Australia

Other traveller reviews on Australia

Lily Nguyen — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:24:00 GMT

Read Australia travel reviews by other travellers from our friends at bugbitten.

Ride the Indian Pacific railway in Australia

Lily Nguyen — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:24:00 GMT

This is officially the longest straight section of railway line in the world, and stretches for exactly 299 miles.

In the 20 minutes it takes for the train to re-provision with water, you can exhaust all the attractions of the ‘Queen City of the Nullarbor.’

Adelaide is the intersection for the Indian Pacific and an even more legendary rail route, which runs north to south through the very heart of Australia.

Supposedly named after the intrepid Afghan cameleers who originally established this route, The Ghan is famous today as one of the world’s most iconic journeys by train.

The Ghan is now more than 80 years old, but it is only for the last few years that rail travel has been possible beyond Alice Springs, all the way up to Darwin and the tropical Top End.

Alice is for many the most atmospheric of Australia’s Outback towns and the majority of The Ghan’s passengers choose to break their journey and spend at least a couple of days here, or to use it as a base for visits to Uluru (previously Ayers Rock).

Alice is a friendly, welcoming town, which has that typical Outback quality of being able to produce unforgettable fun with minimal facilities: two good examples of this are Bojangles Pub (one of the 10 best pubs in the world, in my opinion) and the wacky boat race along the dry riverbed, which is known as the Henley-On-Todd Regatta.

Leaving Alice, The Ghan rolls on into the Northern Territory, and the landscape begins to change radically. The Tropic of Capricorn and the Tanami Desert slip past in the night.

As we near Katherine I begin to see rivers with flowing water, and it comes as quite a surprise to realise how quickly I have become accustomed to the ochre hues of the desert.

I have travelled about 3000 miles from the beaches of Western Australia to the tropical reefs of the Top End.

Thinking back, I find it’s difficult to recall the kaleidoscopic variety of landscapes I have experienced in this unforgettable trip across the ‘Great Bugger-All’.

Things to do on the way

Take a mine tour in Kalgoorlie

The gold-rush town of Kalgoorlie is home to the biggest open pit mine in Australia.

The Indian Pacific stops here for several hours and it is possible to book night tours of the mine and get a feel of what a rough-and-ready old prospector’s town must have been like. Sights include the infamous Hay Street brothels where rows of open-fronted booths are the ‘shop windows’ for ‘working ladies’ in a state where prostitution is legal.

Explore Alice Springs

Alice Springs is often seen as just the jump off point for Uluru, but it is worth spending some time getting to know Alice in its own right. You can book a variety of tours in town while on The Ghan. For an interesting place to stay, check into the Alice Springs YHA which is situated right in the centre of town in what was once an outdoor cinema and still shows movies most nights.

Visit Uluru

Uluru is certainly the Outback’s most famous icon. It is one of the wonders of the world and few can resist abandoning the train journey for long enough to check out one of the world’s most spiritual places. Although it is still allowed, the Anangu traditional owners ask that visitors please refrain from climbing their sacred rock.

Enjoy an adventure in Katherine

Katherine, so-called Lady of the North, is probably the most elegant and enchanting town in the Northern Territory. The Ghan offers several ‘Whistle Stop Tours’ here. You can visit the spectacular Katherine Gorge by cruise boat, canoe or even helicopter or spend the afternoon exploring town itself … or just chill at the country club.

Relax in the tropics of Darwin

Be sure to spend a few relaxing days checking out Darwin, which (for the moment at least) still retains some of its old atmosphere of a frontier town on the edge of a jungle. It would be a pity to come so far and not explore the pristine rainforests, swamps and bush that make up the great diversity of Kakadu National Park.

The Melbourne Cup

Daniel Landon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:10:00 GMT

What: The Melbourne Cup

Where: Flemingon racecourse, Melbourne, Australia

When: November 3, 2009

For Aussies this event needs no introduction. For others, it truly is the race that stops a nation. Offices, homes and bars across the country come alive as just about everyone gets in the horse racing spirit.

See melbournecup.com

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade

Daniel Landon — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:52:00 GMT

What: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade

Where: Sydney, Australia

When: March 7

When this event began in 1978 the local cops took great delight in violently arresting the participants.

That openly-gay police now don their uniforms to march in the parade shows just how much Sydney has embraced gay pride.

The parade is now one of the biggest and most famous in the world, attracting thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Costumes range from elaborate and totally over-the-top numbers to the tiniest of pink hot pants, and there are floats and performances galore.

But it’s not just about glitz, glamour and highly sculpted bods. The parade also has a reputation for satire and sass (such as ruthlessly taking the piss out of anti-gay activists), and for being a celebration of diversity and tolerance.

If you’ve still got some energy after the parade, you can head to the infamous Sleaze Ball after-party, along with 20,000 or so others.

See www.mardigras.org.au

Exploring Australia

Jahn Vannisselroy — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:42:00 GMT

But it wasn’t just the wildlife getting me excited. I had become a tourist in my own country by making sure my trip — originally planned to visit friends and family — was also a holiday. Here’s how to make the most of Australia — whether you’re a local or a first-time visitor.

Step one: Do something different

Ramp up your excitement level by getting out of your home city or town (in my case Sydney) and going some place where you can see or do something unforgettable.

For first-timers, it’s about making sure you don’t spend your entire holiday in the city — Australia is a big country so get out and see some of it.

We chose Phillip Island, which is home to one of the world’s largest colonies of fairy penguins and offers a charming slice of Australia’s natural world.

Just a 90-minute drive south-east of Melbourne, Phillip Island is joined to the mainland by a bridge at San Remo and makes an excellent holiday-at-home choice because it’s easy to get to, and packs a punch on the Aussie flora and fauna meter.

Throw in some thumping surf beaches, a laid-back vibe and affordable accommodation and restaurants, and you’ve got a winner for a night, weekend or week’s stay.

Step two: Find the wow factor

Make sure you spend an evening on Summerland Beach with Phillip Island’s main attraction — the fairy penguins.

Pitch up just before dusk, wrap up warm (even in summer it can be chilly) and follow the rangers down to the beach where you’ll be seated in a concrete grandstand.

From here you’ll have a clear view of all the action taking place on the sand.

Be patient, because just as darkness arrives, you’ll spot the silvery blue penguins gathering at the water’s edge.

Watch in awe as they psyche themselves up to make a bashful and courageous dash up the beach and into their safe dune burrows. Afterwards, you can watch them socialise from boardwalks positioned on stilts above the burrows.

Step three: See cute critters

Phillip Island isn’t just about the penguin parade (although the little blue and white fellas are pretty damn wonderful) — it’s also a full-on nature park.

Visit The Nobbies headland to see some of the 20,000-strong fur seal colony at Seal Rocks.

There’s also the Koala Conservation Centre where boardwalks take you into the eucalyptus trees and bring you almost face-to-face with these wonderful slothful marsupials (which are, it’s fair to say, often underrated by Australians).

Meanwhile, wallabies, echidnas, bats and birds roam free inside the island’s woodland — one of the centre’s conservation areas.

Phillip Island is also home to the V8 Supercars Phillip 500 race every September. If you’re more interested in seeing the wildlife, avoid race weekends.

Step four: Road trip heaven.

Find a car, some mates, a charged iPod and a map or two.

Throw in some of the most breathtaking scenery the world has to offer and you’ve got the recipe for a holiday that’s likely to leave you wondering why it took so long to explore your own backyard.

Since we were already in Victoria we opted for the legendary Great Ocean Road — a spectacular 273km stretch between Torquay and Warrnambool on the south-western coast of Victoria.

It’s easily accessible by car from Melbourne and you could see the highlights in a day if you really wanted to — although you’ll do and see more if you allow at least three days.

Step five: Seek out scenery

Where to start? There’s a reason this coastline is considered one of the best in the world.

The winding, at times vertiginous, road between Lorne and Apollo Bay boasts dramatic cliffs and sandy white beaches.

Bells Beach, home to the famous pro-surfing competition, is down this way too, so wax monkeys can have their own fun.

The stretch from Apollo Bay to Port Campbell is where you’ll find the jaw-dropping 12 Apostles — naturally occurring rock stacks that rise out of the wild Southern Ocean, braving the fierce winds like beacons.

This area is also known as ‘shipwreck coast’, and nowhere quite brings its rugged danger to life like the poignant Loch Ard Gorge — so named because it was the watery grave of all but two passengers and crew aboard the ship Loch Ard, which ran aground off the coast in 1878, just before it was to reach the end of its three-month journey from England to Melbourne.

Step six: Fresh air frenzy

Use Apollo Bay as a base to explore the other sites on what’s known as the Bellarine Peninsula, including the whimsical Spit Point lighthouse at Airey’s Inlet, made famous in cult children’s
TV show Round The Twist.

On the other side of Apollo Bay, make your way to Cape Otway, remembering to look out for koalas (a local helpfully told us they looked exactly like grey rocks in trees), and then to the Cape Otway lighthouse — mainland Australia’s oldest — for stunning views of the coastline and insight into the area’s maritime past.

Apollo Bay is also the perfect jumping off point to explore Otway Rainforest.

Stop at Mait’s Rest for a short bush walk to get you warmed up before attempting the breathtaking Triplet Falls walk through pristine rainforest.

Hopetoun Falls, for which you’ll have to brave a winding single lane dirt track (shared with logging trucks, no less), will reward you with views of the roaring water as it pounds into the Aire River.

Continue down the steep path to the valley floor and pass through a glade of tree ferns into the thick of the action at the foot of the falls.

Once you get there, sit down and unwind for half an hour — you’re guaranteed to feel like you’re on holiday, whether you’re miles away from home or not.

» Samantha Baden stayed in Youth Hostel Association hostels throughout Victoria.

Within Cooee of the Big Smoke

Don’t have time to take a week out of your trip? Then spend a day or two having a holiday at home (or someone else’s home if you’re not a native) by visiting these favourites near the city.

Darwin: Litchfield National Park

At Litchfield, get a taste of the Top End’s flora and fauna without the need for a 4WD or the planning of a trip to Kakadu.

Expect splashing in creeks (but beware of crocs!) and waterfall watching in the shadow of the Tabletop Range. Plus it’s just 100km from Darwin — which is right next door in territory terms.

Sydney: Blue Mountains

The grey-blue haze created by all those oily gum trees gives this region its name.

Just two hours by train from Sydney, the Blue Mountains will whisk you away into a world of art galleries, tea shops and breathtaking scenery.

There’s accommodation for every budget and the opportunity to walk through the stunning Jamieson Valley.

Canberra: Mount Kosciuszko and the Snowy Mountains

OK, so the Snowy Mountain resorts might not compare too favourably with the Alps when it comes to carving up the white stuff, but this region still makes a great break whatever the season.

In summer, when the snow machines aren’t working, the area is ideal for bushwalking, mountain biking and even white water rafting. And it’s just two and a half hours from Canberra.

Perth: Dunsborough

If you like to share your beaches with bottlenose dolphins, then Dunsborough, three hours’ drive from Perth, is a winning weekend getaway.

What’s more, you can throw in secluded coves, a pretty seaside town and being within striking distance of the celebrated Margaret River wine region.

Brisbane: Moreton Island

Just a ferry ride from Brisbane, sandy Moreton Island is less crowded than its neighbour North Stradbroke, and a bit more rough and ready.

But it’s perfect if you’re looking for a camping holiday where you can go sand driving, scuba-diving (at the Tangalooma wrecks) or meet some dolphins.

Hobart: Freycinet Peninsula

Two hours from Hobart is the glorious Freycinet National Park, where you can test yourself on the strenuous but rewarding walk up to the Wineglass Bay lookout, before continuing down to the beach — a contender, Tassie people say, for the best beach in the country award.

Adelaide: Barossa Valley

If a couple of days touring the wineries in the Barossa Valley doesn’t revive your weary London self, then, frankly, you’re probably for the scrapheap.

Settled by German Lutherans in the 1840s, the Barossa is just an hour out of Adelaide and is now Australia’s largest premium wine producer, meaning the atmosphere won’t be the only thing you’ll want to drink up.

Wallabies chance to shine

JOANNE CACKETT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:22:00 GMT

With his Wallabies now a mob of walking wounded after five gruelling Tests in as many weeks, Robbie Deans will hand his tour toilers and emerging stars an opportunity to shine in Wednesday night's clash with the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium.

Deans' initial 34-man touring squad was already down to 31 before he lost at least another three more troops in Saturday's brutal loss to Wales at Millennium Stadium.

Peter Hynes (eye), Stirling Mortlock (concussion) and Nathan Sharpe (broken thumb) will all sit out the tour-ending fixture, while Mark Chisholm (cheekbone), Hugh McMeniman (head knock), Richard Brown (finger) and Quade Cooper (finger) are also battling injury.

Deans said third-string halfback Brett Sheehan and rookie lock Peter Kimlin would both make their first appearances of the tour, while exciting teenager James O'Connor will also be given game time, as will several other fringe players.

"We're obviously looking to blokes who are fresh. Anyone who is fit," Deans said on Sunday.

"When we name the team, we're going to give everyone access essentially. For good reasons; it's been a big stretch. Everyone's worked equally as hard.

"Kimlin will have a jersey on, which he is pretty excited about. Brett will have a jersey on, we'll wait and see what number. James will have a jersey on.

"They've all worked hard. They've been patient to that end. They've all chipped in and done their bit.

John Eales Medallist George Smith is likely to captain the side in a match marking 100 years since Australia won the rugby gold medal at the 1908 London Olympics.

The Wallabies will be up against a world-class, all-star line-up featuring the likes of All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, Springboks including John Smit, Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger, Wales' newly-crowned IRB player of the year Shane Williams and former Australian captain George Gregan at halfback.

Deans said the Wallabies were treating the match seriously without stressing over the outcome.

"We're wearing the jersey so to that end it's important. It's important to the individuals," he said.

"But the reality is, it's not a Test match. So the shackles will be off to some extent.

"It's a tricky situation. It's a genuine tricky situation because you're representing your country and you're representing yourself and you're up against a world XV who is uninhibited and probably pretty excited about expressing themselves.

"So it's not easy. But, having said that, it's a great opportunity."

Winger Lote Tuqiri urged the Wallabies to finish their European tour with a bang.

Tuqiri was shattered to have lost 21-18 at Millennium Stadium – a result which denied the Wallabies a rare northern hemisphere sweep of the four Tests - but said there was no point stewing over the defeat.

"It's a bit of an empty feeling," he said.

"But everyone says it was the last game but we've still got one more game to go on Wednesday and hopefully we can finish the tour off well in that sense."

Australian woman shot returns from Mumbai

JOANNE CACKETT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:55:00 GMT

A Sydney woman shot in the Indian terrorist attacks has returned home from Mumbai, accompanied by her mother and a special medical team.

Katie Anstee, 24, was shot in Mumbai's Cafe Leopold on her first day in the Indian city on November 27.

She returned to Sydney Airport on a Qantas flight, touching down at 6.05pm (AEDT) on Monday and has been taken by ambulance to North Shore Private Hospital.

A bullet broke Anstee's femur bone and exited through the front of her thigh.

Her boyfriend David Coker, 23, has flesh wounds from bullets that grazed his legs in the terrorist attack which left at least 172 people dead including two Australians.

Candy Anstee flew to Mumbai to be with her daughter and accompanied the young couple on the return flight, which left Mumbai on Sunday night.

Anstee was cared for by a special medical team during the flight and will require further hospital treatment.

Her stretcher was loaded onto a lift taken to the plane doors a short time after the plane arrived, while an ambulance waited on the tarmac.

She was then put into the ambulance and taken from the airport.

Anstee and Coker had been in India for only a matter of hours when they were caught up in the deadly attacks.

They were at the start of an 11-week holiday to celebrate their graduation from the Australian National University in Canberra.

Shortly after Anstee was taken from the plane, other Australian survivors of the Mumbai attacks starting coming through the airport's arrival hall.

Greeted by emotional family and friends, most were reluctant to speak to the waiting media.

However, Sydney lawyer David Jacobs, who was trapped in the Oberoi Hotel during the ordeal, made a plea for people to live in peace.

"We need the world to have a greater understanding of the concerns that we each have," he told reporters.

"We've got to stop killing each other."

One woman, who tearfully hugged her family, said she would overcome her horrific experience.

"Love is stronger than terrorism," said the woman who did not want to be named.

Aussie travellers to arrive from Bangkok

JOANNE CACKETT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:47:00 GMT

Weary travellers will begin arriving home from Thailand on Tuesday on a series of evacuation flights ferrying Australians caught up in a siege of Bangkok's main airports.

Three hundred passengers, mostly Australians and British Airways ticket-holders, will board a Qantas flight from Phuket to Singapore late on Monday, where they will be able to connect to flights home.

They are among thousands of travellers who have been caught up in anti-government protests in Bangkok, where the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have blockaded the city's two main airports.

And there are fears the political strife will escalate into clashes between the PAD and pro-government supporters.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Monday upgraded its travel advice for Bangkok, urging Australians to think twice before travelling to the Thai capital.

"You should avoid unnecessary travel to the area around Government House and other demonstration sites," it advised on its smarttraveller website.

"Several attacks, including with hand grenades and explosive devices resulting in some fatalities and a number of injuries have occurred. Further violence cannot be ruled out."

Qantas will run another relief flight out of Phuket late on Tuesday, part of an effort by airlines to boost services from alternative airports to clear the thousands of passengers stuck in Bangkok.

To get to Phuket, passengers will have to endure a 14-hour bus trip from Bangkok, before boarding the 90-minute flight from Thailand to Singapore.

They then face at least another eight hours on a plane to get to eastern Australian capitals.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the airline will consider adding more flights out of Phuket, if required.

And budget airline Jetstar is rescheduling flights to Melbourne - which normally leave from Bangkok – out of Phuket.

Officials are examining if it's possible to get Australians out on flights from Utapao military base, about 150km from Bangkok.

Travellers who have managed to get on Thai Airways flights from Utapao expressed surprise that some have been half empty.

Foreign minister Stephen Smith, who is in Europe, said the main problem had been "logistical difficulties" in getting access to the airports.

"We have been becoming very frustrated with the Thai authorities, particularly Thai airline authorities and tourism authorities," he said.

Australian authorities aren't hiding their frustrations at the political chaos in Bangkok.

The violence is expected to cause the delay of an Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Chiang Mai, which Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is due to attend, later this month.

Trade minister Simon Crean urged the warring political factions to resolve their differences, reminding them of the harm the protests were doing their nation.

"These demonstrations and protests are causing enormous damage to the economy of Thailand, it relies very heavily on the tourism market, but it is also a significant trading facility within the region," he told parliament.

"Our very strong urging, through the frustration that we're experiencing, is to the parties involved in this to resolve their differences and get the country back to normal."

Woodford Folk Festival

Daniel Landon — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:45:00 GMT

What: Woodford Folk Festival

Where: Woodford, north Brisbane

When: December 27–January 1

There could be few better places to be to see in the new year than at this iconic festival only 90 minutes from Brisbane.

Folk festivals conjure up images of unwashed hippies getting in touch with banjos and their inner selves, but Woodford’s event is a good blend of out-there and mainstream and with at least 580 acts you sure won’t get bored.

See www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

Rudd finally utters the 'D' word

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:02:00 GMT

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has finally bitten the bullet and conceded that the budget may have to slip into deficit, after just 12 months in power.

His ministers have furiously denied the need for a budget deficit for the past several days, but Rudd returned from his latest overseas trip on Wednesday with a grim outlook for the world economy that will further hurt Australia.

"If Australian economic growth slows further because of a further deepening of the global financial crisis then it follows that the Australian government revenues will reduce further," he told parliament.

"Under those circumstances it would be responsible to draw further from the surplus and if necessary to use a temporary deficit to begin investing in our future infrastructure."

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull accused the government of seeking a leave pass to abandon fiscal discipline.

"Experience and history tell us that Labor deficits are never temporary", he told parliament.

"The last Labor deficit lasted for six years.

"It only came to an end with the election of a coalition government."

Earlier this month the government in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) cut its economic growth forecast for 2008-09 to 2.0 per cent and slashed its budget surplus prediction to just $5.4 billion from $21.7 billion.

"What we said at the time of MYEFO, and what the Treasury observed in MYEFO, was that all the risks were on the downside and if global conditions did deteriorate further, then that would have an impact in the future," Treasurer Wayne Swan told parliament.

"And, of course, things have changed again dramatically in the last few weeks."

MYEFO showed that the global financial crisis had reduced government revenues in the forward estimates by about $40 billion.

Events in the global economy since then would have had a further impact on those estimates, Swan said.

"The outlook for trade, the outlook for commodity prices, has also taken a turn for the worse again recent weeks.

"So that will have an impact on the budget bottom line, there is no doubt about that."

The concession that the budget may have to go into deficit, while a hot political potato, will come of little surprise to most economists, given the rapid slowdown in the economy.

Indeed, many have said it would be a prudent move to take as the government needs to spend to protect the economy from slipping into recession.

Just last week Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens appeared to give the green light to a deficit, saying prudent borrowing may be needed for worthwhile public investment.

Rudd returned from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting held in Peru at the weekend saying the world economy is "deteriorating rapidly".

"The impact of the global financial crisis ... has grown from a trickle to a flood. It is now sweeping across the world from China to Chile, from Germany to Japan," he said.

He said the crisis was imposing a personal cost on Australian business and families and would mean tough times ahead for many people.

"It means Australian families will make it harder to make ends meet; it means more challenging conditions for older people whose incomes derive from sharemarket investments."

Cousins' comeback plans on hold

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:34:00 GMT

Ben Cousins' stalled AFL career will remain in limbo until next month after Brisbane ruled out selecting him in Saturday's national draft.

But the Lions have not ruled out picking up Cousins in the pre-season draft on December 16, which now looms as the troubled footballer's only hope of a career lifeline.

St Kilda dropped out of the Cousins chase on Tuesday.

And of the other 15 clubs, only the Lions have expressed any interest in signing the 30-year-old Brownlow Medallist as he attempts to rebuild his AFL career following drug problems and a 12-month ban for bringing the sport into disrepute.

Cousins confirmed on Wednesday he would nominate for the national draft, opening the way for him to be considered for selection both on Saturday and in December.

"I hope to get the opportunity to return to the game that I love," he said.

"Playing football at the highest level again is an important part of my ongoing rehabilitation and I believe that I can be a valuable contributor at an AFL club."

Cousins would have to be picked up in either the national or pre-season drafts to resume his career, otherwise he would be unable to play AFL in 2009.

Brisbane have seven vacancies on their list for next season and would only have to give up their last pick in Saturday's national draft, No.82, and have sufficient salary cap room to choose Cousins in December.

It is understood sections of the Lions' board have serious reservations about signing Cousins, though sources say new coach Michael Voss wants to throw the ex-West Coast midfielder a lifeline.

Lions skipper Jonathan Brown also threw his support behind any bid to recruit Cousins.

"Personally I would support it," Brown said.

"He's a fantastic player and I think he has a fair few miles in the legs and an extra speedy midfielder certainly wouldn't hurt the Lions' chances."

Voss confirmed he and Lions football manager Graeme Allan met with Cousins in Perth last weekend to assess whether he would be worth the risk.

"We went over on Saturday and spoke to him and that's about as far as it's gone so far," Voss said.

"We've done a number of things both internally and externally to be able to find out where he's at.

"I think when we talk about anyone who we want to bring to our organisation we're always looking to what they add to the value of the Brisbane Lions football club, that's the most important thing.

"We hold some things as a football team quite dear and as a football team they're very, very important to us."

Cousins has not played since late 2007 after he was sacked by former club West Coast, and he later confessed to battling drug addiction.

Any Lions bid to recruit Cousins may also hinge on whether the club decides to take a punt on another recycled player, ex-Swans forward Nick Davis.

The goalsneak has been training with the Lions, with the club facing a similar dilemma to the one they face with Cousins as it weighs up whether to take a punt on him either in Saturday's draft or in December.

Williams refused leave to attend mother's funeral

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:29:00 GMT

Convicted gangland murderer Carl Williams has been refused an application for leave from jail to attend the funeral of his mother Barbara, who died last week.

His father, however, who is also in jail, will be allowed to attend.

Corrections Victoria released a statement on Wednesday saying it had refused Williams' bid, but had approved the application of his father George who is serving time on drugs charges.

Carl Williams is in Barwon Prison, serving 35 years for the murders of four gangland rivals and conspiring to murder a fifth during Melbourne's underworld war.

"The issues of security and public safety were key factors in considering this application," the Corrections Victoria statement read.

"Leave has been granted to George Williams, who will be escorted to the funeral of Barbara Williams by Corrections Victoria prison staff.

"Stringent security conditions are being put in place to accommodate his attendance."

Barbara Williams was found dead in the bedroom of her home in Essendon, in Melbourne's north-west, on Saturday morning after an apparent deliberate drug overdose.

Man arrested over harbour collision

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:28:00 GMT

A man has been arrested in Queensland over the Sydney Harbour boating collision that killed six young revellers earlier this year, NSW police say.

A 24-year-old man had been arrested in relation to the crash off Bradleys Head, that killed two men and six women and injured nine others, NSW police said on Wednesday.

Police would not confirm the name of the man, but in July the Director of Public Prosecutions was reportedly asked to consider laying charges against Percy Small, a 24-year-old barman.

NSW detectives travelled to Queensland's Sunshine Coast where they made the arrest early Wednesday afternoon.

The man is being questioned at Maroochydore Police Station, and police said charges were expected to be laid on Wednesday night.

The arrest follows months of speculation about who was skippering the overloaded runabout at the time of the crash.

It was initially claimed another survivor, Matthew Reynolds, was at the helm.

However, attention turned to Mr Small, who worked at Balmain's Commercial Hotel, following a denial from Mr Reynolds.

Alex Rumiz, 22, Stacey Wright, 21, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Holder, 20, Ashlei Ayres, 32, and Jessica Savanna Holloway, 25, were killed when the fishing trawler and an overloaded runabout collided near Bradleys Head on May 1.

One of those rescued - Alex Nikakis, 29 - later died in hospital from severe brain injuries.

There were 14 people on the 23-foot runabout, which was licensed to carry only eight.

Australia prepare to unleash 'Hauricane'

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:27:00 GMT

Australian cricket's desperate search for a frontline spinner has come to this -- Nathan Hauritz.

Hauritz, on debut on a "bunsen burner" in Mumbai, was outbowled by part-timer Michael Clarke, who took 6-9 in a losing side against India.

Right-arm off-spinner Hauritz returned figures of 3-16 and 2-87 and hasn't played Test cricket again. He has also claimed nine wickets in eight one-day internationals, making his last appearance in 2003.

The retirements of Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg in the past two years, an injury to Victorian leg-spinner Bryce McGain and NSW left-arm wrist-spinner Beau Casson's form troubles had gifted Jason Krejza his Test debut in Nagpur earlier this month.

The 25-year-old Tasmanian off-spinner responded with an extraordinary haul of 12 wickets in the match.

After being left out of the side for last week's first Test against New Zealand on the seam-friendly Gabba pitch, Krejza was all set to return to the side for Friday's second Test at Adelaide Oval, having beaten off pressure from Victorian leggie Cameron White who offered no threat to India's batsmen on the subcontinent.

But after rolling his right ankle during a fielding drill on Wednesday, the Sydney-born Krejza is facing a fight to prove his fitness.

Which leaves Hauritz being flown to Adelaide on standby, despite figures of six wickets at 40.67 apiece in two Sheffield Shield matches for NSW this season.

Considered more of a one-day bowler, the former Queensland spinner could have a massive chance to re-establish his credentials as a Test player, depending on the fitness of Krejza.

Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said x-rays had cleared Krejza of any major damage to his ankle.

"He has suffered a ligament strain to his right ankle. He will be provided as much time as necessary in order to be available for selection although the likelihood of this is still uncertain," Kountouris said.

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch expressed confidence in Hauritz's ability to do the job if required.

"It's very disappointing for Jason that this injury may rule him out of contention for what would be his first Test on Australian soil," Hilditch said.

"As a precaution we have decided that Nathan Hauritz will join the Australian squad. Nathan has experience at the international level in Test and ODI cricket and as a finger spinner we see him as the appropriate shadow player for this match."

Hauritz will train with Ricky Ponting's team on Thursday.

Krejza's dramatic collapse during Australia's training session on Wednesday morning, hobbling from the field in obvious pain and supported by Kountouris, came as the latest Andrew Symonds drama had threatened to derail Australia's preparations this week.

The Test batsman has been cleared to continue his international career following a Cricket Australia investigation, although he appears to be on his last warning.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said a report from general manager Michael Brown satisfied him that Symonds did nothing wrong when approached by a member of the public seeking a photograph at a Brisbane pub on Sunday night following the first Test victory.

The man was reported to have thrown punches at Symonds after his request was refused and was subsequently removed from the premises by staff.

Cricket Australia move quickly on Symonds

REBECCA GALTON — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:42:00 GMT

Andrew Symonds says he tried to avoid a fight on Sunday but he has a bigger one on his hands as he tries to convince Cricket Australia (CA) he deserves to retain his national playing contract.

The Queensland batsman's international career could be over as soon as Wednesday if a CA probe led by general manager of cricket Michael Brown delivers a verdict against the trouble-prone 33-year-old.

Symonds flew to Adelaide on Tuesday night to begin preparing for Friday's second Test against New Zealand and was also to meet with Brown.

A statement from CA on Tuesday showed its desire to move quickly on the incident which occurred at Brisbane's Normanby Hotel on Sunday as Symonds was celebrating Australia's 149-run win in the first Test at the Gabba.

Symonds denies he was involved in a "pub fight" with a fan who wanted a photograph. The fan was asked to leave by hotel staff.

"Michael Brown has and continues to interview a wide range of those involved in and around the incident, including taking eyewitness account detail, and a report to CA chief executive James Sutherland is expected to be finalised either late this evening or early on Wednesday," CA said.

"A final recommendation will be determined after James Sutherland receives the final written report, and he and Andrew Symonds have an opportunity for first-hand discussion, as well as taking feedback from captain Ricky Ponting and coach Tim Nielsen, who had each left Brisbane before the incident.

"He is hoping those discussions can be finalised by this evening after Symonds has travelled from Brisbane to Adelaide.

"James Sutherland said he hopes to be able to make a public statement while he is in Adelaide on Wednesday."

Symonds was kicked out of the Australian one-day team for the series against Bangladesh in September because he skipped a pre-series team meeting to go fishing, subsequently missing the Test series defeat in India.

He told Channel Nine recently he had struggled to cope with the incident, saying: "At times I was drinking too much and I wasn't a good bloke to be around."

The dreadlocked batsman was then recalled to the side for last week's first Test in Brisbane.

Symonds said on Monday a member of the public had "acted unreasonably towards me".

On Tuesday at Brisbane airport Symonds appeared drained by the controversy, telling reporters: "I just want to go down to Adelaide and enjoy the cricket, you know. That's really all I want to do."

In his statement on Monday, Symonds said he had taken steps to remove himself from the angry fan.

"I was sharing some drinks with other players and close friends and did not in any way provoke this situation," he said.

Test opener Matthew Hayden baulked at suggestions Symonds should have been chaperoned.

"Andrew's a big boy. He knows of his responsibilities and he has got to make the decision for himself," Hayden said on Tuesday.

Symonds says he is battling a "stress-related illness".

He was upset by CA's handling of the Harbhajan Singh affair in January, when the Indian spinner was suspended for racially abusing Symonds before the charge was later downgraded to a fine for abusive language.

Symonds hit a massive low in 2005 when he served a two-match ban for arriving at the ground drunk for a one-dayer against Bangladesh in Wales.