Archive for March, 2009

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A severe power blackout brought chaos to downtown Sydney on Monday afternoon, causing peak-hour traffic jams as street signals failed and leaving workers stranded in lifts as they tried to make their way home.

Failures at four high-voltage power cables virtually paralyzed Australia’s biggest city, with the Sydney Harbor tunnel partially closed to traffic and the Sydney Opera House forced to cancel all performances for the evening, local media said.

Office towers lost all power, paralyzing some elevators, at around 4:45 pm local time (0545 GMT). Up to 70,000 homes and businesses, including some inner suburbs, were blacked out, said state broadcaster ABC, which was running on back-up power.

The main stock exchange had closed by the time of the blackout.

EnergyAustralia, which distributes power to Sydney city, said it could take several hours to restore power.

“There are four power cables that supply very large (electricity) sub-stations,” an EnergyAustralia spokesman told local radio. “They have detected

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KATE Johnson will be putting her best foot forward when she contests a national modelling competition on the Gold Coast.

The blonde bombshell will represent the NT at the national finals of the Miss Hawaiian Tropic competition this week.

Ms Johnson, 25, of Lyons, said her experience on the runway was quite a contrast to her work as a graphic designer.

“I’ve only been modelling for about a year,” she said.

“I was in London when I picked up a bit of work.

“It is something fun you can do outside of your daily life – you can dress up in beautiful clothes and have your hair and make up done.”

Pics: more beautiful Territory models

The modelling final will not be Ms Johnson’s first time on the national stage as she was recently the NT finalist for the V8 Supermodel Search.

He first national showdown was as a finalist in the Miss Bikini World competition last year.

Ms Johnson said she hopes to do well in the competition, which will see her strutting in a dazzling orange bikini in the swimwear category, dressed as a saucy cricketer for the theme-wear – and responding to questions in the interview stage.

“You can’t be too modest,” she said.

“There is every chance I could win.”

The winner will be announced at a gala ceremony on the Gold Coast on April 4.

Source

Sight of the night for me. I just had a call of nature (as you do) and went to the bathroom. I didn’t turn the light on as there was plenty of light from the other rooms to see what I was doing. I noticed a darkish patch on the toilet seat and wondering what it was (I wasn’t sitting till I looked!) turned the light on to reveal a green tree frog. He looked a bit sad so I picked him up. He didn’t struggle so I thought maybe the indoor life didn’t agree with him and he needed some water. I opened the back door to let him free and he hopped away merrily. It is the first time I have picked one up, so was surprised it was so easy.

Last time I was catching frogs was as a kid in our ponds and they were very hard to catch!

The Dry Season is fast approaching and with it the annual and special events that have become very popular with both locals and the thousands of tourists who visit at this time.

2009 Seabreeze Festival 2-10 May is spread along 1 kilometre of foreshore from the Nightcliff Jetty to Chapman Road. Celebrate the beginning of the dry with entertainment, funfair activities, stalls, exhibitions and displays FREE for the whole family.

2009 MAY DAY MARCH
Monday 4th May – 5pm Assemble 38 Woods Street @ 4.30pm

MAY DAY COMMUNITY CONCERT
5.30pm, Bicentennial Park, The Esplanade
Food Stalls and Drinks available
Dave Flanagan,Welcome to Country – Ali Mills, JK Experience , The Aviators, Leah Flanagan

and Ego Lemos – Cinco Do Oriente
Mindel Beach Markets of course happen every Thursday and Sunday night throughout the dryseason.

15 May 2009 is the Annual Walk Safely to School Day which encourages parents and carers to walk to school with primary school-age children to instil healthy lifestyle habits at a young age and reinforce safe pedestrian behaviours

30 May 2009 is Super Gala Night & Multicultural Extravaganza 2009 – A night of fun, music and dance with buffet dinner, and multicultural beauty pageant.
From 6pm at the Cyprus Community Function Centre, Batten Road, Marrara.
Price – $28 for members, $25 for age pensioners and $15 for under 10s.

23 May is the very popular BASSINTHEGRASS festival. Tickets go on sale on April 8, so get in early. Sneaky Sound System, Gabriella Cilmi, Cat Empire and Living End along with Augie March, Bliss N Eso, Seany B and Matt Roberts. are scheduled to perform.

Worth a trip to Alice Springs for is the 2009 Lions Alice Springs Camel Cup on June 11. The 2009 Lions Alice Springs Camel Cup will see a day unlike any other witnessed. 30 Crazy Camels racing for the glory of the 2009 Cup. Australia’s original and premier Camel races are unpredictable, zany and very entertaining. The day includes 9 crazy Camel races, Kids Kamel Kapers, Rickshaw races, Mr & Miss Camel Cup along with a variety of food, drink, art and craft stalls.

2009 Arafura Games are held Between Sat 9-Sun 17 May

Arafura Games is a leading international sporting competition for emerging champions of the Asia-Pacific and beyond.
Click here to download an accommodation brochure

Since 1991, Arafura Games has been held every two years in the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, Darwin. Unlike other Games, Arafura Games is not designed for current world beaters or Olympic champions, instead it provides a high quality stepping stone for athletes as part of their journey to compete at the highest level.

The annual Greek Glenti will be held 5/06/2009 to 7/06/2009.

The Greek Glenti is held at historic Bicentennial Park in Darwin and is a fun and vibrant festival where the Greek community shares their culture, food, wine, dance and music with locals and tourists.

The 35th Annual Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta will be held on 19th July 2009 from 10am to 5pm at Mindil Beach, Darwin

There are beach events for all ages and the water events will be spectacular!

Entrance is by a gold coin donation. Proceeds go to projects of the combined Lions Clubs of Darwin.

Bar facilities are available. There is no BYO due to the Lion’s Club own Licence. Soft drinks and water will also be available. Mindil Market food and craft stalls will be run in conjuction from 10am to 10pm.

A MAN killed instantly in a horror head-on collision was a popular Darwin soldier who would have celebrated his 25th birthday today.

Private Colin Marc “Teabags” Delmar was ripped from his prized Holden ute when it tore in half on colliding with an oncoming vehicle on Amy Johnson Ave about 6.40pm on Thursday.

Hundreds of family and friends left messages for the “great guy who knew how to make people laugh” on Facebook yesterday.

His younger sister Natalie paid tribute to her brother saying he was “a true friend, caring brother and a wonderful soldier”.

“R.I.P Colin. My brother who I cherished with all my heart, I will miss you forever and ever. I love you,” she posted on the social networking site.

Commander of the 1st Brigade at Robertson Barracks, Brigadier Michael Krause said Pte Delmar was a well-respected soldier whose death had been felt right across the barracks.

He said it was times like these when soldiers showed their comradeship and mateship.

It is the second tragedy for Darwin’s military this week after the death of Corporal Mathew “Hoppy” Hopkins in Afghanistan on Monday.

Full story

A NORTHERN Territory soldier killed during a ferocious firefight with the Taliban in Afghanistan was just 21 years old.

Defence said Corporal Matthew Hopkins is the first NT soldier – and the second non-special forces soldier – to die in action in the conflict zone since 2002.

His family have declined to speak publicly about their ordeal.

Cpl Hopkins was from the Darwin-based 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment at Robertson Barracks.

He was married and had only recently become a father.

Cpl Hopkins – described by Defence force chief Angus Houston as “fine, professional and courageous” – was one of about 440 Darwin-based Diggers on an eight-month deployment to Afghanistan as part of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Taskforce.

He was part of a joint patrol with the Afghan National Army, near Kakarak, 12km north of Tarin Kowt in the troubled Oruzgan Province, when about 20 Taliban insurgents sprayed them with withering gunfire about 4pm on Monday.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said it was a “very intense” firefight and Cpl Hopkins sustained a serious gunshot wound.

He said the Australian soldiers called in reinforcements and Apache helicopter support after coming under attack.

No other Australian soldier was wounded in the incident.

Full story here

Harmony Day is celebrated on 21 March each year.

The object of Harmony Day is Everyone Belongs. It’s about community participation, inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Link to Northern Territory Harmony Day events

To find out what is happening in your state visit  National Harmony Day Diary Search

With the indecent assault of a little girl in Wanguri, it is a timely reminder to lock up properly before you go to bed.

POLICE are hunting a man who walked into a Territory family’s home and indecently touched and took photographs of a six-year-old girl as she slept.

The man then raided the house and stole a number of items including wallets – all while her parents slept in a nearby room.

The home invasion happened at a house in Wanguri in Darwin’s northern suburbs some time between 1am and 7am on Wednesday.

Police said the house was unlocked.

The young girl was the only child in the house.

The matter was not reported to police until Wednesday night after the girl returned home from school and told her mother about how she woke to find a stranger in her bedroom.

They then realised some items were missing in the house.

Her mother called police immediately.

Casuarina Police Detective Sergeant Len Turner said the family were still trying to come to terms with the incident and did not wish to speak to the media.

“The little girl is a bit traumatised,” he said.

He described the assault as “disturbing”.

“The young girl has told police she was asleep in her house in Wanguri when she was awoken to a male at the end of her bed,” he said. “The brave girl closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. The man then indecently assaulted her.

“We also believe he may have taken photos of her … the little girl mentioned a flash went off a couple of times.”

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Equally disturbing is the man who likes to “flash” in front of school children.

UNDERCOVER police launched a hunt for a man yesterday following reports he was lurking around a Darwin primary school and flashing students as they left the school grounds.

Police patrolled around Moil Primary School and surrounding suburbs as the school day finished and kids hit the streets about 2.30pm.

The search was sparked after four children told the school principal yesterday morning that a stranger had exposed his genitals to them twice on both Tuesday and Wednesday as they walked home between 3.30pm and 3.40pm. Police said the flashing happened at a park near the school.

Story continues here

TERRITORY electrician Sarah Brunton has been evicted from TV reality program Aussie Ladette to Lady.

The fiery “sparkette” was given her marching orders in the latest episode of the program, which aired on Channel Nine last night.

A confrontation over a curtsy to a prince, anger at wearing a “convict restraint” posture improver, an all-night drinking binge and a run from the police were factors that landed her in trouble.

But Brunton said leaving the program at this stage was part of her strategy.

“I wanted to get in touch with my feminine side – and when I did, I lost interest,” she told the Northern Territory News.

“Then I put in to place my exit strategy.

“I had learnt what I went there to learn, and I was sick of not being able to do what I wanted.”

Brunton made a name for herself early in the show as a straight-shooter.

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Gallery: Highlights from the show

NT PEARLS Australian Women’s Hockey League (AHL) officials will today lodge an official complaint with the game’s governing body about racial abuse following Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Southern Suns in Adelaide.

The incident sparked a post-game stoush, which saw Pearls midfielder Emily Peris and Suns captain Bronte Pickett reported for rough conduct.

A source told the Northern Territory News that the alleged slur was made when players shook hands after the match.

A Hockey Australia spokesperson last night confirmed that a complaint was made and promptly dealt with by the tournament director in charge of AHL action at the Distinctive Homes Hockey Arena.

It is understood the tournament director and concerned team officials were locked in a 90-minute meeting immediately after Saturday night’s match.

“An allegation of racism was made and the incident dealt to the satisfaction of the tournament director who issued warnings to the players,” the Hockey Australia spokesperson said.

Hockey NT will today lodge an appeal on behalf of the Pearls.

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