Sunday Territorian 18 May 2014
Sunday Territorian; NewspaperNT
2014-05-18
This publication contains may contain links to external sites. These external sites may no longer be active.
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
application/pdf
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/250745
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/552844
SUNDAY MAY 18 2014 NEWS 05 V1 - NTNE01Z01MA No identity crisis for rising young star DARWINS home grown XFactor contestant Shiane Hawke has written and released her first single. The 16-year-old impressed X-Factor judges and audiences two years ago as a shy teenager with a powerful voice. She said releasing her first single, Blurred Identity, was really exciting and offered fans greater insight into who she really was. Its sort of a personal song about me and my identity and time on the X-Factor, Hawke said. Its letting people see me and not the shy 14-year-old girl everyone knows. No one has really heard me sing that way before. Hawke performed the song live for the first time last night at the Fred Pass Rural show. She said performing at the show was nerve-racking but exciting. It was a really cool experience getting to know what other people think. She didnt take long to settle back into life in Darwin post XFactor and is now completing Year 11 at Darwin High School. She said she was also thinking about releasing an EP in the future. Blurred Identity is available on iTunes. By TAMARA HOWIE Humid days sticking around a bit longer Alison Wood soaks up the warm weather at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct, but says the ongoing humidity is starting to get annoying Picture: MICHAEL FRANCHI AFTER teasing us with a taste of what the dry season will bring last week, Darwin locals will have to suffer through the next couple of hot, humid days. Weather bureau senior forecaster Ashley Patterson said despite the dry season being officially here, the weather was still fluctuating. Its relatively humid in the north with isolated showers expected to continue across the eastern and north coast of the Top End, he said. Theres not going to be a lot of change over the next few days. Darwin resident Alison Wood was enjoying the rays yesterday but said the humidity was getting to her. I enjoyed the few days of the Dry we had but it still feels like the humidity is around which is annoying, she said. I hope it clears up in time for Bass In The Grass. Mr Patterson said a high over the Tasman Sea was directing an easterly flow of humidity across the Territory from the Gulf of Carpentaria. Its probably a little bit more humid than normal but the dry season is still setting in, he said. But there doesnt appear to be any dryer, cooler surges arriving or expected over the next week. The average rainfall for Darwin in May is 21.3mm but so far this month there has only been 3.4mm. However Jabirus average rainfall record of 12.6mm in 2012 has been broken with the area receiving 140mm alreadythis month. On Friday alone 76.2mm was recorded. Cloud bands across the southwest and a weak trough approaching the border will bring isolated, light showers over Alice Springs. Mr Patterson said it should be fairly cloudy across the south for the next few days. Buyers resisting cashless change CASH remains king in Australia and is far from dead. Australians have embraced the use of contactless payments or tap and go at one of the fastest rates in the world, but experts say the use of notes and coins remains dominantnationwide. Latest data from scheme giant MasterCard shows consumers are still using cash well ahead of plastic about two in three transactions are paid for using cash. But despite its prevalence, Australians are using cash for smaller transactions 15 per cent of the total value of transactions are paid for by cash. MasterCards head of market, development and innovation for Australasia, Matt Barr, said a majority of transactions worldwide were still paid for using cash. Globally theres still a long way to go with the shift to electronic payments, about 85 per cent of the world is still paying by cash, he said. About 70 per cent of transactions in Australia are still cash so this is where speed and convenience is still important so theres still a long way to go (before shifting away from cash). Strategic relations firm RFis director Alan Shields said cash still had a long life ahead before being completely phased out. We have embraced contactless payments like no other country and the growth of that has been driven by supermarkets, he said. But however successful that is it doesnt mean that we have stopped using cash when we are buying our coffee, newspaper or sandwich from a cafe. HP-RFis Australian Payments Report found cash still accounts for more than one third (35 per cent) of consumer transactions. It found that a cashless society was now feasible in about one in four consumers. By COREY SINCLAIR Shiane Hawke Star Ball brings out charitable best TERRITORIANS dugdeep and raised a record amount for the annual Star Ball for the NT Starlight Foundation. The charity event last night raised a record $218,000 which will help the Starlight Foundation provide programs for seriously ill children in theTerritory. Star Ball committee member Michelle Coleman said they ball had gained popularity every year since it began in 2008. We were overwhelmed at the support the Top End community has given us, Ms Coleman said. Because its a charity they really get into it. The silent auction alone raised $145,000 from 11 items and the live auction added some excitement to the night. Rhythm Brazil, a dance group from Sydney, helped to get the 600 guests into the Rio Carnivale theme and local band Rukkas filled the dancefloor. The money will go towards several programs including Make-A-Wish run by the Starlight Foundation. Johnson on a unicycle ride of his life HES ridden across the Territory on a unicycle but now the real pain starts for Samuel Johnson playing Molly Meldrum in a TV series about the music legends life. But first he has to get cast. Despite being anointed by the doyen himself, Johnson has yet to get the green light from Channel Seven and producer John Molloy. Ive been meeting with them, Johnson said. Ill be busting a gut to make sure the roles mine. Its the most exciting opportunity Ive had in years. Johnson returned in February from a 15,000km world-record-breaking ride around Australia on a unicycle where he raised over $1.5 million for breast cancer research at the Garvan Institute, prompted by his gravely ill sister Connie, 36, whose cancer experience began as an 11-year-old. Im officially the worlds most determined unicyclist, Johnson said. Its a dubious and somewhat absurd honour to hold. But it does actually say that on my business card.