Monday December 21, 2009
In just about five days' time, some 100 yachts will line up for the 2009 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race starting in Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day, December 26.
This year's race fleet will have crews representing the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Caledonia, as well as every Australian state.
Defending line honors champion is four-time winner Wild Oats XI which is expected to face tough competition from Alfa Romeo. With new rules allowing entries of up to 100 feet, both Wild Oats XI and Alfa Romeo have been modified to this boat length.
Photo: Alfa Romeo with Sydney Opera House in the background © Rolex / Daniel Forster
Saturday December 19, 2009
A second miracle attributed to the intercession of Mother Mary MacKillop (1842-1909) opens the way to her canonisation as a saint in the coming year.
The formal decree recognising the second miracle was approved by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome today, December 19, Vatican City time.
When canonised, Mother Mary MacKillop will be Australia's first saint.
The approval of the decree affirming the authenticity of the second miracle has occurred in the centenary of her death.
Her remains are buried at the Mary MacKaillop Memorial Chapel in North Sydney.
Saturday December 19, 2009
South Australia's capital city combines small-town charm and big-time attractions in its setting of an oasis of green. A city of churches and a centre of the arts, Adelaide has more than simply meets the eye.
Breaking out of the city through the parklands that surround it, the Adelaide visitor can find new adventures in the nearby Adelaide Hills and at Kangaroo Island, the Flinders Ranges, the opal mining town of Coober Pedy, the Murray River and its paddle-steamers, and the wine regions of the Barossa Valley, Fleurieu Peninsula and Riverland.
What Is South Australia's Flower Emblem?
Photo: Adelaide skyline © Australian Tourist Commission
Christmas Comes to Sydney
Thursday December 17, 2009
Sydney is putting on its finery for the Christmas season. The traditional six-storey-high Christmas tree at Martin Place has been lit and the lights and sounds of Christmas brighten the city. Christmas images are also projected nightly onto the face of Sydney Town Hall and Christmas decorations are everywhere.
Photo: Sydney Town Hall all lit up for Christmas, courtesy City of Sydney
