Day: October 13, 2013

About The Greek-Irish Society

Source:greekirishsociety

The Greek-Irish Society was founded in 1977 with the aim of developing social and cultural relations between the people of Ireland and Greece. It also serves as a focal point for Irish people living and working in Greece, as well as for people of all nationalities living in Greece who are interested in finding out more about Ireland and its people.

A series of events is held from September to June, including table quizzes, walks, lectures, taverna nights, a family Christmas lunch, a New Year’s pita cutting, an annual tour. The highlight of the society’s year is the annual St Patrick’s Day Ball, held on or around March 17 at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens.

The society publishes a monthly newsletter which contains not only information on the society’s activities but also details of events taking place in Athens and Greece of interest to our members.

The society is a non-profit making, non-sectarian, and non-political body. Anyone with an interest in Ireland is welcome to join. Membership runs from September to August each year and costs €20 for an individual and €25 for a family.

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NAME OF STATE

The Irish Constitution provides that the name of the State is Eire, or in the English language, Ireland. Normal practice is to restrict the user of the name Eire to texts in the Irish language and to use Ireland in all English language texts, with corresponding translations for texts in other languages. The Republic of Ireland Act of 1948 provides for the description of the State as the Republic of Ireland but this provision has not changed the usage Ireland as the name of the state in the English language.

Τhe etymology of the name Eire is uncertain and various theories have been advanced.There is no doubt, however, that it is of considerable antiquity. It first appears as Ιέρνη (Ierne) in Greek geographical writings which may be based on sources as early as the fifth century B.C IN Ptolemy;s Map (ca. 150 A.D.) the name appears as Ιουερνίχ (Iouernia) some such form was transliterated into Latin as Iuverna. The standard Latin form, Hibernia, first appears in the works of Caesar, who seems to have confused it with the Latin word hibernus (wintry). Eriu, the Old Irish form of Eire, was current in the earliest Irish literature. The modern English word Ireland derives from the Irish word Eire with the addition of Germanic word land.

In Irish mythology, Eriu was one of three divine eponyms for Ireland, together with Banda and Fodla. The idea of Ireland as a heroine re-appears as a common motif in later literature in both Irish and English.

 

FLAG

The national flag of Ireland is a tricolour of green, white and orange. The tricolour is rectangular in shape, the width being twice its depth. The three colours are of equal size, vertically disposed, and the green is displayed next to the staff.

The flag was first introduced by Thomas Francis Meagher during the revolutinary year of 1848 as an emblem of the Young Ireland movement, and it was often seen at meetings alonside the French tricolour.

The green represents the older Gaelic and Anglo-Norman element in the population,while the orange represents the Protestant plnter stock, supporters of William of Orange. The meaning of the white as well expressed by Meagher when he introduced the flag. ‘The white in the centre,’ he said ‘signifies a lasting truce between the ‘Orange’ and the ‘Green’ and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in heroic brotherhood’

It was not until the Rising of 1916, when it was raised above the General Post Office in Dublin, that the tricolour came to be regarded as the national flag. It rapidly gained precedence over any which had existed before it, and its use as a national flag is enshrined in the Constitution of Ireland.

 

ARMS

The heraldic harp is invariably used by the government, its agencies and its representatives at home and abroad. It is engaraved on the seal matrix of the office of President as well as on the reverse of the coinage of the state. It is also emblazoned on the distinctive flag of the President of Ireland-a gold harp with silver strings on an azure field.

The model for the artistic representation of the heraldic harp is the fourteenth century harp now preserved in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin, popularly known as the Brian Boru harp.

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

The text of The Soldier’s Song (Amhran na bhFiann), consisting of three stanzas and a chorus, was written in 1907 by Peadar Kearney, who together with Patrick Heeney also composed the music. It was first published in the newspaper, Irish Freedom, in 1912. The chorus was formally adopted as the National Anthem in 1926, displacing the earlier Fenian anthem, God Save Ireland. A section of the National Anthem (consisting of the first four bars followed by the last five) is also the Presidential Salute.

Information supplied courtesy of the Embassy of Ireland, Athens. Issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dublin.

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Founding Members

The members who signed the appeal for the founding of the society:

Yiannis Gioulis
Robert Smith
Mary Camarias
Tom Raftery
Nickolas Lambrinides
Mary Gioulis
Maureen Brown
John Daly
Margaret Daly
Pender Kamenos
Michalakis Kamenos
Jimmy Camarias
Penny Smith
Norman Power
Stella Power
Peter O’Leary
Barbara McConnell
Thanos Politis
Eamon Delaney

This Society was founded in 1977 and Registered under the Number. 167/81 decision of Polymeles Protodekion Athenon. In 30-1-1981

 

Pender Rhona & Kammenos Lakis

Back in 1977 I had been living in Greece for some years. I knew only one other Irish person here – my good friend Sandi Toomey – and I was feeling rather cut off from my roots. I felt sure that there must be other Irish people in Greece who, like myself, had integrated into Greek life but felt the need for an Irish dimension to this. With the arrival of Sean Ronan as the first Irish Ambassador I took the initiative to suggest to him that it would be a good idea to form some kind of association where Irish people and others interested in Ireland and things Irish could get together.Although the Embassy could not take an active part in this Ambassador Ronan helped me get in touch with people who he thought would be interested. Thus started the Greek Irish Society. Arter a few phone calls the first meeting was held in my home in Ampelokipi. The first person to cross the threshold was Peter O’Leary who I am happy to say, remains a member to this day. After this meeting the society gathered momentum. Through work, will, and good humour the Greek Irish Society finally became a state registered entity, helped on its way by the wonderful people who are all part of what it is today. They say any society is as strong as its members and based on the present evidence the future of the Greek Irish Society is assured as it continues to go from strength to strength.

 

Yiannis & Mary Gioulis

My late husband, Yiannis, and I joined the fledgling Society in the late seventies. Over the years we both served a number of terms on the Committee. Yiannis was elected President shortly after the Society was made official. In subsequent years, because of his love of and interest in Ireland, he was an active and committed member of the GIS. He designed our letter heading which shows a combination of the Greek Key design and an ancient Celtic design. He also designed the Society’s seal which shows, as well as the Irish harp, Athena’s owl, seated on an olive branch. Yiannis was always very happy mixing with people in the Society and we both enjoyed the cultural and social events together. I think he went out of his way to make people feel comfortable, especially newcomers. Very sadly, this much-loved husband, father and friend died in 1993 at the age of only forty-six. We all continue to miss him very much.

 

Peter O’Leary

Teacher, singer, composer and poet comes from Galway, Ireland. He studied singing in London and Athens where he has given many recitals. In 1983 he won a place at the Montalvo Center for the Arts, Saratoga, California where he composed six settings of poems by W. B. Yeats and one from his own book of poems called “Tides of the Heart”. These he recorded in 1983 for R.T.E. (Irish Television and Radio).

 

Norman & Stella Power

Norman is a founding member of the Society and past President.He is the keeper of the Archives for the Society.Prior to his recent retirement, Norman was Vice President for Academic Affairs at the American College of Greece. Norman has taught courses in literature at the American College of Greece, The University of Athens, The British Council and at Smith College in the United States. He has also lectured for the Society.

 

Barbara McConnell-Zotou

Originally from Dublin, I came to Athens in the summer of 1977 to work at the Embassy of Ireland which had just been accredited to Greece. Working at the Embassy enabled me to get to know members of the Irish community who had settled here and who were anxious to get together socially.
In the beginning a small group of us used to meet for taverna evenings which quickly graduated to grand dinners and parties in one another’s homes. It was at such an event that we decided that we should form a society and organise not only social events but cultural and sports on a regular basis.
The hard-core members formed a committee and I was one of those and was a continuous committee member for 7 years running. We were a relatively small group of about 20 people in those days and I can remember some wonderful events like a weekend spent in Aghia Marina, Aegina when a boatload of us descended on the island and had a wonderful few days of song, fun and adventure. Other very enjoyable events I recall were a series of Irish play-readings performed by Society members which were very enlightening as to the latent talent that lay untapped!
Getting to grips with the legalities involved in the formation of the society meant a lot of hard work and lengthy regular committee meetings. Our committee meetings often turned into banquets and in particular I remember the warm and wonderful hospitality of Stella and Norman Power, Norman being President at the time. It took months to draw up the Constitution and have it registered but it was all worth it and we have come a long way since those days!!
Returning to myself; I married my husband,(Spyros Zotos) in the early ’80s. We had met up in London, where he was at college and I was working for the Irish Tourist Board. We have one daughter, Niki, who is in her 2nd year of studies at University College Dublin. I continue to work at the Embassy and am very much involved in Irish community activities. The Society has been a great help to new arrivals to find friends and make contacts when they come to Athens. For those of us who have been here for many years it has been a way of seeing one another regularly and thus deep friendships have formed between fellow members.

 

Robert & Penny Smith

Robert and Penny Smith came to Greece on March 17th 1969 for two years and are still here. They were involved in the founding the Greek Irish Society together with the first Irish Ambassador to Greece, Sean Ronan and other worthies some of whom we have sadly lost but many others still here and very active in the Society.
Robert’s career is in the Shipping business but his great love is old cars. This illness started as a child on a farm in Co Meath when he learned to drive a Fordson Major at the age of 6 and was given an old Armstrong Siddeley car by a friend of his father when he was 13 on condition that he did it up and gave it back whenever the owner wanted it.
He is now Vice President and President of the Technical Committee of PHILPA (Friends of Old Cars) the Greek Antique Car Club and spends too much of his time with this activity. Penny and Robert are lucky enough to be able to rally their old cars all over Greece and have done some events in other parts of Europe.

 

Bill Shorten elected Labor leader over Anthony Albanese after month-long campaign

Source: ABCNews

Bill Shorten has been elected leader of the ALP after a month-long battle for the top job with Anthony Albanese.

Mr Shorten won with 52.02 per cent of the vote: 63.95 per cent from the Caucus and 40.08 per cent from the rank-and-file membership, who got a say in a leadership ballot for the first time.

The result was announced to the Caucus at a special meeting in Parliament House this afternoon.

Labor’s Parliamentary returning officer Chris Hayes confirmed that Mr Shorten had attracted the majority of the Caucus vote, gaining 55 votes to Mr Albanese’s 31.

Chris Bowen, who held the interim Labor leadership, says the Australian public had a unique opportunity to become familiar with both candidates via the election process.

“A new leader of the opposition traditionally as a hard task to introduce themselves to the Australian people because a government inevitably has a honeymoon and it’s very hard for a leader of the opposition, newly minted, to get the attention of [the media] and the Australian people,” he said.

“Bill comes to this now having been introduced to the Australian people through this process, and the Australian people have had the chance, whether they’re Labor members or not, to watch the debates and to see the new alternative PM in action.

“So he starts with an advantage that some of his predecessors have not due to the process that the Labor.”

Congratulations to Bill Shorten on becoming Labor leader. A great honour! I wish Bill all the best.JG

— Julia Gillard (@JuliaGillard)

ALP members ‘responded with vigour’

Labor national president Jenny McAllister says Mr Shorten emerges from the “largest, most democratic process ever faced by any candidate for Labor’s Leadership.”

“We gave our members a say in the most important decision made by our political party and they’ve responded with vigour,” she said.

“There has been more than 30,000 votes cast. That’s 74 per cent of eligible voters, and we received more than 4,000 expressions of interest from new members.”

However, Coalition MP Jamie Briggs says that the Labor Party is still “split and divided” on who they want as their leader.

“I think it says it is the same old Labor Party,” he said.

“On one hand you had the party membership very clearly say – I think in a margin of 60 to 40 that they wanted Mr Albanese to be the leader, but yet the faceless men in the factions have decided that Mr Shorten will be the leader.”

Attaining the Labor leadership fulfils a long-held ambition for Mr Shorten.

Mr Shorten rose through the union ranks to become national secretary of the Australian Workers Union from 2001 to 2007.

His public profile was boosted during the 2006 Beaconsfield mine disaster, when two miners were trapped a kilometre underground for two weeks.

He entered Federal Parliament in 2007 and held a place in the outer ministry.

In Labor’s years in government, he was elevated to Assistant Treasurer before entering Cabinet as Minister for Workplace Relations and then Education Minister.

Mr Shorten will now lead the charge for Labor in opposition as it faces off against Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The Coalition won 90 seats in this year’s federal election, leaving Labor to rebuild with just 55 seats.

Gerakiteys: Greek Community Picnics (1950)

Clip description

This clip shows members of the Canberra Greek community on their annual picnic at Good Hope just outside of Canberra on 26 December 1949.

Friends and relatives sitting in the shade lift their glasses and toast to the camera as it pans across their faces.

Some do a traditional Greek dance in a circle around a solo violinist.

Down by the side of the lake, the group gathers for another song.

http://videomedia.aso.gov.au/titles/gerakit1/gerakit12_du.mp4

Curator’s notes

by Poppy De Souza

Babies, children, parents and grandparents – all generations of the Canberra Greek community enjoy their annual Christmas outing and celebration in this clip.

It is a wonderful illustration of family and community life amongst the close-knit Greek community in Canberra during the late 1940s.

Dancing, singing, laughing and drinking are common throughout the Gerakiteys footage. Weddings, birthdays and celebrations such as this one are filled with details of Greek-Australian life.

Clip description

The Gerakiteys family celebrate their daughters’ birthday in their family garden.

Their younger son watches on as the girls sit with their birthday cakes. Other family members are shown and the whole family poses for a portrait.

http://videomedia.aso.gov.au/titles/gerakit1/gerakit11_du.mp4

Curator’s notes

by Poppy De Souza

Most of the home movie footage in these compilations was filmed by Emmanuel Gerakiteys, a resident of Canberra at the time.

In this clip, Emmanuel is shown with his wife, Agape, and their three children. Home movie footage of migrant communities in Australia is relatively rare, and the close-ups of the Greek family members are a change from the Anglo-Saxon faces which typically appear in 1940s and 1950s home movie footage in Australia.

Greek-Australian citizens look to Australia to escape economic crisis

Source: SBS

Greek couple Demetre Katsikopoulos and Loukia Kontou.

Greeks are again heading for Australia in order to escape the economic crisis that has devastated their economy.

Over previous decades, many hundreds of thousands of Greeks came to Australia and established families and communities.

Most stayed, but some returned to rediscover their homeland.

Now, Australian citizens – the children of those earlier Greek immigrants who returned – are heading to Australia’s shores.

Greek welfare organisations in Sydney and Melbourne say they are getting many inquiries every week from these new Greek immigrants.

Unlike those who came with the earlier waves of immigrants in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, the family support and communities that once existed are no longer here.

In many cases their children, and sometimes their parents, do not speak English.

Greek immigrants escape financial ruin

Demetre Katsikopoulos came to Australia with his parents in 1970, when he was aged seven.

“They wanted to come because a lot of people coming to Australia they were making money so we came here, ” he said.

“We are alright. I was going to school here, I love it here, and one day after seven-and-a-half years my parents decided that we should go back.

“We went to Greece and because I didn’t know the Greek language, my father put me in American community schools, but that was expensive, so a year later they put me in a job.”

Mr Katsikopoulos left school and was trained as an upholsterer. He worked in the trade for three decades, eventually opening his own shop.

But the Greek economic crisis changed everything.

Mr Katsikopoulos’s wife, Loukia Kontou, says no one in Greece has money.

“People can’t pay taxis, can’t pay the rents, can’t pay nothing,” she said.

Mr Katsikopoulos added:

“That’s the worst thing that can happen to people. You know because the smile is off the face. Everyone is thinking about what they have to pay.

“I had my mother in 2011 in the hospital. I was bringing the medication from home. They didn’t have any medication in the hospital so I have to bring it from home, and it’s all very bad.”

Leaving life in Greece a difficult decision

The crisis prompted Mr Katsikopoulos and his wife to think about leaving Greece.

It was more than 30 years since he had left Australia, but as Loukia Katsikopoulos explains, the idea of returning continued to burn in her husband.

He was still an Australian citizen and his memories of the six years he spent in Australia were strong,” she said.

“I feel that Demetre wants to come back. He has the dreams and he can’t do anything in Greece with the crisis. We have problems with everything in Greece,” she said.

Mr Katsikopoulos says: “It was my dream, back of my head. It was a solution. That’s the only reason I came back. You can’t came back if you’re not an Australia citizen.”

But leaving behind a life, family and friends wasn’t easy.

“You know when you live somewhere over 30 and 35 years, it’s too difficult to leave,” he said.

“You have everything, you have your house, you have your car, you have your friends, you have your family.”

When the couple left Athens airport, many of their friends and relatives came to say goodbye.

They had to come on motorbikes because they couldn’t afford the petrol for cars.

Loukia Katsikopoulos says she cries a lot.

“It is difficult for me, because I have all my friends. I stay the place, which I born. But I have to try,” she said.

New wave of immigrants without support network

Maria Petrehelos, a psychologist at the Greek Welfare Centre in Sydney, says this wave of Greek immigrants differ from their predecessors because they don’t have the same support networks as their parents and grandparents had when they arrived half a century ago.

“It’s not easy. It was difficult with the chain migration in the ’50s and ’60s because you had a relative, someone you were coming to,” she said.

“It’s a bit different now because people are coming just as their individual nuclear unit.

I didn’t come to Australia to be rich, I just came to live with dignity.

Demetre Katsikopoulos

 

“Parents, siblings, they’re all part of the family. It is not the nuclear family that has the most importance for Greek families so leaving that and coming just as your nuclear unit is very isolating.”

Demetre Katsikopoulos found a place to live and a job as an upholsterer within 20 days of arriving in Australia.

He has brought his parents out, too, but after more than three decades away from Australia it’s like starting again.

“It’s strange. I’m still trying to get used to Australia because they’re two different countries,” he said.

“I’m curious [to see] how it is going to be my future here. I didn’t come to Australia to be rich, I just came to live with dignity.”

Ailing economy sparks new wave of Greek migration to Australia

Source: SBS

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Greeks with Australian citizenship are returning here in the hope of finding jobs and a better life, away from the instability crippling Greece’s economy.

Australia is also seeing an increase in the number of new migrants from Greece, many coming to our shores with the support of family and friends.

Department of Immigration figures show that there was an increase in the number of Australian temporary and permanent visas granted for Greek nationals in the last fiscal year.

The increase was seen in nearly all Australian visa categories, with a significant rise in temporary 457 visas, up by nearly 70 percent.

There is also an approximately 61.5 percent increase in the number of permanent immigrants under family and skilled migration routes during the period between 2011-12 and 2012-13, from 325 to 525 issued visas.

Yianni Veskoulis and his friend George Vynos are among the many new Greek migrants who now call Australia home.

“I miss some things from my country, but I find other things here, that I don’t have in my country,” says Yianni. “My future is here.”

“You can find job, you can survive, like financial way, you know,” says George.

Yianni found work as a carpenter and George works as a mechanic.

Peter Jasoniadis knows the story well.

He runs a college which offers courses in English, business, childcare and community services.

Over the past three years he’s seen a large increase in the number of pupils.

But it’s tough and the new migrants are grateful for the support of family and friends.

“They know that Melbourne for example, is the third largest Greek city in the world. What they don’t know, is the laws of migration in Australia are different to what they were 20, 30 or 40 years ago.”

And with so many losing their jobs in Greece, those who lived here but went back – are now returning.

“I was without a job for 2 years in Greece, and at one stage,” says Nick Maniatis. “My sister lost her job as well. And that’s when I decided that I’m going to come back to Australia.”

While the economic crisis in Greece might have been the major factor in the decision to return here, many Greeks with dual citizenship say they had a personal reason to the country they were raised and educated in.

Arthur Gialamas left Australia when he was 12.

32 years on, he’s back, with his wife and teenage children.

“I always had a special place for Australia in my mind, and that I would want to come back again,” he says.

Washington OXI Day Foundation’s Third Annual Celebration of Freedom

Source: thenationalherald

Greek-American Christopher Mehiel, who served the U.S. in WWII and all over the world, will be honored posthumously by the Washington OXI Day Foundation.

The Third annual commemoration of the Greece’s resounding “NO-OXI” to the forces of fascism on October 28, 1940 and the celebration of the courage of those who fight to preserve and promote freedom and democracy around the world will be presented by The Washington Oxi Day Foundation October 23-25 in Washington, DC.

The gathering, which will be attended by people from across the country and around the world, culminates in a Black Tie Dinner and Presentation of Oxi Day Awards the evening of October 24.

The recipients include Kenyan journalist and anti-corruption crusader John Githongo, introduced via video by pop music icon Bono, and Cuban dissident and leader of the Women in White organization, Berta Soler.

The keynote speaker will be noted financier Jim Chanos.

The free world watched as one by one countries across Europe surrendered to Hitler’s Axis forces. At 3:00 a.m. on October 28, 1940, a representative of the Axis forces arrived at the Greek prime minister’s residence and demanded Greece’s surrender. The prime minister replied with one single word – Oxi – No.

A few hours later, the Axis forces descended on Greece, expecting that it would quickly fall, but the Greek resistance forced Hitler to change his plans. News of Greece’s victory flooded the radio airwaves and covered the front pages of newspapers around the globe. A grateful world celebrated – no one expected such a small nation to derail the seemingly unstoppable Axis forces.

The world’s nine most incredible natural swimming pools inluding Giola, Thasos, Greece

Source: News

Ik Kil in Cenote, Mexico.

Ik Kil in Cenote, Mexico. Source: Supplied

INFINITY, horizon, lagoon, lap and plunge – there’s plenty of different types of hotel pools.

But some of the best spots for travellers are home to the world’s most amazing natural wonders. Here’s Expedia’s Listopedia Bucket List for the most stunning natural swimming pools.

IK KIL, CENOTE, MEXICO

Known as the “Sacred Blue Cenote,” this enchanting sinkhole will lure you into her perfect waters. The walk down to the deep cavern promises to be an experience. As you meander through mysterious vines and tropical vegetation, small birds flicker above the trees, and you can’t help but get a sense that something special awaits. This clear blue sink hole needs to be seen to be felt.

PAMUKALLE, TURKEY

 

A castle of cotton, the Turks say.

A castle of cotton, the Turks say. Source: Supplied

Pamukkale translates to “cotton castle”, a reference to the white terraces of travertine rock formed in the flow of water from the hot springs of south-western Turkey. A national treasure, this site has tight security but they’ll still let you go for a dip in the shallow pools.

DEAN’S BLUE HOLE, BAHAMAS

 

Imagine the day's drifting away on one of those chairs. Bring along the SPF 30+.

Imagine the day’s drifting away on one of those chairs. Bring along the SPF 30+. Source: Supplied

Feel the freedom as you swim around the 1,000-foot-wide, almost perfectly round ‘blue hole’ in the Caribbean. Dean’s Blue Hole is 650 feet deep, making it a favoured spot for adventurous free divers, who lunge to great depths with no equipment except for their enduring lungs. The turquoise water around the perimeter is known to be home to many colourful species of fish, making it a great snorkel destination. The water in the centre of the blue hole is deep and vast, the perfect place to duck dive down and explore the mysteries lurking beneath.

TAKAMA-GA-HARA ONSEN, NORTHERN JAPAN ALPS, CENTRAL HONSHU

 

No shortage of solace here.

No shortage of solace here. Source: Supplied

If you want to go somewhere that very few do, then take the one day hike to this “secret hot spring” high up in the Japanese alps. Surrounded by mountains, this natural sanctuary is translated to “High Plain of Heaven” in Japanese mythology. If you’re seeking a little healing and solace, then a soak in the soothing, mineral-rich hot springs will do you the world of good. This is one destination that’s far off the beaten tourist path, but it’s the perfect place to just get lost for a while.

BULEY ROCKHOLES, LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK, NORTHERN TERRITORY

 

Close to home, but a million miles away.

Close to home, but a million miles away. Source: Supplied

Take time out and head to Litchfield National Park where you can cool off in the crystal clear rock holes, all of varying sizes. It’s the perfect place to wind down after exploring the park, where you’ll never be short of things to do. Chill out under a waterfall, absorb the scenic bush surrounds or sit and relax, as the chorus of the native birds soothe your soul.

GIOLA, THASOS, GREECE

 

Taking infinity pool to another level, this lagoon opens up to the Aegean Sea.

Taking infinity pool to another level, this lagoon opens up to the Aegean Sea. Source: Supplied

On the beautiful island of Thasos lies a secluded lagoon called Giola. This seaside gem is carved into the rocks and offers breathtaking views over the Aegean Sea. The natural seaside lagoon is filled with pristine water and is located far away from any source of distraction. It’s a place to soak, relax and find a little tranquillity.

TAT KUANG SI WATERFALL, LUANG PRABANG, LAOS

 

Is this the backyard pool of your dreams?

Is this the backyard pool of your dreams? Source: Supplied

There’s no better way to cool off in the Laotian heat than submerging yourself in the enticing blue-green waters of the Tat Kuang Si Waterfall. Spend the day swimming at the base of the falls, swinging from the tree rope and exploring the walking tracks that wind through the tropical green jungle. The Tat Kuant Si Waterfall is located in a national park along the Mekong River and is a must see when in Laos.

HAVASU FALLS, SUPAI, ARIZONA

 

You might think a place like this would be crawling with tourists. Not so.

You might think a place like this would be crawling with tourists. Not so. Source: Supplied

If you’re seeking an oasis in the desert, look no further than Arizona’s Havasu Falls. A place where two worlds collide, you get to experience the traditional culture of the American Indians and witness Mother Nature in all her glory. The beauty is you’ll need a permit from the Havasupai Tribe and there are limited tourists allowed to visit at any one time, allowing you the space to breathe in the beauty and appreciate the miracle of nature.

THE DEVIL’S POOL, VICTORIA FALLS

 

Only for the brave. This waterfall claims thrillseekers' lives each year.

Only for the brave. This waterfall claims thrillseekers’ lives each year. Source: Supplied

One for the real experience seekers, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to peep over the top of the world’s largest waterfall, then you need to take the leap of faith into the Devils Pool. Just don’t jump too far – the 355ft drop takes a few lives a year.

Bathurst 1000 under way

Pole sitter Jamie Whincup took a gamble and handed the reins to co-driver Paul Dumbrell for Sunday’s crucial start of the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.

Racing began with Dumbrell starting from the front row alongside Ford threat Mark Winterbottom – yet to taste victory on the mountain.

Usually, lead drivers were behind the wheel for the critical race start but Whincup said he had more than enough confidence in Dumbrell to hold his nerve.

“I find it challenging jumping into the car after the race has started so I did not want to put that pressure on Paul at all.

“So with me being a regular driver and knowing the car well, I can jump into the second stint – well that’s the plan anyway.

“We are really lucky that Paul’s times are as quick as mine, so we don’t need to concentrate on Paul doing the minimal amount of laps.

V8 Supercars series leader Whincup and Dumbrell are the defending champions for the 161-lap epic which is expected to be hit by showers later on Sunday.

It also marks Whincup’s Holden teammate and five-time Bathurst champion Craig Lowndes’ 20th Bathurst start and 500th V8 touring car start.

He was set to start from sixth on the 29-car grid but handed the first shift to co-driver Warren Luff.

Australian trio take five in Moscow Swimming Australia

Source: Swimming.org.au

Australian swimmers Robert Hurley, Kenneth To and Ashley Delaney have finished the first night of the FINA World Cup in Moscow with an impressive five medals between them.

The first medals came in the final of the men’s 100m backstroke when Hurley and Delaney took the top two spots on the podium.

World Short Course representative, Hurley, led from the start and finished almost a second ahead of fellow Aussie Delaney (51.13) to grab the gold medal in a time of 50.32.

Rounding out the top three was Poland’s Radoslaw Kawecki in 51.28.

Twenty-five-year-old Hurley then showed his versatility in the pool with a second place finish behind Russian swimmer Myles Brown (3:41.79) in the men’s 400m freestyle.

Hurley’s time of 3:43.89 was enough to sneak into the silver medal position ahead of Lucas Da Cruz Kanieski from Brazil (3:44.75).

2012 FINA World Cup Champion, To, also had a stellar night in the pool picking up two silver medals.

To’s first silver came in his pet event the men’s 100m individual medley, hitting the wall in a time of 51.83 just 0.22 of a second behind gold medal winner Vladimir Morozov (51.61) from Russia.

The bronze medal went to Trinidad and Tobago swimmer George Bovell, one second behind To in 52.88.

In the men’s 100m freestyle final, To was forced to settle for silver as he finished just behind a speedy Morozov (45.68) for the second time that night.

To clocked an impressive 46.87 for the silver medal to finish ahead of Poland’s Konrad Czerniak in 47.34.

The Moscow leg of the FINA World Cup will continue tonight with full results and information available at http://www.fina.org.

Push grows for Aussie Socceroos coach ANGE Postecoglou

Source: TheAustralian

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ANGE Postecoglou has urged caution about the growing push for a homegrown Socceroos coach, insisting ability matters far more than nationality.

Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop says feelers have already been put out to find Holger Osieck’s replacement.

Internationals including Guus Hiddink and Gerrard Houllier have been linked with the vacant role while Australian coaches such as Postecoglou and Graham Arnold are also believed to be in the frame.

Arnold has already put his hand up and says he believes the time is right for a local to lead the Socceroos.

That view has been strongly backed by fellow A-League coaches John Aloisi and Alistair Edwards, while Gallop says having an Australian coach is the long-term preference, regardless of whether a local is appointed this time.

While Postecoglou said he would do whatever he can to help grow the game in Australia, he added that appointing a coach just because they’re Australian would be the wrong approach.

“The only thing I would recommend strongly is to appoint the best person for the job,” Postecoglou told reporters.

“I don’t like this whole ‘Let’s go local as opposed to overseas.’

“It’s our national team, whoever the best person for the job is, that’s who should get it.”

But Arnold believes it’s time to have an Australian.

“I do believe Australian coaches are now ready. Probably the criticism a few years ago was right and was correct because I didn’t even have a pro licence,” he said.

“But now I do have a pro licence and the coaching across the board is so much better.

“I do believe that probably an Australian with the passion and the pride to coach the Socceroos would be fantastic, whoever it is, whether it’s Ange, Tony Popovic or whoever.”

Aloisi, the former Socceroo whose penalty goal famously put Australia into the 2006 World Cup, agreed there were coaches in the A-League ready to step up either now, or in the near future.

“Are we bringing in foreign coaches just for the sake of it or have we got coaches good enough to end up coaching at that level?” he said

“I think that we’ve got a few that are good enough.”

Edwards said Postecoglou would be his choice, based on his experience and domestic achievements.

“It’s always good to look overseas to see what we can learn from but I think we’ve done that and I think the coaches we have in the A-League now and the brand of football that is being played, on and off the park, they’re good managers, they’re good technical coaches and I think the time is right for us to put in a local coach,” Edwards said.

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