Brisbane teenager Byron Waller has set off on an historic attempt to fly around the globe
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SBS Australia
5 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
SBS Gujarati Australian update: 11 August 2025
SBS Gujarati is a part of SBS South Asian, the destination channel for all South Asians living in Australia. Tune in to SBS Gujarati live on Wednesdays and Fridays at 2pm on SBS South Asian on digital radio, on channel 305 on your television, via the SBS Audio app or stream from our website . You can also enjoy programs in 10 South Asian languages, plus SBS Spice content in English. It is also available on SBS On Demand.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Boss at iconic Australian resort reveals his one hiring rule
At one of Australia's most jaw-dropping remote resorts, landing a job might come down to a single question: would the boss have a beer with you? It sounds like a joke, but Leigh Curnow, the General Manager of Discovery Resorts Lake Argyle, is actually dead serious. 'I'd promote them if I'd have a beer with them,' he told 'Obviously they need the right qualifications, but personality is everything. That's what guests remember.' And guests are remembering. Tucked away in WA's East Kimberley, Lake Argyle isn't just off the beaten track, it's the destination. Ten hours from the nearest city, it's not the kind of place you stumble upon on your way somewhere else. You come because you've heard the hype. While the lake itself – a glimmering, seemingly endless expanse of water surrounded by burnt orange cliffs – steals the show, it's the human touches that set the place apart. The staff are warm and know how to make you feel at home, even when you're hundreds of kilometres from the closest Woolies. But you shouldn't be fooled by the remote, dusty location. Discovery Resorts Lake Argyle is far more than camping chairs and caravans. Its luxurious cliffside cabins are perched right on the edge of the escarpment and come with plush beds, polished interiors, and even Dyson vacuums on the wall. Mr Curnow said they were one part of the resort's more recent focus on delivering a world class luxury offering for the creature-comfort travellers. 'People who live in that middle-to-upper-class lifestyle expect a certain standard when they travel,' he said. 'Especially when they're paying $550 a night. They want to see those quality touches. It shows we care.' That attention to detail has only grown since the suites were introduced about five years ago under a $100 million injection into the Discovery Parks network. Now freshly refurbished, at a cost of about $2 million, and styled to perfection, the resort is planning to expand the offering to include more cliffside suites, including a fully accessible option. But what do guests get up to when they're not drinking in the stunning scenery? Bushwalks, birdwatching, stargazing, or just kicking back with a glass of wine. You could sit outside for hours and feel like you're watching a live painting as the cliffs change colour throughout the day. 'No two sunsets are the same,' Mr Curnow said. 'It never gets old.' Then there's the lake itself. Enormous, mostly lawless, and full of surprises. From houseboating locals who live on the water with their dogs, to the boat tours run by cheeky skippers, it's the kind of place where every turn offers a new story and a dazzling photo opp. And if you're a foodie, you'll be sorted soon too. A new cliffside dining experience is launching next year, offering a premium sit-down option to up to 40 guests on select evenings. Mr Curnow didn't mince his words in summarising what the chef would be bringing to the table. 'The food is sh*t hot,' he said. It's yet another way the resort is levelling up, without losing its laid-back charm. That balance between outback authenticity and high-end luxury is exactly why Lake Argyle is drawing a broader mix of guests than ever before. Families, couples, grey nomads with poodles in tow, and international travellers willing to go the extra mile (or thousand) for something unforgettable. Mr Curnow said the most spectacular time to visit the East Kimberly was between June and August, but suggested March to May or September to November for smaller crowds and slightly friendlier prices. He's quick to credit the staff for the resort's success. From the tour guides to the housekeepers, every member of the team plays a role in what makes the place special. 'They're the experience,' he said. 'And we try to hire people who just get it, who can talk to anyone, keep it relaxed, and genuinely care.' Whether you're travelling for views, vibes, or the chance to meet some charming people to share a coldie with, Discovery Parks Resorts Lake Argyle is calling. This writer visited Discovery Resorts Lake Argyle as a guest of G'day Group and Discovery Parks
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
South Australian businesses lose trade because of toxic algal bloom, survey finds
A tourism survey found about 40 per cent of South Australian businesses impacted by the toxic algal bloom have experienced a downturn in trade as the government's financial support starts to flow to those affected. The Tourism Industry Council SA (TiCSA) report showed the average year-on-year loss for a business in July was $52,000, with 14 per cent of respondents saying they lost more than $100,000. The survey results, submitted to the Copper Coast Council meeting last week, included responses from 93 restaurants, hotels and marine tourism operators in the Yorke, Eyre and Fleurieu peninsulas, Kangaroo Island and metropolitan Adelaide. The report found "negative perception of marine activities and destinations" had affected businesses where the algal bloom had not been present, with some respondents experiencing cancelled bookings for the upcoming summer and Easter next year. "If people cancel their holiday, go somewhere else, are they going to come back? Because a lot of these people are repeat visitors, they come every year," TiCSA chief executive officer Shaun de Bruyn told ABC North and West. "Fishing charters definitely have been heavily impacted and some of them have shut down on the Yorke Peninsula." SA Premier Peter Malinauskas on Sunday said five out of 24 businesses that applied for financial relief had been approved as part of a $28 million federal and state government support package announced to tackle the ongoing algal bloom. "We really want to make sure we're supporting businesses who are impacted by the algal bloom because it's directly impacting them," he said. "But if the algal bloom doesn't need to impact those businesses and it's only hurting them because of fear in the community, then that's a very sad state of affairs indeed." Dead marine life continues to wash up on SA beaches because of the harmful algal bloom. Health authorities say the toxins are not dangerous to humans but can cause short-term irritation. Jetski tour operator Nick Sciancalepore, who received a $10,000 government grant, said bookings at his business in Adelaide's north have dried up since April because of fears over the bloom. "We shut the doors on where we were renting and we're back working out of a van," he said. "We had a drastic 30 per cent minimum loss in the first month, down to 100 per cent loss from the following months." Mr Sciancalepore said despite clear waters in the Lefevre Peninsula, the phone has stopped ringing. "The water is like glass, the marine life is out there, there's seals on the rocks, there's dolphins coming in," he said. "We haven't taken a tour in months and there's no problem with what we have down here. "It's not just one business hurting, it's everyone." On Monday, federal environment minister Murray Watt offered an apology to those who thought the governments were too slow to act on SA's algal bloom crisis, which was first reported on the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. "What we were doing though in the run-up to that was working very closely with the South Australian government for weeks. "We are in uncharted waters as to how to deal with it and what support is needed. But when the South Australian government made its request of us, we turned that around within 24 hours." Mr Watt said he would be visiting Adelaide again this week to meet with affected businesses. On Monday, Mr Malinauskas said initial advice from marine biologists and scientists to the SA government indicated the bloom would have dissipated by May but "that didn't happen". "Then when we got to July, I think that invited some serious scrutiny that clearly we don't have a full appreciation of what is happening scientifically here and that invites a different response, and that is what we've been working very hard at delivering over the course of the last few months," he said. Last week, opposition environment spokesperson David Basham said the criteria for government algal bloom funding was limiting. He said beachfront kiosks and cafes were eligible for the funding but restaurants were not. "One street back isn't good enough," Mr Basham said. "I certainly understand that here in the city you wouldn't expect businesses in the CBD to be able to claim against this sort of thing but in a tourist town like Victor Harbor, Middleton, Port Elliott, Goolwa, they're all very much affected right throughout the community." Mr Malinauskas said exemptions could be made for businesses that might not fit the criteria. "What we've actually done is embedded a process that allows for exemptions to be made where people might fall just outside of the criteria," he said. "We're trying to err on the side of flexibility rather than inflexibility." The premier said funding was also being used to hold public information forums, like one held at Semaphore on Sunday, to communicate response and recovery efforts to the community. Community-led vigils were held at Glenelg and Brighton beaches on Saturday night to mourn the masses of marine life killed by the algal bloom since March. One vigil organiser, 11-year-old Eden Kolinac, said the event was a great opportunity for the community to get together. "To see our ocean suffer like this is devastating," she said. "It was really lovely just to see that we can honour the marine life we have actually lost tonight and in the past for how long this has been going for." Ollie Thomson, 13, said it was "upsetting" to see dead sea life along the beach he frequents. "It makes me feel really sad because especially how you see the number of animals and fish that were left along the beach, and even some swans."
