Your Perth This weekend

This week Perth city is home to a group of Aussie music superstars and for those willing to travel a little further out of town, a coastal delight awaits you.

'Grey nomads' and coastal adventurers of all ages are invited to embark on an outback musical journey to the Sounds Outback (...to Reef) Festival in Exmouth from October 5 to 9.

Some of the state's most picturesque locations will set the scene for the likes of Etica Ensemble, Stephen Pigram, Defying Gravity and Jon Rose across several stunning venues including Shothole Canyon, offering breathtaking views of Cape Range National Park.

This is a fabulous mid-spring getaway option for lovers of music and the outdoors.

For more information and accommodation options visit the website.
Meanwhile back toward the city, Aussie rock's old favourites Regurgitator are at The Astor on Sunday October 7.

Now in their nineteenth year together, the band is bringing the hits of Tu Plang and Unit back to WA, with this one off show.

A few tickets are still available, head to BOCS now.
Also this week, Pridefest WA kicks off a month's worth of festivities with the City of Perth Pride 
Fairday on Saturday October 6.

Folks of all genders and sexual persuasions are invited to pack a picnic and enjoy live entertainment, including live Drag Shows and the Pridefest dog parade.

Plus join in for a bunch of fun activities like novelty races, tug-of-war and water-pistol duels – just to name a few.

For more information on this weekend's fair and to check out the other events running until November 6 for Pridefest visit www.pridefestwa.com.au.

Enjoy your Perth this weekend!

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'Vibrant Perth' Bid to Draw Tourists

Perth will be rebranded under a campaign to attract interstate visitors, while almost $8 million will be spent on tourism marketing in the regions, the State Government will announce today.

The Tourism WA campaign, to be launched in Sydney and Melbourne next week, will feature a 60-second cinema advertisement and eight shorter versions for digital and social marketing. They focus on Perth's music, arts and cultural scenes, nightlife and beaches. Tourism Minister Kim Hames said the new brand reflected the energy and vibrancy the city now exuded.

The State Government will also announce a new marketing campaign for regional WA, committing $7.9 million over four years through Royalties for Regions.

The funding will go towards a new 1001 Extraordinary Experiences campaign and produce two new commercials to entice interstate and local visitors to the regions.

Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall said this season would be "make-or-break" for many operators.

Mr Hall said interstate tourism contributed $1.4 billion to the WA economy last year.

Retirees And Chinese Students New Tourism Workers

EARLY retirees, Chinese students and indigenous Australians will be targeted as employees in a plan to boost often-criticised service standards in the tourism industry. 

Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson also wants to facilitate greater foreign investment in Australian tourism, train local tourism operators to be more digital savvy and improve the quality of accommodation, particularly in regional areas.

Mr Ferguson said the strength of the economy and the resources boom made it hard for the tourism industry to compete for workers.

"The rates of pay are just way beyond tourism operators,'' he said.
"A lot of them are small and medium sized businesses going from week to week.

"You have a pool of Australians out there who are work ready - people who have retired early and the share market is down.

"We have to start to think about employing these people in a variety of positions.''

Mr Ferguson also wants to see a greater focus on indigenous tourism in Australia, with subsidies for the training and employment of indigenous people.

"We have a huge potential workforce which we have neglected for a variety of reasons,'' he said.

With China the fastest-growing market for Australian tourism, Mr Ferguson also sees an opportunity to recruit Chinese students living in Australia, who are permitted to work up to 20 hours a week as part of their visa conditions, to the tourism industry.

Despite the challenges of the strong Australian dollar and economic uncertainty in the US and Europe, there was a five per cent rise in overseas visitors over the past financial year.

The biggest rise was in Chinese tourists, up 17 per cent over the year to more than 580,000 visitors.

It is now the third largest source market, closely behind the UK.

While Australians are taking a record number of overseas holidays, domestic tourism is also up.

The most recent National Visitor Survey showed Australians took 73 million overnight trips in the year to March - a five per cent rise on the previous year.

The biggest growth is in the short breaks market, with Australians choosing longer resort holidays in destinations such as Bali and Thailand and long weekends away in Australia.

"You can't say to Australians 'you can't go overseas','' Mr Ferguson said.

"But the short breaks market is just as important.''

While he agrees with businessman James Packer that Chinese tourists are attracted by casinos, Mr Ferguson believes they will also come to see natural attractions.

"The development of the Chinese market is no different to the development of the Japanese market - initially it will be group travel and they will come here for a few days and be attracted to the major cities,'' he said.

"Then they will start venturing off and over time they will want to go and do something themselves.''

Mr Ferguson said he was pleased with Mr Packer's announcement of plans for a luxury hotel in Perth, and wanted to see similar investment in other states.

He said Australian tourism needed to chase foreign investment in tourism attractions and hotels.

"We haven't done enough in the past to promote Australia as a good place for investment,'' he said.

"We have high occupancy rates and not bad tariffs. You only have to go places like Perth to see how much it costs for a night.''

As well as becoming more digitally savvy, Mr Ferguson said Australian businesses could also cater more to the Chinese market by adapting shopping hours to suit Chinese tourists, who love taking gifts home to family and friends.

He admitted some tourist attractions and was tired - particularly in regional areas - and wants to help improve standards through funding grants.

"I travel a lot in Australia and the accommodation quality is variable, but I have seen some improvements,'' he said.

"We're not just about increased numbers - we're also about high yield tourists.''

Mr Ferguson said high-end tourist attractions and resorts like Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania and Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island in South Australia were especially attractive to high yield tourists.

"The Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart is a primary example... visitation to MONA is now higher than Port Arthur but they're working in partnership to try to help one another,'' he said.

Perth Festival Opens at Cottesloe Beach

The 2012 Perth International Arts Festival had a perfect start to their tenth festival with a big turnout and stunning weather at Cottesloe Beach this morning.

Perth Festival organisers were uncertain how many people would attend with the early start time of 7am but over 2500 people made their way to the beach for the free event.

Just after sunrise Indigenous Noongar elders and performers opened the Festival with Gina Williams performing a Welcome to Country that included traditional dance and storytelling.

Hundreds of local vocalists and musicians had sand between their toes as they performed on the beach with the Indian Ocean as their backdrop.

It's Artistic Director Jonathan Holloway's first Perth Festival this year after working on the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in the United Kingdom.

"There were very beautiful beaches in North Norfolk but not quite this close and not quite this beautiful and not with this weather," Mr Holloway said.

"You wouldn't find many hundreds of people just randomly wandering along a beach at 6am in Norfolk."

Mr Holloway says he wanted to utilise the natural amphitheatre of Cottesloe Beach for the opening of the 2012 Perth Festival.

"We're cheating really, let's be honest, we've come to the view and the space - then we're filling it rather than creating something."

The Cottesloe dawn event is part of the official opening called 'Dusk: Dawn' and will culminate in the Great Southern with a sunset event on the Albany foreshore for the launch of the tenth year of the Great Southern Festival.

Tonight sees the opening of Beautiful Burnout, an exhilarating piece of physical theatre exploring the thrill and beauty of boxing, being hosted here at the ABC in East Perth. Studio 61 has been transformed with a real boxing ring taking centre stage.

Perth Festival organisers estimate that the festival attracts about half a million people to free and paid events each year and are expecting to sell 220,000 tickets to performances this year.

For more information on upcoming Perth Festival events, visit the Perth Festival website.

Tourism WA Announces Record Events Calendar

Leading the 2012 Calendar is the Perth International - the newest addition to the global golf agenda. Tourism WA's Chief Executive Officer, Stephanie Buckland, said the Perth International will take place at Lake Karrinyup Country Club, one of Australia's finest golf courses, and is set to attract some of the world's best golfers all competing to win US$2 million.

"The Perth International, owned by the International Management Group, will be sanctioned by the European Tour that is currently experiencing unprecedented success and boasts the top four ranked golfers in the world," Ms Buckland said.

"We're excited to announce a three year agreement with the tournament and are planning to develop the Perth International into a key occasion in the Asia Pacific Region."

Ms Buckland said another new event scheduled for 2012 was the Action Sports Games Mandurah, a three-day International Waterski and Wakeboard World Cup.

"Events on the 2012 calendar will have a significant impact on Western Australia's tourism industry with more than 1.2 million people forecast to attend the events generating over $221 million worth of value to the State," Ms Buckland said.

"The events are crucial to the development and growth of Western Australia and since the State Government invested a record $36.7 million into the program, we are now starting to see the rewards."

As part of the funding boost revealed in the May State Budget, Eventscorp will receive $40 million over the next four years from Royalties for Regions for events in regional Western Australia. The State Government recognises the value of regional events and the support they provide to the local communities.

Tourism Western Australia has also developed an events marketing strategy to ensure the State maximises rewards from the investment in event sponsorship.

For more information, please visit www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Events/Calendar

Worldwide Television Coverage for Perth 2011

More than 25 international and national broadcasters have signed up to take television coverage of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships next month.

The championships will be televised in more than 60 countries. Live coverage in Australia will be featured on the Ten Network and its high definition channel, One.

The Perth 2011 broadcasts will include the latest developments in animated tracking and graphics to show the positions of boats on the water as well as 3-D graphics that will complement the live television coverage.

Spectators in Fremantle will have the ability to watch the medal races close to shore in Bathers Bay or to follow the racing on more distant courses on the large screen located at the Worlds Village in Fremantle's Esplanade Park, complete with explanatory graphics and commentary.

Perth-ect Aussie Farewell for the Queen

The 'Big Aussie Barbecue' was the State of Western Australia's 'sizzling' farewell to the Royal couple who were in Perth for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Held at the Perth Esplanade on the banks of the picturesque Swan River, event organisers couldn't have wished for a more perfect day with the sun shining brightly, clear blue sky and a top of 25 degrees.

Crowds gathered steadily throughout the morning, with the sound of The Swan Bells ringing out from the Bell Tower as The Queen's motorcade arrived.

The Queen paid tribute to the beauty of WA's Margaret River region and the Kimberley in her address to crowds and congratulated Premier Colin Barnett and the WA community for hosting CHOGM.

"Over the years I have seen how this State has developed; Western Australia has evolved in its own unique style which is distinctive yet complementary.

"I can think of no more fitting way to end my visit here than in this idyllic Swan River setting which I have enjoyed on so many occasions.

"The rich diversity of this vast state has never been more apparent, from Margaret River wine to the rugged beauty of the Kimberley.

The Queen also made comment about Western Australia's economic potential and professionalism as the host city of CHOGM.

"And, your proximity to Asia has created opportunities for Western Australia to lead the nation's economic future in this region.

"This past week the world has come to Perth as host of the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

"You have endeared yourselves to the international Commonwealth, showing them a state of professional excellence, generosity and good will," she said.

The historic event was beamed across Australia and to the United Kingdom.

(Source: Travmedia.com)

Tourism Praises Perth Hotel Plan

Tourism leaders in Western Australia have welcomed a government plan to encourage hotel development in Perth after warning the shortage of rooms was “killing regional tourism”.

State tourism minister Kim Hames this morning unveiled a package of measures designed to solve the capacity squeeze. They include releasing crown land for hotel

Development through expressions of interest, concessional lease payments and the allocation of funds for hotel upgrades and development on a case by case basis.

Hames conceded the “severe shortage” of rooms was damaging the city’s ability to attract corporate and leisure visitors, conferences and events.

Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall praised the government for finally listening to the concerns of the industry, “Our hotel shortage is killing regional tourism because visitors can’t get a room in Perth on their way to Monkey Mia, Margaret River or Kalgoorlie,” he said.

“Tourism Council WA has been warning successive governments for years about our hotel crisis. Minister Hames is the first minister to take this seriously and get the ball rolling on tourism investment.”

Hall also called on the federal government to provide tax bonuses to assist the growth.

(Source: Steve Jones, Travel Today, 26^th October 2011)

Perth Goes 'Into the Shimmer Heat' Theare-Dance Operatic Show

Into The Shimmer Heat promises to be the year's most adventurous operatic-theatre-dance outing, says ABC 720's cultural correspondent Victoria Laurie.

It's odd to think of an operatic work based around the story of a girl who is mute, but then Into the Shimmer Heat is no ordinary chamber opera.

And before anyone runs away fro the word 'opera', this is an anti-elitist show that defies categorisation. It invites audiences to go on an adventure with a team of highly experienced creative minds to experience "a hot air balloon disaster, a violent storm, vast emptiness, an oasis teaming with life, and a comical camel."

Into the Shimmer Heat has its world premiere in Perth on Saturday 8th October and runs until 15th October. It's been a long time in the making; it began life in 1995 as an experiment between the contemporary music group, Nova Ensemble, and Spare Parts Puppet Theatre to create an opera for young people about youth suicide.

But it soon evolved into a sophisticated work for adults and adolescents, says writer-director Phil Thomson. "The story is about grief and damage and the importance of living on," he says, explaining that the mute girl has survived a balloon accident in which her mother dies. "She meets all kinds of spirit world figures who convince her that it's time to return to the world and resume her life."

"We agonised for ages over whether we would even call the show an opera," says David Pye, Nova Ensemble's musical director, who composed the music with colleague Lee Buddle. "For a long time we were thinking of it as a piece of theatre, with dance and puppetry and sound design. But we came around to 'opera' because it's an all-encompassing word and traditionally opera was used for all the cutting edge art forms of the day."

At a time when pre-20th century operatic 'museum pieces' are still the main opera fare around Australia, Shimmer Heat was clearly too cutting edge. The WA Opera declared no interest in staging it, so it st on the shelf for years. But with a supernova of WA talent involved - among them opera singers Sara Macliver, Fiona Campbell and Robert Hofmann, and internationally renowned puppeteers Joanne Foley and Ian Tregonning - the Department of Culture and the Arts and UWA willingly came on board with nearly $400,000 in funding.

Says Pye, "traditional opera goers will love the gorgeous singing of Sara and Fiona on stage, while others will like the contemporary dance aspect, or the puppetry because that plays a big part in the opera."

The musical score stretches from 21st century music through to Goth Metal but, he adds, it generally aims to be melodic and accessible. "We were very much of the view that we weren't writing for an ivory tower audience but for the general public to come along and enjoy. And the story is interesting but not overly complex."

WAAPA dance graduate Sofie Burgoyne plays the role of a lonely teenage girl who is in a balloon accident that her mother doesn't survive. "She is mute and can only express herself through her movements and the music she listens to," says Pye. "The opera is about the hallucinations of the girl as she listens to one song in particular."

That particular song was composed by a new WA musical talent, Anthony Cormican; according to Pye, "he happens to be a fantastic solo guitar artist and recording engineer whose band has just signed to Atlantic Records in the States." He wrote a song called 'Feel', "and we've been able to extract threads of it that permeate the whole opera."

"It was always Lee's and my intention that we should incorporate the music of today, just as traditional operas did. So we wanted a kind of 'Vampire teen soft porn rock heavy metal genre'," Pye says teasingly. "But we basically don't move in those circles, so Anthony - who then asked to perform in the show - became our own personal Rock God!"

"Our puppeteers are doing some wonderful stuff too, creating the illusion of objects floating towards you. Much of the opera is set in the spirit world, so we have free rein to play with elements of magic."

Pye says Nova Ensemble has long been wanting to create larger scale events with bigger impact, "so that our work is taken notice of more widely. We're working on the idea of streaming the last performance of Into the Shimmer Heat on the internet, it's just a matter of working out how people might pay for it! Any time Nova plays, usually in small concerts, the public says 'wow, you're great, so why haven't we heard of you?"

Into the Shimmer Heat - Nova Ensemble with Sara Macliver, Fiona Campbell, Robert Hofmann, Brendan Hanson and Sofie Burgoyne

Big Day Out Perth 2012 - First Line-Up Announcement:

Big Day Out Perth 2012 - First Line-Up Announcement:

• Kanye West
• Soundgarden
• Kasabian
• My Chemical Romance
• Foster the People
• Odd Future
• The Living End
• Girl Talk
• Hilltop Hoods
• Battles
• Mariachi el Bronx
• Parkway Drive

Royksopp, The Jezabels, Architecture in Helsinki, The Getaway Plan, Cage the Elephant, Frenzal Rhomb, Boy and Bear, Best Coast, Tony Hawk.

Second line-up announcement due in a few weeks!

Tickets $165 (incl GST) + bf* + Perth Department of Transport Levy. Strict limit of 4 tickets per customer.

Available from our website www.bigdayout.com ,Ticketmaster (website only) www.ticketmaster.com.au , and 78 Records (Perth), Bassendean Newsagency, Bayswater Liquor Barons, Blue 62 (Busselton), Collins Music (Bunbury), Geraldton CD Centre, Goldfields Arts Centre (Kalgoorlie), Live Clothing (all stores), Mills Records (Fremantle), Planet Video (Mt Lawley) and Vibes (Albany)

Tickets on sale Friday 14 October.

15+ event.

Direct Flights Between Perth and China to Start 8 November 2011

Asia’s biggest airline, China Southern Airlines, will commence direct flights between China and Perth on November 8.

The service will start with three flights per week arriving in Perth on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings, using China Southern’s A330-300 aircraft. The aircraft has a three class cabin – four First Class, 24 Business and 264 Economy, with a total flight capacity of 292 passengers.

The new service will originate from Beijing with a short transit stop in Guangzhou, China’s third largest city and China Southern’s main hub, before flying non-stop to Perth.

WA currently attracts around 15,000 Chinese visitors a year and it is forecast that by 2020 WA will host around 100,000 Chinese visitors a year, making it WA’s second largest international visitor market, behind the UK.

Fashionista’s Ready to Soak-Up Style

Perth is fast becoming a fashion mecca - and with iconic events like Perth Fashion Festival there's little wonder why. Each year, thousands of fashionistas make the pilgrimage to Perth to experience high fashion events at a range of unique venues. Now in its 13th year, Perth Fashion Festival has 'come of age' with its 2011 calendar. With world-class runway shows, styling workshops, fashion lunches and an international model search, this year's line-up is being touted as the most sophisticated yet.

Fashion followers can soak-up styles from more than 130 designers from around Western Australia and across the country - like WA's Aurelio Costarella, Story By Tang, Ae'lkemi and S2, not to mention national designers Magdalena Velevska and Yeojin Bae. Celebrating its silver jubilee, iconic WA label Wheels & Dollbaby will put on a spectacular show at His Majesty's Theatre to close the Festival. Dressing everyone from Deborah Harry to Katy Perry, this iconic range offers the perfect fusion of fashion with good ol' rock 'n' roll.

Don't miss this year's calendar of more than 40 free, ticketed and invitation-only events from September 21 to 27 2011.

This edgy, evolutionary fashion festival is set to sizzle.

W: perthfashionfestival.com.au

Major New International Aquatic Event for Perth

Perth will become home to a unique new international swimming and water polo event to be known as the BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series.

The series will become an annual feature on the international sporting calendar from 2013 and will see the Australian swim team take on the Chinese and South African national teams in a world-class program of events that will thrill spectators, and national and international television viewers alike.

There will also be international water polo matches featuring the Australian men’s and women’s teams, and elite and mass participation open-water events.

Top Gear goes live exclusively in Perth

Perth has won the rights to host the live arena version of the internationally acclaimed and multi award-winning BBC television series Top Gear. Perth will be the only Australian city to host Top Gear Live for its December tour, and it'll be the show's first appearance in Perth.

Presented by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Top Gear Australia's Shane Jacobson, Top Gear Live will bring all the motoring mayhem and entertainment from the small screen to a live theatre experience at the Burswood Dome from December 8 to 10.

Website: topgearlive.com.au

(Source: Innovations newsletter, September 2011)

Fashion Festival Promises to be Another Runaway Success

Western Australia's biggest annual fashion event, the Perth Fashion Festival, is expected to wow audiences for the 13th year running when it starts next month.

Festival organisers have launched the 2011 calendar, which includes more than 40 events, the majority of which will be free for the public to attend. In the past four years, festival attendance had almost tripled from 15,000 people in 2007 to 44,355 last year.

For more information visit the website.

Perth Last in Poll of Tourism Strategies

WA tourism strategies were given the thumbs down in a new national industry survey that ranked Perth last among mainland capital cities.

The survey by Roy Morgan Research asked industry players to name the city with tourism strategies and products "most attuned to future needs".

Melbourne topped the poll easily with 45 per cent, followed by Sydney on 13 and Brisbane on 4 per cent. Perth and Darwin were last on 2 per cent.

The survey was commissioned by Tourism Victoria in preparation for next month's Tourism and Events Excellence conference in Melbourne.

Conference convenor Tony Charters said the research should be a massive wake-up call for other States. "Clearly Melbourne and Victoria are doing it right in terms of marketing their tourism product and attracting significant events," he said.

The poll attracted 384 respondents, mostly tourism operators, local government officials and representatives of regional and local tourism organisations. Most were from Victoria (49 per cent), Queensland (18) and WA (12).

Tourism WA chief executive Stephanie Buckland said the results were not surprising, given it was a voluntary online survey and most respondents were Victorians.

"In the past 18 months, Tourism WA has significantly restructured and repositioned our agency and strategy specifically so we can work with industry across the State to focus on consumers of the future," she said. "While there is always room for improvement, we are confident with this position."

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said the city was working with the State Government and other bodies on a forward-thinking tourism strategy.

She said it was important to target growth markets and this was a priority with Perth's sister cities, particularly Nanjing and Chengdu in China.

It was also important for the State Government to fund tourism strategies and marketing properly, as the Victorian Government did.

Although small, Perth had exciting projects such as the Perth Waterfront and City Link, which would offer tourists something exciting.

Barnett Promises Sunday Trading in Next Term

The Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, has told the Liberal Party state conference that, if re-elected, the party will deregulate Sunday trading hours.

The next state election is due in March, 2013.

Mr Barnett says shops in the Perth metropolitan area will be able to trade from 11:00am until 5:00pm.

"I think this is right and I think it meets the needs of the public," Mr Barnett said.

"People do want to go shopping on a Sunday."

The President of the Independent Grocers Association in WA, John Cummings, says the announcement is not good news for small business.

"In this depressed retail trading that we're in, with a number of small, independently owned retailers in suffering the worst sales for years, I think the last thing they need is the added expense of being open extra hours," Mr Cummings said.

A spokesman for the WA Nationals leader, Brendon Grylls, says the party's anti-deregulation stance has not changed.

Etihad could be flying to Perth - Perth Tourism News

Perth is set to reap even more benefits as a result of its booming resource fueled economy.

Etihad Airway’s National Sales Manager, Wayne Borland has indicated the possibility of the airline flying ex Perth is definitely ‘on the radar’.

Speaking at the recent Travelscene NCC conference, Mr Borland highlighted the rapid global expansion of the airline over the past 7 years and with new code share flights from Australia, Perth was ‘still on the list’.

Perth Development Gets Underway

The Western Australian government has appointed project management company Appian Group to oversee the Perth Waterfront redevelopment.

Planning minister John Day said the Appian Group had the relevant experience in major developments in Western Australia to deliver key outcomes for the project.

"Planning is proceeding at full pace in preparation for commencement of substantial earthworks on the site due to start early next year," he said. "The Perth Waterfront brings to the market major opportunities for investors in the business and tourism markets and the exposure it will receive at ANZPHIC will help to attract significant investment opportunities into Western Australia.

"The project will provide for 1700 residential, hotels and serviced apartments, 150,000 metres square of office space and 39,000 metres square of retail space and will be key in triggering short-stay accommodation development in Perth to cater for this growth."

(Source: accomnews, 21^st July 2011)

The Numbers Are Up For Overseas Tourists

New figures show the WA tourism industry has bounced back with an increase in the number of overseas visitors in the last year.

The international overnight visitor results show an overall increase of 2.6 per cent, to 706,600 visitors in the 12 months to March.

The result comes off the back of a 0.7 per cent fall in international visitors in the previous 12 months.

The survey shows the biggest increases in tourist numbers have come from China, Indonesia and the US.

The Tourism Minister Kim Hames says visitors from the United States rose by 53 per cent in the March quarter.

A total of 45,400 Americans visited WA over the last year.

Dr Hames attributed some of the growth to the tour by the Oprah Winfrey Show in November last year.

There were 28,900 tourists from Indonesia while 15,200 visitors came from China.

In a statement, the Minister said he hoped to tap further into the enormous potential of the Chinese market, particularly once direct flights to Perth were established.

The tourists spent $1.9 million while staying.