on the Eyre Highway or located on the Nullarbor do not have facilities or easy access.

Eucla

Fishing in Australia

Groote Eylandt lies approximately 50 km from the Northern Territory mainland and eastern coast of Arnhem Land (approximately 630 km from Darwin), opposite Blue Mud Bay. The island measures approximately 50 km from east to west and 60 km north—south, a total area of 2,326.1 km². It is generally quite low-lying, with an average height above sea level of 15 m, although Central Hill reaches an elevation of 219 meters.

It was named by the explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 and is Dutch for "Large Island" in a now-archaic spelling (nowadays it would be spelled Groot Eiland).

Tourism
The island has until recently been open to the public only with permission, and the local Aboriginal Land Council did not encourage tourism.

Groote Eylandt is part of the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve. GEMCO, a BHP Billiton subsidiary, operates a large manganese mine near the community of Angurugu. In operation since the early 1960s, the mine produces more than 3.8 million tonnes annually - about a quarter of the world's total.

It is the homeland of, and is owned by, the Anindilyakwa people (who still speak the isolated Anindilyakwa language).

Dugong Beach Resort is working with the Anindilyakwa speaking people, helping to organise a diverse range of tours that will enhance your Groote Eylandt experience.

Groote Eylandt is a fantastic spot for fishing, with queen fish, trevally, tuna, billfish, mackerel, barracuda and many reef species in abundance.
The elusive, world famous Barramundi, growing to more than a metre in length inhabits the waters of Groote will certainly test your angling skills.

Sports Fishing Adventures: The best fishing holidays in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. You can save time and many by using our experience and knowledge.

Aboriginal Leaders

Bungaree (1775 - 24 November 1832) was an Aboriginal Australian from the Broken Bay area, who was known as an explorer, entertainer, and Aboriginal community leader. He became a familiar sight in colonial Sydney, dressed in a succession of military and naval uniforms that had been given to him. His distinctive outfits and notoriety within colonial society, as well as his gift for humour and mimicry, especially his impressions of past and present governors, made him a popular subject for portrait painters.

Bungaree first came to prominence in 1798, when he accompanied Matthew Flinders on a coastal survey as an interpreter, guide and negotiator with local indigenous groups.

He later accompanied Flinders on his circumnavigation of Australia between 1801 and 1803. Flinders was the cartographer of the first complete map of Australia, filling in the gaps from previous cartographic expeditions,and was the most prominent advocate for naming the continent "Australia". Flinders noted that Bungaree was "a worthy and brave fellow" who, on more than one occasion, saved the expedition.

Bungaree continued his association with exploratory voyages when he accompanied Phillip Parker King to north-western Australia in 1817.

In 1815, Governor Lachlan Macquarie dubbed Bungaree "Chief of the Broken Bay Tribe" and presented him with 15 acres (61,000 m2) of land on George’s Head. He was also known by the titles "King of Port Jackson" and "King of the Blacks". Bungaree spent the rest of his life ceremonially welcoming visitors to Australia, educating people about Aboriginal culture (especially boomerang throwing), and soliciting tribute. He died at Garden Island on 24 November 1832 and was buried in Rose Bay.Obituaries of him were carried in the Sydney Gazette and the Australian.

Bongaree in Queensland is named after him.

Australian male actors takeover Hollywood

Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting (from four nominations), three British Academy Film Awards (from five nominations), two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He is the foundation President of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.



Australian actors, first started appearing in American films a few years ago now, and no one raised much of a fuss. After all, there were only a few of them ( Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, etc.). Stars such as Mel Gibson and Nicole Kidman became household names, but even so, their movie accents were so Americanized that many people didn’t know they were foreign. Back then, Australians who came here wanted to blend into the fabric of American society, except maybe Paul Hogan.

Then the flood gates opened in Hollywood, and some very talented Aussie male actors have emerged.

Here are a few you may have heard of !

Eric Bana (42) Born Eric Banadinović on August 9, 1968 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to a father of Croatian descent and a German mother. Mostly known for playing Rachel McAdams’ love interest in The Time Traveler’s Wife. His other movies include Black Hawk Down, Finding Nemo, Hulk, Troy, Munich, The Other Boleyn Girl, Star Trek and Funny People.

In 1995, Bana began dating a publicist and daughter of the chief justice of Australia, Rebecca Gleeson. The couple married in 1997 and now have two children, a son named Klaus – born August 1999, and a daughter named Sophia – born April 2002.


1. His first jobs include washing cars, pushing trolleys and serving drinks at a hotel

2. He loves racing bikes and cars

3. Big fan of Australian rules football

4. Bana began as a stand up comedian

5. His first car was an old 1974 Ford Falcon XB Coupe, purchased for $1000 at age 15

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Russell Crowe (46) Born Russell Ira Crowe on April 7, 1964 in Wellington, New Zealand and is of Polynesian, English, Scottish and Norwegian descent. Crowe is mostly known for movies like The Quick and the Dead, The Insider, Gladiator, Proof of Life, Master and commander, Cinderella man, American Gangster, Body of Lies, State of Play and Robin Hood.

While filming The Crossing, Crowe met Australian singer and actress, Danielle Spencer. The couple married on April 7, 2003 (Crowe’s 39th birthday) and now have two sons, Charles born December 21, 2003 and Tennyson born July 7, 2006.


1. Dropped out of high school

2. His favorite toy growing up was Action Man

3. Crowe plans to donate his brain to medical science when he dies

4. When his wife was pregnant with his first child, Crowe gave up drinking alcohol with her

5. In 2007 decided that he finally wanted to be baptised

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: Master and Commander.

Hugh Jackman (42) born Hugh Michael Jackman on October 12, 1968 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia to English parents. He is mostly known for the role of wolverine in X-Men. Some of his other movies include: Swordfish, Kate and Leopold, Van Helsing, The Prestige, Flushed Away, Happy Feet, Real Steel and Australia.

Jackman married Deborra-Lee Furness in 1996 after meeting on an Australian TV show. Furness had two miscarriages after which the couple decided to adopt Oscar Maximilian – born May 15, 2000 and Ava Eliot – born July 10, 2005.


1. As a child he wanted to be a chef on a plane.

2. Jackman is left handed

3. One of his lifelong goals is to play Pharaoh in a Broadway production

4. His stunt double for Van Helsing and X-Men was his brother in law

5. In elementary school, he had a poster of Olivia Newton-John and he kissed the poster every day

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: Van Helsing.

Simon Baker (41) Born July 30, 1969 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. Baker is mostly known for playing Patrick Jane on the CBS drama The Mentalist but he has also appeared in shows such as L.A. Confidential and The Guardian, as well as movies like The Ring Two, The Devil Wears Prada and The Killer Inside Me.

Baker married Australian actress Rebecca Rigg, they have three children: Stella Breeze – born in 1993, Claude Blue – born in 1998 and Harry Friday – born in 2001. Two of the children’s god parents include Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts.


1. Became a U.S. citizen in 2010

2. As a teen, Baker competed on a state level in water polo and surfing

3. Used to work as a bricklayer before he became an actor

4. Met his wife on a blind date in 1991

5. Raised Roman Catholic

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: The Mentalist.

Ryan Kwanten (34) Born Ryan Christian Kwanten on November 28, 1976 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and is of Dutch ancestry. Mostly known for playing Sookie’s brother on the HBO vampire drama, True Blood but he has also appeared in shows like Tru Calling, Summerland and Law & Order: SVU, as well as the movie Flicka and Legend of the Guardians.

Kwanten dated The Event’s Taylor Cole (Vicky Roberts) from 2006-2008 as well a country music singer named Whitney Duncan, who was the fifth place finalist on the fifth season of Nashville Star.


1. In 2010, the Australian GQ magazine named Kwanten as Man of the Year

2. His interests includ triathlon, swimming, tennis, golf, surfing and snow skiing

3. As a teen, he was the state welterweight boxing champ

4. Discovered acting by accident, when he wondered into his brother’s theater audition

5. He attended catholic school

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: True Blood.

Liam Hemsworth (20) Born January 13, 1990 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Hemsworth is mostly known for playing Will Blakelee in The Last Song, along-side Miley Cyrus. He has also appeared in the Australian TV series Home and Away, McLeod’s Daughters, The Elephant Princess, the movie Knowing and is currently filming Arabian Nights.

Hemsworth started dating Miley Cyrus after they filmed The Last Song together. The young couple were together for fifteen months, then broke up in August 2010, got back together in September and broke up again by November.


1. Liam was already in a 5 year relationship while filming The Last Song

2. Has two older brothers who are also actors

3. Had a small part in the Expendables but was written out of the script

4. Lost the part of Thor to his brother Chris Hemsworth

5. Went back to Australia to break up with his girlfriend so he can date Miley Cyrus

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: The Last Song.

Sam Worthington (34) Born Samuel Henry J. Worthington on August 2, 1976 in Godalming, Surrey, England and moved to Perth, Western Australia when he was only two months old. He is mostly known for playing Jake Sully in Avatar, Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation and Perseus in Clash of the Titans.

Worthington dated actress Maeve Dermody from 2004 to 2007 and since 2009 he has been dating stylist Natalie Mark. The couple is now keeping a low profile, living in New York.


1. Sold all his possessions for $2,000 when he was 30

2. Lived in his car until getting the part in Avatar

3. Was a finalist to play James Bond in Casino Royale before Daniel Craig was cast

4. Just like Simon Baker, he was a bricklayer before becoming an actor

5. Sam has blurred vision but does not wear glasses

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: Avatar.

Julian McMahon Born Julian Dana William McMahon on July 27, 1968 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Mostly known for playing the role of Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck and Cole Turner in Charmed. His movies include Fantastic Four, Premonition and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

McMahon married Kylie Minouge’s little sister, Dannii Minogue in 1994 and divorced by 1995. In 1999 he married actress Brooke Burns, had one child with her and divorced in 2002.


1. McMahon enjoys surfing, biking, and cooking

2. Collects classic books

3. Has worked as gardener and ice cream salesman

4. His favorite beer is Aussie Victoria Bitter VB

5. Favorite song is “People are Strange” by The Doors

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: Charmed.

Alex O’Loughlin (34) Born Alexander O’Lachlan on August 24, 1976 in Canberra, Australia. He is mostly known for playing detective Steve McGarrett in Hawaii Five-O. Other shows include The Shield and Moonlight, as well as the movies Whiteout with Kate Beckinsale and The Back Up Plan with Jennifer Lopez.

Had a son named Saxon when he was 20 that currently lives with his mother in Australia. O’Loughlin also dated Australian Actress, model and singer Holly Valance, who released the international single “Kiss, Kiss”.

Fun Facts:

1. Enjoys riding motorcycles, rock climbing and playing his guitar

2. Was a fan of the heavy-metal band Iron Maiden as a kid

3. His parents got divorced when he was two years old

4. Is of Irish and Scottish descent

5. Is a big fan of vampires

Favorite TV/ Movie appearance: Hawaii Five-O.

Chris Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor. Most notable for protraying Thor in the Marvel Studios film Thor. Hemsworth is set to reprise his role as Thor in the upcoming films The Avengers in 2012 and Thor 2 in 2013. He also starred as Kim Hyde in the Australian soap opera Home and Away.

His older brother Luke and younger brother Liam are also actors, and have had recurring roles as Nathan Tyson and Josh Taylor on Neighbours, respectively

The Aussie Salute

The Aussie salute is the waving of one's hand in front of the face at regular intervals in order to prevent flies from landing on it, or entering your nose or mouth.

Flies on her clacker!

The bush fly, is the species that is the cause of the Aussie salute as opposed to other flies such as the housefly, as the bush fly is attracted to bodily fluids such as sweat, snot, saliva, blood and eyes.

Many overseas tourists spit the dummy when they visit the outback, not realising that the Aussie fly and his relatives are very sociable, and will accompany them on their adventures all day long.

 Its not long before their packing their cork hat, and heading back to their fly proof beach front hotels, beauty spas and champagne. 

.

Sticky Fly!

The Aussie salute is effective only as long as the flies are not too sticky, and that once a fly has tasted sweat, hand waving is generally useless at encouraging it to leave, with physically wiping the fly off being required.

No Wucking Furries!!

Historically in Australia, the cork hat was worn to discourage flies but has been replaced by insect repellents and mesh masks in areas where the flies swarm.

Fraser Island Queensland K'gari paradise

Fraser Islands 75 mile beach Highway

Fraser Island gives visitors, the opportunity to observe a ‘real Australian dingo’, whether up close, or from the window of a tour bus. There is never a dull moment, when dingoes venture out onto the pristine beach's of Fraser Island.

Fraser Island  was once called 'K'gari' in the Butchulla people's language (pronounced 'Gurri'). It means paradise.
According to Aboriginal legend, when humans were created and needed a place to live, the mighty god Beiral sent his messenger Yendingie with the goddess K’gari down from heaven to create the land and mountains, rivers and sea. K’gari fell in love with the earth’s beauty and did not want to leave it. So Yendingie changed her into a heavenly island – Fraser Island.

Aboriginal people regarded dingoes as being equal to man

Archaeological research and evidence shows that Aboriginal Australians occupied Fraser Island at least 5000 years ago. There was a permanent population of 400-600 that grew to 2000-3000 in the winter months due to abundant seafood resources. The arrival of European settlers in the area was an overwhelming disaster for the Butchulla people. European settlement in the 1840s overwhelmed the Aboriginal lifestyle with weapons, disease and lack of food. By the year 1890, Aboriginal numbers had been reduced to only 300 people. Most of the remaining Aborigines, the Butchulla tribe, left the island in 1904 as they were relocated to missions in Yarrabah and Durundur, Queensland. It is estimated that up to 500 indigenous archaeological sites are located on the island.

The dingo was so sacred and revered, that Aboriginal women nursed dingo pups from their own breasts.

Fraser Island is an island located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia, approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of Brisbane. Its length is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) and its width is approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi). It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1992. The island is considered to be the largest sand island in the world at 1840 km². It is also Queensland's largest island, Australia's sixth largest island and the largest island on the East Coast of Australia.

Fraser Island has over 100 freshwater lakes, as well as the second highest concentration of lakes in Australia after Tasmania. The freshwater lakes on Fraser Island are some of the cleanest lakes in the world.

Fraser Island Lake McKenzie

Mammals found on Fraser Island include swamp wallabies, echidnas, ringtail and brush tail possums, sugar gliders, squirrel gliders, phascogales, bandicoots, potoroos, flying foxes and dingoes. The Swamp Wallaby finds protection from dingos in the swampy areas which have dense undergrowth. There are 19 species of bats which live on or visit Fraser Island.

Estimates of the number of visitors to the island each year range from 350,000 to 500,000. The chance of seeing a dingo in its natural setting is one of the main reasons people visit the island.


How to get there

Follow the Maryborough - Hervey Bay Road from Maryborough. Continue past the Bundaberg turn off on the left, and turn right into Booral Road. Continue past the General Store and reach the waterfront. Look for the Kingfisher Bay Resort Barge. Bookings have to be made in advance.

David Boon cricket legend

Boony was known for his portly figure and distinctive moustache. His international playing career spanned the years 1984–1995,  Boony scored over 7,000 runs at Test level, cricket and made over 100 appearance for both the Test and One Day International Australian side. After leaving the international game he went to England to captain Durham before retiring to become a national selector.

Boony was a right-handed batsman and a very occasional off-spin bowler, he also played First-class cricket for his home state of Tasmania. At the age of 17, David Boon made his first-class debut for Tasmania during the state's second season of Sheffield Shield cricket, 1978-79.

1993 Boony makes 164 runs not out at Lords

 Boony is a legendary Australian Cricketer, but also a legend for his drinking exploits. He is alleged to have once consumed 52 cans of beer on a flight from Sydney to London in 1989, in a story that is considered by some to be part of Australian sporting legend. This has never been confirmed by Boon however though Geoff Lawson did confirm it.

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Aussie Icon

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian icon and a television series made for children, produced from 1966–1968, telling the adventures of a young boy and his intelligent pet kangaroo, in the (fictional) Waratah National Park in Duffys Forest, near Sydney, New South Wales.

The star of the show was Skippy, a wild female Eastern Grey Kangaroo, befriended by Sonny Hammond, the younger son of the Head Ranger of Waratah National Park. The stories revolved around events occurring in the park, including its animals, dangers arising from natural hazards in the Park's environment, and the actions of various visitors to the Park.

The clicking sounds made by Skippy during the show, are vocal sound effects, rather than the natural vocalisations of a kangaroo, with chocolate, chewing gum or grass (and in some cases, an elastic band around the lower jaw, used to make Skippy move her mouth. Between nine and fifteen kangaroos were actually used for each show. The apparent manual dexterity was often faked using separate arms in the hands of human operators.

The series was dubbed into Spanish in Mexico, where it is known as Skippy el canguro, and distributed to most Spanish-speaking countries, including Cuba and Spain, countries where the show became very popular. The series also crossed the Iron Curtain and was aired in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and 1980s and is currently still being broadcast in Iran. However, the show was forbidden to be shown in Sweden where psychologists believed that the show would mislead children into believing animals could do things that they could not.

Aboriginal dance

Goomblar Wylo is an Australian Aboriginal, whom performs traditional dances, plays the didgeridoo, clap sticks, story telling and much, much more. Goomblar has travelled throughout the world performing in schools, universities, conferences, hotels and resorts.

Traditional Indigenous Australian dance was closely associated with song and was understood and experienced as making present the reality of the Dreamtime. In some instances, they would imitate the actions of a particular animal in the process of telling a story. For the people in their own country it defined to roles, responsibilities and the place itself. These ritual performances gave them an understanding of themselves in the interplay of social, geographical and environmental forces. The performances were associated with specific places and dance grounds were often sacred places. Body decoration and specific gestures related to kin and other relationships (such as to Dreamtime beings with which individuals and groups). For a number of Indigenous Australian groups their dances were secret and or sacred, gender could also be an important factor in some ceremonies with men and women having separate ceremonial traditions.

Australia's Aboriginal people have no written language. The legends and the stories of their past have been kept alive in song and dance.

The term Corroboree is commonly used in general Australian culture to refer to Australian Aboriginal dances, however this term has its origins among the people of the Sydney region. In a number of places Australian Aboriginal people will perform "corroborees" for tourists.

In the latter part of the 20th century the influence of Indigenous Australian dance traditions has been seen with the development of concert dance, particularly in contemporary dance with the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association providing training to Indigenous Australians in dance and the Bangarra Dance Theatre.

The Djilpin Dancers are seen here performing at the Darwin Festival, a must-see event if you're ever in the Northern Territory in the dry season!

Best places to rent Australia

Finding the right place to live will make the difference between living in a place you look forward to getting home to, or constantly working out how to break the lease!


Many choices about where we live are made because of our familiarity and existing knowledge of a particular area, in which case much of your decision is already made, but in the event you need to find somewhere new and unfamiliar to live, here are some helpful reminders of the physical and emotional aspects of choosing your next perfect rental property:

Take heed of your first impressions as you drive around the corner, into the street and pull up near the property. These will give you an immediate comfort rating. Have a look at the street, the lighting, litter, people on the street and the availability of parking spaces.

Finding that sense of community where you live will make you feel comfortably part of a neighbourhood. Look at the quality of the gardens, their maintenance and the neighbours' gardens for that sense of pride and cleanliness. Check out the external features of the building, is it in good repair, does it feel inviting? Are other properties in the street looked after?

If you don't have off street parking, your security at night time will be important. Check out the lighting, security access and dark areas, do you feel safe? This will also apply to your visitors.

How far are the nearest local shops, schools, pharmacy, deli, pub, cafes and restaurants? Are they in walking distance? If not in walking distance how will you get there? Where and how far is the nearest public transport of buses and trains?

If you like to walk and exercise, find out where the nearest parks, walkways, cycle tracks and gyms are.

Remind yourself what you wanted from your neighbourhood, was it for caf'e lifestyle or easy beach access or peace and quiet in your garden? Don't let a particular rental price or incentive compromise your real desire.

If you work from home and like your remote, then be sure to ask around or ring your telecommunications provider to find out if ADSL is installed for your entertainment and high speed internet access.

Some like it busy, some like it quiet. Consider 'possible noise factors' such as trains, planes, dogs, neighbours, kids playground, clubs, shortcuts, thorough fares and building projects, as well as the overall pollution effect.

Lastly, notice the people coming and going as they are likely to be your new neighbours and friends. Do you fit in? Is this demographic what you were looking for? The best possible feel you could get about an area is to stop and chat with a few of the locals, try out your conversation skills to obtain some on the ground feedback.

It's a good idea to visit the property at night time also; the people, traffic and car space situation could be different.

Go with your instinct and remember that one of the great advantages of renting is that you can move out after 6 or 12 months if you are not happy.

Australias #1 rental property website is  Rent.com.au they can provide furnished homes and apartments online, with availability and property feature search tools.  They can also instantly get your rental property matches sent direct to your email.

Rent.com.au can also list your property for rent and have great advice and useful information and services for landlords on how to manage their property.


 

Youth hostels Australia

Each year, 35 million overnights are spent in hostels around the world. There are now more than 80 participating countries, representing over 4,000 hostels worldwide. Over 100 of these hostels are in Australia, and there are more than 70,000 Australian members continuing the tradition at home and abroad.

View from YHA rooftop Sydney

YHA Australia is part of the world's largest backpacker accommodation network, Hostelling International (HI), providing more than 4,000 YHA hostels in over 60 countries. YHA Australia is a membership-based, not for profit association, with all profits going back into the hostels and the experience they provide.

YHA hostels today are the mainstay of budget travelers. Offering much more than a bed, you're likely to find the 'noughties' traveller using the hostel's wifi connection on their laptop or iPhone to update their blog and share videos with friends back home. Movie theatres, pizza nights, free pancake breakfasts, wildlife sanctuaries and swimming pools are just some of the things you'll discover in YHA hostels in Australia today.