Latest news with #Uluru
ABC News
11-07-2025
- ABC News
'Dark-sky' tourism offers a way out of dark times for outback NT operators
Curtin Springs Station is the last stop on the dusty road from Alice Springs to Uluru. The station is a pioneer of outback tourism in the Northern Territory but visitor numbers during the region's peak tourism season are down. "It's been pretty ordinary. We certainly can't say it's been a good season at all," said Lyndee Severin, who owns and operates Curtin Springs Station alongside her husband Ashley. Beef producers across the Northern Territory offer accommodation and tourist experiences to bolster their businesses when cattle prices are sluggish. The region's highways have been packed with campervans and cars during mid-year school holidays. But the NT tourism body says self-catered holidays and hotels are the popular options this season, while the stations and roadhouses stay quiet. Even with a few extra visitors swinging by the station, Ms Severin said it was not enough to make up for losses across the rest of the year. "Two weeks doesn't make a season," she said. As the wet season turned dry in May, the forecast was for a bumper tourism season for the Northern Territory. Tourism Top End general manager Sam Bennett said while some areas of the sector had boomed, regional businesses had struggled. "It's actually pretty lumpy," she said. "Some of the sectors are doing amazingly well, hotels are doing really well. "The leisure sector is very slow, and that's traditionally what spends time and money in regions." Situated 4 kilometres off the Queensland–Northern Territory border, the roadhouse and caravan park at the remote Tobermorey Station has become a key aspect of the business, helping support the property during the dry season. However, manager Chloe Robertson said late rains that swept across the Barkly region and Central Australia in May caused road closures for the station, limiting access for visiting tourists. "Usually the season starts here … around Easter, Easter weekend. However, this year, the roads were still closed from our wet season. So, it's been very quiet," she said. "And we got an inch of rain, which put road closures in again, so it's been very quiet." Agricultural tourism operators are now looking to the sky to help bring visitors back to the NT's most remote corners. Dark-sky tourism is a growing trend in which destinations offer visitors a view of the night sky almost entirely untouched from artificial light, with the stars and Milky Way on full display. Dark-sky tourism is a "huge, huge market", according to Ms Bennett. Utilising the wide, expansive night-time skies seen in the Northern Territory, she said Tourism Top End was working closely with the pastoral industry to create new experiences for tourists, and opportunities for businesses. Curtin Springs Station's massive outback skies are an asset Ms Severin hopes to tap in to. "We're creating a space here at the homestead area for visitors who are staying with us to … find that quiet space to be able to explore that night sky," she said. "So we're quite excited … about being able to offer that other opportunity for people to really experience the huge skies that we have both in the daylight and the night-time hours." Ms Severin said they were looking ahead to the the 2028 total solar eclipse, which would draw thousands of astronomers to Australia. "The sky – the night sky particularly – is something that you don't see everywhere," she said. "And we get to experience it every day."
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Braith Anasta's ex fiancée Rachael Lee celebrates her engagement to Bra Boys boyfriend Evan Faulks with intimate party
The ex-fiancée of NRL star Braith Anasta celebrated her recent engagement to her Bra Boys boyfriend Evan Faulks with an intimate party on Saturday. Rachael Lee, who made headlines in May after Faulks got down on one knee, took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps and videos of the special day. The happy couple celebrated their engagement with cheese boards, fruit skewers and a metre-long pavlova, as well as a cake decorated with daisies and blueberries. Rachael was glowing in a maroon patterned dress that dramatically fell to the floor and she accessorised her outfit with a chunky brown belt and cardigan. Her husband-to-be opted for neutral tones in a white t-shirt, cream-coloured chinos and sandals. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I'll love you forever...' she captioned one picture, which showed the happy couple gleaming as Rachael showed off her engagement ring. 'Celebrating our love w family & friends.. Forever blessed,' she captioned another. Braith Anasta's ex Rachael announced her engagement two years after her split with the NRL star, who has played for teams such as Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers. The mother-of-two announced the exciting news in an Instagram post in May, sharing a video and pictures of Evan proposing during a trip to Uluru. In the clip, Evan could be seen getting down on one knee in a romantic outback setting at sunset. With tears of joy streaming down her face, the couple embraced and kissed. 'I knew from the moment I seen you, it was going to be forever - The universe always has a plan.. I love you always x,' Rachael wrote in the caption. 'FuturesMrsFaulks yippiiieee xx.' Rachael looked ethereal in the video, wearing a boho chic two-piece ensemble featuring a long skirt and a matching top tied at the front. It comes after she opened up about her relationship with Evan in April. She told The Sunday Telegraph her romance is 'so beautiful and deep' and Evan was an amazing presence in her children Addison, 13, and seven-year-old Gigi's lives. 'My relationship with Evan is something I've never had before,' she said. 'I feel so beyond lucky to have him in mine, Addi and Gigi's lives. Evan is such an honest, loyal and kind soul and a really great father and partner.' She also hinted they have 'really exciting future plans happening together'. Rachael added that she and Braith have been navigating the role of co- parenting their daughter Gigi. 'Co-parenting comes with its ups and downs, and a lot of agreeing to disagree,' she added. Evan has been romantically involved with Rachael since the start of last year. They reportedly met at Crown Plaza in Coogee over Christmas the year before and were photographed together in public for the first time in May 2024 celebrating her 36th birthday. In 2023, Evan was extradited from Queensland following a sprawling 18-month investigation into alleged drug consignments intercepted by US authorities. Police allege he was a 'high-ranking member' of the Maroubra-based Bra Boys surf gang. Evan faced court on March 19, 2024, charged with knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime with intent to conceal and dealing with property worth more than $100,000, which was suspected to be the proceeds of a crime. The first two charges were withdrawn on that date, and Evan pleaded not guilty to the third. Evan has been subjected to strict bail conditions, including remaining on good behaviour, reporting to Maroubra police station between 8am and 8pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and not going within 500m of any point of international departure. Rachael and Braith confirmed their split in November, 2022, following months of rumours. One month later, Rachael debuted her romance with Blake Hillen, a bricklayer and amateur boxer from the Sutherland Shire. However, a source told Daily Mail Australia in 2023 that Rachael and Blake were once 'inseparable', but were now off - with both unfollowing each other on Instagram, and she later found love with Evan. Braith went on to date Evie Tziomakis, but a source confirmed they had parted ways in June, 2024.
Skift
25-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
How Past Winners Landed a Skift IDEA Award
What wins a Skift IDEA Award? Heart, purpose, and fresh thinking. Past winners stood out by solving real problems, sparking emotion, and moving the industry forward. With just days left to submit for the 2025 Skift IDEA Awards, it's time to ask: What actually makes a campaign stand out? It's not just about being big or bold. It's about ideas that feel original, solve real problems, connect with communities, and spark emotion. The best work shifts perspectives and pushes the travel industry forward. Here's what judges are really looking for, along with standout examples from past winners that nailed it. Start with Emotion: Make People Care Great campaigns make people feel something. Whether it's awe, nostalgia, pride, or connection, emotional resonance is what makes an idea stick. Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia brought this to life with Wintjiri Wiṟu, the world's largest permanent drone show. Set against the iconic backdrop of Uluru, the show tells an ancient Indigenous story, co-created with Aṉangu leaders and performed in their native language. It's immersive, unforgettable, and deeply respectful. Solve a Real Problem The most effective campaigns are rooted in utility. They address real traveler pain points and offer practical, creative solutions. SkyTeam did just that with a tool that standardizes carry-on rules across partner airlines, solving a daily frustration for travelers. It's a simple fix, but one that required collaboration and smart design. Thrust Carbon created tools that help companies meet climate goals by embedding sustainability into everyday decisions, removing friction from compliance and reporting. 'Our mission is to make travel effortlessly green. We believe people can travel without the footprint it has... but that requires better data to empower better choices. We were inspired by this foundational problem. If you were too, go inspire the next person by submitting and winning this award.' — Kit Aspen, Founder & CEO, Thrust Carbon Put Purpose First: Show your Impact Judges are drawn to campaigns with substance. It's not just about talking the talk, but about showing a clear impact. Southwest Airlines turned old leather seats into a social good. Through its Repurpose with Purpose initiative, over 1.4 million pounds of aircraft leather have been transformed into jobs and goods for underserved communities. Trafalgar Travel made an industry-first decision to end all branded merchandise giveaways due to their carbon impact. Instead, the brand redirected that spend to climate-positive projects through the TreadRight Foundation. 'I feel that awards like this are really valuable because there is no one size fits all to the many challenges that we face... Often the media will highlight a selection of projects... but it also can be irresponsible not to shine a light on other projects who are new, unique, or perhaps haven't gotten their share of the spotlight... I think that's absolutely the role that Skift IDEA Awards play.' — Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Travel Corporation Lean into What Makes You Different Some of the most successful campaigns came from embracing the unexpected. Visit Seattle flipped a perceived negative into a romantic draw with its 'Kissing in the Rain' booth. Rather than avoid the city's rainy reputation, the team turned it into something cinematic, cozy, and shareable. Tourisme Montréal launched a cheeky campaign asking for the Olympic Torch Relay to pass through the city on its way to Paris. It was smart, well-timed, and packed with cultural insight. Design for Impact, Not Just Attention The most memorable work is intentional. It's not just beautiful, it's built to shift something meaningful, whether that's how people travel, who gets access, or how we think about sustainability. Hear it from one of our Skift IDEA Awards judges: 'There's something magical when travel, creativity, and style come together. It's not just about smart ideas – it's about ideas that feel human. I'm drawn to things that are nimble, that go beyond the obvious, do more with less, and focus on what really matters... I love celebrating work that's thoughtful, lightweight, and designed with people at the center.' — Aliya Khan, VP, Global Design Strategies, Marriott International Banyan Tree's Buahan Escape reimagined luxury hospitality with no walls and no doors, placing guests in harmony with the natural world. Every detail was informed by local research and cultural preservation. Vail Resorts created long-term access programs to break down financial, geographic, and cultural barriers to skiing, partnering with over 165 organizations across North America. Rustic Pathways redesigned student travel to build empathy and cross-cultural understanding, not just deliver photo ops. Now It's Your Turn If your work sparked emotion, solved a real problem, or moved the industry forward, it deserves recognition. You don't need the biggest budget. You need a great idea. What Winners Receive: A physical trophy to proudly display your achievement to proudly display your achievement A moment of celebration on stage at our largest event — Skift Global Forum in New York City A full digital brand kit to showcase your win across channels to showcase your win across channels Inclusion in editorial coverage on , viewed by the global travel industry , viewed by the global travel industry Credit towards Skift's premium subscription products And more to amplify your impact and elevate your profile Deadline to enter: June 30 Not Sure Where Your Campaign Fits? Take our quick Category Finder Quiz to match your project with the right award category and boost your chances of winning. Got questions? Reach out at awards@ We're happy to help.
ABC News
23-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Ngaanyatjarra Council's Perth CBD base has remote residents worried
Traditional owners in a far-flung corner of the West Australian desert are concerned the decisions made by a city-based land council could put their country at risk. Pintupi man Winston Green is an anthropologist and plumber who has spent much of his life in the small community of Tjukurla, 350 kilometres west of Uluru and 1,800km north-east of Perth. He said many of his family members, including senior Ngaanyatjarra woman Lizzie Marrkilyi Ellis and senior Pintupi man Simon Butler, were particularly concerned about proposed development in the north-western part of their country. Viridian Energie has applied for a petroleum exploration permit over a 6,250-square-kilometre block of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, which cover thousands of kilometres of Australia's Western Desert. But Mr Green said locals had raised concerns about the Ngaanyatjarra Council, which represents communities scattered across an area the size of Victoria, negotiating on their behalf. He pointed to the recent situation in Jameson, 330km south, where BHP — Australia's richest mining company — suspended operations at the half-built West Musgrave nickel and copper mine. Although the decision was driven by the plummeting price of nickel, Mr Green said it was a terrible blow to the community, where incomes were low and job prospects were few. "From before and after [the mining agreement was in place], if you were to take a photograph and ask yourself 'what has improved?' I'd say not a lot has improved." In 2023, the Ngaanyatjarra Council shifted its head office from Alice Springs to a high-rise building in St Georges Terrace in Perth's CBD. Mr Green said it left them increasingly disconnected from the communities they represented. He questioned whether funds from mining agreements would reach remote Ngaanyatjarra communities, or if they would be sunk into administration costs in the city. He also questioned why the independent "non-member director" positions on the council's board were vacant. The Ngaanyatjarra Council said while these directors were an option, they were not required. Leigh Nelson, general manager of communities at the Ngaanyatjarra Council, said he understood why community members had questions about the head office's CBD location. But he defended the move, saying it better positioned council staff to speak with government agencies, like the federal government's National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), which also had offices nearby. He said it was "not unusual" for an Aboriginal corporation to have a CBD base. While he said he could not disclose how much it paid in rent, he said it was "extremely reasonable". He also pointed out it had regional offices and staff throughout the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and Alice Springs. But Mr Green and Dr Ellis believed the council should be more accessible, with residents in smaller communities like Tjukurla feeling increasingly forgotten. "The Ngaanyatjarra Council, they haven't really helped Tjukurla community and the people advance that much," Dr Ellis said. "They put all their focus on the other communities." With native title negotiations conducted as a "cultural bloc", the Tjukurla residents fear their interests are being dominated by those of larger communities. Mr Green said many people in Tjukurla were far more connected to the north-eastern part of the region than those in Warburton. He said it was important council appreciated those differences when it dealt with resource companies. Viridian Energie has lodged an application with the WA government to explore for "gold hydrogen" and helium north-west of Tjukurla. Director John Heugh said before moving forward, it would need to negotiate a cultural heritage agreement with the Ngaanyatjarra Council. He said if traditional owners did not want development on their country, the company would not proceed. But he said it was bound to honour the land council's decision, not that of individual communities. "[The Ngaanyatjarra Council] are the legitimate representatives of all the people who live there," he said. Mr Green also questioned whether the community had sufficiently benefited from the West Musgrave nickel and copper mine, which has been suspended until at least 2027. Ralph Addis, the Ngaanyatjarra Council's executive director of strategy, said the mining agreement had been designed to deliver most benefits once production began and royalty money started flowing. "No-one foresaw that the nickel market was going to go south as dramatically as it did," he said. Mr Addis said BHP had contributed towards playgroup facility upgrades and purchasing white goods, through about $3.2 million of social investment funding over the past three years. He said a "significant" pre-production payment went to traditional owners via the council. "If we had your standard-variety mining agreement in this circumstance, we'd be in an even worse spot than we are," Mr Addis said. "So I actually think that [traditional owners], with the council support, negotiated a very solid and very modern mining agreement for the BHP mine. A BHP spokesperson said it was aware the suspension had been challenging for many Ngaanyatjarra people. It is understood BHP is working with the council to review the funding distribution structure. Mr Green and Dr Ellis said they were investigating whether they could push for another governance structure, to give them more control over their land and community. "Not from the council side." It is understood any change would require sign-off from the Ngaanyatjarra Council and the prescribed body corporate Yarnangu Ngaanyatjarraku Parna. Mr Addis said negotiations around the Viridian Energie permit were only in the early stages. "But if … there's a gap in understanding of the current state, then that's absolutely something we'd take on board."
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
At a time of global political upheaval, can Albanese really resist calls to be more ambitious?
In his National Press Club address on Tuesday the prime minister laid down an existential challenge to those who cheered the loudest on election night when Peter Dutton and his miserable crew were confined to the dustbin of history. In making the case that trust in government is underpinned by economic stability and keeping election promises, the PM is saying the quiet bit out loud: his government will push back on calls to 'show more ambition' in the wake of its thumping win. Setting markers on what he perceives to be the limit to his mandate is, on one level, a legitimate interpretation of the election and a credible template for embedding Labor government for the next decade. In my post-election column, I argued even this limited mandate is ambitious and wide-ranging: building renewables, new homes and health infrastructure; consolidating the care economy; mediating AI and regulating big tech. But at a time of rolling and intensifying crises in geopolitics, technology, climate and inequality, is it enough to say this is the limit of the government's work? More profoundly, how can a government determined to occupy the centre ground be shepherded to more ambition? The new government's approval of the long-term expansion of gas on the North-West Shelf, its neglect of the Uluru statement from the heart and the repercussions of our defence relationship with an unhinged US are causing legitimate angst. It would be understandable and natural to respond to these positions with anger and dissent but in this new environment the traditional political pressure points are not so readily available. Those who dreamed of progressive minority government have been sent to the sidelines. The Greens may have a Senate veto power but this will need to be exercised judiciously lest it become a proxy for frustrating the aforementioned mandate. Add the fact that the Labor left now holds not just the leadership but a majority of cabinet positions, and the institutional mechanisms for prosecuting more progressive policy appear limited. This operating environment lays down real challenges for progressive groups that normally lead the charge, the not-for-profits, member organisations and unions whose leaders are convening in Old Parliament House this week to survey the political landscape. Business-as-usual campaigning driven by anger, passion and the demands of funders for quick wins risks marginalising progressives to the fringes of the national debate. To adapt to these new conditions, progressive groups need to confront the situation as dispassionately as the prime minister. First, they need tocome to terms with what the election was really about: a vote for stability against the chaos of Dutton, not a contest between visions of radical change but a contrast of tone and approach. Second, they should look for opportunities to campaign alongside government where there is common ground and common purpose. The rollout of renewable energy in regional Australia is a case in point: that agenda ran the real risk of being sidelined by a lack of community social licence, which was wrongly taken as a given as advocates moved on to the next fight before fully banking the one in from of them. Third, they need to identify the issues that are beyond the current mandate and build long-term strategies to extend the government's ambitions. To be clear, this does not mean putting the planet, poverty or peace on the backburner. But at the beginning of a cycle where the government has such a strong majority, this ambition needs to be earned not simply demanded. The final lesson is that the vast majority of voters are motivated by their own material needs, not a broader ideological or moral imperative. Building ambition around this reality is critical in securing common cause. It is important that the Albanese government learns the right lessons from its victory, starting with recognising that despite the arithmetic thumping, Labor's primary vote was lower than Mark Latham's 2004 disaster. It is now easy to forget how fraught the situation was before the final run home, when there was still a real chance that the government would make history as the first one-term government in a century. For too much of its first term it drifted from crisis to crisis, too reactive to the white noise of the Murdoch press and too ready to pick a fight with the Greens as a proof point of its centrist bona fides. It also left it late to build a coherent story about why it was there and what it was trying to achieve. Apart from defending things like Medicare and opposing things like nuclear power, there is still a confusion about what the government is actually there to do. Finally, while the government has the power to pass laws and allocate spending, it cannot do everything. Through the first term its tendency to hoard power left it exposed and isolated. Working more collaboratively with civil society through sharing its mission and embracing friction will only make it more resilient. Ultimately the prime minister is right: his government, like all governments, exists as an expression of the trust of the people. Rewarding that trust by building a shared consensus to tackle our cascading crises is the only credible pathway to securing the lasting change that the moment demands. Peter Lewis is the executive director of Essential, a progressive strategic communications and research company that undertook research for Labor in the last election and conducts qualitative research for Guardian Australia. He is also the host of Per Capita's Burning Platforms podcast
