Bob Dylan Touring Australia & Sydney Opera House

It took a while but at age 73, Bob Dylan is set to play his first-ever concert at the Sydney Opera House as part of his upcoming Australian tour.

Dylan, who is also playing three shows at the State Theatre, ends his Australian tour at the world-famous waterfront venue in the Concert Hall on September 7.

But tickets for the Opera House show - which go on sale at 8am on July 4 - don't come cheap. Standard tickets start at $199 although for a music legend the top tier is a comparatively reasonable $249.

Comparative to say, Barbra Streisand, who is considered to be the most expensive legacy act, with her lowest-priced tickets often priced over $500 and up to $1500.

There is no indication yet that luxury or plantinum-type packages will be available.

Dylan's tour begins in Perth on August 13 and takes in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide before reaching Sydney. Tickets went on sale on June 3 and are sold out for Sydney's State Theatre shows and believed to be nearly sold out for Melbourne.

Meanwhile, Dylan's place as one of the most important innovators in contemporary music history is expected to be further underlined at a Sotheby's auction on Tuesday in New York. His handwritten lyrics for the song Like A Rolling Stone are expected to fetch over $US530,000 ($565,000).

A Sotheby's employee shows the handwritten lyrics for Bob Dylan's
 Like a Rolling Stone song that is up for auction. Photo: Reuters

Richard Austin, head of Tuesday's two-part sale at Sotheby's told AFP it was the first time a six-minute single was released, allowing people to go beyond short format, and marked one of the first cases of viral marketing.

Executives opposed its release because of its length, but an employee took it to a nightclub where it played all night, leading to DJs to clamour Columbia records for its eventual release, which came in 1965.

Austin said there was "a lot of interest" in both sets of Dylan lyrics ahead of the auction, calling them a "wonderful thing just to see."

Dylan's final lyrics for the protest anthem A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall also go under the hammer, estimated to be worth $US400,000-$US600,000 by Sotheby's.

The auction celebrates various rock performers who have gripped the world for the past 60 years.

A piano first played by Lennon when he was recording the album Imagine and later played in multiple studios by him, Dylan and Reed, among others, is valued at $US100,000 to $US200,000.

Among the other items are the infamous contract that Jimi Hendrix signed in 1965, in which he agreed to play exclusively for record label PPX for just one American dollar. It's valued at $US100,000 to $US200,000.

BOB DYLAN TOUR DATES

August 13-14 - Riverside Theatre, PCEC, Perth (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au, 132 849

August 18-20 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne (All Ages)
ticketmaster.com.au, 136100

August 25 - Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au, 132 849

August 29 - Royal Theatre, Canberra (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au, 132 849

August 31 - Entertainment Centre, Adelaide (All Ages)
ticketek.com.au, 132 849

September 3-5 - State Theatre, Sydney (All Ages)
ticketmaster.com.au, 136100

September 7 - Sydney Opera House (All Ages)
sydneyoperahouse.com, (02) 9250 7777


Source: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/bob-dylan-to-play-first-sydney-opera-house-gig-20140623-zsikp.html


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Victoria (Melbourne CBD):

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So whether you need hotel or apartment accommodation, Metro Hotels has got you covered.

A Beach In The Centre of Perth

Brisbane has one, Cairns has one, even Darwin has one - and Perth is set to get one within a matter of years.
A man-made beach in the heart of the city will be a feature of the Riverside Project and one that Perth-based planning expert Garry Middle welcomes.

With much of the city's focus on the Elizabeth Quay Project, the Riverside Project which aims to transform the eastern gateway to the city into a vibrant destination has not received as much attention.

The project is being overseen by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority and developed by Lend Lease.
It is split into a number of different areas, including one to be known as Waterbank.

Lend Lease project director Tim Urquhart said while the master plan for Waterbank was being finalised, stage one development applications would commence later this year.

“The man-made beach is part of this development and it aims to provide a relaxed urban waterside experience with public access, including for watercraft,” he said.

Mr Middle, a Curtin University adjunct researcher, said a man made beach created as an addition to the Swan River was a good idea.

“We need to make the foreshore diverse, we don’t want so much sameness, so this is something I’d like to see,” he said.

The concept of a man-made beach worked really well in other places, he said, singling out Brisbane’s beach in the Southbank area.

“When you go there you see it’s pretty family oriented and the way it is constructed was done really well with kids playgrounds and fountains," he said.

Mr Middle said while there were a few small beaches along the river in the South Perth area, generally there was not a lot of beach area on the Swan River.

He said issues that would need to be considered would be water quality and depth, ensuring the water did not drop off too quickly.

Mr Middle imagined the water would mostly be used for wading and as a launch point for paddlers.

He said while some in Perth were wary of swimming in the river, it was mostly a preference thing.

“There’s a spookiness about the seagrass and the water is not always exactly clear, there are jellyfish as well, and a sense of the unknown about swimming in the river,” Mr Middle said.

He said that much of the river was busy with boat activity as well, so an area set aside for people to use without too much other activity would be useful.

While the exact plans for the Waterbank area have not been finalised, Mr Middle said he would like to see a grassed area near the beach included.

He said “soft edges” such as grass were a good idea considering the other nearby river areas such as the Claisebrook Cove had a lot of concrete and “hard edges” suitable for walking but less suitable for children.

Mr Middle said the area would likely be most popular with locals rather than tourists.

”Our beaches are so good so tourists would still go to Cottesloe or Scarborough, this wouldn’t be an attraction in itself for tourists, he said.

The Riverside project is expected to be completed by 2020.

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/the-beach-comes-to-perths-centre-20140619-zsf56.html

Skating, Songs and Striptease Make for Chilly Winter Fun in Perth

The James St Amphitheatre is set to become an ice rink

It might be tempting to stay indoors, but a number of events around town are hoping to entice you out into the chilly weather during the winter months.

Need something to entertain the kids? A 250 square metre outdoor skating rink will be open in the James Street Amphitheatre from July 4 to 20, just in time for the school holidays.

If you’re a whiz on a pair of skates it could make for a romantic date, particularly if your loved one is less coordinated and needs to hold onto you for dear life. Adults can indulge in a little mulled wine or cider afterwards, while the kids (and the big kids) can renew their sugar high on hot chocolate and cookies.

It’s the first time Winterland has been held in Perth, though a similar event was held in Fremantle in 2012. More details are available here.

If a snowball fight is more up your alley, pack up the family and head to Bindoon this Sunday for the Wear Ya Wellies Family Fun Day at Edmonds Place Reserve. A "snow truck" will provide the winter-themed fun, along with quirky competitions such as "Welly Toss" and Tug-O-War.

The City of Perth will also host its own snowfield in Forrest Place starting 7 July, but it's only for kids aged under 12 and their parents.

Those who really want to heat things up might find some saucy inspiration among the acts at this year’s Perth City Winter Arts Season, which runs until the end of August.

Generally, winter is a time when most people want to be putting more clothes on and not taking them off, but if you’re willing to risk hypothermia, there are burlesque workshops running, as well as striptease shows by national and international performers.

Also part of the Winter Arts Season, a monthly supper club held in the undercroft of the Perth Town Hall on the last Friday of each month. The set-up is a bit of a do-it-yourself degustation with street food vendors selling their wares and local musicians providing the entertainment.

If you’re really into the local music scene, the Hidden Treasures series will run every Thursday in July. It’s the fourth time the event has been held in Fremantle with a variety of acts scheduled to play in venues a little left of centre, including the Navy Club and the Fremantle Workers Club.

Finally, for something more sedate and (most importantly) free, Brookfield Place in the city will be illuminated once more for this year’s Winter Lights Projections.

From 12 to 28 July, a number of Perth’s historic buildings will be lit up with scenes of snow and ice. For more information, click here. 

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Perth’s Kings Park & Botanic Garden named one of the world’s top 10 best parks

There’s no need to head to New York, Paris or Barcelona - one of the world’s top parks is right here in Perth.

Kings Park and Botanic Garden has been ranked the sixth best in the world, according to the latest rankings from TripAdvisor, based on the opinions of travellers on the international review site.

At No.6, the Perth attraction beat other well-known tourist sites including Park Guell in Barcelona (No.7) and Luxembourg Gardens in Paris (No.10).

The world’s top park was Stanley Park in Vancouver, followed by the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs and New York City’s Central Park.

The Perth park’s views and open space have been a consistent hit with TripAdvisor reviewers, being rated a “must-do” for a visit to the WA capital.

“Having travelled widely I have to say that I can’t stay away from Kings Park. Such a beautiful place and the views across the city, particularly at night are simply breathtaking,” wrote SimonHat from Middlesbrough in the UK.

“Perth should be proud of this wonderful place,” wrote PestoKing from Wodonga, Victoria. “You could spend hours here, next time we will.”

WA minister for the environment and heritage Albert Jacob said it was great that tourists were enjoying the garden overlooking inner-city Perth.

“We are thrilled to not only be ranked sixth in the world in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for Attractions, but also to read the amazing reviews posted on TripAdvisor by visitors from all over the world every day,” he said.

“Kings Park is a place of inspiration, relaxation, recreation and wonder; something we proudly share with interstate and overseas visitors.”

Source: http://www.news.com.au/national/perths-kings-park-botanic-garden-named-one-of-the-worlds-top-10-best-parks/story-e6frfkp9-1226957455562

Victoria trials GST refund reforms for tourists departing Australia

Refunding GST to tourists when they leave the country will make Australia more attractive to big spenders, travel agents say.

Victoria has been chosen to trial reforms to the present refund model, which travel agents say is too complicated.

Victorian Treasurer Michael O'Brien said tourists were entitled to a refund on retail purchases over certain thresholds.

"It is frankly a bit embarrassing when you see how difficult it is for tourists to get GST refunds," Mr O'Brien told a leadership forum in Melbourne on Tuesday.

"This is something which I think is not currently working nearly as well as it might."

Australian Federation of Travel Agents chief executive Jayson Westbury said many Australians would be familiar with how the system worked in Britain and other countries.

"From a tourism point of view, it is a no brainer because it puts us in the league of being competitive," Mr Westbury said.

Mr Westbury said private operators ran the system overseas, taking a small fee from the GST refund.
He said tourists shopping in Australia would be more likely to stay around if they knew they were getting money back when they left.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-essentials/travel-news/victoria-trials-gst-refund-reforms-for-tourists-departing-australia-20140604-39hu2.html

Star Studded line up set for Perth International

Reigning US PGA Champion and world number 16, Jason Dufner, has confirmed his return to the PGA Tour of Australasia for the 2014 Perth International at Lake Karrinyup Country Club from 23 to 26 October.

Dufner won his first Major Championship last August at Oak Hill in Rochester, NY and will return to Perth after finishing second in the inaugural event in 2012.

He will be joined in the field by the charismatic and talented 24 year old Frenchman, Victor Dubuisson.
Dubuisson is currently the number 1 player on the European Ryder Cup Points list; number 5 on the Race to Dubai Rankings and number 20 in the world rankings.

Dubuisson has enjoyed a terrific past year winning his maiden European Tour title in Turkey last October and reached the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February.

Dufner and Dubuisson are most likely to be rivals at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles four weeks before the Perth International.

Commenting on his return to Perth, Jason Dufner said “I had a great time in Perth two years ago.
"I loved the city, the hospitality and the terrific golf course at Lake Karrinyup.

"I had a terrific battle to the end in 2012, closing as runner-up, and I am hoping to go one better and take home the trophy."

Dubuisson played in the World Cup in Australia last November but this will mark his first trip to Perth.
“I am looking forward to my first trip to Western Australia and have heard a lot of good things about the course and the tournament," said Dubuisson.

"It will be an important event for me in the lead up to the Final Series and Dubai World Championship.”
The Perth International also announced that Korean born, Australian based Jin Jeong will return to defend his title and will be joined in the field by five time European Tour champion and local favourite Brett Rumford, along with Steven Bowditch who won his maiden PGA TOUR title in April at the Texas Open.

On the initial player announcements, David Rollo, Vice President-Director of Golf IMG Australia remarked, “we are delighted to see Jason and Victor commit to the 2014 Perth International and there is no doubt this year’s field will be strongest we have seen with more exciting announcements to follow.

"It is a validation of the outstanding support of Tourism Western Australia and we have the makings of a world class tournament this October.”

The Perth International is now in its third year and is owned and promoted by IMG.

It is proudly supported by the Western Australian Government, through Tourism WA, and is the only Australian tournament to be co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia.

The Perth International is also partnered with premium brands including Crown Perth, Emirates Airlines, The West Australian and the Seven Network.

Lake Karrinyup Country Club is widely acknowledged as Western Australia’s premier private golf club and has been regularly rated as one of the top ten golf courses in Australia.

Source: http://www.pga.org.au/article-display/star-studded-line-up-set-for-perth-international/138544

Top 10 tourism strategy could see Perth overtake Gold Coast

Currently, on a list of international visitor nights spent per tourism region, Perth sits in fifth place with 719,000. The Gold Coast is fourth with 755,000

A leading WA tourism body has called on a working plan for the rail link between Perth and the airport and the development of bigger and better event venues to be among the state government's priorities.

Cutting government red tape currently hampering the development of tourism initiatives and improved customer service standards are also among the strategies that the Tourism Council WA believe can see Perth overtake the Gold Coast as the No. 4 most popular destination in Australia for international visitors.

The new plan set out by Tourism Council WA is expected to create 11,000 new jobs and add $2.6 billion to the local economy from extra visitor spending.

Tourism Council CEO Mr Hall said that most of the attractions and accommodation needed for the Destination Perth strategy to be realised are already being planned or are already underway.

"But we must work together on the events, services and marketing to convert these new assets to bums on seats and guests in beds," he said.

"New destinations such as the museum, stadium and Elizabeth Quay will transform Perth as a tourism destination.

"Under the Destination Perth strategy, our evolving city will create new jobs delivering services to new visitors."

The strategy was delivered to media and industry members by Mr Hall on Monday as a vision to be considered by government, industry and the community.

It was developed in alignment to the state government's Strategy for Tourism in WA that has a target of doubling the value of tourism expenditure from $6 billion in 2010 to $12 billion by 2020.

Part of the strategy includes 10 major developments that have been identified as targets that if addressed will see Perth rise closer to the top of favoured destinations for international, interstate and intrastate visitors.

Currently, on a list of international visitor nights spent in 2012 per tourism region, Perth sits in fifth place with 719,000. The Gold Coast is fourth with 755,000.

And in a similar list that shows domestic overnight visitors in 2012, Perth is in seventh place with 2,808,000, behind both the North Coast and South Coast of NSW. Again, the Gold Coast is fourth behind Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Mr Hall insists that the rail link between Perth and the airport needs to happen sooner rather than later and hopes it is not still an issue for debate by the time the next state election comes around.

He also believes that there is a renewed interest from private investors in Perth that could help make the wish list more achievable.

"There is certainly an appetite for private investment in the city; we are seeing people wanting to build hotels. We haven't seen that for many, many years," he said.

"That's what happens when you get the policy right, with government and with the private sector. We are seeing people wanting to start up new tourism operations and certainly for things like the cable cart, these would certainly be private operations, funded by the tourism industry, not by government.

"What we are doing is leveraging off government investment in things like Elizabeth Quay and the stadium and the museum and we can turn that into jobs and revenue and improved lifestyle for the people of Perth."

Top 10 developments:

1. Perth Airport upgrade and rail link to the CBD;
2. 1900 additional hotel rooms and a broader range of budget, business and luxury hotels.
3. 4 new event venues and expansion of the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre to 30,000m2 (from 16,700m2).
4. Fast track approvals for innovative new experiences, tours and adventure activities.
5. New flagship attractions including the Elizabeth Quay to Kings Park Cable Car and an Indigenous Cultural Centre.
6. Managing and marketing new attractions to attract new visitors to Perth (eg selling 10,000 seats to Victorian visitors for AFL games at the new stadium).
7. A new iconic annual home grown event to showcase Perth to the world.
8. Sustained investment in public beaches, parks, gardens, heritage and cultural assets.
9. Investment to secure future business and tourism events timed to fill the new hotels and attractions as they open doors.
10. Enhanced customer service culture and liberalisation of liquor and retail trading regulations.

By Brad Elborough -

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/top-10-tourism-strategy-could-see-perth-overtake-gold-coast-20140325-35f83.html#ixzz2x7627uQ5