Experience Australia without leaving home

Event planners can experience Australia without leaving their couches courtesy of Tourism Australia.

“Storytelling is embedded in Australian culture. Thanks to our brilliant creative industry, there are many different means of soaking up our rich culture—even from the comfort of your couch,” says Phillipa Harrison, managing director, Tourism Australia. “Whether you decide to pick up a book, get settled in for a film or tune in to a podcast, you’ll be sure to be transported somewhere worth travelling to, when the time is right.”

Stream

The Sydney Opera House has launched a digital season of weekly broadcasts and premieres alongside podcasts and other features. From Wednesday to Sunday each week, event planners can tine in to see performances, interviews, behind-the-scenes tours and never-before-seen footage from the harbourside landmark. there are also insights from Opera House staff who share the memorable moments from the backstage life of the House.

(Top of post) Bilgola Beach, North Sydney, New South Wales. Photo by Will Turner on Unsplash. (Gallery) 1. Aerial view of Sydney Opera House. Photo by Hamilton Lund. 2. Dance Rites, Meuram Murray Island Dancers, Sydney Opera House. Photo by Daniel Boud. 3. Austalian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins playing in the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Photo by Prudence Upton. 4. Sydney Symphony Orchestra backstage. Photo by Keith Saunders.

Listen

Victoria Together is a new online hub created to support locals in Australia’s second most populous state through the COVID-19 response. But, it’s not just locals enjoying a diverse list of digital experiences and activities. Global audiences, including event planners, can tune in to “The State of Music“—free online gigs often filmed in iconic Melbourne and Victorian locations. Popular bands and musicians include Tim Minchin, Archie Roach, Paul Kelly and The Temper Trap with the Australian Children’s Choir. Each episode can also be watched on Facebook and YouTube where you’ll also find individual song clips.

Podcast

One of Australia’s favourite food podcasts, The Pass is an insider’s guide to the best food, restaurants and eating experiences, locally and around the world, chosen by the experts themselves. Foodies can hear from local chef and restaurateur Kylie Kwong as she shares her spiritual approach towards life and cooking, while one of Australia’s most renowned chefs Matt Moran shares his favourite local in Sydney’s Eastern Beaches in his episode.

Chef Kylie Kwong (left) shops in a market. 2. Magdelena Roze, host of The Pass, with chef Matt Moran.

Lunch and Learn

The Australian Museum Lunchtime Conversation Series features a selection of distinguished Australians sharing insights into the inspiration behind their ground-breaking contributions, which have helped define the nation across science, politics, sport and the arts.

Travel to Australia withThe Australian Museum's Lunchtime Conversation series, which features leading artists and thinkers such as film director Dr. George Miller. Photo by Nick Langley. Copyright Australian Museum.

Guests interviewed for the Australian Museum’s Lunchtime Conversation Series include Dr. George Miller (shown above), the renowned filmmaker; former professional surfer Layne Beachley, a seven-time winner of the Surfing World Championship; and Australian journalist, author and businesswoman Ita Buttrose. Photo of George Miller by Nick Langley © Australian Museum.

Read

Grab a copy of In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson and take a spirited trip around the world’s only country that is a continent. When Bryson journeyed to Australia, he promptly fell in love with the country. This book conveys the infectious Australian larrikin nature and “no worries” attitude, while conjuring images for the reader of the coastal cities, the outback, and the sunshine.

Travel to Australia with Bill Bryson, author of In a Sunburned Country. Photo of kangaroo on Lucky Bay by Photon-Photos | Canva.

Watch

The Adventure of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a classic film of the 1990s featuring Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp. As you watch the hilarious and heartwarming story of two drag performers and a transgender woman travelling across the Australian desert to perform cabaret, you can take in outback scenes from the Northern Territory and New South Wales. One of the most iconic scenes is atop King’s Canyon, between Alice Springs and Uluru, when the trio perform at the summit in full drag.