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3 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Gillian Aeria |Agnes Tupou
A species of giant rodent has been photographed alive in New Guinea's mountains for the first time. Previous illustrations of it came from paintings or preserved specimens. More studies are needed to understand the biodiversity of the mountains. In the dead of night, a giant rat the size of a small terrier scurries among the forest ferns in the wet, glacial valley of Papua New Guinea's highest mountain. Little does it know, it is being caught on candid camera.
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3 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Max Walden |Gillian Aeria
Video of a Chinese paraglider widely published by news media outlets around the world was at least partly manipulated by generative artificial intelligence tools, experts said. Remarkable footage of 55-year-old paraglider Peng Yujiang, face encrusted with ice after purportedly being sucked into the upper atmosphere, was widely covered by Chinese and international media outlets last week including the ABC. The video had been sourced from Chinese state media outlet CCTV via Reuters.
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Mar 6, 2025 | 
abc.net.au | Kellie Lazzaro |Gillian Aeria |Andrew Kelso
Thousands of people have been left stranded in the tiny Victorian town of Donald after the Esoteric Festival was called off at the 11th hour. At least 8,000 tickets were sold for the annual "doof" event, which brings in an estimated $15 million to the community and is its main annual source of income.
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Mar 3, 2025 | 
abc.net.au | Andrew Kelso |Gillian Aeria
A Victorian music festival has been given the green light to go ahead this weekend despite council officers recommending it be shut down. A permit for the Esoteric Festival, held near Donald in Western Victoria, was approved at a Buloke Shire Council meeting on Monday evening. The organisers had applied for a 10-year permit that would see the event through to 2034, but the councillors granted approval for this year only.
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Jan 30, 2025 | 
abc.net.au | Gillian Aeria |Syan Vallance
Residents in the historic western Victorian town of Cavendish have been told to prepare for bushfires in the Grampians/Gariwerd National Park to spread closer to their homes. There are two fires burning in the Grampians at the southern and northern ends of the park, totalling 18,000 hectares. The southern fire has spread to within 18 kilometres of Cavendish. Check the warning information and incident map here. If your life is in danger call 000 (triple-zero). Roads are closed.
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Dec 23, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Gillian Aeria
The Christmas period can be especially tricky for anyone struggling to avoid alcohol, says sobriety coach Noelene Brown. People in rural or remote Australia are 40 per cent more likely to risk their health from over drinking than people in metropolitan areas, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
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Dec 10, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Timu King |Gillian Aeria |Emma Field
The Victorian government has given the green light to environmental plans fortwo mineral sands mines in western Victoria, despite opposition from farmers. Victoria's Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny revealed today she had approved the Environment Effects Statement (EES) for the Goschen Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project near Swan Hill and the WIM Resource Avonbank Mineral Sands Project near Horsham with some operational guidelines.
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Nov 23, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Gillian Aeria
A man has died after falling off a boat into the Murray River near Moama in New South Wales. The man, 51, fell overboard when the boat suddenly stopped to help a fallen water skier it was towing. He was pulled from the water at Perricoota Waters after 7:30pm on Saturday. In a statement, NSW police say the man was brought ashore and treated by paramedics, but he died at the scene. It's unknown if he was wearing a life-jacket. The water skier being towed was uninjured.
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Nov 20, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Gillian Aeria |Julia Bergin |Andrew Kelso
Recreational climbers were the first to respond after a 69-year-old rock climber died in a fall at Mount Arapiles in western Victoria. The New Zealand woman fell as she scaled the final section of a climb called Eskimo Nell. Mount Arapiles is a renowned rock climbing destination attracting outdoor climbers from across the world. Emergency services were called around 3:30pm on Tuesday afternoon to Centenary Park Access Road. Climbing veteran Zorba Parer heard a cry and went to help.
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Nov 15, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Gillian Aeria
After more than 100 years, the Johns family have found their beloved farm in the footprint of a potential new mine. If it is approved, they won't be able to live in their house for 36 years while mining at WIM Resource's new Avonbank mineral sands site is underway because of the noise, lights, vibration and "toxic dust". Donna Johns said her family's future was on hold. "The stress that it's caused has been fairly immense … the lack of information too, has been hard on us," she said.
