Greetings from Queensland, Australia. It’s been a whirlwind since my Virgin Blue flight touched down here yesterday in Hamilton Island, one of the 600 Islands of the Great Barrier Reef and the largest inhabited island in the breathtaking Whitsundays.

An industry survey of 100 residential builders has found that new home sales fell by more than 1 per cent in November last year.

Australian troops will leave Iraq by the middle of next year after the Iraqi government set a deadline for the exit of all foreign forces from the battle-scarred nation.

Melbourne, Australia — 9 December, 2008— During his first weeks in office, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called for a national summit in Canberra on the 19th- 20th April 2008 to explore the challenges facing the nation up to 2020.

In a typically and not entirely politically correct kind of way, an Australian Mayor has managed to enrage the sensitive feelings of his countries women – and even some of the men. This is surprising since it is well known that the outback of Australia and the PC world of the California and London are not exactly on the same wavelength.

Australia's immigration detention policy has seen a rather unusual relaxation of the tough policies.

A solicitor [attorney] and civil liberties campaigner was arrested, handcuffed and allegedly had his rib broken by police after offering legal assistance to a man being searched in public. Kristian Bolwell said police manhandled him and broke his rib last week after he displayed his solicitor's identification card to a man being searched in a pub and said, "Hi, I am a solicitor, would you like any help?"

Xenon Pictures and 7th Art bring the Australian hit Kenny to America this summer with Los Angeles first up on the theatrical screening schedule in mid-July. Screenings at festivals such as SXSW in Austin, Texas, and Palm Springs International Film Festival were enormously successful. Shot in a mockumentary style, this utterly charming story about Kenny Smyth, a porta-potty rep/delivery man, has been winning over critics and fans since its 2006 debut Down Under.

The construction union says grief among workers over the deaths of two colleagues in a high-rise accident on the Gold Coast in south-east Queensland has turned to anger.

The first Australian map of the entire Antarctica has become part of the National Archives collection.

Another Brick in the Wall, Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here. Three of the most played songs of all times from one of the most successful bands of all time - Pink Floyd. On Friday evening, July 18 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre the best songs of this iconic band will be given the ultimate symphonic treatment by the magnificent 70-piece Queensland Orchestra in a one-off concert event.

Outstanding young Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen returns to Brisbane with world renowned pianist Boris Berman as soloist in Brahm's First Piano Concerto. It was under the guiding baton of Pietari Inkinen that The Queensland Orchestra won the coveted 2007 ABC Limelight Award for Best Orchestral Performance for the May 4 Piers Lane Plays Beethoven concert. Can he do it again in 2008 when he partners with Russian pianist, Boris Berman'.