Latest news with #GregDonovan
ABC News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Music icon John Williamson performs near Birdsville in place of Big Red Bash
Atop a red sand dune on the edge of a desert, an Australian country music icon spilled the secrets of the bush. A crowd of 1,000 sang along to John Williamson's True Blue as the sun set over the Munga-Thirri Simpson Desert and reflected upon the lingering floodwater. The intimate concert this week was a stand-in for the popular Big Red Bash, which is on hiatus this year, and a nod to how the bash began in 2013. "To hear it in the flesh was amazing, very emotional," concertgoer Sharon Wilson from New South Wales said. Volunteer Thomas Kessell, from Perth, said Williamson swallowed a few flies during the performance. "But I'm sure he's writing lyrics about it right now," he said. The Simpson Desert is known for its challenging terrain, and for the past 11 years has hosted Australia's most remote music festival, the Big Red Bash. But last year, festival organiser Greg Donovan announced his team would be taking a break in 2025. "Once we decided to do that, there was a lot of talk about the impact on tourism. It brings so much tourism to the outback," he said. Mr Donovan put on an intimate two-night concert capped at 1,000 tickets each night. "We had John Williamson play on the Big Red dune behind us. The Big Red Bash really came from that little music event, and we built it up to a big three-day festival with 10,000 people over 10 years," he said. "It's really nice to just remember how it was in the beginning; it was basic but really nice up on the dune." It will likely be the last time John Williamson performs in Birdsville, after 55 years touring Australia. Williamson said singing on top of Big Red was an honour and a novelty. "I've got an audience that wants to hear my music who have gone to that much effort to be here, so I'm honoured by it." The township of Birdsville, nestled in the bottom corner of Queensland, was cut off for around six weeks earlier this year as record-breaking flooding made its way through the outback. It has been a tough and slow start to a tourism season that typically starts in April. But those who are now making the trek get to see the desert in bloom. Glenn David Taylor travelled from Beenleigh with his father and son. "It's our first time out this far west. It's a bit of a bucket list tick off," he said. For Cheryl Crossland, from Far North Queensland, it was her seventh time attending the Birdsville event. "It's unique because it's on top of Big Red and I love John Williamson," she said. The Big Red Bash has become a lifeline to businesses and tourism operators in Birdsville. They have a six-month window before the desert heat sets in and travellers drop off. Diamantina Shire Council Mayor Francis Murray said when news broke last year of the bash's hiatus, locals put their heads together to fill a gap in the calendar. They came up with the idea for a camel carnival, featuring market stalls, live acts, and camel rides. "Without the bash, we thought we still had to get that crowd here," Cr Murray said. "There's already camel racing in Jundah, Bedourie and Boulia, so we've marketed it as a camel trail and put this on in Birdsville." Mr Donovan assured fans that the Big Red Bash would be back next year. "We don't have any grand plans to change the format … as long as there is demand," he said.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Yahoo
UK-bound plane aborts takeoff after electrical alarm sounds
MELBOURNE — A commercial Boeing Dreamliner flight carrying 350 passengers to England had to abort its takeoff April 18 from the Melbourne Orlando International Airport, prompting a heavy response from emergency workers, officials said. The TUI Airways aircraft veered off the taxiway as it exited the runway, with its front landing gear rolling onto the grass. No one was injured. The taxiway incident happened on the evening of April 18, shortly after air traffic controllers were contacted about the state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 having electrical issues. 'A B787–9 TUI aircraft departing for Birmingham, UK, aborted their takeoff on runway 9R due to an alarm in the cockpit. While exiting the runway at Taxiway C, the aircraft's right main landing gear went into the grass,' Airport Director Greg Donovan said in a statement. Federal Aviation Administration investigators said the passenger plane — TUI Airways Flight 601 — was preparing to leave for Birmingham, England, on April 18 when the crew moved to abort the takeoff after an alarm rang in the cockpit, authorities reported. The 350 passengers, along with the flight crew, were taken off the plane, and the aircraft towed to be looked over by mechanics. Passengers were bused to hotels and the plane was inspected and recertified for flight. The new flight was supposed to leave April 19, but it was not immediately known if it had departed. Melbourne Orlando International Airport had a total of 747,691 total passengers for 2023, including inbound and outbound flights at the Space Coast facility. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: UK-bound plane slides off taxiway after electrical issue in cockpit
