Australia waited with baited breath yesterday as three fellow countrymen sat poised to take the prize that has eluded the nation for so long. After an astonishing 30-foot putt at the close of the 18th Scott hadn’t quite done enough to claim the title, with Cabrera matching his birdie. Instead, the pair took the tournament into a sudden-death playoff for the second year in a row. After both making par on the first hole, Scott was able to secure victory with his second birdie on their return to the 18th. Fists pumping in jubilation, Scott lit the greying Augusta sky as he finally broke the curse on Australian golf.

A quick look back at Australia's latest sporting superstar:

Early promise

Born in Adelaide, in 1980, Scott showed early promise as a golfer when growing up in the favoured golfing destination of Queensland. His father, Phil, said he remembers his son hitting a golf ball around a par-three golf course at the age of four.

His father was the first director of golf at Twin Waters Resort and, naturally enough, became his son's coach. He perfected a simple swing technique, which Scott has used to devastating effect throughout his career.

“I tried to keep it simple and natural,” he said. “As a golf pro, I appreciated the need for solid technique, but I never tried to cloud his mind with too many technical thoughts.”

A golfing education

In 1996, at the age of 17, Scott enrolled at Kooralbyn International School south of Brisbane, a school with a renowned golf program. His teacher Peter Claughton told Australian media that Scott had been a cut above the other golfing students.

“Adam was switched on and organised. He knew all about golf courses all over the world, the great players, the touring pros and what other amateurs were doing,” Claughton said.

From there, the golf prodigy went on to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, turning professional in 2000. Since then he has made the steady assent to yesterday’s achievement.

He has won nine PGA Tour events, eight on the European tour, four on the Asian tour, one Sunshine Tour title and three PGA Tour of Australasia competitions.

Fallen idols

Scott has always idolized Australian golfing giant Greg Norman, the Great White Shark, whose defeat in at the U.S. Masters in 1996 became a defining moment for both Scott and Australia.

“Australia is a proud sporting nation,” Scott told a press conference following his Masters victory. “And this is one notch in the belt that we had never got.”

“It was one guy who inspired a nation of golfers, and that is Greg Norman,” Scott said. “Part of this definitely belongs to him.”

Be they homesick or yearning for a Down Under staycation, Southern California residents need not travel far to glimpse some of Australia’s most unique wildlife.

Opening May 24, 2013, the Australian Outback exhibit at the San Diego Zoo will feature seven different marsupials including wombats, Tasmanian devils and parma wallabies, as well as 25 species of birds.

The exhibit will also feature the largest koala colony outside of Australia, a title the zoo has owned for the past 30 years. Currently, the four resident koalas’ daily movements (or sleeping habits) may be monitored via a live Koala Cam set above their temporary habitat.

 Overlooking the koala tree perches will be the Queenslander House, where zoo guests may learn about koala conservation efforts, take a peek into the koala prep food kitchen, and find out how the keepers and veterinarians care for the koalas on a daily basis.

To promote the opening of this exhibit in May, the zoo is hosting a photo contest called “Koalafornia Dreamin” where participants can print out a PDF image of Cooladdi the Koala, snap a scenic California photo with it, and then upload the image to Instagram or Twitter with the #koalafornia tag.

San Francisco

The City by the Bay does it up right with a party staple every proud Australian swears by: beer. The Australia Day Beer Olympics kick off Friday, January 25 at 8:30 at Horizon. Enter beer pong and flip cup games, while jamming out to Triple J’s Hottest 100 Australian Songs of the Year, streaming live from down under. Australian drinks will be on special with Oz mainstays like Vegemite on toast.

London

England’s bustling capital is hosting an assortment of Australia Day events – plenty of drinks and dancing at Elk Bar, Infernos or Bison and Bird. If a walkabout is more your speed, from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. take part in this free event which will boast Aussie pies and beers, with a range of bands providing music.

New York

The New York Magpies, touted as the “only Australian Football Club” in the city, delivers yet again with another of its annual Australia Day parties. The Green and Gold bash will be held at Professor Thom’s in the East Village, with highlights including specials on Aussie beers and wines, a contest for best dressed and a rumored visit from Keith the Koala.

Los Angeles

Australian backpackers frequenting the hostels in Venice Beach have resulted in an informal gathering of revelers celebrating the holiday in the area. If you don’t mind the dive bar-vibe, check out Danny's, Larry's, Whaler, Townhouse or Cabo Cantina.

How Australian is Australia Day?

Here at Business Review Australia, we like to aggregate a wide selection of news stories and feature contributions that may range from national and global headlines and market trend analysis, to business tips and those “Only in Australia” types of stories (spider inhabitation, Apple Maps fiascos and marijuana use, oh my!)

As our farewell to 2012, over the next couple weeks, we will re-release the Top 10 stories and trending topics that grabbed your attention across our website, magazines and social platforms. Enjoy!

- - - 

Published on 29 July 2012

It was an upset no one saw coming: Australia, the defending champions of the 4x100 free relay, placed fourth in the finals, succumbing their medal standing to the speedy French, American and Russian teams, respectively.

 The four-man team, dubbed Australia’s “Weapons of Mass Destruction,” was considered a shoe-in for Olympic gold with James “The Missile” Magnussen, Matt Targett, Eamon Sullivan and James “The Rocket” Roberts. Unfortunately, Magnussen’s sluggish start didn’t produce the comfortable lead expected from the low-47 freestyler, and the Aussies were unable to make up for lost time.

The loss could be attributed to high levels of media attention and pressure on the relay team, with particular focus on Australian swimming golden boy Magnussen. As the face of the nation’s champion sport who clocked the fastest 100m free time at the Australian Trials, Magnussen was expected to blow the competition out of the water and defend Australia’s title.

Now, instead of showering him with praise, members of the press are scrutinising the swimmer’s reaction to the defeat, accusing him of acting ungraciously towards the winners and brushing off a Channel Nine reporter.

"It's a hard situation and the 4 x 100 freestyle relay is probably the pinnacle of pressure,” veteran Olympic swimmer Michael Klim told ABC.

One Olympic swimmer who has risen above the media attention is Leisel Jones. Competing in her fourth Games, the press has speculated about the breaststroker’s heavier physique and whether this would hamper her ability to perform in the pool.

After today’s 100m breaststroke trials, the answer is clearly no: she qualified in 1:06:81.

"I have (been motivated by it)," Jones told The Australian. "It's the best thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn't ask for anything more. I'm one of those people, you put me under pressure and I'll show you what I can do. I did one of my best sessions ever after I read the comments.”

Here’s to hoping Magnussen finds a similar strength in what is now referred to as Australian swimming’s “darkest day” and performs at his usual high level for the duration of the Games.

Here at Business Review Australia, we like to aggregate a wide selection of news stories and feature contributions that may range from national and global headlines and market trend analysis, to business tips and those “Only in Australia” types of stories (spider inhabitation, Apple Maps fiascos and marijuana use, oh my!)

As our farewell to 2012, over the next couple weeks, we will re-release the Top 10 stories and trending topics that grabbed your attention across our website, magazines and social platforms. Enjoy!

- - - 

Published on 8 March 2012

Australians with a bad case of arachnophobia should avoid Wagga Wagga until the floods halt. As residents leave their homes for higher ground, more than 8,000 wolf spiders have reportedly moved in.

Yahoo! News posted this photo of what appears to be snow blanketing farmland around this Wagga Wagga barn, but according to the Australian Museum’s entomology collections manager Graham Milledge, the ‘snow’ is actually made of webs produced by wolf spiders. The occurrence is known as ‘ballooning’ and it’s used as a way for spiders to escape floodwaters.

As the water recedes, these spiders are expected to go back to their usual lawn and garden habitats.

According to Time, however, while these spiders are ballooning surroundings trees and other tall flora, they are actually doing residents a favour by consuming the mosquitoes and other irritating insects that have been driven in by the wet weather.

"The amount of mosquitoes around would be incredible because of all this water," Taronga Zoo spider keeper Brett Finlayson told the Sydney Morning Herald. "The spiders don't pose any harm at all. They are actually helping us out."

*12 March 2012 correction: The spiders were leaving behind not webs, but silk trails. According to Steve Heydon, senior museum scientist at the Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis, wolf spiders do not create webs. 

Australia’s Top End is now populated by more than 100,000 saltwater crocodiles, causing residents and conservationists to rethink how best to live alongside these dangerous reptiles.

Two fatal attacks on swimming children occurring within two weeks of one another have sparked the push for a necessary community education strategy that focuses on the perilous behaviour of salties and how to identify ‘problem’ crocodiles, particularly in the more remote regions of the Northern Territory. According to ABC News, more than 70 per cent of crocodile habitats are on Aboriginal-held lands.

"I think there's been an attitude that educating Aboriginal people is like educating Eskimos about ice," said Grahame Webb from Crocodylus Park in rural Darwin to News.com.au. "But maybe (with the changes in crocodile numbers) we do need to educate more.”

Commercial croc hunting was introduced in Australia in 1945, and over the next two and a half decades, approximately 100,000 saltie skins were collected by trophy hunters. When the Federal Government banned the practice in 1971, it’s estimated that just 5,000 crocodiles remained in the Territory.

SEE RELATED STORIES FROM THE WDM CONTENT NETWORK:

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Click here to read the latest issue of  Business Review Australia

Since the ban, crocodile numbers have increased significantly, removing the reptile from the ‘endangered species’ list in Australia.

In June of this year, the Australian Government proposed a partial lifting of this hunting ban that would allow trophy hunters to kill up to 50 salties above 3.5 metres in size each year in an effort to control the population numbers. The effort was spearheaded by the Northern Territory Government, who had been lobbying for safari hunting to be legalised for more than a decade. As of August, the Federal Environment Department is processing and documenting the 260 submissions it received on behalf of the ban being lifted for a two-year trial.

"Those 50 trophies will certainly have exponential value in the international marketplace in terms of promoting tourism here in the territory," Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson told Adelaide Now. "Come to the Territory and bag a croc."

However, according to conservationist Bob Irwin, father of the late ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin, implementing this practice would be a crucial mistake and in fact put humans in danger of more attacks.

"What worries me is that when you take those big dominant male crocodiles out of a river system that then allows the teenage crocs to run riot," Mr Irwin told AAP.

"I believe we are going to upset the system to the point where there will be more of a threat to humans than there actually is now," he said.

The time to implement this education program is now, as the warming waterways throughout the Territory mean more salties are “on the move and looking to feed,” said Big Gecko crocodile specialist Adam Britton, who voiced his support of more croc-focused education around the Top End.

"A lot of communities are interested in doing their own croc management," he said.

I was a drumming marshal, so drummed through the industrial revolution section, and then also through the athlete's parade.  Part of our job as marshals was to make sure that the athletes went the right way and didn't go anywhere they weren't supposed to, partially for their safety, for example when the dove bikers went around stage management wanted us to make sure that the athletes couldn't get onto the track.

How were you selected?

I responded to an advert last October asking for volunteers for the opening and closing ceremonies which seemed like a fabulous opportunity at the time.  I then attended two separate auditions, the first of which was in the middle of November and was aimed at making sure that people could follow basic instructions and move in time to music.  We were also able to say whether we had any particular talents (they were specifically looking for ballet dancers, roller skaters, BMX bikers and drummers) and as I play the piano and have done some drumming in the past I asked to be considered for the drumming. 

The second audition took place at the beginning of December. [It] was a drumming workshop where we were put through our paces in staying in time and responding to instructions given over a click track.  There were 1,000 drummers and a large proportion had never even touched a drum before, so I'm not entirely certain how they selected people for the different roles. Around 7,500 volunteers were involved in the opening ceremony.  In the middle of January I received an email confirming my place and giving me a full breakdown of the very demanding rehearsal schedule.

I expect this will be difficult to answer succinctly, but what was the experience like? Had you performed in front of a large crowd before (though not necessarily an internationally televised one)?

I struggle to put into words what it was like to be there, performing with Dame Evelyn Glennie (a musician who I've respected my whole life) and on the same stage as Kenneth Brannagh, Rowan Atkinson and J.K. Rowling, as well as seeing live performances from Dizzee Rascal, Arctic Monkeys and Paul McCartney and being watched by a worldwide audience of approximately 1 billion people!  I've performed at Glyndebourne Opera House, the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in the past, but they didn't even come close to the 80,000 capacity Olympic Stadium.  I'm not sure there are enough adjectives in the English language - amazing, spectacular, overwhelming, incredible, I could go on forever!  A week later I still haven't come back down to earth yet, and feel a bit jet lagged in a way, like I'm in a different timezone to where I should be.  I suspect that normality will only return once I'm back at work and the closing ceremony is finished.

How effective, do you think, was the #savethesurprise campaign?

I think this was amazingly successful when you bear in mind that at least 110,000 people knew a lot about the ceremonies - 10,000 involved in the ceremony, plus the audiences of two dress rehearsals of 45,000 and 65,000.  There were a few leaks, especially following the dress rehearsals, but the videos on YouTube were blocked by the IOC (many of which were reported to the IOC by cast members) and the media had been speculating quite a lot but never quite got it right from what I read, mainly because they'd been using photos of the field of play taken from helicopters to try and work out what was going on.  There were of course massive secrets that almost nobody knew until it happened - for example we weren't told who would be carrying the Olympic flag nor lighting the cauldron.  We didn't even know what the cauldron would look like!

Will you also perform in the Closing Ceremony?

Yes I will, but of course I'm not allowed to say anything about it!  There has been a lot of names released of people who will be involved, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Which sports/events do you look forward to during the Summer Games?

I love the athletics, gymnastics and diving, but have also discovered handball in the last week and am really enjoying that as it's such a fast moving, unpredictable game.  Watching the athletics this morning was a bit weird because the stadium looks completely different now to how I remember it and it makes me feel strangely nostalgic!

What does it mean to you to have the Olympics in London?

It means the chance to be involved in the ceremonies, the chance to take my children (aged 2, 5 and 7) to massive sporting venues that we don't have locally - I live on the south coast so don't have much in the way of stadiums (or stadia?).  I was hoping to get tickets for the diving, however these are now completely out of my price range at £90 or £450 each.  We do however have tickets for the Paralympics athletics and blind football at the Paralympics, and my husband and eldest son came up to the stadium for the second dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony.  It also means the chance for my husband to run a leg of the Torch Relay which was amazing for him to do and great for us to watch too. And finally, it has given me the chance to work with Danny Boyle, Rick Smith and Mike Dolbear who were the people who wrote the whole thing, taught it to us and were in the control room talking to us through our In Ear Monitors through the whole thing.

Between 1956 and 1964, Australian swimming great Dawn Fraser defended her title in the 100m freestyle, becoming the first woman in history to achieve this event trifecta.

Hungarian swimmer Krisztina Egerzegi, a five-time individual Olympic medallist, was the reigning 200m backstroke champion between 1988 and 1996.

After winning the 200 individual medley in London and upping his Olympic medal haul to an impressive 20, American phenom Michael Phelps has joined this prestigious group.

"To be able to win the gold medal and repeat three times is something pretty special," Phelps told NBC. "I'm pretty pleased with gold."

Click here to read the Olympic-themed issue of Business Review Australia

Getting to this point hasn’t come easy for the 27-year-old swimmer, whose London experience hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as expected. He placed fourth in the 400 individual medley and missed his first opportunity to achieve the three-peat honour in the 200m butterfly when South Africa’s Chad le Clos outtouched him by .05 seconds.

Phelps has publicised his plans to retire from professional swimming after the London Games, citing the first two years of his post-Beijing training as simply “going through the motions.”

“After 2008, I just didn’t want to do it,” Phelps told the Ames Tribune. “I knew deep down inside I wanted to, but I didn’t want to put in the work. There were times I didn’t come to practice. It didn’t excite me.”

For Fraser, achieving the three-peat feat was a challenge for a different reason: seven months before the 1964 Tokyo Games, she was in a devastating car accident that chipped vertebrae in her back and claimed the life of her mother.

“I didn’t really want to swim in Tokyo,” Fraser said in a later interview. “If it hadn’t been for my team members who supported me greatly... [they] motivated me.”

Fortunately for both swimmers, they successfully found the inner strength they needed to make history.

Phelps, already the most decorated Olympian of all time, will have a shot at a second three-peat in the 100m fly – if he can hold off le Clos, who pipped him in the prelims.

"I'm perfectly pleased with that," Phelps said. "I was able to finish pretty well. If I can push the first 50 over the next hopefully two swims, that will be good."

FINA, the world governing body of swimming, has confirmed that Ye has passed four separate drug tests over the past 12 months and said there is “no factual basis” to the rumour that she was taking performance enhancing drugs, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

"Following recent comments reported in the media, FINA would like to clearly state that there is no factual basis to support this kind of insinuations related to the performances of the Chinese swimmer, Shiwen Ye," the statement read.

"This athlete has fulfilled all of the FINA Doping Control obligations, having been tested on four occasions in the last twelve months, including twice before the Chinese Olympic Trials in 2012."

SEE RELATED STORIES FROM THE WDM CONTENT NETWORK:

• The Price of Olympic Gold
• 'The Missile' Misfires: Aussies Lose 4x100 Free Relay
• London Goes Green for the Olympic Games
• Australia's Top 10 Most Memorable Olympic Moments
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Click here to read the Olympic-themed issue of Business Review Australia

Ye has been at the centre of speculation since her gold medal performance in the 400IM last weekend, where she swam the last 50 of her race faster than American phenom Ryan Lochte and smashed Australian Stephanie Rice’s record by more than a second – and Rice had been wearing a now-banned ‘supersuit.’

John Leonard, the executive director of the World Swimming Coaches’ Association, deemed the incredible accomplishment “impossible,” telling London’s Daily Telegraph, “Any time someone has looked like superwoman in the history of our sport they have later been found guilty of doping.”

The authenticity of Ye’s victory was further questioned when she won gold in the 200IM, but she has been fiercely defended by her Australian coaches, Ken Wood and Denis Cotterell, and rivals in the pool, including those who lost races to her. “As far as I'm concerned I think she is an amazing swimmer and it's just amazing that I got to be as close as I was with how amazing she is," said Aussie swimmer Alicia Coutts, who won silver behind Ye in the 200IM.

 China’s history of doping through the 1990s hasn’t helped Ye’s firm assurance against any wrongdoing, but now that the Olympics have sided with Ye, her chances of quieting the speculation have heightened.

"We know how on top of the game WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] are, and WADA have passed her as clean – that's the end of the story," British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan said in a news conference.

 The four-man team, dubbed Australia’s “Weapons of Mass Destruction,” was considered a shoe-in for Olympic gold with James “The Missile” Magnussen, Matt Targett, Eamon Sullivan and James “The Rocket” Roberts. Unfortunately, Magnussen’s sluggish start didn’t produce the comfortable lead expected from the low-47 freestyler, and the Aussies were unable to make up for lost time.

The loss could be attributed to high levels of media attention and pressure on the relay team, with particular focus on Australian swimming golden boy Magnussen. As the face of the nation’s champion sport who clocked the fastest 100m free time at the Australian Trials, Magnussen was expected to blow the competition out of the water and defend Australia’s title.

SEE RELATED STORIES FROM THE WDM CONTENT NETWORK:

• London Goes Green for the Olympic Games
• Australia's Top 10 Most Memorable Olympic Moments

Read the Olympic-themed issue of Business Review Australia here

Now, instead of showering him with praise, members of the press are scrutinising the swimmer’s reaction to the defeat, accusing him of acting ungraciously towards the winners and brushing off a Channel Nine reporter.

"It's a hard situation and the 4 x 100 freestyle relay is probably the pinnacle of pressure,” veteran Olympic swimmer Michael Klim told ABC.

One Olympic swimmer who has risen above the media attention is Leisel Jones. Competing in her fourth Games, the press has speculated about the breaststroker’s heavier physique and whether this would hamper her ability to perform in the pool.

After today’s 100m breaststroke trials, the answer is clearly no: she qualified in 1:06:81.

"I have (been motivated by it)," Jones told The Australian. "It's the best thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn't ask for anything more. I'm one of those people, you put me under pressure and I'll show you what I can do. I did one of my best sessions ever after I read the comments.”

Here’s to hoping Magnussen finds strength in what is now referred to as Australian swimming’s “darkest day” and performs at his usual high level for the duration of the Games.

The 141st British Open Championship ended today in heartbreak for Scott in a trifecta of fours: his four-stroke lead vanished with four bogeys on the final four holes of the course, putting him at five-over 75, his worst final round of the year.

South African golfer Ernie Els, who won the British Open a decade ago, closed out the round today with three birdies that propelled him to a victorious two-under-par 68.

Scott had been vying to become the fourth Australian to win the British Open after a 21-year drought: the last Open victor from Down Under was Ian Baker-Finch in 1991.

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Click here to read the latest issue of Business Review Australia

Norman won the Open twice – in 1986 and again in 1993 – but his career success was tainted in 1996 at the Masters Tournament when he shot three straight bogeys, resulting in a final-round 78 that handed the green jacket victory to his greatest rival, Nick Faldo.

It’s an infamous event that lives on in many Australian sport fans’ memories, including Scott’s, and unfortunately for the 32-year-old, his name may now be synonymous with the same misfortune.

"I played so beautifully for most of the week. I certainly shouldn't let this bring me down," Scott told the media. “I can’t justify anything I did out there today.

“I let a great chance slip through my fingers today, and I know it.”

Written by Allie Schratz, Editor of Business Review Australia

Georgina “Gina” Hope Rinehart may as well be the face of Australia’s mining boom.

The 58-year-old Perth native is the heiress of Hancock Prospecting, a resources company founded by her late father, Lang Hancock, which holds the rights to some extremely valuable iron ore deposit sites in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The company inheritance after her father’s death in 1992 set Mrs Rinehart’s net wealth at $75 million, and over the past two decades, she has developed deposits into lucrative mines, acquired large stakes in Fairfax Media and the Ten Network Holdings Ltd., and secured regional international deals that have catapulted her wealth and status as a businesswoman to the top ranks on numerous lists.

Her business savvy is monetarily exemplified by the $18.87 billion increase in her fortune over the past year to $29.17 billion – an increase that Andrew Heathcote, editor of the BRW Rich 200 list, called “unparalleled.” BRW’s Rich 200 list named her the eighth richest person in the world and Forbes ranked her at #29 on its Top 100 rich list, where she remains the only Australian business mogul.

As with any rich and famous person, however, her life has not been without drama. After her father’s passing, Mrs Rinehart took legal action against her stepmother, Rose Porteous, over the circumstances of his death and the distribution of his estate. Three of her four children have waged an ongoing battle over the Hancock family trust in an effort to remove her as a trustee. She is also fighting a dispute over the iron ore-rich Rhodes Ridge deposit, which Mrs Rinehart claims a 25 per cent stake in per an agreement dating back to 1984. The Wright Prospecting business, however, is fighting to gain control of the site.

An outspoken critic of mining legislation, Mrs Rinehart holds unique views when it comes to Australia’s economic future and ways the nation can protect itself from the financial crises currently hitting Europe and the US. In January, she proposed a plan to split the nation in half (east to west) to allow for a “miner-friendly economic zone” with lowered taxes and more flexible legal barriers that would allow for foreign workers to come work the northern land.

She is also, as one would expect, not a supporter of the carbon tax: “Now, as a recession approaches, is not the time to burden Australia with a carbon tax and Mineral Resource Rent Tax,” she wrote in an article she contributed to the Australian Resources and Investment Magazine.

Regardless of the tax, the resources industry will continue to support Australia’s economy – therefore giving Mrs Rinehart a potential shot at pipping Carlos Slim Helu’s Forbes title in 2013.

Written by Allie Schratz, Editor of Business Review Australia

What inspires us to take action on an idea? To formulate a concept worthy of action is a challenge within itself, but to actually implement it – successfully – usually requires some sort of driver. Often, this driver comes in the form of an incident that makes you think, “You know, this recommended [experience, bar, hotel, etc.] sucks. Surely I could have found a better one.”

This was precisely the thought going through Tremayne Carew Pole’s mind back in 2004 when, equipped with the big-name travel guide titles, he arrived in Budapest, Hungary with a group of friends, all hearts set on a great weekend. Their desires were anything but unique to a European traveller: they were seeking restaurants packed with in-the-know locals and good bars frequented by a similar crowd. Despite their guide book consultations, the group’s attempts to satisfy these desires failed miserably, and they found themselves sitting glumly in a soulless restaurant one of the books had recommended.

“It was a wasted weekend,” said Pole.

Fed up with lacklustre travel writers leading him askew on vacation, Pole did what many of us dream of doing: packed up his things and relocated from the UK to Prague, where he would end up penning the first Hg2 travel guide.

What’s an ‘Hg’?

Hg2, or Hedonist’s Guide to... is a travel guide tailor-written for a hedonist: a pursuer of pleasure. (We know what you’re thinking, but don’t dwell on it – there’s much more to hedonism than your naughty thoughts suggest.) “The traditional interpretation of hedonism is that it is all sex, drugs and rock and roll – but that's a younger version of hedonism,” said Pole, the company’s founder and publisher. “Hedonism could be about food, beauty, art - whatever you find pleasure in.” Pole, for example, established on the Hg2 website that “A total disregard for my own wellbeing, an inexhaustible approach to nightlife, not knowing when to say no, and being the last man standing” constitute him as a hedonist.

Is there an age limit to hedonism? Absolutely not: “Whatever age you are, you can find and define your own pleasures,” said Pole. Therefore, Hg2’s titles outlining the best places to eat, sleep, shop, drink, party, play and soak up the culture in 46 select cities are written for pleasure seekers of all ages.

How Their Guides Differ

Walk into any bookstore and the multitude of Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Time Out and Frommer’s titles are often fighting for space on the shelves. So, what makes an Hg2 guide stand out from the rest?

“Hg2 guides provide a filtered selection of the most interesting places to visit,” said Pole. “It's not all about the high-end expensive places – it's about the neighbourhood vibe, places where we know our readers are going to have a great time.”

The proof is in the pages: while Sydney’s sleek little guide includes the usual glamour spots – Bondi’s Icebergs, Ivy Lounge and Chi The Spa are all mentioned – lesser known gems are brought to the reader’s attention: Efendy in Balmain, Surry Hills’ Monkey Magic, and the weekend Glebe Market.

The entries make it clear that the writer has spent some serious time admiring the pre-war architecture of the Grace Hotel; enjoyed a cocktail Rockpool Bar & Grill; and took in a performance at the Enmore Theatre. Hg writers are required to be city residents who provide information updates for two years post-publication, so readers can rest assured that their guides are always on the ball when it comes to recommending the city’s top-notch offerings.

“We don't tend to use a team of writers, instead trusting the judgment and taste of an individual,” said Pole. “We want our readers to identify with the writer and let them be [led] on a journey.”

Whether your next journey is to Buenos Aires, London, Milan, Tokyo or Baku, A Hedonist’s Guide to... will guide you through a memorable vacation. 

The Kiwi duo behind the Flight of the Conchords folk-parody group, whose silly lyrics and quirky banter has won the hearts of viewers worldwide, will return to Australia for a series of performances across the nation. The tour will kick off next Thursday at the Sydney Opera House to a sold out crowd.

“We are finally returning to Australia,'' Clement said, “mostly to apologise.”

With a successful BBC radio show, two multi Emmy-nominated seasons of their TV show, and a Grammy for ‘Best Comedy Album’ under their belts, the pair have certainly made waves across the entertainment realm.

McKenzie also served as the Music Director for The Muppets movie and penned the lyrics for Man or Muppet, which won the Oscar for ‘Best Original Song.’

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Read the latest issue of Business Review Australia

Of course, these successes often came at the cost of the Aussies, who Clement and McKenzie have incessantly poked fun at in their songs and in various scenes throughout their HBO series, which was set in New York City.

''I think in the States we've helped give people an idea of what New Zealanders are like,'' McKenzie told the Newcastle Herald.

''But I think we maybe made Australia look quite bad, which we will be apologising for on this tour. Americans often come up to me and say, 'Do New Zealanders really hate Australians?' and I'm like, 'Noooo, it was just a joke.'''

Evidently, Australians get the joke: the Sydney Opera House show sold out in minutes, and a second show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 6 July is also sold out.

Tickets are still available for the Newcastle gig on Tuesday, 10 July and in Wollongong on Wednesday, 11 July. Click here to access any remaining tickets to these performances.

The film will offer an exclusive look into Perry’s life as a performer and offstage, delving into sensitive subjects including her split from British comedian Russell Brand 14 months after they said “I do.”

“There are a lot of things that are personally uncomfortable to show, especially me without makeup and completely bloated or crying,” said Perry in an interview with PARADE magazine. “But I’ve realized that it’s time for me to show my audience that you don’t have to be perfect to achieve your dreams… I’m okay with having bad dance moves. I’m okay with having horrible lower teeth. That’s what makes me me, and for some reason it’s worked out all right.”

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Click here to read the latest issue of  Business Review Australia

The singer is reportedly also planning to launch her own record label as a way to nurture budding talent.

“When this record label does come to fruition, I'm going to try and avoid the things that take away any fighting chance for an artist to have financial success,” Perry said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “As people are coming to me with opportunities, I'm thinking, 'How would I want to be treated?’”

Fans of Perry should take this opportunity to sight the star before she goes into hibernation, as she revealed to MTV:

"I'm going into hiding...I want to go and write songs in the woods or something...I'm gonna unplug, take my hair extensions out, feel my head again. I'm gonna unplug and recharge, if that makes any sense. I'm gonna go away. I'm sure you know it's time for me to go the f- away.”

Build with Chrome, a collaboration between Google Australia and LEGO, allows people worldwide to select a location and build a virtual LEGO creation. Australia is the first country users can create in, followed by New Zealand, according to DailyTech.

Plots of land are based on a first-come, first-serve basis. After an approval process (this is for all ages, after all), these creations are saved and open to the public for viewing in LEGO world. Modifications are not allowed after the design is published.

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Read the latest issue of Business Review Australia

The average Australian owns 70 LEGO bricks, but this is about to grow significantly. Google added 8 trillion virtual LEGO bricks to Chrome. The bricks were made with WebGL that demonstrates the upper limit of its graphics’ performance and enables 3D graphics right in the browser, according to Google. This, paired with Aussie-invented Google Maps, allows users to put their creations in a LEGO world with others.

"Build may look simple, but this collaborative 3D building experience would not have been possible a couple of years ago,” according to Google. “It shows how far browser technology has come and how the web is an amazing platform for creativity.”

Google plans to expand the LEGO world to include other countries for people to build in the future, according to Gizmodo. 

April 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of when British sales rep John Peddie brought LEGO to Australia in his suitcase.

"The brand name LEGO comes from the Danish expression ‘Leg Godt,’ which translates as ‘play well,’'' Peddie says. "When first arriving in the country, this was my mission, to encourage Australia to play well, and it remains the same today.”

Play on, Australia.

Being that the festival was founded 20 years ago on Australian soil, the nation is sending one of its own film icons, Tony award-winning actor Hugh Jackman, to host the inaugural event.

“It’s a great way for me to support the arts and anybody who wants to can get involved,” Jackman told the Washington Post.

Tropfest’s films are limited to seven minutes in length and must include the ‘Tropfest Signature Item’ (TSI). In a nod to the host city’s culture, New York’s TSI is a bagel.

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Click here to read the latest issue of  Business Review Australia

Of the hundreds of film submissions sent in for the festival, founder John Polson has selected eight for the final screening on Saturday. The winner will receive $20,000 in cash and a week of meetings with film producers, studio executives, agents and managers to assist with furthering their career in filmmaking.

In addition to Jackman, the panel of judges will include Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class, Bridesmaids), Judah Friedlander (30 Rock), Jennifer Westfeldt (Friends with Kids), producer Ted Hope (21 Grams), and film critic Scott Foundas.

 “The movies are not judged on technical merit because that’s one way to make film very elitist. It’s not so much about that or the quality of the lens but more the strength of the idea and the concept,” Jackman told the Post.

“Previously it’s people who may have been excluded or may not have the money but they have the talent and here they can show it.”

Tropfest Australia attracts upwards of 150,000 attendants to its outdoor competition each summer.

If you’ll be in the Big Apple this weekend, click here for more festival details.

The Federal Environment Department has approved a safari trial in the Northern Territory, where hunters may shoot up to 50 of the great salties measuring longer than 3.5 metres in an effort to, as hunters say, “help with their conservation.”

The aim of safari hunting in the NT is to provide a much-needed tourism boost in the region and provide jobs for indigenous Australians. According to ABC News, more than 70 per cent of crocodile habitat is on Aboriginal-held lands.

“Come to the Territory and bag a croc," said Chief Minister Paul Henderson to ABC. "If that is what people want to do and they are prepared to pay for it, I am all for it."

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Click here to read the latest issue of  Business Review Australia

However, scientists and campaigners fear that the practice will negatively impact the natural hierarchy of the crocodiles, as the alpha males keep the others in check. This disruption could, in turn, threaten the safety of humans near these rivers.

“We know that the largest, most dominant crocodiles tend to be the ones that control an area and if you take those big animals out, what tends to happen is you get a bit of chaos that happens over the next few months as the smaller animals that had previously been excluded from those areas will move in an try and establish control, try and establish dominance,” said Adam Britton, a Northern Territory crocodile scientist told Sara Everingham on the ABC AM radio broadcast program on Saturday.

Regardless of the tourism perks, Queensland’s Environment Minister Andrew Powell announced that the ‘Sunshine State’ will not support safari hunting.

"This is not appropriate to canvass the idea of these hunting practices being introduced in Queensland and it is not a priority of myself or the Government," he told News.com.au.

The hunting trend may be heading south: New South Wales is considering implementing a plan that would allow hunters to shoot feral animals in national parks.

On the evening of May 26th, three divers entered a strict no-fishing zone in a local marine reserve and forcibly removed these mysterious creatures from their natural habitat.  While certainly a visually stunning and delectable creature, one has to wonder if this atrocious crime was committed because of the fish’s intrinsic abilities to simply manifest a sex change.

Blue Gropers are all born female, though that may not be their inherent preference.  Researchers speculate that if the female to male ratio is exceeded, then the strongest female transgenders herself into a male to preserve and increase the population.  Unfortunately, the fish are unable to communicate in English, so I suppose we’ll never really know if it’s a case of self preservation or the need to feel at peace in one’s body.

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Though there were witnesses to this horrible crime, unfortunately nothing could be done for these gender-confused species.  According to The Age, resident Stephen Drylie, said he ''watched on helplessly'' as three divers entered the protected marine reserve.

Drylie fears Manly has lost a ''generation of wondrous marine life in one night''.

''On Sunday morning, I went snorkeling to see my old friends - the gropers,'' he said.

''There was only one to be found where … six to 10 was the norm.''

The criminals have yet to be apprehended and there is no word on whether this was a hate crime or a simple case of greed.

It is illegal in the state to murder or sell Blue Groper and there is a maximum penalty of $11,000 if caught.