The team at Neville's Garden Site: Phil Creaser, Karen Roberts, Liz Price, Sue Hand, Kenny Travouillon, Dr Mike Archer, Arthur White, and John Scan

An ominous drone photo of sharks circling a whale beached near Albany in WA snaps top prize at this year's Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year awards, with the photographer saying the scene was "unreal".

A man is dead and a woman seriously injured after falling more than 10 metres from a zipline in the Daintree rainforest in Far North Queensland, police say.

Mardi Liebelt was next in line to take a flying fox through the rainforest canopy when the zip-line snapped, watching in horror as a 50-year-old South Australian man fall to his death and his wife writhed in pain.

The family of the man who died while zip-lining in Far North Queensland has described him as a "loving husband, father, son, brother and friend to all".

Fire ants are spreading into new areas across south-east Queensland according to a Biosecurity Queensland insider who says the war to eradicate the potential killers is all but lost, a claim vehemently denied by the man tasked with stopping the spread.

Fire crews contain a blaze west of Kalbar on Queensland's Scenic Rim, as well as battling bushfires on multiple fronts near Canungra in the Gold Coast hinterland, with the Rural Fire Service saying resources are "stretched to the limit".

An incredible show of community spirit brings locals together in the Gold Coast Hinterland with dozens of Canungra residents rescuing animals from the fire front at nearby Binna Burra.

All fires across New South Wales and Queensland are downgraded to watch and act or advice as nightfall eases conditions somewhat. Look back at out coverage as firefighters battled blazes across two states.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is returning early from a trip to Switzerland because of the ongoing bushfire threat, with more than 80 fires burning across the state and a blaze at Peregian on the Sunshine Coast that is still out of control.

For 86 years the historic Gold Coast hinterland lodge was a beacon for bushwalkers, stressed executives and school children, but its chairman is now traumatised by the charred ruin with an uncertain future.

Firefighters from South Australia arrive in Queensland to give local crews a rest from battling bushfires, but the break may be short-lived with conditions forecast to get worse in the state later in the week.

Australian surfers Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons will have to wait until next May for confirmation they have been selected for the Tokyo Olympics, despite satisfying the qualification criteria.

A slumping sugar price and demand for reliable irrigation areas for cotton is spurring new interest in growing it in the tropics.

Drought conditions have revived the old practice of large cattle drives, but drovers face new challenges as competition for feed on previously abandoned stock routes heats up.

Most of the time, acquiring an Australian passport using evidence like a birth certificate means citizenship for life. But sometimes the Department of Home Affairs can ask for more evidence, writes Jan Gothard.

Fire-weary residents at Sarabah in Queensland's Scenic Rim get a reprieve as authorities downgrade the bushfire warning level in the area, but conditions are expected to worsen in southern Queensland on Saturday.

A new program supporting young innovators in regional Australia is launched by the ABC and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.

A man is charged with possessing a prohibited firearm after police find an MP40 submachine gun, the type of firearm used extensively by Nazi soldiers during World War II, in a car on the NSW Central Coast.

Seven people who have eaten frozen pomegranate purchased at Coles have been diagnosed with a unique strain of hepatitis A, prompting a recall of what the company behind the product describes as "a relatively small batch".

Do you know how long to rest a steak? Who predicted lab meat in 1931? And do you really know what a heifer is? Dig in to our beef quiz.

A farmer near Gunnedah is feeding his cattle orange peel, donated by a juice factory, in a bid to keep them alive as the drought wears on.

A blue-tongue lizard with two functioning mouths is found on the NSW Central Coast, intriguing reptile experts who say his life expectancy in the wild would not be great.

A disease that could potentially wipe out Australia's multi-billion-dollar livestock industry has been detected at Australian airports.

MORNING BRIEFING: Police charge a man in Parramatta after finding tools to make a homemade bomb in his backpack, while Sydney residents can soon expect formal water restrictions as dry conditions continue.

Private collectors snap up dozens of artefacts from the Third Reich at an auction, showing the popularity and value of Nazi military memorabilia is on the rise.

Brody Finlay hadn't auditioned for Baz Luhrmann's next project, and was surprised when the director's office contacted him.

Across New South Wales and Queensland's southern downs, country towns are approaching day zero, as water supplies dry up in the drought.

Parents of children attending regional and rural schools are calling for a commonsense approach in the wake of the NSW Government's crackdown on school enrolment caps and out-of-area enrolments.

MORNING BRIEFING: A new video of missing Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez is released as his family attempt to solve what happened to the 18-year-old, last seen in Byron Bay.

The NSW Farmers Association is lobbying the State Government remove the interest on loans provided to farmers during drought.

Friendships and Fanzines: Inspiration from the Jay Lynch Collection By Hannah Kramer Bio: Hannah Kramer is a History major, finishing her junior year at Ohio State. She has been a student employee at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum since October 2018.  Special thanks to Professor Jared Gardner at The Ohio State University; his […]

From Meris Longmeier:  Kudos to Randall McKenzie. The streamlined telework process is AMAZING! It was so quick to review and update the date for the telework agreements. A huge thank you for enriching the experience of that process for all library employees! From Tony Maniaci: THANK YOU to Christine OConnell for walking me through the mail merge […]

We could all use a break from reality these days, but so many of us find ourselves attached to the computer for virtual meetings. Why not bring a little escapism into your day with the help of Winsor McCay? The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum will be releasing a series of virtual backgrounds for […]

Submitted by Casey Cramer: Now that we are living in a time with plenty of video conference calls – and are making these calls from our homes where pets, kids and significant others may appear in the background – we all have heard and seen some funny moments. What is the funniest Zoom moment you […]