V8 Supercars - L&H 500 Phillip Island

This September, the sound of purring engines will be echoing around Phillip Island.

The V8 Supercars 'Season of Endurance' will be held from the 16th-18th of September 2011. 28 regular drivers must share their seat with a co-driver over 500 arduous kilometres to win the V8 Supercars Championship.

For the kids
Some kids' activities during the event will be the Disney Pixar’s CARS Truck Tour universe with Lightning McQueen’s Slot Car Racing Tournament, arts and crafts in Mater’s Workshop, and there's more happening on the day!

About the L&H 500 Phillip Island
Phillip Island is the birthplace of the race we now know as the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. The event was first held in 1960 and would be held for a further two years on the island before the event was moved to Bathurst. It has since become one of the jewels in the Australian sporting crown. Phillip Island became the new home of the pre-Bathurst endurance event in 2008.

Students on track - learn how to drive a race car

V8 Supercars will host Students on Track at the L&H 500 Phillip Island as an opportunity to provide practical learning experiences for students of all ages – and most importantly the experience is FREE! Information on how to register here.

For that weekend, make sure you have your accommodation booked early.
There are many holiday houses which are available on the island at an affordable rate. For more information visit www.looknbook.com.au.

More information
Read more on the Phillip Island Circuit website.

Purchase your ticket
Tickets are available through Ticketek: www.Ticketek.com.au. Kids under 12 get in for FREE if accompanied by a paying adult.

The 6th Indonesian Film Festival

The inaugural 6th Indonesian Film Festival will be the largest celebration of Indonesian screen culture held in Australia, showcasing an eclectic range of art house cinema from a particular corner of the globe often known for its striking beauty and rich culture.

Held during August, 19th – 25th at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) - Melbourne. The festival appeals to a mass market of foreign film lovers as well the large Melbourne Indonesian population.

Festival dates: August 19th - 25th, 2011

For more information, go to www.indonesianfilmfestival.com.au.

The Melbourne Home Show

Coming up this August is your chance to discover how you can turn your home into the heaven you always wanted.

Find hundreds of renovation, building and interiors products all under the one roof.  Compare alternatives and prices, take advantage of great show specials, look for ideas and take advantage of expert free advice.

This is your chance to meet a designer FOR FREE and ask them what you can do with the bathrom. To book for your free 20 minute consultation, click here.

Or you could get advice from an expert on how to turn your outdoor area into your mini paradise, whether you want to add a pool, have a play area for the kids or grow some beautiful flowers.

For more information about the show, visit www.melbournehomeshow.com.au.

The dates: Thursday 18 -Sunday 21st of August 2011.
The venue: Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week

Spring starts next month and what better way to celebrate its return than through the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week?

This event will be held between September 5th and 11th to the great joy of all the fashionistas out there. The program is already out and we are happy to give you a small taste of what you could see at this event.

1. Business Events

The Business Series, the industry’s pinnacle seminar series, will cover relevant issues facing Melbourne’s retail, fashion and design landscape today

2. Fashion exhibition

Enjoy the glamour of this free eco-fashion exhibition at the Queen Victoria Women's Centre and discover how exciting ethical green fashion is.

3. Discover millinery

Millinery is the art of hat making

This course covers basic techniques, including blocking, use of felt, straw and trimmings and how to make a fascinator.

4. Coffee on wheels

 

Lavazza Coffee Cart

At the Lavazza Lounge, discover something new about authentic Italian espresso while tasting from eight signature coffee capsule blends.

5. Miss Fox Quintessential Beauty Masterclass

Taking the runway to reality, our principal hairstylists, make-up artists and couture nail technicians translate the latest trends and share insider beauty tips, tricks and techniques

6. Designer Series Runway Show

A fashion festival always needs a good runway show.
Discover Melbourne’s boutique and artisan design community in a runway inspired by the rich tapestry of the city.

You still have a month to book your flights, accommodation and tickets to the spring fashion week.
This event starts on September 5th and ends on September 11th 2011. Tickets can be booked here.

Melbourne International Film Festival 2011

You will have seen the ads on TV – the Melbourne International Film Festival is back. This is the biggest film festival in the Southern Hemisphere, showing over 350 films from all over the world. Films will be shown at ACMI, Forum, Greater Union and Kino Cinemas.

From one of Australia's greatest filmmakers, Kriv Stenders comes the heartwarming tale of an Australian country town and the dog it loved.

The festival ends on August 7th 2011. You can book tickets online on the MIFF website: www.miff.com.au.

Date and Times
21/07/2011 to 07/08/2011

• Monday: 11am - midnight
• Tuesday: 11am - midnight
• Wednesday: 11am - midnight
• Thursday: 11am - midnight 
• Friday: 11am - midnight
• Saturday: 11am - midnight
• Sunday: 11am - midnight

Price
Single admission $18
Concession $15
Members $14

Bookings
For bookings, call 03 9662 3722 or  Click here to book

Historic Opportunity to Protect the Great Whales

Support more marine sanctuaries in Australian Waters

These photos were taken in Westernport Bay by Lisa Schonberg. Whales in Westernport are a recent happening and is largely due to the protection of Whales in recent times. We cannot relax on this, especially as some nations continue to hunt these magnificent creatures. The immediate measures we can take is to protect our own shores and hot spots have been identified around the Australian Coast.

Take a moment to read this article I am posting, and I urge you to suppport this great and worthy cause. Without Sea Shepherd these creatures may not have been swimming in Westrenport Bay this year. Thanks Lisa, for your exciting photos.

I watched these magnificent creatures from the deck of my holiday house www.manukalodge.com.au but did not have a good enough camera to capture these shots quite like Lisa did.

Right now you have an historic opportunity to prove that you are serious about protecting whales.

The creation of marine sanctuaries can help save these majestic creatures, but we need your help to make it happen!

The Australian government has recently released a proposal for new marine sanctuaries in Australia's South West region, an area home to one half of the world's whale and dolphin species and a higher level of unique marine life than the Great Barrier Reef.

But the proposal fails our whales, and other marine life.

Critical feeding areas for the endangered blue whale, the largest creature to have ever lived, are proposed to be left unprotected and subject to oil drilling and sonar blasting. In fact, of ten critical hotspots for whales, sharks and other marine life in the region, only two are proposed for protection.

However, if we all take action now before the deadline of 8 August, we can turn this decision around. Show Australia that Sea Shepherd supporters are serious about protecting whales by having your say.

It will only take a couple of minutes of your time, to enter in your details to set aside marine sanctuaries for the benefit of us all.

Fish, sharks, whales and other marine life are in imminent danger of an unprecedented and catastrophic extinction event at the hands of humankind, and are disappearing at a far faster rate than anyone had predicted, a recent study of the world's oceans has found from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean.

Overfishing, pollution, run-off of fertilisers from farming and the acidification of the seas caused by increasing carbon dioxide emissions are combining to put marine creatures in extreme danger.

More on the Phillip Island Whale Sightings

A few weeks a go we told you about the humpback whales visiting Phillip Island. We also posted some images of the whales and the story of our guests staying at Manuka Lodge, Phillip Island on that day.

Today we bring you some amazing pictures of more whales, sent to us by Lisa Schonberg who was lucky enough to see 8 whales and 2 dolphins last week!

Humpbacks - Cowes, Phillip Island

This is not Nessy

Thank you Lisa for the fabulous pictures!!

Dear readers, we hope this has made you want to visit Phillip Island. And while you're there you can join Lisa on the Seal watching & Whale Search Cruise Around Phillip Island.

Seen July 17, 2011

Impressive displays of tail power

 

SPLASH!

Whales taking a peek at the human spectators.

More about Seal Watching and Whale Search Cruises
 

Your opportunity to see some whales, plus a fantastic scenic trip, taking in the spectacular coastal scenery around Phillip Island. You will have a quick visit to Seal Rocks to see the playful seals, enjoy the flight of the albatross on the Southern Coastline and the picturesque sheer granite cliffs and caves of Cape Woolamai.

When

Sunday 24^th July 2011

Departing

Cowes Jetty at 1.00pm

Duration

Approx 3 to 3 ½ hrs

Inclusion

3 to 3 ½ hr coastal cruise on 20 mtr cat “Kasey Lee”, Circumnavigate Phillip Island , Commentary through-out cruise, Morning tea, endless tea/coffee, wildlife information & interpretation, Licensed bar/snacks/soft drinks available for purchase, Wildlife Video’s.

Cost

Special Promotional price of $45.00 pp (Retail Value $90.00)

To received this special please quote this offer when booking

To Bring

Warm clothing, camera, binoculars, smile.

Bookings Direct on 1300 763 739 or

Email info@wildlifecoastcruises.com.au

Website: www.wildlifecoastcruises.com.au