With school holidays upon us, it's timely to talk about a nifty exhibition that is on at the Lismore Regional Gallery.

Lismore's big chill last weekend did not stop Jeanti St Clair from catching NORPA's Food and Lloyd Cole, a most unassuming eighties pop star on a freezing Saturday night.Food is good for the soul

Those who find opera difficult to get their head around may be pleasantly surprised by WA Opera's latest offering.

'The Importance of Being Earnest' rightfully sits in the list of classic plays, and a near full-house at Wollongong's Illawarra Performing Arts Centre on opening night of this touring production shows it's still one of our most loved.

The equine-inspired group of exhibitions are on display at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery until October 5.

TaikOz

When is the last time you spent two hours laughing until your sides were sore? Do yourself a favour -get along to La Soiree at Fringe because it is one of the best nights you will have out in ages says 720 ABC Perth reviewer Sinead Mangan.

It's the production that first debuted on Broadway in 1966, and has been drawing audiences into a false sense of security ever since.

A huge amount of viral videos on the net are about animals doing 'stuff', and we 'humans' find that stuff incredibly cute. Is it that we are touched by that part of ourselves within that is animal? Or are we just anthropomorphising animal behaviour and attaching human meaning to it?

After Damien Ryan's energetic and enjoyable Henry V last year, it is pleasing to see that Bell Shakespeare has brought the director back to tackle Shakespeare's most complex and nuanced tragedy, Hamlet. And the marriage is a solid one. To start, casting Josh McConville as the grief-struck prince of Denmark has paid off handsomely. McConville approaches Hamlet's descent into his 'prison' of madness with powerful and dexterous complexity, bringing the contradictions that render the character into a fulsome and multi-faceted presentation of Shakespeare's vision for Hamlet.

Southern Stars is not only a priceless gift for the students involved in it, it's a mind-blowing showcase of what young people are capable of when matched with professional direction and a huge venue.

The devastating effect of mental illness on family life is not the most likely material for a rock musical (or a great night out), but Next to Normal is one of the best productions all year.

An 11-bed regional aged care facility is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary as a community-owned organisation, which has kept jobs and residents in town while proving the viability of an innovative new model for aged care.

The gruesome remains of a shark caught on the NSW South Coast have sparked a debate about how the animal met its fate and highlighted the 'amazing healing powers' of the predators.

The water watchdog says it is investigating claims that irrigators in the Namoi Valley pumped water out of the river system during a recent embargo.

A self-described experienced horse breaker has been fined and sentenced to a community correction order for a "silly decision" to use a lasso to strangle a brumby.

The Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) has cleared New South Wales irrigators who were accused of illegal pumping during an embargo that was put in place after recent rain.

Meet Payden, who is two weeks old and one of 21,000 babies born into regional NSW towns every year who, on average, have a lower life-expectancy than their counterparts in the city.

Paris Whibley has made the 1,200-kilometre round trip from her family's farm near Moree in NSW to Sydney three times during her school holidays to compete at the Royal Easter Show.

The Broncos answer a number of their critics by ending a four-match losing streak with a convincing victory over the Sharks, while the Tigers snare a win against the Titans in Tamworth.

Australia's first liquid natural gas import terminal will be built at Port Kembla, south of Sydney, with hopes it will secure thousands of jobs and meet the bulk of the state's gas needs.

A Chinese mining giant is being accused of underestimating the impact a proposed open cut mine will have on groundwater on the New South Wales Liverpool Plains.

Swimming in icy water is not something everyone aspires to do but it should be, according to an outdoor swimming enthusiast.

As a river runs dry in the northern basin, the blame game continues, and farmer Andrew Watson says irrigators are being unjustly targeted over water use.

Matt Clifton grew up with a passion for music, but his small-town upbringing meant live music events were few and far between, so he brought one home.

Having retained all 16 of their seats, welcomed a record number of women to the party and consolidated under leader Michael McCormack, there could be a renewed sense of stability for the country-based party.

A report into hazing at the University of New England finds female students were pressured into sexual acts, "slapped on the arse" by a line of men before entering a party and told to lock their doors at night.

Smoking rates have dropped massively since the 70s down from 40 per cent to only 14 per cent but some areas of the country are not getting the message.

Australia's colonial banks are given new lives as bank branches close across regional Australia.

With towns across New South Wales at risk of running out of water within months, there are renewed calls for an urgent upgrade of water storage infrastructure.

A mobile communications tower.

Water stations reduce heat stress and other effects of drought and extreme weather events on koalas and other animals, new research finds.

About a year ago, my partner and I learned of a revolution in Australia's paddocks. We want to farm in a more natural way, but the stakes are high making the shift could send us broke.

Indigenous skydiver Marley Nolan-Duncan makes history by jumping out of a plane and into Gamilaraay country, the home of his ancestors.

Russ French's highly detailed military models have helped secure billion-dollar contracts, with one even landing at the Pentagon. These are no toys.

Margaret Fulton, who inspired generations of Australians to think beyond bangers and mash, leaves a legacy of culinary flair.

After more than two years without any decent rain, a community in the far north of New South Wales is been given a reprieve.

Three years ago Mingoola residents welcomed African refugee families with open arms as part of a settlement program hailed for invigorating a dying country town. Now the tiny NSW town has lost all of its newest members.