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Scarlett Johansson slams tech giant's AI update

Scarlett Johansson has issued a furious public statement, claiming that tech giant OpenAI used a voice that is “eerily similar” to hers in the latest version of ChatGPT. In the statement published by NPR, the actress claimed that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had approached her last year asking if she would be interested in voicing their new AI voice assistant. After further consideration and "for personal reasons" she rejected the offer. She claimed that Altman then reached out to her agent again just days before the AI voice assistant was released, but before she had a chance to respond, the voice "Sky" was released. “When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference,” she said in the statement. She also said that the similarity seemed intentional, as Altman tweeted the word "her" upon Sky's release, which is the same name as a 2013 movie she was in where she voiced a chat system. “In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity,” the actress said in her statement. “I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.” OpenAI announced that it had paused the use of the “Sky” voice on Sunday, and insisted that it wasn't Johansson's voice, but another actress. “We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity’s distinctive voice — Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice,” the company wrote. Image: Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto/ Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

"Big one for shenanigans": Aussie larrikin paddles a giant pumpkin down a river

In potentially the most Aussie story ever and a suspected world first, one bloke has pinched his mate's award-winning pumpkin to turn into a paddle boat and sail down the Tumut River. The enormous pumpkin was grown by farmer Mark Peacock, who grew the vegetable to a whopping 407kg and would regularly post updates on the gourd's growing progress on Facebook. The pumpkin even earned a fitting name, Tormund after a character in Game of Thrones, and was used to feed his livestock. After the pumpkin had served its purpose, Peacock's friend and local canoe club commodore Adam Farquharson saw a once in a lifetime opportunity. Sporting a sailor hat and pipe, he navigated the hollowed-out pumpkin, dubbed ‘Cinderella’, down the Tumut River in New South Wales’ Riverina region, much to the amusement of bystanders. “Barry Humphries said that he’s a big fan of the unnecessary, and I am too. I’m a big one for shenanigans,” he told <a title="www.abc.net.au" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-16/man-turns-mammoth-400kg-pumpkin-into-a-canoe/103708438">ABC Riverena</a><a title="www.abc.net.au" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-16/man-turns-mammoth-400kg-pumpkin-into-a-canoe/103708438">.</a> While initially surprised by Farquharson’s antics, Mr Peacock acknowledged that it was characteristic of his friend’s sense of humour to do something out of the ordinary to make people smile. “He’s really hilarious. But he’s random, occasionally,” he said. “I intentionally grew this as a family project and then started doing Facebook updates every week.” For Mr Farquharson, the voyage was simply about enjoying himself and giving locals an opportunity for a laugh. Farquharson joked about potential future exploits but remained grounded about his brief moment of fame as “Popeye the Pumpkin Man.” “I think the worldwide fame will wear off pretty soon. I won’t end up like Taylor Swift. I’ll just get back to life as normal,” he said. Reflecting on the unusual journey, Mr Farquharson humorously considered preserving the pumpkin as a national curiosity by placing it on a pedestal among Australian sporting royalty. “It was a sad moment. I did jokingly say to my wife that I should petition the prime minister to have it preserved and put next to Phar Lap’s heart at the National Museum,” he told the ABC. “She thought I was an idiot.” Image credits: Facebook

Domestic Travel

Meg Ryan is back after a "giant break"

Meg Ryan is back and she has spilled it all, ahead of her first rom-com release in nearly 15 years. In an interview with People Magazine, the When Harry Met Sally star revealed the reason why she took a step back from her career. "I took a giant break because I felt like there's just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop," she told the outlet. "It's nice to think of it as a job and not a lifestyle. And that is a great way of navigating it for me." The 61-year-old also shared the inspiration behind her first rom-com What Happens Later, which she directed, wrote and starred in. "It came to me during lockdown," she gushed. "The essence of it is these two people who are stuck together. I just love that idea that we're held in a space, even if it feels conflicted, maybe for reasons that heal them." This is the first rom-com that she has acted in for over a decade, with her last film in that genre being Serious Moonlight back in 2009. In another another conversation with Interview magazine's Carol Burnett, she opened up about the process of making her film. "Truly, the easiest part was acting in it," she told the publication. "I want to direct again just so I can sit in the chair, because I’m sure there’s a lot of things I missed." "I hadn’t done a role in a really long time, but it was fun with David," she added, referring to co-star David Duchovny, known for his role as Fox Mulder in The X Files. "A lot of it was done in two shots. I’m proud of that. I set up everything beforehand so that once we were there, it was just David and I trying to tell the truth." She revealed that the film was assembled together with a very "deliberate" process and a budget of only $3 million. "We had to do it really quickly. A lot of those extras weren’t even ours, they were real people," she said. "We went back in post and made everybody the same palette. There’s a lot of stuff you can do digitally now, thank god." The actress first shot to fame in 1980 for her girl-next-door image, after playing the love interest in iconic films like the original Top Gun and When Harry Met Sally. Images: Getty Images/ Edward Berthelot/WireImage

Movies

Online travel giant uses AI chatbot as travel adviser

Online travel giant Expedia has collaborated with the controversial artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT in place of a travel adviser. Those planning a trip will be able to chat to the bot through the Expedia app. Although it won’t book flights or accommodation like a person can, it can be helpful in answering various travel-related questions. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Travel planning just got easier in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Expedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Expedia</a> app, thanks to the iOS beta launch of a new experience powered by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChatGPT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChatGPT</a>. See how Expedia members can start an open-ended conversation to get inspired for their next trip: <a href="https://t.co/qpMiaYxi9d">https://t.co/qpMiaYxi9d</a> <a href="https://t.co/ddDzUgCigc">pic.twitter.com/ddDzUgCigc</a> — Expedia Group (@ExpediaGroup) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpediaGroup/status/1643240991342592000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote> These questions include information on things such as weather inquiries, public transport advice, the cheapest time to travel and what you should pack. It is advanced software and can provide detailed options and explanations for holidaymakers. To give an example, <a href="http://news.com.au/">news.com.au</a> asked “what to pack to visit Auckland, New Zealand” and the chatbot suggested eight things to pack and why, even advising comfortable shoes for exploring as “Auckland is a walkable city”. “Remember to pack light and only bring what you need to avoid excess baggage fees and make your trip more comfortable,” the bot said. When asked how to best see the Great Barrier Reef, ChatGPT provided four options to suit different preferences, for example, if you’re happy to get wet and what your budget might look like. “It’s important to choose a reputable tour operator that follows sustainable tourism practices to help protect the reef,” it continued. OpenAI launched ChatGPT in December 2022 and it has received a lot of praise as well as serious criticism. The criticisms are mainly concerns about safety and accuracy. Image credits: Getty/Twitter

International Travel

"Giant of the nation": Indigenous leader Yunupingu dies

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this article contains images of deceased persons. Indigenous leader Yunupingu has passed away at the age of 74. Yunupingu, a Yolngu man and the Gumatj clan leader, was known for his longtime advocacy work, campaigning for land rights for Indigenous Australians. The influential leader was one of the architects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which called for Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, as well as the upcoming Voice to parliament vote. He was named Australian of the Year in 1978, made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1985, and was later made an honourary Doctor of Laws by Melbourne University in 2015. Yunupingu became the first chairman of the Northern Land Council in 1977, and was re-elected to the position in 1983, which he held until his retirement in 2004. Tributes have flown for the influential First Nations leader, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling him a "great Australian". <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Yunupingu walked in two worlds with authority, power and grace, and he worked to make them whole — together. He was a leader, a statesman, a great Yolngu man and a great Australian. He now walks in another place, but he has left such great footsteps for us to follow in this one. <a href="https://t.co/aOgZMU6UTJ">pic.twitter.com/aOgZMU6UTJ</a> — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1642660247516086273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></blockquote> Yunupingu's family broke the news of his passing as they issued an emotional statement, saying they mourned his death "with deep love and great sadness". "The loss to our family and community is profound. We are hurting, but we honour him and remember with love everything he has done for us," daughter Binmila Yunupingu said. "We remember him for his fierce leadership, and total strength for Yolngu and for Aboriginal people throughout Australia. He lived by our laws always. The family said Yunupingu would be returned to his land and will be honoured in ceremonies to be announced in due course. "There will never be another like him," Binmila said. Yunupingu's family have given permission for the use of his surname and image to be used in media articles. Image credits: Getty Images

News

Streaming service giant pays woman 5 figures to watch content

If you think you spend too much time on Amazon Prime, think again as one lucky lady has snatched up her “dream” job with the streaming service. The woman, Alex Bain, 36, has been dubbed Prime Video’s “Buff”, and her job entails reviewing content for Amazon Prime, which came after the platform searched nationwide to fill the role of watching new content. Here’s the real kicker, the 36-year-old will be paid $40,000 for three months of viewing new content and sharing her opinions. She is not new to the scene of content review as she frequently posts to her Instagram, TikTok and Youtube reviewing various TV shows and movies. Upon seeing the advertisement from Amazon Prime, one of Bain’s friends encouraged her to apply. “Everything on it, it was like seeing a list of what would be my ideal job,” Ms Bain told NCA NewsWire. “I’m 36, so I want to do something I’m passionate about, so I decided to just go for it. “I got a phone call from Amazon saying I’d been short-listed, and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’” She said the time between applying for the role and being told she was successful went “so quickly”. Not long after, she received the news she was the lucky one chosen to fill the role. Image credit: Instagram

Reward offered after "senseless vandalism" of giant statue

An act of vandalism that is being treated as suspicious by local police has seen a beloved art installation destroyed in Mandurah, south of Perth. Described as "thoughtless and selfish" by WA Premier Mark McGowan, the brazen act has caused a flood of disbelief and anger, with police offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction. The fire – which took place on Friday night – caused irreparable damage to Vivi Cirklestone, one of five wooden sculptures created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo and hidden throughout bushland in Mandurah, with a sixth installed in the Perth suburb of Subiaco. Mourners gathered to leave flowers on the charred wreck of the popular sculpture, which is one of a handful of “protectors of the environment” built in the region as part of a cultural tourism project. <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FwaIncidentsalerts%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0j7E3Ssk4YC2sd7b6FhGyvRAWnhB4qKQs1EVZ2uYPbFkmn7Ratwee2bmEVAzzbPxVl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="792" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> “The circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire are being treated as suspicious,” WA Police said in a statement. Mandurah Detectives and the Arson Squad are now working to find what sparked the fire that razed the installation. Police also stated that an image doing the rounds on social media that showed the sculpture on fire had been accounted for and was not what it first appeared to many. “The photograph that’s been distributed on social media actually was taken by the person who reported the fire to DFES and the person in the footage is one of his mates,” acting inspector Tom Tristram said. The Giants of Mandurah took Danish artist Thomas Dambo hundreds of hours to complete and were launched in November as a free Australian-first exhibition. “Me and my crew are obviously super sad to hear this news,” Dambo said. “I feel it is probably done by a troubled person and is not the feeling of the general population”. Premier Mark McGowan also weighed in on the incident, saying that he “hopes whoever is behind this thoughtless and selfish behaviour at some point reflects on the sadness they have caused, especially so close to Christmas." “The sculptures aren’t just works of art, they are meant to be positive and fun attractions for families not just in Mandurah but across Perth and beyond. This is senseless vandalism. That’s all it is. And the victim isn’t just the artist but the community as well.“ Images: Facebook / Courtesy of Visit Mandurah

Legal

Meat Loaf – a complicated musical giant

Ridiculed by critics and custodians of cool, Meat Loaf’s bombastic performances were loved by millions, providing the soundtrack to the lives of various generations. The man born Marvin Lee Aday was something of an unreliable narrator. He offered contradictory accounts in interviews of such basic details as his date of birth, real name, or why and how he came to be known as Meat Loaf. According to <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/to-hell-and-back/david-dalton/meat-loaf/9780753504437">his autobiography</a>, an inheritance from his mother allowed him, as a disturbed and distressed teenager, to leave the house of a violent alcoholic father to live, first in Dallas, and subsequently California. He was cast in the original Los Angeles productions of both Hair and The Rocky Horror Show, also appearing in the 1975 film adaptation of the latter. On auditioning for budding playwright/songwriter <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/meat-loaf-remembers-jim-steinman-1160041/">Jim Steinman’s</a> More Than You Deserve musical – the title track of which would later pop up on the Dead Ringer album – Steinman identified his ideal leading man for the Bat out of Hell project. Record executives were less convinced. They thought that the pairing of a large sweaty singer with unorthodox musical arrangements, pitched somewhere between Phil Spector and Wagner, was a complete anomaly in the age of punk and disco. The odd pair were eventually signed by independent label Cleveland after getting Todd Rundgren onboard as a producer. The Texan-born singer and actor outlived his chief collaborator by less than a year. Their signing with Cleveland would be the start to a career full of hits and as many highs as there were lows. <h2>Difficult success</h2> Bat Out of Hell – one of the top five selling records of all-time – was released in 1977. Almost all the songs originated from a university project of Steinman’s based on Peter Pan. Unable to clear the rights with JM Barrie’s estate, Steinman recycled the material into Bat Out of Hell instead. Jukebox musicals typically rely on a pre-existing songbook but Bat out of Hell is best characterised as a cast album that had its first outing in the charts before the stage. Given that three of the album’s seven songs exceed eight minutes, remarkably not a moment is wasted. Epics such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C11MzbEcHlw&ab_channel=MeatLoafVEVO">Paradise by the Dashboard Light</a> and Bat out of Hell (designed to top the 1960s hit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTjQgkHzbTk&ab_channel=John1948Ten">Tell Laura I Love Her</a> as the ultimate motorcycle crash song) are more than guilty pleasures. They encapsulate the sensations if not perhaps the realities of being a hormonal teenager in thrall to sex, death and rock‘n’roll. The album sold over 10 million copies in the US, and spent over ten years on the UK charts. Meat Loaf was not, however, mentally or physically prepared for the pressures of success or large-scale touring. After losing his voice on the Bat Out of Hell tour in 1978, he had multiple nervous breakdowns and attempted suicide. Steinman lost patience, and a planned sequel to Bat was put on the backburner. There were occasional hits in the 1980s without Steinman (for instance <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCHWD9HeRKY&ab_channel=PeterSchulz">Modern Girl</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5TvUFX8blX7LAw4nMtYji4?highlight=spotify:track:0UeoAe8yipWeSNr3zfCPfx">Midnight at the Lost and Found</a>) but Meat Loaf’s star was on the wane. Despite recording one of the most successful albums of rock’s golden age, by 1983 the singer was facing the prospect of bankruptcy. Yet by playing smaller venues and adopting more sophisticated vocal techniques, a constant touring schedule through the latter part of the 1980s transformed Meat Loaf into one of world’s most accomplished live performers. A nearly three-hour 1988 concert recording <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0gkNPhmn-0">from Edinburgh</a> shows why this period is considered his live peak by hardcore fans. It also ensured he was better prepared to reap the rewards when he and Steinman staged one of rock’s most unlikely comebacks with Bat out of Hell II in 1993, with lead-single I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t do That) topping the charts in 28 countries. The 1990s marked Meat Loaf’s imperial phase, selling out arenas and enjoying celebrity, appearing in films such as Fight Club (1997) and Spice World (1999). Yet unlike Peter Pan, Meat Loaf wasn’t forever young, often appearing lost in the new millennium. After collapsing on stage in Newcastle in 2007, he said he wouldn’t perform in concert again. In reality, he continued touring for another decade, the musical equivalent of a veteran boxer not knowing when to hang up the gloves. Steinman also launched a legal action when the singer sought to go it alone with <a href="https://ultimateclassicrock.com/meat-loaf-bat-out-of-hell-iii/">Bat Out of Hell III</a> (2006). An out of court settlement effectively gave the songwriter free rein to develop a stage version of Bat out of Hell. Despite their differences, Meat Loaf took on promotional duties as Steinman’s health prevented him from undertaking for the 2017 premiere of <a href="https://www.batoutofhellmusical.com/">Bat Out of Hell the Musical</a>. Now that so many of rock’s founding fathers have died, my current research into rock musicals such as this and David Bowie’s Lazarus sees them as repositioning one of the major forms of cultural expression from the second half of the last century. Blessed with one of rock’s most distinctive voices (admirers include Axl Rose and Kurt Cobain), quality control was never Meat’s forte. At his best, however, the Loaf was a heavyweight contender, able to hold his own alongside the world’s finest performers irrespective of genre. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/meat-loaf-a-complicated-musical-giant-175552" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Prince Charles, Duran Duran and a giant bull: All the highlights of the Comm Games Opening Ceremony

The 2022 Commonwealth Games are officially underway, after the impressive opening ceremony kicked off on Thursday evening. The extravagant ceremony captivated the attention of local and international fans, with TV viewers around the word tuning in to the Birmingham event. Prince Charles arrived at the Alexander Stadium in style, driving the same Aston Martin the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge famously left Buckingham Palace in on their wedding day. The Prince of Wales drove his luxury, vintage car out onto the arena before a display where several motor vehicles combined to form a perfect Union Jack on the arena surface. The ceremony celebrated aspects of the rich history and culture of Birmingham, with a 10 metre tall mechanical "Raging Bull" being waltzed into the stadium. The Bull Ring is a major shopping district in the city, which also features a sculpture of a bull, while the mascot for these Commonwealth Games is Perry the Bull. Female chain makers dragged the bull into the stadium, representing the chains used during the slave trade. The bull then broke free of those chains — symbolising the abolition of the slave trade and the 1910 wage strike that paved the way for women to break free from poverty. Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai addressed the audience early in the ceremony, sharing a heartfelt message about how Birmingham became her home and welcomed her family. Musical act Duran Duran, who began their career in Birmingham, closed the ceremony as they belted out fan favourite tracks such as Save A Prayer, Planet Earth and Ordinary World. The Commonwealth Games will run until August 8th, with 72 countries competing in 19 sports over the 11-day event. Image credits: Getty Images

International Travel

Thousands of giant crabs amass off Australia’s coast

Every winter in shallow waters off Australia’s southern coast, armies of native spider crabs appear in their thousands. They form huge underwater piles, some as tall as a person. These fascinating crustaceans are on a risky mission – to get bigger. Crabs cannot simply grow like humans and other soft-bodied creatures. They must break free from their shells, expand their soft flesh and harden a new shell – all while dodging hungry predators on the hunt for a soft, easy meal. This moulting process leaves crabs clumsy and uncoordinated, making any escape tricky. That’s thought to be one reason they clump together in such big numbers – to keep each other safe. The spectacular gatherings attract tourists from interstate and overseas and have even been featured in a BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09gl670" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documentary</a>. But despite all this attention, scientists know very little about these quirky creatures. We need your help to investigate. <h2>Safety in numbers</h2> Southern Australia’s spider crabs (Leptomithrax gaimardii) are usually orange to red-brown. They can reach 16cm across their shell and 40cm across their legs, and are commonly known as great spider crabs. Spider crabs are believed to be widely dispersed in deeper waters. But they’re most visible to humans when they congregate <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/14370" target="_blank" rel="noopener">near shore in winter</a>, and occasionally at other times of year. Once together, spider crabs shed their old shells in a synchronised act thought to take about <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/14370" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an hour</a>. The crabs stay together until their new hard shells form, which probably takes a few days. The aggregation can last a few weeks. Soft crabs are thought to take refuge in the middle of the piles, protected by crabs yet to moult. Afterwards, spider crabs return to deeper waters and their solitary lives, leaving the seafloor littered with discarded shells. <h2>Plenty of mysteries to solve</h2> Spider crab aggregations have been officially reported along the Victorian and Tasmanian coasts. Historically, most winter sightings have been reported on the Mornington Peninsula – particularly near the Rye and Blairgowrie piers. Anecdotal evidence suggests the gatherings can also happen elsewhere. For instance, an aggregation was reported this year on the western side of Port Phillip Bay. But there’s still so much we don’t know about spider crabs, such as: <ul> <li>how many spider crabs are out there?</li> <li>how many gather en masse?</li> <li>how long do the crabs stay?</li> <li>what signals do crabs use to know it’s time to come together?</li> <li>why do the crabs aggregate at one location in several consecutive years then not return?</li> </ul> Most spider crab gatherings seem to occur in winter, but they’re known to come together at other times. For example, aggregations in late spring, midsummer and early autumn have been reported in parts of Port Phillip Bay and elsewhere Victoria and Tasmania. Those aggregations don’t seem related to moulting – in fact, we have no idea why they occur! <h2>We need your help</h2> To better understand spider crab aggregations, a citizen science project called <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/spider-crab-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spider Crab Watch</a> has been launched. We’re inviting everyone – including divers, fishermen, swimmers and boaters – to report where they see spider crabs, alone or in groups. We’d also love to hear from people who come across discarded spider crab shells on the beach, because that indicates an aggregation occurred nearby. The reports will help us determine the habitats and conditions suitable for spider crab aggregations. We welcome sightings from Port Phillip Bay and across the Great Southern Reef, where spider crabs live. The reef spans the southern part of Australia from New South Wales to Western Australia and Tasmania. Logging a sighting is a quick process. Just report the date, time and location of the spider crabs, and answer a few questions. Photos are not essential but always welcome. We’re also using traditional research to solve these mysteries. This includes underwater surveys, spider crab tagging and the use of timelapse cameras to capture images of spider crabs and their predators at sites where aggregations are expected. After the aggregations, the images captured will be uploaded to a web portal. Interested people from around the country (and the world) can then analyse the images to help us count spider crabs and identify their predators. If that interests you, <a href="https://redcap.link/ybjksj1z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign up</a> for Spider Crab Watch updates. This program and the broader research is supported by funding from the Victorian government. <h2>Understanding our oceans</h2> The aims of this research go far beyond spider crabs. Scientists also want to know if spider crab gatherings help predators maintain healthy populations. Huge stingrays, seals, seabirds and some sharks are often spotted near aggregation sites. But we need more information to understand how crab aggregations affect animals at the top of the food chain. Spider crabs have captured the imagination of ocean lovers for decades – yet we know so little about their lives. This project will help us gather information on this amazing natural spectacle and the role it plays in the marine environment. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-giant-crabs-amass-off-australias-coast-scientists-need-your-help-to-understand-it-183342" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Museums Victoria

Travel Trouble

This giant kangaroo once roamed New Guinea – descended from an Australian ancestor that migrated millions of years ago

Long ago, almost up until the end of the last ice age, a peculiar giant kangaroo roamed the mountainous rainforests of New Guinea. Now, research to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03721426.2022.2086518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> on Thursday by myself and colleagues suggests this kangaroo was not closely related to modern Australian kangaroos. Rather, it represents a previously unknown type of primitive kangaroo unique to New Guinea. The age of megafauna Australia used to be home to all manner of giant animals called megafauna, until most of them went extinct about 40,000 years ago. These megafauna lived alongside animals we now consider characteristic of the Australian bush – kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles and the like – but many were larger species of these. There were giant wombats called Phascolonus, 2.5-metre-tall short-faced kangaroos, and the 3-tonne Diprotodon optatum (the largest marsupial ever). In fact, some Australian megafaunal species, such as the red kangaroo, emu and cassowary, survive through to the modern day. The fossil megafauna of New Guinea are considerably less well-studied than those of Australia. But despite being shrouded in mystery, New Guinea’s fossil record has given us hints of fascinating and unusual animals whose evolutionary stories are entwined with Australia’s. Palaeontologists have done sporadic expeditions and fossil digs in New Guinea, including digs by American and Australian researchers in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. It was during an archaeological excavation in the early 1970s, led by Mary-Jane Mountain, that two jaws of an extinct giant kangaroo were unearthed. A young researcher (now professor) named Tim Flannery called the species Protemnodon nombe. The fossils Flannery described are about 20,000–50,000 years old. They come from the Nombe Rockshelter, an archaeological and palaeontological site in the mountains of central Papua New Guinea. This site also delivered fossils of another kangaroo and giant four-legged marsupials called diprotodontids. An unexpected discovery Flinders University Professor Gavin Prideaux and I recently re-examined the fossils of Protemnodon nombe and found something unexpected. This strange kangaroo was not a species of the genus Protemnodon, which used to live all over Australia, from the Kimberley to Tasmania. It was something a lot more primitive and unknown. In particular, its unusual molars with curved enamel crests set it apart from all other known kangaroos. We moved the species into a brand new genus unique to New Guinea and (very creatively) renamed it Nombe nombe. <figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/724328370" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>A 3D surface scan of a specimen of Nombe nombe, specifically a fossilised lower jaw from central Papua New Guinea. (Courtesy of Papua New Guinea Museum and Art Gallery, Port Moresby).</figcaption></figure> Our findings show Nombe may have evolved from an ancient form of kangaroo that migrated into New Guinea from Australia in the late Miocene epoch, some 5–8 million years ago. In those days, the islands of New Guinea and Australia were connected by a land bridge due to lower sea levels – whereas today they’re separated by the Torres Strait. This “bridge” allowed early Australian mammals, including megafauna, to migrate to New Guinea’s rainforests. When the Torres Strait flooded again, these animal populations became disconnected from their Australian relatives and evolved separately to suit their tropical and mountainous New Guinean home. We now consider Nombe to be the descendant of one of these ancient lineages of kangaroos. The squat, muscular animal lived in a diverse mountainous rainforest with thick undergrowth and a closed canopy. It evolved to eat tough leaves from trees and shrubs, which gave it a thick jawbone and strong chewing muscles. The species is currently only known from two fossil lower jaws. And much more remains to be discovered. Did Nombe hop like modern kangaroos? Why did it go extinct? As is typical of palaeontology, one discovery inspires an entire host of new questions. Strange but familiar animals Little of the endemic animal life of New Guinea is known outside of the island, even though it is very strange and very interesting. Very few Australians have much of an idea of what’s there, just over the strait. When I went to the Papua New Guinea Museum in Port Moresby early in my PhD, I was thrilled by the animals I encountered. There are several living species of large, long-nosed, worm-eating echidna – one of which weighs up to 15 kilograms. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Author Isaac Kerr poses for a photo, holding an Australian giant kangaroo jaw in his left hand" /></a><figcaption>I’m excited to start digging in New Guinea’s rainforests! Author provided</figcaption></figure> There are also dwarf cassowaries and many different wallaby, tree kangaroo and possum species that don’t exist in Australia – plus many more in the fossil record. We tend to think of these animals as being uniquely Australian, but they have other intriguing forms in New Guinea. As an Australian biologist, it’s both odd and exhilarating to see these “Aussie” animals that have expanded into new and weird forms in another landscape. Excitingly for me and my colleagues, Nombe nombe may breathe some new life into palaeontology in New Guinea. We’re part of a small group of researchers that was recently awarded a grant to undertake three digs at two different sites in eastern and central Papua New Guinea over the next three years. Working with the curators of the Papua New Guinea Museum and other biologists, we hope to inspire young local biology students to study palaeontology and discover new fossil species. If we’re lucky, there may even be a complete skeleton of Nombe nombe waiting for us.<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/185778/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/isaac-alan-robert-kerr-1356949" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaac Alan Robert Kerr</a>, PhD Candidate for Palaeontology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flinders University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-giant-kangaroo-once-roamed-new-guinea-descended-from-an-australian-ancestor-that-migrated-millions-of-years-ago-185778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Supplied

Domestic Travel

Vodka cruiser reveals giant new bottle

There are plenty of Aussies who would have fond memories of dancing away with a Vodka Cruiser in hand. Fans will be excited to know that the popular ready-to-go drink has had a massive upgrade. In celebration of its 21st birthday and the reopening of dance floors across Australia, Vodka Cruiser will be giving 21 lucky Aussies a chance to get their hands on the impressive 3.1L Double Magnum bottles – available in fan-favourite flavours Wild Raspberry, Juicy Watermelon, and Lush Guava. The winners will be able to invite four friends each to the Magnum Cruiser experience. The humungous bottles, which replicate the classic Cruiser in a glamorous Champagne-esque design, can hold almost 11 standard Cruisers and require two bar staff to pop and pour. Speaking about the launch, Brand Manager of Vodka Cruiser, Michael O’Donoghue said: “It’s been a tough few years for bars and clubs across the country. “While we weren’t able to celebrate Vodka Cruiser’s 21st birthday last year with the ups and downs of the pandemic, we are beyond excited to really get the party started in 2022 by launching the Cruiser Magnums with our partner venues. The Magnum Cruiser experience will be available in Sydney at the Marlborough Hotel; in Melbourne at Billboard The Venue; in South Australia at The Highway and The Jetty Bar; and in Cairns at Gilligans. To enter, you can head over to Vodka Cruiser’s entry page on <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/c7CACvl1lzI7y7gqLfzkuUy?domain=facebook.com">Facebook</a> and share your favourite flavour of vodka. Images: Facebook.

Food & Wine

Snorkellers discover rare, giant 400-year-old coral – one of the oldest on the Great Barrier Reef

Snorkellers on the Great Barrier Reef have discovered a huge coral more than 400 years old which is thought to have survived 80 major cyclones, numerous coral bleaching events and centuries of exposure to other threats. We describe the discovery in <a href="http://nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94818-w">research</a> published today. Our team surveyed the hemispherical structure, which comprises small marine animals and calcium carbonate, and found it’s the Great Barrier Reef’s widest coral, and one of the oldest. It was discovered off the coast of Goolboodi (Orpheus Island), part of Queensland’s Palm Island Group. Traditional custodians of the region, the Manbarra people, have called the structure Muga dhambi, meaning “big coral”. For now, Muga dhambi is in relatively good health. But climate change, declining water quality and other threats are taking a toll on the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists, Traditional Owners and others must keep a close eye on this remarkable, resilient structure to ensure it is preserved for future generations. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416672/original/file-20210818-19-anzpts.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="coral and snorkellers" /> <h2>Far older than European settlement</h2> Muga dhambi is located in a relatively remote, rarely visited and highly protected marine area. It was found during citizen science research in March this year, on a reef slope not far from shore. We conducted a literature review and consulted other scientists to compare the size, age and health of the structure with others in the Great Barrier Reef and internationally. We measured the structure at 5.3 metres tall and 10.4 metres wide. This makes it 2.4 metres wider than the widest Great Barrier Reef coral <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00345677">previously</a> measured by scientists. Muga dhambi is of the coral genus Porites and is one of a large group of corals known as “massive Porites”. It’s brown to cream in colour and made of small, stony polyps. These polyps secrete layers of calcium carbonate beneath their bodies as they grow, forming the foundations upon which reefs are built. Muga dhambi’s height suggests it is aged between 421 and 438 years old – far pre-dating European exploration and settlement of Australia. We made this calculation based on rock coral growth rates and annual sea surface temperatures. The Australian Institute of Marine Science has investigated more than 328 colonies of massive Porites corals along the Great Barrier Reef and has aged the oldest at 436 years. The institute has not investigated the age of Muga dhambi, however the structure is probably one of the oldest on the Great Barrier Reef. Other comparatively large massive Porites have previously been found throughout the Pacific. One exceptionally large colony in American Samoa measured 17m × 12m. Large Porites have also been found near Taiwan and Japan. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416650/original/file-20210818-23-wt3kj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Mountainous island and blue sea" /> <h2>Resilient, but under threat</h2> We reviewed environmental events over the past 450 years and found Muga dhambi is unusually resilient. It has survived up to 80 major cyclones, numerous coral bleaching events and centuries of exposure to invasive species, low tides and human activity. About 70% of Muga dhambi consisted of live coral, but the remaining 30% was dead. This section, at the top of the structure, was covered with green boring sponge, turf algae and green algae. Coral tissue can die from exposure to sun at low tides or warm water. Dead coral can be quickly colonised by opportunistic, fast growing organisms, as is the case with Muga dhambi. Green boring sponge invades and excavates corals. The sponge’s advances will likely continue to compromise the structure’s size and health. We found marine debris at the base of Muga dhambi, comprising rope and three concrete blocks. Such debris is a threat to the marine environment and species such as corals. We found no evidence of disease or coral bleaching. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416678/original/file-20210818-21-13b0f9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="to come" /> <h2>‘Old man’ of the sea</h2> A Traditional Owner from outside the region took part in our citizen science training which included surveys of corals, invertebrates and fish. We also consulted the Manbarra Traditional Owners about and an appropriate cultural name for the structure. Before recommending Muga dhambi, the names the Traditional Owners considered included: <ul> <li>Muga (big)</li> <li>Wanga (home)</li> <li>Muugar (coral reef)</li> <li>Dhambi (coral)</li> <li>Anki/Gurgu (old)</li> <li>Gulula (old man)</li> <li>Gurgurbu (old person).</li> </ul> Indigenous languages are an integral part of Indigenous culture, spirituality, and connection to country. Traditional Owners suggested calling the structure Muga dhambi would communicate traditional knowledge, language and culture to other Indigenous people, tourists, scientists and students. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416682/original/file-20210818-23-nmb1be.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="coral rock under water with sky" /> <h2>A wonder for all generations</h2> No database exists for significant corals in Australia or globally. Cataloguing the location of massive and long-lived corals can be benefits. For example from a scientific perspective, it can allow analyses which can help understand century-scale changes in ocean events and can be used to verify climate models. Social and economic benefits can include diving tourism and citizen science, as well as engaging with Indigenous culture and stewardship. However, cataloguing the location of massive corals could lead to them being damaged by anchoring, research and pollution from visiting boats. Looking to the future, there is real concern for all corals in the Great Barrier Reef due to threats such as climate change, declining water quality, overfishing and coastal development. We recommend monitoring of Muga dhambi in case restoration is needed in future. We hope our research will mean current and future generations care for this wonder of nature, and respect the connections of Manbarra Traditional Owners to their Sea Country. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-smith-515741">Adam Smith</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-cook-1261134">Nathan Cook</a>, Marine Scientist , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vicki-saylor-1261504">Vicki Saylor</a>, Manbarra Traditional Owner, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/indigenous-knowledge-4846">Indigenous Knowledge</a> 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/snorkellers-discover-rare-giant-400-year-old-coral-one-of-the-oldest-on-the-great-barrier-reef-166278">original article</a>. Image: Richard Woodgett/Shutterstock

Domestic Travel

Tobacco giant angers medical community

Philip Morris International has made a £1 billion bid to take over a company that makes inhalers used to treat lung disease, sparking outrage in the medical community. The tobacco company behind the Marlboro man has made an offer to buy Vectura, a UK company that develops inhaler technology for lung illnesses. Medical experts are concerned that the takeover could see Philip Morris profiting from the treatment of smoking-related lung diseases it has helped create. “If they buy Vectura, Philip Morris will then be making money not only from selling cigarettes that cause lung disease, but they’ll also be making money from the technologies that treat patients who have lung disease caused by smoking,” respiratory pathologist and chief executive of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Graham Hall said. Changes to research and treatment As a result, many are concerned that research and the treatments doctors prescribe to patients with lung disease could change to avoid directing funds to the tobacco giant. For some of the 464,000 Australians with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) who use Vectura inhalers, this could result in the prescription of different medications by their doctors. <img style="width: 500px; height:414.0625px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844087/copd-diagram_160331_100539.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e0a76635bd59443fbe1c71d6f4dcc0f9" /> Image: healthflexhhs.com COPD describes a group of diseases that affect the lungs, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic asthma, which cause a progressive decline in lung health. Up to 50 percent of smokers develop COPD to some level. “How can we in good conscience give a treatment to a patient where the funding from that treatment will be going to the company that caused the disease to begin with?” asked Professor Hall. “No doctor is going to want to prescribe a treatment to a patient, that they know may be funding a tobacco company.” Research into these diseases could also be at risk, as many doctors, health bodies, and journals have policies banning professionals from dealing with tobacco companies. “Cutting-edge research would be able to be published in these journals if there was known links to Vectura if it’s acquired by Philip Morris,” Professor Hall said. ‘Indirectly’ funding tobacco companies Currently, Australians are prescribed any of 10 different dry powder inhalers that use technology made by Vectura. In 2020, 2 million scripts for different brands of these inhalers were dispensed and cost about $121 million to taxpayers, according to figures from the federal government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Though most of the profits go directly to the pharmaceutical company, Vectura has licensing and royalty deals with companies that use its technology, meaning it gets some of the funds as well. “It could be the situation where the Australian government is paying taxpayers’ funding indirectly to a tobacco company to treat patients who have lung disease caused by tobacco,” Professor Hall said. But, the result could put Australia in a breach of a global treaty it signed and ratified on tobacco control. Since the inhalers are subsidised under the PBS, the government would indirectly funding Philip Morris, violating the treaty. “It’s a UN tobacco control treaty and it’s been signed and ratified by more than 180 countries, including the UK, including Australia,” Melbourne-based GP Dr Bronwyn King said. “One of the provisions of the treaty is that it explicitly prohibits engagement between governments and the tobacco industry.” A spokesperson for the federal Health Department said the government was closely monitoring tobacco activities, but the ABC reports they were unaware of the 10 products on the PBS which used Vectura technology. The takeover bid has already been approved by Vectura’s board, and will go before the company’s shareholders in London. Image: Getty Images

Body

“We lost a comedy giant today”: Norm Macdonald dead at 61

The comedy world is in mourning after Norm Macdonald died of cancer on Tuesday at age 61. The Canadian stand-up comic and Saturday Night Live cast member had been battling cancer in private for nearly a decade, according to his lifelong friend Lori Jo Hoekstra who was with him when he dies. "He was most proud of his comedy", she said. "He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him." "Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.” Norm was known in the comedic circle for his signature deadpan delivery and dry style of humour that quickly made him an icon of the craft. Norm's impressions of famous figures, such as TV star Burt Reynolds, became a teaching tool and huge inspiration for up and coming comics. “I essentially ripped off his delivery when I first started acting,” actor and fellow Canadian Seth Rogen tweeted. “I would stay up specifically to watch him on talk shows. He was the funniest guest of all time. We lost a comedy giant today. One of the all time greats.” Norm shot to fame when he was cast on Saturday Night Live in 1993 after performing in comedy circuits in Canada for several years. He performed on SNL until 1998, serving as a co-host of Weekend Update for three seasons. Norm then went on to star in his own ABC sitcom, The Norm Show, from 1999 until 2001, and also became a hilarious regular on a series of talk shows. In 2018, he hosted a Netflix talk show, Norm Macdonald Has a Show, that was inspired by his podcast and garnered an international audience. Hundred of comedians have shared their stories of Norm on Twitter in remembrance of the comedy giant and all he did for the world of show business. Actor Josh Gad wrote, "Absolutely gutted. One of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers." Writer and director Edgar Wright also tweeted, saying, "Of the many addictive rabbit holes you can disappear down on the internet, the most pleasurable is ‘Norm MacDonald chat show appearances'." “Thanks for all the laughs Norm, very sorry to see you go.” Image credit: Getty Images

News

"Undisputed giant", John Le Carré dies at age 89

John le Carré, who was responsible for some of the most thrilling literary works, has died aged 89. Le Carré is the mastermind behind novels The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Night Manager, which garnered critical acclaim and made him a bestseller around the world. His family confirmed his passing on Sunday, revealing pneumonia as the cause. He died at the Royal Cornwall Hospital on Saturday. “We all deeply grieve his passing,” they wrote in a statement. His longtime agent Jonny Geller described him as “an undisputed giant of English literature. He defined the cold war era and fearlessly spoke truth to power in the decades that followed … I have lost a mentor, an inspiration and most importantly, a friend. We will not see his like again.” His peers lined up to pay tribute. Stephen King wrote: “This terrible year has claimed a literary giant and a humanitarian spirit.” Robert Harris said the news had left him “very distressed … one of the great postwar British novelists, and an unforgettable, unique character.” Adrian McKinty described Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as “quite simply the greatest spy novel ever written”, while historian Simon Sebag Montefiore called him “the titan of English literature up there with the greats … in person, captivating and so kind and generous to me and many others.” Born as David Cornwell in 1931, Le Carré started working for the secret services while studying German in Switzerland at the end of the 1940s. He went on to teach at Eton and later joined the British Foreign Service as an intelligence officer. Inspired by his colleague at MI5, the novelist John Bigham, he began to publish thrillers under the pseudonym of John le Carré.

Books

In the company of giants

The remote, beautiful land at the head of Lake Wakatipu richly deserves to be called Paradise but I discovered, with some disappointment, that it is so-named not for the heavenly scenery but for the eponymous duck! Despite its remoteness, the magnetism of Paradise has been a magnet for adventurous travellers since the 1880s when hundreds used to sail up Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown by steamer. Disembarking at Glenorchy, they would travel by dray and coach to Paradise Homestead where owner Granny Aitken used to feed 120 for lunch and host as many as 28 overnight guests. <img style="width: 500px; height: 300.78125px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838796/2-justine-and-her-brand-new-wisper-wayfarer-ebike-en-route-to-the-greenstone-valley.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a814bbc3eee141b49bd22148347db7ed" /> Justine and her brand new Wisper Wayfarer ebike en route to the Greenstone Valley. Picture by Justine Tyerman The spectacular landscape has also attracted the attention of film-makers from all over the world. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, Mission Impossible, X-men and Vertical Limit were all filmed amid the region’s breath-taking mountains, rivers, lakes and forests. The dramatic terrain was sculpted by glaciers in the last Ice Age. The deeply-weathered silver schist face of Mt Earnslaw, the tallest mountain in the area at 2,830m, dominates the landscape, while wedge-shaped Mt Alfred, 1,365m sits right in the centre of the valley, dividing the Dart and Rees rivers. Surrounding the valley are the magnificent Richardson and Humboldt ranges... and many mountains named after Greek gods. Over the next few days, Chris and I spent much time in the company of these mighty snow-capped giants and became familiar with their many faces – sparkling silver after a frost, rosy pink with the sunrise, glowing gold at sunset or veiled in diaphanous mist just before dawn. We explored the region on our brand new Wisper Wayfarer ebikes courtesy of Electric Bikes NZ. It was such a novelty for me to be able to cycle effortlessly uphill and keep up with my super-fit husband. <img style="width: 500px; height: 300.78125px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838797/4.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/593e68b9701e45968c792c651b059aae" /> Let me in - it's cold out here! Justine is keen to warm up at the end of a long day's cycling. Picture by Chris Tyerman We headed for Kinloch and rode along the shores of Lake Wakatipu to the Greenstone Valley. Lake Wakatipu is seldom like a mirror but that day, the whole lake was glassy calm. The only traffic we encountered on the back country road was a 4WD vehicle and a young mum out for a walk with her baby and dog. The undulating gravel road took us through beech forests and across clear mountain streams. I was busy congratulating myself for managing to stay dry while fording the streams but the last one was deeper than the rest and I panicked and stopped half way across. Hubby heroically came to the rescue so we both ended up getting wet. Fortunately, it was a mild day and we dried out fast in the sunshine. We also paid a visit to Paradise Trust Lodge to see the rebuild of the property after fire destroyed the historic homestead in 2013, a few months after we had stayed there on our first-ever cycle trip with Matt and Kate Belcher’s Revolution Tours. The lodge has been painstakingly rebuilt retaining three stone chimneys as a memorial to the original homestead. We cycled a loop track through the forest, past rustic cottages with outside baths and saunas to a vantage point high above the Dart River as it carves its way from deep within the Main Divide. Here in Paradise, we were literally in the presence of the gods, surrounded by mountains named Chaos, Poseidon, Nox, Cosmos, Minos, Pluto and Cosmos. Thanks to our zippy Wispers, we covered a huge distance in no time. While in Glenorchy, we were delighted to hear that Ngai Tahu Tourism-operated Dart River Adventures are due to reopen in December so their powerful Hamilton jetboats will once again be thundering up the river and deep into the heart of the Mount Aspiring National Park and the southern reaches of the Main Divide. Encircled by the magnificent mountain peaks of the Southern Alps, gleaming glaciers, frozen waterfalls and hanging valleys, the park’s outstanding natural beauty has earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. It’s an outstanding experience - I’ve done it twice and would do it again in a heartbeat. There’s a lake-edge DoC (Department of Conservation) camping site at Kinloch so we parked our Maui motorhome there for the night, keen to linger in this exquisite, remote and tranquil part of Aotearoa. Nearby Kinloch Lodge serves superb cuisine if you feel like dining out. The historic lodge, a mecca for travellers since 1868, retains its authentic, old-world charm... and it has an outside hot tub. Bliss at the end of a long day cycling. <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/heading-for-paradise">Read story #1 here.</a> <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/turning-greener-with-the-years">And story #2 here.</a> To be continued. Justine Tyerman travelled courtesy of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://email.directgroup.com.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=-xHEHhRYAVw9CNAFNuTivSsD7VqzBFs6UUwpjSJ6L0sHdb_veYfYCA..&URL=https%3a%2f%2fprotect-au.mimecast.com%2fs%2fCf4DCWLVV3CwNTK6ntP%3fdomain%3dmaui-rentals.com" target="_blank">thl</a> in a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://email.directgroup.com.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=Rr0taEuzZcVbO2f5WlI1D_SoDcA4oIeWlgg1HMTh9NQHdb_veYfYCA..&URL=https%3a%2f%2fprotect-au.mimecast.com%2fs%2f99a6CXLWW8C7kIkVRdv%3fdomain%3dmaui-rentals.com" target="_blank">Maui 4-berth Cascade motorhome,</a> and rode a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://email.directgroup.com.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=ZLTL3hhOHzowCF2AeJcWywwC2Zc9WNGVxDK1KMtqClkHdb_veYfYCA..&URL=https%3a%2f%2fprotect-au.mimecast.com%2fs%2fezm9CYW883HojIMAGFW%3fdomain%3dwisperbikes.co.nz%2f" target="_blank">Wisper Wayfarer ebike</a> courtesy of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://email.directgroup.com.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=2qwV6bEr40LVS92yaaSA_-v9XJCxHJEEtlrbuC_DYGQHdb_veYfYCA..&URL=https%3a%2f%2fprotect-au.mimecast.com%2fs%2fWNUBCZY117CnXfPtHR2%3fdomain%3delectricbikes.co.nz%2f" target="_blank">Electric Bikes NZ</a>

International Travel

Derailed train saved by giant whale tail

An elevated tram ran past the end of its tracks in the city of Rotterdam and instead of plunging 10 metres to the ground, it rested gently on top of a statue of a whale's tail, coincidentally called Saved by a Whale's Tale. The conductor emerged shocked but unharmed and there were no passengers on board. The event created such a stir that authorities urged sightseers to stay away, adding that coronavirus restrictions were still in force. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838606/giant-whale-hero-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8a27dc26bc3c4cd1990bbbc816e4e7cf" /> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> "A team of experts is investigating how we can make it safe and get it down," Carly Gorter, a spokeswoman for the local security authority, said in a telephone interview. "It's tricky." The architect who designed the sculpture Maarten Struijs has said he is pleased that it likely saved the life of the driver. "I'm surprised it's so strong," he said. "If plastic has been standing for 20 years, you don't expect it to hold a metro carriage." </div> </div> </div>

Travel Trouble

Four-year-old girl found floating alone at sea on giant inflatable unicorn

A ferry crew and its passengers could not contain their shock when they spotted a small child that had been swept away from the shore on a giant inflatable unicorn. The young child had been swept out to sea and was drifting off the coast of the Greek town of Antirrio in the Gulf of Corith. Local press reported the daughter of the parents, that was aged between at least four to five years old, had lost their focus as she played on the toy that would eventually take her away from the shore. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Mum and dad probably pissed on the beach dont even notice she’s gone! <a href="https://t.co/DRfkkrQJa3">pic.twitter.com/DRfkkrQJa3</a> — LEE LEE THE 3RD ⚔️ (@LeeBrasco) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeeBrasco/status/1298895389291098114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2020</a></blockquote> When the parents realised that their little daughter was out of sight, they informed the port authorities, reports the Greek City Path. The authorities reportedly alerted the captain of the local ferry “Salaminomachos.” The ferry's captain on the Rio-Antirio found the child in the middle of the sea and slowly manoeuvred the vessel to her rescue. Footage captured the extraordinary incident that showed the girl calmly sitting on her raft as the boat crew plucked her to safety. The clip showed her wearing a pink bathing suit and holding on tightly to her inflatable. Her unicorn began to float away as the crewmen plucked her out of the water to safety. The little girl was reportedly returned to her parents unscathed.

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Sailors rescued from tiny island after writing giant "SOS" in the sand

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Three missing sailors have been found on a tiny island in the western Pacific after a desperate message saying SOS in the sand that was spotted from the air. The men were found on Sunday after they had been missing for three days, and were reportedly "in good health", according to the Australian Defence Ministry. Their call for help was written on the beach of Pikelot Island, 190 kilometres west of where they had set out and was seen by Australian and US aircraft. A ship, the HMAS Canberra, headed to the sailors' aid and a helicopter landed on the beach. The ship brought water and food for the men as well as carrying out identity and health checks. The men were reportedly sailing between the atolls Poluwat and Pulap, a journey of 42 kilometres when they veered off course and ran out of fuel. A Micronesian patrol vessel, FSS Independence, is heading to the island to pick up the men. Canberra's Commanding Officer Captain Terry Morrison said the response by the ship's company to the operation was outstanding. "The ship's company responded to the call and had the ship quickly prepared to support the search and rescue," Captain Morrison said. "In particular, our embarked MRH90 helicopter from No. 808 Squadron and the four armed reconnaissance helicopters from 1st Aviation Regiment were instrumental in the morning search that helped locate the men and deliver supplies and confirm their welfare. "I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfil our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world." Photo credit: Australian Department of Defence </div> </div> </div>

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