As southern parts of Australia look set for a wet winter, the northern part of the NT is grappling with its second poor wet season in as many years.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer refuses to budge on a decision criticised as "bureaucratic overreach" after an Anzac Day flyover is banned due to coronavirus restrictions, with the state recording another two cases.

Queensland Opposition MP Trevor Watts quits his position as shadow police minister after being fined for attending a function on Sunday that breached coronavirus rules on public gatherings.

Nearly 150 extra police will be out questioning Queenslanders this weekend who are enjoying the first days of easing restrictions, as the state records just one new case of coronavirus.

Cooler-than-average temperatures are likely to be felt in southern and central Queensland from today as a cold front works its way through the state.

Fire pits are popping up in backyards across the country, but as one Brisbane mother found out maybe you're not allowed to actually light them.

This holiday hotspot has the potential of having zero active coronavirus cases by early May, but with fine weather and loosening restrictions the situation could prove otherwise.

A grand slam of a different kind has seen two Brisbane nurses take on the world's best tennis players high in the sky on a hospital rooftop.

Welfare recipients in three states will remain on the controversial cashless debit card for another six months after the Federal Government extended the trial.

Public figures have posted heartfelt and supportive messages for teachers on Twitter as Term 2 begins in NSW.

Jeered in more conservative times for ordering a swimmer "wearing nothing but a smile" to cover up, lifesaving legend Warren Young now looks to call it a day.

For Muriel Halsted, being part of the world of social media isn't something she's ever given much thought to.

People are being urged to batten down the hatches as the cold weather hits, including sheep graziers who could lose animals to the potentially deadly chill.

A Sydney school is shut after a student tests positive for COVID-19 but Gladys Berejiklian says all children could be back in classrooms full-time by the end of May.

Solar-powered vibrators, vegan condoms and organic lubricants: Sex therapists share tips for going green between the sheets.

CRIME NIGHT

Canada's prolific hit-writer opens his Australian tour in the Illawarra with a full house.

Never mind melodic punk, here's where it all started.

More crazy genre mash-ups with Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, but this comedy sci-fi is lots of giddy fun.

Over the years as I've trawled through annual Archibald Prize for portraiture at the Art Gallery of NSW, I have always taken the time to also peruse two of the other exhibitions shown simultaneously: the Wynne Prize for sculpture and landscape painting and the Dobell Prize for drawing, named after Australian artist Sir William Dobell.

Nick and Meg escape to Paris in a bid to save their marriage. Will they survive? Geoff Hutchison reviews the latest Roger Michell film, Le Week-end.

'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 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.

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.

The Game of Thrones drama ends today for millions of fans, but in one Aussie household it will live on for this pampered pooch which has its own GoT-inspired iron throne.

Data suggests Australia's strict physical-distancing measures are beginning to work — but the risks are huge if we relax too quickly.

Who would have thought weather would be providing the good news a few months ago? The weekend's rainfall is a welcome relief after years of drought and there could be more on the way.

Churches and synagogues across Australia are offering their services online and many are live streaming. Here's a list of the major services around the country this weekend.

All over Australia, non-essential travel is being discouraged. But the rules vary state to state, so let's take a look at exactly how far you're allowed to travel and who you're allowed to visit.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy warns New Zealand to pay attention to Tasmania's experience

A stand-off in a suburban street between an armed man and police is captured on video, with officers pointing their weapons and ordering him to surrender before he is knocked down by a police car.

Retail restrictions are extended on Tasmania's north-west coast, as the state records its ninth coronavirus death and 207th case of the disease.

Lavender farms are seeing a spike in online traffic as consumers stock up on essential oils and pillow sprays, even their own plants.

A South Australian citrus grower is lathering his crops in molasses in an attempt to protect the produce from damaging frosts.

A teenager who suffered a punctured lung when she was stabbed by a classmate at Renmark High School tells the District Court they are still best friends and she will continue to support her as she receives treatment for schizophrenia.

Amber Brea Rover was suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia when she stabbed her friend Zoe Fenn in July last year.

The Riverina car dealership says it takes '100 per cent takes responsibility' for the incident, and has improved work health and safety culture.

Despite 18 places on the table and 55 points standing between Liverpool and Watford, the lowly Hornets sting the Reds for a first Premier League loss of the season.

Efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus see Italian authorities suspend all sports leagues, including Serie A and Six Nations rugby union matches, until at least April 3.

England's elite soccer leagues are suspended until at least April as the chaos stemming from the coronavirus outbreak continues to impact world soccer.

Sydney fails to complete a blockbuster deal to secure Joe Daniher from Essendon on the final day of the AFL trade period, while Bradley Hill moves from Fremantle to St Kilda.

The Melbourne Storm's Nelson Asofa-Solomona will be available to play in the opening round of the NRL next season, despite being handed a three-match suspension after a violent altercation while on holiday in Bali.

Victorian racing authorities announce a plan for retired racehorses to be euthanased on farms to save them from abattoirs and knackeries, in response to an ABC investigation that exposed cruel treatment of thoroughbreds.

Senior Victorian police defend their tactics, including the pushing of a journalist and the use of pepper spray, during protests outside a mining conference, saying officers are ready to respond the same way tomorrow.

The long-term boyfriend of a Dutch woman who died in Melbourne last year after a hit-and-run tells her killer's court hearing that he feels completely alone and mourns the children they would have had.

Splendour in the Grass was unofficially rebranded 'Splendour in the Mud' this year as thousands of music lovers donned gumboots for the festival in the Byron Shire's Yelgun.

Once a lavish home to a mining magnate in the 19th century then a covert map-making location during WWII, Bendigo's Fortuna Villa is filled with tales. Six people who have a long association with its history talk of the mysteries and celebrations surrounding the place.

As wisps of fog settled on the township of Eungella, bike riders emerged from the muddy tracks within the rainforest. The Eungella National Park rarely fails to live up to its Indigenous name 'Land of the Clouds' and once a year the town attracts athletes who are eager to compete in its mountain bike marathon.