Minions come to Eureka Skydeck these school holidays

Eureka Skydeck

It will be Minion Mania these school holidays at Eureka Skydeck, with the popular observation deck turning into a Minion-themed oasis during the winter break, beginning June 26 to July 12.

To celebrate the launch of the movie, Minions, Eureka Skydeck has gone Minion Mad, with all kids scoring a pair of their very own Minion Goggles when they visit between 11am-3.30pm during school holidays.

Kids can also enjoy Minion-themed activities, and go into the running to win a family pass to see Minions the movie, each day of the holiday period! Other Minion-themed goodies include:

• The Minions Movie colour-in sheets*
• The Minions Movie stickers*
• The Minions Movie badges*

Eureka Skydeck

The animated prequel to Despicable Me sees Kevin, Stuart and Bob venture out into the world to find a new evil boss, after continuously failing to keep their despicable masters. Finding themselves without someone to serve yet again, these single-celled yellow organisms take on the challenge of finding the perfect master, only to discover a bigger challenge; saving all of Minionkind.

Eureka Skydeck provides guests with 360 degree floor-to-ceiling views of Melbourne and beyond. During the school holidays guest will also be able to take full advantage of:

• The Serendipity Table – Located on Level 1, the Serendipity Table is an immersive gesture-sensitive table-top that gives guests a top-down view of Melbourne and many of its fantastic land marks and attractions before they head up to Level 88. 
• The Edge - The world’s only Edge experience is an awe inspiring a 3m by 3m transparent glass cube, which slides out from the building on Level 88, suspending guests above the Melbourne skyline. Patrons can purchase their official photo taken while out on the Edge, ready for upload to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
• The Outdoor Terrace - Enclosed by a wire grid, the Outdoor Terrace exposes guests to the elements on Level 88. The Terrace is right next to The Edge, so family and friends can view those inside.

  

  Eureka Skydeck

• Eureka VERTIGO – Is an illusory green screen activation that features an Edge set that presents guests with the illusion they have fallen through the glass cube and are holding on for dear life 285 metres above the ground.

For further information about Eureka Skydeck, visit www.eurekaskydeck.com.au or call 03 9693 8888.

Chinese tour professional included in the new list of billionaires of China

Many Chinese tour service professionals have been included in China’s new list of billionaires. Feng Bin, 55, chairman of Beijing UTour International Travel Service has been declared as the new billionaire in the tourism service company.

According to Forbes, Feng owns 32% of UTour, a stake worth $1.2 billion at the closing price on 25th May, 2015 for 108.88 yuan.

UTour’s shares have gained more than 300% in the past year amid a boom in China’s travel industry. Other Chinese billionaires with industry ties include Neil Shen, a co-founder of online travel site Ctrip, and Wang Zhenhua, founder of mainland budget carrier Spring Air.

In the first quarter UTour’s revenue went up hugely by 56 per cent to 1.1 billion yuan or $177 million. The company announced a private placement plan last week to raise as much as 2.8 billion yuan, or $451.6 million by issuing 53 million new shares at 52.7 yuan for its latest acquisition.

In the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in January last year, UTour raised 337.5 million Yuan or $54.4 million, from the sale of 14.6 million shares at 23.15 yuan each. Feng has been in the tourism business for the past 33 years.

World's Crocodile Heavy Weight Champion Cassius Turns 112

Cassius

The saying goes to never smile at a crocodile, but Cassius the saltwater crocodile couldn't help but leave his audience smiling as the 'salty' celebrated a record 112th birthday, complete with balloons, a 'happy birthday' sign – and a chicken birthday cake.

Recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest crocodile in captivity, and also thought to be the oldest, Cassius measures 5.48metres (18ft) in length and weighs 1300kg (2,866 pounds).

The monster croc celebrated his 112th birthday from his retirement home on idyllic Green Island, a Great Barrier Reef coral cay off the coast of Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

Cassius was captured in 1984 after becoming a problem crocodile in the Northern Territory for stealing cattle and attacking boat propellers. When caught, he was missing a leg and had battle scars all over his body, testament to a hard-fought life in the wild.

Croc handler and founder of Marineland Melanesia on Green Island, George Craig, bought the croc and took him to Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef to live out his retirement years in peace and safety at the Craig's crocodile park – Marineland Melanesia.

George named the fighter croc after another world Heavyweight Champion Cassius Clay, the birth name of boxer Muhammad Ali.

The park is family-owned and run with three generations of the Craig family living on the island and working at tiny Great Barrier Reef coral cay off the coast of Cairns.

Zookeeper and youngest Craig family member Jemma has known Cassius her entire life.

“They give crocodiles a maximum age of about 90 years in the wild just because another croc will eventually come along and kill them,” Jemma says.

“Because he's been in captivity and sheltered for the past 30 years, he has lived a lot longer.

“Green Island is a really unique place - I think it's the only sand cay on The Great Barrier Reef that has a rainforest growing on it and a crocodile zoo let alone the biggest croc in captivity.”

Cassius celebrated his milestone with Marineland Melanesia visitors and three generations of Craig family handlers who tend to the battle-scarred and ancient croc's every need.

Cassius

As for how many more birthdays Cassius will celebrate, it's anybody's guess; but with his relaxed island lifestyle Cassius may yet be cared for by the fourth generation of the Craig family.

“He's living on a tropical island so what more could you want the last years of your life?” says Jemma.

Japan’s Gion Matsuri festival puts the spotlight on Kyoto

The world-famous Gion Matsuri Festival will once again put the spotlight on its host city Kyoto this July for the annual staging of the famed Japanese event. During the month-long celebration, over 30 carnival-style traditional festivities will draw crowds to Japan’s cultural capital to marvel at a host of parades and traditional celebrations.

The Gion Matsuri Festival is often regarded as one of Japan’s leading festivals, and is named after Kyoto’s Gion district, Japan’s most exclusive Geisha entertainment district. The festival has advanced significantly since its beginnings, when it was originally a religious ritual to calm the plague that spread all over the country in 869AD. Today it attracts thousands of visitors to the city, which erupts in a vibrant display of culture and where Japan’s festivities and culture are showcased through a series of parades. Despite being named after Kyoto’s Gion district, the hub of activity centres around the Yasaka-jinja shrine.

‘Yamahoko Junko’ is the highlight of the festival and this year is set to wow crowds when it takes place on 17 July 2015. Visitors are invited to see giant decorated floats called ‘Hoko’ and ‘Yama’ as they are pulled through the city. Children and adults ride on the Yamahoko floats, embracing the festival music with whistles and bells to heighten the carnival mood. During the evening, festivities turn to Shinkosai, a ritual that starts at the famed Yasaka-jinja shrine and sees three portable shrines paraded by over a thousand men dressed in their traditional Japanese happi coats to the temporary otabisho shrine.

In the run up to Yamahoko Junko, the streets of Gion are closed to cars for the three days ahead of its start to allow the floats to be built in the streets. Street vendors line the roads selling traditional Japanese snacks for those arriving to watch the masterpieces take shape. Visitors to the city over this iconic festival period should make sure they are ready to don a traditional yukata – a casual kimono – to really feel like they are part of the festivities.

In 2014, after an absence of more than 50 years, the festival welcomed back its tradition of hosting two separate parades on the 17th and 24th July. The first is Saki-matsuri, the procession where portable shrines leave their home shrine and the second is Ato-matsuri, the procession where the portable shrines are returned home. The two separate processions merged in 1966 to promote tourism however this year they will be celebrated once again as separate processions.

Baz Luhrmann Honoured at World's Largest Jazz Festival in Montreal, Canada

The unique musical theatre talents of Australian director Baz Luhrmann will be honoured at this year's Festival International de Jazz de Montreal with a divinely mad onstage celebration of his luminous works, including Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby.

Luhrmann's flamboyant creations and brilliant imagery will come to life as an on-stage, theatrical experience created by renowned conceptualists, For The Record, at the 36th annual Montreal Jazz Festival, Canada.

Enshrined in the Guinness World Records as the largest jazz festival in the world, this year's event will transform the city of Montreal into a meeting place for more than 2.5 million music enthusiasts from all over the world, from 26 June - 5 July 2015.

Appearing at the Festival for the first time is British soul singer and music phenomenon, Joss Stone, who will perform tracks from her seventh album, Water For Your Soul. Joss Stone joins the festival along with almost 3000 musicians and buskers, 25 venues and 800 concerts, of which two-thirds are free of charge.

Jazz it up and join the city-wide celebrations of music, sunshine and culture in Montreal, the city of festivals.

http://www.montrealjazzfest.com

www.keepexploring.ca

New Zealand welcomes football world

Most of the 24 teams have arrived in New Zealand for the tournament that will be played out in seven host cities from 30 May – 20 June. The tournament kicks off on Saturday, 30 May, with New Zealand taking on the Ukraine at Auckland’s North Harbour Stadium.

Traditional welcome

The United States and Myanmar – two FIFA U-20 World Cup teams that will play most of their group games in Auckland and Whangarei – were given their first taste of unique Kiwi hospitality during a traditional Māori welcome ceremony at Whangarei’s Terenga Paraoa Marae.

Both teams were greeted onto the Terenga Paraoa Marae with a spectacular and emotional powhiri (Māori welcome). As is tradition, the welcome included a haka (Māori war chant), waiata (song) and a spine-tingling performance by the highly accomplished kapa haka group Te Puu Ao. The teams were then presented with a blessed taonga –Māori treasure.

The welcome for both the USA and Myanmar was befitting of the North Island city of Whangarei -gateway to the Far North of New Zealand and the marine playground of the Bay of Islands. Whangarei is a city steeped in cultural history and spirituality, thanks in part to the early settlement of the Ngai Tahuhu iwi (tribe) who made the fertile coastal land of Whangarei their home.

The USA – veterans of the FIFA U-20 World Cup with 12 appearances – will begin their campaign against tournament newcomers Myanmar at Whangarei’s Northland Events Centre on 30 May.

South American flair

At Wellington airport on Tuesday (26.5.15) it was all about Argentina as the football powerhouse touched down in New Zealand just a few days before taking on Panama in the second kick-off of the opening day at Wellington’s Regional Stadium.

Argentina was warmly welcomed to New Zealand with a kapa haka performance by two local schools. The players also took part in a traditional hongi (Māori greeting) and were each gifted a blessed pounamu (New Zealand greenstone jade) by the local iwi (tribe).

Argentina – one of the most highly regarded nations of the football world – will be in good hands in Wellington, a city that boasts a strong football community that backs the Wellington Phoenix – New Zealand’s only professional football club.

European hopes

The German U-20 football team arrived in the South Island city of Christchurch on Wednesday (27.05.15) where they will be hoping to emulate the heroics of the men’s senior side that won the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

The team were treated to a traditional Māori welcome on arrival into Christchurch International Airport – the gateway to the splendours of New Zealand’s South Island – with their captain, Kevin Akpoguma experiencing a traditional Māori hongi (Māori greeting).

Members of the squad were also gifted a pounamu blessed by the local Māori.

Germany will kick off their FIFA U-20 World Cup campaign against Oceania hopefuls Fiji at Christchurch Stadium on Monday, 1 June (NZT).

The European footballers will play all their group games in the ‘Garden City’ of Christchurch.

10 Ways to Live Like a 'Knifer'

Like a mythical kingdom, the city of Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territories is the land of stories. Get to know the dynamic energy of its people, who enjoy all the modern amenities of a large city in the middle of a vast subarctic wilderness, just minutes from lakes, waterfalls and wildlife.

10 THINGS TO DO IN YELLOWKNIFE

The capital city has an arts and music scene to match. During summer, outdoor entertainment is plentiful, with contemporary rock bands and traditional Dene drum dances enjoyed equally by 'Knifers and visitors to the city. The food and arts scene is equally eclectic all year round.

1. Watch the greatest light show on earth, the Aurora Borealis, between October and March. Witness the night sky shimmer green, red and blue, from your own outdoor hot tub.

2. Enjoy 20 hours of daylight activities during summer. Think hiking, kayaking and mountain biking.

3. Explore Yellowknife's Old Town and travel back in time. Its ramshackle streets, fishing shacks and gold-rush ambiance paving the way to the city's aboriginal village of N'Dilo on Latham Island.

4. Experience the best fishing and canoeing in the world on Great Slave Lake and the Ingraham Trail.

5. Yellowknife is a melting pot of cultures and lifestyles, with an eclectic art scene. Spend a day shopping for unique art, craft and jewellery, created by local artists.

6. Whet your appetite with impeccable gastronomy, using locally northern pike, Arctic grayling, and lake trout from pristine Great Slave Lake, Arctic char from the rivers, fresh buffalo burgers and Baffin shrimp.

7. Step back in time. Yellowknife sits atop the Canadian Shield. The oldest rocks in the region date more than four billion years of age.

8. Explore the wide-open Northern backcountry during winter, on snowshoes, a snowmobile, or ice-skates, and learn how to mush a team of huskies.

9. Visit Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, overlooking Frame Lake, and learn about the Northwest Territories' Dene and Inuit history.

10. Go home with a precious reminder of your Yellowknife adventures, in the form of Canadian Arctic Diamonds, mined just a few hundred kilometres away.

GETTING THERE

Air Canada Jazz, Canadian North, First Air, Air North and Westjet offer daily jet flights to Yellowknife from Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta and from Ottawa, Ontario.

Visit http://spectacularnwt.com/

Turtle Miracles on Mon Repos, Southern Great Barrier Reef

In Bundaberg on the Southern Great Barrier Reef between November and March, there is a miracle that takes place nightly on the shores of Mon Repos beach. 

It is the place where over 50% of the entire concentration of nesting loggerhead turtles in the Southern Hemisphere comes to lay their eggs. 

These mumma turtles were born here as long as 80 years ago, hatched from a nest with roughly 100 siblings and made a scramble for the ocean. 

They survived the 1 in 1000 odds of surviving to maturity and now they use the Earth's magnetic field as an internal GPS to find their way back home and repeat the cycle.

Visit the turtles in Bundaberg: http://www.queensland.com/sitecore/co...

Horse race as highlight of cultural week in Lao Cai

Tourists and local residents will be able to witness a traditional horse race on June 6-7 as part of the Cultural Tourism Week held in Bac Ha District in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai in Vietnam.

Nearly 200 horses will perform in a procession, after which 100 horses will race each other, either in teams or as individuals.

The winning team will be awarded a prize worth 20 million VND (920 USD) and the winning individual will receive 6 million VND (260 USD).

The stadium in the municipal centre can hold up to 5,000 spectators, both tourists and locals alike. Tickets cost 30,000 VND (1.3 USD).

The traditional form of riding without a saddle makes the horse race in Bac Ha all the more fun to watch and spectacular performances are to be expected.

During the war, horse racing was discontinued as jockeys were sent to the battlefields to protect their country’s independence.

In the spring of 1980, a horse race organised by the Bac Ha Military Command brought together more than 50 jockeys from villages all over the district.

Twenty-seven years later, horse racing was officially taken up again as a cultural activity as part of the annual tourism development cooperation programme run by eight north-western provinces.

Bac Ha District is inhabited by 14 ethnic minority groups, predominantly H’Mong, Dao, Tay, and Nung.

More and more visitors are coming to Bac Ha to attend the unique festival, with visitor numbers doubling to 30,000 in 2012 compared to 2009.=

Lao Cai hosted 1,470,000 visitors in 2014, including 545,230 international tourists.

Noosa Long Weekend Festival Expands in 2015

Noosa Long Weekend Festival

The nationally acclaimed Noosa Long Weekend Festival will return this year bigger and better than ever, with the popular event growing from 10 days to 13 to accommodate an expanded program.

With a line-up that includes a special one-off performance by Opera Australia, an evening with the Queensland Ballet and David Williamson's new play Dream Home, Festival Director Ian Mackellar said the event was expected to attract a record crowd.

“Last year's festival was undoubtedly a hard act to follow with more than 10,000 visitors to 35 venues and locations, but we've worked hard to lift the bar even higher in 2015 and are thrilled to have Opera Australia perform a fully staged production of its acclaimed opera The Magic Flute — the last opera ever written by Mozart — to the Sunshine Coast for the first time,” Mr Mackellar said.

“The cast and orchestra will open the festival on Tuesday, 14 July, and will set the stage alive with an Egyptian-themed set and costumes straight from the 1930s.”

Mr Mackellar said other festival highlights included An Evening with the Queensland Ballet led by artistic director Li Cunxin (author of autobiography Mao's Last Dancer), as well as an exclusive performance by internationally acclaimed concert pianist and Steinway artist Julian Gargiulo, direct from New York's Carnegie Hall.

Mr Mackellar said the 2015 Noosa Long Weekend Festival would feature more than 75 events at various locations around Noosa including literature events, forums, live music, theatre performances, interactive art, films, cabaret and supper clubs.

To find out more about the 2015 Noosa Long Weekend Festival or purchase tickets, please visit www.noosalongweekend.com, call The J booking office on (07) 5329 6560 or visit The J at 60 Noosa Drive, Noosa Junction. You can also follow the festival on Facebook or Twitter.

Special festival accommodation packages can be found on the website or at www.visitnoosa.com.au.

Fast facts

13-day festival
75 ticketed and free events
35+ locations around Noosa
260+ nationally and internationally acclaimed actors, writers, artists, musicians, performers, film makers, environmentalists and commentators
9,000+ tickets on sale
Ticket information at www.noosalongweekend.com

NOOSA LONG WEEKEND FESTIVAL 2015 HIGHLIGHTS

Opera Australia

Prepare to be enchanted, when this new, fully-stage production of The Magic Flutecomes to the Noosa Long Weekend Festival, complete with fabulous 1930s costumes, a chamber orchestra and a vibrant cast of singers. (Also featuring a local/Noosa children's chorus).
7.30pm, Tuesday, 14 July
Noosa Leisure Centre, Wallace Drive Noosaville.

An Evening with the Queensland Ballet

Back by popular demand and a sell-out show, the Queensland Ballet will deliver a program that includes beautiful pas de deux and ensemble work from world-class classical ballets and inspired contemporary dance works.

This specially designed program featuring Queensland Ballet dancers and young artists will give audiences a unique insight into our state ballet company, together with a fascinating conversation with Queensland Ballet Artistic Director Li Cunxin.

7.30pm, Friday, 24 July
The J Theatre, 60 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads

Dream Home – Written and directed by David Williamson

David Williamson's brand new comedy about the true cost of buying property in Sydney combines an all-star cast from Sydney and Queensland.

Dana and Paul finally have it all: creative careers, a baby on the way and an apartment in Bondi. They can't quite believe their luck. As it turns out, they shouldn't. With an ex-lover, her jealous husband and a kleptomaniac for neighbours, things are bound to get complicated!

FOUR PERFORMANCES
2.00pm and 7.30pm – Tuesday, 21 July and Wednesday, 22 July
The J Theatre, 60 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads

Julian Gargiulo

Combining rigorous Russian conservatory training with an informal style of presenting classical music, Steinway Artist Julian Gargiulo, direct from the USA, has been receiving standing ovations on both sides of the Atlantic.

Whether performing for thousands of people on Singapore's Symphony Stage or Carnegie Hall or for an eclectic group of fifty in the 5th Avenue home of the Avery Fisher's, Julian is able to transmit a unique concert experience to each one present.

7.30pm Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19 July (second show option – subject to demand)
The J Theatre, 60 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads

“Rob Mills is Surprisingly Good” Supper Club

"Rob Mills is Surprisingly Good" is much more than the standard cabaret fare. 'Millsy' brings us an eclectic mix of music and stories in an intimate setting with a cracking band and the self-deprecating humour that has seen a nation fall in love with him.

Musically, the show is as unpredictable as him, covering artists as far reaching as Taylor Swift, Queen and Pharell, as well as hits from several of the musicals in which he has appeared; The Last Five Years, Legally Blonde, and of course, Wicked. 

8.30pm Thursday, 23 July and Friday, 24 July (second show option – subject to demand)
Berardos Hastings Street, Noosa Heads