Latest news with #The
Time Out
an hour ago
- Time Out
The Crocodile Hunter Lodge
I've stayed at countless luxury hotels and adults-only retreats across Australia, but this might just be my new favourite. I had high hopes for The Crocodile Hunter Lodge – Australia Zoo 's luxe accommodation offering tucked in native bushland on Queensland's stunning Sunshine Coast. It's won countless awards, including World's Best Nature Hotel 2024 and Best Boutique Lodge in Oceania 2025 – and after a quick one-night stay, I can confirm it exceeded all expectations. Inspired by Steve Irwin's life, legacy and love of the wild, The Crocodile Hunter Lodge is the ultimate tribute to the 'Crocodile Hunter' himself. Terri, Bondi and Robert opened this remote wilderness retreat in his honour in 2022, unveiling four new double-storey cabins late last year. The Lodge isn't just a haven for humans, but a vital sanctuary for both beloved Aussie animals and critically endangered plant species. Its conservation efforts earn serious bonus points, as do unlimited entry to Australia Zoo, a heated infinity pool, and the award-winning Warrior Restaurant and Bar, where guests are treated to complimentary breakfast each day. Trust me, this is the wild side of luxury at its very best. Why stay at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge? Tucked away in native bushland between Queensland's breathtaking Glass House Mountains and the Sunshine Coast's stunning beaches, this wilderness hideaway strikes the perfect balance of nature and nurture. An icon in its own right, The Crocodile Hunter Lodge pays tribute to the late Steve Irwin, whose passion for wildlife conservation captured the hearts of Australians. The Irwins' commitment to continuing his legacy is evident in the surrounding bushland, home to endemic Aussie species like koalas, emus and echidnas. On arrival, I was first welcomed by a mob of red kangaroos, then by a pair of diamond pythons in the lobby – and that was just the start of countless animal encounters during my stay. Native trees have been planted across the Lodge's expansive grounds, creating natural wildlife corridors for its cuddly and feathered friends. This includes the critically endangered Coochin Hills grevillea, Glass House Mountains tea tree, and three Queensland bottle trees originally planted by Steve himself. Dotted amongst them are chic, rustic cabins perfect for families and couples, with accessible rooms too. In 2024, four new double-storey cabins were unveiled, boasting exclusive views of a state-of-the-art freshwater crocodile habitat – so you can reconnect with nature and face your fears at the same time. Staying here is a splurge, but worth every cent – all guests score unlimited entry to Australia Zoo with complimentary transport, a sneak peek inside the Wildlife Hospital, daily breakfast at Warrior Restaurant and exclusive access to the heated 25-metre infinity pool. What more could you want? What are the rooms like at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge? The Crocodile Hunter Lodge offers one- to three-bedroom cabins, fitted with king beds, stone bathtubs, modern kitchens and breezy verandahs overlooking the native bushland. We were lucky to stay in one of the brand-new, two-storey Crocodile Cabins, and it was an absolute treat. True to their name, these secluded cabins overlook a natural lagoon that's home to ten freshwater crocodiles and endangered Mary River turtles. Soaking in the views from my private heated plunge pool on the downstairs deck was pretty surreal, and falling asleep to the trickle of the four-metre waterfall from the master bedroom upstairs was pure bliss. The master bedroom takes up the entire top floor, as it should! There's plenty of room to roll out a yoga mat, curl up with a book or sink into the deep ensuite bath. The walk-in-wardrobe saved me floor space, and I adored the heartfelt touch of the hand-crafted timber luggage racks made from the original crocodile grandstands Steve built at Australia Zoo many years ago. To top off the luxury, the bathroom floors are heated and stocked with vegan body products from Hunter — a perfectly fitting match, don't you think? Downstairs, a second spacious bedroom is fabulous for families, featuring one king bed that easily splits into singles. If I'd stayed longer, I would've made better use of the fully equipped kitchen and stylish lounge. I did, however, get to admire the vibrant statement artwork in the dining room by award-winning Aboriginal lifestyle brand Miimi and Jiinda, alongside photographs by Robert Irwin in the lounge room. The Crocodile Cabins earn bonus points for having a private carport with an electric vehicle charger. What are the best restaurants at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge? Housed in the same building as reception, Warrior Restaurant and Bar is open daily from 7am to 9pm to both guests and the public. The elegant dining room overlooks the Lodge's gorgeous infinity pool, where I spotted koalas and an emu roaming at breakfast. While Warrior celebrates local and native ingredients, the menu isn't strictly Australian. Dishes, like slow-braised beef rendang, pay homage to meals Steve loved cooking, while others feature ingredients grown onsite. Chillies for the curries are harvested in Australia Zoo's Elephantasia, honey is sourced from native bee hives in the backyard, and bush tucker is grown on the grounds. Menu highlights include fresh local sourdough with native salted butter, Queensland tiger prawns with native pepperberry aioli, and a 200-gram eye fillet with red gum smoked salt and warrigal greens. As for drinks, Warrior offers all-Australian beers, wines and spirits, including those from local breweries on the Sunshine Coast. The house cocktails are a playful nod to Australia Zoo's resident crocodiles rescued by Steve. Take the Bosco, a twist on the Espresso Martini with toasted marshmallow syrup and maple-smoked wood, served under a smoky dome and garnished with charred marshmallows. I appreciated that breakfast is complimentary for all guests, featuring everything from Terri's carrot cake waffles with native honey and whipped cream cheese, to savoury oat waffles layered with bacon, fried egg, tomato relish, avocado and homegrown warrigal greens. Caffeine comes from Montville Coffee, which is roasted 20 minutes away and delivered to Warrior within 36 hours for ultimate freshness. You can also order freshly squeezed custom juices, with the leftover fruit pulp repurposed into ice blocks for the Zoo's elephants. What is the service like at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge? Given its impressive resume of awards, I wasn't surprised by how friendly and attentive the staff here were. Our cabin was immaculately clean, and the staff go above and beyond to take care of your every need – whether shuttling you to and from the zoo or delivering you breakfast in bed. What is the pool like at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge? The absolute highlight of my stay was going for a morning swim in The Billabong, the Lodge's 25-metre heated infinity pool overlooking the lush garden. From the edge, I admired a mob of kangaroos nibbling on native grass and laughed as an emu did laps on land beside me. There are plenty of plush white lounge chairs near the pool to soak up some vitamin D, and you can order poolside snacks and cocktails from the bar just behind. What's the area like around The Crocodile Hunter Lodge? The Crocodile Hunter Lodge sits just 500 metres south of Australia Zoo in Beerwah on Queensland's stunning Sunshine Coast. Tucked into the bush, it's surrounded by natural beauty – a short drive to the breathtaking Glass House Mountains and the peaceful beaches of Caloundra and Mooloolaba. The Crocodile Hunter Lodge is easy to reach, located just a one-hour drive north of Brisbane or a 30-minute drive from Sunshine Coast Airport. If you need to stock up on supplies, the nearest town, Landsborough, is a ten-minute drive away. Address: 88 Irwin Rd, Beerwah, QLD, 4519
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Performative bombast': Albanese government's Palestine recognition not helpful
The Australian's Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan says the Albanese government's decision to recognise Palestine is 'performative bombast'. Mr Sheridan told Sky News Australia that it won't 'hasten' the existence of a Palestinian state. 'The state will come into being when Israel and Palestine make an agreement.'
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
BIG MISS FOR SOUTH AFRICA! Kagiso Rabada ruled out with ankle injury vs Australia; Kwena Maphaka added
Kagiso Rabada, right, of South Africa celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Tim David of Australia during the T20 cricket international between Australia and South Africa at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns, Australia. AP/PTI(AP08_16_2025_000313A) South Africa's spearhead Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the three-match One-Day International series against Australia, starting Tuesday, due to inflammation of his right ankle, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement. "The 30-year-old underwent a scan on Monday, which confirmed the extent of the injury. He will remain in Australia and undergo rehabilitation under the supervision of the Proteas medical staff," CSA said. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Rabada has been replaced by 19-year-old Kwena Maphaka, who was sensational in the recently concluded T20I series. Maphaka picked up nine wickets in three games. The left-arm pacer already has two ODI caps and could be in the starting eleven as South Africa seek to put up a strong challenge against Australia. Brevis, meanwhile, is almost certain to make his ODI debut after a stellar T20I series saw him smash a rollicking 41-ball century in Darwin and follow it up with a blazing half-century in Cairns to finish with 180 runs, making him the top run-scorer across both teams. South Africa's ODI skipper Temba Bavuma said he had been impressed by Brevis' form. "It's always exciting when you see the young faces. Obviously, the big talk has been on Brevis, (he's been) putting up his hand and showing what he is capable of. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Transform Your Child's Confidence with Our Public Speaking Program Planet Spark Book Now Undo (I'm) excited to see what he can also bring within the one-day stuff," said Bavuma to reporters on Monday. Poll Who do you think will have a bigger impact in the ODI series? Kwena Maphaka Dewald Brevis Temba Bavuma Keshav Maharaj The ODI series also marks Bavuma's return to competitive cricket after leading South Africa to their maiden ICC World Test Championship crown at Lord's in June. Bavuma, 34, has recovered from the hamstring injury sustained during the WTC final and confirmed he will bat at number three behind openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram. Bavuma is one of five players added to South Africa's ODI squad alongside veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj, all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, and top-order batters Matthew Breetzke and Tony de Zorzi. After the series opener in Cairns on Tuesday, both teams will move to Mackay for the next two games to be held on Friday and Sunday. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Buzz Feed
5 hours ago
- Business
- Buzz Feed
These Once-Thriving Industries Are Slowly Disappearing
There are a few industries that will probably last forever and always be needed, but many fields go from once-thriving to slowly disappearing because they can't keep up with updated technology, new ways of living, and changing consumer preferences. FootballPizzaMan on Reddit asked, "What industry is slowly dying?" Here are some of the most upvoted responses: "Artisanal repair, like leather repair, shoe repair, and clothing repair. It's a combination of no young people learning the skill/taking over businesses and the proliferation of fast fashion." —hehhehwoah "Professional journalism." —I-need-ur-dick-pics "Ironically, I heard casket sales were slowing because of innovations in cremation or other burial services like being buried in a tree." —CitizenHuman "Traditional TV." —bestwillcui "Customer Service. You thought getting a human on the phone was difficult in 2025? By 2035, Agent AI will make sure no human customer service exists." —oandakid718 "Horse-drawn carriage ride operators. There is a movement to ban them in NYC, the most iconic city for carriage rides. And they have already disappeared from some other cities." —Lord_Dreadlow "Postal services." —Cutlass "Farming. Not the industry itself, but the number of people involved. Farms and equipment have gotten so big, small farm towns are disappearing fast." —Nebraska716 "Wedding dress/tuxedo stores. The ones around my town have closed down, or always have one or two cars max. More people are single than ever before, along with the economy getting worse every day, with no higher wages. People are finding fewer and fewer reasons to splurge on their weddings." —Indiexcorex3 "The Vegas tourism industry, apparently." —Ornery_Old_Man "After 25 years in the Hollywood film industry, I've only worked about two months in the past two and a half years (I'm a set painter and art director)." —peatmo55 "The pub industry. General attitudes to alcohol have changed, and the absurd pricing spikes year over year." —AulMoanBag "Auto racing. Race tracks are closing all over the country. The pressure is coming from all sides, too. There are far fewer hobby racers than there used to be as the raw material dries up and racing becomes more expensive even in the entry-level classes. The land is becoming more valuable, and as we continue to build housing developments, new homeowners complain about the noise and traffic. Spectator turnout is lower as racing and motorsports aren't as popular in general. We'll probably have top-tier racing for the foreseeable future, but it's dying at the grassroots level." —The_World_Is_A_Slum "Printing business. My wife is an accountant. She moved from one company where she'd literally read from paper receipts to reading e-receipts, and now she's in a paperless accounting firm. No,w even contracts are signed electronically." —AnswerDizzy "Bookstores." —Puppet007 "Maybe an uncommon answer: higher education. Not dying, but it at least needs to be greatly transformed in the next era." —JasonMantou Publishing, but not because self-publishing is taking its place, because that has all the same problems. Self-publishers are treading water — DIY book marketing is an absolute nightmare and a money-loser for most people — but traditional publishers have no clue what to do either, because the internet's such a hostile mess. There are probably more great writers than ever, and readers almost certainly want to find them, but the systems that connect them are malfunctioning." —michaelochurch "Local news." —Dapper-Condition6041 "Retail pharmacy. It's pretty much moving towards being a CVS monopoly, and they only survive because of their involvement in the insurance side. Insurance companies (more accurately, PBMs) have lobbied and cornered pharmacies for decades now, constantly taking a greater share of the pie and effectively leaving pharmacies operating perpetually in the red. There's way more to it, but the fact is that standalone pharmacies (example: Rite-Aid) are doomed to collapse with time." —FuriousResolve "Trucking. Over the next 10 years, more and more trucks will be self-driving. Pepsi is already using them for short-haul trips in Southern California. There's just too much money to be made." —TheManInTheShack "Marketing, quietly and in the background. Experienced, senior marketers and digital marketers are being made redundant, replaced by a sub-£30k junior with a phone camera, Canva, and ChatGPT. The massive drop in quality of campaign output is not creating a commensurate drop in sales/performance, so boards are just not bothering to fix it." —kip_hackmann "Independent burger joints." —TaroFuzzy5588 "Coming from a pastor, churches. Attendance is declining, local congregations are ignorant or unqualified to meet community needs, are not ashamed to vocalize political preferences without regard to those who suffer, and are too prideful to pass the baton to the next generation." —BigTuna0890 "Nightclubs, and nightlife in general. Especially in big cities." —vinnybawbaw "TV/Film writing. I had a 20-year career that has all but ended, and I'm far from the only one. The studios/streamers are making fewer and fewer shows, which have fewer and fewer seasons with fewer and fewer episodes. It used to be an actual career, now it's a hobby for the rich." —therealpopkiller "Recruiting. I see the process becoming much more automated every year, and when hiring slows, the recruiters are cut. I also had a phone screen with a 'virtual AI assistant' the other week and can see this happening more in the future." —Sharp-Ad4377 "Very slowly, but car dealerships." —kindrudekid "The music industry. Well, I guess it's not dying per se, but music as we know it is dying for sure, and has been dead for quite a while. Every top 100 hit is all written and produced by the same few people. There are no real bands or artists in the spotlight anymore, it's just people who have the best marketing teams with the most money so that they can sing a few lines (that someone else wrote) into a mic somewhat half decently and perform in a multi-million dollar music video filled with CGI and then call themselves artists." —KingRemu "Radio. Actually, its death is not slow. It's also completely self-inflicted." —keithrconrad "Writing. I used to work in the magazine industry. Thanks, ChatGPT ." —heyheleezy "Documentaries and independent film." —Shoddy_Drop912 Do you agree that these industries are dying? Do you have one to add to this list? Let us know in the comments!
Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
White House love-in moved war in right direction – but potential dealbreaker looms
Washington: If the purpose of today's European mission to the White House was to prevent Donald Trump tilting in favour of Vladimir Putin after their Alaskan adventure, then it may broadly be considered a success, even if the tangible outcomes are difficult to discern. The visitors were warmly welcomed, including Volodymyr Zelensky, whose last trip to the Oval Office ended catastrophically. This time it ended with laughter and a strong handshake. Zelensky called it the best of his meetings with Trump so far. Likewise, the Europeans showered Trump with gratitude for hosting them and expending his time and energy on trying to solve the war. They praised him for being the only person who could co-ordinate with Putin and get him to a negotiating table. That is now what Trump intends to do. He has signalled a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, followed by a three-way that he would join, which according to Zelensky is the sequencing Russia offered. Zelensky says he's happy to do so. No date or location is set. On the central question of how to protect Ukraine from a future invasion if a deal is reached, the Europeans appeared to extract from Trump a vague commitment to US involvement – though you wouldn't want to place any bets on it. In a social media post, he was clear: Europe would lead any peacekeeping force. At best, the US would play a 'co-ordinating' role, whatever that means. The Financial Times reported the Ukrainians were essentially proposing to buy US security guarantees by promising to purchase $US100 billion ($154 billion) worth of American weaponry, financed by Europe, likely to include the Patriot air defence systems Zelensky wants and needs. And Trump noted: 'We're not giving [away] anything. We're selling weapons.' There was chatter about 'NATO-like' security guarantees that would bind signatories to come to Ukraine's aid if Putin – or someone else – tried it on again. This is in lieu of letting Kyiv into NATO, which remains very much off the table. The situation has echoes of the memorandum signed in Budapest in 1994, when Ukraine agreed to relinquish its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in return for security 'assurances' from Russia, the US and United Kingdom. However, Ukraine did not get what it initially sought – a guarantee of military intervention if its territorial sovereignty was breached. Rather, the signatories agreed to respect Ukraine's borders and refrain from using military or economic force against it – a commitment Russia plainly violated years later.
