Australia winter

If you don’t fully appreciate the complexity of rural communities, farmer Peter Schmidt is not the sort of bloke you would be expecting in the Mulga Lands. His place is 21,000 hectares – 52,000 acres in the old money – and his family have been there since his grandfather selected blocks in the 1890s. The closest town is Wyandra, a blip on the highway on the way to Cunnamulla from Charleville – a drive that reveals the disused fences of smaller blocks long abandoned as unsustainable. Schmidt though is still at his homestead at Alawoona, its sheds and outbuildings surrounded by a metre-high levee, standing like a bad joke in their sixth year of drought. He put it in after the 2012 flood, which washed a foot of water through his house. Problem is, that flood heralded the start of the dry and it pretty much hasn’t rained since. He jokes with station hand Joe that he cursed the place and might have to break the levee to bring on the rain. But far from being a … [Read more...] about ‘This drought is different’: it’s drier and hotter – and getting worse

Australian cricketer Matthew Wade left Australia for the UK just four days after his wife gave birth to their second baby girl, and now finds himself with an unlikely shot at World Cup glory. Wade left to be part of the Australia A tour for young and back-up players, concurrent with the World Cup and Ashes series, but now because of injuries he has been called into the main squad just before Thursday's semifinal.   Wade's wife Julia said their family sacrifice will be worth it if he comes into the team to replace Usman Khawaja or Marcus Stoinis, who are battling to be fit for the game against England. The couple shared a picture of the batsman cradling his newborn baby girl with his older daughter before he made the trip overseas.  Wade, who hasn't played an ODI for Australia since 2017,  was picked up following his blistering performance for Australia A.  He scored 355 runs at an average of 88.75 and an astonishing strike-rate of 182.05 in four matches. … [Read more...] about The ultimate sacrifice: Australian cricketer who left his daughter behind four days after she was born is now on the brink of World Cup glory

A HEARTBROKEN mum has revealed the intimate photographs of her battling through labour while knowing her baby boy would be stillborn. Sarah Jade, 33, from Melbourne, Australia, gave birth to son Aksel Jude at 33 weeks - after he passed away in the womb. The little boy died following severe complications with his brain development. Photographer Lacey Barratt captured Sarah’s devastating journey from start to finish, from her emotional labour to a poignant second photoshoot the following day - then finally Aksel’s funeral. Sarah said the heart-wrenching gallery of images have helped her and husband Tim, 34, begin to heal and are a way to honour their son’s memory. Sarah, who is also mum to three-year-old Arthur, said: “I wanted a beautiful birth.“But when we knew what the outcome of the birth would be, I still wanted to capture those moments. “It was traumatic. The worst part was that I was pushing so hard, and Aksel was halfway out but then went back … [Read more...] about Heartbroken mum reveals the poignant photographs of her stillborn son… and says the pictures have helped her to ‘heal’

Kate Middleton and Prince William have already offered up plenty of travel inspiration for royal fans thanks to some seriously glamorous royal tours. In fact, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge boast a pretty impressive travel diary already that has seen them travel to the likes of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India. And of course they've even been joined by their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte for some of their adventures (although Prince Louis has yet to go on his first royal tour!). But it's not just their royal tours where the royal couple go exploring. They pull out all the stops for their holidays too, heading to destinations such as Kenya and Mustique for some downtime. If they're ever stuck for ideas they can always take inspiration from where other British royals go on holiday ! We take a look at William and Kate's impressive travel diary so far... 1. Kenya Kenya no doubt holds a very special place in the couple's hearts - after all, it was here where … [Read more...] about Kate Middleton and Prince William’s travel diary from royal tours to holidays

While a hot summer rages in Australia, Chris Hemsworth doesn't seem keen to break out the T-shirt and flip-flops just yet. The 36-year-old actor is visiting New York during a bitterly cold winter and was spotted walking with his entourage on Friday. The handsome actor was well and truly rugged up in a warm ensemble suited to the chilly weather. Still smiling: Chris Hemsworth was spotted out in New York on Friday Starting with a black jumper the Hollywood hunk then wrapped himself up in a scarf that hung loosely around his neck. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Chris Hemsworth braves New York's winter chill in a khaki... Chris Hemsworth is every inch the A-list star as he films a... Chris Hemsworth is a cool customer as handsome actor flashes... Elsa Pataky says her marriage to Chris Hemsworth 'isn't... Share this article Share He wore a thick black jacket with his hands wedged firmly in its pockets. Despite the cold, Chris wasn't afraid to warm up some … [Read more...] about Chris Hemsworth keeps warm as he goes for a stroll in New York