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‘A woman is not a baby-making machine’: a brief history of South Korea’s 4B movement – and why it’s making waves in America

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ming-gao-1496188">Ming Gao</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p>In South Korea, a growing number of young women are rejecting societal expectations of marriage, motherhood and heterosexual relationships, known as the “4B Movement” or the “4 Nos”.</p> <p>The “B” is a homophone for the Korean word <em>bi</em> (비/非), meaning “no”, representing the movement’s four principles: <em>bihon</em> (no marriage), <em>bichulsan</em> (no childbirth), <em>biyeonae</em> (no dating) and <em>bisekseu</em> (no sex).</p> <p>By refusing to marry, have children, engage in romance, or participate in sexual relationships with men, 4B feminists seek to redefine their lives outside the confines of traditional gender roles.</p> <p>In the wake of the reelection of Donald Trump, there has been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-10/donald-trump-win-4b-movement-male-supremacists-make-threats/104575732">increased interest</a> in the 4B movement from women in the United States.</p> <p>But what is the 4B Movement, where did it come from, and how is it reshaping the feminist landscape in South Korea and beyond?</p> <h2>Challenges facing young women</h2> <p>The 4B Movement reflects <a href="https://www.khan.co.kr/national/national-general/article/202004140938001">a broader dissatisfaction</a> among young South Korean women who face instability of housing, digital sexual violence, economic disparities and cultural pressures.</p> <p>It emerged in the mid- to late-2010s, following a surge of interest in feminism in South Korea, and spread primarily through women’s online communities.</p> <p>The roots of the 4B Movement lie in South Korea’s rapid economic transformation and the subsequent challenges it posed for younger generations of the 2000s.</p> <p>For young women, economic insecurity is compounded by systemic gender inequality. South Korea <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korea-s-gender-pay-gap-worst-in-oecd">consistently ranks</a> worst in the OECD for the gender wage gap, and social mobility remains limited.</p> <p>Against this backdrop, traditional life paths – marriage, childbearing and homemaking – have become less appealing.</p> <p>Living an alternative life without men emerged as a radical strategy for young digital feminists to challenge the rigid patriarchy in South Korea.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.khan.co.kr/national/national-general/article/202405172212001">senseless killing</a> in 2016 of a woman in a train station toilet by a man in Seoul shocked the nation and fuelled the movement. Online platforms became spaces where women could share their frustrations, critique patriarchal norms and organise protests.</p> <p>During this period communities like radical feminist online groups gained traction. Among these was the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/korean/news-44329328">Tal-Corset</a></em> (escape the corset) movement, which encouraged women to reject societal beauty standards by foregoing makeup, cosmetic surgery and restrictive clothing.</p> <p>The 4B Movement built on this momentum, targeting not only beauty standards but the very institutions that sustain patriarchy.</p> <p>It collectively challenges the notion that women’s value lies in their ability to support men and sustain the family unit.</p> <h2>‘A woman is not a baby-making machine’</h2> <p>The birth rate in South Korea ranks among the <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/birth-rate-by-country">lowest in the world</a>. The government has long viewed this as a national crisis. Policies such as subsidised housing for newlyweds and tax incentives for families have sought to encourage marriage and childbearing.</p> <p>In 2016, the government launched a national <a href="https://www.womennews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=248514">pink birth map</a> visualising the number of women of reproductive age in each district. It sparked outrage. Women criticised it as reducing them to reproductive tools, proclaiming, “<a href="https://www.nocutnews.co.kr/news/4713565">my womb is not national property</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FsEWD1bi3E">a woman is not a baby-making machine</a>”.</p> <p>For many 4B feminists, these policies represent a stark example of how the state prioritises population growth over women’s autonomy. In response, the movement frames its rejection of marriage and motherhood as an act of political resistance.</p> <p>As one <a href="https://www.womennews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=111598">protest slogan</a> declared: “End population policies! Stop blaming women”.</p> <h2>Living on their own terms</h2> <p>Despite its growing influence, the 4B Movement faces significant challenges.</p> <p>The radical principles have sparked backlash, with critics labelling participants as selfish or anti-social. Swearing off men as a form of protest against patriarchal structures and traditional marital norms is sometimes (mis)interpreted as implicitly favouring <a href="https://brunch.co.kr/brunchbook/radsview2">lesbianism</a>, given its stance against heterosexual relationships.</p> <p>The movement has also attracted negative political attention. <a href="https://www.khan.co.kr/national/national-general/article/202004140938001">Lee Seung-cheon</a>, a 58-year-old Democratic Party candidate, pledged to introduce “measures to reject the 4B Movement” as part of his policy campaign in 2020.</p> <p>Yet 4B feminists remain steadfast in their vision of a future where women can live on their own terms. Their rejection of traditional life paths is not a retreat into isolation but an attempt to create new ways of being free from patriarchal constraints.</p> <p>As one participant noted, rejecting marriage allows women to envision futures beyond societal deadlines like “<a href="https://brunch.co.kr/@404homealone/34">a woman’s age has an expiration date</a>”.</p> <h2>An international movement</h2> <p>The 4B Movement’s radical critique of patriarchy has resonated internationally.</p> <p>4B Movement ideas are starting to strike a chord in the US. The movement’s core principles align with broader feminist critiques of patriarchy and capitalism, which have intensified in response to political developments such as Trump’s rhetoric and debates over reproductive rights.</p> <p>In the US, Trump’s presidency (and now his return) has been a flashpoint for feminist activism. Policies restricting access to abortion, coupled with an increase in conservative rhetoric around women’s rights, have galvanised movements that resist patriarchal structures.</p> <p>For American feminists, the 4B Movement offers a framework for resistance that goes beyond economic precarity. It provides a roadmap for rejecting political conflicts, focusing on reclaiming agency by prioritising autonomy over their own bodies and rights.</p> <p>6B4T is inspired by the 4B Movement and has gained particular attention <a href="https://weibo.com/1263977197/KaFZGjoG4">in China</a>. This version incorporates additional principles, including rejecting consumerism and fostering mutual aid among unmarried women.</p> <p>The spread of 4B ideas across Asia and beyond highlights the universality of feminist struggles. As the movement continues to evolve, its impact extends beyond South Korea, sparking conversations about gender, autonomy and the future of feminism.</p> <p>Whether embraced or contested, the 4B Movement forces society to confront uncomfortable truths about the cost of sustaining patriarchy – and perhaps the possibilities of living without it.</p> <hr /> <p><em>Correction: 6B4T is inspired by the 4B movement and gained attention in China; it did not originate in China.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243355/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ming-gao-1496188">Ming Gao</a>, Research Scholar, Gender and Women's History Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-woman-is-not-a-baby-making-machine-a-brief-history-of-south-koreas-4b-movement-and-why-its-making-waves-in-america-243355">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Relationships

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Prince William pops up in Robert Irwin's socials

<p>Prince William has made a surprise appearance on Robert Irwin's Instagram as the pair team up for an important award ceremony in South Africa. </p> <p>The Prince of Wales and the wildlife warrior posted a video from Cape Town as they take part in the annual Earthshot Prize Awards: an initiative founded by William, of which Irwin is an ambassador.</p> <p>“G’day, it’s Robert here, with, of course, Prince William,” Irwin began the video. “Lovely to see you. How are you enjoying South Africa so far?”</p> <p>“Good thanks, really good, having a lovely time so far, loving it,” the prince responded.</p> <p>“Robert, you’ve been a fantastic ambassador for us at the moment, so looking forward to the Prize on Wednesday – tune in!”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB_C75lP9Wa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB_C75lP9Wa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Irwin said that the event was “going to be amazing” before asking William, “We’re in South Africa, one of the most amazing countries and continents for wildlife – do you have a favourite African animal?”</p> <p>The future King pointed out it was a “really tough question”, adding, “My children ask me this regularly. I think it’s going to have to be the cheetah.”</p> <p>“Cheetahs, OK. Very cool. It’s chameleons for me, the unsung hero, I love them,” Irwin told him, before signing off the video, “Thanks so much for having me, for having us, Earthshot Week has been amazing so far and I cannot wait for tomorrow night … South Africa rules!”</p> <p>On the second day of Prince William's four-day tour of South Africa, he joined Irwin for a walk together towards Cape Town's Signal Hill, as the royal and the Aussie conservationist met with a variety of local park rangers and firefighters, with Irwin telling media afterwards that they had both “fallen in love with Cape Town”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em> </p>

International Travel

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Olympian and former world champ shot dead at 42

<p>South African police have found the body of former Olympian and high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he was reported missing. </p> <p>Local authorities say that they found the body of the 42-year-old in a field near a cemetery in the city of Pretoria with fatal gunshot wounds, and are treating his death as murder. </p> <p>South African news Netwerk24 reported that a source claims Freitag was allegedly executed, as one of the gunshot wounds was allegedly located in the back of his head.</p> <p>Freitag's sister, Chrissie Lewis, had appealed for help on social media to find her brother, who went missing in the early hours of June 17th after leaving his mother's house.</p> <p>Lewis said he had struggled with drug addiction after his athletics career ended.</p> <p>He was then not seen again until his body was discovered. </p> <p>Freitag won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, representing South Africa in high jump.</p> <p>He was among a select group of athletes to win world titles at youth, junior and senior level, as World Athletics called Freitag “a prodigious athlete”. </p> <p>He won the high jump at the 1999 Youth World Championships in Poland, the Junior World Champs in Chile in 2000 and the Senior's in France in 2003.</p> <p>In 2003, he cleared 2.35m at the Stade de France in Paris to win the gold medal at the IAAF World Championships.</p> <p>He retired from sport in 2013 and was said to have in recent times been sleeping on the streets or friends' couches, having been unable to hold down a full-time job.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Hahn Lionel/ABACA/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Caring

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"A bit weird": David Koch's new career move

<p>Former Sunrise co-host David Koch has revealed a new career move a year after resigning from the breakfast TV show. </p> <p>On Thursday, Koch was announced as the new chair of the South Australian Tourism Commission, the peak body promoting tourism to SA. </p> <p>Koch is replacing Andrew Bullock, who has been the chair of the commission since 2019. </p> <p>“A passionate South Australian and media professional, Kochie is a leading advocate for small business and a high-profile finance commentator,” the SATC said in a statement. </p> <p>Koch, who was born in Adelaide but has been living in Sydney, said he won't be moving back to SA for the role. </p> <p>Some South Australians questioned his high-profile appointment, as they believe that a local should've been chosen for the job. </p> <p>"It's a little bit weird that he doesn't live in SA - that he's not living here but being the head of it," one said.</p> <p>"It would be nice to have someone embedded in SA, living in SA, part of the community in SA as well," another added. </p> <p>However, Premier Peter Malinauskas has defended the decision,  citing Koch's national profile and financial expertise as a valuable aspect in advertising  smaller businesses in the tourism sector.</p> <p>"We as a state have punched above our weight in regards to tourism and hospitality but there is a lot more growth to be had," Malinauskas said.</p> <p>As the chair, Koch will work alongside the SATC board to  “set the strategic agenda for the commission”.</p> <p>He will hold the role for three years from July 2. </p> <p>“We do the best food and wine in the nation, and we have some of the nation’s most spectacular regions,”  he said after his new role was announced. </p> <p>“We also retain a reputation for delivering first class major events and festivals.</p> <p>“More recently, the perceptions of Adelaide and South Australia have shifted significantly on the east coast – and we have an opportunity to capitalise on this momentum to grow our tourism sector even further.”</p> <p><em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Image: Nine</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Love-struck elephant goes wild on safari

<p>In the annals of adventure, there are tales of bravery and resilience – and then there are tales of two guys just trying to find a quiet spot for a bathroom break in South Africa.</p> <p>Meet Henry Blom and Taylor Fulmer, the unlikely protagonists of a safari gone haywire. Innocently disembarking from their tour truck for a brief moment of relief in the bush, the pair suddenly found themselves smack dab in the middle of a romantic rampage by none other than a love-stricken bull elephant.</p> <p>As screams echoed through the savannah, Henry and Taylor found themselves in a bizarre game of hide and seek with a pachyderm-sized opponent. "We got off the truck with a bunch of other people to use the bathrooms and then we started hearing screaming," Henry <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/elephant-safari-attack-witnesses-describe-terrifying-moment-wild-animal-charged/451c9dd1-3d90-4112-868c-99e3a8f17019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recounted on the <em>Today </em>show</a>, probably wishing they had all decided to hold it in a little longer.</p> <p>But it wasn't just any elephant causing the ruckus. No, this was one amorous elephant on a mission – sweating, urinating and emitting more bodily fluids than a broken faucet.</p> <p>As the wild beast charged, Henry and Taylor feared for their lives, imagining scenarios straight out of an action movie where they'd be the unlucky extras squashed beneath a mammoth-sized villain.</p> <p>Yet, amid the chaos, there emerged a hero: the tour guide. While the elephant treated the truck like a chew toy, the guide maintained a Zen-like calm, steering the vehicle with the finesse of a seasoned race car driver dodging obstacles. "We saw the elephant charge and my fear was that it was going to go through the window," Taylor recounted, possibly wondering if he should've packed a spare pair of pants for the trip.</p> <p>As the dust settled and the elephant's romantic pursuit waned, Henry and Taylor breathed a sigh of relief. But their ordeal wasn't over just yet. The guide's sage advice? "Stay quiet and get ready to run."</p> <p>Words of wisdom to live by, especially when you're in the crosshairs of a loved-up elephant.</p> <p>Reflecting on their brush with danger, Henry and Taylor couldn't help but marvel at the surreal experience. "He was so close we could smell him, it was crazy," Henry mused, perhaps understating the olfactory assault they endured.</p> <p>So, the next time you're contemplating a safari adventure, remember Henry and Taylor's tale of bathroom breaks gone wild. Because when nature calls in the wild, you might just find yourself in the midst of an elephant love story – and trust us, it's not as romantic as it sounds.</p> <p>Images: The <em>Today </em>Show</p>

Travel Trouble

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South Australian Government's sprinkles ban sparks outrage

<p>New guidelines for school canteens in South Australia have sparked outrage for "taking all the enjoyment away from children". </p> <p>Sprinkles of any kind, including 100s and 1000s - which are an essential ingredient for the iconic fairy bread - have been categorised as “red 2", meaning that they “should not be promoted or encouraged in schools on any occasion”.</p> <p>The ban comes after processed meats including ham would be limited at canteens in Western Australia, with similar restrictions now in place for South Australian canteens. </p> <p>Processed meats fall into the “red 1” or “amber” categories in South Australia, which means that products featuring them would be limited depending on nutritional criteria. </p> <p>These restrictions mean that children will no longer be able to regularly enjoy Australian staples like ham and cheese toasties and fairy bread at school. </p> <p>“Why are they taking all the enjoyment away from children?” one person told 7News. </p> <p>Dieticians have also questioned the decision, saying that it might only cause further problems in the future. </p> <p>“All your brain wants to do is eat that food, and eventually, you can restrict it for a little bit, until you get to that point where you just give in, you want to eat it, and then you binge,” dietitian Mattea Palombo said. </p> <p>Another expert suggested changing the foods we associate with good times. </p> <p>“Celebration foods aren’t so much about the foods that we have at the time of the celebration, but the friends and family we have around at the time of celebrating,” dietitian Dr Evangeline Mantzioris said.</p> <p>“So I think we probably need to balance it out a bit, so healthy foods are available at those celebrations.” </p> <p>Although the changes impact canteens, parents are still free to pack whatever they want in their kids' lunchboxes. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Food & Wine

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Inside Aussie couple's Coles wedding

<p>A South Australian couple have tied the knot after seven years together, in the place where their relationship first began, Coles. </p> <p>Elisabeth Pel and Harley Liebelt, are former Coles workers who found love in the cereal aisle of a Coles in Mount Barker in 2016. </p> <p>Since then, they have built a family together and decided to tie the knot two weeks ago. </p> <p>“We worked for Coles Mount Barker, SA, for four years and we met each other in the grocery department,” Elisabeth told <em>7News</em>. </p> <p>“We have since had a beautiful son together and two weeks ago we finally got married after seven years.”</p> <p>She then said that it had been the couple's dream to have their wedding photos taken at the Coles store where they met - and their photographer, Jacob Jennings, was happy to oblige. </p> <p>“Our photographer is an absolute wonderful human and when I suggested to him that we should take some photos at the Coles store we met in and the same aisle we met in he jumped at the idea!” the happy bride said. </p> <p>“So, on December 8 we went into the store in the afternoon and took photos.</p> <p>“These photos are more than I could have asked for.</p> <p>“We felt absolutely out of place but he made it wonderful and the store manager was also wonderful.”</p> <p>Their wedding photos have also received a lot of love on social media. </p> <p>“This is so fantastic in every way,” one said. </p> <p> “Damn, this is the best," another added. </p> <p> “I can’t deal,” a third wrote. </p> <p>A Coles spokesperson also congratulated the couple: “We are thrilled that two of our former team members found love and were able to return to where it all began for them.”</p> <p><em>Images: Jacob Jennings Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Aussie town becomes the hottest place on earth for one day

<p>A small town in regional South Australia has broken records amidst the relentless heatwave slamming Aussies, by being named the hottest place on earth for a whole day. </p> <p>Marree, located 589 kilometres north of Adelaide, is home to fewer than 100 residents, with the town acting as a service centre for the large sheep and cattle stations in the northeast of the state. </p> <p>Locals sweltered through record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday, with temperatures of 46.4ºC making the tiny town the hottest place on the planet for the whole day. </p> <p>According to online world temperatures site <a href="https://www.eldoradoweather.com/climate/world-extremes/world-temp-rainfall-extremes.php?extremes=World#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">El Dorado Weather</a>, Australia took out not just the Number 1 spot, but was also home to the top 15 hottest places in the world, with cities and towns in Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales also making the list. </p> <p>Five Aussie states cracked temperatures of over 44ºC according to the Bureau of Meteorology, with the extreme weather to continue over the weekend. </p> <p>Other than Victoria and Tasmania, every state has been issued an official extreme weather warning, with senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury saying on Monday that heatwave conditions were not likely to start easing until “early next week”.</p> <p>With the worst of the heatwave expected to hit on Saturday, people are being urged to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day, to wear sunscreen, sunglasses and hats and stay hydrated.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Google Maps</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Husband arrested over murder of beloved Nonna

<p>Frank Dimasi, 91 has been charged over the murder of his wife, Maria, 85, who was found dead inside the couple's home over the weekend.</p> <p>Maria was found with multiple stab wounds inside the couple's home in Findon, Adelaide, at around 11:20pm on Saturday. </p> <p>Frank was arrested at the scene and charged over the murder of his wife of over 50 years on Monday.</p> <p>He is currently under police guard at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, having suffered from self-inflicted and non-life threatening wounds, according to SA police. He is also reported to suffer from a "neurological disability". </p> <p>Maria was a beloved member of the Italian community in Adelaide. </p> <p>She was regarded as the "neighbourhood matriarch” and was well-known because of her love for cooking, including making meals for the vulnerable.</p> <p>She was heavily involved with the family's taxpayer-funded meal service, Nonna’s Cucina, that even Health Minister Mark Butler recognised her hard work and described her as "extremely generous".</p> <p>“Maria lit up the kitchen at Nonna’s Cucina,” he said. “She was always extremely generous and made sure no one ever left her company hungry.</p> <p>“Maria gave so much to her community and will be greatly missed by her loved ones and everyone who had the pleasure to meet her.”</p> <p>South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas also paid tribute to the beloved great-grandmother and described the murder as "tragic". </p> <p>“On a personal level, Maria Dimasi was a very significant contributor to our state, particularly in the western suburbs’ Italian community,” said the premier. </p> <p>“Nonna’s Cucina, which will be very well-known to a lot of South Australians, did amazing work delivering meals to people that are vulnerable, particularly the elderly.</p> <p>"This is a good person who has lost their life in tragic circumstances.”</p> <p>The premier is currently facing increasing pressure to authorise a Royal Commission into domestic violence in the state, after five women have allegedly been killed at the hands of a partner since November 16, according to <em>The Advertiser</em>.</p> <p>The publication also reported that this is "the worst DV toll in Australia's history".</p> <p>In their first public statement issued through the police late Monday, the couple's family paid tribute to Maria, who they described as “loving mother to her four children, her 10 grandchildren and a great grandmother to 13”. </p> <p>“Maria had a caring nature and shared love and happiness to those around her,” they said in the statement obtained by <em>The Advertiser</em>. </p> <p>“Maria was the centre of our family, bringing us together to care for and support each other. Family was everything to Maria, and she was everything to her family.</p> <p>“Maria has warmed the hearts of many and we would like to extend our gratitude for the support the community has provided as we come to terms with our loss.”</p> <p>They added: “The support truly shows that Maria was loved by many and has made a positive impact to the community.</p> <p>“We will always remember Maria for her warmth, caring nature, compassion and her beautiful smile.”</p> <p>They also thanked Nonna’s Cucina for allowing her to spread joy with the community and said that they will come together as a family in the coming days to celebrate Maria's life. </p> <p>“We thank Nonna’s Cucina for supporting Maria to share her joy with the community.</p> <p>“The past few days have been difficult for our family as we process the grief of losing our beautiful mother and Nonna.”</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook/ Nine News. </em></p>

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Three-bedroom home on the market for unbelievably cheap price

<p>A three-bedroom home located on the border of Victoria and South Australia is up for sale for just $65,000. </p> <p>But there is a catch to future homeowners who want to experience the “quiet and cheap country living”, as they might need to be handy with a hammer. </p> <p>“If you’re a handyman and willing to put some elbow grease into it, then this one might be for you,” the listing read. </p> <p>The home itself is located on two plots of land measuring 2,100m2 in Serviceton, Victoria, and is only 16 minutes away from Bordertown, South Australia. </p> <p>“Being on two titles, you can utilise both or sell the vacant allotment as all the dwellings are on one,” the listing read. </p> <p>It also features a large lounge room with wood-fire heater, and a centrally located bathroom with a bath and vanity. </p> <p>There's plenty of room to cook in the massive kitchen, despite it needing a lot of work, it features a formal dining area that has a sliding servery window which connects to the lounge room.</p> <p>Outside, the future homeowner can find a large shed, rain water storage, and a gate that opens up to a park. </p> <p>“It went under contract ... an hour and a half (after it was listed),” Ray White agent Hayden Obst told<em> 7News</em>. </p> <p>The condition of its electrical, plumbing and appliances are unknown, but people are still expressing their interest.</p> <p>Despite this, many people from different parts of the country and a few investors are still calling the real estate agent, just in case the contract falls through. </p> <p><em>Images: 7News.com.au</em></p>

Real Estate

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Nat Barr overwhelmed by Police Commissioner's heartbreaking letter to his fallen son

<p>Nat Barr broke down live on <em>Sunrise</em> after hearing the heartbreaking letter from grieving police commissioner Grant Stevens, who lost his son just days ago in an <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/police-commissioner-s-son-killed-during-schoolies-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged hit and run</a> during schoolies. </p> <p>Charlie Stevens, 18, died on Saturday night surrounded by friends and family in Goolwa, 90km southeast of Adelaide, just a day after he celebrated finishing high school.</p> <p>Charlie's parents penned a letter to their youngest son, with the purpose of introducing South Australians to the 101st life lost on the state’s roads this year.</p> <p>On Tuesday morning, Matt Shirvington read an excerpt of the letter, and both hosts were equally emotional, with Shirvington's voice breaking at one point. </p> <p>“I am writing this sitting in a bedroom with dirty clothes on the floor, an unmade bed, six drinking glasses lined up on the bedside table, an empty KFC box next to the glasses, wardrobe doors left open and a row of skateboards leaning on the wall – it is a mess and it’s perfect. This is where 101 lived,” the letter read. </p> <p>“101 is Charles Stevens – Charlie, Charlie Boy, Chas, Links, Steve. You lived life and gave so much to so many. You were a force of nature and we will never forget your beautiful cheeky, disarming smile.</p> <p>“Son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin, friends, workmate, teammate. So much more than just a number on a tragic tally.”</p> <p>His heartbroken parents described him as a "Cheeky, intense and funny" boy, who was loveable from the moment he could talk. </p> <p>"He was as frustrating as hell, but he was also the kid who would look after others, befriend the lonely, and help those who were struggling,” they added. </p> <p>“Intensity shone through as 101 committed to each new passion — Lego, BBL, scooters, footy, cricket, basketball, surfing, downhilling, Fortnight and his skateboard — it was all or nothing and it was always all.”</p> <p>His parents also shared stories about their son's passion for his work as an apprentice carpenter. </p> <p>“ … On a good day, we would be lucky to see 101 for half an hour between him getting home from work and heading out with his mates, but it was enough," they wrote. </p> <p>After sharing the emotional tribute, Nat Barr was choking back tears and had to cut to an ad break. </p> <p>The letter comes after the 18-year-old driver accused of being behind the wheel during the alleged hit-and-run was granted bail. </p> <p>On Monday, three witnesses stated in court that the driver performed a U-turn and hit Charlie, who was waiting for the Schoolies shuttle bus to take him and his friends to Victor Harbor from Goolwa Beach. </p> <p>It is alleged that the 18-year-old was speeding and  travelling on the wrong side of the road before hitting Charlie. </p> <p>Another witness from inside the car said that a group of young men were on the west side of the road, partially on the footpath, and that there was a single male on the other side.</p> <p>She told the court that the male on the east side ran across the road and into the incoming car. </p> <p>The driver allegedly drove a short distance before calling his mum and asking her if he should turn himself in or call the police, before he was arrested. </p> <p>He was granted bail, with the condition that he forfeits his passport, live with his mum, and set aside $15,000 as a guarantee. </p> <p><em>Images: SA Police/ Channel 7</em></p>

Caring

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Streets of purple haze: how the South American jacaranda became a symbol of Australian spring

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-k-martin-107846">Susan K Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p>Jacaranda season is beginning across Australia as an explosion of vivid blue spreads in a wave from north to south. We think of jacarandas as a signature tree of various Australian cities. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth all feature avenues of them.</p> <p>Grafton in New South Wales hosts an annual <a href="https://www.jacarandafestival.com/">jacaranda festival</a>. Herberton in Queensland is noted for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jacarandafestivalherberton/">its seasonal show</a>.</p> <p>There are significant plantings in many botanic, public and university gardens across Australia. <em>Jacaranda mimosifolia</em> (the most common species in Australia) doesn’t generally flower in Darwin, and Hobart is a little cold for it.</p> <p>So showy and ubiquitous, jacarandas can be mistaken for natives, but they originate in South America. The imperial plant-exchange networks of the 19th century introduced them to Australia.</p> <p>But how did these purple trees find their stronghold in our suburbs?</p> <h2>Propagating the trees</h2> <p>Botanist Alan Cunningham sent the first jacaranda specimens from <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">Rio to Britain’s Kew gardens</a> around 1818.</p> <p>Possibly, jacaranda trees arrived from Kew in colonial Australia. Alternately, Cunningham may have disseminated the tree in his later postings in Australia or through plant and seed exchanges.</p> <p>Jacarandas are a widespread imperial introduction and are now a feature of many temperate former colonies. The jacaranda was exported by the British from Kew, by other colonial powers (Portugal for example) and directly from South America to various colonies.</p> <p>Jacarandas grow from seed quite readily, but the often preferred mode of plant propagation in the 19th century was through cuttings because of sometimes <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">unreliable seed</a> and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/histres/article/93/262/715/5938031?login=true">volume of results</a>.</p> <p>Cuttings are less feasible for the jacaranda, so the tree was admired but rare in Australia until either nurseryman Michael Guilfoyle or gardener George Mortimer succeeded in propagating the tree in 1868.</p> <p>Once the trees could be easily propagated, <a href="https://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/library/local_history/woollahra_plaque_scheme/plaques/michael_guilfoyle">jacarandas became more widely available</a> and they began their spread through Australian suburbs.</p> <h2>A colonial import</h2> <p>Brisbane claims the earliest jacaranda tree in Australia, <a href="https://blog.qagoma.qld.gov.au/godfrey-rivers-under-the-jacaranda-a-quintessential-image-of-brisbane-queensland/">planted in 1864</a>, but the Sydney Botanic Garden jacaranda is dated at “around” 1850, and jacarandas were listed for sale in <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13055858?searchTerm=Jacaranda%20OR%20Jakaranda">Sydney in 1861</a>.</p> <p>These early park and garden plantings were eye-catching – but the real impact and popularity of jacarandas is a result of later street plantings.</p> <p>Jacaranda avenues, in Australia and around the world, usually indicate wealthier suburbs like Dunkeld in <a href="https://www.wisemove.co.za/post/top-10-richest-suburbs-in-johannesburg">Johannesberg</a> and Kilimani in <a href="https://gay.medium.com/hashtag-jacaranda-propaganda-2f20ac6958b9">Nairobi</a>.</p> <p>In Australia, these extravagant displays appear in older, genteel suburbs like Subiaco and Applecross in Perth; Kirribilli, Paddington and Lavender Bay in Sydney; Parkville and the Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy in Melbourne; Mitcham, Frewville and Westbourne Park in Adelaide; and St Lucia in Brisbane.</p> <p>The trend toward urban street avenue plantings expanded internationally in the <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.2307/3983816?journalCode=foreconshist">mid 19th century</a>. It was particularly popular in growing colonial towns and cities. It followed trends in imperial centres, but new colonial cities offered scope for <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2009/00000015/00000003/art00004">concerted planning of avenues in new streets</a>.</p> <p>Early Australian streets were often host to a mix of native plants and exotic imported trees. Joseph Maiden, director of the Sydney Botanic Gardens from 1896, drove the move from mixed street plantings towards avenues of single-species trees in the early 20th century.</p> <p>Maiden selected trees suitable to their proposed area, but he was also driven by contemporary aesthetic ideas of <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2009/00000015/00000003/art00004">uniformity and display</a>.</p> <p>By the end of the 19th century, deciduous trees were becoming more popular as tree plantings for their variety and, in southern areas, for the openness to winter sunshine.</p> <p>It takes around ten years for jacaranda trees to become established. Newly planted jacarandas take between two and 14 years to produce their first flowers, so there was foresight in planning to achieve the streets we have today.</p> <p>In Melbourne, jacarandas were popular in post-first world war plantings. They were displaced by a move to native trees after the second world war. Despite localised popularity in certain suburbs, the jacaranda does not make the list of top 50 tree plantings for <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/220356756/714CC7FF6134038PQ/6?accountid=12001">Melbourne</a>.</p> <p>In Queensland, 19th-century street tree planting was particularly ad hoc – the <a href="https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=602440">Eagle Street fig trees</a> are an example – and offset by enthusiastic forest clearance. It wasn’t until the early 20th century street beautification became more organised and jacaranda avenues were planted in areas like New Farm in Brisbane.</p> <p>The popular plantings on the St Lucia campus of the University of Queensland occurred later, in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/queensland-review/article/abs/for-shade-colour-and-in-memory-of-sacrifice-amenity-and-memorial-tree-planting-in-queenslands-towns-and-cities-191555/459CD1E02E7FD581B4B89ADD7073D705">1930s</a>.</p> <h2>A flower for luck</h2> <p>In Australia, as elsewhere, there can be too much of a good thing. Jacarandas are an invasive species <a href="https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/jacaranda">in parts of Australia</a> (they seed readily in the warm dry climates to which they have been introduced).</p> <p>Parts of South Africa have limited or banned the planting of jacarandas because of their water demands and <a href="http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&amp;pid=S0006-82412017000200020">invasive tendencies</a>. Ironically, eucalypts have a similar status in South Africa.</p> <p>Writer <a href="https://gay.medium.com/hashtag-jacaranda-propaganda-2f20ac6958b9">Carey Baraka argues</a> that, however beloved and iconic now, significant plantings of jacarandas in Kenya indicate areas of past and present white population and colonial domination.</p> <p>Despite these drawbacks, spectacular jacaranda plantings remain popular where they have been introduced. There are even myths about them that cross international boundaries.</p> <p>In the southern hemisphere – in Pretoria or Sydney – they bloom on university campuses during examination time: the first blooms mark the time to study; the fall of blooms suggests it is <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">too late</a>; and the fall of a blossom on a student bestows <a href="https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/34">good luck</a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214075/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-k-martin-107846"><em>Susan K Martin</em></a><em>, Emeritus Professor in English, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/streets-of-purple-haze-how-the-south-american-jacaranda-became-a-symbol-of-australian-spring-214075">original article</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Marine species are being pushed towards the poles. From dugong to octopuses, here are 8 marine species you might spot in new places

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gretta-pecl-128477">Gretta Pecl</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/curtis-champion-1373045">Curtis Champion</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-doubleday-393169">Zoe Doubleday</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p>If you take a plunge in the sea this winter, you might notice it’s warmer than you expect. And if you’re fishing off Sydney and catch a tropical coral trout, you might wonder what’s going on.</p> <p>The reason is simple: hotter water. The ocean has absorbed the vast majority of the extra heat trapped by carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases. It’s no wonder heat in the oceans is building up rapidly – and this year is <a href="https://theconversation.com/ocean-heat-is-off-the-charts-heres-what-that-means-for-humans-and-ecosystems-around-the-world-207902">off the charts</a>.</p> <p>That’s even without the likely arrival of El Niño, where the Pacific Ocean gets warmer than usual and affects weather all over the world. Our coastal waters <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/oceantemp/sst-outlook-map.shtml">are forecast</a> to be especially warm over the coming months, up to 2.5℃ warmer than usual in many places.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=482&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=482&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=482&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=605&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=605&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=605&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Oceans around Australia are forecast to be much warmer than usual. SSTA stands for projected Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly, the difference between forecast ocean temperatures and a historical baseline period encompassing 1990–2012.</span> <span class="attribution">Bureau of Meteorology</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Many marine species live within a narrow temperature range. If the water heats up, they have to move, and if they don’t, they might die. So those that can move, are moving. In Australia, at least 200 marine species have <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.15634">shifted distributions</a> since 2003, with 87% heading south.</p> <p>This pattern is happening all around the world, both on land and <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-photos-captured-by-everyday-australians-reveal-the-secrets-of-our-marine-life-as-oceans-warm-189231">in the ocean</a>. This year, the warmer ocean temperatures during winter mean Australia’s seascapes are likely to be more like summer. So, the next time you go fishing or diving or beachcombing, keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready. You may glimpse the enormous disruption happening underwater for yourself.</p> <h2>Here are eight species on the move</h2> <p><strong>1. Moorish idol (<em>Zanclus cornutus</em>)</strong></p> <p>Historic range: northern Australia</p> <p>Now: This <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/1/204/">striking fish</a> can now be seen south of Geraldton in Western Australia and Eden in New South Wales.</p> <p>This is a great fish for divers to spot on hard-bottomed habitats.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="moorish idol" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Moorish Idols are heading south to escape the heat.</span> <span class="attribution">Shutterstock</span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>2. Branching coral (<em>Pocillopora aliciae</em>)</strong></p> <p>Historic range: northern NSW</p> <p>Now: Look out for this <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/255">pale pink beauty</a> south of Port Stephens, not far from Sydney.</p> <p>Seemingly immovable species like coral are fleeing the heat too. They’re already providing habitat for a range of other shifting species like tropical fish and crab species.</p> <p><strong>3. Eastern rock lobster (<em>Sagmariasus verreauxi</em>)</strong></p> <p>Historic range: common in NSW</p> <p>Now: South, as far as <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/167">it can get.</a> It’s now found in Tasmania and even in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/westward-range-expansion-of-the-eastern-rock-lobster-sagmariasus-verreauxi-in-australia/8DE945E58E1DDA1A2BB7431065AAC8EC">South Australia</a>.</p> <p>This tasty greenish crustacean <a href="https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v624/p1-11/">doesn’t like heat</a> and has moved south into the territory of red southern rock lobsters (<em>Jasus edwardsii</em>).</p> <p><strong>4. Gloomy octopus (<em>Octopus tetricus</em>)</strong></p> <p>Previous range: common in NSW</p> <p>Now: As far south as Tasmania.</p> <p>Look out for this slippery, smart invertebrate in <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/127">Tasmanian waters</a> this winter. You might even spot the octopus nestled down with some eggs, as this looks to be a <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/mf14126">permanent sea change</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=462&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=462&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=462&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=581&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=581&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=581&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="gloomy octopus" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The gloomy octopus is also known as the common Sydney octopus.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Niki Hubbard, Wikimedia</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>5. Whitetip reef shark (<em>Triaenodon obesus</em>)</strong></p> <p>Previous range: northern Australia</p> <p>Now: <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/3/185">South of K'gari</a> (formerly known as Fraser Island).</p> <p>Classed as vulnerable in parts of the world, this tropical shark is a slow swimmer and never sleeps. It poses very little danger to humans.</p> <p><strong>6. Dugongs (<em>Dugong dugon</em>)</strong> Previous range: northern Australia</p> <p>Now: As far south as Shark Bay in WA and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-17/tweed-river-dugong-sighting-boaties-warned/102355438">Tweed River</a> in New South Wales.</p> <p>Our waters are home to the largest number of dugong in the world. But as waters warm, they’re heading south. That means more of us may see these elusive sea-cows as they graze on seagrass meadows.</p> <p>Some of the most adventurous have gone way out of their normal range – in 2014, a kitesurfer <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/articles/2021/07/26/are-dugongs-hitching-a-ride-south/">reported</a> passing a dugong at City Beach, Perth. As a WA wildlife expert says, dugongs may occasionally stray further south of Shark Bay but “given the recent warming trend […] more dugong sightings might be expected in the future”</p> <p><strong>7. Red emperor (<em>Lutjanus sebae</em>) and other warm water game fish</strong></p> <p>Previous range: northern Australia</p> <p>Now: Appearing much further south – especially in WA.</p> <p>Look for <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/1/108/">red</a>, threadfin, and redthroat emperors in southwest WA as the Leeuwin current carries these <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/articles/2021/07/26/game-fish-follow-warm-route-south/">warm water species</a> south. As WA fisheries expert Gary Jackson has said, this current is a warming hotspot, acting like a warm water highway for certain marine species.</p> <p>These fish are highly <a href="https://goodfish.org.au/species/red-emperor/">sought after</a> by fishers.</p> <p><strong>8. Long-spined sea urchin (<em>Centrostephanus rodgersii</em>)</strong></p> <p>Historic range: NSW and Victoria</p> <p>Now: Tasmania</p> <p>Look out for these <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/34/">spiky critters</a> in southern and western Tasmania. The larvae of these urchins have crossed the Bass Strait and found a new home, due to warming waters. Urchins are grazers and can scrape rocks clean, creating urchin barrens where nothing grows. That’s bad news for kelp forests and the species which depend on them. In response, Tasmanian authorities are working to create a <a href="https://fishing.tas.gov.au/community/long-spined-sea-urchin-management/long-spined-sea-urchin-strategy#:%7E:text=%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8BTackling%20the%20longspined%20sea%20urchin&amp;text=Unchecked%2C%20the%20urchin's%20presence%20is,at%20around%2020%20million%20individuals.">viable urchin fishery</a> to keep numbers down.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="long spined sea urchins" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Long-spiked sea urchins are voracious eaters of seaweed.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwturnbull/32131133496/in/photostream/">John Turnbull/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>You can help keep watch</h2> <p>For years, fishers, snorkellers, spearfishers and the general public have contributed their unusual marine sightings to <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/">Redmap</a>, the Australian citizen science project aimed at mapping range extensions of species.</p> <p>If you spot a creature that wouldn’t normally live in the waters near you, you can upload a photo to log your sighting.</p> <p>For example, avid spearfisher Derrick Cruz logged a <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/sightings/1624/">startling discovery</a> with Redmap in 2015: A coral trout in Sydney’s waters. As he told us: “I’ve seen plenty of coral trout in tropical waters, where they’re at home within the coral. But it was surreal to see one swimming through a kelp forest in the local waters off Sydney, much further south than I’ve ever seen that species before!”</p> <p>How does tracking these movements help scientists? Many hands make light work. These vital observations from citizen scientists <a href="https://data-blog.gbif.org/post/gbif-citizen-science-data">have helped</a> researchers gain deeper understanding of what climate change is doing to the natural world in many places, from bird migrations to flowering plants to marine creatures.</p> <p>So, please keep an eye out this year. The heat is on in our oceans, and that can mean sudden change. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207115/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gretta-pecl-128477">Gretta Pecl</a>, Professor, ARC Future Fellow &amp; Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/curtis-champion-1373045">Curtis Champion</a>, Research Scientist, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-doubleday-393169">Zoe Doubleday</a>, Marine Ecologist and ARC Future Fellow, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/marine-species-are-being-pushed-towards-the-poles-from-dugong-to-octopuses-here-are-8-marine-species-you-might-spot-in-new-places-207115">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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Australia’s “most boring state” is making waves

<p dir="ltr">The South Australian Tourism Commission is in hot water with its own shadow minister after forking out the funds for influencers to come visit the state, only to have them dub it Australia’s “most boring state”. </p> <p dir="ltr">It was an interesting take, but not necessarily one that was all too surprising - it’s a long-running joke plaguing the state, and the content produced by the Tiktokers has been defended as both intentional and ironic.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Shadow tourism minister Jing Lee does not share that opinion, demanding to know “who has chosen them, why they are here, [and] how they have been selected.”</p> <p dir="ltr">7News have also reported that the opposition are calling for the campaign’s cost to be made public. </p> <p dir="ltr">South Australia’s tourism organisation put their plan into motion in 2022 when they invited 12 social media influencers with millions of followers between them on a fully funded trip to the state. </p> <p dir="ltr">Their itinerary was reportedly designed to highlight “the very best that SA has to offer”, from its “raw beauty” to its “culinary delights”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“What we’re trying to do is demonstrate that people’s perception of Adelaide is patently wrong,” South Australia’s treasurer Stephen Mullighan explained. “That was the whole idea behind it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Many of the videos that came from the campaign run with captions declaring it to be “the most boring state ever”, or with the influencers asking their followers if they were ready to run amok with them. </p> <p dir="ltr">No matter which tagline the Tiktokers ran with, the content they produced all contained the same hidden message: South Australia was not such a ‘boring’ getaway after all. </p> <p dir="ltr">The clips they featured painted a positive picture of the state, showcasing everything from dolphin cruises to wineries, spectacular dining experiences, and an oyster farm. </p> <p dir="ltr">And as SATC have been happy to report, the campaign has been viewed over 5 million times across TikTok.</p> <p dir="ltr">It still wasn’t enough for Jing Lee, who shared her belief that “the Labor government has an obsession with influencers.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But Stephen Mullighan had his own thoughts on the matter - and more specifically, one of the opposition’s previous attempts at a tourism campaign. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re certainly not going to get lectured to by Jing Lee, John Gardner, and the Liberals,” he said, “who were of course responsible for the most humiliating tourism campaign [the 2019 ‘Old Mate’ campaign] that’s been rolled out in our nation’s history in recent times.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Hidden gems to see in Australia

<p dir="ltr">If you want to experience Australia in all its glory, then you need to check out these three stunning locations - which just happen to be some of the country’s best-kept secret destinations. </p> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>1. The Whites Beach, Byron Bay, NSW</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Byron Bay is a tourist hotspot, but the town’s Whites Beach is a hidden treasure. Getting there alone is an adventure in itself. You’ll have to drive through a road inside a rainforest and walk to the shoreline once you see a path filled with trees.</p> <p dir="ltr">Once you reach the shoreline you’ll be greeted with crystal clear water, white sand, and if you’re lucky enough, you might even see a dolphin! </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2. The Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, SA</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The Wilpena Pound is abundant with wildlife and covers 50 hectares of land. You’re likely to see some kangaroos, and eagles flying above. It’s a beautiful nature walk and if you go in far enough you can catch a glimpse of incredible Aboriginal rock art and unbelievable geological formations. </p> <p dir="ltr">It has a campground that makes for the perfect base to settle down as you venture off into the breathtaking wilderness.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience, Bird Bay, SA</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Head to Baird Bay Ocean for the once-of-a-lifetime opportunity that is swimming with sea lions! These cheeky little creatures will follow you, and even sometimes mock you.</p> <p dir="ltr">If sea lions take a liking to you, they’ll happily introduce you to their babies. If you’re especially fortunate, you could run into some bottlenose dolphins.</p> <p dir="ltr">Head to these locations for an unforgettable experience, but don't tell your friends!</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4cd351a4-7fff-73b8-bc00-34b0aaa5d32e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty/Instagram</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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50 cent house hits the market for just under a million

<p>Houses come in all shapes and sizes, but rarely something quite so complex as a twelve-sided coin. </p> <p>However, for this 50 cent inspired property in the New South Wales bush, that was exactly the vision. </p> <p>The Kiora home has hit the market with a price guide of $899,000 to $950,000, and boasts more than a few key features to lure in prospective buyers. From visiting wildlife to breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, the entire estate promises 28 acres of fun.</p> <p>The main house - otherwise known as both The Dome House and The Tree House - features two bedrooms, a combined bathroom, laundry, kitchen, and open plan living space, as well as a wrap-around deck to enjoy every inch of its surroundings. </p> <p>The second structure, advertised by Domain as ‘Studio 1’, comes equipped with a bedroom, a lounge, a dining room/kitchenette combo, and a study. Additionally, a bathroom can be accessed across a short walkway.</p> <p>Those hoping to embrace the property’s natural surroundings - and the lifestyle that comes right along with it - will be pleased to know that estate also features solar panels, rainwater tanks, pumps, worm farms, vegetable gardens, and even an orchard.</p> <p>“The property is chemical and pesticide free,” the listing notes. “Household scraps are recycled through the worm farms and gardens.”</p> <p>And for anyone worried that this means they’ll be effectively cut off from ‘the real world’, have no fear. A taxi service is available, as well as a nearby school bus pick up location, and “the property is only eleven kilometres from the main Moruya roundabout.”</p> <p>It also sits within walking distance of the Deua National Park - which lies 320 km south of Sydney and 100 km east of Canberra - and river, offering everyone the perfect opportunity to enjoy a picnic, a swim, or simply a relaxing day away. </p> <p>The listing goes on to note that the property had been a permanent residence for its previous owner, and had the potential to be the same for its next inhabitants. </p> <p>However, it would also function well as an “ideal weekend getaway” for people seeking somewhere peaceful, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. </p> <p><em>Images: Domain</em></p>

Real Estate

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“He yelled the N-word”: Stan Grant speaks out on racist attack

<p dir="ltr"><em>Q+A</em> host Stan Grant has opened up about the time he faced unprovoked racist abuse from a stranger outside of the ABC’s headquarters, just days after <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/there-is-no-excuse-for-what-i-saw-stan-grant-calls-on-the-abc-to-do-better">calling for the broadcaster to “do better”</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Grant, a Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man, was attending the national summit on Aboriginal child safety in Adelaide when conversation turned to the incident involving a passerby and “the N-word”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was standing outside the ABC filming … and a young man and his girlfriend walked past me and, as they got close to me, he yelled the N-word loudly at me, right at me,” Grant explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So what if I’m on television, so what if I stayed in the White House with [former US President] Barack Obama …. so what if I can phone the Prime Minister [Anthony Albanese] and he’ll pick up the phone, so what? In that moment, that’s what I was to that person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t know when someone’s going to say that. No matter how successful you are, someone can always cut you down. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Racism can touch us anywhere.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When breaking the story, Grant was addressing an audience of approximately 250 individuals from across Australia - primarily First Nations experts and frontline workers - at the summit hosted by KWY.</p> <p dir="ltr">The group is a South Australia-based Aboriginal organisation who, according to their official website, “cover domestic and family violence, child protection, youth work, kinship care, disability, mentoring, Aboriginal education outcomes, perpetrator intervention, and cultural training and consultancy” across Adelaide and other regional centres. </p> <p dir="ltr">During the summit, Aboriginal Children’s Commissioner April Lawrie called on the South Australian government to take action against the rising rates of Aboriginal children who were being taken into state care, declaring that, “we’re removing [children] but we’re not supporting [families].” </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a telling story when [I] go into a school community to engage with young fullas … to find that I couldn’t take a photo because most of the Aboriginal children in that school community were a child in care [and can’t be identified].</p> <p dir="ltr">“That speaks more than what you see in data. That is the compelling story about what is going on in our Aboriginal communities, what is the relationship of the state with our Aboriginal families.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Reportedly, South Australia has a budget in excess of $500m, and only spends roughly $69m per year on early help services for families. </p> <p dir="ltr">As South Australia’s Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard said, the Malinauskas government intends to commit $3.2m to creating a new committee, while increasing the overall budget for family services by $13.4m. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We know that the current system is not working for Aboriginal families and children,” she stated.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Listening to the wisdom and experience of Aboriginal people is utterly fundamental to building a better approach.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This includes our government acknowledging how that legacy of colonisation and experiences of intergenerational trauma and racism influence the issues Aboriginal people face.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Q+A / Youtube</em></p>

News

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Princess Diana’s niece marries longtime sweetheart

<p>In a stunning mountain-top ceremony, Princess Diana’s niece Lady Amelia Spencer has married her longtime love, Greg Mallett. </p> <p>The couple, who have been dating since they were teenagers and engaged since 2020, teased that the big day was coming with a post to social media captioned “Not long now”. And while they have yet to share any pictures from their big day, Earl Charles Spencer’s daughter opened up to <em>HELLO! </em>about what it meant to tie the knot in a place so dear to their hearts. </p> <p>"It means so much to get married here," she said of their Cape Town location. "Growing up here together for the last 14 years, all of mine and Greg’s happiest times as a couple are here. It’s even more special now."</p> <p>“I’ve been dreaming of watching Amelia walk down the aisle for 14 years,” Greg added. </p> <p>The pair met - and got engaged - in South Africa, and it was in 2021 that Amelia and Greg decided to relocate to the United Kingdom. </p> <p>Amelia has previously stated to <em>HELLO! </em>that the proposal marked the “most romantic” day of her life. And as Greg explained, "I had one big pink box, inside which I put in eight smaller boxes, decreasing in size.</p> <p>"In each box was a photograph of a 'first time'. The final box contained a note instead of a picture, that said: 'But most importantly, I know that you will remember tonight as the night that I proposed.' As Amelia was reading the note, I dropped to one knee with the ring."</p> <p>Amelia’s sisters - twin Eliza and big sister Kitty - were in attendance at the wedding, as well as her younger brother, Samuel. </p> <p>However, according to reports, Amelia’s father - Princess Diana’s brother - was not there. This didn’t come as a huge surprise to some, as he’d also missed Lady Kitty’s wedding - a move that has reportedly created a divide between the Earl and some of his children. </p> <p>As a source told <em>The Daily Mail</em>, “Kitty and Charles were very close when she was growing up, but their relationship has cooled and been more distant since his marriage to his third wife Karen in 2011.”</p> <p>That same source went on to explain that Charles had suffered an injury and that that was likely “the reason for him not travelling”, but it has yet to be revealed what his reasons were for missing out on Amelia’s ceremony as well. </p> <p>It also appears that neither William nor Harry celebrated alongside their cousin on her happy day. </p> <p>Still, fans and friends of the couple were more than happy to share their joy, writing their congratulations on Amelia’s teasing post.</p> <p>“Congratulations [to] you two on your nuptials. You are a beautiful couple,” wrote one. </p> <p>“Wow what a beautiful, happy, healthy, stunning couple,” declared another. “I wish you both all the happiness in the world.”</p> <p>While one announced for all of them, “Simply can’t wait.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Resistance to mega-tourism is rising in the South Pacific – but will governments put words into action?

<p>With COVID-19 travel restrictions largely a thing of the past for Australian and <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/2022/12/fiji-more-popular-with-kiwi-tourists-than-it-was-pre-covid-19.html">New Zealand tourists</a>, Pacific destinations are enjoying the return of visitors – albeit at a <a href="https://devpolicy.org/the-pacific-emerging-from-covid-slowly-20221019/">slower pace</a> than in other parts of the world.</p> <p>Tourism in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands was <a href="https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Countries/ResRep/pis-region/small-states-monitor/pacific-islands-monitor-issue-17-october-2022.ashx">hit hard by the pandemic</a>, but <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/pacific-islands-resilient-as-covid-19-topples-tourism/">patience and resilience</a> are starting to pay off. Foreign dollars are once again circulating in those small economies. Recently, <a href="https://www.mvariety.com/business/kiribati-welcomes-first-cruise-ship-visit/article_30ca4be0-b0f7-11ed-9b9d-93619a4dfba6.html">Kiribati welcomed</a> its first international cruise ship since 2020.</p> <p>But this isn’t a simple case of returning to normal. The past three years have allowed time for reflection, leading to a rising awareness of <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit-calls-on-pacific-leaders-to-work-together-to-build-resilient-futures/">possible alternatives</a> to pre-pandemic tourism models.</p> <p>From senior levels within governments to grassroots tourism operators and citizens, there has been serious discussion about the resumption of business as usual, including several <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/2021-ends-on-a-high-with-pacific-islands-tourism-research-symposium/">regional symposiums</a> hosted by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.</p> <p>Issues of sovereignty and future resilience have been very much to the fore – quite untypical in a global tourism industry largely focused on <a href="https://etc-corporate.org/news/europes-tourism-rebound-predicted-to-continue-into-2023/">boosting numbers</a> as soon as possible. Questions remain, however, about the gap between rhetoric and reality.</p> <h2>Flipping the narrative</h2> <p>The <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/2022-pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit/">Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leaders Summit</a> in November 2022 brought together tourism ministers and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of regional tourism. This led to a <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit-calls-on-pacific-leaders-to-work-together-to-build-resilient-futures/">regional commitment</a> signed by 11 countries focused on promoting sustainable tourism.</p> <p>Essentially, the aim is to flip the narrative: rather than Pacific nations being seen as dependent on tourism, regional tourism itself depends on the Pacific and its people surviving and thriving. Accordingly, Pacific countries are calling for fairer and more meaningful relationships with tourism partners.</p> <p>Cook Islands’ associate minister of foreign affairs and immigration, Tingika Elikana, urged other Pacific leaders at the summit to rebuild tourism in a way that was <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/inclusive-pacific-summit-calls-on-regional-leaders-to-work-together/">equitable and inclusive</a>, "[it] is crucial that lessons are learned from recent crises and that steps are taken to embed long-term inclusivity, sustainability, and resilience into our tourism offering as it faces evolving challenges and risks."</p> <p>Vanuatu has been heading in this direction since early in the pandemic, when it made “destination wellbeing” <a href="https://www.traveldailymedia.com/vanuatu-tourism-adopts-well-being-approach-for-covid-19-recovery/">central to its tourism recovery</a>. The aim of “moving beyond solely measuring visitor arrivals and contribution to GDP” then fed into the country’s <a href="https://tourism.gov.vu/images/DoT-Documents/Presentations/Vanuatu_Sustainable_Tourism_Strategy_2020-2030-2020_.pdf">Sustainable Tourism Strategy</a>, launched at the height of the pandemic.</p> <h2>Push-back on resorts and cruise ships</h2> <p>This reappraisal of scale and priorities has perhaps been most evident in Fiji where there has been <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/project-unoriginal/">strong opposition</a> to a US$300 million mega-project proposed by Chinese developers.</p> <p>The hotel, apartment and marina complex would be built in an area containing one of the last remaining remnants of mangrove forest near the capital, Suva. Conservationists and local residents have been critical of the <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484141/conservationist-calls-on-fiji-govt-to-preserve-rare-mangrove">environmental</a> and <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/how-can-fiji-supply-water-to-project/">infrastructural</a> impact of the proposed development, as well as the <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/project-unoriginal/">authenticity of its design</a>.</p> <p>There is <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484710/costly-development-of-suva-forest-may-now-not-happen">now doubt</a> about whether the government will renew the developer’s lease, due to expire in June. The minister for lands and mineral resources has said “there’s been a lack of transparency” from the developers, and that he “will continue to monitor the remaining conditions of the development lease”.</p> <p>A leading opponent of the project, Reverend James Bhagwan, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484710/costly-development-of-suva-forest-may-now-not-happen">told Radio New Zealand</a>, "we'’re not anti-development, but what we’re saying is we need to look at development from a perspective that places the environment at the centre, not at the periphery.</p> <p>There is a precedent here: approval for a multi-million-dollar resort and casino development on Malolo island was revoked in 2019 after another Chinese developer, Freesoul Investments, destroyed part of a reef, dumped waste and disrupted traditional fisheries. In 2022, the High Court fined the company <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/resort-developers-found-guilty-over-fiji-island-disaster-1">FJD$1 million</a>. It was the first time a developer had been punished for an “environmental crime”.</p> <p>Environmental concerns are also causing other Pacific countries to resist a return to mass tourism. In Rarotonga, Cook Islands, annual visitor numbers before the pandemic were ten times the island’s local population. The ability to cope with that level of tourism has since been <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/443141/cook-islanders-considering-how-much-tourism-is-too-much">seriously questioned</a>.</p> <p>And in French Polynesia, the government has <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/french-polynesia-the-latest-country-to-ban-mega-cruise-ships/RXY2PDLCWPAIZRVNENLHJ6Z2N4/">banned port calls</a> for cruise ships with a capacity greater than 3,500 passengers. The decision was based on concerns about air pollution, stress on the marine environment and social impacts. Daily cruise arrivals to Bora Bora are now restricted to 1,200 passengers, much to the <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/407885/bora-bora-calls-for-ban-on-large-cruise-ships">relief of locals</a>.</p> <h2>A new kind of tourism?</h2> <p>In the face of uncertainties due to climate change and geopolitical tensions in the region, it’s encouraging to hear local voices being heard in debates about the future of Pacific tourism – and political leaders appearing to respond.</p> <p>The Pacific Island Forum leaders’ retreat in Fiji late last month discussed the tourism industry. The forum’s signature <a href="https://www.forumsec.org/2050strategy/">Blue Pacific Strategy</a> for regional co-operation recognises tourism is an important component of national development, and the need to balance economic pressures with environmental and cultural protection.</p> <p>But despite the apparent political will and regional focus on building resilience, tourism development will undoubtedly continue to challenge the desires and initiatives of Pacific peoples seeking more sustainable futures.</p> <p>While the policy rhetoric sounds good, it remains to be seen whether Pacific governments will remain steadfast and united under mounting pressures from major cruise operators, Chinese commercial interests and large hotels looking to maximise occupancy rates.</p> <p>Many Pacific people reported the natural environment – along with social, spiritual, physical and mental wellbeing – <a href="https://www.internationaljournalofwellbeing.org/index.php/ijow/article/view/2539">improved during the pandemic pause</a> in tourism. But the reality of putting local wellbeing ahead of profits and increased tax revenue is yet to be fully tested as tourism bounces back.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/resistance-to-mega-tourism-is-rising-in-the-south-pacific-but-will-governments-put-words-into-action-201071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Harry and Meghan break their silence on "boring and baseless" South Park episode

<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have broken their silence after being portrayed in an episode of <em>South Park</em>, in which they were ruthlessly mocked and ridiculed. </p> <p>The animated TV show released their newest episode, titled <em>The Worldwide Privacy Tour</em>, which depicted the royal couple embarking on a promotional tour for the Prince's new book titled "Waaaah". </p> <p>After the episode aired, reports emerged that Meghan Markle was left "upset and overwhelmed" by their merciless slating on the show, while a royal commentator speculated that the couple's lawyers were "casting an eye" over the cartoon series.</p> <p>Despite these claims, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has debunked rumours that they would be suing <em>South Park</em> over the episode, blasting the claims as "boring and baseless" in a statement given to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/why-prince-harry-meghan-markle-will-not-sue-south-park-lawsuit-1782414" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Newsweek</a>.</p> <p>The statement did not mention Harry and Meghan's personal feelings towards the episode, nor did it address claims that the couple's lawyers will be monitoring the show in order to see whether <em>South Park</em>'s creators launch any fresh attacks on the pair in the future.</p> <p>U.S. royal commentator Kristen Meinzer also told Newsweek that is was easy to see why the couple were not taking legal action.</p> <p>She said, "I highly doubt Meghan and Harry are suing a satirical cartoon that famously ridicules everyone."</p> <p>"If anything, they'll know they're in good company with other decent people who've been raked over the coals by the show."</p> <p>"For example, <em>South Park</em> has repeatedly ridiculed Al Gore and his efforts to combat climate change. They made fun of Steve Irwin for being killed by a stingray just a few weeks after his death."</p> <p>"They turned Rob Reiner into a punchline because of his weight. They've never been a bastion of good taste, and they've absolutely been offensive, but again, they're also a cartoon, not a news outlet—and Harry and Meghan are unlikely to take a cartoon to court."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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