Perth Celebrates China Connection with Spectacular Display

Perth has long boasted strong ties with East Asia through trade and a pioneering twinning agreement with Haikou in China’s Hainan province.

The Perthshire Chinese Community Association new year procession through the streets of Perth to mark the start of the Year of the Horse

Perth has long boasted strong ties with East Asia through trade and a pioneering twinning agreement with Haikou in China’s Hainan province.

And on Tuesday staff and pupils from Perth High School immersed themselves in all aspects of Chinese culture when they celebrated Chinese New Year.

Youngsters were joined by Andy Chan, chairman of the Perthshire Chinese Community Association, and Mandarin teacher Yang Jacobsen, for the China Day event which included Chinese cookery, Chopsticks and Paper Cutting, Tai Chi and Chinese Dragon Art workshops.

The Fair City school is widely regarded as a hub for learning about the Chinese language and culture, and is home to what was Scotland’s first Confucious classroom and offers Mandarin as one of its foreign languages.

A spokesperson for the school told the PA: “Perth High School has strong links with the Chinese community and is committed to increasing young people’s knowledge and awareness of Chinese language and culture.”

Meanwhile on Monday Perth and Kinross Provost Liz Grant welcomed in the Chinese New Year with members of the Perthshire Chinese Community Association

The Provost also invited members of the local Chinese community to a civic reception at 2 High Street to mark this Year of the Horse.

Celebrations took take place in Perth city centre starting with a firecracker display at the viewing platform on Tay Street, which lit up the early evening.

This was followed by a spectacular procession which was headed up by two police horses and a Chinese lion dance troop.

The acrobats performed gymnastic poses and tumbles, leading the Provost and community members through Perth High Street, King Edward Street, St John’s Place and St John Street to the Salutation Hotel on South Street to continue the evening’s celebrations.

Also on hand to amaze and entertain was circus-themed entertainment including close-up magical illusions, a stilt walking juggler and a daredevil street show performer who incorporated fire into his act.

Perth International Arts Festival 2014

Perth International Arts Festival 2014 is the longest running and best loved international arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

This year is the 62nd annual Festival. In 2013 Festival shows sold more than $5 million worth of tickets, with attendances of over 500,000 from a city of under 2 million people: we sell more tickets per capita than any international arts festival in Australia.

The 62nd Perth Festival kicks off on Friday, 7 February and runs until 1 March. The diverse program offers a world-class cultural feast for arts lovers of all ages and persuasions. In a quintessentially Western Australian experience, more than 1000 of the world's most exciting contemporary artists transform and disrupt Perth as the Festival spills across unique venues and glorious, outdoor spaces.

Living up to its worldwide reputation for excellence, in 2014 the Festival delivers a program of unforgettable, enriching works, created by artists who are daring, thoughtful, and innovative, with 26 Australian exclusives, 33 Australian premieres and two world premieres.

Perth Festival Artistic Director Jonathan Holloway said: "The 2014 Perth Festival collaborates with the world's greatest artists and many of Western Australia's most creative and talented people to find new and exciting ways to create a Festival in and of Perth. Joining us in our exploration of what it is to be a 21st Century festival in the remotest and yet most connected capital city in the Southern Hemisphere are Robert Wilson, Dawn Upshaw, Martin Amis, The National, William Kentridge, Tod Machover and Public Enemy, to name just 20 of the 1000+ artistic collaborators."

The 2014 Festival explodes in a spectacle of wonder with the Lotterywest Festival Spectacular Veles e Vents, supported by Eventscorp. For three nights over the opening weekend, the Spanish masters of public theatre take to the seas and the sky, recreating a ship's grand and perilous voyage in a sublime visual display of fireworks and light. Suitable for the whole family, the exclusive Australian premiere promises to kick off the 2014 Festival with an explosion of music and movement.

The Festival's free program takes art to the people as the streets of Perth are playfully transformed and life re-imagined. Sam Routledge & Martyn Coutts' I Think I Can brings avatars to life in an enchanted model town. The Lotterywest Festival Celebration, Jeremy Deller's Sacrilege, invites Festival goers to literally leap into ancient history, re-creating Stonehenge as a full-scale bouncy castle.

The Chevron Festival Gardens become the ambient Festival hub as guests gather, discuss and participate, with free entry to the Garden from 5pm until late Wednesday-Saturday and 6.30pm until late Sunday-Tuesday.

The 2014 Theatre and Circus program traverses the spectrum from the gritty to the surreal, inviting the world's most acclaimed performers to the Australian stage. Modern master of the Russian avant-garde, Dmitry Krymov, makes his Australian debut with A Midsummer Night's Dream (As You Like It), a whirling re-imagining of history's first great love story, that of Pyramus and Thisbe. From Israel comes the Australian premiere of Not by Bread Alone: 11 deaf-blind actors take audiences on a profoundly moving journey through their inner world, as bread is kneaded, formed and baked on stage. Raw and explosive, South Africa's Yael Farber adapts Strindberg's classic Miss Julie to post-apartheid South Africa in Mies Julie, revealing theatre at its most potent.

Theatre genius Robert Wilson returns to Perth in the exclusive Australian premiere of Samuel Beckett's blackly comic masterpiece, Krapp's Last Tape. From New York, Perth welcomes An Iliad, superstar Denis O'Hare's riveting one-man performance of Homer's Trojan epic. The UK's internationally renowned NoFit State Circus brings circus as you've never seen it with the Australian premiere of Bianco, a graceful, aerial adventure of drama and breathtaking ability which immerses the audience in the action.


Further highlights include two Festival co-commissions. Malthouse Theatre's The Shadow King is an explosive interpretation of Shakespeare's King Lear, melding contemporary Aboriginal storytelling in a blood-soaked interrogation of kinship, land and belonging. Co-commissioned by the Festival, Opus fuses the contemporary circus of Australia's finest, Circa, with dynamic music of Shostakovitch performed by France's Debussy String Quartet.

You Once Said Yes is unforgettable one-on-one theatre. As part of our Vital Stages program, we bring Look Left Look Right together with Western Australian artists to create a thrilling theatrical experience for the people of Perth. One of the most exciting theatre collectives in the world, Germany's Rimini Protokoll presents the Australian exclusive of Situation Rooms. In this multi-dimensional, interactive documentary theatre experience, audiences explore a maze of stories from people whose lives have been touched by the weapons industry. This is theatre like you've never experienced it before.

Perth Airport Considers Reduction in Arrival Spacing

Reduced arrival spacing has been suggested as a means to minimise delays, enhance operations and increase capacity at Perth Airport.

Airservices Australia and the United Kingdom’s air navigation service provider, UK NATS, released findings from their July 2012 jointly-funded study, indicating measures necessary in maximising the airport’s efficiency.

Perth Airport has responded positively to the 45 recommended amendments.

“Perth Airport is well advanced in implementing the 13 recommendations relating to our operations”, Perth Airport chief executive Brad Geatches said.

“We are confident that if Airservices Australia implement the 25 recommendations relating to their procedures and airlines cooperate with the remaining seven recommendations, significant improvements can be made at Perth Airport.”

Perth Airport will employ a schedule coordination system by early 2013, allocating landing and take-off slots at the airport and aiding in airport management during peak operational periods.

“At the moment, we have a significant peak morning departures period, from 6am to 8am every Tuesday to Thursday... There is more than sufficient airfield capacity to meet demand, however, the practices of some airlines and Airservices Australia have not seen optimal usage of the infrastructure,” Mr Geatches said.

“The report highlights that mid-week morning congestion, driven by first-in first-out departures, can only be addressed by continuing to spread airline schedules, or by constructing a third runway.”

(Source = e-Travel Blackboard)

Upcoming Perth Events 2013

Pen in these following events coming soon to Perth! 

Venus Williams and John Isner sign up for Hopman Cup

Venus Williams and John Isner will represent the USA at the 2013 Hyundai Hopman Cup, the first to be staged at the new Perth Arena. Former world number one Williams is one of the most successful female athletes on tour, boasting seven Grand Slam singles titles, and Isner is currently world number 10. 

The event has attracted a great field so far, which includes current world number two and winner of three Grand Slam events Novak Djokovic, French Open winner and current number 12 Ana Ivanovic, French world number six Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Aussie young gun Bernard Tomic. The event will be held from December 29, 2012 to January 5, 2013.

W: hopmancup.com 

Rooftop Movies returns

From the producers of Perth's Fringe World festival, Rooftop Movies returns to Northbridge for an extended Perth summer season. The pop-up venue is now open with the season running until April 2013. Expect more old-school film favourites, cinephile classics, cult and arthouse movies every night of the week. Rooftop Movies is located on the top floor of the City of Perth Roe Street Carpark. Access for vehicles is from 68 Roe Street Northbridge. Pedestrian access is via an elevator off James Street, opposite the Northbridge Piazza.

W: rooftopmovies.com.au

Jamie Oliver set to open in Perth

Jamie's Italian is set open in Perth's CBD in early 2013. The new restaurant, to be located in the one40william precinct, will feature the renowned Jamie's Italian signatures of a unique pasta machine (producing fresh pasta daily) and the legendary planks of anti-pasti too. Boasting a spacious dining and bar area, the Martin Brudnizki designed space will definitely leave Perth diners having experienced the Jamie Oliver wow factor.

W: one40william.com.au

Duyfken is docked

The Duyfken 1606 replica has returned to its home of Fremantle. The ship commenced its voyage from Sydney in April and sailed 5,500 nautical miles (10,000km) via Darwin to Fremantle, nearly a six month journey to get home. The ship, which was built in Perth, is now going to become a tourist attraction and 'living history' educational facility.

W: duyfken.com

(Source: Travmedia.com 29/10/12)

On Course for a Thrilling International Championship

Approximately $3.5million has been spent rebuilding the course since the international Johnnie Walker Classic was held at Lake Karrinyup back in 2003.  Holes have been both lengthened and shortened and every green and bunker has been rebuilt to enhance Lake Karrinyup’s world-class reputation.

Course architect and former European Tour player Mike Clayton said the quintessentially Australian golf course had its own character and would provide new challenges to players when they arrive in Perth for Australia’s richest golf event – the Perth International (18 to 21 October).

“Lake Karrinyup is a course that asks players interesting and quite obvious questions.  The answering of those questions is what makes it an enduringly interesting course to play,” Clayton said.

“The course’s character is distinguished by expansive fairways and holes that require the player to execute a wide variety of tee shots. Those with the skill to shape the ball to fit the hole, to fly it through the ever-present seaside winds and who hit to the best part of the wide fairways on their approach to the flag will earn the rewards and shoot the lowest scores.”

Course superintendent Trevor Strachan agreed the new layout would challenge the most seasoned pros in the new US$2million tournament.

“The course is now more open and the bunkering is closer to the greens. We now have a course that requires a different type of golf to be played,” Strachan said.

“The surface of the greens is harder and faster and there are more subtle undulations which I think will make it tricky for players returning to the course or experiencing it for the first time.

“Spectators will have a better experience with the new layout as well.  It’s easier to get around the course and there are some great new vantage points.

“You can see eight holes within a 500 metre walk and around the lake will be a terrific place to see a range of holes including the back of the 8th to the 11th and even the 3rd hole.  Plus there will be grandstands set up on the 12th and 17th,” Strachan said.

Strachan will lead a team of 18 grounds keeping staff plus a team of volunteers in the busy lead up to the springtime championship.

“We’ve got to get through winter and then get the grass into place for spring, turfing out the weak areas and getting presentation right.

“Coming out of winter there’s less growing time, so it’s going to be busy.”

Lake Karrinyup is widely acknowledged as Western Australia’s premier private golf club and is ranked the state’s number one course by Australian Golf Digest.  The course rebuild has ensured it will provide a world-class experience for the European Tour and Australasian Tour players when they land in Perth in October.

Tickets for the Perth International will be available from July.  For more information visit www.perthinternational.com,

Like the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PerthInternationalGolf or follow on Twitter @PerthIntl.

Qatar Airways To Land In Perth Next Week

The inaugural Doha to Perth flight by Qatar Airways will touch down at Perth International Airport on Tuesday. Perth is only the second Australian destination for Qatar Airways, which is the reigning Skytrax Airline of the Year. 

Tourism WA and Perth Airport have been involved in discussions with the airline for a number of years about the service. Qatar Airways is currently regarded as the most progressive airline in the world with an aggressive expansion program, and is one of only five airlines in the world given a five-star rating. 

It has an international network of more than 110 destinations which will provide WA with a new level of connectivity to the world, and in particular the State's key European tourism markets. The new Doha-Perth service will initially operate three times a week.

West Coast Pirates Fight For a Berth in NRL

THE Western Reds have been officially consigned to the history books and so has any chance of an alliance between the two Perth consortia bidding to enter the NRL in coming years. 

WA Rugby League chief executive John Sackson yesterday announced plans for Perth to push for a place in an expanded premiership as the West Coast Pirates, distancing the city from the Reds moniker it carried during its three-year existence in the 90s.

The Reds were eventually victims of the Super League war but Perth is among the favourites to regain a place in the premiership should the ARL Commission decide to expand in the near future.
A final decision is expected to hinge on the game's next broadcasting deal. While the WARL is ready should Perth gain the thumbs-up, it isn't the only interested party. Perth millionaire Tony Sage, who owns the Perth Glory soccer team, has also announced plans to bid for a licence.

Officials from both consortia recently met to discuss the potential for a united bid but were unable to find any common ground.

"We were interested in what they had to say," Sackson said.
"But . . . there were differences of approach. We felt our model was a better model in terms of nurturing development and promoting grass roots rugby league."

Sackson held a phone hook-up with ARL Commission officials last week and finished that conversation with the impression the broadcasting deal would be completed in late September, whereupon a decision on expansion would be made.

Southeast Queensland is considered the other most likely destination should the game decide to go from 16 teams to 18.

Meanwhile, the frantic few days before the June 30 deadline for player movement continued yesterday when Penrith winger Sandor Earl joined Canberra and Newcastle forward Lisiate Fa'aoso linked with Melbourne for the remainder of the season.

The Sydney Roosters have also brought in ex-Penrith hooker Nafe Seluini as a replacement for Anthony Mitchell, who is joining North Queensland.

And former Roosters winger Sam Perrett will have his first training with Canterbury this morning.

WA Gets Taste of Big Apple Arts Scene

Perth will get a bite of The Big Apple from June with an exclusive series of exhibitions from New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). 

The Picasso to Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters exhibition is a result of collaboration between the Art Gallery of WA and MoMA, with funding support from Eventscorp. 

As the only venue in the Southern Hemisphere to host an exclusive series of six exhibitions across three years, this is a major opportunity for West Australians to be a part of a unique cultural experience. 

The Picasso to Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters exhibition will be on display at the Art Gallery of WA from June 16-December 3, 2012.

(Source: Talking Tourism issue 217)

Surf Aussies Head to Perth in 2014

 

•    Scarborough Beach to host around 6,000 surf lifesavers
•    More than 11,000 visitors to WA expected
•    Huge boost for local tourism and hospitality industries

Scarborough Beach is set to host one of the world’s largest multi-discipline participation events after Western Australia secured the rights to the 2014 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

Tourism Minister Kim Hames said the week-long championships, commonly known as the Aussies, were expected to attract more than 11,000 interstate visitors to WA.

“The Aussies are on the same scale as the Commonwealth Games in terms of numbers of competitors. It is a massive event, and getting it back on the west coast in 2014 is a coup for Scarborough, Perth and the State as a whole,” Dr Hames said.

“When the Aussies were last held at Scarborough in 2009, an estimated 81,000 spectators and competitors descended on the beach during the six days of competition.

“The boost to local tourism and hospitality industries in 2014 will be enormous, with a forecast benefit to the local economy conservatively put at more than $20million.

“Scarborough Beach has ideal conditions for the Aussies and was widely praised by competitors and organisers when it last hosted the event in 2009.”

The State Government, through Eventscorp, in conjunction with Surf Life Saving WA and the City of Stirling, is proud to support the return of the Aussies to WA in 2014.

“Hosting an event of this size will also help activate the Scarborough beachfront, which is a tourism development priority for the State Government,” the Minister said.

Eat Drink Perth 2012

Attention all foodies and winos! Perth is about to come alive with culinary delights.

For the month of March, the finest drinking and dining venues across Perth, Northbridge, West Perth and East Perth are on display for sample and discovery.

Eat Drink Perth will feature free family events, food tours, specialty food and wine tasting, gourmet dinners and special lunch and dinner offers.

A list of last year's most popular events will return, including the City Food Fair, a twilight market in Forest Place serving up home-style street food with international flavours.

Other highlights include Perth’s Best Coffee competition, where punters can vote for their favourite barista. With an ever expanding cuisine-scene and a load of brand new cafes about town coffee connoisseurs can look forward to a competitive outcome.

If you consider yourself a bit of a food expert, this year you get the chance to channel your own inner critic and share your experience at the City of Perth's Eat Drink Perth website.

Members of the public can upload their personal reviews to share the word about the city's best hidden bargains and secret culinary sensations.

The festival kicks of March 1 with the City Food Fair launching March 2.

Send us your events to features@watoday.com.au.

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