More than 20 volunteers will give their time every fortnight to monitor western hooded plovers on Busselton Shire beaches. Numbers may be declining but not enough is known about the birds to be sure.

Moss Vale photographer Ashley Mackevicius couldn't compete with his school friend Nick Cave for music or poetry skills, so he switched to photography. Cave went on to become one of Australia's greatest ever musicians, and Mackevicius did the same for photography.

Spraying graffiti on heritage listed buildings is something that is usually frowned upon. But when it is done in an environmentally sound way, does no actual damage and delivers an important message about sustainability, the results are surprisingly well received.

High school students from across Australia took part in a program called Fresh Faced Friday to promote positive body image amongst teenagers.

Some people find it hard to switch off; their brains constantly ticking over with new ideas. Renee Eloise is one of those people - she is always taking photos with her mind - looking for the next location, or something fun and different to make her photos stand out. Now the Bundaberg photographer has been featured in one of the country's most prominent women's magazines and things have never looked brighter.

As thousands gathered across the country for the Light the Dark vigils in support of Syrian asylum seekers, more than 100 people gathered in the small town of Castlemaine in central Victoria.

A candlelight vigil has been held in central Newcastle aiming to raise awareness of the plight of refugees around the world.

The Swell Sculpture Festival is on again and Currumbin Beach is coming alive with colour, movement and thought-provoking works of art.

Cyclists have converged on the Darling Downs for the annual Cycle Queensland tour. They have become experts on our back roads, riding past road trains, and dodging cranky magpies.

Young people aged 12-25 from across the Bendigo region gathered for the second Bendigo Youth Summit. It is a forum where young people can provide feedback to parents, schools, youth agencies and the City of Greater Bendigo on the big issues they face and how to address them.

The shearers' quarters on Barenya Station, between Hughenden and Muttaburra in north west Queensland, was filled with talk and laughter recently, when local grazing families took some time out to have health checks, de-stress and socialise for a Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) field day.

Hundreds of people descended on Rollingstone in north Queensland this weekend to celebrate the humble pineapple. Among them were dozens of international visitors who organisers hope will spread the word of the Rollingstone Pineapple Festival around the world.

It has been three years in the making: Justyn Atkins from Launceston is now putting the finishing touches on his trusty ute in preparation for the 2015 Deni Ute Muster.

Hare Krishna school, Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula, has gone from failing several NAPLAN categories to performing above the national average in all of them.

Every year at the start of spring the streets of Port Pirie are filled with the colour, sounds and sights of a festival with its roots in a medieval Italian fishing community.

Graffiti artists in Tamworth are now able to legally paint on two walls at the skate park after talks with Tamworth Regional Council deliver 6 month trial.

The brightly painted Chill'n Beanz trailer is not just another place to score a shot of caffeine in Toowoomba, it is also a place for young people to learn skills and confidence, all during school hours.

The Nurses Union is putting pressure on the health board to act on IRC recommendations

While their families celebrated back home, Papua New Guinean students marked the 40th anniversary of their country's independence from Australia with a colourful performance at TAFE Queensland North in Townsville.

A new initiative to bring more public art to the streets of Dubbo has started with a series of murals going up this week.

Sixth generation dairy farmers in Yandoit in central Victoria's bushland stick to what they know and love.

Making it through the night in a dark cell surrounded by spirits, ghost-seekers, psychics and spooky storytellers.

Food that would otherwise be thrown out is cooked up and served to the community at a Bendigo park.

Gymnastics clubs from around the country converge in Bendigo for the National Club Championships.

A tribute to the hundreds of jockeys who have been killed during races in Australia since European settlement is being created by a stonemason in the heart of inland New South Wales.

For a week, knights, elves and fairies made the rolling hills of Gippsland their home as they battled for glory. Meanwhile, a dragon-decorated castle is becoming a popular choice for weddings.

Bonalbo Memorial Hall, Broadwater Riley's Hill Community Hall, Eatonsville Hall, Eureka Hall, Meerschaum Vale Hall, The Channon Hall and Tumbulgum Hall have all been announced as the lucky winners of the Arts Northern Rivers project called 'If These Halls Could Talk'.

Riverland youngsters stepped back in time this week to make butter, fly kites and learn about the past when the Loxton Historical Village opened its doors for its annual Kids Day Out.

After a sublime performance by the Vampires, some were saying that the newly constructed Pavilion at Bermagui may be the highest quality music venue between Nowra and Melbourne. The concert, presented by a local community group in a venue built by another local community group, combined a world-class band with an acoustically designed world-class venue.

Leigh and Geoff Coggins' garden is a mixture of formal areas, rare plants, and relaxing spaces, and this weekend it will be open to visitors.

Many Nimbin residents have welcomed Federal Government plans to legalise medicinal cannabis and say their town would be an ideal hub for the new potential cash crop.

When it comes to fashions on the field, it helps to have a head start.

Visitors to the City of Greater Geraldton's council chambers earlier this week were greeted with a display of more than 200 pink silhouettes strategically placed on the grassed area near the main entrance .

Step inside one of the beautiful open gardens on show during the Renmark Rose Festival. Artemis and Harry Ppiros are Greek immigrants who kept their green thumbs busy after retiring from their Riverland fruit block.

A wide range of foreign treats and traditional cuisines made their way into the mouths of festival goers in north Queensland over the weekend. The festivities were part of an annual Global Grooves event highlighting the diverse range of cultures in north Queensland.

Musical therapist and violinist Greta Kelly uses the power of music to take people away from their daily worries. This is why she felt compelled to get in touch with Choir of Unheard Voices.

Day two of the 2015 Great Victorian Bike Ride was also our first official day of riding, and it was a near perfect day.

Day three of three of this year's Great Victorian Bike Ride took us down more country lanes as we wound our way to Dunolly.

Day five of this year's Great Victorian Bike Ride took us along more country backroads as we made our way to Bendigo for the rest day.

After the rest day, we've climbed back onto our bikes to brave the heat and pedal from Bendigo to Heathcote.

From live music, dumpling demonstrations and kite making workshops for kids, to self-defence lessons, bird watching, contemporary dance performances and a bamboo lantern parade, there'll be something for everyone at BrisAsia this year! Delight your senses with 80 events jam packed into three weeks from January 27 - February 19 across the city.

National Cabinet is due to meet again this week to decide on the easing of nationwide COVID-19 restrictions on movement and businesses.

While the National Cabinet has shown considerable unity throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the one point of tension has been schools and whether they should be open for face-to-face lessons.

The COVID-19 death toll at the Newmarch nursing home rose to 14 over the weekend, while a further 63 infections have been linked to staff and other residents.

Two reviews are already underway but the tragedy has led to calls for the Aged Care Royal Commission to investigate.

Labor's Home Affairs spokesperson Kristina Keneally has sparked controversy after declaring the COVID-19 crisis should force a revamp of the temporary migration program.

News Corp Australia claimed CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong Victoria has been collaborating with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Retailers have been at the economic epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, with mass shutdowns in place for the past five weeks.