This month brings plenty of outdoor fun, festivals, and a very special lunar eclipse

07-11 Aug

WANAKA, NEW ZEALAND
Burton New Zealand Snowboard Open

Kodai Watanabe
Photo: Miles Holden

Get some hot snow action at Lake Wanaka’s Snow Park as X Games champs, Olympic gold medallists and world champs turn up for the first leg of the Burton Open Global Series. World 2006 Superpipe Champion, 18-year-old Mason Aguirre of the USA, returns to defend his title, facing down Heiki Sorsa (Finland) and Kazuhiro Kokubo (Japan). Kelly Clark (USA), the 24-year-old Olympic Gold medallist, will be defending her double-title of Women’s Champion and Quarterpipe Champion. This free event promises to be truly spectacular. For more info, tel: +64 (21) 771 060.

16 Aug-02 Sep

NOOSA
16th Noosa Jazz Festival

Cat Empire

Jazz lovers, book these dates for Australia’s best jazz festival, which is promising a “Bourbon St” atmosphere to rival the classic New Orleans street of the same name. This year’s program promises the best line-up ever; and while the festival boasts a wide range of international jazz musicians, don’t miss out on Australia’s home-grown talent – Bob Barnard, Janet Seidel, Jan Preston and Adrian Cunningham.
For more info, tel: +61 (7) 5449 0711.

26-31 Aug

BRISBANE
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival

Your hot ticket to get the scoop on this season’s fashion also gives you the chance to win a white-gold diamond-set bangle from Hardy Brothers Jewellers, valued at AU$10,000. And make sure you catch the Coffee Club Australian Fashion Graduate of the Year Competition and the New Generation Parade, featuring exciting local labels like George Wu, Mother Maria and akko. Tickets from AU$2, from QTIX, tel: 136 246 within Australia.

27-28 Aug

HAWAII
Total Lunar Eclipse

It’ll be the first time in three years that a total lunar eclipse will be seen so clearly in Hawaii. And if you sail on the Alaka’i from Oahu’s west coast to see the moon darken to that eerie, unusual copper colour from the deck of a boat, part of the proceeds goes to the Wild Dolphin Foundation. Contact Sail Hawaii, tel: +1 (808) 306 7273.

24 Aug - 02 Sep

Narawntapu Close Up
1 by David Keeling

TASMANIA
Tasmanian Living Artists’ Week 2007

This biennial state-wide visual arts event has gone from strength to strength, reaching 1,000 community submissions this year. Get into the swing with a Gallery Crawl – free buses will take you to the best local art in Hobart! Or stroll the shopping precinct in North Hobart and take in the outdoor gallery, where every shopfront has its own art show. Tel: +61 (3) 6233 5940 for information.

25 Aug - 23 Sep

MELBOURNE
Experimenta Playground

Baby LoveThis International Biennial of Media Arts is in-your-face, shake-you-silly kind of stuff. Sit beside life-size babies in giant teacups, and gawp as shadows become monsters in front of your eyes. Contemporary art has never been so interactive, or so fun! The free exhibition is on at BlackBox at The Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd, before heading to Perth, Sydney, Adelaide and Bendigo. Tel: +61 (3) 9525 5025.

25 Aug - 02 Sep

OSAKA, JAPAN
11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics

Left: Steve Hooker;

Right: Craig Mottram
Photos: Gettyimages

Cheer on the 47 Australian athletes at Osaka’s Nagai Stadium. Led by Jana Rawlinson (2003 World Champion in 400m hurdles) and Craig Mottram (2005 World Champion in 5000m run), the Australian team will face athletes from 212 countries. Athletics Australia’s National Performance Manager Max Binnington says, “We judge success based on the number of athletes who reach the finals.” Live broadcasts can be seen on SBS, or buy your tickets at www.osaka2007.jp. For all your travel choices, visit www.jetstar.com.

24-26 Aug til 02 Sep

SYDNEY
Gardening Australia Expo Show 07 Festival of Flowers

Green thumbs will be busy bees these next couple of months. ABC TV’s Gardening Australia presenters Meredith Kirton and Peter Cundall will be hosting their Expo Show, showing you how to make the most of your garden. Highlights include the Grow Your Own Food and Celebrating Three Years of Drought presentations.

The Festival of Flowers is already underway in the Hunter Valley, with a program of music, art and food around thousands of blooms. It’s the perfect mini-break opportunity!

Gardening Australia Expo Show, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush Bay, tel: +61 (2) 9452 7575.
Festival of Flowers, Hunter Valley Gardens, Broke Rd, Pokolbin, tel: +61 (2) 4998 4000.

31 Aug - 09 Sep

BRISBANE
10th Riverfestival 2007

Expect food, wine, film, sport and art on the banks of the Brisbane River. The festival starts off with QBE Riverfire pyrotechnics and ends under the stars with Surf ’n’ Symphony – the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Riverfestival Surf Band celebrating a centenary of surf life-saving in Australia. The 10th International Riversymposium and Environmental Flows Conference offer a more serious side to the celebrations. For information, tel: +61 (7) 3846 7444.