AFC Asian Cup Coming To Australia 2015

The AFC Asian Cup, Asia’s biggest football tournament, is coming to Australia in January 2015.

Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane will host 32 world class football matches over 23 days, culminating with a Final played in Sydney on 31 January 2015.

It will never have been easier for families to go to the football than when the biggest tournament in Asia rolls into town in 2015.

The AFC Asian Cup organising committee has announced “family friendly” ticket packages for the tournament next summer, with kids tickets starting at $5 and families (four) from $40.

The tournament, which kicks off on January 9, will take place in five host cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle. Supporters even have the option of buying “venue packs” - tickets for all the matches at each stadium.

Tickets go on sale on May 7 for the football family, starting with the venue packs, before going on sale to the general public on  June 3.

Tickets for the tournament will go on sale in two phases, the first on May 7 and the second on June 3.

The most expensive Category One tickets are $149 for the final in Sydney on January 31 and $149 for the opening match between the Socceroos and Kuwait in Melbourne on January 9. Those prices also include the opening and closing ceremonies.

“This will be a festival of football never seen before in Australia, featuring our own Socceroos battling the best 16 teams in Asia, including Asia’s three other World Cup finalists in Japan, South Korea and Iran.

“We have deliberately kept prices affordable for families and those in multicultural communities who will be keen to attend multiple matches.”

VENUE PACK TICKETS:  This is the ultimate ticket for the passionate football fan wanting the best seat in the house. The Venue Pack is your chance to secure a place at every AFC Asian Cup fixture in your city, with savings of up to 20%. Witness seven matches live in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Canberra and four games in Newcastle with your very own seat at each game: http://tickets.afcasiancup.com/venue-pricing/

INDIVIDUAL MATCH TICKETS:  Group Match tickets start from just $15.29 (Adult) and $5.10 (Children). Or secure a ticket to a Socceroos match from only $49.96 (Adult) and $24.98 (Children): http://tickets.afcasiancup.com/individual-prices/

Source: http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/asian-cup/afc-asian-cup-ticket-packages-announced-for-2015-tournament-in-australia/story-e6frf4fu-1226872359128?nk=0b37bee270a89676325370d660377fa0


Need accommodation close to the Asian Cup tournaments? 
Metro Hotels have hotels and serviced apartments in most major cities throughout Australia:

Sydney Hotels & Apartments (NSW):

• Metro Hotel Sydney Central
• Metro Hotel on Pitt
• Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour
• Aspire Hotel Sydney

Melbourne Apartments (VIC):

• Metro Apartments on Bank Place

Brisbane Hotels (QLD):

• Metro Hotel Tower Mill

Welcome to the Bingham Cup Sydney

With thousands of visitors and a host of events, Bingham Cup Sydney will be a tournament to remember.

The wait is over – the world cup of gay rugby is finally here. The 2014 Bingham Cup will be held in Sydney on August 24-31.

Over 1,000 players from 30 gay rugby teams from around the world, plus many more staff, supporters, friends and family, will descend on Sydney for the biennial tournament, which also features a week-long program of social events.

“We’re very excited to be hosting the Bingham Cup in Sydney – it’s the first time it’s been held in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Bingham Cup Week Events Manager Jon Bastin.

“We want to put on the best Bingham Cup ever – one that appealed not only to those taking part in the rugby tournament, but also the locals.

“To achieve this we’ve partnered with some of Sydney’s best known community groups to put on a diverse program of events – Queer Screen,  Harbour City Bears, the Lifesavers with Pride, Sydney Rangers FC and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras have all given us tremendous support – plus the Australian Rugby Union, Woollahra Colleagues RUFC and Eastern Suburbs RUFC have been great partners, ensuring that we put on a great tournament.”

Indeed, Bastin has program a dynamic and diverse line-up of events, ranging from drinks at popular Sydney venues to friendly matches at iconic location.

“Get out there and join in the fun,” Bastin says. “If you’re not into the footy then you can still be part of the atmosphere at one of the other events. With over 20 events and 30 gay rugby teams in town, you’ll be sure to have lot of fun.”

Bingham Cup Week is on August 24-31. 

Nice and Tender - Short Films Sydney (SFS) presents / Written By Sylvia Massara (shot at Aspire Hotel Sydney)

Short Films Sydney presents
PROJECT NO: SFS001 {30sec challenge} (that turned into 2min.. lol)

Directed / shot / edited by JESSE LEE

Written by SYLVIA MASSARA (0419 492 623)

CAST:
Robert JEREMY M
Head Chef K2 V
Apprentice Chef DUNCAN H
Waiter NICK C
Wife MAGY K

CREW:
Assistant Director STEVEN H
Boom OP ZANE C
Prop JESSE L
P.A JEREMY M, NICK C, SYLVIA M

Fireworks in August 2014 - Darling Harbour Sydney

You don’t have to wait for big occasions like New Year’s Eve to see fireworks in Sydney. Head to Harbourside in Darling Harbour and you’ll see fireworks most Saturday nights. Why? Because it’s the weekend and it’s time to party!

With more than 24 bars and restaurants, state-of-the-art entertainment venues and magnificent waterfront views, Harbourside is a great spot for a romantic meal, entertaining the family and partying with friends. Relax, have fun and feast on your favourite food while the spectacular fireworks turn the night sky red, green, blue and all the other colours of the rainbow.

Upcoming fireworks dates:  8.30pm Saturday 16, 23 and 30 August

For more info, visit: http://darlingharbour.com/whats-on/fireworks-in-august.aspx?mobile=1&alttemplate=MobileEvent

Celebrate National Science Week at Darling Harbour, Sydney

Celebrate National Science Week at Darling Harbour

The extent of human scientific discovery is both awe-inspiring and humbling; wondrous yet simple. Scientific method is democratic and honest, and the darkness yet to be lit up by science – the discoveries yet to be discovered – are indescribably exciting. Prepare to open your eyes and mind, and let your curiosity and imagination run wild as you experience National Science Week at Darling Harbour!

Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Explore Australia’s unique and varied marine environments as you snake through the exhibits at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. 

From the platypus and broad-shelled turtles in Streams and Billabongs and the barramundi and lungfish in the Mangrove Swamps, to the clown fish and weedy sea dragons of Sydney Harbour, you’ll find illumination and wonder in our nation’s previously mysterious waters. Swim with the sharks or check out their daily feed as part of SEA LIFE’s conservation program. 

Check out the amazing BJ Price underwater art exhibition and learn about Great Barrier Reef conservation. Take a behind the scenes tour, or, to really get into the Science Week spirit, become a marine biologist for a day!www.sydneyaquarium.com.au

Wild Life Sydney Zoo

Just as you can float through the country’s watery environs at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo you can wander over this wide brown land’s sweeping plains, rugged mountain ranges, stark white ring-barked forests, and everything in between. 

Visit the Top End in the Butterfly Tropics, home to all kinds of butterflies, as well as turtles, ducks, frogs, even pythons! Get close to Tassie devils in the Devils’ Den, see the cute koalas and chuckling kookaburras in the Gum Tree Valley, see the crocodiles of Kakadu, or check out the intimidating cassowary and adorable pademelon in the Daintree Rainforest! You may even meet an echidna, a sugar glider or even a wombat going for a traipse between exhibits! 

You can even take a night time tour through the landscapes, a behind the scenes tour with friends, or have breakfast with the koalas! www.wildlifesydney.com.au

Australian National Maritime Museum

Experience Australia’s maritime history and the science behind it at the Australian National Maritime Museum. The museum’s dedicated National Science Week program includes a variety of events, from Designing Our Composite Futures, a fascinating blend of science and design, with the help of Sydney Design; and Then and Now: The History of Bush Food, an education on the science behind native foods, led by an elder; to Endeavoring Science, which returns again this year to provide a look into botany past and present, the science of cannons, how diseases spread on board, astronomy, air pressure and sailing. You can even go on a science treasure hunt, or explore the HMAS Vampire with the mobile app Tag Town.

Kids can learn about Amazing Aquatic Adventures, and those under five can enjoy Science Week fun at the August 19 edition of Mini Mariners. Check out all the dates, details and ticketing info at the Australian National Maritime Museum’s National Science Week page. Elsewhere in the museum, be awed by the gentle giants of the sea and American artist Bryant Austin’s life-size whale photography in theBeautiful Whale exhibition. Gets hands-on and pilot an airship or ride a hovercraft at Going Places, an interactive exhibit looking the technologies humans have invented for travel!

At Voyage to the Deep, you can find out about the genuine technologies and actual scientific possibilities behind author Jules Verne’s submarine Nautilis in his novel 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Follow the stars at Navigators, which explores the various ‘discoveries’ of the land we now call Australia, and the astronomical help those seafarers received. www.anmm.gov.au

IMAX

Experience amazing documentaries on the biggest screen in the world! Go to the ice and snow and get amongst the penguins in Antarctica, enter the hidden world of insects in Bugs! 3D, be moved by volcanoes, earthquakes and tornadoes in Forces of Nature.

Swim in the deep blue with Great White Shark 3D, journey through deep space in Hidden Universe 3D, and get to know the wonders of our own biology in The Human Body. www.imax.com.au So come celebrate National Science Week with us. Discover yourself at Darling Harbour to make your own discoveries!

#nationalscienceweek #darlingharbour

Robbie Williams | The Swing Tour Live

Rumours of a return tour have been running hot since the release of his latest studio offering late last year, and now Chugg Entertainment can proudly confirm that the rumours are true. Few artists can boast that they’ve sold 55 million albums globally, but Robbie can.

One of Britain’s premier pop superstars, known for his cheeky wit as much as his hit-studded albums, the one and only Robbie Williams will be making his long overdue return to Australia for a national run of dates this September, bringing his incredible swing album, Swings Both Ways.

It’s been nearly eight years since the British superstar treated Australian audiences to his myriad talents on the live stage. In December 2006 Williams undertook a stadium tour of monumental proportion across Australia.

Williams' love for Australia has been well documented over the years, with a slew of tours and special performances (including the 2009 ARIA awards), he can also boast his most well known collaborations being with Australians; Kids, a duet with pop star Kylie Minogue and a cover of Frank & Nancy Sinatra's Somethin' Stupid with Nicole Kidman. Add to this that 2.6 million Robbie Williams albums have been sold in Australia to date – making that 1 in 10 Australians who own a Robbie album – it’s a certainty that the love affair continues.

Robbie’s latest album Swings Both Ways is the follow up to his original 2001 swing release, Swing When You’re Winning, which spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the UK charts, and likewise garnered unprecedented success in Australia, going four times platinum and remaining his best selling album of all time. Swings Both Ways sees the reunion of Robbie’s collaboration with songwriter and producer Guy Chambers; the creative pairing responsible for some of Robbie’s biggest hits (Rock DJ, Feel, Millenium, Let Me Entertain You, Angels, Supreme).

The album debuted at #1 in the UK and #5 on the ARIA charts, and within the first 4 weeks of release, the album was certified Gold in Australia. This is his eleventh chart-topping album in the UK, which now means that he draws level with Elvis Presley as the male solo artist with the most number one albums.

Armed with an arsenal packed with ballads, pop songs and massive sing-along hits, Robbie returns to the swing genre for his tenth studio album and current world tour.

Tour Dates:

Ticketek is selling for the following venues only:

Thursday 11 September - Perth Arena
Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 September - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Monday 22 & Tuesday 23 September - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 September - Allphones Arena, Sydney

The fastest way to fitness: running

Photo: istock

Running is simply the best medicine, writes Clive Hopkins.

CITY2SURF EVENT GUIDE: www.city2surf.com.au

'Humans really are born to run," says Sydney-based personal trainer Mike Moore. "It's a very simple form of exercise - it's low cost, and you can do it anywhere, anytime."

Moore's clients range from complete novices, right up to the kind of elite athletes who will run The Sun-Herald City 2 Surf presented by Westpac in under an hour.

Moore believes that when people start running training, they notice an improvement in their fitness very quickly, more quickly than they would in other forms of exercise. "Your body already knows how to do it, which is the opposite of something like swimming."

And while there are techniques involved in running, it's not necessary to go down the technical path to get something from the activity.

For anyone taking up running for the first time, Moore advises getting some correct footwear (which doesn't have to cost $300), before setting achievable goals for yourself.

"I'm big on getting a sense of achievement from exercise. For the first time ever, this might just be running from one lamp post to the next lamp post."

The rule of thumb for those starting out is that you should be able to talk while jogging. "You should be comfortable, so that at the end of a run, you feel you could have done a bit more."

Even those who resist the idea of running can get a lot out of it.

Moore recalls one client saying to him, 'if you ever make me run, I'll leave'.

"She'd been made to run at school, and got no enjoyment out of it. Now, though, she's done several 10-kilometre races."

For Moore, one of the most striking benefits of running is the potential for weight loss. "I'll stick my neck out and say that, in my experience, if someone starts running two or three times a week, their body will change for the better."

Moore's reluctant runner client lost an incredible 20 kilograms, essentially, he believes, just from running.

"In contrast to something like cycling, running is a whole-body exercise that uses upper and lower body muscles," says Dr Rhonda Orr, senior lecturer in exercise and sports science at The University of Sydney.

"The changes [adaptations] brought about by aerobic exercise like running are very beneficial."

What lay people refer to as an increased fitness or aerobic capacity, health professionals refer to as an improved VO2 max score.

Orr says there are two components to VO2 max - an essential component to do with your heart, and a peripheral component to do with capillary (small blood vessel) density and mitochondria (the "energy storehouses" of the body), and associated enzyme action.

"If we look at the heart, running training over time will lead to a decrease in the resting heart rate, as well as a decrease in the sub-maximal heart rate for any activity," says Orr. "This is good adaptation.

"There is also an increase in the heart's 'stroke volume', that is, how much blood is ejected from the heart during every cardiac cycle. The heart is pumping more effectively, leading to improved circulation."

Aside from the benefits to the heart, running requires the whole body to work together in unison, to deliver more oxygen to the working muscle. Increased mitochondria and enzyme action leads to improved fat mobilisation.

"The increased capacity to transport fats leads to an improved fat utilisation during exercise," says Orr. "By doing this, you spare your glucose or your glycogen stores, which your body uses for short bursts of energy.
"When you train well, you're not only training your muscles and endurance - you're training your body to use optimal energy stores."

It's this better fat utilisation that can result in weight loss.

Running training can also lead to better blood glucose control.

"This is also good for our general health," says Orr.

"If we improve our glucose kinetics, we can help retard, not just the onset of type-2 diabetes, but potentially also the onset of metabolic syndrome. This is a cluster of conditions: high blood pressure, high glucose, high cholesterol, and excess body fat around the waist, which are all connected with cardio-vascular disease."

For those who already have type-2 diabetes, running is a good adjunct to their medication, and running can also help reduce blood pressure in mildly hypertensive patients.

Moore, though, believes that running is good for you in ways that go far beyond the physical. "I feel it's also a great benefit for mental health - something you can enjoy by being by yourself, or as part of a group.

"The great attraction of running is being able to do it anywhere, whether it's a city or the Sinai desert," he says.

"I've actually used running to explore New York City. You see people and places you wouldn't see if you were in a car, because you're amongst it."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/athletics/the-fastest-way-to-fitness-20140723-3cf2b.html