Perth Zoo's Baby Echidnas Looking Sharp

THEY weighed less than a gram when they hatched, but Perth Zoo's two baby Echidnas are growing into their spikes.

The baby short-beaked echidnas now tip the scales at more than a kilogram but they have plenty more growing to do and could reach up to seven kilograms, zoo keepers say.

Babbin and Nyingarn gained world attention late last year as the first young - or puggles - successfully bred from zoo-born echidnas. Their four-year-old mothers, Mila and Chindi, were also born at Perth Zoo.

The puggles spent their first two months in their mothers' pouches before nestling into their nursery burrows and are just starting to venture out to explore their surroundings.

The zoo has 15 echidnas, eight of them born at the facility.

Echidnas have no major predators in the wild due to their spines, but dingoes sometimes eat them.

Perth Zoo Australian fauna supervisor Belinda Turner said the zoo's successful echidna breeding program was helping experts learn more about echidna behaviour and breeding.

An international echidna workshop is currently being held at Perth Zoo to discuss their reproductive behaviour and increase their breeding success at other zoos.

BABBIN THE BABY ECHIDNA AT PERTH ZOO TODAY. PICTURE: SUPPLIED PERTHNOW

Lloyd Webber's Superstar to be Resurrected

ANDREW Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's smash-hit musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, is returning to Australia for another arena tour in May, starring a comedian, a Spice Girl and a reality TV talent show winner in the lead roles.

In 1992, when the musical toured Australia's arenas for the first time (the show made its Australian premiere at Sydney's Capitol Theatre 20 years before, in 1972), John Farnham, then one of the country's biggest pop stars, starred as Christ, sporting a glorious blonde mane. Flanked by Kate Ceberano as a sultry Mary Magdalene and Noiseworks frontman, Jon Stevens, playing the treacherous Judas with a mullet to rival Jesus', the show became one of Australia's most popular ever, selling almost 1 million tickets over 16 weeks and grossing more than $40 million. The original cast recording soundtrack went platinum four times.

Twenty years later, after a record-breaking opening run in arenas across Britain and Ireland last September, a contemporarised version of the musical is returning to Australia and will debut in Perth on May 31. The three leads from the British production are reprising their roles here, with Perth-born comedian, singer and actor Tim Minchin playing Judas, former Spice Girl Mel C as Mary Magdalene and newcomer Ben Forster as Jesus, who won the role after appearing in Lloyd Webber's British TV talent show, Superstar.

Stevens returns to the cast for the Australian production, this time playing Pontius Pilate, while Andrew O'Keefe, host of TV game show Deal Or No Deal and nephew of '50s rock star Johnny O'Keefe, makes his major debut as King Herod.

The musical will travel to Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in May and June. Three dates at Rod Laver Arena have been announced.

The story traces the last week of Jesus' life, beginning with his arrival with his disciples in Jerusalem and culminating in his crucifixion. In the updated version, the musical is set in the midst of a global financial crisis, inspired by the London riots and Occupy movements. The set is accordingly modernised, as are the costumes - Forster, as Jesus, evokes a brooding Johnny Depp, while Mel C's Mary Magdalene has dreadlocks and piercings. Reviews for the British leg have been largely positive, with both The Telegraph and The Times giving the show four stars. The Guardian was less impressed, describing Forster as having "only two facial expressions: (pained, or faintly smouldering, like a bit of damp kindling)".

Jon English.

More than 100 people will come to Australia from Britain for the show, which tour promoter Michael Gudinski hopes is the first in a series of collaborations with Lloyd Webber.

Rihanna Brings Diamonds to Perth

Controversial pop diva Rihanna will kick off her Australian tour at Perth Arena on September 24.

The Barbadian singer, who last played Perth two years ago, kicked off her Diamonds World Tour in the US on Friday and has dates throughout North America, Africa and Europe until the end of July.

The 25-year-old, whose hits include Umbrella, Only Girl (In the World) and We Found Love, will have a short break then return to the road in Oz.

Rihanna recently revealed to Rolling Stone magazine that she had rekindled her on-and-off again relationship with rapper Chris Brown, who was charged with assaulting her before the Grammy Awards in 2009.

Australia Tops US ‘Dream Destination’ List

Is topping a list of ‘dream destinations’ a good thing? On the one hand, you’d appear as an idyllic destination, a place to which people would ideally love to travel. On the other hand, you’d appear as an idyllic destination, a place to which people couldn’t travel.

Regardless of its perception, or misperception, as a pipe-dream destination, the country’s position at the top of a list of dream vacation spots for clients of US travel agents would still bring a smile to the faces of Australian tourism authorities.

According to a survey conducted by North America’s largest travel agency franchisor – Travel Leaders Group – of its owners, managers and agents, Australia was chosen as the destination clients would most love to visit – if money were no object.

With agents allowed to choose up to three destinations each, Australia garnered 47 percent of votes, followed by Bora Bora (26 percent), world cruising (20 percent), Tahiti and Italy (17 percent each). 

Other dream destinations of note included Antarctica (12th place), which earned 9.5 percent of votes, and the Galapagos Islands (13th place), which scored just over six percent of votes.  

The disparity between realistic and (sometimes) unattainable, but desired, destinations is evidenced by France’s position on the list. A constant among US travellers’ top five international vacation spots, the European nation ranks a relatively lowly 16th position on the dream destination list, with just 3.5 percent of votes.

(Source: eTravelblackboard)

Perth Booms But WA Regions in Peril

Hotels in Perth and mining centres continue to thrive in Western Australia while the South West of the state remains in peril.

Latest figures show occupancy in Perth CBD and Geraldton at 86% and 83.4% respectively while in the South West more than half the rooms are empty with occupancy sitting at just 45.3%.

Occupancy across regional WA as a whole was 62%.

The figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for the September quarter, further illustrates the gulf between mining and city centre areas and regional tourism centres.

Tourism Council WA said the government is relying on the mining boom and under investing in tourism.

"WA has the second lowest level of funding for tourism promotions of any state," chief executive Evan Hall said. "As a result hotels are booming in Perth and mining towns from business travel, while regional tourist towns are struggling.

"There's more to our economy than digging holes in the ground and it's time for the government to make tourism and events a state priority."

ABS figures show Broome occupancy at 79%, Exmouth 66%, Margaret River 54%, Esperance 51%, Derby, West Kimberley 46%, Busselton 44% and Augusta 28%.

Australian Hotels Association (AHA) WA chief executive Bradley Woods said measures are being taken to drive tourism.

"Initiatives by the State Government, including a new regional marketing campaign to generate tourism in regional Western Australia should result in a boost for those tourism regions who are currently doing it tough," he said.

How To... Keep Your Belongings Safe Whilst Travelling

When it comes to travelling, one of the most important tasks is to keep yourself and your belongings safe. 

It’s something that you need to be aware of at all times and can make even the simplest trip stressful.

Here are a few tips on how to keep your cool, and your wallet, on your next trip:

Low

• Keep cash and credit cards as well as photocopies of important documents in different places
• Wear all bags on the opposite shoulder to the one facing the road to decrease the chance of someone snatching the bag as they are driving
• Be aware of your surroundings – if it looks unsafe, leave
• Lock the doors and windows of your hotel room

Moderate

• For long trips ensure that you have a spare credit card that you can activate if your original gets lost or stolen
• Be careful about taking money out of ATMs, if possible do it near banks or hotels where security will be a little better, or buy everything on card
• Put locks on your handbags
• Close the blinds at your hotel so outsiders don’t know if you’re there or not

Extreme

• Take down serial numbers of all electronic goods that you are travelling with
• Stash credit cards inside your shoes
• Sew extra pockets on the inside of your pants
• Hide valuables around the hotel room i.e. under the bed
• Put something big, like a chair, or fragile, like glass, at your front door when you go to sleep so that you can hear if someone tries to break in. Be careful with this one if you are a sleepwalker and be aware that this may not be the safest option in the event of a fire

What not to do

• Don’t use waist or neck wallets, not only are they uncomfortable, but they also put a huge target on your belly
• Don’t put your wallet or passport in your pocket; they’re called ‘pick pockets’ for a reason!
• Don’t look too ‘expensive’ or ‘touristy’ when walking around foreign streets
• Don’t leave valuables lying around your hotel room, at the very least put them under some clothes

(Source: e-Travelblackboard.com)

Sydney Most Popular Australian Destination Over the Holidays

Sorry Melbourne, but according to leading travel and lifestyle site lastminute.com.au, Sydney was Australia’s most popular destination in terms of hotels bookings over the Christmas and New Year break.

Melbourne was however the second most popular with Queensland’s Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, rounding off the top five.

Capital cities had the highest number of holiday bookings throughout the country, with the exception of Brisbane which was third after the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.

lastminute.com.au General Manager, Kirsty Labruniy is encouraging Australians to venture out into their own backyard and take advantage of a weekend getaway whilst the sun is still shining and the crowds subside, especially in late January and February.

Labruniy suggests that being quick on deals and taking a holiday over two destinations, if rooms are sold out for a part of your holiday plans, can help with having a last minute summer escape.

Alternatively, try a city break and do something that you have always wanted to do like see a movie in an outdoor cinema.

For ideas on beating the January blues, here are the top destinations booked over the Christmas and New Year break through lastminute.com.au:

New South Wales 

• Sydney
• Byron Bay
• Coffs Harbour
• South Coast
• Central Coast

Victoria 

• Melbourne
• Apollo Bay
• Torquay
• Lakes Entrance
• Cowes

Queensland 

• Gold Coast
• Sunshine Coast
• Brisbane
• Cairns
• Fraser Coast

South Australia 

• Adelaide
• Port Lincoln
• Mount Gambier
• Victor Harbor
• Rowland Flat

Western Australia

• Perth
• Margaret River
• Albany
• Broome
• Bunbury

Tasmania

• Hobart
• Launceston & Tamar Valley
• Strahan
• Cradle Mountain
• Port Arthur

(Source: e-Travel Blackboard)