GREEK WORLD MEDIA

The Greek Community was saddened to hear about the passing of centenarian Nicholas Peter Careedy (Karydis)

Remembering Nicholas Careedy (Karydis)

Nicholas Careedy in the Australian Royal Air Force.

The Greek Community was saddened to hear about the passing of centenarian Nicholas Peter Careedy (Karydis) on 14 October.

Careedy, the fourth child and only son of Peter and Marietta Careedy, was born in Mylopotamos, Kythera on the 1 March 1912.

After completing high school in Kythera he remained in his village until he left for military service.

He spent the first six months of service in the recruiting office of the 31st regiment in Athens and then the office of the military academy.

When he got his discharge from the army, Nick completed a bee-keeping course, establishing his own business in Mylopotamos, however the economic state of the 1930’s forced him to decide to migrate to Australia.

Nick arrived in Toowoomba on the 10th of January 1937 and worked in his brother-in-law, Harry Andronicos’s cafe.

He became involved with the Greek Community’s Kytherian Association in Toowoomba and served on the committee for eight years.

He was also a member of TOC H and the organising committee of the Greek war relief fund. When Italy invaded Greece during WW2, he was very sorry he was not there to take part in the victory the Greek army had in Albania.

When Japan bombed Darwin in February 1942, although still a Greek national, Nick enlisted in the Royal Australian Air-Force and finally was accepted in October. He served for 3 1/2 years in the security division and saw active service in Darwin and New Guinea.

After he received his discharge he went to Goondiwindi for 12 months and then to Toowoomba where with Harry Andronicos they opened a drapery business.

From 1946 he was a member of the R.S.L eventually forming a Hellenic Sub-Branch. He became the foundation President and served for thirteen years. He was also given life membership in 2001 and a certificate of merit for his service.

In 1951 he moved to Brisbane where he opened a frock salon in the city, became treasurer of the Greek Red Cross and became a member of the Greek community. This year Nick was honoured with life membership to the Greek Community.

In 1954, he joined A.H.E.P.A. where he served as National Supreme President and was honoured with life membership in 2004.

Nick received the “Multicultural Services Award”, from the Premier of Queensland in 1997. Three years later, he was honoured with the Order of Australia medal at Government House for his charity work.

Although experiencing much in his life, his proudest moments were marrying Nina Kalafatas in 1963, the birth of their much loved only child Marietta, who with her husband Paul, have been blessed with two beautiful children Connie and Nicholas.

In 2003, Nick, Nina, Paul, Marietta, Connie and Nicholas all journeyed over to Greece for five weeks, where Nick proudly got to show his family his homeland.

They even stayed in the house where he was born. This meant so much to him.

In 2007, with the assistance of Doctor Peter Marendy, $20 000 was raised to build a War Memorial that was unveiled on Remembrance Day.

The Olive tree, symbolising peace, was lovingly planted and tended by Nick. As it continues to grow, it is a reminder of Nick’s dedication to those who served in wars.

Nick was a fortunate man, living a long, happy life, which many of us got to celebrate earlier this year at his 100th birthday.

Living to the grand age of one hundred Nick daily tended to his garden, loved to travel, enjoyed fishing and lawn bowls.

Over the past two months, while the family were going through the hardest time they have ever had to face, it was the love and support shown by so many that helped to get them through. Thank you must be given to many people: To Father Laurentios and Father Gregory for officiating today’s ceremony, and taking the time to visit Nick recently.

Perry Panagiotakis for his chanting in church which Nick always loved to hear. He has inherited his dear father’s magnificent voice.

To the doctors and staff at Greenslopes Private Hospital for their professional care, and to Nick’s incredible GP Dr Steve Hambleton who he respected so very much and the staff at the Kedron Park Medical Centre. Nina, Paul, Marietta, Connie and Nicholas, wish to extend their sincere thanks and gratitude to all who knew Nick Careedy.

Nick was a fortunate man, living a long, happy life, which many of us got to celebrate earlier this year at his 100th birthday. Living to the grand old age of 100, Nick tended daily to his garden, loved to travel, and enjoyed fishing and lawn bowls.

Nick was also a religious man who enjoyed attending church on a regular basis. He and Nina would try to travel to Greece as often as possible to visit his relatives and friends in Kythera.

Nick led a full and happy life and is now resting in God’s care, watching over us. We will always be grateful to have had the opportunity for Nick to have been part of our lives. Nick will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. He was laid to rest on Friday 19 October 2012 at Agia Paraskevi, Taigum, Australia.

15 Greek Australians have been elected as representatives for the local Councils

Greek Australians make their mark in local Councils

From L-R: Bill Pontikis, Paul Klisaris, Theo Zographos and Steven Dimopoulos. Photo: Kostas Deves.

Fifteen Greeks have been newly or re-elected into local Victorian Councils over the weekend.
Notably, all three seats in the Oakleigh Ward are filled by Greek Australians.
Stephen Dimopoulos, Bill Pontikis, Theo Zographos were chosen by Oakleigh voters, with the hope the strong Greek community of the area is well looked after.
Stephen Dimopoulos is now in his fourth term, and with such success it would be easy to think he would have become a little complacent.
“I don’t think I ever get complacent with these things,” he told Neos Kosmos.
“I was nervous until the day”.
Also joining Mr Dimopoulos is Theo Zographos, who now promotes himself as the youngest elected Greek Australian. At just 23, it’s easy to see why.
He told Neos Kosmos, “age is not the ultimate factor; It comes down to the merits of the individual”.
“I do have many things to learn, not only in local government but generally in life,” he says.
As a representative he is looking to focus on the budget and financial issues, but also has great interest in working with volunteers and community groups.
Zographos also values his Greek heritage and believes more Greek Australians should enter politics.
“I do think it’s extremely important to have Greek Australians in local government and in other levels of government and that we support them, regardless of where they sit on the political spectrum,” he says.
Politics runs in the Klisaris family and this year Paul Klisaris of the Mount Waverly ward is joined by his daughter Jami who was elected to the Stonnington North Ward.
This year set a record for the number of candidates vying for positions and shows a growing interest in local government and community matters.
All of Victoria’s 78 councils held elections last weekend, and 610 positions were up for grabs.
The full list of Greek Australians elected and their votes are as follows:
Yarra City Council (Melba Ward), Phillip Vlahogiannis, 1289 votes
Monash City Council (Mulgrave Ward), Paul Klisaris, 7208 votes
Monash City Council (Oakleigh Ward), Steven Dimopoulos, 3444 votes
Monash City Council (Oakleigh Ward), Bill Pontikis, 2664 votes
Monash City Council (Oakleigh Ward), Theo Zographos, 1522 votes
Whittlesea City Council (South West Ward) Kris Pavlidis, 4043 votes
Whittlesea City Council (South East Ward) Mary Lalios, 8120 votes
Moreland City Council (South Ward) Lambros Tapinos, 3826 votes
Stonnington City Council (North Ward), Jami Klisaris, 971 votes
Manningham City Council (Heide Ward), Jim Grivokostopoulos, 2638 votes
Kingston City Council (North Ward), Steve Staikos, 7040 votes
Hume City Council (Meadow Valley Ward), Helen Patsikatheodorou, 4313 votes
Darebin City Council (Rucker Ward), Steven Tsitas, 3396 votes
Moyne Shire Council, Jim Doukas, 2431 votes
Warrnambool City Council, Peter Sycopoulis, 1815 votes

Sidney Nolan daughter puts Ned Kelly’s head on the block

Source: TheAustralian

Geoffrey Smith and Brett Ballard pictured with Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly: Crossing the River

Sotheby’s chief executive Geoffrey Smith, left, and Brett Ballard with Sidney Nolan’s Crossing The River, which is being auctioned later this month. Picture: Dan Himbrechts Source: The Australian

ONE of Sidney Nolan’s iconic Ned Kelly paintings will be sold for the first time following a decision by the artist’s daughter to auction the work, which has been in the family for almost 60 years.

Ned Kelly: Crossing the River (1955) is expected to fetch between $800,000 and $1.2 million when it goes under the hammer on November 20 at Sotheby’s sale of Important Australian and International Art.

According to the auction house, viewing of the work in Sydney and Melbourne during the next fortnight marks the first time the work has been on public exhibition — and on Australian shores — since 1975.

Crossing the River, which is part of Nolan’s second Ned Kelly series, has spent the past three decades at the Boston home of Jinx Nolan, the daughter of Sidney and Cynthia Nolan.

The painting depicts the Victorian outlaw wading through a swollen river holding a firearm above his head.

Jinx Nolan, who inherited the painting upon her mother’s death in 1976, said selling the work was not an easy decision.

“I will miss the painting enormously,” she said. “I have owned it for a long time and although it contains one of my father’s most iconic images, it has been a familiar and comforting part of my life.”

Sotheby’s chief executive Geoffrey Smith said the work was an integral part of “arguably the most internationally known series of Australian art”. He said that was borne out by examples of the series at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Britain’s Tate Museum.

The NGV in 2010 acquired Ned Kelly with Horse (1955) for $2.5m, while Nolan’s famous Kelly painting First Class Marksman (1946) was sold the same year for $5.4m, a record price for Australian art sold at auction.

Smith said Crossing the River was notable for its compositional clarity.

“It’s a singular image,” said Smith. “The figure is firmly placed in the Australian landscape. It really is a defining composition. When people identify with the outlaw, they identify with the helmet, and it’s smack bang in the middle of the image.”

The work is on view in Sydney this week, before travelling to Melbourne where it will be on public display until the auction.

Smith, who in 2003 curated a survey of Nolan’s work at the National Gallery of Victoria, said he was unconcerned about launching the work into a softening market.

“For works of great rarities and significance, we are finding there is great interest and depth to the market,” he said.

Crossing the River, which Nolan showed in exhibitions in London and New York in 1965 and 1966, was last seen in Australia in 1975, when it was part of The Cynthia Nolan Collection of Paintings by Sidney Nolan, which was shown at Sydney’s David Jones.

The world’s best islands, according to TripAdvisor including Santorini

Source: TripAdvisor

MOST AMAZING ISLANDS ON EARTH

If you’re itching for an island escape but don’t know where to start, check out this list of TripAdvisor’s top 10 must-see islands.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Abundant wildlife on the Galapagos Islands makes it a Mecca for eco tourists. Visitors are likely to spot sea lions, sea turtles, flamingos and iguanas. Picture: blinkingidiot/Flickr.

Madagascar

A biodiversity hotspot, Madagascar is a nature-lover’s dream destination. A getaway to the world’s fourth-largest island would be the adventure of a lifetime. Picture: Frank.Vassen/Flickr

Anguilla, Caribbean

White, powdery sand, pristine waters and romantic public beaches for swimming and sunbaking. Top it off by dancing the night away to calypso music, and you’ve got the ideal island getaway. Picture: axalady/Flickr.

Easter Island, Chile

This amazing South Pacific island’s isolation has helped protect its 1500-year-old volcanic rock sculptures, which Easter Island is famous for. The unique landscape and uncrowded beaches are worth staying for. Picture: Travelwayoflife/Flickr

Ischia, Italy

The largest island in the Bay of Naples, Ischia is known for its curative spas. Picture: Chiara Marra/Flickr

Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand

Mostly protected marine park, this pristine island is known for its unspoiled beaches and excellent diving and snorkelling. Picture: mattmangum/Flickr

Sri Lanka

This is an island of tea plantations, gorgeous beaches and ancient cities. Days can easily be filled by scuba diving, visiting an elephant orphanage, exploring the jungles and visiting temples and shrines. Picture: YIM Hafiz/Flickr.

Santorini, Greece

An island in the Aegean Sea, it is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. Santorini is famous for its dramatic views and spectacular sunsets. Picture: sanderovski & linda/Flickr.

Maui, Hawaii

Exquisite beaches to scenic wonders, the second-largest Hawaiian island has a small population and is punctuated with small towns and airy resorts. Picture: rhett maxwell/Flickr.

For the first time in its 91-year history, Chanel No 5 perfume is under threat

Source: News

What’s really in the world’s favourite perfume?

An EU advisory committee says tree moss, which provides the woody notes for Chanel No 5, should be outlawed. Picture: Supplied

FAMOUSLY, it was the only thing Marilyn Monroe wore in bed, and it has been synonymous with style and sophistication for more than nine decades. But now, for the first time in its 91-year history, Chanel No 5 perfume is under threat.

The reason? One of its key ingredients – a naturally occurring type of tree moss – has come under the microscope of a team of EU scientists who believe it may cause allergies.

It may seem bizarre that the top-selling perfume in the world – a bottle is sold every 30 seconds – could potentially be so damaging when tens of thousands of women across the globe wear it every day.

But it’s just the latest in a long line of restrictions imposed on the scent industry in the past few years. Under rules implemented by the European Commission in 2006, 26 common ingredients including the now-infamous tree moss and eugenol (found in rose oil), must be declared on the packaging of perfume because they are potentially allergenic.

Now it has emerged that the Commission’s Scientific Committee of Consumer Safety, charged with protecting citizens from harmful substances, has extended the list to cover 100 “unsafe” materials.

While they recommend that some must be declared on packaging or the amount used in a perfume be restricted, they want some – including the tree moss used in Chanel No 5 to help give it its distinctive smell – banned entirely.

And while these are only guidelines and not law, it is likely that perfume manufacturers will feel pressure to comply. The industry watchdog, the International Fragrance Association, is taking it so seriously it has decided to conduct further research into the potential skin allergens on the back of the recommendations.

This doesn’t affect only Chanel; a host of other well-loved perfumes – from Miss Dior to Guerlain’s Shalimar and Angel by Thierry Mugler – could be caught up, too.

For the new list calls for restrictions of many commonly used ingredients such as citral, found in lemon and tangerine oils, and coumarine, which comes from the spicy South American tonka bean – all naturally sourced ingredients, it should be pointed out, which have been used for decades in perfume-making without causing serious harm.

It is even feared that jasmine and rose – some of the most common ingredients in the world’s favourite scents – could be put on future lists.

But back to Chanel. What is this innocuous-sounding tree moss, and how important is it to Chanel No 5?

According to Francis Pickthall, director of UK-based international fragrance house CPL Aromas, tree moss has always been an important ingredient in high-end fragrances thanks to its distinctive earthy, woody scent, which No 5 fans would immediately recognise.

“It’s created by scraping moss from the bark of Northern hemisphere trees, often in former Yugoslavian countries, which is then steam-distilled,” he says. “But it has already started to be phased out of many perfumes and replaced with similar-scented synthetic mosses or oak moss, though only if it is low in atranol, the component of moss which is a known skin-sensitiser”.

Oak moss, it must be mentioned, is also in Chanel No 5, and also on the future “forbidden” list. But Mr Pickthall argues that ingredients being banned or restricted is nothing new to the industry, and that perfumers are expert at phasing out problem materials while finding alternatives.

That is clearly not how everyone feels, though. Chanel spokeswoman Francoise Montenay declared: “It would be the end of beautiful perfumes if we could not use these ingredients”; while the French Perfumer’s Society said it would lead to “the death of perfume if this continues”.

One wonders what Coco Chanel herself would have thought of being told by EU scientists that her beloved fragrance had to be updated before it had even reached its 100th birthday. Because the story leading to its creation is just as captivating as the scent itself.

Until Chanel No 5 emerged in 1921, perfumes had tended to be thick and rich with animal musk. Having already taken the Parisian fashion scene by storm, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel decided to turn her hand to a beauty product that had so far eluded her, a fragrance that was light, fresh and reflected the liberated spirit of the new decade.

Her mother had been a laundry woman in rural France, so she loved the smell of soap, but for years she was unable to find a perfumer who was up to the task, because citrus fragrances such as lemon, bergamot and orange just didn’t last on the skin.

Then, in 1920, she heard about a daring perfumer Ernest Beaux, who had worked for the Russian Royal family and lived in the capital of perfume, Grasse. He took up her challenge, spending months creating ten samples for her to try. They were numbered one to five and 20 to 24. And, you guessed it, she picked number five.

She is said to have told Beaux: “I present my dress collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year, and so we will let this sample number five keep the name it has already — it will bring good luck.”

And it did. The scent combined jasmine, rose, sandalwood and vanilla with other background notes, and it is said that when Chanel sprayed the perfume around her table in an upmarket Paris restaurant, women passing by literally stopped in their tracks to ask her what the fragrance was and where it came from.

She declared later: “It was what I was waiting for. A perfume like nothing else. A woman’s perfume, with the scent of a woman.”

Time would show that millions of women from all walks of life agreed with her, from the American war-time wives who had it brought back from Europe by their GI sweethearts, to the one-in-ten modern women who were wearing Chanel No 5 when they met “the One”, according to a study in 2009.

So will all these women really fail to notice if the formula is changed? Perfumer Roja Dove is not so sure.

While he admits that it has been necessary to remove certain common components of fragrances over the last century – both for health reasons, such as when benzene was phased out when it was discovered to be a potential carcinogen, and ethical ones, like the disappearance of musks taken from slaughtered animals – he says it is never easy to recreate a well-known scent with different raw materials.

“It’s impossible to reformulate without making a product smell different – that is why the original ingredients were used in the first place,” he says.

Γιατι ο ελληνας δε βρισκει δουλεια στη χώρα του

Ο Γιάννης άρχισε την ημέρα του νωρίς βάζοντας το ξυπνητήρι του (MADE IN SWITCHERLAND) για τις 6 το πρωί. Σηκώθηκε από το κρεβάτι του (MADE IN SWEDEN)

Έφτιαξε τον καφέ του (PRODUCED IN BRASIL)

Ξυρίστηκε με την ηλεκτρική του μηχανή (MADE IN GERMANY)

Έβαλε αποσμητικό (MADE IN BELGIUM)

Φόρεσε το πουκάμισό του (MADE IN TURKEY),

τα jeans με φίρμα (MADE IN SRI LANKA) ,

κάλτσες (MADE IN EGYPT),

παπούτσια (MADE IN ITALY).

Έφτιαξε τα αυγά του στην καινούρια ηλεκτρική κουζίνα (MADE IN KOREA)

ΕΦΑΓΕ ΛΙΓΟ ΤΥΡΙ GOUDA ΟΛΛΑΝΔΙΑΣ KAI ΜILNER ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙΑΣ

ΜΑΖΙ ΜΕ ΛΟΥΚΑΝΙΚΟ ΦΡΑΚΦΟΥΡΤΗΣ, ΚΑΙ ΤΟΜΑΤΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΙΣΡΑΗΛ.

ΜΕΤΑ ΔΥΟ ΜΗΛΑ ΧΙΛΗΣ, ΕΝΑ ΠΟΡΤΟΚΑΛΙ ΑΡΓΕΝΤΙΝΗΣ.

Έριξε μία ματιά στο laptop του (MADE IN JAPAN)

Ήλεγξε τα emails του κοιτάζοντας συγχρόνως το ρολόι του (MADE IN TAIWAN).

Μετά κλείδωσε την πόρτα (MADE IN CANADA),

ενεργοποίησε το συναγερμό (MADE IN USA)

μπήκε στο αυτοκίνητό του (MADE IN SPAIN) ,

το γέμισε με βενζίνη (από SAUDI ARABIA)

και συνέχισε το ψάξιμο για μια καλή δουλειά στην ΕΛΛΑΔΑ.

Στο τέλος μιάς ακόμα άκαρπης και αποκαρδιωτικής προσπάθειας για εύρεση εργασίας και αφού εκτύπωσε μερικά ακόμα αντίγραφα συστατικών επιστολών σε εκτυπωτή (made in MALAYSIA),

ο Γιάννης αποφάσισε να ξεκουραστεί λίγο. Έβαλε τις παντούφλες του (MADE IN BRAZIL),

άνοιξε μια μπύρα (MADE IN ENGLAND) ,

έφαγε μια μπριζόλα (PRODUCED IN BULGARIA)

και άνοιξε την τηλεόραση (MADE IN INDONESIA).

Καθώς παρακολουθούσε τα ΤΟΥΡΚΙΚΑ σίριαλ προσπαθούσε να σκεφτεί τί φταίει και δεν μπορεί να βρει μιά δουλειά στην ΕΛΛΑΔΑ…

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Αυτοκτόνησαν τον Κώστα Τσάκωνα στο διαδίκτυο. ΖΕΙ Ο ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΣ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ

Πριν περίπου μία ώρα ΣΥΜΦΩΝΑ ΜΕ ΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΜΑ ΦΑΡΣΑ ΣΤΟ ΔΙΑΔΙΚΤΥΟ αυτοκτόνησε ο αγαπημένος ηθοποιός Κώστας Τσάκωνας. Η κηδεία του θα γίνει στο πρώτο νεκτροταφείο. Ο Κώστας με τα τελευταία του λόγια παρακινεί τον κόσμο να “ξυπνήσει”. Μετά την κηδεία έχει οργανωθεί πορεία στο σύνταγμα στη μνήμη του κ.Τσάκωνα που οδηγήθηκε στην αυτοκτονία λόγω των απάνθρωπων συνθηκών που βίωνε από το Σεπτέμβριο του 2004.Προς τιμήν του έχει δημιουργηθεί σελίδα στο facebook “Καλό ταξίδι Κώστα Τσάκωνα” Θα κλείσω αυτό το άρθρο με το σημείωμα που άφησε ο ίδιος.
Τα τελευταία λόγια μου..

Μοντέλα και τηλεπερσόνες σε διαδικτυακό κύκλωμα βιζιτας. ΟΝΟΜΑΤΑ ΒΟΜΒΑ

Την απόφαση μου την πήρα, δεν έχω κάτι άλλο να ζήσω, τον κύκλο μου τον έκανα. Πέρασα ωραία χρόνια, μάζεψα πολλές εμπειρίες – όμορφες αλλά και οδυνηρές – , βίωσα την αγάπη του κόσμου όσο ελάχιστοι άλλοι και νιώθω περήφανος. Από το 2004 και μετά όμως η ζωή μου άρχισε να χάνει το νόημα της. Μου στέρησαν ότι αγαπούσα περισσότερο, το σανίδι του θεάτρου, την επαφή μου με τον κόσμο από σκηνής. Μέρα με τη μέρα τα πράγματα γινόντουσαν χειρότερα. Η ζωή έγινε απλή επιβίωση, κι αυτή με νύχια και με δόντια. Το πάλεψα με κάθε μέσον, κυνήγησα το δίκιο μου δικαστικά αλλά και αυτοδικώντας… μάταια όμως. Αποφάσισα λοιπόν να βάλω ένα τέλος, να κάνω και ‘γω το μεγάλο μου φινάλε. Να κάνω τα ζόρια της ζωής μου το κίνητρο και τη δύναμη για να ακουστεί η φωνή μου παντού. Να ακουστεί στα παιδιά που έχουν ακόμα χρόνια και χρόνια να ζήσουν. Στα παιδιά που πρέπει να παλέψουν για το μέλλον που τους παίρνουν μέσα από τα χέρια. Εγώ μπορεί να μην έχω πια δυνάμεις αλλά δεν μπορώ να τα αφήσω τη μοίρα τους, δεν μου το επιτρέπει η αξιοπρέπεια μου. Αν το μόνο που μπορώ να κάνω γι αυτά είναι να τα ταρακουνήσω ώστε να ξυπνήσουν απ το λήθαργο στον οποίο τα έχουν βυθίσει, αυτό τότε με χαροποιεί και μου αρκεί. Αγαπημένα μου παιδιά ΞΥΠΝΗΣΤΕ. Μην αφήνετε κανέναν να κάνει κουμάντο στη ζωή που ξεδιπλώνεται μπροστά σας. Βγείτε στους δρόμους, διεκδικείστε όσα δικαιωματικά σας αξίζουν. Εμένα μπορεί να με λύγισαν και να τα παρατάω αλλά τη δύναμη της νιότης τίποτα δεν την ξεπερνά. Μαζί με τους γονείς, τους συγγενείς, τους δασκάλους σας και όλους τους άλλους εξαθλιωμένους Έλληνες ζητήστε τη ζωή που σας αρμόζει στον 21ο αιώνα…. ξεκινώντας από αύριο, λέγοντας ένα μεγάλο και βρωντερόφωνο ΟΧΙ. Να ξέρετε, πως κάπου ανάμεσα στην ενωμένη φωνή του πλήθους θα είναι και η δική μου φωνή… Κώστας Τσάκωνας

Snowy ride 2012 is a good cause but it takes its toll

Snowy Ride 2012:

Two bikers were injured, one critically, in separate incidents near Charlottes Pass and Berridale at the weekend.

The men were part of the annual Snowy Ride that attracts nearly 3,000 riders and raises funds for children’s cancer research.

Inspector Chris Varley says some riders need to upgrade their skills.

“They are obviously not very experienced,” he said,

“That’s a bit of a problem we find, that an event like the Snowy Ride, whilst it’s a great event and it’s for a great cause, we have a lot of people who come down who have very little experience in motorcycling.

“Because of the terrain, some of them come unstuck very, very easily.”

Snowy Ride organisers say they are working with police to improve safety for the event.

The Steven Walter Foundation says the rally is designed to spread riders across a broad area over the weekend to eliminate big groups.

The foundation’s spokeswoman, Sue Walters, says most do not speed or take risks.

But she says others treat the ride as a race or are just inexperienced.

“They’ve been riders when they were younger and now, going 20 years down the track getting on a bike, without really doing any refresher courses,” Ms Walters said.

“Their brains are back when they’re 18 but they’re now 40 and they need to be a little bit cautious or go and do a Stay Upright course or something like that just to get their ability back and understand what it’s like to ride down here and to ride long distances.”

Dig it! Australia among the best places to dig for buried treasure

Source: News

Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy in South Australia has been named as the best place to hunt for loot. Picture: Mike Burton

Travellers can join in a fossil dig at Winton, QLD. Picture: Australian Age of Dinosaurs.

THERE’S a secret world of goodies buried beneath the earth’s rocks and waves.

Looking for loot – from pirate booty to secret stashes – is an adventure all its own.

Lonely Planet has compiled a list of the world’s top 10 places to hunt for treasure in their Best in Travel 2013 book.

1. Opal Mining, Coober Pedy, Australia

Outback adventure and the chance to strike it rich: can you dig it?

The good folk of Coober Pedy can… and have done, ever since opal was first discovered there in 1915.

Named from the local aboriginal term ‘kupa-piti’ (meaning ‘whitefella in a hole’), this far-flung town is known as the opal capital of the world; it’s also famous for its underground homes, excavated to escape the desert sizzle.

While hardcore miners need a government permit, anyone is allowed to fossick – in local parlance, ‘noodle’ – through the town’s many mine dumps.

Don’t let the whimsical verb fool you: many a noodler has hit paydirt.

Before going it alone, try a sanctioned noodle at Tom’s Working Opal Mine or Old Timers’ Mine.

2. Norman Island, British Virgin Islands

Peg-legs, black spots, West Country accents: if there was a map showing the home of every pirate cliché known to fancy-dressers, Norman Island would be marked with an X.

Not shivering your timbers? Perhaps its fictional name, Treasure Island, will make you go ‘aaargh’.

The inspiration behind Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of mutiny and booty, Norman Island today is a haven for snorkellers and nature lovers.

But rumours of undiscovered doubloons hidden in the Caves – a series of aptly murky watery caverns – attract rum-hoisters convinced the island remains home to ‘plenty of prizes and plenty of duff !’.

Norman Island is a short boat trip from Tortola, the biggest and most populated of the BVIs. Tortola is reached via ferries or flights out of various Caribbean hubs.

3. Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Home to a huge, mysterious hole nicknamed the Money Pit, this otherwise unremarkable island is the destination for those answering the call of booty.

First discovered in 1795, the cryptic Pit is the site of the world’s longest-running treasure hunt… although just which treasure is being hunted remains the cause of frenzied debate.

Rumoured riches hidden within the hole (which supposedly runs at least 60m deep) include Captain Kidd’s stash, the lost jewels of Marie Antoinette, documents proving the ‘real’ identity of Shakespeare (Francis Bacon, FYI) and the holy grail of treasure seekers, the, erm, Holy Grail.

Beware the booby traps!

Oak Island is privately owned and permission is required before setting off to solve the mystery of the Pit. Start here for legends and links.

4. Las Vegas, US

Cache-ING! Looking for loot in Las Vegas? Forget fruit machines and bank breaking: these days, thousands of Sin City visitors are forgoing gambling for geocaching.

A real-life treasure hunt that relies on GPS and cryptic clues, geocaching is more likely to yield a Kinder Egg than that of the nest variety, but that hasn’t stopped five million enthusiasts worldwide.

Vegas has become a must-do for the high-tech hobbyists, with more than 2400 stashes hidden in and around the city, including scores on the Strip, in the surrounding desert and in spooky spots for ‘haunted’ night caching.

A real-life treasure hunt in Las Vegas for hidden stashes is a must-do for high-tech hobbiests. Picture: WriterGal39/Flickr.

5. Gold Detecting, Papua New Guinea

There’s gold in them thar hills… and on them thar islands… and under that thar sea.

Papua New Guinea is absolutely awash with the shiny stuff , and while much of it falls into the hands of multinational mining companies, there’s no reason the budding prospector can’t have a pick or a pan as well.

Gold fever peaked in the 20th century, with nuggets the ‘size of goose eggs’ attracting feverish prospectors, including a certain Mr Errol Flynn.

These days, PNG’s rough-and-tumble landscape (social and geographic) make joining an organised tour a better idea than striking out on your own.

They’re not cheap, but with a potential ‘Eureka!’ moment lurking beneath every step, who cares?

PNG Gold Tours offers fully escorted, two-week gold-hunting trips to Misma Island, an area renowned for rich alluvial deposits.

6. Roman Coins, English Countryside

Either togas suffered from a lack of pockets or departing Romans hadn’t time to stop at a currency exchange, because England is aglitter with ancient currency.

And it’s yours for the picking. Amateur archaeologists and quaint folk with metal detectors have been responsible for massive finds across the island; in 2010, a chef uncovered a pot filled with 52,000 coins dated between AD 253 and 293, the largest such hoard yet discovered.

Study up, be sure to get landowners’ permission and you too could hold history in your hands!

Contact the National Council for Metal Detecting for information on detector hire, regional clubs and valuing your treasure.

7. Digging For Dinos, Australia

Thrilled by theropods? Is ‘muttaburrasaurus’ more than just an amusing tongue-twister to you? Then it’s a fair bet that joining a dinosaur dig is your idea of the ultimate treasure hunt.

And where better to pander to your inner palaeontologist than outback Winton, home to Australia’s largest hoard of dino bones?

The not-for-profit organisation Australian Age of Dinosaurs holds tri-annual Dinosaur Discovery Weeks, giving ‘enthusasauruses’ the chance to excavate, plaster and prep fossils buried for the past 95 million years.

No experience is necessary, but only 13 spots per dig are available. Book quickly: they’ll be gone before you can say ‘Diamantinasaurus matildae’.

Digs run between July and September. Find out more and reserve your spot here.

8. Arctic Amethysts, Kola Peninsula, Russia

Far above the Arctic Circle, all that glitters is not ice: western Russia’s extreme north sparkles with the purple slivers of the prized amethyst.

The rugged Kola Peninsula – a mineralogist’s dream with its hundreds of rare rock and metal species – is home to the windswept, amethyst-rich Tersky Coast.

Unlike gold, the amethyst is surprisingly easy to find if you know where to look (Tersky’s Korabl Cape – ‘Ship Cape’ – is a great place to start): simply look for the purple clumps.

In addition to its beauty, amethyst has a legendary quality which may come in handy in these frozen, vodka-loving lands: it’s believed to protect its bearer from drunkenness.

While spotting amethysts is simple enough, getting around Kola Peninsula is not.

Consider joining a mineralogical tour with the South Kola group.

9. Fossil Gawking, Gobi Desert, Mongolia

To the hurried eye, the vast Gobi Desert looks like 1.3 million sq km of dusty nothing.

But stop, stoop and focus: the Gobi is one of the world’s richest fossil depositories, with many ancient (as in 100-million-years-ancient) remains lying only centimetres from the surface.

It was here the first dinosaur eggs were discovered; other major excavated finds include rare, mid-evolutionary birds and some of the world’s best-preserved mammal fossils.

Hunting hotspots include the Flaming Hills of Bayanzag and Altan Uul (‘Golden Mountain’).

You’re not supposed to take your finds home with you – they’re rightfully considered national treasures – but here, especially, the thrill is in the chase.

Independent (not package) tours can be hard to stumble across, but not impossible. Many guesthouses in Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar can help get your expedition underway.

10. Wreck Diving, Florida, US

It may be known as the Sunshine State, but many of Florida’s richest attractions haven’t seen the light of day in centuries.

Thought to be home to more sunken treasure than any other state in the US, Florida’s blue waters may be hiding more than US$200 million worth of loot.

Now home to Disneyworld and pampered retirees, the state was once a notorious pirate haven (even Blackbeard dropped anchor here), and its hurricanes sent countless Spanish galleons to Davy Jones’ locker.

Check local legalities before you wriggle into your wettie, and never dive alone in Florida’s oft-treacherous waters: those wrecks are down there for a reason.

This website is a treasure trove of super-detailed listings of potentially enriching (and legal) wreck-dive spots across Florida.

This is an extract from Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2013 © Lonely Planet 2012, RRP: $24.99, available in stores now.