Brendand Hawkes and Nicola Greer in AladdinKids and their parents will love the Free Rain production of the classic fairytale Aladdin. With magicians, genies, pickpockets and princesses, Aladdin will take you on a magic carpet ride – a fun holiday show for children aged 8 and over.
You will enter the wonderful world of an evil magician who’s scared of the dark, a Sultan who likes lattes, a strict mother, a mischievous friend, a princess who wants to make up her own mind for once and two genies who can’t stand each other. Meet a pickpocket street urchin who just wants to get by… and perhaps make a little money doing it.
Join Aladdin and his friends on their magic carpet as they stumble into all kinds of exciting adventures, from the streets of Istanbul to the Sultan’s palace to mysterious magical caves, as they find true love, money, friendship, magic, freedom, a whole lot of trouble and the real reason why the Genie of the Ring and the Genie of the Lamp fight all the time.
WHAT: Aladdin
WHERE: The Courtyard Studio – Canberra Theatre
WHEN: Thur 14th and Fri 15th Jan 10.30am and 2.30pm
Sat 16th and Sun 17th Jan 15th Jan 2.30pm
Wed 20th, Thur 21st Fri 22nd Jan 10.30am and 2.30pm
Sat 23rd Jan at 2,30pm
TICKETS: $19 (Family group of 4 $70)
BOOKINGS: 02 62752700
Louiza Blomfield, Hanna Ley and Adrian FlorHow often have you been told about a great show on in Canberra only to discover that its season is finished and you’ve missed out?
Not this time! In December of 2009, accomplished local theatre company Everyman Theatre produced its wildly successful sell-out season of hilarious satire of the modern musical in The Musical of Musicals (The Musical)!
Critics and audiences were unanimous in their praise and demand for more. And so, the show returns to the Canberra Theatre’s Playhouse for one night only on February 5 at 8pm.
Musical of Musicals (The Musical)! is a fabulous five-part cabaret-style musical that honours and spoofs five writers and writing teams that have shaped the modern musical: Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Kander & Ebb.
In this romp that features the acting and singing talents of Louiza Blomfield, Adrian Flor, Hannah Ley and Jarrad West, one story becomes five delightful musicals, each written in the distinctive style of a different master of the form.
June, an ingénue who can’t pay the rent, is threatened by her evil landlord. Will the handsome leading man come to her rescue? Will the older and wiser Abbey provide some much needed advice or lead June to wrack and ruin?
It’s a great night out.
Music by Eric Rockwell
Lyrics by Joanne Bogart
Directors – Duncan Ley and Duncan Driver
Musical Director – Lucy Bermingham
The Q starts with a bang in 2010If you are going to go to only ONE show this year, make sure it’s The Rock Show produced by Jon English with Stuart Smith and Isaac Hayward.
The Rock Show sold out at the ANU Arts Centre last year.
I went along almost out of a sense of loyalty to the Australian Rock icon who pumped out such 70s classics as Hollywood Seven, Turn the Page and Six Ribbons. He has donated a lot of creativity and energy to the Australian scene as a rock musician, actor and composer-and he’s an all-round nice guy.
But I was gobsmacked-this show is AMAZING!!!
English has this knack of changing tack to keep his career in full swing (from musician to musical theatre actor to composer to producer), but this is his best turn yet.
English has hand-picked some of Australia’s finest young musicians and performers to share the stage with him. These multi-talented young artists swap and adeptly play instruments with such ease and confidence that it’s difficult not to jump and shout ‘Woohoo!’.
Old Gravel Throat wisely lets the young guns carry the bulk of the show with outstanding renditions of classics from the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, ACDC, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Queen and many more. Highlights for me were the lead breaks in Stairway to Heaven and Bohemian Rhapsodv played meticulously.
English pops on and off the stage at key moments, and plays some of his much loved originals.
With the bravado and skill of youth blended with English’s captivating stage presence, this show is an absolute treat for people of ALL ages.
WHAT: The Rock Show
WHERE: The Q Performing Arts Centre
253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan.
WHEN: 14 & 15 january 2010 at 8.00pm
TICKETS: $35-$45
BOOKINGS: ‘The Q’ Box Office on 02 62980290
CAREER – People become more and more aware of their life choices. Chances of change appear daily. No more ‘blame game’- no more of staying put or even stuck in the same position. You are now strong enough to take action and move forward. This January, many will take a step out of their comfort zone to discover who they really are thriving more interest, joy and ambition in their current or new job.
LOVE – Interestingly this month you regain lust and desire that you were missing in 2009 by decreasing your alcohol intake. Clear communication and expressing genuine feelings will encourage physical and chemical attraction.
FAMILY – Keep away from your television addiction. You have lost too much of your quality time in 2009 spending it watching uninteresting programs or bad News. Take time out to visit elderly friends, bring a cake along and enjoy a really nice cup of tea and a chat.
WEALTH – Looking at what people spent for Christmas presents leaves you speechless. way too much over the top for you. Your resolution in regards to money for 2010 is definitely oriented towards quality rather than quantity.
YOU – Ask yourself ‘what is holding me back’ – ‘what are my fears’. Once acknowledged and accepted, they can now fade away.
HELP – When feeling pushed into an uncomfortable situation, breathe and physically move one step back. Observe and go into your emotion. Breathe it out and move on. If anyone criticizes you, it is the reflection of what they dislike in themselves; simply send them a deep thought of compassion.
CHILDREN – Monitor and limit computer time to 20 minutes at one time. Interrupt TV and computer games with physical exercises and quality time with you. Children are smarter than you think. It is now time to review your parenting role and be their example for a wonderful year ahead.
OPENNESS – Loads of new ideas to put into place. Don’t delay and act now. Budget your projects carefully. good news, in January you can find many solutions to make all these creations come to life. This month is very ‘fertile’ for those who were challenged with pregnancies in the past.
SELF CONFIDENCE – Wow, what is happening to you? Flow of ideas like never before. You might feel a little bit overwhelmed at first but by the end of January you will be surprised how much you have put into place.
Disclaimer : These predictions are for FYI = for your own improvement only. Take responsibility for your actions.
Roseline Deleu, international Feng Shui Master, Author, Inspirational Speaker and Vibrational Reader
Book your personal reading, Feng Shui make-over or become Feng Shui Consultant in Canberra with Roseline Deleu – call 0412 717 454
Email [email protected]
Download your FREE ‘Feng Shui Life Quiz’ on www.fengshuisteps.com
Balibo is out on DVD from Madman Entertainment.Balibo: powerful political thriller
By Rama Gaind
Film: Balibo (Madman)
Cast: Anthony LaPaglia, Oscar Isaac, Damon Gameau, Gyton Grantley, Mark Leonard Winter
Director/co-screenwriter: Robert Connolly
Balibo is a powerful political thriller which tells the true story of crimes that were said to have been covered up for over 30 years.
Connolly has delivered a political movie with tough impact, but sensitively and with little sentimentality.
It tells the fateful story of six Australian journalists who were killed while filming in East Timor during the Indonesian invasion.
Told in flashbacks, we follow Roger East (Anthony LaPaglia) who is charmed by a charismatic José Ramos-Horta to run the press agency in East Timor. East follows the trail of five missing Australian journalists.
As East’s determination to uncover the truth grows, the threat of invasion intensifies and an unlikely friendship develops between the last foreign correspondent in East Timor and the man who will become president.
The mood is set with grainy flashbacks with the knowledge of their impending doom.
The film does not lose sight of its poignant impression, as Connolly take advantage of grainy footage, hand-held cameras and rumbling sounds to transport the viewer into their world.
There are many confronting scenes, including their deaths, but the acting is exceptional, especially from LaPaglia. Input is also noticed from Damon Gameau (as Greg Shackleton), Gyton Grantley (Gary Cunningham), Mark Winter (Tony Stewart), and Nathan Phillips (Malcolm Rennie)
Connolly (The Bank) and David Williamson’s screenplay develops the characters well from the book ‘Cover-Up’ by Jill Jolliffe.
It’s not easy to enjoy Balibo, knowing the long inactivity that surrounded the now confirmed deaths of six innocent journalists.
You will also feel enraged over government apathy and Indonesian ruthlessness.
Winner of four AFI awards, Balibo made major headlines at home and abroad and was recently controversially banned in Indonesia.
DVD special features
This DVD has great highlights including Greg Shackleton’s original report from East Timor, October 1975, an audio commentary with director Robert Connolly, Bahasa Indonesia subtitles, deleted scenes and a host of additional extras.
The six contextual documentaries: Creating the Balibo Five; Roger East and José Ramos Horta; Polyester Perms and Short-Shorts; Death of the Balibo Five; Doco vs Drama; History of East Timor and Balibo.
Samson & Delilah, the low-budget feature film debut from Australian director-writer-cinematographer, Warwick Thornton, shines as it continues to pick up more awards.
It won seven awards at the AFI Awards this month and was named the Best Feature Film at the third annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Queensland last month.
Earlier in the year, it stunned the film world by taking out the Camera d’Or (Golden Camera) at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Since its Australian theatrical release on May 7, Samson & Delilah has become a genuine word-of-mouth sensation.
Far from the biblical story, this one is about two young teenagers in a central desert community. Samson (Rowan McNamara) is a petrol sniffing layabout who wants to play music, if only his brother would let him.
He likes Delilah (Marissa Gibson), a self-reliant woman, who looks after her grandmother and helps her with her artworks. Her real-life grandmother Mitjili Gibson takes on this role.
Following her death, Delilah and Samson escape to live on the fringe of Alice Springs, seeking to get their life together.
This is a tough film about love where dialogue is used sparingly to tell a poignant story. That’s why images deliver an emotional impact.
With a good soundtrack, the film is tastefully made where you can see a noticeable show of restraint.
It’s a sturdy little film, with winning performances by all the cast, especially the two young lead performers.
There are some special features on this DVD worth mentioning including interviews with director Warwick Thornton, theatrical trailer the making of Samson & Delilah by Beck Cole and Thornton’s short films: Nana,Green Bush, Mimi and Payback
''Organic - Don Burke''s Guide to Growing Organic Food''Organic – Don Burke’s Guide to Growing Organic Food
New Holland Publishers, RRP: $29.95, 304pp
Reviewer: Rama Gaind
This is a bible for first-time gardeners, and an authority to reinforce techniques for established organic gardens.
With this hardback compilation, Don Burke has covered all aspects to ensure a win for all those with green fingers – and others, too, no doubt.
It’s an all-inclusive, wide-ranging guide to creating our own grocery store in our own backyard!
Australia’s foremost expert on backyards, Don goes through every necessary step to set up a blooming, thriving vegie patch.
He tells us why it must be set-up in the full sun, how compost is the single most important element in achieving long-term success with vegetables and how to make our own compost.
What a wonderful opportunity for children to establish their own garden and to learn the origins of food and how to grow it. One happy outcome could see them happily eating vegetables that they have grown themselves.
However, going organic isn’t only about healthy eating – home-grown organic produce is far cheaper than over-the-counter vegetables and the variety can be limitless.
The taste sensation of eating fresh produce will also be greatly appreciated!
Delectable recipes
There are scrumptious recipes for all those freshly-picked organic foodstuffs – like strawberry and mint sorbet, zucchini relish, bread rolls with pesto and oven-dried tomatoes, sultana carrot cheesecake and that vegie patch salad is refreshing at any time. Why not bake a chocolate zucchini cake? Be adventurous, and learn how to make a scarecrow.
Just looking at the collection of beautiful, colour photos will have people scurrying to creative their own gardens!
Don Burke tells us the best way to keep those pests and insects (who love our gardens) away without resorting to dangerous chemicals and pesticides.
This book is inundated with helpful hints: when to pick the vegies, the best way to store them and freeze them, how to dry them and make jellies and marmalades. There is even an organic planning calendar, a guide to the various kinds of chooks to buy and to enhance the organic nature of our backyard.
Looked on as a pioneer of lifestyle television in Australia, Don planted a vegie garden, on his own, when he was six years old.
Don Burke, the life-long passionate gardener, has produced an organic garden gem which is a must for the bookshelf.
A.R. Rahman will perform in Sydney on January 16, 2010.Oscar-winning A.R. Rahman to perform at free concert in Sydney
By Rama Gaind
India’s two-time Oscar winner A.R. Rahman will perform at Parramatta Park, Sydney, on January 16, 2010. The concert will be free.
The undisputed king of contemporary Indian music, Rahman won the Academy Awards this year for his work as composer and songwriter on Slumdog Millionaire directed by Danny Boyle.
Rahman will reportedly entertain with an entourage of over 40 musicians and Bollywood dancers, presenting various rhythms and melodies of contemporary India.
In what has been described as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, authorities will close Parramatta Park to cars on the day to allow the event to run smoothly. Patrons have been urged to use public transport. Although the event will start at 7.30pm, the gates will be opened at noon.
The organisers, Sydney Festival 2010, have labelled the outdoor concert as “night like no other”.
Sydney Festival is proud to celebrate this “inspiring and multi-dimensional artist – truly one of India’s international superstars”.
Prior to his double-win at the Academy Awards, Rahman was already an icon in the world of cinematic score and has redefined contemporary Indian music. On an international scale, CD sales of his film scores and soundtracks have exceeded 100 million (as well as more than 200 million cassettes) making him one of the world’s all-time top-selling recording artists.
In 2009, ‘Time’ magazine placed Rahman in the Time 100 list of ‘World’s Most Influential People’.
Sydney experience
The best time to experience Sydney is in January, when the city is in full celebratory mode. Sydney Festival is Australia’s most attended annual cultural event, presenting the biggest and best of the world’s performing and visual arts, all coming together in an avalanche of artistic activity.
Since it was first held in 1977, Sydney Festival takes over the city every January. The festival program features more than 50 events including theatre, dance, music, circus, visual arts and artist talks. Through its mass free events and ticketed program, the festival attracts an estimated one million people.
As part of the festival, another group from India – The Manganiyar Seduction – will perform at the York Theatre, Seymour Theatre Centre, from January 11-14, 2010.
One of the rave reviews received by the group includes: “Picks up momentum with every cycle of speed until euphoria sets in” – The Hindu
With a showman’s flair, director Roysten Abel has transformed a traditional Indian music concert into a dazzling theatre spectacle, placing 43 Rajasthani musicians in a ‘magic box’ structure.
The individual curtained compartments are framed by carnival lights, opening one by one to reveal each solo musician, with the build-up of instruments and voices unfolding into a lush spectacle of melody, rhythm and song.
Some memorable moments are in store for you, so start planning now!
The Informant: Based on a true story about a biochemist who became an informant, this is an unsettling account about embezzlement, price-fixing, cheating and a misleading corporate culture that directly impacts American lives.
Director Stephen Soderbergh gives his skewed take on this, but as a comedy.
What follows is a twisted tale.
Matt plays Mark Whiteacre, a rising star at a company called Archer Daniels Midland. ADM products, ingredients with names like sorbitol and lecithin, can be found on the labels of most foods.
As the youngest division president, Whiteacre earns enough money to live the dream life with a spacious house and a fleet of cars.
In the early 1990s, he turns into an FBI informant, supplying hundreds of tapes that implicate ADM in a price-fixing scheme. However, nothing is what it seems with Whiteacre, who soon becomes the informant from hell.
Told in well-designed frames, the film does not engage you emotionally. When you laugh, it sticks in your throat, because the text is gloomy and skeptical.
It’s worth seeing just for the brilliant character acting by an overweight Matt Damon. He is always tragic, yet intensely funny.
Where the Wild Things Are: Director Spike Jonze maintains the gloom and sadness of the book by Maurice Sendak.
It elaborates on the strange journey of wolf-suited Max. While the solemn undercurrent can be disconcerting, the puppetry and costumes are incredible.
By Roseline DELEU, International Feng Shui Master, Best selling Author and Inspirational Speaker
www.fengshuisteps.com
Who does not enjoy browsing in pre loved shops in search for a good bargain?
Keep in mind that the 2nd hand goods are carrying subtle energies, storing memories of their previous owners, their moods, their vibrations, their energies, their laughter, their joy too of course! Displaying pre-loved items in your home will have an impact on your life; so follow these suggestions to take essential precautions.
1. Mirrors
To my understanding and my perception, and… having visited and consulted so many houses over the past 17 years, I can tell you that mirrors are real gateways to spirits. They also act like sponges and ‘keep in mind’ all what happened in their vicinity. This is one of the reasons why having mirrors in a bedroom (new or old mirrors) can be disturbing your sleep, having babies waking up at night crying for no obvious reason. Do you have a mirror reflecting your body when laying in bed? It is recommended to cover it during your rest.
Mirror ‘As New’ -> Need to be perfectly flat and levelled – any distorted mirror will reflect a distorted view of your persona. Tiled mirrors can only ‘cut’ you into pieces and could have a subtle impact on the reason why you are loosing self-confidence.
Mirror ‘Second Hand’ -> Has to be cleansed thoroughly to remove as much as possible from its past memories.
Two steps are essential:
Step 1 – Use cleaning product (e.g. Windex) OR a few drops of vinegar and salted water + paper towel to give a sparkle AND make sure that you add your intent of cleansing all memories from this newly bought item.
Step 2 – Put the mirror outside on your lawn facing up during the full moon to remove any old energy.
2. Furniture
Inherited wooden furniture, vintage and antique items also have their own stories and past memories. Clean the wood with professional products adding your intent of clearing the vibes and energies of the previous owners. Whenever possible, put outside overnight in the full moon if too heavy to move out, repeat the first clearing suggestion for 9 consecutive weeks (one day a week).
3. Jewellery
A dear friend of mine offered me a gorgeous real pearl necklace over 100 years old that she had received herself from an old and dear friend. As soon as I put it around my neck to show her how good it looked on me, I felt strangled. To avoid hurting her feelings, I did not mention anything about this incident but simply asked what had happened to her friend. She was a sad lady who went though tough times in concentration camps during the 2nd World War. Her life sadness was carried in the pearls. I decided to cleanse this necklace several times during the full moons with respect of who she was and what she had lived. Today I wear it proudly for special occasions without feeling any negative effects and feeling very special to have such a valuable item from someone who I now better understand, respect and honour.
4. Clothes
To get rid of the energies stored in second hand clothes, simply wash them before wearing. Buying leather or suede clothes are more difficult to cleanse as perspiration together with memories cannot be washed out; put those items regularly in the full moon.
5. Decorative items
Only display in your home items in perfect condition. Avoid buying craft goods without knowing “the mission” that the craftsman gave to them – by this I mean warrior masks, African amulets and assimilated.
I recall a story of a lady whose boy friend avoided sleeping at her place. Checking her bedroom she had displayed on each side of the bed two large PNG warrior masks that were protecting her… they did their job! When she removed them, the boy friend decided to move in within that week.
Now, feel and have another look at the items displayed in your home; what do they remind you of? Do you feel happy with each of them or is t time to prepare a bag and drop some at the Charity shops. Enjoy your de-cluttering!
Roseline Deleu, International Feng Shui Master and Best Selling Author 0412 717 454
Visit www.fengshuisteps.com for your free “Feng Shui Life Quiz”
Upcoming Trainings with Roseline Deleu:
11 -15 JANUARY 2010 – CANBERRA and surrounding NSW
15 – 19 MARCH 2010 – BRISBANE and SE QLD
Feng Shui 5 day Practitioner Certificate Course – with Roseline Deleu see her website for full details.
Bollywood films capitalise on scenic locations in Thailand
By Rama Gaind
There’s a certain mystique about Thailand, but my fascination was further fuelled on learning that this kingdom is now the number one location for shooting Indian films.
Bollywood has been fascinated with foreign locales for quite a while, but it appears that Indian filmmakers have taken a fancy to shooting action movies in Thailand as it works out cheaper compared with Europe.
During a recent trip, hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, I spoke with a number of Indians (and others) who were enthusiastic about the increasing number of Indian film crews visiting various cities.
What’s been filmed in Thailand?
Nikhil Advani’s ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ and Anthony D’Souza’s directorial debut in ‘Blue’, an underwater action thriller, which is said to be the most expensive Hindi film. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Zayed Khan, Lara Dutta and Katrina Kaif.
Talented Shreyas Talpade is travelling to Bangkok so often that the actor jokingly says he might apply for Thai citizenship.
He has been to Bangkok many times for many of his films from ‘Bombay To Bangkok’, ‘Golmaal Returns’ to ‘Paying Guests’.
“Though we were more around Pattaya than Bangkok for ‘Paying Guests’, I am again going back to the Thai capital for some of my upcoming films,” Talpade says. “I really like that place.”
Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley is playing a glamorous woman in her first Kannada film ‘Sreemathi’, a remake of Hindi film ‘Aitraaz’, and the former Miss India bought all her costumes from Bangkok and Paris and Bangkok for it. Why? Her designer wanted her to have the looks of glamorous heroine of the ‘80s.
Some scenes from producer Aditya Ram’s ‘Ek Niranjan’, directed by Puri Jagannath and starring Prabhas and Kangana Ranaut were shot in Bangkok and Pattaya. Major portion of the movie was shot in a huge set eerected in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
However, what some of the ‘locals’ had to say was heartening.
Meeting the director of sales and marketing at Dusit Thani in Bangkok, Andrew Cornelio, was an infectious evening. He still could not contain his excitement after his hotel hosted the 2008 IIFA and how he could vividly remember its Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. awards being held at his hotel in 2007.
“I’ll never get tired of speaking about the time that the event was held in our hotel,” Mr Cornelio said. “Sure there was a lot of work that went into putting on a show of that calibre, there was months of planning involved, but the rewards were amazing.”
“We had so much happening, Bollywood stars, international celebrities, fans and our hotel was full at all times.
“We would certainly like to host another IIFA event in the near future.”
Indian-born Shreyash Shah, sales manager at the glorious Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, was enthusiastic in describing the films and how he made a point of seeing all of them.
Among the films that have recently been shot there are ‘Kal Kisne Dekha’, starring debutants Jackky Bhagnani and Vaishali Desai which has been directed by Vivek Sharma who had earlier directed ‘Bhootnath’. There’s also ‘Golmaal’, ‘Loot’ and many more to come.
I met Deep Singh, manager of Namaste India, a café half way between Bangkok and Pattaya, whose brother Dilbir Singh Sahani (known as ‘Bobby’) assisted will film shoots through his company Indo-Bangkok Film Pty Ltd. I was unable to meet him as he was busy with a film crew, but had dinner at his restaurant Spices in Pattaya which was being managed by Sandeep ‘Tony’ Bairua
Even Pongsak Kanittanon, public relations manager with the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Sydney, attested to the importance of Thailand being a popular destination for filming, saying there were a ‘lot of places to showcase overseas’.
Our tour guide Wasawadee Sanpradith, of Sydney, was a patient listener as I spoke at length about the worldwide popularity of Bollywood.
A testament to these sentiments has come with the news that Thailand’s national committee on film production recently approved a 2009-2011 master plan to promote Thailand as the hub for shooting and post-production.
Even the 7th Bangkok International Film Festival 2009, held in September, took on a strongly social and regional thematic focus with films that exemplified today’s era of change.
For the second time, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand joined forces to present the foremost film event in south-east Asia. Not only had attendance risen on previous years, but the festival directors managed to attract an even wider range of audiences, exposing a new generation of filmgoers to an incredible variety of movies from across the globe.
Rama Gaind was a guest of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
The forum is entitled: Filling the Gaps with Leadership.
The forum will look at the challenges faced by leaders in public and private organisations, and how to develop leadership and language skills in key areas such as science and technology.
The venue of the conference will be the conference and meeting facilities of Unions ACT (the Canberra arm of the Australian Council of Trade Unions).
Discounts are available for early birds and groups.
The Discovery Group showcases the very best of the region''s natural assets.
The Discovery Group is top 2009 tour operator
By Rama Gaind
Being a part of the travel industry has many challenges, but there’s one tour operator – The Discovery Group, in Noosa – which continues to win against all odds.
For the second successive year, the group’s enthusiasm could not be contained after being named the ‘Tour Operator of the Year’ at the 2009 Queensland Tourism Awards last month.
The Noosa-based eco-tourism operator The Discovery Group claimed the best tour and/or transport category – one of the most prestigious and highly contested awards.
Naturally, the group’s managing director Wade Batty, is delighted and overwhelmed at his company’s success – in the face of a very challenging 12 months.
“It has been an extremely difficult 12 months for The Discovery Group,” Mr Batty said.
“2009 has seen a complete revitalisation of the business structure in order to ensure its on-going sustainability,” he said.
“We’ve implemented new business systems and procedures, introduced two new t20-seater Mitsubishi 4WD vehicles affectionately known as ‘The Warrior’ and ‘Xena’, three new touring packages and also a totally revamped website – all this through a global economic downturn, a cyclone, an oil spill and two 1-in-100 year floods.”
The Discovery Group has flourished over six years and today comprises of Fraser Island Discovery and Noosa Everglades Discovery brands.
Proprietors Wade and Kelly Batty relocated from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast in 2003 leaving behind their respective careers in the construction and beauty industries to pursue their dream – which is slowly being overwhelmingly realised.
The Discovery Group’s passion for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Listed Fraser Island, coupled with a strong desire to showcase the very best of the region’s natural and cultural assets to visitors from around the world, has paved the way to their resounding success.
Winning the Queensland and Australian Tourism Awards in 2008 for Tour and/or Transport Operator inspired Wade and Kelly to maintain their focus on excellence and continuous improvement in spite of a difficult 12 months.
More than 17,000 people have travelled with The Discovery Group over the past 12 months, including about 7,650 guests from overseas primarily arriving from Germany, UK, North America and New Zealand.
Mr Batty is justifiably proud when he says: “This award is a true reflection of our amazing team who continue to deliver tourism excellence and offer our guests uniquely Australian experiences through some of the most magnificent landscapes and waterways in Australia”.
Robert Connelly''s ''Balibo'' was a winner at the AFI Awards.
Australian films take top AFI awards
by Rama Gaind
Two Australian films – Samson & Delilah and Balibo – took out top awards at the AFI Awards last Saturday.
Seven awards were won by Samson & Delilah, with four going to Balibo.
In fact, it was the Madman Iconic Aussie Films range of releases which garnered a major sweep of awards at the 2009 Samsung Mobile AFI Industry and Ceremony Awards.
The talk of the Australian Film Industry in 2009, Samson & Delilah took out Best Film, Best Direction (Warwick Thornton), Best Original Screenplay and a shared AFI Young Actor Award for Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson the ceremony, as well as Industry Awards for Best Cinematography (Warwick Thornton), Best Sound and the AFI Member’s Choice Award.
Making major headlines at home and abroad, and recently controversially banned in Indonesia, Robert Connelly’s Balibo also picked up a number of major awards, including Best Lead Actor (Anthony LaPaglia), Best Adapted Screenplay (David Williamson, Robert Connolly), Best Supporting Actor (Oscar Isaac), and an AFI Industry Award for Best Editing (Nick Meyers ASE).
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts – Scott Hicks’ study of internationally acclaimed composer, Philip Glass, also picked up a 2009 ceremony award for Best Feature Length Documentary.
SBS DVD series’ take top AFI Awards
SBS DVD series’ have picked up several major awards in the television and documentary categories at the 2009 Samsung Mobile AFI Industry and Ceremony Awards.
The second season of Sydney-based multicultural crime drama East West 101 (starring Don Hany and Susie Porter) scored three key 2009 AFI Awards with Best Television Drama, Best Direction in Television (Episode 13, Peter Andrikidis) and Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama (Susie Porter).
In the documentary category, SBS series Cracking the Colour Code won for Best Cinematography in a Documentary (Episode 2, ‘Making the Colours’), whilst breakthrough historical series First Australians was recognised with the award for Best Documentary Series.
Nominations for SBS series’ were abundant in several other categories, including East West 101, Season 2, Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama (Don Hany) and Best Screenplay in Television (Episode 13, ‘Atonement’), Cracking the Colour Code, Best Editing in a Documentary (Episode 2, ‘Making the Colours’), First Australians Best Direction in a Documentary (Episode 4, ‘There Is No Other Law’) and Death of the Megabeasts for the AFI Visual Effects Award.
