If you are looking to take advantage of the $1600 Insulation Rebates which are offered by the Australian Government to insulate your home, then this is important. Earlier this year, the Australian government allocated $3.9 billion for what is known as the new Energy Efficient Homes Package. What this means is that if you fulfill the criteria set out by the Government, you’ll be able to insulate your home for free. By insulating your home, you could save over $200 each year in lower heating and cooling costs. To qualify for the insulation rebate, your home (like approximately 2.2 million other homes in Australia) must not have adequate (or any) ceiling or roof insulation. If you don’t have insulation, then there is a good chance that you will qualify. To be eligible for the insulation rebate, there are a number of criteria you need to fullfill. The first is that you need to go to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts website online. Download the insulation rebate application and review the Homeowner Insulation Program Guidelines (dated July 1, 2009) to be sure you qualify and can comply with all requirements. Then you must contact at least two of the installers listed on the Department’s Installer Provider Register (on the website) and get written estimates for the completion of the job. The information which is required from the insulation installer must contain their contact information, a measurement of the area to be insulated, the type of insulation that will be installed and the R-Value of that insulation. Also, they will need to provide you with the cost of the work to be completed. It is then up to you to choose the insulation installer which offers the lowest quote. Again, it’s important that they are registered with the Government. Otherwise, you will not be able to claim the insulation rebate. After you are sure that the installer is registered, make an appointment for the work to begin. In most instances, the insulation installer will be able to help you fill in the forms to claim the $1600 rebate.

For more information about the $1600 insulation rebate and a quote from an insulation installer at your home, visit Insulation Rebate today.

Some years later John Slater and Sarah Elizabeth Jane Wode-Douglas visit Kuala Lumpur. Slater is an accomplished poet who has hobnobbed with anyone worth hobnobbing with, Eliot, Pound, Auden, etc. He also something of a lady’s man on the side. Sarah is an upper crust girl who developed a liking for other girls at school. Aspects of her origins are a matter of some conjecture, however. Slater seems to have played a role. Her present is clear. She is the editor in chief of a miniscule literary journal devoted mainly to new poetry. In Kuala Lumpur she discovers the story of Bob McCorkle´s fabled poetry, the fake created by Christopher Chubb.

Chubb is resident in KL and has been so for several years. He has a bicycle repair shop, but still writes his own doggerel. Sarah meets him and dismisses his work as dire, derivative at best. McCorkle´s poems, however, are blissful and she tries everything possible to get her hands on the material so that she can publish it. The problem for her is the fact that McCorkle is apparently an invention of Chubb, so the only way that she can get near to the material is through him. The Australian is now a poor artisan with ragged clothes and tropical ulcers. He speaks English strongly peppered with bits of Malay and plays hard to get. The only way that Sarah can access the McCorkle poems is to suffer Chubb’s life story, its fantasies, inventions and questionable realities.

And it’s a story that comes and goes to and from Australia. It progresses through Indonesia and peninsular Malaya. We visit Penang, sup tea in the E and O as Chubb pursues McCorkle, his own now demonic invention, across south east Asia. His alter ego becomes something real, something apart from himself.

The book is packed with literary references, but is in no way academic. There is a strong sense of place, with the sights, sounds and smells of Kuala Lumpur oozing from the page. The only aspect missing is the taste, and in Malaysia food is much more pervasive an influence in the culture than we encounter via Chubb’s adoption of it. It’s a minor point.

Eventual reconciliation of the Chubb-McCorkle conflict, Sarah’s pursuit of the poems and Slater’s apparent management of the process is truly surprising and it is for the reader to discover this empirically.

Overall the pace of the book is varied and, here and there, one feels that Peter Carey has over-complicated things and thus detracted from the directness that could have achieved increased impact. But then poetry is like that, isn’t it? If it was linear, uncomplicated, What Katy Did, then it would not have the richness that makes it poetry. It would lack the diversion, the invention. My Life As A Fake has all these things and probably stands alone, eventually, as an examination of the nature of creativity and invention. When viewed in retrospect, Chubb’s life, his haunting by the accomplished poet he has ostensibly created and his pursuit of the same to reclaim a daughter he believes is his own at times beggars belief. But just try predicting tomorrow’s news, or even, especially, your own emotions or reactions. We all become inventors, with neither a past nor a future solid in our present. Eliot again.

The failure of Lehman Brothers and the spate of rescues in the US and Europe in the last two and a bit weeks of September, should now be seen as the major dislocation of the credit crunch, which started as the US subprime mortgage debacle.

Not even the outbreak of the crunch in August 2007, nor the bailout of Bear Stearns in March of this year, have come close to causing the global economy, and its constituent economies around the world, the same sort of devastating blow.

Bear Stearns was a warning, but the Fed and JPMorgan pulled us through, but no one thought that when Lehman Brothers was tottering, that it would go. But go it did, down the tube to devastate financial markets, confidence and set off a chain reaction of events still clanging their way through financial markets.

US retail sales, new home starts and new home building permits all down by a record amount, or to record lows in October; US unemployment soared 254,000 (to be revised upwards) and still thousands of jobs are going every day across the US, and increasingly in Australia and Europe and parts of Asia.

Now Japan, which is already in recession, with two consecutive quarters of mild contractionary activity, faces a more damaging slump.

The engine for the country is its export machine, allied with the huge domestic manufacturing sector set up to arm and replenish the Toyotas, Nissans, Hondas, Canons, Fujitsus and other industrial giants.

If the engine splutters, the Japanese economy backfires: it’s what has been happening at increasing pace since mid year: a fall in August, a small recovery in September, and now the worst slump in almost seven years.

The Japanese Finance Ministry reported yesterday that exports fell 7.7% in October from October 2007.

That was the biggest drop since December 2001 as the US recession was deepening.

That was after a rise of 1.5% in September.

It follows the first effective deficit in 26 years, which was logged in August this year, when the economy was hit by high import prices and weak demand for Japanese goods overseas.The October figures were the first deficit for the month in 28 years, reflecting a fall in exports to the rest of Asia.

Shipments to China, which had supported demand even as shipments to the US and Europe had declined, fell 0.9%, marking the first decline since May, 2005.

Exports to the US and Europe posted double-digit declines year-on-year.

Slumping car exports, shipments of consumer electronics, industrial foods, trucks, computers: a wide range of products have been hit by the slump in the US and European economies in particular.

On top of this, the rising yen continued to hurt exports: it’s risen 22% against the euro since September and around 9% against the US dollar in the past couple of weeks.

Although the slump in US car sales is hurting, so too is falling demand in Japan, and in other markets.

That’s why Toyota is expecting to earn at best $US200 million in profits in the six months to next March (but that now looks like a loss). Nissan this week said its second half profit would be eliminated by the slump in the US and the higher yen.

Growth in China, Japan’s largest trading partner, is slowing (hence the huge reflation package revealed last week and three rate cuts in two months).

So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that the level of exports to China fell for the first time in three years, or that exports to Asia as whole fell 4% in the month.

Shipments to Europe plunged 17.2%, the biggest fall since December 2001 and by 19% to the US (although they were down 22.8% in August).

Imports rose 7.4% (despite the higher value of the yen and the continuing fall in oil prices).

That gave Japan a $US666 million trade deficit, the third this year, a rare event for the export machine.

Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course) – Hole 5

The West Course at Royal Melbourne Golf club is has been the top rated golf course in Australia for the past 8 years. It is a course to rival the best in the world and it owes its position to three important factors. The land over which its wonderful holes are played is perfectly undulating and the sandy nature of the ground must have been a dream for those charged with the construction of greens and bunkers. The clubs initial routing was altered by the great Scottish architect, Alister Mackenzie in 1926 and it, unquestionably, exploited the full potential of the land. It was Mackenzie who came up with the blind drive up over the hill at the par five fourth that was not, in itself, ideal but it opened up the chance to incorporate the best second shot on the course, down the hill to the green and he followed it with the world class par three, fifth and the brilliant sixth hole. The third part of the equation is the under rated genius of Mick Morcom, the clubs curator and the man Mackenzie entrusted with the job of bringing his ideas and plans to life. “Morcom”, said Mackenzie “was the best greenkeeper I have ever worked with”. Mackenzie’s ideals were based upon the genius of The Old Course at St Andrews where the golfer had a multitude of options to consider before both club and shot could be correctly selected. He abhorred the use of long grass as a means of punishing the wayward and it seems he enjoyed confusing the golfer as he confronted them with the golfing equivalent of a multiple choice exam. The finest examples of this aspect of the design come at two of the clubs most famous holes. The dogleg sixth hole takes up a huge piece of land and demonstrates perfectly the advantages Mackenzie had at Royal Melbourne over the tighter courses he influenced during his extraordinary twelve week visit to Australia in 1926, including Kingston Heath, Yarra Yarra and Victoria. The Verdict The West Course may not be the most difficult course in the country and many will argue it is not the most “perfectly” conditioned. Nor does it have the spectacular views of courses like The National, Laguna Quays or New South Wales Golf Clubs. What it is, however, is our greatest feat of golfing architecture and it matters not how many times one plays it, there is always another layer of subtlety to be uncovered and another series of fascinating decisions to make.

Upon another viewing…I still feel the same way but there are some points of interest in this film that makes it an enjoyable experience and a film worth taking another glance at.

First of all it’s good to see that Australia can at least deliver on the home front in the horror genre. There has been very few films of note in the past few years, UNDEAD being one of the highlights. The thing that brings this film home is the gritty look and feel of the film. It harkens back to the days of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (the original) but improves on that formula by actually trying to craft complex characters that an audience can actually follow and route for.

Now, this is not saying that these are some CITIZEN KANE complex characters, but I am saying that they’re more interesting than most of what was displayed in any of the FRIDAY THE 13th series of films.

Secondly, this film was inspired by actual events making it topical and edgy, which very few genre films ever thrive to do. Gore films are not edgy, they are splatter-filled blood-drenched exercises in shock and discomfort, which while maybe barrowing a little from this mind set WOLF CREEK never truly openly embarrasses which this film is all the more better for. Less is always more and it’s never been truer then in this film.

And lastly, the film is not afraid to uproot all your expectations of the horror genre and turn them on end. SPOILER ALERT (If you have not seen the film then do not continue): The person whom you expect to live and appears to be the main character of the group is unexpectedly the first to be gutted. When I first viewed this scene I was turned on end. I wasn’t expecting this turn of events. This was contrary writing to what Hollywood films had trained me.

I was totally engrossed from that moment on because the most unexpected thing occurred. Like the Hitchcock classic PSYCHO the main character was killed early in the film and just like then it was a shocking development that kept me engrossed to the end.

Needless to say, even though WOLF CREEK is not entirely something new that we haven’t seen before it definitely has a few elements that elevate it above most over films of its kind.

For more information about the $1600 insulation rebate and a quote from an insulation installer at your home, visit Insulation Rebate today.

Add a trail of footprints – yours and your partner’s, that is.

Strolling down a vast expanse of beach in ultimate seclusion can be consummated reality rather than wishful thinking on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

After all, the world’s greatest coral reef spans a whopping 348,700 square kilometres in area, with over 600 islands, 25 of which have resorts on them.

Though all are located along the same stretch of the Queensland coastline, each island offers trippers a varied experience – Magnetic Island, for example, is often recommended by the budget conscious, and for family fun many quote Daydream Island for its comprehensive kids’ programme.

Part of a group of 74 islands collectively known as the Whitsundays, both not only offer azure waters, spectacular beaches, and diverse flora and fauna, but plentiful opportunities to find seclusion and scenery in these settings – through self-hikes, picnics, or private dining options.

The entire Great Barrier Reef in Australia boasts a 25 to 30 degrees Celsius all-year-round climate, giving you flexibility to plan your trip throughout the year.

Visit according to your “season” of love – for a honeymoon, wedding anniversary, or just to get away from the drudgery of urban life.

As the interview location for the “Best Job in the World” contest, and the future home of six months for the chosen candidate, Hamilton Island has been receiving considerable attention of late.

The place’s nestled location amongst the idyllic Whitsunday Islands, its famed Whitehaven Beach, and tropical weather likened to the Mauritius makes it an obvious showcase for Tourism Queensland in their campaign.

But you shouldn’t have to worry about thousands flocking to Hamilton Island – there is plenty of island for everyone to enjoy their private getaway.

Some 70 per cent of the place is designated as a National Park, which is easily traversed on walking trails that lead to peaks and lookouts, remote beaches, and natural bushland.

Trails open daily from 6.30am to 5.30pm, so pack a picnic, grab a map and set out with your other half to find a place to call your own, for a few hours.

Resorts can pack you a picnic with a 24-hour notice, and an ample selection of takeaway outlets specialising in gourmet sandwiches, fish and chips, and pastries offers cost-friendly alternatives.

Hamilton is the closest resort island to the renowned Whitehaven beach, which features six kilometres of pristine silica sand and aqua blue waters – one of BBC’s “places to see before you die”.

Whitehaven is easily accessible via cruise or yacht, and an incomparable backdrop for some stunning photographs.

For couples who want to experience romance out at sea, a sunset kayak trip to the Whitsunday Islands – with a one-hour leisurely paddle and bottle of champagne – is a perfect way to close the day.

Sightings of turtles, dolpins, and other colourful marine creatures are not uncommon during these kayak outings.

Wish to spend the night on the reef itself? Fantasea’s Reefworld – just a stone’s throw away from Hamilton Island – offers a “Room for two” on its specially designed infrastructure situated out at sea.

When night falls, stargaze in absolute tranquillity on the top or marvel at the vibrant marine life in the viewing gallery below.

It’s just you, your other half, and a million other reef fishes and creatures.

Getting there:Daily direct flights to Hamilton Island are available from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns.

Accommodation:Hamilton Island offers a wide range of options, from 3-star island-style garden bungalows, 4-star hotel rooms, to luxurious 5-star waterfront rooms. A wide range of 3- to 5-star self-catering properties are also spread throughout the island. Do READ AND CLICK HERE for honest reviews and the cheapest hotel rates in Hamilton Island.

Luxury and nature blend in seamlessly at the Whitsundays Group most northerly island, amalgamating into an island getaway unlike any other.

A 212-room resort is located on the southerly shore, fronted by a sweeping sandy beach and surrounded by some 14 hectares of tropical gardens.

Villas, penthouses, suites, and appointed rooms are ingeniously designed to be integrated into the natural surroundings, through sandstone walkways that surreptitiously weave in and out of manicured gardens and shady ponds.

Just a stone’s throw away from the resort is a rugged bushland which can be explored on foot, with rich rewards of seeing the island’s colony of Proserpine Rock Wallabies, native Australian birds, and fascinating fauna.

Unlike luxury resorts where scenic views come at an added expense, nobody misses out in this aspect on Hayman Island. Every form of accommodation features private terraces or balconies that offer breathtaking views of pools, lagoons, beach, gardens or the stunning Coral Sea.

The resort takes a “nothing is built higher than four stories” approach to ensure your outlook is unspoilt.

The balcony or terrace is, inevitably, also the perfect tranquil setting for a sunset candlelit dinner, which the resort can easily set up.

Wine and dine in absolute privacy, with spectacular views matched only by the contemporary Australian cuisine conjured up by renowned executive chef Glenn Bacon and his team.

Hayman Island’s all-year round warm weather – with just a light jacket or sweater required during the evenings of winter days – ensures that the outdoors is always there to bask in, after you leave the hideaway of your room.

For ultimate seclusion, guests can choose to reside in the resort’s aptly-titled Retreat Wing, which is set back from the beach in tropical gardens, amongst magnificent native tree and plant varieties.

For those seeking to wake up to the sounds of the sea, the beach villas are built up-close to the pristine sands, and employ woven rattan and natural finishings for a complete islander back-to-nature experience.

Each villa comes with a plunge infinity pool, letting you enjoy the view of the sapphire blue sea without the saltiness of seawater.

Like Hamilton Island, Hayman is close by to the beauty of the Whitsundays and the activities surrounding it.

Fishing, diving, snorkeling, sea-kayaking and trips to Reefworld and the acclaimed Whitehaven beach can be easily arranged.

But with the seclusion and beauty offered at the resort, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a good reason to leave.

Getting there:Regular flights are available from most Australian capital cities to Hayman Island via the Great Barrier Reef Airport on Hamilton Island. Flights connect with Hayman’s luxury launches, seaplanes or helicopters.