Australia entices tourists to come `Walkabout’

08/10/2008 0 Comments read Indigenous, Travel

Rottnest Island, Western Australia Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 08.10.2008 (IANS): Australia is enticing international tourists to come and lose themselves in the remarkable landscape, unique culture and warmth of its people through a global tourism campaign launched Wednesday that leverages on an outback movie starring Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman.

The Australian $50 million (US$32 million) campaign, which will run in cinema, on television, print and online, across 22 countries, including India, puts the spotlight on the outback and indigenous Aboriginal culture.

“We want the growing Indian middle class to go beyond Sydney-Melbourne-Gold Coast and experience the real outback Australia and its indigenous culture,” Tourism Australia managing director Geoff Buckley told IANS Wednesday.

Continue reading →

Indian immigrants celebrate Durga Puja with gusto

07/10/2008 0 Comments read Diaspora

Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 07.10.2008 (IANS) Thousands of Bengali immigrants and other members of the Indian diaspora ushered in the Durga Puja celebrations over the weekend with much fanfare and gusto here. Colourful pandals (marquees) adorned with spring flowers and intricately carved deities, women draped in dazzling Baluchari, Dhakai, Tangail and Kantha saris and men in traditional kurta and dhoti created an aura of Durga Puja back home.

Partho and Shampa Das recall their first puja here in 1978 when they had just migrated to Sydney from Mumbai. “At that time there were about 200 Bengali families,” says Das, a mechanical engineer, who moved the puja venue from his home to a school hall as the numbers swelled.

Continue reading →

One in 10 Australians racist, says study

30/09/2008 0 Comments read Features

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 30.09.2008 (IANS): Racism is waning but it still exists in Australia, one of the most multicultural countries in the world, say researchers.

In 2007-08, just under 200,000 people migrated to Australia, accounting for 59 percent of the increase in the country’s population of about 21 million.

It all went to make the country even more multicultural. The Australian social fabric is now a rich tapestry of migrants from nearly 200 countries.

Still, one in 10 Australians believe that some races are superior to others. “One in 10 is a lot. It means one person in every lunch room, one person in every locker room, five or 10 people on a train.

Continue reading →