Find your groove at the annual Noosa Jazz Festival

Noosa gets set to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Noosa Jazz Festival which runs from the 30th August to the 2nd September 2012.  

There will be over 90 performances from Australian and international artists in local restaurants and open air venues overlooking Noosa's stunning main beach and river, not to mention a long lunch on Noosa's Hastings Street. Festival headline acts include Australian jazz great Grace Knight, US troupe Bill Watrous and the San Gabriel 7,  and Liam Burrows who was recently named Best Jazz Artist at the 2012 Australian MusicOZ Awards. Other artists include Motown legend Gil Askey, jazz funk group BULLHORN (pictured) & the Barksdale Brass Band, James Morrison and renowned Australian artists Monsieur Camembert, Andrew Lawson, Emma Pask, Bob Barnard, Geoff Bull and Ed Wilson.

Enjoy the winter sun and get your groove on ... are you going to be there?

For further information on the Noosa Jazz Festival visit www.noosajazzfestival.com.au or www.visitnoosa.com.au

Warm up the cool months in Vanuatu

Australians know that, when the cooler months sets in, it's a great time to pack up and head to the nearest tropical locale - and Vanuatu is a convenient and stunning place to put at the top of your travel list! Luckily for us, this is also a peak time on the local events and festival calender. So if you're ready and keen to book your tickets and accommodation now, you can pack your bags knowing the cultural fun is well taken care of. From traditional village celebrations, to exhilarating sporting events, Vanuatu’s festivals and events offer travellers a unique opportunity to engage with authentic Vanuatu culture and customs during their getaway. Two top events planned for the month of August are the 'Back to My roots' festival, and the Nalawan festival. But there's a whole calender of different festivals you can be a part of in the coming months, and each will bring you in close contact with a culture and a people who are beautiful, warm and embracing.

The 'Back To My Roots' festival takes place each year on Ambrym, 10 - 12th August in 2011.  During the event, some of the most influential cultural practices and dance, exhibitions of art, and beliefs are presented to the public. Traditional dances, demonstrations of magic and other activities that belong to the people of Ambrym are the central attraction, but visitors can also visit traditional villages and sacred land terminals and sites such as old cemeteries, hike through the forest, or visit the cascades, taboo caves or twin volcanoes Marum and Benbow. Further information is available through Napong Norbert on +678 540 0508.

The Nalawan Festival will take place on 11-13 August 2011 at Labo Village in Malekula’s South West Bay. A spectacular Nukofo custom dance will kick off the celebrations, including grade-taking ceremonies, cultural displays and an eye opening village tour, which will allow you to try your hand in traditional food preparation and partake in local craft. The festival is a rare opportunity for adventurous travellers to witness the rich tradition and customs of Malekula’s South West Bay and get an authentic insight into Vanuatu life. The two-day event is priced at 5,000VT per adult (approx. AUD $54) and 2,500VT per child (approx. AUD $27). Nalawan Festival reservations are advised and can be made by calling Willie Isno on +678 5366 168 or Yegor Makhiboroda on +678 5617845.

For more information on Vanuatu’s festival and sporting calendar go to Vanuatu's travel website here.

A Season of Sailing in Queensland

The colder winter months need not shy us from the crystal waters of Queensland - this is the season when spectacular racing regattas begin along the coastline and it's kicking off in the blue waters of Mooloolaba Bay with the newest event, Sail Mooloolaba on from June 4th - 12th, coinciding with the 15^th Musto Etchells Australasian Winter Championship from June 9th - 12th. 

If you're keen to get there for it, there's also some great ways to involve yourself in the spirit of sailing:

* Learn to sail with Sunshine Sailing Australia, with international ocean racer John Bankart at the helm. He offers a range of courses for novices through to experienced sailors keen to improve their skills. Based at Mooloolaba Wharf, you can choose from sailing lessons for the kids through to easy sailing skippered yacht charters.  

* The Mooloolaba Yacht Club welcomes visitors joining the club members for an afternoon of sailing around the Mooloolaba Bay. Fun sails are held every Wednesday and Sunday. Meet on canal side of The Wharf Tavern at The Mooloolaba Wharf Complex, at midday and 11am respectively. 

* Get out on the water with Liquid Getaway’s range of boat tours including scenic rides, surfing, snorkeling safaris and whale watching tours. Based at Mooloolaba Wharf, Liquid Getaway’s custom designed 12 seat boat provides a thrilling way to get close to marine life, including a pod of resident dolphins, turtles, rays and other wildlife during the ride.

Now in its second year, the Season of Sailing aims to attract visitors to sailing events being held from now until September along the Queensland coastline.

The Season of Sailing website offers a whole range of getaways where you can enjoy being part of these famous events including the world famous Hamilton Island Race Week. 

(Images courtesy Queensland Holidays apart from top right Etchells Australasian Winter Championships photo, courtesy of  Kylie Wilson.)

VIVID lights up Sydney

Sydney comes alive in spectacular fashion during the annual Vivid festival, and it's about to start! From May 27th until June 13th the heart of Sydney is - more so than usual - a hub for all things creative in the Asia Pacific region. The festival is on a scale that defies the imagination, and it literally lights up the whole place with an energy that is unparalleled and unpredictable. Wander the streets, and you never know what delights you might come across.  

Local and international acts come out to play as the sun goes down, with a daily line up of incredible events taking place at some of the city's greatest landmarks. There's light sculptures and displays, including the spectacular Lighting the Sails at the Sydney Opera House, and flames leap high in to the night sky at the incredible 'FireDance' performance at Campbells Cove (think 40 jets of flame higher than a three-story house!). Industry heads and creative identities converge to meet and discuss innovative ideas at forward thinking, future forums. There's also a free art installation in the Western Foyers at the Opera House by film maker Tom Kuntz, and a pop-up bar called The Sony Lounge where anyone who's anyone will be in residence to watch Dj sets and bask in the honeyed light of being and feeling really rather cool. Because that's exactly where it's at.

And the line up of live music acts at Vivid Live is nothing short of heart racing! 2manydjs, Architecture in Helsinki, Cut Copy, Bag Raiders, it goes on and on. Bat for Lashes, in her Australian live debut, will be doing an intimate concert at the Opera House - sigh! - making my heart swoon ... 

You can see the full list of happenings and events at the Vivid website. If you're in Sydney, lucky you - you won't be able to miss it. If you're not, may we suggest you book that plane ticket. If ever there is a time to be in town, it's when it's VIVID!