Courtesy of Melissa Noble
I've always been a city mouse, so when we decided to move from Melbourne, Australia, to Bright in country Victoria in 2021, I wasn't sure how long I'd last. Our family ended up falling in love with the slower pace of life and the people, and spent four years in the small alpine town at the foothills of the Victorian Alps.
But in January, we moved from Bright to the Gold Coast, where I grew up. My parents' health was declining, and I wanted to spend quality time with them before it was too late.
Moving from a small regional town of fewer than 3,000 people to a city of almost 700,000 was a profound lifestyle shift for our family of five. We had to make new friends, learn how to navigate a traffic light again (joking!), and get used to the buzzing city life.
Overall, we've gained a lot from moving to the city, and I feel it's been especially beneficial to our kids, as it's helped build resilience. But there are definitely things about country life that I do miss, if I'm being honest.
Life is full of trade-offs, and we've definitely made a few.
In country Victoria, our nearest major retailer was an hour's drive away. If the kids needed new shoes or I needed new underwear, off we'd drive to the nearest major town. It often felt like a mission just to access simple amenities.
Nowadays, everything we need is at our fingertips. If we want to eat Italian one night and Nepalese the next, we can. The Gold Coast has all the amenities we need, and a good mix of beaches, hinterland hikes, nightlife, festivals, and an up-and-coming food scene.
Cities generally offer better career and education opportunities, without a doubt. In our family, my husband has probably benefited the most in that regard.
When we moved here in January, he expanded his Muscle Freedom remedial massage and myotherapy business and started a clinic on the Gold Coast. Since then, the opportunities have been incredible, and he's treated some of Australia's biggest sporting identities. That would likely never have happened in country Victoria (unless they were holidaying there).
Likewise, our kids seem to be thriving at school and in their extra-curricular activities, many of which were unavailable where we used to live.
When I was having a bad mental health day in Bright, there was no escaping friends and family (bless them). Once, at the supermarket, I was weeping in the bread aisle, only to be greeted by my husband's cheerful colleague, who was keen to chat about the weather. I wanted to scream and run away.
In the city, I quite enjoy the anonymity and being a number in the crowd, especially on harder days.
I also love having access to a diverse range of art, music, entertainment, and food on the Gold Coast. After four years living in the country, I began to feel a bit starved of culture.
My kids are also mingling with children from different backgrounds and walks of life, which I am really happy about.
Bright is surrounded by mountains, forests, rivers, and cycling trails, with gorgeous national parks a short drive away. It really is a smorgasbord of activities for outdoor enthusiasts.
The Gold Coast has plenty of sunshine and offers some spectacular natural scenery, but you do have to drive to access it. I've actually put on a few kilos living in the city, and I think it's mainly because I'm not walking or cycling as much.
When we recently returned to Bright for a family holiday, I realized how much I've missed those wide open spaces. The air seems to feel fresher there.
Living in suburbia on the Gold Coast, the blocks are tighter, and some areas feel like the properties are on top of each other. Even as I write this, I can overhear the next-door neighbor arguing with her husband about his messy household habits.
I've been lucky enough to make some wonderful friends on the Gold Coast. The kind who check in on us when we're sick or offer to babysit if my husband and I need a night out. But it also seems that people are busier in the city, and get-togethers happen less often.
In a small town like Bright, it's easier to catch up with people because everyone lives close by. I found that living in the country helped me form deeper connections with friends. That brought a sense of security, knowing that someone always has your back.
Since moving to the city, life has felt frantic. For the first six months, every weekend was jam-packed with catch-ups with family and new and old friends.
In a small country town, the pace of life was much slower. Recently, while we were holidaying in Bright, I felt my shoulders relax, and my stress levels decrease. There's something to be said for a simple life.
We'd intended to give the Gold Coast 12 months and then make a call about where to base ourselves long-term. But now that we're almost at that mark, we've realized it's too soon to make a decision.
And so, we'll be spending 2027 here, then reassessing our options late next year. Part of me craves the open skies, fresh mountain air, and the stillness I took for granted in the country, but I'm also enjoying having Aldi a kilometer away and more choices overall.
I suppose at the end of the day, there's no perfect place to live, just places that suit you at different life stages. For now, the Gold Coast is giving us convenience, variety, and time with my folks, and I intend to enjoy the best of what city life has to offer.
Il giorno del suo matrimonio in Grecia, Danielle Monteleone, 24 anni, ha vissuto un momento indimenticabile che le ha tolto il respiro. Convinta che i suoi nonni, Carmel, 80 anni, e Reg Monteleone, 84 anni, residenti in Australia, non avrebbero potuto affrontare un viaggio così lungo e impegnativo, la giovane sposa non si aspettava di vederli tra gli invitati alla cerimonia.
Eppure, all’insaputa di tutti, i due anziani coniugi avevano organizzato in gran segreto il lungo viaggio intercontinentale pur di essere presenti nel giorno più importante della vita della loro nipote. Quando Danielle si è trovata davanti i suoi nonni, è rimasta letteralmente senza parole, travolta da un’ondata di stupore e commozione.
Sei mesi prima del grande giorno, Reg e Carmel avevano prenotato il viaggio in gran segreto, accordandosi con il resto della famiglia per mantenere il riserbo. Dato che in passato avevano avuto problemi di salute, Danielle dava per scontato che non sarebbero riusciti a intraprendere un tragitto tanto impegnativo.
“Sono rimasta completamente senza parole – ha raccontato a SWNS Danielle -. Mi sono subito commossa. Non riuscivo a credere che fossero venuti. Sono la prima dei sette nipoti a sposarmi, quindi per loro essere presenti e far parte di questo importante evento familiare ha significato moltissimo”.
E infine: “L’ultima volta che ho visto i miei nonni è stato a Natale del 2025; quindi, non solo è stato meraviglioso che fossero presenti al mio matrimonio, ma ero anche felicissima di rivederli! Sono rimasti in Grecia con noi per un paio di giorni dopo le nozze, così abbiamo potuto trascorrere un po’ di tempo di qualità insieme a loro”.
L'articolo Sposa scoppia in lacrime quando i nonni le fanno una sorpresa al matrimonio, dopo un viaggio di 30 ore: “L’ultima volta che li ho visti è stato a Natale 2025” proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.
David Shoebridge says 47-page document not ‘made by, used by, or seen by’ his office as matter referred to parliamentary standards commission
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Greens leader David Shoebridge has denied knowledge of the existence of an alleged crisis management document on how to deal with allegations against Jordon Steele-John being made public.
The Nine newspapers reported on Friday afternoon the existence of a “secret dossier”, first drafted in 2016, which contained misconduct allegations against the Western Australian Greens senator and how to suppress their media coverage.
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© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Three teenage boys were charged after a 15-year-old boy with autism was beaten and robbed near a train station in Australia in a violent attack captured on video as other teenagers watched.
The assault happened Oct. 5 in Stawell, a town in the Australian state of Victoria, after the victim was reportedly lured to the area through a Snapchat meetup arranged with two girls, according to Australian news outlet news.com.au.
Video of the attack shows several teenagers punching and kicking the boy, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly striking him as he attempts to get away. One attacker demands the victim hand over his shoes before the group allows him to leave.
Victoria Police announced Tuesday that detectives had charged one 14-year-old boy and two 15-year-old boys after an investigation.
Detectives from the Northern Grampians Crime Investigation Unit executed four search warrants in the region before arresting the teenagers, police said.
All three face charges of affray, robbery, recklessly causing injury and theft. They are expected to appear in a children's court at a later date.
Police said a fourth boy who was not present when the search warrants were served would be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.
The victim, who also has epilepsy, suffered soft tissue injuries and possible head injuries, according to news.com.au. His mother told the outlet doctors were conducting additional scans to determine whether he had bleeding in his brain.
"I’m just lucky to have him alive. … He’s having nightmares," she said.
The boy has since returned home but is afraid to go outside, his mother told the outlet.
Superintendent Dan Davison acknowledged the concern the attack had caused in the Stawell community and said police had been working to identify those responsible.
"Since last Monday, local uniform police and detectives have been working tirelessly to identify those involved and hold them to account, and this important work will continue," Davison said in a news release.
"There is never any excuse for violence in our community, and we will not accept it in any form.
"Detectives are continuing to investigate the matter, and while we are treating it as an isolated incident, additional patrols will take place across Stawell to ensure our community not only is safe but feels safe."
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Police said additional patrols would be deployed throughout Stawell as detectives continued investigating the assault.
© JEREMY NG/EPA
Australia has no need to buy fuel from Russia, despite US President Donald Trump’s move to bring Russian diesel back to world markets. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says that imports from Russia will remain banned to ensure the country does not benefit from its invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.
Trump has agreed with Russia's President Vladimir Putin to release Russian diesel onto global markets, a move Ukraine says funds a war that has killed more than 80 Ukrainian civilians in two days.
“We don’t need or want Russian fuel in Australia. We do not want Vladimir Putin to benefit from this war in the Middle East. What the United States does is a matter for them, but we won’t be changing our approach,” Bowen said.
Trump announced on 9 October a series of cargoes beginning this month totaling about 13.5 million barrels of Russian diesel. The release upends years of sanctions, as the White House looks for ways to tame soaring fuel prices before the US midterm elections.
Bowen draws a clear line between that approach and Australia’s. What the US does is its own affair, he stresses, but Canberra will maintain its arrangements with trading partners to keep Russian fuel out of the market.
Australia can hold out without Russian supply, Bowen argues. The country has 43 days’ worth of petrol, two days more than a week earlier, and 31 days’ worth of diesel, one day less, he notes.
He adds that Australia stays in close contact with domestic refiners to keep them running at full capacity. The stance lets Canberra wait out high prices rather than buy fuel that would send money to Moscow.
Australia’s fuel costs have stayed high since the war between the US and Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the route that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas.
Domestic violence is on the decline but court orders separating 'violent' fathers from their children have skyrocketed in NSW. The weaponisation of courts against dads is a warning for Britain, says Bettina Arndt.
The post The Weaponisation of Courts Against Fathers is a Warning for Britain appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Anyone over the age of about 35 has no idea how far Western universities have fallen into the mire of DEI, collapsing standards and Left-wing monoculture, says Professor James Allan. It's time to sort them out.
The post It’s Time to Fix our Universities appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
The EU welcomes Cambodia’s decision to join the Multi-party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) for WTO members, contributing to efforts to uphold a rules-based multilateral trading system.
With Cambodia’s participation, the MPIA now covers 62 World Trade Organization (WTO) members and 60.4% of world trade.
The MPIA brings together participants from all continents and at different levels of development, united by a shared commitment to upholding the rules-based trading system.
The MPIA preserves the right to appeal in trade disputes among participating WTO members, at a time when the WTO’s Appellate Body remains non-functioning. It helps ensure that disputes can continue to be resolved in an orderly and binding manner, avoiding appeals 'into the void'.
“I welcome Cambodia to the MPIA. The arrangement plays an important role in upholding the rules-based trading system. Each new participant helps reinforce the predictability, stability and credibility of global trade rules. I encourage other WTO members to join the MPIA,” said EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
The MPIA was established in 2020 and has proven its effectiveness in many WTO disputes.
Under the MPIA, appeals are heard by arbitrators randomly selected from a pool of 10 standing appeal arbitrators set up by the participating WTO members. These arbitrators are persons of recognised authority, with demonstrated expertise in law, international trade and WTO agreements.
The MPIA is open to all WTO members as a practical tool for appeal arbitration, pending the restoration of a reformed and fully functioning WTO dispute settlement system.
As of 1 June 2025, the MPIA has an updated pool of appeal arbitrators to ensure that appeals continue to be heard by independent arbitrators of the highest calibre.
At the WTO Ministerial Conference that took place earlier this year, MPIA ministers stressed the importance of the MPIA for the security and predictability of the multilateral trading system.
The current MPIA participants are Australia, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the European Union (and its Member States), Guatemala, Hong Kong (China), Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Macao (China), Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Vietnam.
MC14: Supporting the rules-based multilateral trading system: the role of the MPIA
Not all forms of communication are based on speech or writing. Just as the Inca encoded information in strings and knots known as quipus, and the inhabitants of the Marshall Islands created intricate navigational charts from sticks and seashells, the Aboriginal peoples of Australia developed their own sophisticated means of transmitting information across vast distances. Known as message sticks, these small carved pieces of wood, rich in symbolism, served as important tools of communication between different communities.
An early 20th century Aboriginal message stick, almost a meter in length, made of extremely dense hardwood, and with ochre coating message on both sides. Credit: Carter's
On 9 October 1917, during the Third Battle of Ypres, a battalion of Australian soldiers entered a place known as Celtic Wood, near Passchendaele in West Flanders, Belgium, to attack German positions. Most were never seen again. Of the 85 men to raid Celtic Wood, just 14 made it back to their lines. The rest vanished without a trace. The fate of the lost battalion has remained one of the greatest enigmas of Australia's Great War.
The battlefield in Poelcapelle, Belgium. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Australians rejected the idea of creating the Indigenous Voice to Parliament advisory body in October 2023. Two years after this stinging defeat, the state of Victoria signed a treaty with its First Peoples.
- 2026/08 / article, 2026/08 australia
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