Iskhandar Razak

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Iskhandar Razak

Pesto the penguin glides through the water, circling his new favourite companion — Pudding. "Pudding is Pesto's love interest at the moment," Maddison Tinning, the senior penguin keeper at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, said. "They are always being caught flirting and canoodling."In 2024 Pesto became internet famous. At 10-months old he tipped the scales at 24.8 kilograms — more than his parents combined — and making him the biggest king penguin chick the aquarium had ever had.

Jan 23, 2025 | abc.net.au | Iskhandar Razak

A giant grey foot daintily rests on the edge of an enclosure as a zookeeper scrubs round toenails clean. An elephant calf opens its mouth wide on command for an oral inspection, tablet and drink. Another gets a trunk wash. And the herd's matriarch, Mek Kapah, offers up an ear to be swabbed for perhaps the most crucial part of a weekly health ritual at Melbourne Zoo. "They've got lovely blood vessels on the back of their ears.

Dec 5, 2024 | abc.net.au | Iskhandar Razak

It looks like a heavy, uncomfortable, blue-grey block of hard edges from a dystopian future. But John Stehle lifts his creation high above his head and walks around happily. "It takes about one hour to make a king single. We assemble it a bit like Lego," he said, confidently snapping another piece in place. "My daughter and I have jumped on it."This time, he adds some plastic trimming to soften some edges.

Sep 14, 2024 | abc.net.au | Iskhandar Razak

Drasko Boljevic climbs precariously on a bench and pastes his latest work up on a wall next to a bar. It's broad daylight, and there's a security camera aimed right at him. "How does it look?" he asks, halfway through the hanging process. In many cities, this would be illegal. But he's not worried. "Beautiful," he adds, spraying the edges. The artwork Drasko is putting up in ACDC Lane is a stencil on styrofoam of Nubian dancers, treated to look like an ancient Egyptian relic, in modern Melbourne.

Aug 3, 2024 | abc.net.au | Iskhandar Razak

Melbourne small business bettercup, which makes reusable cups for events, has been awarded a $447,000 grant to grow its operations across Australia. The cups have been used at Darwin Festival, WOMADelaide, Sydney Opera House and Dark Mofo. bettercup joins a growing number of businesses creating reusable products for festivals and events. Samantha Stone and Christie Kamphuis met on a random European dance floor, crushing a sea of plastic waste underfoot as they went from festival to festival.